Friends with minor benefits
Was talking to a girlfriend the other day and the subject of Actor Guy came up (okay, I brought him up). "I'm over it," I said, trying to sound blase, and I was struck at how unconvincing I was, even to myself. Shit, I'm totally not over it, I realized. STILL.
So annoyed about that. I'm feeling a little burned still from the whole thing and not interested in getting into any sort of dating situation. Part of it may be that I haven't had time to even think about attempting to have a love life again. But yeah, after the last two relationship flame-outs, I'm not exactly eager to give it another go. It requires so much energy -- and when the break-up happens, even more energy.
I suppose that's why hooking up with Mr. Drama is convenient. Last month, just after I learned I was losing my job, I was invited by Mr. Drama to be his guest at a movie premiere. Turned out it was a movie he'd worked on, and it was part of a showcase at the Newport Beach Film Festival, with a big party afterward. So I threw on a cute dress and went, eager for a night out after the shitty week I'd had.
I got to sit with Drama in a prime section of the theater roped off for cast and crew, and was introduced to the director and other crew members. The movie was pretty good -- solid enough to get picked up for distribution by a studio, and enough that I was impressed by Mr. Drama's work. With a big surge of pride, I whooped and hollered and clapped for him when they introduced him to the audience at the post-screening Q & A. At his request, I took pictures of him posing with the movie's poster in the theater lobby. In the parking lot, the director introduced Drama to the film's headliner, Jean-Claude Van Damme, who complimented Drama on his skills. He spotted me hanging back behind Drama, smiling sheepishly. The Muscles from Brussels stepped towards me.
"Hello, lady," he said, looking into my eyes. Hello "lady"?! What is he, Jerry Lewis? He was leaner and taller than I expected (as in, not shorter than me), and sort of leathery.
Anyway, I shook Jean-Claude Van Damme's hand (!), and the three of us took a picture together. Drama and I posted it to Facebook, where we both got tons of "Likes". We went to the afterparty, giddy from the celebrity encounter, and loaded up on free food and drinks. The party was a zoo -- it was celebrating the entire film festival, and it seemed like every Real Housewife-type in Orange County was there, along with packs of men all dressed in a uniform of dark designer jeans, untucked dress shirt open at the collar, pointy shoes and sunglasses hanging off the backs of their carefully gelled heads. It felt like a casting cattle call for the Bravo network. Drama and I spent a lot of time people-watching and making snarky comments. Most of the action was outside in the chill night air, so he insisted on lending me his blazer. We made our way to a private room for those who'd worked on the movie and their guests. There Drama introduced me to some of the producers, the director's wife and the music supervisor, and we had a blast just chatting it up with them. At one point someone asked how Drama and I met.
"Oh, we're just friends," he said quickly. Ouch. Not that I have any wish to be more, but geez, did he have to say it so fast? It's not like I'm Frankenstein. Despite that, I felt like I was making a good impression, and he told me as much.
"You were the perfect date! You made the whole night even better, because it was obvious you were having a good time, and you laughed during the movie, and talked with everyone, and they all liked you. Thank you, thank you so much for coming," he said, and continued to thank me effusively, even after we went to grab a midnight snack at a diner. In turn, I thanked him for inviting me on the most fun night I'd had in a long time, and for making what started out as a horrible week (No job for you!) much better.
I have to say, the whole night made me a little sad. Before the movie screening, I listened as several of the actors from the cast laughed and joked in the row behind me. Something about their conversation sounded really familiar, and then it hit me -- it was like countless conversations I'd heard between AG and his actor friends. It wasn't the subject matter so much as the undercurrent of trying to be as funny and entertaining as the next guy (which isn't as exhausting as it sounds -- it's actually really stimulating). That, and the socializing with a bunch of film creatives totally reminded me of him. It had been such a long time since I'd been around so many entertainers (and I work at a movie studio). I always had so much fun when I was with AG, and I missed it. It also reminded me that I could be a good date for someone. I know I was a great date every time I went out with AG to some social setting, and it was nice to find I could still hold my own.
Maybe that's why I ended up sleeping over at Drama's house afterward. No sex, actual sleeping (though there was some making out and cuddling involved). It was really rather nice. Neither of us are interested in each other romantically, but there's a certain comfort in being able to be with each other as if we were. Friends with minor benefits?
