Cooksey’s Jesse St. James Bumped to Series Regular
tubenews:
We’ll soon be seeing a lot more of wisecracking, tech-savvy detective Evan Davidson on NBC’s Cooksey. Jesse St. James, who has made recurring guest appearances on the hit series since 2014, will be a staple in the drama’s fourth season as it moves to its new home in New York. The change in location will bring a fresh take on the investigative team we’ve come to know as they merge with the unit on the East Coast.
St. James’ character has been a fan favorite since Evan’s introduction as the arrogant crime-solving prodigy who was thought to be a double agent throughout much of the show’s second season. Obvious scheduling conflicts made it impossible for this shift to happen sooner, but better late than never, right?
Tagging → Jesse St. James [with Cole Kingston & Viviana Rose]
Time Frame → 10:45 a.m. | June 20, 2017
Location → Motta-St. James Residence | Tribeca, Manhattan, NY
General Notes → Brunch bananas and another career shift
It was the rare occasion that a late night meant a late morning, and Jesse was thankful he was able to catch up on some sleep. He actually had the energy to eat more than a bowl of cold cereal and tend to Viviana’s needs. Getting up when he heard her babbling in her crib, Jesse had taken her downstairs to get food going, cooking oatmeal for himself and picking out some past favorites for the little. A spoon for him, a spoon for her--they’d done this routine before. He’d be done in time for the Skype meeting with his agent at 11:30. Or he would have been if the sixteen-month-old Motta-St. James wasn’t rejecting her dining experience like the little princess that she was. He even had to start his oatmeal all over after the first batch overcooked.
No avocado.
No peaches.
No pears.
No applesauce.
No blueberries.
No cottage cheese.
He was running out of options and from her whines in the high chair, Viviana was running out of patience. One cup of yogurt and half of the last banana on the counter later, she was pacified, lips pursing and smacking with each baby bite offered from the super small silver spoon. She was cute, that much couldn’t be denied. Cute and difficult. A spoon for him, a spoon for her; back and forth, nearly in a rhythm until it was broken by the ring of a video call coming through on Jesse’s laptop that was on the table in front of them.
“Shit,” Jesse said, checking the time again on his phone. “Ooh, you didn’t hear that.” He’d been so busy trying to get Viviana to eat something for breakfast, he didn’t realize how much time had actually passed. What felt like ten minutes had been close to forty-five. He hadn’t even changed out of his pajamas, a pair of red sweatpants and a gray shirt that was now smudged with yogurt. How was it that her food ended up on his clothes?
It was just Cole anyway. He could handle the sight of a young, handsome, slightly disheveled father even if he’d probably have some choice words about it. Jesse answered the call, turning away to move the high chair closer to where he’d be sitting for the video chat.
“My God... the wedding was less than a month ago, and you’ve already let yourself go,” Cole quipped as his client appeared on the screen, shifting the laptop for a clear view.
Rolling his eyes, Jesse sat back in the chair, coming face-to-face with his agent. “I didn’t realize I was being evaluated. I might have freshened up.”
“You know by now to always be prepared. Where is Sugar, by the way?”
“She’s here. We started the day a little later than planned, so...this is brunch,” he explained, turning at the sound of Viviana’s call of “Daddy” to find her trying to worm out of the high chair.
Cole had two kids at home, but it had been some time since they were in diapers. “Adorable...” he said, briefly watching Jesse interact with the toddler as he stirred a bowl of oatmeal. “However, we do have some business to discuss.”
“Cooksey?”
“Cooksey,” Cole confirmed. “They want an answer by the 28th. The meeting has already been penciled in, and there’s a plane ticket to L.A. with your name on it.”
“They want me to come to L.A.? Why? What if I say no?” Jesse asked, taking the banana bowl from the table to scoop out more for the baby. Viviana’s hands reached for her father’s as he brought another bite of food to her lips, trying to take the spoon from him that he wouldn’t let go.
“Sit down with the team, let them make their last plea. You know, people would be clawing to be in your position. One of the biggest shows on TV right now is courting you and you’re seriously considering saying no?” It was hard for Cole to believe it. Cooksey was critically-acclaimed, Emmy-nominated, a network’s Nielsen dream come true; and Jesse was treating it as if it was beneath him. “I trust your judgment, I do. You fought for the role in Galilei and made it to the top floor of theatre circuit because of your belief that you’d found something good.”
“And that’s what I worry will happen again,” Jesse admitted, “except this time I won’t be able to drop everything and get back to the stage because I’ll be tied down to another project.” That they were even having this conversation was a privilege and Jesse knew it. If this was happening even just five years ago, there wouldn’t have been any hesitation. Such was the struggle of being a relevant cross-platform hit.
Just as Cole began to reply, Viviana’s tiny taps on the tray became full bangings of little hands as her voice picked up in volume, babbling a mix of words and gibberish. “I’m sorry, give me a second.” Jesse twisted from his chair and stood, unbuckling his daughter from her seat. Leaving behind an echo of child laughter, he bounded upstairs with Viviana on his hip and her bowl of breakfast in his hand. Quickly apologizing to Sugar as he delivered the small girl to their bed, he delicately set her food on the nightstand with a rushed explanation that he had to finish his meeting with Cole. “We’ve already crossed the line of proper business meeting etiquette, I think,” he said to the other man when he sat back down at the dining table.
