Chapter Three
Brody
Jumpin’ Jacks was, well, jumping.
I’d snagged a cab from home. After having walked Minnie for a couple of hours, I didn’t want to walk the two miles back to the bar just on Granville Street. Granville Street that was already packed with revelers. Some were headed down to the beach to stake out the best place to watch the fireworks.
In another universe, I might’ve done that. On a night where the temperatures had dipped below freezing and the fireworks were going to be hours from now? No fucking way.
I spotted Seamus as soon as I entered the bar. The adorable Newfie redhead was at the bar, holding up four fingers.
Ah, so he wasn’t alone. Despite Newfoundlanders’ reputations for being able to drink other Canadians under the table, our dear Seamus was a lightweight. He usually stuck to just one or two. And only came out about once a month. He and Val were very much homebodies.
For Val, that was vastly different from attending every glitzy event like when he lived in LA. Now he preferred Canada and the quiet life.
I agreed with that. As much as I loved Jumpin’ Jacks, I didn’t come often.
Only ever with the crew and cast of any production I was working on.
Jacks wasn’t a gay bar, but the place was very queer friendly.
Given Academy Award actors Elouise Hynes and Peter Erickson had been spotted numerous times, along with Emmy Award-winning actor Cole Hamilton, being anti-gay wouldn’t have worked. We’d have found another place.
Seamus glanced over, caught my eye, and beamed his megawatt smile. So different from the shy smiles he used to offer when he first became a production assistant on Vigilante Justice. He waved enthusiastically. “You can help me carry beers.”
I sidled over to him. “You’ve ordered four. I’d like a drink as well. That makes five.” I snagged his hands in mine. “Four hands, my friend.”
“Oh.” He frowned. “Well, three are bottles. Surely, I can carry three bottles and you can carry whatever you’re getting and Val’s martini. We’ve already got like twenty glasses for water and three pitchers full with tons of ice water. Beer is just a treat.”
I laughed. “I get it. Yes, I’ll happily carry Val’s drink. I’m thinking of getting a Granville Island Pale Ale myself.”
“Oh crap. I forgot about that. I ordered a craft beer.”
“You can have a sip of mine.”
He grinned. “Thanks. That’d be great.”
Possibly not the most hygienic thing ever. But this was Seamus.
I added my pale ale to the list as the bartender grinned. “Cole coming tonight?”
Seamus shook his head and offered a regretful smile.
Right, he’d said that. “Elouise?”
Another shake of the head.
Right. Because she was babysitting.
Focus.
The bartender shrugged, then offered a lovely smile. “You two are good-looking enough that people’ll think you’re actors.”
Seamus’s cheeks turned a deep scarlet.
I merely laughed at the flirting. I was an okay-looking guy. Blond shaggy hair, pale-blue eyes. A nose that had been broken in high school—playing volleyball, no less. Nothing glamorous. Nothing with a great story to share.
After a moment, we had four bottles of beer and a martini.
I tried to yank out my wallet.
She waved me off.
I arched an eyebrow.
She pointed to Seamus.
Who was already balancing his three bottles and heading back to the large group of tables we’d commandeered in the back. They’d put them all together and had created a u shape that sat about twenty-five people.
I eyed the bartender. “Valentino?”
She grinned and mimed zipping her lips.
The man always had more generosity than sense.
Of course, the blockbuster movie he’d produced last year had raked in over a billion dollars.
So he probably wasn’t hurting. He and Seamus donated to several charities.
Quietly, of course. Including one dedicated to disadvantaged youth on the downtown eastside of Vancouver.
Cole was the spokesperson for that charity, as it helped kids in his old neighborhood. More great deeds.
I managed to pay my mortgage, car maintenance—on a ten-year-old Mazda—and to feed myself and Minnie. I didn’t have much left over at the end of the day, but I always donated.
Val rose to help Seamus with the beers, caught sight of me, and offered a huge smile. “You made it.”
I raised his martini in a toast.
“Oh, a man after my heart.” Stunningly good looking—with his blond hair and blue eyes—he could’ve been an actor. His talent, though, lay in putting things together behind the scenes. Even as he took a drink, his phone rang.
I cocked my head.
He checked the screen, then raised an eyebrow. “I have to take this.” He put his glass on the table next to Seamus, squeezed his husband’s shoulder, and headed to the back where the music wouldn’t be so loud.
I sat across from Seamus.
“That’ll be Jerome.” The redhead grinned. “He’s at Susan Miller’s beach house in Carbon Beach down in California.”
“Oh?” Susan Miller was the head of the studio. The stunning Black woman ruled over everyone with both an iron fist and a light touch. She made her way to Vancouver several times a year. I’d caught her in action once, going toe-to-toe with Val.
She’d won.
“How’s Jerome doing?”
Seamus grinned. “Okay, so like you heard about what happened, right?”
I leaned in. “When he thought he’d bought an escort, but the guy who showed up was the lead actor?”
“Yep.”
“That could’ve ended badly.”
“Right. But he and Alex are getting married in the spring.”
“All’s well that ends well.”
“Right. Except the two are at Susan’s beach house for New Year’s. She’s got something up her sleeve, and Jerome’s nervous as hell. He keeps surreptitiously texting Val.”
I grinned. “He thinks she won’t notice?”
