Fic: I'll Be Waiting | Part 3 of 10
Title: I’ll Be Waiting
Rating: NC-17
Links to other parts: Part I | Part II
**
Sunlight cascaded off the blue tinted windows of the M Resort, just 15 minutes from the heart of the Las Vegas strip. As Kris walked into the hotel, his eyes flew open at the wide, expansive lobby, sneakers squeaking along the marble and plush carpet-lined entryway. Dozens of vases filled with calla lilies adorned the floor to ceiling shelves, maroon and gold fabric tented the ceilings in giant, draped loops.
After he checked in, he laid on the bed studying the property map, readying himself for the weeks ahead. These would be the last three weeks on location, then another two weeks in a giant airplane hangar that would act as their set and finally, the filming part of the movie would be wrapped up. Kris turned onto his back and sprawled out, he was almost done.
The dry heat of desert was a welcome relief to the last few weeks of humidity. Running around between trailers and tents still made him a sweaty blob, but at least he was working for it and not feeling like he had just stepped out a sauna every two minutes.
Though Mike and Matt tried to get him to talk over the last few weeks, Kris wasn’t saying anything about his sudden change of temperament. He would stick to what he promised himself…be the consummate professional. No more gaping like a doddering fool watching Adam doing a scene, wouldn’t be a creeper and spy on Adam rehearsing his lines in a quiet corner. He would be agreeable when Adam sent him on ridiculous, eye-roll inducing errands. He would, essentially, continue to be the perfect production assistant.
The only possible hiccup to that self-imposed plan happened on the second floor Lobby Bar. And Kris hoped no one noticed.
It was the Monday after Adam’s latest movie stayed at number one for five weeks straight. Everyone had expected the numbers for opening weekend, but not for it to stay at number one for weeks on end when there were blockbuster sequels battling it out for the last of the movie-goer’s summer money. Anoop stopped production early and insisted on a late start the following day so everyone could celebrate properly. Leave it to Anoop to mark a random achievement. He had laid out his credit card and told the bartenders to keep going until everyone passed out or they closed, whichever came first.
So, what happened? Kris got drunk. Like, so drunk he didn’t remember how he got back to his room. He hadn’t planned on it, but for some reason it had bugged him that Adam went around hugging every other crew and cast member on the set except him. A pat on the back…an average, everyday fucking pat on the back, that’s what Kris got. Sure there might have been a small slide of the hand like a rub, but Kris might have just imagined it. It was nothing like the giant bear hugs and huge smiles everyone else got. In fact, Kris was pretty sure Adam was avoiding being anywhere close to him.
He’d deny it of course, the fact that he wanted more, but inside, he was kind of fuming. He tried not to let it affect him, but everyone knew something was wrong. He really hated not being able to hide his moods.
Tonight was their last night in Las Vegas. The technical crew had already packed the trailers and tents with all the lights, microphones, cameras and other equipment and headed back to Los Angeles the week before. Kris and his colleagues would collect the smaller stuff that would be traveling with them.
Every once in a while, he caught sight of someone drifting in and out of the hotel’s first floor bar and then disappearing, for what Kris guessed was their rooms to pack. Kris had finished packing earlier, so now he was trying to enjoy the last few hours he had off. He wandered towards the back of the hotel and out to the pool. The night air was still hot, but definitely less suffocating than the smoke-filled casino and bar. He wanted to be alone for a bit.
He walked to the far corner where he wouldn’t easily be seen by people roaming around and looking for secret rendezvous points. It was inevitable that on-set romances happened; being stuck with the same people pretty much twenty-four-seven on a set or on location made it easier. Kris had heard the stories and gossip from everyone, and seeing it actually happen made him chuckle. Should said romances not work out, it would be ugly, but then, most break-ups usually were whether on location or not. It was the case with him, wasn’t it?
After spreading out a towel so he wouldn’t stick to the thick plastic ribbons, Kris stretched out on the chaise lounge chair, dropping it all the way down so he could stare up into the black inky sky. The sounds of crickets, cicadas and an occasional owl dotted the night, which was odd to him seeing how close they were to the Strip, yet so far.
“Mind if I join you?”
Kris opened an eye and turned his head at the dark shadow above him, too tired and lethargic to be shocked, he nodded. He listened as Adam settled into the chaise next to him.
“How come you’re not inside with the rest of the guys?” Adam asked breaking the silence.
“Just needed a break. What about you? Wasn’t there a dinner you were supposed to be at?”
“Got back a little bit ago. The room felt, I don’t know, small, stifling, so I figured I’d come out here for a bit,” Adam confessed. “And since there’s no sun, I don’t have to worry about adding freckles to my delicate skin.”
Kris heard the smile in that statement and laughed.
“So tell me Kris Allen, what’s your story?”
Kris flipped over onto his stomach, cradled his face on his forearms and faced Adam. He saw that he was on his side, head on his hand, elbow propped up over a towel.
“My story?”
“Yeah. You don’t seem like the typical aspiring director or screenwriter type, and you’re definitely not an actor,” Adam chuckled. “What made you want to get into movies? What brought you here?”
Letting one arm down, his free hand skimmed across the smooth, warm cement, Kris thought about what he would and could tell Adam.
“Dunno, wanted to try something else out. Delayed quarter-life crisis and all that, I guess.”
“You do anything like this before?”
“What…run around after grown people who are supposed to be adults and cater to their every whim?”
Adam laughed.
“It’s not that different to what I did before,” Kris answered. “I’ve run around, done the odd job and manual labor. Used to work for a non-profit, so there was a lot of intensity and long hours, so nothing I haven’t done before, just better accommodations and food, oh and the best part, indoor plumbing and air conditioning.”
“Went out to save the world, huh?”
Kris pulled his hand up and re-arranged the towel under his head, “Something like that.”
“What about you outside saving the world? What’s Kris Allen do for fun?”
“What’s with the questions?”
“Dunno. You’re different,” Adam replied. “Curious as to what makes you tick. You’re not like the other guys here; you’re not sucking up to Anoop, me, the DP or any of the other guys in the cast or crew. Like, it’s just a job to you, not something that might lead to something bigger or better. You act like it’s not a stepping block to what’s next.”
“Like I said, just burnt out from my previous job and looking for something new. Thought I’d give it a try.”
