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[sub][color=slategray]A [@smarty0114] & [@Silent Observer] collab
Featuring: [color=31ba9f]Jamie Callaghan[/color] & [color=997fdb]Marshall Radley[/color]
Location: Myron’s Steakhouse[/color][/sub][/center][hr][hr]

[indent]Myron’s was a steakhouse, built some forty years ago, that had served as many A-Listers as Denny’s had drug addicts. This was a Beverly Hills establishment, with a waitlist longer than the line outside of Walmart on Black Friday, and Jamie had gotten a table for two. After swearing him to secrecy, his mother was happy to help him get a spot, and she pulled some strings for him. 

As Jamie’s car pulled in front of the valet, Jamie turned to Marshall, a look of concern on his face. [color=31ba9f][b]“I hope this isn’t too much. It’s just, well, I wanted to prove that I was here, for whatever comes our way,”[/b][/color] Jamie said, just like he’d rehearsed a million times in the shower earlier.

Marshall eagerly watched out the window as they pulled up to the window. Every aspect about this date night would be a surprise for the drama king, and he absolutely loved that. Surprises were so incredibly romantic. He bit at his lip when they arrived at Myron’s. He’d heard of it before, of course, but he’d never been there. [color=997fdb][b]“Isn’t this place for like… celebrities?”[/b][/color] he whispered once they got out of the car and the valet took the keys. God, that was a gorgeous car…

[color=997fdb][b]“It’s definitely too much.”[/b][/color] Marshall said with a slight grin. Too much was exactly what he wanted and needed, though. Jamie would come to find that Marshall loved being spoiled, and a spoiled Marshall would be very good for Jamie. Boldly, Marsh linked his arm in the crook of Jamie’s elbow as they walked to the front door.

Jamie grinned. [color=31ba9f][b]“I mean, it’s not [i]only[/i] for celebrities. Just, filthy rich people in general,”[/b][/color] Jamie said as he held the door for Marshall, before following him into the entryway of the restaurant. He gave the host his name and a waiter sprung up with menus, and led them to a dimly lit table towards the center of the restaurant. Around the dining room, a myriad of celebrities and other well dressed one percenters ate and mingled.

[color=31ba9f][b]“My mom knows the host, and he got her the reservation. It pays to have an A-Lister mom I guess,”[/b][/color] Jamie said, chuckling as they took their seats.

[color=997fdb][b]“I guess it does.”[/b][/color] Marshall responded lightly. He was distracted by the sights and sounds of the unfamiliar restaurant. It was so… insanely bougie. It was the kind of place he’d end up when he went out to dinner with the HOT girls. His eyes found Jamie again, sitting across from him with that intense stare he had. Butterflies stirred in his stomach at the realization that, holy crap, he was actually on a date here. It wasn’t until this very moment, both of them dressed to impress, sitting across from each other in the dim lighting, that the romance of it all hit him. Blushing a little, he met that intense gaze. [color=997fdb][b]“My mom is a realtor, so the bennies pretty much extend to our really nice house. But… I could get used to this.”[/b][/color] He said with a smirk. Marshall could especially get used to this if he were to become an A-Lister himself. Dream big, right?

[color=32ba9f][b]“I mean, you better if you plan on acting. You’re too good not to make it this big,”[/b][/color] Jamie said with a grin. [color=31ba9f][b]“Speaking of, don’t you have the talent show? How’s that going?”[/b][/color]

Marshall’s blush darkened at the unexpected compliment. The talent show, though, that had slipped his mind given the recent shenanigans. [color=997fdb][b]“Oh, yeah…”[/b][/color] He took a sip from the glass of water in front of him. It was sparkling, of course. [color=997fdb][b]“That’s going to be… a moment. Damian asked me to be his partner for a scene. I… have no idea what he has planned, honestly, but I’m flexible.”[/b][/color] Very flexible. He set down his glass. [color=997fdb][b]“Are you going to be doing something for it?”[/b][/color] Marsh wasn’t sure what a writer could do for something like that, but perhaps Jamie had some hidden talents he’d yet to discover.

Jamie chuckled from behind his menu and looked out at Marshall. [color=31ba9f][b]“I am gonna have to pass. I don’t think I have any, performance worthy talent,”[/b][/color] Jamie said. [color=31ba9f][b]“Katie’s probably gonna sing for it though,”[/b][/color] he added. Katie couldn’t help but perform. There was no way she’d miss this. 

[color=31ba9f][b]“So, have you talked with Ophelia? She hasn’t been at school since Tuesday,”[/b][/color] Jamie said. Bringing up Ophelia was a risky move, but he knew Marshall probably wanted to talk about his best friend going and breaking up Trixie and Owen. 