“Jerome’s claiming it’s a family thing. Family he recently visited. I think…Alabama or something?”
“Yeah…something.”
“Right. Anyway, it’ll be interesting to see what she’s got in mind.”
“For sure. Tell Val he has to share…if he can.”
Seamus arched an eyebrow.
I laughed. “Okay, I know he’s sharing with you. Hell, Jerome knows he’s sharing with you. But you might sneak me a bit of gossip, right? You know I’d never say anything.” Which was the absolute truth. No one ever pried anything out of me.
Val returned to the table. After he plopped in his chair, he pressed a kiss to Seamus’s cheek. “I think it’s going to be a long night.”
“Oh?” I opened my eyes wide, trying for completely innocent.
After rolling his eyes, Val turned to Seamus.
Who shrugged and held up his beer—of which he had yet to take a sip.
Val laughed. “Nothing to report. Just a lot of jangled nerves.” He sipped his martini. “I’m so glad we’re not in LA. We might’ve been commanded to Susan’s lovely beach house as well.”
Seamus cuddled into Val.
A phone buzzed.
My friend yanked it out of his back pocket, swiped, and grinned. He showed the screen to Val before showing me.
Elouise, with her baby bump, had Jason on her lap. The young boy looked super happy as she read him a story.
“Kelci took the picture?”
Seamus nodded. “Elouise promised to read him five bedtime stories. Apparently, this is number four.”
“You know he’ll ask for more.” I grinned. Val and Seamus’s foster son was a voracious consumer of all the books he could get his hands on.
“Probably.” Val took another sip. “I’m sure Elouise will manage just fine. She started reading to him about an hour before his actual bedtime. Hopefully, he’ll eventually drop off.” He snagged Seamus’s hand. “You make me so happy.”
Seamus blinked.
I did as well. I wasn’t accustomed to Val’s overt affection. The men didn’t touch at the studio. Or not at least in front of anyone. Here, though, when amongst friends, they were open with their affection.
They kissed.
Myles and Hallstein wandered over. The set decorator, spotting the Val-and-Seamus smooch, threw his arms around his husband and planted a big smacker on his lips.
Hallstein, clearly caught off guard, took a moment to respond. By the time he did, Myles had some serious tongue action going.
Dade, whom I hadn’t noticed, hooted. The actor’s grin was pretty loopy as he sat with his husband Horatio’s hand on his shoulder.
I’m with my people, and this is amazing.
That thought carried me right through the amazing burger I devoured, not having realized just how hungry I was.
“They make the best thick-cut fries.” Dade wiped his hands on a napkin.
“That means probably an extra workout tomorrow.” The actor looked pretty damn beautiful to me, but I didn’t envy the effort it took to stay in top shape.
He did many of his own stunts. Suddenly, he patted his husband’s arm.
“But I worry about Horatio’s cholesterol. ”
Said husband didn’t look impressed.
Until Dade nudged him again with a big smile. “That’s what I get for marrying a handsome older man.”
“I’ll show you older…” Horatio kissed him on the lips.
Myles hooted.
Hallstein leaned toward me. “I don’t want to freak you out.”
“About how much cholesterol I just consumed? I’m walking home—”
“No.” He dropped his voice. “There’s a guy to our right. For God’s sake, don’t look.”
I faced Hallstein—after nearly having turned to face the guy staring at me. “Maybe say that part first next time?”
He grimaced.
I shrugged with a wry smile. “I’m sitting at a table with some of the handsomest men in Vancouver, including several up-and-coming actors.” Dade might not be a household name yet, like Cole, Julie, and Elouise, but he was well on his way. I frowned. “Hey, do we know why Julie’s not here yet?”
Hallstein didn’t break eye contact with me.
The beer and burger I’d consumed sat heavy in my stomach. He was giving me what Myles referred to as the Hallstein-serious look. The look that one didn’t fuck around with. “What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to very casually turn toward Teri. She’s on your crew, right?”
She was…and had been engaged in a pitched-battle discussion with one of the riggers. In no way was I getting into that friendly argument.
“Okay, I turn to Teri.”
“Tap her empty glass and then casually scan the bar as if looking for a server. The guy’s wearing a purple shirt and black pants. He’s got dark-brown hair and brown eyes with a crewcut. He’s hard to miss since he’s been staring at you for about half an hour.”
And yet I hadn’t noticed. Hadn’t felt a gaze on me at all. Had simply been enjoying Myles’ antics, Dade’s teasing, and Seamus’s infamous blushes. Really, setting off the redhead was too damn easy.
Hallstein eased back.
I pivoted to Teri and tapped her empty glass.
She turned to me. “Oh, I’m leaving soon.”
“Before midnight?” I offered an easy grin. “At least have a Shirley Temple. Val’s paying.”
Val, clearly having overhead me, chuckled. “So much for secrets.”
I scanned the bar as if looking for a server. Well, I was looking for a server since Teri had nodded at my drink suggestion. As I scanned, I spotted the guy in the purple shirt.
Sheesh, good thing Myles hadn’t heard Hallstein’s comment. That shirt wasn’t purple. The tie Myles had insisted Hallstein wear to work today had been purple. Electric purple…but purple. This guy’s shirt was a deep plum. And yeah, it suited him. Finally, I met his gaze.
Oh shit.