Page 91 of I Think He Knows
“Guess you have to plan around your filming schedule?”
“Something like that,” I reply as nonchalantly as I can. Because the last thing I want to think about right now is going away to film. Not when I’m enjoying the here and now so much. “How long have you and Imani been married?”
“Ten years.” Jared wipes the sweat from his brow. “We were both fresh out of college when we became pregnant with Keisha. We tied the knot right away and made our little family official on paper.”
“Congrats, man.” Keisha and Legs are the same age, so if Jared was fresh out of college when Imani got pregnant, that makes him three or four years older than I am. “That’s a big achievement. Ten years ago, I was a college freshman with an attitude problem and no clue what I wanted to do with my life.” I smile. ”And then, I met Lan.”
“Imani mentioned you guys have been friends for years?”
“Yeah, we met when she was pregnant with Allegra. We became friends, and we stayed friends, even when we were on opposite sides of the country for huge lengths of time.”
“Did you always want to be an actor then?”
I rub the back of my head. “Nah, man. Not at all. I started out as an extra, picking up little roles here and there just for the money. But then, I sort of fell into it. Got really lucky, I guess.”
“I’d hate to be famous,” Jared says bluntly. Then, he holds up a hand. “No offense, man. But I can’t imagine strangers knowing who I am, being everywhere I go.”
As if on cue, a hiker passing on the other side of the trail looks at us, does a little double take, and loses her footing. She slips, then before I can offer a hand to help her, she scrambles to her feet, her cheeks pink.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yulp,” she says. Goes redder. “I mean yep. Yep.”
She disappears down the trail in a flash.
Jared watches her go. “Case in point, right there.”
“You never really get used to it,” I tell him. “But it’s part of the job. I’m honestly way more interested in what you do.”
By the way Jared lights up, it’s clear that he, too, is excited by his work with at-risk youth around the city. It’s a non-profit organization he started himself that helps teenagers in need access supports for mental health and wellness, life skills, education and even safe housing. When he talks about the kids he works with, he speaks with passion. With love.
I ask him tons of questions, and he launches into fascinating stories about his plans, his dreams, and his visions.
We talk so much that the eleven-mile hike flies by, despite the ever-growing stitch in my side. By the time we get back to our vehicles, the sun is on its descent.
“Thanks for a great walk, man.”
I look at my new friend seriously, happy to have spent such a good time with him. Even happier to be going home to Lana and Legs. “It was a solid first date.”
“Shall we make the second one a double date? Bring the wives and kids?” Jared jokes back lightly. But I feel almost giddy at the thought of us all spending time together.
“Absolutely. You guys should come round to our place for dinner when Lan and I get back from LA.”
“When are you off?”
“Day after tomorrow. It’s just for three days. Taking Lan to a movie premiere.”
We say our goodbyes, and when I climb into my Jeep, I check my phone to find a few texts waiting for me.
Luke:Welcome to the sibling group chat, Carter.
Liam:Did you get non-consensually roped into this too?
Mindy:Too late to run, Butt Boy.
Annie:Surely we can come up with a better nickname than that?
Luke: I dunno, I like Butt Boy.