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Dorian brushed the comment to one side, he was used to throwaway innuendos. “Honolulu is full of pretty people. In fact, there are millions of them everywhere, I’m more interested in someone who can hold my attention.”
“Depends how long you want to hold them.”
The rest of the food arrived and he hadn’t realised it was served all at once, sort of tapas style, rather than in courses.
“I’m not looking for temporary. I’ve spent the last year bouncing around.” He thought it better to set some expectations, he wasn’t sure what message Jez was trying to transmit.
“I can understand. Divorce is a mix of freeing and paralysing. No one goes into a marriage thing you’re going to split up and lose custody of the schnauzers.”
“I imagine it’s been tough. I wasn’t married to Robin but we were together a good few years and it took a while to adjust.”
Jez chewed thoughtfully on a coconut-infused prawn. “Not really. I’ll be honest with you, Dorian, monogamy isn’t my strong point, and seeing as you’re here then I assume you’re similar.”
Wherever Jez was going with this he didn’t like it. “I’ve never been unfaithful.”
“But aren’t you seeing some young chap? Yet you’re having dinner with me.” He reached over and placed his hand on Dorian’s thigh. “You’re fucking gorgeous, Dorian, how about we get out of here?”
To be fair to Jez, he had accepted the date, but Jez was a presumptuous knob. He knocked his hand away. “Alex knows I’m here. We’re in a stage where we’re getting to know each other and nothing’s permanent—that’s different to cheating on a spouse.”
If they’d been together he’d have considered this as cheating but Jez didn’t need to know that.
“Then where’s the problem? I’d love to take you back to my place, I bet I can show you a thing or two more than your young pup. We can see where it goes from there.”
Dorian wasn’t going to put up with any more of this bollocks. Jez had proved himself to be an arrogant git, and now he wished he’d chosen to stay at the hall, play Scrabble with Simon or, even better, have spoken to Alex and admitted he had feelings for the bossy blond sod.
“I doubt you could show me anything. And Alex’s youth and beauty, coupled with his creativity, would leave you a poor second.”
Jez snorted. “If he was so amazing you wouldn’t be here. Life is too short to be tied to one person.”
“That might be your opinion but it’s not mine.”
“Are you looking for a fairy tale? I hate to tell you but life isn’t like that.”
“Actually, you’ve just helped me prove that it is possible to find a prince amongst a bunch of fucking toads. With Alex I’ve picked a good one. I was worried whether, with him not being in the business, we could work long-term, but there’s no problem if it means he doesn’t turn into a boring, sanctimonious wanker like you… he’s a keeper.”
“How dare you talk to me like that! I could make it difficult for you to get work, you should watch your mouth.”
“Oh, fuck off!” Dorian laughed. “You’re in a dream world if you think you could have any leverage over me. I’ve turned down more projects in the last week than you’ve worked on in your entire career.”
God, how could he have been so wrong about wanting someone in the industry? The egos, the insufferable belief that they were important made him angry. Alex was worth twenty of this fucker. And he had a bolt of realisation why. Alex was real.
“I’ll settle up on my way out.” He pushed back from the table. “If you try to threaten me again I’ll ensure you’ll have trouble working on toothpaste commercials let alone another Cannes winner.”
He left the restaurant in a cloud of foul temper and annoyance. He’d wasted an evening, but on reflection it wasn’t all bad. Jez had shown him in no uncertain terms he’d been wrong in thinking he needed a man who was part of the world he lived in for his profession, he didn’t want or need it, in fact he thought he would thrive better without. In the same way Simon was best for Robin by being a different kettle of fish from the rest of his life. Dorian thought he needed the same and Alex could be that man.
CHAPTER34
Alex thought he might regret this in the morning but as he opened his second bottle of red wine he couldn’t bring himself to care. Dorian was out with another man, a silver fox-type swanky director. They were probably exchanging kisses over caviar and whispering filthy words of what they would do to each other once they were back at Dorian’s apartment. Dorian would end up falling in love with Jez, they’d move in together, adopt twenty children and go on to make a series of award-winning films and be the ultimate power couple.
He didn’t even bother with his glass this time and took a long swig from the bottle. With the opposite of grace, he slid off the sofa and landed on his arse on the floor. He’d fucking had enough and burst into tears.
The front door to his flat pushed open and he saw Karl peer around the frame. “Alex? I heard—oh, whatever is wrong?”
Karl came and crouched next to him, placing his hand on his shoulder. Alex tried to wipe away his tears but he was drunk and feeling sorry for himself and he couldn’t stop crying.
“Dorian is off on a date with a sexy superior older man, and I’m going to be left all alone and never be happy!”
Karl helped him off the floor and back onto the sofa, wrestling his bottle of wine off him. “I think you’d best not have any more of that.”