[color=997fdb][b]“No…”[/b][/color] Marshall admitted sheepishly and looked away. He didn’t want to think of that tonight, even if he should be. [color=997fdb][b]“Let’s just… live in the moment. Here, with each other, okay?”[/b][/color] For once, Marshall didn’t want to talk about something. A rarity. He picked up his menu and browsed. The menu didn’t even have prices, that’s how you knew this was some rich people shit. Who needs to see numbers when money isn’t an issue? [color=997fdb][b]“Do you… come here often? Any recommendations?”[/b][/color] Everything sounded good to him, it was a steakhouse, and steak was one of his favorite foods.

Jamie grinned. [color=31ba9f][b]“The filet mignon is really good, that’s what I’m getting. Katie always gets the New York strip,”[/b][/color] Jamie suggested. [color=31ba9f][b]“This is my mom and dad’s favorite place. After my mom got her first big paycheck, they came here. Now they like to take us all the time,”[/b][/color] Jamie said, smiling.

Marshall scoffed. [color=997fdb][b]“You can’t get New York strip outside of New York…”[/b][/color] The proud New York City native shook his head with a smirk. [color=997fdb][b]“Katie’s such a [i]savage[/i]. I was thinking about filet mignon too, but surf and turf style, with scallops.”[/b][/color] With that decision made, he set down his menu. Folding his hands in his lap, Marshall looked over the table at the appetizer, and dessert, sitting across from him. Smiling softly, he said, [color=997fdb][b]“That sounds precious. Your parents taking you guys to one of their happiest memories, I mean.”[/b][/color] Or… just having parents that were still happy and in love enough to take you places together, even.

[color=31ba9f][b]“Yeah we’re lucky like that. They work a lot, but they try really hard to make time for us all,”[/b][/color] Jamie said. The conversation was interrupted by the waiter coming to take their orders, and then hurrying off. [color=31ba9f][b]“Anyways, my mom’s off right now. No press tours or movies to film, which is nice. She starts filming for some new Green production in February,”[/b][/color] Jamie explained after the waiter had left. [color=31ba9f][b]“What was living in New York like? I’ve always dreamed about living there after high school,”[/b][/color] Jamie said, punctuating his words with a sip from his glass.

At Jamie's words, Marshall's heart soared. He wanted to live in the City after school, too? Perfect! [color=997fdb][b]“Oh, it's amazing! I mean, I was young when I lived there, but I go back a lot visiting Dad after Christmas and stuff. It's different from LA in a lot of ways, like there's always something new to be doing, and there's a lot of culture and great food, Chinatown is fantastic. During the holidays, they have a huge tree in Times Square, and I've even gone to watch the ball drop in person on New Years. It’s usually freezing, but way worth it. Oh yeah, and there's all the seasons, have you ever seen snow? It's beautiful! Of course though, the big draw for me is Broadway. Seeing a Broadway  production in the actual Broadway theater is an out of body experience for a theater nerd.”[/b][/color] Marshall took a break from his swooning over NYC to take a sip of the hot tea the waiter had brought out for him. [color=997fdb][b]“I think you'd love it there. It's a great place for a journalist to live. Your name would look real good in The New York Times.”[/b][/color]

Jamie’s pale skin flushed red at Marshall’s compliment. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. [color=31ba9f][b]“Maybe…”[/b][/color] he said, getting lost for a moment. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure how much of a journalist he really was these days. He used to be so firm in that label, so strong in his conviction that writing was his passion, but after the last few days, and a lot of thinking, he wasn’t so sure. [color=31ba9f][b]“Writing is hard,”[/b][/color] Jamie somehow managing to sigh and laugh at the difficulty of the situation all at once. [color=31ba9f][b]“It’s like, this great, big, darkness that you give everything too, everything, and sometimes it feels like it’s never going to pay off. I guess all art is like that in a sense,”[/b][/color] Jamie said, shrugging his eyebrows as if he’d already come to terms with this thought.

Marshall reached his hand over the table and patted on Jamie's hand. It felt like the right thing to do. And then, also because it felt like the right thing to do, he laced his fingers together with Jamie's. [color=997fdb][b]“I think a lot of arts feel like that. But, some of best creative works begin in darkness, right? I mean… you're really good at it, at least.”[/b][/color] He said comfortingly and smiled. Shortly after, the waiter came by with their meals. 

Jamie squeezed Marshall’s hand gently, a form of his appreciation, before letting go to dig into his food. [color=31ba9f][b]“Okay, you get to talk now,”[/b][/color] Jamie said, smirking across the table at Marshall. [color=31ba9f][b]“Favorite memory and the story behind it?”[/b][/color]

[color=997fdb][b]“Just one? Geeze, that's hard to come up with… I think I'll give, like, a top three that come to mind.”[/b][/color] Marshall responded, taking a moment to think of some of his favorite memories. He cut into his steak carefully and took a bite. [color=997fdb][b]“Oh my gosh… that's so good!”[/b][/color] Marsh said in a whisper, his hand reaching up to cover his lips as he chewed the divine dinner.

