Ben locks his phone. He has spent the entire afternoon reading comments on his post.
Based on the comments, it's not wise to confront Luke right now. Yes ,he actually listens to the strangers of the internet because they give him unbiased and good advice.
He has no real friends. He had some at some point. But with time , they went low contact with him. Maybe because he was not as successful as them or maybe he was always the outcast.
Anyways, he is not lonely as long as he has his phone. He can always share his problems with someone without being judged.
Ben stands up hearing the click of the front door. Luke must be here. He walks out of his room.
Luke looks at Ben with a tired face "can you cook me something good ? I am really hungry !"
Ben frowns "You didn't eat lunch at the office ?"
"I did. But it's already evening."
"What was the important job ? You seemed pretty busy !" Ben can't help but ask.
"Same as usual. Making ppt , submitting it for review then making it again. Sometimes I wish I could kill my boss !"
"Didn't you have to manage any clients ?"
"Nah ! Handling clients isn't my job. Why do you ask ?"
Ben's face turns serious"nothing. It's just I heard orders of pizza last night. I thought those were to please the clients."
Luke frowns "Didn't I tell you that was for my boss?"
"Two pizzas?"
"One for the boss , another for his wife. She was there too. Wait , are you doubting me ?"
"Why shouldn't I ? You are so busy that you can't even listen to me for one second. So busy that you spend the night outside, and don't even think to inform me. You don't ask me , how my day was , you don't hug me, you don't even reply to chats these days !" Ben's eyes turn teary.
"That's because I am working hard to keep this house. Do you even know how much rent I pay every month ? Ben, Do you have any idea how much the electricity bill costs ? In your struggling days , I agreed to cover everything else except for food expenses. But it's been two years already. How long are you going to struggle ?"
Ben looks at Luke in disbelief"What do you mean by that ?"
"What do I mean ? I mean your good. Why don't you just give up, when acting is not your thing ! Everybody who debuted with you is successful already. But look at you, nobody even knows your name !"
"Everybody? Who ?" Ben almost chuckles in shock.
"Didn't Fredy debut with you ? Look at him now."
"Who's Fredy ?"
"Fredrick Thompson! His nickname is Fredy. His fans call him Fredy. You belong to the entertainment industry and you don't even know that ?"
A vein pops in Ben's forehead "I don't need to know that. And there is no comparison between Fred and me. He has backing , he is not there for his talent."
"Oh excuse ! What backing ? Do you think the CEO of Zoom is a person who is considerate of others ! No , he is not. He is a shellfish and egoistic person who doesn't care about anybody , not even his lover."
"How do you know that ? You are talking like you know them personally ?" Ben shouts "Shellfish? If Mr. Scott would've been a shellfish person , then Fred wouldn't even get a role of maid with his tantrums !"
"Anyways, I don't care what you think ! If you needed rent from me, you could've just asked me. It's not like I would refuse to pay."
Luke laughs "From where would you pay ? Your scene even got cut up from the drama !"
"Still I got the payment and I signed another cooking show ! I got advance from there too. I am not struggling as much as you think. For your information, for the last one and half years I am covering the medical insurance along with food. Even the branded shirt you are wearing right now , is bought by me !"
Ben picks up his mobile and wallet to leave.
"Cooking show ?" Luke taunts from behind. "You can do some stupid cooking show, yet you can't help my mother in her restaurant ! What would you gain from cooking in front of camera ? The role of maid ?"
Ben clenches his fist. But he leaves the room without any reply.
***
"Do we really need to come here ?" Alan looks around the bar while really looks cheap.
"You are here to meet a stalker who will give you information about your rival. Where else you want to meet him ? In a high end five star bar ?" Alan's best friend , David mocks with a rolling eyes.
"Still, this place doesn't look decent."
"Not to you, of course. Mr. Ceo." David walks towards a sofa at one corner of the bar. "This is decent enough for me. Suit yourself."
"I'll order the drink ! Your usual ?"
"Yep !"
Alan walks towards the bar counter with a cold face. He doesn't want to grab anyone's attention here. This place is where you can pickup free-loaders and scammers.
"Two whiskey on the rocks !" Alan asks the bartender.
"New here ?"
Alan was not in the mood of chitchat. He just shruggs and waits for the drinks to be prepared.
The bartender walks away with a roll of eyes. He hates people who treats others like dust. Doesn't matter how rich and handsome you are, if you don't have manners .. you are unattractive.
"Ben, if you drink one more , you wouldn't be able to go home." He warns his another regular customer while preparing the drink.
"I don't want....home. Thas not mmwy home.."
