Chapter Nine Carden
Chapter Nine:Carden
“You look good enough to eat,” Marius said, and Carden smiled. He asked Adam for help because he wanted to look like a million dollars tonight. Wanted to leave no doubt in people’s minds that he belonged at Marius’ side.
The launch party was a big event with prominent guests.
Everyone who was anyone would probably be there, and Carden wasn’t anyone famous, not even infamous.
He was just an art student who couldn’t even paint his own fucking portrait, but that was neither here nor there.
He wanted to look good for Marius and himself too; he wanted people to envy this gorgeous person on Marius’ arm.
Adam didn’t disappoint. Of course he didn’t.
Adam was a professional makeup and hair artist and naturally gifted.
Carden knew that Adam would make him look like he was one of the rich and famous. Like he was someone.
“I wanted to look nice for you.” Carden twirled around so Marius could see him from all sides. The pants made his ass look fantastic in his humble opinion. By the heated look Marius was giving him, Marius agreed with him.
“You look better than nice,” Marius said. “You are gorgeous.”
“Well, you look very handsome yourself.” That was the honest-to-God truth. He knew that Marius cleaned up well. He had seen the magazine photos after all, but it was something else. Seeing him in a suit, perfectly tailored to his body, did all kinds of things to him.
“No wonder people of all genders want into your pants,” Carden added.
“Well, you’re the only one who is allowed to put your hands down my pants,” Marius replied and then kissed his cheek gently.
He was careful not to smudge the carefully applied makeup, and Carden was grateful for that.
He wanted to look beautiful in the pictures, but once they were home again, they would be making up for the lack of kissing now.
“Good, and tonight I am staking my claim for the whole world to see,” Carden said and then took a deep breath.
“Ready?” Marius asked.
“Don’t ask me that yet. I mean, we have to get there first, right? That’s a whole car drive where I can still freak out about this to my heart’s content,” Carden said, and Marius laughed.
There was a limo waiting for them in front of Carden’s tiny apartment. The driver was leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette. It was like something out of a movie. He felt like a modern-day Cinderella. The gar version.
“Holy shit, you didn’t say anything about a limo,” Carden said.
“The label sent it. It’s not like I could take my own car to this thing. It wouldn’t look good in the photos. I have an image to uphold now. Can’t look poor.” He shrugged and then put his hand on the small of Carden’s back and steered him to the car.
“It’s my first time in a limo,” Carden said once they were inside. He ran his hand over the soft leather seat and then sighed. It smelled nice in here too, and the windows were tinted, so no one would be able to tell if he decided to kiss Marius after all.
“I’m shocked. I mean, you’re hanging out with famous actors after all,” Marius said.
Carden waved it away. “Sebastian is the most down-to-earth person I know. The man lived in a trailer for nearly two years before he got an apartment. Adam and Chris helped him decorate it. He doesn’t need stuff, is what he keeps saying.
Stuff doesn’t make you happy,” Carden said.
He’s been to Sebastian’s place before. It didn’t feel like Adam or Chris; it felt like Sebastian, but there were little things that told him that Adam had chosen a lamp or a chair or a piece of art.
Sebastian’s apartment was on the smaller side too. He was a bit of a minimalist, and he hated shopping. Especially for himself. Good thing Adam loved shopping and making a place a home.
“Oh,” Marius said. “He did seem like a down-to-earth kind of guy, but I didn’t know he lived in a trailer. Don’t they get paid a ton per episode?”
Carden smiled at him. “You’re fucking adorable.
It’s a vintage trailer. He restored it with his dad.
And I think he was too lazy to hunt for an apartment when the show started.
Anyhow, he can afford things; he likes to get gifts for his lovers and his friends.
He just doesn’t need that much stuff on his own.
” Carden knew, because Adam had told him, that Sebastian gave a good chunk of his money to various charities.
Carden had never seen it mentioned in any article or interview with him, so it was clear he didn’t do it for publicity.
“He’s just a good person,” Carden added with a smile.
“I’m glad you never got snatched up by him,” Marius replied.
Carden laughed. “Believe me, I am so not his type.”
Marius frowned, curling his fingers around Carden’s. “But he called you lovely.”
Carden bit his lip. “Sebastian needs more than just lovely to make a relationship work,” he said and left it at that. He wasn’t going to spill all of Sebastian’s and Adam’s secrets. He wouldn’t want anyone to spill his.
