ground out, running a hand through his hair and jacking the brown locks all to hell.
Jenny pushed up on her toes to finger comb his hair back into place before anyone noticed. Even her Everest heels weren’t tall enough to do the job. “He’s not acting like a bigger prick than usual—though one more look at my chest and I’m going to have to take a shower.”
Zane told her what he’d only just figured out and watched as her eyes became calculating. A couple interrupted them to chat for a moment and once they walked off in the direction of the hors’douvres, Jenny turned back to him with a tight look.
“He’s been jerking us around,” she murmured, an apology springing to her lips. “I should’ve seen this coming, Zane… I’m so sorry. He’s just so slippery. Any time I tried to push the contract along, he stalled me.”
Zane nodded and forced a smile at an actress across the room that he vaguely remembered meeting somewhere. “It’s not your fault he’s the way he is. It’s something about me that he doesn’t like.” He paused. “Tell me, am I being too faggy?” Zane tried to sound glib, but ended up sounding pissed instead.
Jenny’s lips tightened in disapproval. “You’re perfect, Zane. Don’t let him trample on the ground you’ve broken. He thinks his money and name mean he can waste time on games. Do you want me to up the asking price? If he’s springing this crap on you, you have every right to request to be compensated for the pull on your time.”
Zane didn’t care about the money, but he was furious. This was more than a pull on his time. It was a total drain and he’d probably lose any chance he might’ve had with Mark because of it. Wham! —instant long-distance relationship for an undetermined amount of time. He didn’t know Mark near well enough to put that kind of pressure on him. There was no way this could work.
“Ask for more money,” he finally murmured. “If Pete’s that committed to being a dick about what I do with mine , then he can give the part to Pershall and watch it tank when the audience doesn’t take it seriously.”
“I’ll do it right now,” she said with a firm nod. When she was a few steps away, she stopped and turned around, her expression tight. “I’m sorry about what this will do to you and…”
He shook his head, not wanting her to finish. Not wanting her to say Mark’s name.
***
On his way back to the bungalow, Mark was thinking a lot of things over. Seriously thinking, like to the point that thoughts were queueing up for his attention.
Christian. Zane. The future. Dating. Rafe. Trust. Horniness. And on and on.
That ass, he thought, shaking his head in disbelief over the dinner he’d shared with Christian. The man was screwed up and lost. Seeing that made Mark’s skeptical heart soften—not that he could admit that aloud. If he did, he was sure Christian would pounce on him. With the way Mark had promised no games to Zane, pouncing wouldn’t fly and not only because it wouldn’t help Christian figure out his life. Sadly, Mark was shockingly ready to be pounced upon, especially since his last memory of sex involved Rafe.
Christian was a fool to think his life would be rich if he continued on the way he was. His day-to-day wouldn’t get any less complicated by throwing in a few sexual escapades with men that his starved heart lived off of year after year. Mark didn’t want to be a part of a string of lies.
He vividly recalled every moment of coming out to his family all those years ago. After his high school graduation, Mark gathered his family in the den and with his older brothers, Sean and Reid, staring him down and his parents patiently waiting for him to talk, he pretty much spewed the truth at them and stepped back. There was a lot of clumsy, “This is who I am,” and “I’m still the same guy,” and “I just don’t want to hide anymore.” His heart had been pounding so hard he could still remember how
Jenny pushed up on her toes to finger comb his hair back into place before anyone noticed. Even her Everest heels weren’t tall enough to do the job. “He’s not acting like a bigger prick than usual—though one more look at my chest and I’m going to have to take a shower.”
Zane told her what he’d only just figured out and watched as her eyes became calculating. A couple interrupted them to chat for a moment and once they walked off in the direction of the hors’douvres, Jenny turned back to him with a tight look.
“He’s been jerking us around,” she murmured, an apology springing to her lips. “I should’ve seen this coming, Zane… I’m so sorry. He’s just so slippery. Any time I tried to push the contract along, he stalled me.”
Zane nodded and forced a smile at an actress across the room that he vaguely remembered meeting somewhere. “It’s not your fault he’s the way he is. It’s something about me that he doesn’t like.” He paused. “Tell me, am I being too faggy?” Zane tried to sound glib, but ended up sounding pissed instead.
Jenny’s lips tightened in disapproval. “You’re perfect, Zane. Don’t let him trample on the ground you’ve broken. He thinks his money and name mean he can waste time on games. Do you want me to up the asking price? If he’s springing this crap on you, you have every right to request to be compensated for the pull on your time.”
Zane didn’t care about the money, but he was furious. This was more than a pull on his time. It was a total drain and he’d probably lose any chance he might’ve had with Mark because of it. Wham! —instant long-distance relationship for an undetermined amount of time. He didn’t know Mark near well enough to put that kind of pressure on him. There was no way this could work.
“Ask for more money,” he finally murmured. “If Pete’s that committed to being a dick about what I do with mine , then he can give the part to Pershall and watch it tank when the audience doesn’t take it seriously.”
“I’ll do it right now,” she said with a firm nod. When she was a few steps away, she stopped and turned around, her expression tight. “I’m sorry about what this will do to you and…”
He shook his head, not wanting her to finish. Not wanting her to say Mark’s name.
***
On his way back to the bungalow, Mark was thinking a lot of things over. Seriously thinking, like to the point that thoughts were queueing up for his attention.
Christian. Zane. The future. Dating. Rafe. Trust. Horniness. And on and on.
That ass, he thought, shaking his head in disbelief over the dinner he’d shared with Christian. The man was screwed up and lost. Seeing that made Mark’s skeptical heart soften—not that he could admit that aloud. If he did, he was sure Christian would pounce on him. With the way Mark had promised no games to Zane, pouncing wouldn’t fly and not only because it wouldn’t help Christian figure out his life. Sadly, Mark was shockingly ready to be pounced upon, especially since his last memory of sex involved Rafe.
Christian was a fool to think his life would be rich if he continued on the way he was. His day-to-day wouldn’t get any less complicated by throwing in a few sexual escapades with men that his starved heart lived off of year after year. Mark didn’t want to be a part of a string of lies.
He vividly recalled every moment of coming out to his family all those years ago. After his high school graduation, Mark gathered his family in the den and with his older brothers, Sean and Reid, staring him down and his parents patiently waiting for him to talk, he pretty much spewed the truth at them and stepped back. There was a lot of clumsy, “This is who I am,” and “I’m still the same guy,” and “I just don’t want to hide anymore.” His heart had been pounding so hard he could still remember how
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