Chapter 5 #2
“This is more than perfect,” Jessica said, back to scrolling through her phone. “I’ve got an email from my agent. This is awesome.”
Drew should have been used to Jessica’s abrupt topic changes, but he still felt a pinch, like she was taking something away from him.
Which was a ridiculous thought, really. He was just telling Abby that the author she liked was actually a nice guy and that they would all hang out. It wasn’t like he was sharing life-changing information. If Jessica booked the film she was so eager to land, that would be life-changing information.
“Did you book it?” he asked, trying to be the good, attentive boyfriend.
Jessica ignored him for a second, chewing her lip and frowning at her phone. “I have to give Gail a call,” she said, standing and stepping away from the table. “It looks like they want me to do a chemistry read with a few other people.”
It was sort of an answer to his question. Maybe not.
Lee would have engaged him in actual conversation instead of being self-absorbed and walking away.
Drew frowned at the speed with which that thought had hit him. He’d known Lee for all of two hours, tops. He’d known Jessica for over five years. It should have been clear which one had his loyalty.
“So you really liked him, did you?” Abby asked, her smile as mysterious as ever.
“Yeah,” Drew answered, distracted and puzzled by his thoughts. “He’s cool. And he handled the fans like a natural.”
“That’s great.” Abby took a bite of chicken, then went on with, “It’s always good when you can be with someone who takes your fame in stride.”
“Like I said, he’s not nobody himself.”
Abby nodded, her smile spreading wider. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
Abby didn’t have to wait long. Friday rushed at them after an incredibly busy week getting ready for Sleuth to start filming.
Drew was needed at the studio almost constantly throughout the week for everything from costume fittings to dialect coaching to hair and make-up tests.
Abby stayed with him as his manager through a lot of it, and Jessica hung around like she usually did, talking up the production team and not-so-subtly hinting that she’d love to work with the director someday.
As busy as he was, Drew found time to text Lee whenever he could.
“How are the dragonkeepers doing today?”
“Not dragonkeepers anymore. I’m working on an outline for a romance about a big-deal celebrity falling for his make-up artist now.”
Drew happened to be in the make-up chair at that very moment. He glanced up at the buxom, butch woman with spiked, silver hair and laughed.
“Sounds like a winner.”
“I hope so. I could use a breakout book to take me to the next level.”
“Maybe you’ll get ideas for a rockstar romance at the concert on Friday.”
“Rockstars are cool.”
That conversation and a dozen others kept Drew smiling throughout the week, and by Friday he was so eager to see Lee again in person that he was actually jumpy as they got ready for the concert.
“You need to calm down,” Jessica told him as he worked to get his hair to do what he wanted with the new, horrible haircut the production team had given him to fit his character. “It’s just Nikky.”
Drew glanced at Jessica through the mirror, his gut going tight, like it had been doing a lot lately whenever the two of them were alone.
She sat on the bed, dressed in designer jeans and a sparkly, gold top.
Her make-up was perfect, her hair was pulled back in a slick ponytail, and she wore large hoop earrings that she was trying to make fashionable again.
She definitely looked sexy, but instead of wanting to bang her right then and there, like he’d felt in the early days of their relationship, he was indifferent.
“I haven’t seen Nikky in months,” he said, even though his friend wasn’t what had him so excited for the concert. “I miss him.”
“Aaw, you’re so cute,” Jessica cooed, lowering her phone long enough to look at him as he straightened and turned to her.
“But remember, as much as people ship the two of you, it’s not Nikky you’re dating, it’s this Lee guy.
So don’t gush all over someone you’ve already sworn up, down, and sideways you aren’t dating. Save that for the fake boyfriend.”
For a second, Drew just stood there, staring at her in disbelief. Him not feeling the same spark for her was one thing, but Jessica treating him like someone she was directing in a romantic comedy, or maybe a horror thriller, instead of a real person, her boyfriend, felt ominous.
He chose to ignore it and move on. They were both probably still a little jetlagged and exhausted from a busy week. That was the nature of their relationship anyhow. Sometimes it was hot and sometimes it was ice cold. Lately, they had been Antarctica.
He left the bedroom and headed out to the main part of the apartment, where Abby was just coming out of her room, putting in earrings. She wore a slinky black dress with platform heels, and her hair flowed in soft waves around her shoulders.