“What about personally?”
“Wow, you’re nosey tonight.”
“Nothing wrong with that is there? And, honestly? You intrigue me.”
“Why?”
Adam turned onto his back, crossed his arms under his head, giving Kris his profile. “I’m sorry about that night in Phoenix,” Adam said softly. “I shouldn’t have…I’m usually not…just know I didn’t mean to do that and I’m sorry.”
**
Last night in Vegas was one of the most enjoyable nights he’d had in a long time. Comfortable silence, soft conversation, some laughter and the darkness covering them like a soft blanket. Adam didn’t have to be on and it felt good.
He sat in the back of the SUV and dozed as the dry, brown, brittle vegetation of the desert passed by at 80 miles an hour. Not wanting to deal with airports and security and the potential paparazzi horde after landing, Adam made arrangements for a car to take him back to LA. The driver was humming along to the music, ignoring him, so Adam stretched out before curling up along the back seat. Folding his jacket and tucking it under his head, he pulled out his phone and started to go through the photos.
Flicking through the screen quickly, he smiled as he remembered the drinks and the laughter on-set and off. Nearly three months on the road in absurd heat and humidity, but he was almost done. Two more weeks in an old, but air-conditioned airline hanger and the movie would be wrapped up…unless, of course, Anoop wanted to shoot some extra scenes in the upcoming weeks, but those would be easy enough. Anoop was generally too finicky to want to re-create something, so he would probably make do by splicing and slicing the various frames during the editing process.
Adam stopped at a picture of Kris. He didn’t remember taking the photo, but he slid his fingers across the screen to enlarge it. Kris was on the phone, in a corner, looking miserable. Adam moved the phone away from his face, but his finger kept hovering over the image as if wanting to stroke his hair, his face. Clicking out of the program, Adam closed his eyes and sighed. Two more weeks, he kept telling himself. Then there would be no more Kris.
The phone buzzed and the ringing filled the car, startling Adam. “Yeah?”
“So why exactly are you in a car instead of flying back to LA like a normal person?” Brad asked.
Adam laughed, “Because apparently my itinerary got leaked, and LAX is teeming with fans and paparazzi right now.”
“Ooh!” Brad said excitedly. “That could be fun! Why does Tatiana have to be a spoil sport and tell you this stuff?”
“Because she’s a good assistant and knows that I’m not in the mood to deal with it.”
“Your publicist won’t be happy,” Brad sighed.
“She’ll be even unhappier when I’m shoving cameras down people’s throats, so I think this is a nice compromise.”
“Whoa, you are in a pissy mood.”
“Just tired.”
“Why are you doing this again, sweets?”
“What? The acting thing? Or this film?”
“This movie. It’s small…well, small-ish…compared to the other stuff you’ve done.”
“Are we going through this again? It’s a beautiful story about unrequited love. Plus, Anoop’s directing. How could I say no?”
“You’ve been away from home for, I don’t even know anymore, no breaks, in the shittiest locations, and recently you always sound so exhausted. It doesn’t sound like you’re having fun, sweets.”
“I’m fine, Brad. Of course I’m tired, but it comes with the territory.”
“You didn’t even take weekends or days off to come home or even go to visit New York like you usually do.”
Adam rubbed his eyes, “We’ve been pretty much filming non-stop, haven’t had time. I’m in nearly every scene. Besides, I’m coming home now and have the entire weekend before I go to the set on Monday.”
“Your little boy-toy picking you up Monday morning?”
Adam sat up with a lurch, what? “What?”
“The cute little Southern thing that came by your place to pick up the extra duffle a few weeks ago? The one that seems to think plaid is a fashion statement?”
“Kris?”
“Kris…boy-toy…plaything…puppy…” Brad cackled. “I think I see why you didn’t come home for the weekends.”
“Brad,” Adam sighed. “He’s a production assistant for fuck’s sake. Tatiana was out of town, and I didn’t want the bag shipped.”
“Uh-huh.”
Adam patted and rolled up his jacket again to lie down, “Whatever. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“We’ll have some food ready for you when you get here, sweets. Tell the driver to get you here in one piece.”
“Knock yourself out. As soon as I get home, I’m crashing.” Adam ended the call.
**
StarMagazine.com
Glamberts Disappointed in Absent Lambert
Dozens of fans who waited outside terminal four at LAX for a brief glimpse of Adam Lambert left disappointed when the actor was whisked away with a bevy of beefy security guards into his awaiting limo. A source at LAX cited safety reasons for the extra security, stating that Lambert’s itinerary was leaked and every precaution needed to be taken.
RadarOnline.com
No Go for Glambert Fans
After Adam Lambert’s itinerary was leaked online, as first reported by Radar Online, fans of all ages descended into LAX trying to get a look at the actor. Returning from out of town where he was filming the latest Anoop Desai movie, Lambert was nowhere to be found. Sources close to Lambert said he had a major hissy fit when he found out his flight was published and booked more than a dozen flights into LAX to confuse paparazzi and fans.
**
“It’s better this way,” Nury said softly.
“No! No, it’s not!” Adam shouted. He turned his face up to Nury, tears running down his cheeks. He flung his arms out. “How…you come into my life, make me feel…finally feel. When all along, you were going through the motions, check another item of your list, is that it? After all this, you get to run away?” he yelled.
“I…I didn’t mean…”
“Of course you didn’t,” he bit out viciously. “You never mean to. Your concern, your friendship, your encouragement. What part of it did you mean? Any of it? None of it?”
Nury’s arms reached out, but she stopped from touching him, instead stepping back. Her face crumbled as Adam continued. “Do you feel anything? Anything at all? Do you enjoy doing this? At least if you do, I’d know you feel something,” he sneered. Hands wiped the tears as he turned his face away, “Get the fuck out.”
“I’m…”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” he whispered harshly. “Don’t you fucking apologize when I know you don’t mean it.”
Nury walked to the door, their backs to each other. Her hand on the doorknob, she paused. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way.”
Adam crumpled to the floor and pulled at his hair.
“And scene and cut!” Anoop shouted.
