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“Nigel Farrow!” Alastair stated with joy as he opened the door to his friend.
Nigel gave him a huge smile and stepped forward into Alastair’s embrace.
“Alastair! So good to see you!”
I hung back as they kissed each other on the cheek—thank God—and Alastair ushered Nigel into the room.
“It’s great to see you!” His gaze traveled over Nigel. “You look—”
I cleared my throat.
Alastair spun around and smiled. He turned back to his friend. “Nigel, this is my boyfriend, Toby Dunn.”
“Fantastic! I thought you had a very sexy housekeeper.”
The burn of being thought of as the hired help was much assuaged by Nigel calling me sexy. I tried not to simper.
“I’m living the dream,” Alastair said, putting an arm around me.
“You certainly are,” Nigel said, and, swear to God, he gave me an appreciative once-over.
I rolled my eyes. “Great. You’re not only incredibly sexy but charming, too? How will I ever compete?”
“Ha! You’re not competing with anyone, by the looks of it,” Nigel said. “He’s obviously smitten.” Nigel gestured to Alastair, who did look very happy and content.
“So, you and Alastair had some fun a long time ago?” I asked.
“We did, absolutely. I will think back on those times with a melancholy fondness now, as I know they have been relegated to the past.”
Okay, Nigel was a king.
“Here, come to the living room. You want some tea, or a glass or wine? Coffee?” Alastair asked.
“Oh, darling, tea would be fab.”
“Great. I’ll put the kettle on while you and Toby chat.”
Alastair had become Mrs. Doubtfire. I tried to keep my smile from turning into a laugh.
“So, whereabouts do you live, Toby?” Nigel asked, sitting on the couch and stretching his long legs out in front. He was dressed in some kind of hip business suit, and boy, did it work for him.
“Oh,” I said, blinking. “Here. I live here.”
Nigel gave me a weird look. “Here? With Alastair?”
“I needed a room, and we were already kind of seeing each other. We weren’t sure it would work out.”
“So, this really is serious! Well, I’m thrilled for both of you.”
He sounded sincere. When Alastair came back with a plate of cookies and some mugs, Nigel said, “You didn’t tell me you and Toby were living together. I think it’s wonderful.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’m just so used to it now.”
“I’m happy for you. Although it does throw a wrench into the mix.”
“How so?” Alastair asked.
“Well…I was going to ask if I could stay here, just until the end of next week. I have a shoot and another contract to negotiate before I go back to London.”
