Chapter 1. Limo
I shifted uncomfortably in the new jacket -- it was tighter than I was used to. I remembered grinning when Luke told me it looked sexy. I looked down at myself. Black suit jacket and trousers, a crisp white shirt that felt more expensive than anything I'd previously owned. It does look good, I thought, smiling.
Luke groaned next to me. 'What the fuck is taking so long...' he muttered, under his breath.
'Sorry sir,' the driver called from up front. 'There's been an accident.'
We were sitting in a limousine. An actual, honest to god limousine. One with a little side bar and everything. We each held a glass of champagne; me, Luke, Charlie, and Brett. Luke began drumming his fingers on the knee of his powder blue suit. We were at the back. Sitting along the side of the car, Charlie and Brett began to look a little uncomfortable at their host's increasing displeasure.
I tried to be reassuring. 'Don't worry,' I smiled. 'We'll get there. You're the producer, right? They'll just have to wait.' I put my hand on his knee, on top of his own, stopping him drumming.
He stared down at my fingers for a second, and then up at my face. He did not look reassured. His annoyed grimace was slowly replaced, but not by the slow smile I hoped to inspire. His greying temples and ever so slightly wrinkled forehead relaxed, with a cold, almost predatory look I was familiar with slowly spreading to the corners of his mouth. I'd seen this look a lot, starting with that first night at the bar. I was not expecting it tonight. Or, at least, not this early.
I tried to power through, make things easy again. 'Do these things ever start on time, anyway?'
'That's right,' he said. 'You wouldn't know.'
Despite having done my best to avoid even looking at him, I could see Brett's smirk before he looked away. Brett and Charles were like a warped mirror version of me and Luke. Charles was around fifty, like Luke, but hadn't looked after himself the way Luke had. His paunch sidled over his belt as they sat together in the limo, his suit looked new but nowhere near as nice as the one Luke was wearing, or even the one Luke had bought for me. Brett was... Well, Brett was me. Another young piece of arm candy. At 21 I was maybe a year younger. When we'd first met I spent most of the evening trying to compare each of our body parts individually. He had those startling blue eyes but my green ones were a little less common, I hoped. His tousled blond hair was more suited to a beach boy look, not the expensive restaurants or exclusive parties I had had to bump into him at. My straight, dark hair was blessedly capable of a nice, precise side part once I'd finally learned to grow it out a little. We both, sadly, had an identical physique: one it was hard to imagine came from anywhere other than trying to put on some muscle after being made fun of as too skinny for too long as teenagers.
From what little I knew about Charles, Luke's business partner at the production company, Brett had been around a little while. Around a year, from the sounds of things. Luke didn't think too highly of him, which was reassuring. Either way, seeing Charlie, one of the few from Luke's circle of friends I'd met more than once, also having a young boy on his arm made me a little uneasy. My gut had thought 'sleazy' looking at them, before I realised what that meant about people looking at me.
'These things take a lot of preparation. Divas are tolerated when they're actors, or maybe a director. Producers can't make a public scene. Apart from anything else, it doesn't send a good message for future projects.' He shook my hand off, and squeezed my knee in return, or perhaps retaliation. Hard.
'I... I'm sorry.' I looked at the floor, not sure what to do. It was true, I knew absolutely nothing about this business.
'If you're serious about being an actor you should not be so blasé about being late. Certainly not at the start of your career.' I wasn't serious about being an actor, it hadn't even entered my mind until Luke suggested it a few weeks ago, but these words seemed to sting. I'd disappointed him.
'Sorry.' I said again, looking up at him.
The grin I'd hoped to put on his face was back. But it was sly, tainted with that coldness I'd seen before.
'That's okay,' he said, reaching up and stroking my cheek. 'I'll keep you right.'
Brett cleared his throat, and took a large swig from his champagne flute.
'How far away are we...?' Luke said, glancing out the window.
I wasn't sure who the question was directed at, but once again the driver heard and answered. 'Should be ten minutes once we get passed this stoppage, sir.'
'Thanks.'. Luke said, then he pressed the button next to his seat, making the partition between us and the driver rise.
'I'm sorry for being a terror, everyone. I'm just tense.' Luke said.
'It's a big day, Luke, no problem.' Charles chimed in. Brett didn't say anything, but smiled over at my man.
'I just realised, I forgot something before we left.' Luke said, looking at me.
I thought back to the brief second I'd met Luke in his house in the hills before getting pushed into the limo. 'What did you forget?'
Luke smiled wider. 'Charlie, what did we agree was important before a big event like this?'
Charlie seemed to think for a moment, and then broke into a grin as well. 'Oh, Luke, you not telling me you didn't...?' He laughed.
'I know, I know,' Luke said, shaking his head. 'Amateur stuff.'
'Hopefully not.' Charlie said, giving me a strange look.
They both laughed for a second. Brett looked amused. I was uneasy all of a sudden. Their private jokes made me feel like even more of an outsider.
'I'm afraid it's all your fault, Josh.' Luke said, shifting in his seat. 'Before we left -- you didn't make me cum.'
I almost spat out some champagne. I laughed a little, trying to look like I was in on the joke.
Luke suddenly looked serious. Charlie was still grinning. Brett was looking straight ahead, at the scenery on the other side of the limo.
'You want me at my best for this premiere, don't you? You want me calm, level-headed?'