The horn echoed off the walls, indicating the end of the scene, and the set came alive with sounds of wires being hauled away, carts being driven with their loads of boxes, lights and umbrellas being wrapped up and sets being dismantled. Kris subtlety dabbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt and hurried behind the chairs to grab bottled water for everyone. He smiled when he saw there were other people on the set with red-rimmed eyes and blowing their noses.
“One more day people, let’s move it!” Mike shouted from somewhere.
Kris approached Adam and Nury as they sat in their chairs, laughing as hair and make-up people fluttered around them, taking Polaroid photos and fixed them up for the next scene.
“Uh, Mr. Lambert? Ms. Lavendar? Did you want some water?” he asked, holding the last two bottles out.
“Oh, aren’t you a sweetheart,” Nury purred. She fixed a bright smile at Kris, “And, look Adam. He even brought straw for me!”
Adam smiled as he took the bottle, fingers purposely dragging over Kris’s hand. “He’s adorable, isn’t he?”
“They all are, dear,” she replied and continued her conversation with Adam, effectively dismissing Kris.
Adam lifted his bottle in a small salute to Kris as he flashed his smile at Nury, attention back on his co-star. Kris quirked his lips and walked back to the table to grab his clipboard.
“She’s really sweet once you get to know her,” Tatiana commented.
Kris looked over to see Adam’s assistant typing on her phone. “Excuse me?”
She tilted her chin to where Adam and Nury were sitting as she put her phone away. “Nury. She just likes to put on an act. They all do, but they’re all nice for the most part.”
“I suppose,” Kris replied scrunching his face.
“Are you going to the party on Friday?”
Kris took a sip of water and stared at her, “I thought the wrap party was Thursday night. The catering crew is already preparing the tents and…”
Tatiana smiled indulgently and interrupted, “No, Adam’s wrap party, at his house.”
Kris shook his head, “Uh, I don’t…um, I don’t know anything about it.”
“Oh,” Tatiana frowned. “Huh, I thought Adam was going to tell you. He said he would.” She looked up and grinned, “Well, consider this your formal invitation then. Don’t tell the other guys, it’s kind of a private thing.”
“Why…uh…I don’t think…”
Blowing a raspberry, she started typing into her phone again, “There, you’ve been invited. All the information you need in both text and email forms, so you can’t say you didn’t get it.”
Kris started to protest when she answered the phone and turned her back on him. He debated waiting so he could talk to her about this unexpected thing.
“Kris!”
He turned to the voice and saw Mike waving his arms. Grabbing his headpiece and folder, Kris made his way across the trail of wires to where Mike was standing.
“What’s up?”
“Need you in the sound bay to help the boom guys move everything to the other end of the hanger,” Mike said pulling out a small keychain to a golf cart. “Then head over to help the rigging and lighting guys, okay?’
“Sure thing.”
Mike started to say something else when their headsets crackled, “Has anyone seen Kris Allen? Mr. Lambert is looking for him.”
Rolling his eyes, Mike sighed, “Better head over there.”
“But, what about…”
“Just go, Allen. Lambert’s obviously got a sweet spot for you, so you should go.”
Kris scowled, “His assistant is here, though.”
“Not the point. I’ll get Bobby and Steve to help out the other guys. You need to go before they send out a search party.”
“Fine.”
“One more day, buddy. Then, unless you work on another film with him, you don’t have to worry about seeing him again.”
“He’ll be at the wrap party, right?”
Mike laughed, “He’ll be there for like two minutes. The big guys never stay longer than they have to. He’ll make a quick appearance, give his sound bite to Entertainment Tonight, pretend he’ll miss the crew, and then we won’t ever see them again until the next movie or TV show we get booked onto.”
“Weird.”
“Eh, it’s life.”
Mike shoved him towards the trailers, “Go.”
**
The impatient tapping of a foot on a hollow floor is what greeted Kris as he slowly entered Adam’s trailer.
“You needed something, Mr. Lambert?” Kris asked.
Adam looked up and…beamed actually. “Kris! There you are. I was looking for you, but you disappeared. Tatiana said she saw you, but she left before she told me where you were.”
Kris tucked his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and waited for Adam to send him on an errand. He was talking too fast and had started to pace across the small width of the room.
“You were probably in the middle of some hauling or lifting or cleaning, but I figured you really didn’t want to be doing any of that shit, especially so close to the end,” Adam continued, speaking ridiculously fast. “It’s been amazing, hasn’t it? I can’t believe how quickly the time flew. Oh, sure, some days it felt like it was dragging and this film would never be done. Hell, I even regretted taking the part a few times, mostly because it’s been so hard to get in and out of the character, you know?”
Kris bit his lip trying to keep in the laughter and waited. Leaning against the door, he looked over his shoulder as his friends bustled about setting up the next-to-last scene for the night. Seriously, this was his life. Adam probably took something right after that last scene, and it was an intense scene, but really? Kris turned his attention back to the man talking a mile a minute, hands flailing and taking up entirely too much space in the small confinement of the trailer.
“…can’t believe tomorrow’s the last day. I think the crew’s been amazing. They know that, don’t they? They should know that. I honestly think this has been Anoop’s best work. If he doesn’t get recognized for it, I don’t…” Adam stopped suddenly. “What are you doing?”
Kris covered his mouth with his arm and coughed into it, “Um, just waiting to see what you needed? I was told you were looking for me.”
“Yeah, but what are you doing?”
Kris lifted his head and looked around, “Standing here, waiting for you.”
Adam rolled his eyes as he approached him, “Why are you just standing there?” Adam grabbed his wrist, closed the door and led him to a chair.
“You should be relaxing,” he said. “It’s why I called you over here. Sit.” He pulled out a small chair.
“You had me paged so I could sit here, relax and keep you company?”
Adam smiled and held out his arms, “You’re welcome!” He turned to the makeshift kitchenette. “Did you want water or a soda?”
“I need to be helping the guys out,” Kris protested. “If they find out…”
Placing two cans of Diet Coke on the table, “They won’t. I’m the narcissistic demon actor who always gets his way, remember?”
Kris blushed and played with the hem of his shirt, “You heard that too, huh?”
Adam pulled out a second chair from under the table and sat down. He stretched his legs out and tapped his foot against Kris’s calf.
“I thought it was funny.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“I really should be helping the guys out.”
“No, you should be keeping me company until I’m needed for the last and final scene.”