[color=997fdb][b]“Okay, well, first to come to mind is Christmas last year. Marty and I had opened all our stuff, and Margie was home from school, and we were all hanging out enjoying some hot cocoa. Then my mom comes out with a small box and was like, ‘Oh, Marsh, I almost forgot this one.’ And she hands me the final gift of Christmas. I wasn't expecting anything grand, right, it was a tiny box… but inside, there was a car key! I freaked, and she explained that the key was just a blank, and it meant that we could go car shopping the next day - she correctly assumed I would want to pick it out myself, and custom color orders take a while, so she wanted to make sure I got it in time for my sixteenth birthday. And that's the memory of getting my beloved purple Mini…”[/b][/color] Marshall took another bite of his meal, this time the scallops. They were equally as delicious - buttery and melted in your mouth.

[color=997fdb][b]“And then, a few years further back, there was our annual dadcation. Dad and his wife flew all us kids out to Spain for a few weeks in the summer. Spain was beautiful, but that wasn't the memorable part. The memorable part was that the drinking age is lower there, so Margie was able to sneakily get a few bottles of wine. And Dad foolishly booked us kids our own room, and that was the first night I ever got drunk. Oh my God… what a moment.”[/b][/color] Marshall laughed at the memory. [color=997fdb][b]“So, in all our drunken revelry, my half-brothers decided we should go downstairs to the hot tubs, right? And on our way there, Marty stumbled and fell into the pool, naturally we all died of laughter, which attracted attention from the hotel guards. They brought us up to Dad, and wow, he was sooo mad, he even threatened to send us home. But, I think he did that all for show, I think he thought it was hilarious too. It was the most we've ever felt like a whole family.”[/b][/color] Marshall explained with a happy nostalgic grin.

[color=997fdb][b]“And last would probably be becoming a Candy.”[/b][/color] He had said he didn't want to bring her up, but here he was breaking his own rules. It was hard to think of good memories without Ophelia being at the center of them. [color=997fdb][b]“I know you think that Ophelia is a tart, and that us Candies worked against love…”[/b][/color] He said looking down at his plate, recalling the scathing terms Jamie had used in his article. [color=997fdb][b]“But, that's not true. We would never do that. When Belle told us about the previous generation of Candies all those years ago, I fell in love with the idea of it. We vowed to be the next generation of Candies that day, a group bound together by love, friendship, and the desire to bring others happiness. We made the shipping wall, it's this huge wall in Feels’ room with pictures and string, where we try to match up potential couples from school and determine what would be needed to give them a push in the right direction. It's perfect fun for a hopeless romantic like me.”[/b][/color] Marshall smiled and looked down again, a tinge of pink coloring his cheeks. [color=997fdb][b]“We’re on that wall, you know…”[/b][/color]

Jamie grinned, nodded, and chewed as Marshall recounted his three favorite memories. These were the parts of him that Jamie wanted to see, the parts that made Marshall, Marshall. At his comment about their faces being up on the “shipping wall”, Jamie chuckled. [color=31ba9f][b]“That doesn’t [i]totally[/i] surprise me. Ophelia and Cassie aren’t my biggest fans, but when they came to talk to me the other day, they seemed pretty supportive of...us,”[/b][/color] Jamie said, offering Marshall a supportive smile. Jamie was dead set on making sure politics stayed out of tonight. He could hear about the Candies and refrain from rolling his eyes, for Marshall.

[color=997fdb][b]“They came to talk to you?”[/b][/color] Marsh responded, his eyebrows pulled together. That was news to him. [color=997fdb][b]“I can’t believe [i]I[/i] got Candied, those little weasels!”[/b][/color] He shook his head to relieve the slightly embarrassing thought of his friends going behind his back to boost his romantic life. He shouldn’t need [i]help[/i] getting a boyfriend… [color=997fdb][b]“Well, at least it seems to have worked?”[/b][/color] There was a hopeful lilt in his tone as he asked the question. [color=997fdb][b]“What about you? Tell me some happy Jamie memories.”[/b][/color] Marshall requested before taking a few more bites of his meal.