Alan looks up from his phone hearing a familiar voice. He turns left. "Ben ?"
The bartender passes two drinks towards Alan. "Your order."
Alan ignores the glasses and lifts Ben who was half lying on the counter. "What are you doing here ?"
"He is our customer! Do you know him ?"
"Ben !" Alan shakes a drunk Ben in his arms.
"Excuse me ! Do you know him ?"
Alan looks at the bartender irritated "Of course. I know him. He is my employee."
"Leave him, you liar ! Or I will call the police. He is not an office worker !" The bartender is kind of a friend to Ben. And he knows certain details about Ben.
"What's the fuss ?" David walks towards the counter. "Whhoo ... What is this ?" David points at a drunk figure sleeping in his best friend's arms.
Alan pinches his forehead frustrated "We need to cancel our meeting. I need to drop him back !"
"Where are you taking him ?" The bartender interrupts again.
"Mr. He is an actor under my entertainment company. The zoom entertainment. Right now, he is risking his as well as my company's reputation by being like this. You trust me or not , your problem. Go ahead , call the police."
"Woo woo wo , calm down !" David looks at the bartender and places his card on the counter. "You can trust us. This is our contact information."
The bartender frowns. Well, Ben is an actor under Zoom. So maybe, they are actually his seniors. "Fine , just drop him safely."
***
"Seriously, he is just an employee?" David asks as he tries to pull Ben inside the car.
"Yes ! Just pull..don't you have strength?"
"I don... go .. home ...." Ben whines as some unknown people kidnapps him.
David sighs "I can't. He only looks little."
Alan scoffs and pulls Ben in his arms again "Why not go home ?"
"Thas no my home.... I pay foo, I don't pay rent..... No rent ...I .." Tears roll down from Ben's eyes. He stops resisting. "I ....sou.. gibe up."
David walks out of the car "looks like he ran away after fighting with his landlord !"
Alan stays silent for sometimes "you live with your boyfriend, right ?"
Ben sniffs. He nods slowly.
"Wait ... He has a boyfriend too ? Alan what are you doing with someone else's boyfriend?" David almost shouts.
Alan wipes the tears from Ben's cheeks unconsciously "ok ! No need to go home. Come with me."
"Wherree ?"
"A different home. Let's go !"
***
"Bloody hell ! I knew it .. this old cow wants to eat young grass !" Alina shouts as soon as Alan walks into his house with a drunk Ben.
"Shut up !"
"What shut up ! All these helping in return of nothing .. huh ? I shouldn't have trusted you."
David looks in between brother and sister in confusion. "What's the case ? Alina knows him too ?"
"Let me help him first, ok ?" Alan picks Ben up and walks towards the guest room.
"He never invites Fred in this house !" David states looking at Alan's back.
"Because Fred doesn't need an invitation. He has a knack of being uninvited guest." Alina scoffs "why did you get him ?"
"At the bar !"
Alan walks out of guest room after sometimes "He was too drunk and didn't want to go home. Just let him stay tonight."
"You missed his boyfriend part !" David informs.
"What boyfriend ?" Alina looks at Alan.
"He has a boyfriend. I think he had a fight with his boyfriend about the rent of the house. That's why, he was reluctant to go home."
Alina tilts her head "how come you know about his boyfriend?"
Alan shrugs "He told me before."
"He refused you saying that he has a boyfriend yet you are pestering him ?" Alina shouts.
"Just shut up ! I am not pestering him. He is just my employee and I have nothing to do with his asshole boyfriend."
"How do you know the boyfriend is asshole ?" David asks folding his hands.
"Anyone who fights with his boyfriend about a rent of the house , is asshole." Alan replies calmly before walking towards his room. "Goodnight ! I am tired."
Alina and David look at each other after Alan leaves.
"He is different towards this boy." David states finally.
Alina sits on the couch "Don't tell me you found him in your regular bar !"
"No ! We went to a cheap bar for a confidential business! Why ?"
"Well, that means .. that boy didn't deliberately bumped into Alan. It was a co-incidence."
David nods "yep ! The possibility of Alan going into that bar was almost zero. Also, that boy left home because his boyfriend fought him with the rent. I think he has some classic middle class values."
Alina frowns "I have a feeling !"
"What ?"
"Alan would ask me for a favour and My pocket is going to be empty soon."
"Means ?"
"Means Alan would make me buy a new home for this boy." Alina pouts.
"He will drive you out of the house ? Oh no, then you can stay with me. I wouldn't ask for rent. I am not an asshole boyfriend." David replies happily.
"Huh ! You are not my boyfriend in the first place."
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