Kris looked up, “Oh, that’s right. It’s your last day.”
Adam nodded, “Yeah.”
“You, uh…Are you going to the wrap party tomorrow night then?”
“Of course!” Adam replied brightly. “I love parties. Plus, everyone worked so hard, it’ll be good to see everyone let loose.”
Kris laughed, then lurched as his headset went off, “Allen, if you’re with Lambert, get him to make-up now.” Kris responded, “Got it. We’ll be there in five.” He smiled at Adam, “I guess it’s time.”
Adam stood and was at the door, holding it open, “Oh, I forgot to invite you to my party on Friday, but Tatiana said she gave you the information.”
Nodding, Kris stepped down in front of Adam, “Uh, yeah.”
“So, you’ll be there?”
Kris rubbed the back of his neck, “Uh, I’m not sure.”
Adam locked the door and headed towards the make-up trailer, leaving Kris standing at the bottom of the stairs. “Come. It’ll be fun.”
Kris watched as Adam walked away from him. Adam paused and shouted out, “I’ll be waiting!”
**
People.com
On The Scene!
Adam Lambert and Nury Lavender were at the wrap party for their filmNot Today, Not Tomorrow last night at Santa Monica hangar. Cast and crew were reveling until the wee hours of the night. The arduous shoot took place over five months in Los Angeles, Orlando, Las Vegas and Phoenix. The just-finished movie is already receiving serious buzz as a potential Oscar contender.
PerezHilton.com
Party Snubbing by La Lambert
Even though La Lambert made a brief appearance at the wrap party for the cast and crew of his latest film, sources tell us that he was not a happy camper about it. In fact, he made his disdain known by ignoring everyone except for the press, and even that was brief. He barely acknowledged any of the lower level production crew and stuck by director Anoop Desai’s side until he made his escape just minutes after arriving.
**
“Yeah,” Kris shouted at the knock on his door. He scrambled over the shambles of the floor to turn down his music. The packing was slow going, but at least he had started.
“I’m sad to see you going, son,” Neil said coming into the room.
“Well, I figured I can only mooch off my parents for only so long,” Kris laughed.
“There’s plenty of space at the house, no need for you to move so soon. Plus, you’ve hardly even been home.”
Kris shrugged, “I’m 27, dad. I shouldn’t be living at home being a stereotypical socialite loser with no job. Besides, I haven’t lived at home since high school, and it’s a bit weird.” He bit his lips, “No offense.”
Neil chuckled, “None taken. Your mom and I will miss you. You barely got here, and now you’re leaving us. This giant house will be all empty again.” He paused, “Unless…”
“Don’t even say it, pops,” Kris moaned. “Grandkids are Daniel’s territory, not mine.”
“You could always adopt. There’s surrogacy and…”
Kris rolled his eyes, “I think I’d like to be in a stable relationship before even thinking about something like that.” Kris continued to stack his books into a cardboard box. “Hell, even a first date would be nice at this point.”
Neil handed a couple books to him, “Well, I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but in my line of work, I happen to know people who know people…”
“Dad!”
Neil shrugged, “I’m just saying it wouldn’t be hard for me to see about setting…”
Kris put his hands on his ears, “No, no, no…my parents are not going to set me up on a date, especially my dad. Nyah, nyah, I’m not hearing this.” Kris dropped his hands, “Plus, how pathetic would I be that my father, head of a major production company, had to put feelers out to see who’d be interested in going out with his sad-sack son? Just no.”
Neil pulled at Kris’s hands, “You’re an amazing man, Kris. Stop it. There are tons of people in town who would love to meet you and go out with you, and not because they’re opportunists. Why don’t you come with me and Jeremy to this party tonight? I was just planning to make a quick appearance, but if you come along, I could make some introductions.”
Kris sighed, “Thanks, dad, I appreciate the sentiment. I do, but I don’t think so. And, I…I might be going to a party myself later. Just waiting to hear back from Cale to see if he can make it.”
“Why are you waiting for Cale?”
“Well, his boss called him in for a last-minute showing, so if he gets out of it in time, he’s going to go with me.”
“That should be fun.”
Kris snorted, “I haven’t decided if I’m actually going to go or not or just grab a bite and watch the game instead.”
Neil sat on the floor next to the bed, “So, have you figured out what you want to do next?”
Kris taped up the box and stacked it next to the others by the door. Playing with the tape gun, he chewed on his lower lip, “Not sure.”
“There’s another movie…”
Laughing, Kris slumped to the floor, “Uh, no. I think my Hollywood career is done. I don’t have the temperament for something like that.”
“How about something in management, then? You can read scripts, do location scouting, casting, marketing, finance. There are a ton of options.”
Kris scrunched his face, “Sorry, dad, but none of those sound appealing. Location scouting would be amazing, but I’ve been living out of a suitcase for three years, and I just got back a couple weeks ago from location. I think I want something where I can go home and sleep in my own nice bed every night and have the chance to hang out with friends, you know?” He looked over to see his dad nodding. “After I get settled into the apartment, I think I’ll put some feelers out to a few non-profits in town. I know a few places were looking, so maybe I’ll meet with them and see how that goes.”
“You know your mom and I will support you no matter what,” Neil said softly. “It’s just after the Zach thing…”
“I know, dad,” Kris smiled. “But, it’ll be different this time…I’m over Zach, the heartache. I’m done running.” He moved crawled over to sit next to his father. “With my savings and with what I got paid from doing this film, I’ll be good for a while, okay? I’m turning over a new leaf, brand new start and all that shit. New city, new apartment, new job…new person,” he said leaning his head on his dad’s shoulder.
“Still wish you’d stay here a little longer.”
“I’m only moving ten minutes away!”
“More like half an hour with traffic,” Neil grumbled.
Kris barked out a laugh, “Well, that can’t be helped. Then, guess you and mom will just have to visit either before or after rush hour.”
**
“So, this party thing…” Cale started to say.
“I can’t believe he missed that catch!” Kris interrupted. “Fourth quarter, and I know they’re up by a field goal, but anything can happen if they keep missing easy ones like that, you know? A lot can happen in two minutes.”
Kris was sitting with Cale at the bar at Q’s, picking at various fried vegetables in front of them and nursing his beer.
“Are we going to this thing or not?” Cale insisted.