Jamie took a sip from his water and mulled over Marshall’s question for a moment, sifting through his various memories for one that stood out. [color=31ba9f][b]“Well, I guess for starters there’s the day my brothers were born. My mom went into labor in the middle of the night and when I woke up my aunt Audrey was there, just, sipping her coffee. So, whatever, we hang out, I’m like six or seven at this point so I hardly know what’s going on but after a little bit my dad called and he said we could come visit. Aunt Audrey packs Katie and I into her car, and takes us to the hospital, and we get lost trying to find the room, but finally, we’re there and my dad is a mess and my mom is worse but in her arms are these two babies and Katie and I just lose it. We were so excited, and my dad calmed us down and made us sit, and he said we could hold them if we chilled out. Well, of course we want to hold the babies, and so we sit completely still, and my dad hands me Will and he hands Katie, Matthew and I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but there was just this warm feeling. I was so small but I knew that I would do anything for those kids.”[/b][/color]

Jamie took a bite from his steak and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor. [color=31ba9f][b]“There was this one time, Selena and AJ and I after this party, we were at some party and after we left we drove around in AJ’s car, and we ended up hiking up into the hills, and we found this spot right in front of the Hollywood sign, and AJ brought out some weed and we hung out for hours just watching the stars and looking up at the sign. It felt so...so cinematic, y’know?”[/b][/color]

Gushing over his younger siblings was quite possibly the most swoon-worthy thing Jamie had ever done. So much so that Marshall nearly dropped his fork, distracted by the loving sparkle in his date’s blue eyes. It almost made him jealous that he didn’t have younger siblings — at least not full blood ones, and certainly not ones that he was present for the birth of. So, not only was Jamie a family man, but he loved kids. This was surprising news, given that Jamie was mostly… well, kind of a cold person at school. This was a side of Jamie that Marshall could get used to seeing. Loving and warm. [color=997fdb][b]“You sound like a fantastic older brother. Also, that [i]entire[/i] story was adorable.”[/b][/color]

Jamie laughed. [color=31ba9f][b]“That’s because I am a fantastic older brother.”[/b][/color]

As Marsh finished up the last bites of his dinner, the conversation took an amusing turn. The first amusement, was that Jamie had apparently gotten high by choice in the past — this was something that Marshall wanted to experience first hand. It was only fair, since Jamie had witnessed Marshall high as a kite earlier this week. The second amusement was, [color=997fdb][b]“Wait… are you telling me that the silver princess takes off her crown long enough to go smoke doobies in the hills?”[/b][/color] Marshall smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, hungry for this juicy piece of gossip about HOT’s trainee.

Jamie let out a laugh and shook his head. [color=31ba9f][b]“God, she would probably kill me if she heard I told you this, but she may or may not have taken a few hits.”[/b][/color] Jamie smirked and finished off his meal. [color=31ba9f][b]“Selena isn’t as stuck up as everybody thinks. She can be fun,”[/b][/color] Jamie said.

[color=997fdb][b]“I don’t doubt that.”[/b][/color] Marshall replied genuinely. The same could be said for the rest of HOT, if people just took the time to get to know them.

[color=31ba9f][b]“After I came out to her she made me come over and watch all these rom-coms with her, and she talked to me about boys and I don’t know, she just was there. She’s a good friend,”[/b][/color] Jamie said, smiling. A moment later, the waiter arrived with the check, and Jamie pulled out his debit card and handed it to the worker, who hurried off again with a polite nod. [color=31ba9f][b]“How’s the play coming along? Do you guys have anything picked out yet?”[/b][/color] Jamie asked.

[color=997fdb][b]“Hah, mayybeee?”[/b][/color] Marshall answered with a chuckle. [color=997fdb][b]“We were supposed to decide on it during out last drama club meeting, but that ended up being the hottest of messes. Damian showed up, because he got kicked off the football team and wanted to find a replacement hobby, I guess? I don’t know, but it triggered Shauna something fierce and she got super catty. It was amazing to watch, honestly. Very amusing. But… it caused a big distraction from actually making any solid decisions. I [i]can[/i] give you a possible sneak peek, though — no putting it in the paper, because it’s not official — but Rose Powers showed up with an original script. So, we might actually do that. I think it would be really cool. I mean, what’s a better way to improve as actors than to become characters that have never been performed before? It’s exciting!”[/b][/color]

[color=31ba9f][b]“That’s cool!”[/b][/color] Jamie said, smiling to show his encouragement. The waiter returned with Jamie’s card, and Jamie looked over at Marshall. [color=31ba9f][b]“Are you ready for our next stop, Mr. Radley?”[/b][/color]

Marshall arched an eyebrow. [color=997fdb][b]“Next stop?”[/b][/color] he asked coyly. His mind whirled with possibilities. What could be next? He didn’t know there would be a [i]next[/i]. Suddenly he found himself far more excited for something other than original scripts for plays. [color=997fdb][b]“Yes! Absolutely, [i]Mr. Callaghan[/i].”[/b][/color]

Jamie stood up and once Marshall joined him, he took his hand. [color=31ba9f][b]“Well then, let’s go.”[/b][/color][/indent]