Of course I'd love to be in a real relationship, but that requires so much. If I can get a periodic make-out session with Drama, I think that'll be enough for now.
So annoyed about that. I'm feeling a little burned still from the whole thing and not interested in getting into any sort of dating situation. Part of it may be that I haven't had time to even think about attempting to have a love life again. But yeah, after the last two relationship flame-outs, I'm not exactly eager to give it another go. It requires so much energy -- and when the break-up happens, even more energy.
I suppose that's why hooking up with Mr. Drama is convenient. Last month, just after I learned I was losing my job, I was invited by Mr. Drama to be his guest at a movie premiere. Turned out it was a movie he'd worked on, and it was part of a showcase at the Newport Beach Film Festival, with a big party afterward. So I threw on a cute dress and went, eager for a night out after the shitty week I'd had.
I got to sit with Drama in a prime section of the theater roped off for cast and crew, and was introduced to the director and other crew members. The movie was pretty good -- solid enough to get picked up for distribution by a studio, and enough that I was impressed by Mr. Drama's work. With a big surge of pride, I whooped and hollered and clapped for him when they introduced him to the audience at the post-screening Q & A. At his request, I took pictures of him posing with the movie's poster in the theater lobby. In the parking lot, the director introduced Drama to the film's headliner, Jean-Claude Van Damme, who complimented Drama on his skills. He spotted me hanging back behind Drama, smiling sheepishly. The Muscles from Brussels stepped towards me.
"Hello, lady," he said, looking into my eyes. Hello "lady"?! What is he, Jerry Lewis? He was leaner and taller than I expected (as in, not shorter than me), and sort of leathery.
Anyway, I shook Jean-Claude Van Damme's hand (!), and the three of us took a picture together. Drama and I posted it to Facebook, where we both got tons of "Likes". We went to the afterparty, giddy from the celebrity encounter, and loaded up on free food and drinks. The party was a zoo -- it was celebrating the entire film festival, and it seemed like every Real Housewife-type in Orange County was there, along with packs of men all dressed in a uniform of dark designer jeans, untucked dress shirt open at the collar, pointy shoes and sunglasses hanging off the backs of their carefully gelled heads. It felt like a casting cattle call for the Bravo network. Drama and I spent a lot of time people-watching and making snarky comments. Most of the action was outside in the chill night air, so he insisted on lending me his blazer. We made our way to a private room for those who'd worked on the movie and their guests. There Drama introduced me to some of the producers, the director's wife and the music supervisor, and we had a blast just chatting it up with them. At one point someone asked how Drama and I met.
"Oh, we're just friends," he said quickly. Ouch. Not that I have any wish to be more, but geez, did he have to say it so fast? It's not like I'm Frankenstein. Despite that, I felt like I was making a good impression, and he told me as much.
"You were the perfect date! You made the whole night even better, because it was obvious you were having a good time, and you laughed during the movie, and talked with everyone, and they all liked you. Thank you, thank you so much for coming," he said, and continued to thank me effusively, even after we went to grab a midnight snack at a diner. In turn, I thanked him for inviting me on the most fun night I'd had in a long time, and for making what started out as a horrible week (No job for you!) much better.
I have to say, the whole night made me a little sad. Before the movie screening, I listened as several of the actors from the cast laughed and joked in the row behind me. Something about their conversation sounded really familiar, and then it hit me -- it was like countless conversations I'd heard between AG and his actor friends. It wasn't the subject matter so much as the undercurrent of trying to be as funny and entertaining as the next guy (which isn't as exhausting as it sounds -- it's actually really stimulating). That, and the socializing with a bunch of film creatives totally reminded me of him. It had been such a long time since I'd been around so many entertainers (and I work at a movie studio). I always had so much fun when I was with AG, and I missed it. It also reminded me that I could be a good date for someone. I know I was a great date every time I went out with AG to some social setting, and it was nice to find I could still hold my own.
Maybe that's why I ended up sleeping over at Drama's house afterward. No sex, actual sleeping (though there was some making out and cuddling involved). It was really rather nice. Neither of us are interested in each other romantically, but there's a certain comfort in being able to be with each other as if we were. Friends with minor benefits?
Of course I'd love to be in a real relationship, but that requires so much. If I can get a periodic make-out session with Drama, I think that'll be enough for now.