“I don’t know.”
“Then why the fuck did I rush home from work? I could have spent more time showing the house to these people and closed the deal! I get a cut of the sales I’m a part of.”
“Sorry…it just…I don’t know, okay? Part of me wants to go and the other part me doesn’t.”
“It’s kind of a big deal, dude. Getting invited to a celeb’s private party…not just any celeb either, it’s fucking Adam Lambert!”
“I know who’s throwing it. And keep your voice down,” Kris whispered harshly.
“Kris, dude. I know you’ve been out of the loop pop culture-wise, and you’ve barely had time to experience the whole living in LA thing, but guess what? No one on the Westside gives two fucks about celebrities. Angelina Jolie could walk in here right now, and the only reaction would be ‘Oh hey, hot chick! Um, what’s the score?’ as they flag down Penni for another beer.”
Kris laughed despite himself, “Okay, fine. That’s why I’m moving out this way, remember?” Kris turned to his friend, “You still gonna help me move next weekend?”
Cale took a pull from his beer and stared up at the television screen, “You still gonna take me to this party?”
“Fine. We’ll go.”
“Cool.”
“I thought you Westsiders didn’t give a fuck about celebrities,” Kris mumbled under his breath.
Cale choked out a laugh, “Yeah, most don’t. Usually I don’t, but shit son! It’s Adam Lambert! Plus, I’ve only been in LA for two years, that attitude hasn’t been fully ingrained in me yet. I can still get excited about Hollywood and all the nonsense that goes with it.”
“Thought you had enough of that in Dallas,” Kris retorted.
“Not the same, and you know it.”
“I’m not going to know anyone there. None of my friends from the set will be there.”
“Who gives a fuck? You know how awesome it’ll be when we go out after this and let it casually drop that we’ve been to his house and kinda know him? The ladies will be lining up to talk to us…er” Cale stopped and looked at Kris. “Well, at least me. You can play my unobtrusive gay wingman.”
Kris shook his head and rolled his eyes, “We’ll head out after the game is over.”
“Cool.”
Kris could hear the excitement in that one word. If nothing else, it would be fun for Cale to gawk at the house and possibly meet Adam. Adam. Kris tried to tamp down the sudden flurry of butterflies in his stomach. It’d been barely 24 hours since they saw each other, and by saw each other, it meant Kris waved hello, Adam winked at him, grabbed a plastic champagne flute and went off to do some interviews. He really shouldn’t go to Adam’s party. It was a bad idea all around. What business did he have in showing up? It’s not like they were friends or that Kris liked him or anything.
“You’re not even watching the game, you shit,” Cale said, nudging his elbow. “What are you scowling about? They’re still up by three.”
“Nothing. Just thinking.”
“Don’t think too hard, you might hurt something.”
“You think you’re so funny, yet not so much.”
“I’m hilarious,” Cale replied. “I’m getting the check so that I can be your plus one at this fabulous party.”
“Game’s not over.”
Cale pointed up to the screen, “Missed the kick to tie the game. Your boys won. Game’s over. Let’s go.”
Kris blew out a breath, “Fine, I’ll get the car.”
**
“Sweets, you’re being rude to your guests,” Brad admonished. “Sitting here in the kitchen and bothering the caterers is not where you should be.”
Adam sat at the island counter surrounded by trays of hors d'oeuvres. Picking at a plate of vegetables, he looked up at Brad. “It’s my party, I can disappear for a little bit.”
“You’ve been gone for at least half an hour.”
Shrugging, “Everyone’s having a good time. That’s all that matters.”
“Everyone except you.”
“I’m just tired.”
“Bull. Shit,” Brad replied as he pulled up a stool. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing!” Adam insisted, standing up. He dried his hands on a towel, “Let’s go mingle.”
Brad grabbed Adam’s wrist and yanked him back to the counter, “You’re being petulant, and it doesn’t suit you. I know this role was tough, but you were fine after the wrap party and dinner last night. What happened since then?”
Adam cupped Brad’s cheek gently, “I’m fine. Nury’s probably sprawled across the top of my baby grand right now, and I really don’t need her to spill champagne or fall off.”
Brad narrowed his eyes, but let go of Adam’s wrist. “I will find out what’s turning you all Oscar the Grouch.”
“Not everyone can be Elmo all the time, darling.”
“Big Bird, darling, we need to find you your own Snuffalufagus.”
Adam laughed, “Wouldn’t a Bert to my Ernie be more appropriate?”
“I need more alcohol if we’re going to Sesame Street tonight, sweets.”
“Let’s go,” Adam chuckled, dragging Brad back out to the party.
The waiters quietly slipped in and out of the rooms with trays of food and champagne. Music played softly in the background as his guests laughed and spoke animatedly about the various scenes and locations from their respective work days and projects. Anoop and his sound editor were going back and forth, large hand gestures nearly knocking people over.
It was definitely more of an understated affair than the wrap party last night. With the entire cast and crew present, the parking lot of the airport hanger had turned from loud and silly to outlandish in a matter of minutes. He supposed it had to do with the material, everyone on edge and in serious moods from filming. The party was their way to let loose and shake the movie from their system. He’d seen snippets of them, especially the crew, get shitfaced in Orlando, Phoenix and Vegas, but not at this large of a scale with everyone dancing and drinking.
“Darling,” Nury purred as she came up to Adam. She pulled him away from Brad and leaned into his side, “You need to give me the name of your caterer.” She winked at the bartender, “And, mmmm, the name and number for him, please.”
“I’ll have Tatiana email your assistant. And, I thought you and Hugh were...”
“Oh, he’s in Vienna right now, then Bucharest next week. I’ll be joining him when he hits Madrid at the end of the month, but until then, I can play for a bit.”
Adam smiled at the bartender as he moved with Nury down the hall, “I think the only playtime you two will be having is a shopping adventure or mani-pedi date.”
Nury looked over her shoulder and sighed, “Of course. Why do you always have the best eye candy that we girls have no chance with?”
“Eye candy should be seen, not played with.”
“Uh-huh,” Nury stopped them. “And, speaking of eye candy, where’s your little pet? I figured he’d be here.”
Adam stiffened at her question but kept his face blank, “Nury, dear, what are you talking about?”
