And maybe those fanboys were right. He wasn’t here because he was really the best person for the job.
“Those sci-fi guys are the worst,” Nikhil said to Serena.
She shrugged. “All part of the job. Spandex is thin—you’re going to need to build up a thick skin under it if you want to get anywhere.”
She picked up her phone and stayed on it until Kaelyn was back with two shot glasses of golden whiskey neat. Nikhil sniffed his. Smelled like a good single malt. Which reminded him of Marley and that night in the hotel. He wished she were here.
“Cheers,” he said. Serena wasn’t looking at him, though.Nikhil sighed and downed his drink. The whiskey was not the magic bullet to make it all better, but it did help a little.
Before they started up again, Kaelyn informed Nikhil that he had a meeting at the LA studio office the next day after his talk show appearance to go over this junket. And that Esther would be there as his representative.
When the next interviewer asked Serena if she was going to attempt to get her figure down to what it was in the first movie, Nikhil almost snarled at him. Serena gave him a disarming smile, but it didn’t help.
He needed Marley. Marley with her full lips and thick hair. Marley to smile at him, tell him he was doing great, and fix the scarf around his neck. Marley was the only one who could fix Nikhil’s grump lately. Serena’s stylist was here. He wished his were, too.
But so long as Marley was his stylist, she would never actually be his.
It made him even grumpier, which wasn’t great when he was a little tipsy. He probably shouldn’t have had that whiskey before lunch.
He was really starting to hate LA.
“I can’t believe you did shots with Serena Vox in a press junket,” Tyler said, shaking his head. “Oh, how the lowly hath risen.”
He was sitting near the pool in his friend Tyler’s backyard with a beer in his hand, watching Tyler’s film-editor husband, Angelo, barbecue sausages at the other end of the yard. Angelo’s son, Felix, was splashing in the pool. It was a verydomestic tableau… night and day from the party-kid lifestyle Tyler and Nikhil had lived for years in downtown LA.
“Shut up,Emmy nominee,” Nikhil said. Tyler had been nominated for a supporting role on his show last year but lost. Nikhil hadn’t forgiven Tyler for taking his husband to the award ceremony instead of Nikhil.
Tyler chuckled. “We’ve both come a long way, haven’t we?”
Nikhil shook his head. “You’vecome a long way. I’m still on the road. And somehow, I don’t think I’ll be reaching the destination.”
Tyler scoffed. “Nah, man, your screen tests werefire. Everything will be fine when the movie is out. Fans need to see you to love you. This pre-production promo is ridiculous. Their caving to the masses… that never works.”
“But when the masses are this angry…”
“They’ll get over it. Things arechangingin this industry. Look at me, a gay Mexican who got an Emmy nod for a storyline that had nothing to do with homophobia or illegal immigration. Progress is here—it’s just taking baby steps, that’s all.”
Nikhil shrugged, then took a long gulp from his beer bottle. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Maybe. Or whatever. I just…” He looked at his friend. “I don’t know, Ty. Do I evenwantthis life anymore? I thought I did. Hell, I worked my ass off for years to get here. We both did. But you… youfithere. With your hot industry husband and Hollywood Hills home. I just…” He sighed. It was brutal. All his dreams had come true, and now he didn’t even know if he wanted them anymore. “The last few weeks I’ve felt more grounded than ever in Toronto—but only when I’m not in rehearsals.”
Tyler raised a brow. “At your parents’ house?”
Nikhil exhaled. “No. I’ve been staying… somewhere else.”
“Ah. I knew that gossip about you and Serena Vox wasn’t true. Can I assume there is apersonbehind this keeping-you-grounded situation in Toronto?”
“Yeah.” He sighed, looking out at the breathtaking view at sunset. “I’ve been staying with my friend Marley. She’s… great. But we’re just friends.”
“Seriously, Nik? I can see right through you. You in love with her?”
Well, there was an interesting question. Nikhil was infatuated… fascinated, preoccupied, crushing hard… butin lovewith Marley?
“How long have I known you?” Tyler asked. “You can be honest with me.”
Nikhil huffed a laugh. He’d known Tyler since two days after showing up in LA a decade ago. “I’ve known Marley longer. She was my high school prom date.”
Tyler loudly put his bottle down on the table between them. “Get out of town, Nik… This isMahreen? The love of your life?”
Nikhil made a face. “How do you know about Mahreen?”
