The Leather Jacket

A rockstar? A fucking rockstar? Was that really what Jack thought of him?
Alex was lying in his bed staring at the ceiling, sleep had been evading him as these questions buzzed around his mind. He knew he’d acted like an asshole, a fucking big asshole but he wasn’t some spoiled famous git at least he didn’t think he was. He’d just wanted to show Jack his music, to somehow say everything he wanted to through the lyrics but before he’d had the chance to say any of this to Jack he’d run off, again. Yeah he had annoyed him but he shouldn’t have demanded an answer from him, Jack was right they barely knew each other. So maybe it was time to change that.

Alex had been standing outside the record store Jack worked in for over twenty minutes, he didn’t even know if Jack was in there but he still couldn’t make himself go in. What if Jack wasn’t there or what if Jack didn’t want to see him? Alex wasn’t sure which was worse. One last blast of freezing wind set Alex’s teeth chattering, well it was either go in or freeze to death.
He pushed open the door and the bell above the door rang, there was no going back now.
“Hey, can I help you?”
The same person was behind the counter as last time Alex had entered, the guy with the buzz cut and white teeth. Alex thought his name was Rian.
“Err yeah, I’m looking for Jack again”
“He’s in the back room, just go through”
“Thanks”
Alex made his way to the door behind where Rian was standing, careful not to the knock over any of piles of cds that were staked around the room. He pushed opened the door and straight away saw Jack, he wasn’t facing him but appeared to be sorting through yet another box of cds.
“Rian, how many times do I have to tell you I’m fucking fine?” Jack snapped, he turned to see Alex and dropped the cd he was holding so the plastic cracked on the floor.
“Oh”
“Hmm hi” Alex mumbled nervously.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you”
“How do you even know I work here? Are you stalking me?” Jack demanded.
“No! I’m not stalking you!”
“Then why are you here? Didn’t you insult me enough last night?” Jack asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
“I came here to apologize, I was a fucking asshole and a rockstar and that’s not me, not really. It just felt like that every time I tried to talk to you, you would leave and I snapped when I shouldn’t have done. I’m sorry Jack”
“Well, hmm thanks. I’m sorry about running out on you but unlike everyone else my life doesn’t revolve around you”
“I guess I’ve become too used to that.”
Jack nodded and they fell into an awkward silence, Jack was confused by Alex’s presence. He thought he’d never hear from Alex again he’d go back to being famous and Jack would go back to his own life but there he was standing in the backroom of a record store asking for his forgiveness.
“I want to make it up to you, prove to you I’m more than the guy on the album cover”
Alex pulled one of his own albums from the box and through it at Jack who caught it before it smashed to the floor. He turned the album over and saw Alex’s face smiling at him, he looked back at the actual Alex who looked tired and sad. That was the real Alex, the one asking for his forgiveness in backroom of a record shop not the one printed across thousands of albums.
“Why do you care what I think? You’ve got millions of fans who worship the ground you walk on but yet you care what a random guy in a record store thinks?”
“Because I owe you my life, I would have frozen if it weren’t for you and I tried to say thank you and I behaved like a fucking asshole. So can I try again?”
“What do you have in mind?” Jack asked
Many people would have told Alex to fuck off after his actions but Jack saw through that, he saw through the act he put on, he saw the same chocolate eyes he saw those years ago.
“Dinner, expect this time no managers, no press, no rockstar. It’ll just be me and you as we are now expect they’ll be food”
“Will there be pizza?”
“Definitely” Alex smiled and Jack just broke down laughing, the awkwardness finally dying in fits of laughter.
“Then okay, I’ll give you a second chance”
The words had barely left Jack’s mouth when Alex attacked him with a hug.
“Thank you”
“Hmm no problem” Jack said, unsure of what to say.
“Are you free tonight?” Alex asked.
Jack stayed silent for a moment, feeling very aware of his phone in his pocket. He didn’t know how many times he could go out, he never knew when he’d be needed but at the same time he was also a man in his early twenties who wanted a life for once.
“If I’m not too late” Jack answered.
“Deal, can I pick you up here or at your place?”
Jack’s eyes went wide at the mention of his home, quickly trying to think of a way out of it, he couldn’t let Alex anywhere near the place he had to call home.
“I’ll meet you there. Where did you have in mind?” Jack asked, trying to change the conversion.
“I know a really nice Italian on the harbour, benefit of being taken out to lunch but lots of expensive magazines.”
“Okay, well I’ll meet you by the front at like seven?” Jack asked.
“Sure” Alex beamed, a huge smile on his face.
Jack just nodded and stared awkwardly at his feet.