“Wow, you look great,” Drew told her, then jumped right into the running joke they had by saying, “Nice tits.”
“Thanks,” Abby replied, finishing with her earring and grabbing her breasts to lift them up. “I paid good money for these.”
“Worth every penny,” Drew said like he always did.
“Ugh. You two should just get a room,” Jessica said, striding out of the bedroom and heading straight for the door.
“Eew. That would be like fucking my brother,” Abby said as she and Drew fell into step behind her.
Jessica made a weird noise and sent a sour look over her shoulder at the two of them.
She’d had problems with Drew and Abby’s friendship since Abby had fully transitioned, no matter how many times Drew had explained she had nothing to worry about.
Getting with Abby really would feel like fucking a sibling.
“Hurry up,” she said, grabbing the front door handle a little too aggressively. “The car’s waiting downstairs.”
Whatever tension existed between the three of them dissolved on the ride to the concert venue.
It was the first time all three of them had gone out and done something fun in London, and Drew was more than ready for it.
Prepping for filming was fun in some ways and tedious in others, but at the end of the day, it was work. He was past due for just having fun.
Best of all, Lee was waiting for him inside the back entrance to the venue, like they’d arranged.
“You made it,” Drew greeted him, ignoring the rush of adrenaline at the sight of his new friend and the way he heated up as he took in the jeans, button-down, and tweed jacket look Lee had put together. “And you look—”
“I know, I know.” Lee held up a hand to stop him, then used it to adjust his glasses. His cheeks were flushed and eyes sparkled bashfully. “I look like a total dork. I didn’t know what I was supposed to wear to a concert like this. I can see I’m not dressed up nearly enough.”
Lee raked Drew with a look that left him feeling…seen. Maybe a little too seen. His heart shouldn’t have fluttered as hard as it did. He was used to being the center of attention, used to being an object of desire. Lee wasn’t a fan or a photog, though. Being perceived by him felt…different.
“I have a deal with a designer that I wear their clothes whenever I’m anywhere that I might be photographed,” he said, closing the distance between the two of them and almost reaching out to hug Lee in greeting.
“You’ve got a sponsorship deal?” Lee asked, smile growing. “Like you’re a bus with an advert on it or something?”
Drew laughed. “I’ve never been compared to a bus before.”
“First time for everything,” Lee said, then winked.
Drew felt dizzy.
For no reason whatsoever.
“This is him?” Jessica flattened whatever soaring feelings he had a second later as she stepped forward to scrutinize Lee.
“Hi,” Lee greeted her smoothly, holding out his hand. “I’m Lee Cresswell.”
“Yes, you are,” Abby gushed, stepping forward and edging Jessica out of the way. “I’m such a big fan of your books.”
“You must be Abby,” Lee said, switching his attention from Jessica, who shook his hand briefly before falling back into studying him, to Abby. “Drew told me so much about you.”
“All of it lies,” Abby said, blushing as she took Lee’s hand in both of hers.
“Um, excuse me,” Drew said, unable to stop grinning at the way the people closest to him seemed to get along instantly. “He’s taken.”
Abby sent him a look that contained volumes, but none of them readable. If Drew didn’t know better, he would have thought Abby had planned the whole thing with Lee instead of Jessica.
“You’re perfect,” Jessica said, bursting into an unexpected smile. “This is exactly what Drew needs.”
“I hope so,” Lee said graciously. “We’re just going to play it by ear at first and see what happens.”
“No,” Jessica said, pivoting to stand on Drew’s other side and nudging him toward Lee.
“This is exactly what we need. We’ll end one set of rumors by starting another.
Social media and Hollywood will lose their shit, and we’ll be back on top with directors knocking down our doors and offers coming at us like bullets. ”
Drew tensed at her analogies, but it was too late to do anything about the situation he’d landed himself in.
“Drew!”
Drew stood a little taller and glanced past Lee to the other end of the backstage area, where Nikky had just emerged from a dressing room. He waved back, then turned to Lee to say, “Let’s go say hi to Nikky.”
“Yes, let’s,” Jessica said, pushing Drew closer to Lee. “And don’t forget to smile for the cameras.”
Drew shared a look with Lee as if to say “Here we go.”