She swatted his arm, “Don’t play dumb, Adam, it’s not one of your better faces. I’m talking about the cute little PA you were flirting shamelessly with these last few months. The one you couldn’t keep your eyes off of, not that I blame you.”
“Why would I invite a PA to this party?”
“Why not have a little fun with the help?”
“Let’s get you another drink.”
“Oh, you do know a way to a woman’s heart.”
**
You have arrived at your destination.
Kris pushed the “off” button on his GPS system as he pulled up to the house. Not that he knew exactly how to get here by memory or anything, nope. He looked at the lights lining the curved walkway up to the front door and blew out a breath.
“Damn!” Cale exclaimed. “He’s got valet service for this?”
“Yeah, god-forbid these people actually have to park down the street or something and walk,” Kris muttered.
Cale smacked the back of his head.
“Ow, what the fuck?” Kris palmed the back of his head.
“What is wrong with you?” Cale asked.
“What?”
“I know you’re not used to all this, but jeez, dude, have some respect.”
“Whatever, let’s go.”
Kris got out of the car and exchanged his keys for a ticket and walked to the gate. Waiting as the security guard checked for his name, Kris tried to tamp down his nerves.
“Go on in, Mr. Allen. Enjoy your evening.”
He gave the guard a small smile, and with Cale in tow, trudged up to the front door. Knocking, he heard the bursts of laughter and music coming through the open windows. He would go in, make a quick appearance, have a drink to be social and leave. Easy.
The door opened suddenly, blinding Kris and making him blink rapidly.
“Oh! Puppy! You’re here!” the voice cried out. “No wonder Adam was in such a pissy mood earlier. I didn’t realize he invited you, but I should’ve known better.” He looked over Kris’s shoulder, “Ooh, and who’s this yummy creature?”
Adam was in a mood? “Uh, hi,” Kris said lamely. “I’m Kris and this,” he said throwing his thumb back, “Is my friend Cale.”
Brad laughed and opened the door wider, “Oh, Kris, I know your name, silly. We met, remember?” He turned to Cale, “Hi Cale, I’m Brad, also known as Adam’s ex and current bestest friend and social director. Come on in you two.” He grabbed Kris’s hand and pulled him in, “Adam will be so giddy you’re here.”
Kris looked over his shoulder trying to get any kind of help, but Cale just laughed and ignored his silent pleas.
“…So we’ve got hors d'oeuvres and champagne being passed around, there’s an open bar in the corner of the living room with the harder stuff,” Brad continued. “Make yourselves at home, I’ll be right back.”
Kris gulped as he was led through the large entryway into the open living room. He spotted Anoop with all the bigwigs of the film. The faces and names were familiar, but he didn’t really know any of them, not even close and why would he? He suddenly missed the comfort of having his fellow low-men-on-the-totem-pole buddies around. Last night’s party was more like a frat party, Adam’s party? It was so…grown up. This was definitely not someplace he should be. Brad had let go of his hand, and he was alone in the living room surrounded by strangers. Even though he didn’t know Brad, it was a small comfort that he now missed.
“Holy shit,” Cale whispered.
“Uh, yeah. I know.”
“Is that Nury Lavendar? Why is she lying on top of the piano? Oh, and crap, that’s Jessica Biel and oh my god, Katherine Heigl…and shit, James Franco? Damn, that’s the director, right? Anoop? Like, dude, serious whoa going on right now.”
“Shhh, stop being so loud.”
“I didn’t realize…”
“Neither did I,” Kris said miserably. “I don’t…I think we…”
“Come on, let’s get a drink.” Cale pushed Kris towards the bar. “This is so surreal. Dude, I don’t even know…Like, seriously, Kris, thank you.”
“For what?”
“For letting me be your plus one. Dude, the guys in the office are never going to believe this when I tell them on Monday.”
“When did you start talking like a Valley girl, Cale? You’ve used the words ‘like’ and ‘dude’ more in the last five minutes than the entire time we’ve known each other.”
“Los Angeles living, buddy,” he nodded to the bartender in thanks for his drink. “And, why wouldn’t I? I mean, there are no words right now.”
“They’re just people, Cale.”
“Uh, no. You and I are just people, and even that, I’m just people. You, buddy, are one of them.”
Kris scowled, “I am not!”
Cale took a sip and sighed, “You could be.” He peered over his glass and studied Kris, “Why aren’t you, anyway? You could be one of these bigwigs doing this all the time. I mean, your dad and all his connections and shit.”
“Let’s not talk about it, okay? Not in the mood.”
“Whoa, okay,” Cale said holding a hand up. “Obviously you’re still touchy about this. Maybe seeing your boyfriend will put you in a better mood.”
“He’s not my…”
Cale backed up, “Joke! Sheesh. What the fuck is wrong with you today?” Looking at the scowl deepened on Kris’s face, he took another step back, “Okay, um, so I’m going to go over there and help myself to some fancy food bits that aren’t fried.”
**
Adam raked his hands through his hair and pasted on a smile as he saw Brad approach, “I just went to the bathroom, okay? I’m not avoiding my own party. I am allowed to pee, right?”
“Of course you are, sweets,” Brad smirked. “But, I do think you should come with me and join everyone in the living room.” He clasped the crook of Adam’s elbow and led him down the hall.
“Why?”
“Seeing that your pet just arrived, I thought you’d want to say hi.”
Adam jerked back, nearly knocking over a waiter. “Wait, what?”
“Ah, see?” Brad smiled, an evil glint in his eye. “I was wondering why you were being a bigger bitch than usual today. I didn’t realize you invited your little plaything over to join us tonight. It was because you thought he was blowing you off, right? I would have realized sooner if I thought to look over the guest list. My bad with that one.”
“I…Oh shut up.”
Brad laughed, “Yeah, you got nothing.” He tugged Adam at again, “Come on, sweets. He’s here, and oh, he brought a yummy friend with him.”
“He…he brought someone with him?”
Adam stopped them at the entryway to the living room and watched Kris and his friend lean into each other and whisper.
“Oooh,” Brad cooed. “Looks like they might be having a little lovers spat right now. Puppy is still cute scowling like that.” He tilted his head and examined Adam’s face as he stared at Kris. He lifted his hand and ran the back of his knuckles softly down Adam’s jaw, “You like him a lot, don’t you?”