Jack stood in front of the full length mirror in his bedroom, he’d never really done the date thing, he’d been... busy. So as he stood staring at his reflection he had no idea what to wear. He did know that the dinner him and Alex were going to was a date but surely same clothing rules applied? He had no idea. Rian had told him before he’d left work to wear something that made him feel good, but what made him feel good? He was a t shirt and jeans kinda guy. He sighed and checked his phone for about the 50th time, it was only just past six but it would take him a good half an hour to walk down to the harbour. Jack finally decided on his favourite pair of black skinny jeans, a button down shirt and his dark denim jacket, it wasn’t as good as his old leather one but it was good enough. Of course he’d spend ages on his hair, making sure it was straighten and styled to perfection, all brown and blonde spikes. Jack took one last look at his appearance and smiled, he’d have to do.
The walk down to the harbour was freezing, Jack was shivering so hard he was shaking by the time he reached the water’s edge. His hands crammed in his jacket pockets to try and keep them from freezing and his teeth chattering so loud he was sure the fish could have heard.
“You’re brave”
Jack turned to see Alex standing behind him, wearing a stupid grin and fully dressed up in a coat, scarf and clothes.
“Fucking frozen more like it” Jack grumbled, pulling his jacket closer around him.
“Believe me I know” Alex said with a sad smile and Jack regretted saying anything, because after all if anyone knew how cold Baltimore could be it would be Alex.
“Here, take this”
Alex spilled off his scarf and held it out to Jack.
“I can’t...”
“Yes you can, you’re cold, I’m not”
“Thank you”
Jack put the thick material around his neck, it was warm and smelled like Alex, somehow it made Jack feel better.
“Come on, I’m hungry” Alex said, he held out a hand to the shivering man in front of him. This time Jack took it, let Alex take his freezing hand in his warm ones and take him back up the street toward to the restaurant.
Once inside Alex said something to the waiter but Jack wasn’t listening, he was too busy trying to remember what his toes felt like. They were showed to table at the back away from most people were the waiter left them with two large menus and the promise to return shortly.
“This place is amazing” Jack said, he’d never been in anywhere so fancy before where the table was lit with candles, paintings decorated the walls and all he could smell was freshly baked bread.
“Glad you think so” Alex smiled.
“Are you feeling a bit warmer now?”
“Yeah, thanks” Jack smiled, he fiddled with the end of the scarf between his fingers.
“So what do you fancy?” Alex asked, opening the large menu and scanning the names of all the eloquent dishes.
“No idea, what’s good here?”
“They make a mean spicy chicken pizza, also the meatballs are to die for” Alex said.
“Err don’t make me choice like that!”
Alex laughed, hiding his blush behind the menu.
“Okay so I’ll order the meatballs, you the pizza and we’ll share?”
“Sounds like a plan” Jack smiled.
The waiter came back and Alex stated their orders, Jack had a beer and Alex some fancy red wine. It was only once the menu’s were gone that Jack realised he was face to face with someone he didn’t really know.
“So....” Jack began.
“Last time I saw you, you were playing an old acoustic just to live. How did you end up here?”
“Ah my started from the bottom how I’m here story, you have no idea the amount of reporters who’ve tired to get that one”
“Am I going to be the successful one?”
Alex took a sip of his wine and stayed silent for a moment.
“I spouse you will be, as long as you don’t go selling the story to the media”
“Why would I do that?”
“Money?” Alex raised an eyebrow.
“Not my motive. If you don’t mind me asking, but why haven’t you told anyone? Surely it’s kinda inspiring to hear of the guy that got himself off the streets and fucking made it”
“Well thanks, but I didn’t want people feeling sorry for me, I didn’t want to just be that kid with a sob story, I didn’t want that to be the reason people listened to me. I want people to listen to me because they like me, because they think it’s good music not because of a messed up past” Alex explained.
“You know what, I think that’s far. Too many musicians these days get by on sob stories than actual music”
“That’s exactly it, that’s why no one knows”
“Expect me”
“Expect you”
“So Alex, how did you become Alex fucking Gaskarth?”
Alex leant back in his seat and took another sip of his wine. It took a few minutes but finally he spoke again.
“I’d been on the streets three months before you came, I was doing okay up till then but winter was setting in and I didn’t know what I was going to do next. That’s when you came along and one showed me that the world wasn’t totally against me and two gave me a leather jacket that no doubt saved my life as I went through the next two months on those streets. It was February when everything changed. I was just playing like I always was trying to make enough for maybe a hot meal when a man came up to. He said he’d been listening to me all day and he asked about my songs and whether they were my own and how I wrote them, so on and so on. He told me he worked for a record company who’d be interested in listening to me. Of course at first I didn’t believe him, I mean who would? But he was determined and in the end I made the choice that I’d never forgive myself if he was what he said he was and I turned him away. Within a week I was recording Weightless and within a month I was claiming the charts. Everything has just kind of exploded from there, I never expect any of it I was just lucky I guess”
Somewhere in the middle of Alex talking the food had arrived but Jack had been so busy listening he’d barely picked up his fork.