“Tell me about it.” Cole’s exasperation was nothing new. “Jesse, just let me know if I’m wasting my time. If you wanted to do it, you would have already said yes...”
“Well, wait... that’s not entirely true. My life is completely different than it was when I first booked the show three years ago, and I didn’t think becoming a regular was something that should be taken lightly. I had to consider what that meant for me and my family.”
“Do you think I don’t--”
“I want the job.”
“--understand that--what? What did you say just now?”
“I said I want the job, Cole,” Jesse repeated as they were no longer speaking over each other. “I had to think about it, but I’m not an idiot. I mean, they’re moving the whole show to New York for me. It’s the least I could do.”
“Okay, you know they aren’t moving the show for you. Don’t be an asshole,” Cole laughed. “And please do not tell them that in the meeting.”
“Didn’t I just say I’m not an idiot?”
“I know you, Jess. You’d say it with a smile on your face.”
“And everyone would laugh, you know me.”
Cole shook his head. “I’m glad I’m not your publicist.” Part of him wanted to chastise Jesse for taking him through the ringer with this opportunity, but this wasn’t the first time and probably wouldn’t be the last. What couldn’t be denied was that Jesse always came through with the right decision for his career when all was said and done. “So you’re definitely in? I can pass along the message?”
Nodding, Jesse relaxed in his chair. The weight of pressure finally leaving him as he spoke. “I’m definitely in.”
Cole grinned. “Alright, it’s a deal. We can finalize everything when you get to L.A., and I’ll give them a call right now.”
“With me on Skype...?”
“No, I’m hanging up. Unless there was something else we needed to discuss?”
“Oh you know what, there is something,” Jesse said thoughtfully as he ran a hand through his hair that was once again getting long. “I’m thinking about shaving my head...”
The Skype call disconnected before Jesse could get the rest of the sentence out, and he rolled his eyes. A buzzing noise from a kitchen counter made him reach for his phone moments later, and he breathed a laugh at the message illuminating the screen from Cole:
Glad to hear. What’s new…business will officially kick off in two weeks. And I actually remembered to send my Father’s Day present to Russell on time. Speaking of the day for dads, how was yours?
Two weeks? That’s soon. I take it you settled on a name, then? You’re delivering gifts on time, too? Quinn, I... You’re really turning your life around. Proud of you.
Father’s Day was excellent. There was food--can’t really go wrong there--and a couple of mostly-handmade cards from the ladies in the house.
“The peanut gallery,” she repeated, not even bothering to hide her snort of laughter at the old man phrase. “I get it, though. I know you’ve enjoyed this break to do the dad thing, and I’m guessing the transition wouldn’t be too bad, either. Both of you being in the swing of things with work, and being parents, I suppose that’s the ultimate balance. I say take the meeting, see what they say and see how it grabs you.” They were at the entrance to the park, familiar wrought iron fence leading up to the open, ornate gates bringing back a host of memories. It was the exact reason why Quinn picked this place, of all places, to hang out. “In the meantime, I figured we can see if the old swing set is still here. Something tells me Vivi needed to experience the place where her father lost so many swinging contests…”
"I'm not wrong," Jesse said, smirking as he held his stance. He made a noise between a groan and grossed out. "All of that sounds so... adult. When did we get here? When did I get here? I need this park day more than all of us, it's decided." Passing through the gated entrance with the stroller on its back wheels brought another giggled squeal from Viviana. Getting to play semi-stay-at-home-dad for a while had been fun, and Jesse agreed with Quinn that he and Sugar were able to find their balance as best they could in the downtime. He sighed, more thoughtful than resigned. "I'll take the meeting and see how it goes. Since I have a couple of weeks on my hands, I have some time to weigh the pros and cons.” A sarcastic bark of a laugh left him at his dear friend’s claim about their childhood competitions. "So 'many'?" Jesse asked, flourishing with word with one-handed air quotes. "If anything, we were tied. Or I won. Vivi will never know the lies of me losing on a swing."
That’s fine, it’s incredibly overrated, anyway. You have your own best dressed list? What are your favorite Jesse looks?
Don’t you? It’s practically a running list of notable pieces of wardrobe, and incredibly useful. Of course I’ve provided visuals (in no particular order):
1. Laughing Without Salad
2. Something for MTV Probably
3. Date Night Circa High School
4. The Obligatory Suit Shot
5. Classic Nineties
6. Vanity Fair Loves Me
7. Sugar Hates Everything About This
8. I Almost Miss the Hair
9. Basil’s Doing
10. None of These Clothes are Mine
And they say modesty is dead. I’m sure you found yourself on someone’s best dressed list.
It was never one of my finer skills. Why be modest when you can be honest? The most important lesson of all is to be at the top of my own best dressed list.
