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I shifted on my feet, leaning against the wall near the bar, crammed in one of the only empty spots I could find in the room. The TV had just shown a scene of Kace attending an event at some famous rapper’s house where he’d been cozied up on a couch next to some famous gayactorI’d never heard of.
“Absolutely not,” Kace said, shaking his head. He had a beer bottle in his hand, and he was sitting on the floor, surrounded by a circle of people. “I kept my dick in my pants that night.”
“For once,” someone else joked.
I had a roiling heat in my chest every time one of his friends joked about his playboy ways. Some strange part of me wanted to pipe up, to shout across the room and tell all of them they had no idea thatI’dbeen the one getting up close and personal with Kace. That we’d even slept in bed next to one another. But in this room, I blended into the background like I was nobody. Nothing. I was just a bland, older guy in generic clothes, among a sea of hot, insanely fit people from a younger generation.
I held the possessiveness inside me like a shameful secret as the next TV episode started playing.
Kace wasn’tmine.
But sometime in the last few days, my brain had sure as hell gotten those wires crossed.
I was startled when I heard a familiar voice over the speakers as the next episode began. I looked up and saw Charlie’s face, big across the screen. I glanced over toward where Charlie was now, sitting on the floor by the windows, and he gave a little excited clap.
“Now, there are only two things I care about tonight,” the big Charlie on screen said, hamming it up completely in front of the camera. It was a shot from the night when we had all been in Jade Brewery, and I recognized the modern industrial wood of the brewery behind him. “And those two things are: maintaining what little is left of my dignity, and getting Kace Tomlin to dance on the dance floor with me.”
The whole living room erupted in laughter now. I saw someone turn to Charlie, asking if the guy on screen was him and giving him a high five. The episode continued on, and it ended up featuring Charlie fairly prominently throughout.
I caught a few glimpses of myself in the background shots, huddled over a booth in the back, away from any of the action.
That was my way, I supposed. Blending into the background, both on the show and right now in real life. I stole a glance over at Kace again, and was surprised to find him looking back at me.
My heart squeezed in my chest, the possessiveness flaring up into a messy mix of affection and desire.
That. That was what I fucking wanted.
His eyes on me. Him thinking of me. The way he did when we were close together, alone in a room away from all of the responsibilities of our lives. What the hell was getting into me? It was as if the moment Kace said it out loud—that he wanted to be friends with me, full stop—my whole body had suddenly protested, throwing a tantrum like a child who didn’t get a piece of candy.
And the realization that I wanted Kace to be possessive of me infrontof other people… that was more confusing than anything I’d felt toward him thus far.
“That was the best one,” someone said as it ended a while later. It had been the final episode in the first batch, and more were going to be released on a weekly basis for the rest of the season. It became clear that Charlie was experiencing a little moment of micro-fame for tonight. People had found him hilarious and charming, and after knowing him for years, I could only agree with them.
Soon the camera crew fired up their equipment again, already filming the afterparty for more show fodder. They focused on Kace as much as they always had, but also gave more time to Charlie now, sensing a new onscreen favorite.
“What did you think?” Kace asked me when he finally broke off from the crowd for a moment.
“I thinkLife of Tomlinis an instant Emmy Award contender,” I joked. “I mean, the cinematic excellence of the part where you were making smoothies outside? Simply unmatched.”
His eyes twinkled. “There is something very humbling about being on a big screen.”
“You looked great up there,” I said. “You’re even better in person, but still.”
“I think Charlie is an even bigger breakout star than me, I’ve got to say. They’re still surrounding him like bees to a flower.”
“And he’s loving every minute of it.”
“You jealous?” Kace teased me, raising his brows. “Going to be a little less camera shy now?”
“Hell, no,” I said. “I was glad to be in the background.”
“I always noticed you,” Kace said. “Looking all thoughtful and hot in the background.”
Kace was being too kind. From what I had seen, most of the scenes with me in them just showed me gazing out toward Kace, probably drooling over him or fantasizing about being closer to him.
Just like real life.
Kace glanced down at his phone, and I saw him tapping through dozens and dozens of notifications. He scrolled through a bunch of congratulations messages, and then navigated over to the internet. He tapped through a bunch of different early reviews of the show, smiling a little as he saw that the reviews were overwhelmingly positive.