“I don’t think it’s because you’re lucky, well I mean you are but it’s not just because of that. You’re talented, I stood and watched you in front of those 2000 screaming fans and in the time you were on stage it was all about the music. You’re a true musician”
“Wow, thank you Jack that means a lot”
Jack smiled and looked down at his food, finally he picked up his fork and began to eat. The two of them talked about music and food until both plates were spotless.
“Would you like desert?” Alex asked.
“Sure, I just need to use the bathroom”
Alex chuckled and Jack excused himself from the table. It was only as Jack stood in front of the mirror checking his hair that he realised he was smiling, big prober smiling. He also hadn’t thought his phone, normally it was something he was always aware of but when he was with Alex it seemed it slip his mind. Pulling it out to check he found he had no missed calls or messages. Sighing with relief Jack walked back to the table. As Jack got back he saw Alex was talking to two girls standing at the table, he was saying something Jack couldn’t hear and the girls were giggling like teenagers. Jack busied himself looking at one of the paintings on the wall until the girls were out of sight.
“Sorry about that, fans always seem to find me” Alex laughed.
“No problem, must be nice having fans”
“They’re amazing”
Jack smiled and picked up the pudding menu, it was littered with amazing sounding sweets that made Jack’s mouth water.
“I recommend the brownie”
“The cheesecakes tempting me” Jack said.
“Go for it, it’s all great”
“How long have you been here exactly?”
Alex just laughed, nearly spitting his wine everywhere. When the waiter came Jack had the cheesecake and of course Alex had his brownie.
“I feel like I’ve only spoken about myself, what about you?” Alex asked.
Jack had hoped Alex wouldn’t ask but it seemed he wasn’t the kind of person who could just talk about himself all night, unlike most famous people.
“I don’t know there isn’t much to tell. I’m Jack I’m twenty three and every day I get up, go to work at a record store then go home. Sometimes I go out for a drink and when I get time I like to play guitar. That’s about my life really”
“No girlfriend then?” Alex asked, this time it was Jack who nearly spit out his drink.
“No... Let’s say I’ve never been the girlfriend type”
“Ohhh”
Luckily for Jack the conservation died there as the waiter arrived with their puddings, the plate was barely on the table when Jack attacked the cheesecake with his spoon.
“Holy shit this is amazing! You have to try it” Jack took a spoonful and fed it to Alex.
“It’s like Jesus is having a party on my tongue” Alex exclaimed.
“Exactly”
“Do you want to try some of mine?” Alex asked, Jack couldn’t lie the brownie looked delicious and nodded his head. Alex took a forkful and fed it to Jack across the table, his hand just brushing Jack’s cheek as he did. Jack almost didn’t notice the brownie in his mouth, all he could think about was the feeling of Alex’s skin against his.

When the food was finished and the check paid, Alex had insisted he paid but Jack threw in a tip at least. They put their coasts back on, Jack still dawning Alex’s scarf when their waiter came up and tapped Alex on the shoulder.
“Are you Alex Gaskarth?” He asked.
“Hmm yes?” Alex answered.
“They are some people outside for you”
“What...” Alex peered to see around the door and the whole place lit up in a flurry of camera flashes.
“Fucking shit” he cursed.
“What’s going on?” Jack asked.
“Paparazzi, they’ve found me. Shit, shit, shit”
“What do we do?” Jack asked.
“Well if there’s no going out the backdoor...”
The waiter shook his head, looked like they had every exit covered.
“You hold my hand and we run”
“Run? That’s your answer?” Jack questioned.
“Yep, gotta a better idea?” Alex asked.
Jack just took Alex’s hand in reply.
“Hold on tight okay? And whatever you do, don’t say anything”
“Okay”
“One... Two... Three”
Alex opened the door and straight away Jack was blinded by the flashing of cameras, people were yelling all sorts of things but he couldn’t understand anything. He just gripped onto Alex’s hand like his life depended on it and let Alex led him away. People were tugging him left and right but he felt a reassuring squeeze on his head and a voice whispered in his ear.
“Run”
They ran, Alex gripping Jack’s hand as they ran through the streets and the reports followed them. Hearts pounding, blood pumping, minds racing it was the most alive either of them had felt in a very long time and it wasn’t because of the chase.