“It’s not…I don’t…shut up, Brad.”
Brad cackled, “Go. He’s alone now. I’ll find the boyfriend and keep him occupied. Talk to your boy.” He shoved Adam into the living room.
Adam grabbed a bottle of water from a tray as he made his way to where Kris was standing. He had moved to hide out behind the piano and was occupying himself with his phone, looking uncomfortable and out of place.
“Hey, you made it,” Adam said brightly.
Obviously startled, Kris jerked up. He scrambled to put his phone away, the front of his button-down shirt stretching tightly over one shoulder as he slid it into the back pocket of his jeans. Adam bit his lip and extended the bottle of water.
“Uh, hey. And, no thanks,” Kris stuttered. “I, uh, I just had a drink.”
“Did you want to see the house?”
Kris looked around nervously, “Um…”
“Are you…We can wait for your boyfriend to come back. I don’t mind.”
Kris blushed, “Oh, Cale? Oh, uh…he’s…he’s just a friend.” Adam cocked an eyebrow. “I mean, I thought it’d be weird if I showed up alone, and I figured I wouldn’t really know anyone here, and oh god, you don’t mind, do you? Shit, you didn’t say I could bring a friend…”
Adam was tempted to touch his face and see how warm it was under the flush of pink, “No, it’s okay,” he said stopping Kris’s nervous chatter. “I don’t mind.” He checked the room, “Did you want to wait for him?”
“No. Uh, I mean…yeah. Yes, I’d like to see the house,” Kris smiled.
“Great, come on. I’ll give you the grand tour.”
Adam made himself to relax as they went through the house, pointing out the library, den, makeshift music studio and home theater room. Instead of heading upstairs, he deliberately stayed on the first floor. If Kris noticed, he didn’t say anything. Adam opened the door to the backyard, tiki torches and string lights strung along the fence, lighting the way as they walked quietly around the pool and barbeque station. They ducked back inside through the kitchen, making their way back to the living room.
“So, you’re recording, too?” Kris asked.
Adam pursed out his lips, “Sort of, I guess. It’s more like a hobby at this point, just something to do to relax. We’ll see how it goes when I have a bulk of time so I can actually focus.”
Kris nodded, “Always keeping busy.”
“Better than the alternative,” Adam agreed. “What about you? What’s next for you?”
Kris leaned his shoulder against the hallway wall, shoving his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet, “I don’t know yet.”
“You have anything lined up?”
“Kind of trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.”
Adam laughed softly. He couldn’t help himself from leaning into Kris, “You look all grown up to me.”
Kris looked up and his eyes widened at Adam’s sudden proximity. Adam felt the heat from Kris’s body draw him closer, the sharp intake of breath that made his heart jump.
“Is your boyfriend going to be okay with you being alone with me?”
“He’s…” Kris whispered. “He’s not…I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Bracing his arms around Kris’s head, Adam studied Kris’s face, the fluttering of his eyelashes, the hint of pink on the edge of his cheeks and tips of his ear. Adam lowered his head and whispered into Kris’s ear, “I think maybe your friend should leave by himself later.”
He heard Kris swallow loudly as Adam moved his hand down, making a trail from Kris’s temple down to his jaw. Adam’s fingertips ghosted over lips that haunted his thoughts before progressing down his neck that he had imagined licking. Adam shivered as he felt Kris’s stuttering breath on the patch of skin on his collar.
A crash, the sound of glass breaking and a litany of cursing made them both jump back from each other and move out of the hall into the living room. People were surrounding Nury as she stood up unsteadily.
“What happened?” Adam shouted as he pushed his way forward. He carefully helped Nury up, “Are you okay?”
“I…I’m fine,” she said and giggled. “I just slipped off the piano. I shouldn’t have tried to reach for another glass of champagne.” She patted Adam’s cheek, “I’m sorry about the vase, baby. I’ll pay you back for it.”
“Fuck the vase, are you sure you’re okay? Are you hurt? Do we need to call an ambulance?”
“Adam, honey, the only thing that’s hurt right now is my ass and my pride,” she replied and stood up taller. “No need to fret, though I do love you for it. And,” she stopped to look around, “I’ve made a huge mess and am currently embarrassing myself.” She rolled her eyes and held out her arms, “I’m okay guys, really.”
A man stepped up from behind her, “Ms. Lavendar, are you sure you’re okay? I could take you to the hospital if you don’t want an ambulance.”
She turned to him and kissed his cheek, “Neil, darling, I’ve told you many a times to call me Nury. And, honestly, I’m fine. I’ve just made a fool of myself is all.”
“Neil,” Adam said turning his attention to the man. “I didn’t realize you were here. My apologies.” He extended his hand.
“Oh, don’t worry about it Adam. Jeremy and I just got here,” he replied shaking Adam’s hand. “I’m sorry we’re late, dinner ran a little longer than anticipated.”
Neil smiled and looked up at everyone in the living room. He did a double-take when his eyes landed on a familiar face, “Kris?”
Adam’s head whipped from Neil to Kris and back to Neil. Kris turned white as a ghost.
“Dad?”
**
And we go to Part 4 ...over here...
Rating: NC-17
Links to other parts: Part I | Part II
**
Sunlight cascaded off the blue tinted windows of the M Resort, just 15 minutes from the heart of the Las Vegas strip. As Kris walked into the hotel, his eyes flew open at the wide, expansive lobby, sneakers squeaking along the marble and plush carpet-lined entryway. Dozens of vases filled with calla lilies adorned the floor to ceiling shelves, maroon and gold fabric tented the ceilings in giant, draped loops.
After he checked in, he laid on the bed studying the property map, readying himself for the weeks ahead. These would be the last three weeks on location, then another two weeks in a giant airplane hangar that would act as their set and finally, the filming part of the movie would be wrapped up. Kris turned onto his back and sprawled out, he was almost done.
The dry heat of desert was a welcome relief to the last few weeks of humidity. Running around between trailers and tents still made him a sweaty blob, but at least he was working for it and not feeling like he had just stepped out a sauna every two minutes.