“Anyway, I’m glad you two never hooked up.”
“Would you have been jealous?” Carden asked. They were nearly there. He could hear people screaming, and he could see flashes going off. A crowd had already formed in front of the venue. Fans and reporters alike, it seemed.
He steeled his heart and mind against the onslaught of questions and pictures he knew he would have to endure.
He agreed to this, and there was no backing out now.
Tomorrow morning everyone who cared about such things would know that he was dating a rock star.
His heart hammered in his chest and his palms got sweaty, but Marius’s voice brought him back from that cliff.
“He is very good-looking.”
“You are very good-looking,” Carden said.
“Ready?” Marius asked, tightening his fingers around his hand as the car slowed down in front of the venue. He pulled it to his lips and smiled.
“As ready as I can be, I guess?”
“You will do great,” Marius assured him. He kissed Carden’s cheek and then got out of the car. He held out his hand for Carden as photographers and fans swarmed him and screamed his name. Carden took a deep breath and then grabbed Marius’ hand.
It was going to be alright.
◆◆◆
“You’re on the cover of magazines,” Adam said as soon as Carden opened the door.
“Good morning to you too,” Carden mumbled.
“Were you still in bed? Sleeping?” Adam asked, pushing Carden aside to get into the apartment. He made a beeline for the kitchen, and Carden followed, scratching at his stomach.
“Yes, Adam, I was still sleeping. What ungodly hour is it even?”
“Ten in the morning on a Saturday, Carden. And you are in all the gossip rags. In print. And online,” Adam answered. He held up a magazine as proof. “Who is the mysterious beauty at Marius Miller’s side?” Adam read in a breathless voice.
“You sound like a teenager,” Carden said, and then plopped down on a chair at the counter. He trusted Adam to make them coffee or tea. Carden wasn’t picky right now.
“I’m fanboying you, my friend, and your hot rock star boyfriend. He looks so handsome in this shot. You should frame it,” Adam said, putting the magazine on the counter in front of him. Carden couldn’t help but glance at it.
“You came here on a Saturday morning just to show me this? You know I could have been fucking my rock star boyfriend right now,” Carden said, as he gave into curiosity and picked up the magazine.
Despite trying to play it cool, he wanted to see the pictures from last night and to read whatever was written about them even more.
Adam was right. They looked so fucking good together. Maybe he would frame it after all.
Adam gave him a look over his shoulder. “If you had been fucking your hot boyfriend, you wouldn’t have opened the door. By the way, why aren’t you fucking him? Where is he?”
There was nowhere to hide in Carden’s studio except the bathroom, and Marius wasn’t in there either.
They had split up after the afterparty. Because Marius still had people to meet and Carden had been getting tired of it all.
He liked parties well enough, but that had been mostly a networking event.
It wasn’t like Carden was in the music business, and honestly, he had no clue how to network anyway.
“I guess he’s at his place. I went home first because I was getting tired of it all. All those glittering people… it was overwhelming.”
“I see,” Adam said as he put two mugs of Earl Grey tea on the counter. “Drink up and tell me everything. I mean, you do look fabulous in these pictures, and I hope you had fun.”
“Thanks to you,” Carden said. Thanks to Adam’s amazing skills, he looked like he belonged.
“It was my pleasure.” Adam sat in the other chair. “So, how do you like being a celebrity?”
“I’m not a celebrity. I’m only dating one. There is a difference,” Carden replied as he carefully sipped his tea. The smell was rich, and the warmth helped him feel like a human again.
Adam waved it away. “Yes, but you will be a famous artist soon enough. You’re nearly done with school, and then you can concentrate on getting your work out there. By the way, Sebastian picked a painting.”
Carden blinked at him. “Oh, okay. Yes, can he pick it up? Because you know I don’t have a car, and if he wants one of the big ones, it would be awkward taking it on the bus.”
“He’s gonna pick it up or have it picked up. Hell, I could deliver it to his doorstep,” Adam said, taking a tiny, careful sip of his own tea.
“Which one does he want?” Carden asked.
“Boy and moon,” Adam replied.
Carden smiled. “Yeah, I think that one will look nice in his living room.” It was a big painting, and it had taken Carden three days to finish it. He had been absorbed in it and had given it his all because he had so much fun working on it.
Adam nodded, blowing on his tea. “Yes, I think so too. He offers you 10,000 for it.”