Though Mike and Matt tried to get him to talk over the last few weeks, Kris wasn’t saying anything about his sudden change of temperament. He would stick to what he promised himself…be the consummate professional. No more gaping like a doddering fool watching Adam doing a scene, wouldn’t be a creeper and spy on Adam rehearsing his lines in a quiet corner. He would be agreeable when Adam sent him on ridiculous, eye-roll inducing errands. He would, essentially, continue to be the perfect production assistant.
The only possible hiccup to that self-imposed plan happened on the second floor Lobby Bar. And Kris hoped no one noticed.
It was the Monday after Adam’s latest movie stayed at number one for five weeks straight. Everyone had expected the numbers for opening weekend, but not for it to stay at number one for weeks on end when there were blockbuster sequels battling it out for the last of the movie-goer’s summer money. Anoop stopped production early and insisted on a late start the following day so everyone could celebrate properly. Leave it to Anoop to mark a random achievement. He had laid out his credit card and told the bartenders to keep going until everyone passed out or they closed, whichever came first.
So, what happened? Kris got drunk. Like, so drunk he didn’t remember how he got back to his room. He hadn’t planned on it, but for some reason it had bugged him that Adam went around hugging every other crew and cast member on the set except him. A pat on the back…an average, everyday fucking pat on the back, that’s what Kris got. Sure there might have been a small slide of the hand like a rub, but Kris might have just imagined it. It was nothing like the giant bear hugs and huge smiles everyone else got. In fact, Kris was pretty sure Adam was avoiding being anywhere close to him.
He’d deny it of course, the fact that he wanted more, but inside, he was kind of fuming. He tried not to let it affect him, but everyone knew something was wrong. He really hated not being able to hide his moods.
Tonight was their last night in Las Vegas. The technical crew had already packed the trailers and tents with all the lights, microphones, cameras and other equipment and headed back to Los Angeles the week before. Kris and his colleagues would collect the smaller stuff that would be traveling with them.
Every once in a while, he caught sight of someone drifting in and out of the hotel’s first floor bar and then disappearing, for what Kris guessed was their rooms to pack. Kris had finished packing earlier, so now he was trying to enjoy the last few hours he had off. He wandered towards the back of the hotel and out to the pool. The night air was still hot, but definitely less suffocating than the smoke-filled casino and bar. He wanted to be alone for a bit.
He walked to the far corner where he wouldn’t easily be seen by people roaming around and looking for secret rendezvous points. It was inevitable that on-set romances happened; being stuck with the same people pretty much twenty-four-seven on a set or on location made it easier. Kris had heard the stories and gossip from everyone, and seeing it actually happen made him chuckle. Should said romances not work out, it would be ugly, but then, most break-ups usually were whether on location or not. It was the case with him, wasn’t it?
After spreading out a towel so he wouldn’t stick to the thick plastic ribbons, Kris stretched out on the chaise lounge chair, dropping it all the way down so he could stare up into the black inky sky. The sounds of crickets, cicadas and an occasional owl dotted the night, which was odd to him seeing how close they were to the Strip, yet so far.
“Mind if I join you?”
Kris opened an eye and turned his head at the dark shadow above him, too tired and lethargic to be shocked, he nodded. He listened as Adam settled into the chaise next to him.
“How come you’re not inside with the rest of the guys?” Adam asked breaking the silence.
“Just needed a break. What about you? Wasn’t there a dinner you were supposed to be at?”
“Got back a little bit ago. The room felt, I don’t know, small, stifling, so I figured I’d come out here for a bit,” Adam confessed. “And since there’s no sun, I don’t have to worry about adding freckles to my delicate skin.”
Kris heard the smile in that statement and laughed.
“So tell me Kris Allen, what’s your story?”
Kris flipped over onto his stomach, cradled his face on his forearms and faced Adam. He saw that he was on his side, head on his hand, elbow propped up over a towel.
“My story?”
“Yeah. You don’t seem like the typical aspiring director or screenwriter type, and you’re definitely not an actor,” Adam chuckled. “What made you want to get into movies? What brought you here?”
Letting one arm down, his free hand skimmed across the smooth, warm cement, Kris thought about what he would and could tell Adam.
“Dunno, wanted to try something else out. Delayed quarter-life crisis and all that, I guess.”
“You do anything like this before?”
“What…run around after grown people who are supposed to be adults and cater to their every whim?”
Adam laughed.
“It’s not that different to what I did before,” Kris answered. “I’ve run around, done the odd job and manual labor. Used to work for a non-profit, so there was a lot of intensity and long hours, so nothing I haven’t done before, just better accommodations and food, oh and the best part, indoor plumbing and air conditioning.”
“Went out to save the world, huh?”
Kris pulled his hand up and re-arranged the towel under his head, “Something like that.”
“What about you outside saving the world? What’s Kris Allen do for fun?”
“What’s with the questions?”
“Dunno. You’re different,” Adam replied. “Curious as to what makes you tick. You’re not like the other guys here; you’re not sucking up to Anoop, me, the DP or any of the other guys in the cast or crew. Like, it’s just a job to you, not something that might lead to something bigger or better. You act like it’s not a stepping block to what’s next.”
“Like I said, just burnt out from my previous job and looking for something new. Thought I’d give it a try.”
“What about personally?”
“Wow, you’re nosey tonight.”
“Nothing wrong with that is there? And, honestly? You intrigue me.”
“Why?”
Adam turned onto his back, crossed his arms under his head, giving Kris his profile. “I’m sorry about that night in Phoenix,” Adam said softly. “I shouldn’t have…I’m usually not…just know I didn’t mean to do that and I’m sorry.”
**
Last night in Vegas was one of the most enjoyable nights he’d had in a long time. Comfortable silence, soft conversation, some laughter and the darkness covering them like a soft blanket. Adam didn’t have to be on and it felt good.
He sat in the back of the SUV and dozed as the dry, brown, brittle vegetation of the desert passed by at 80 miles an hour. Not wanting to deal with airports and security and the potential paparazzi horde after landing, Adam made arrangements for a car to take him back to LA. The driver was humming along to the music, ignoring him, so Adam stretched out before curling up along the back seat. Folding his jacket and tucking it under his head, he pulled out his phone and started to go through the photos.
Flicking through the screen quickly, he smiled as he remembered the drinks and the laughter on-set and off. Nearly three months on the road in absurd heat and humidity, but he was almost done. Two more weeks in an old, but air-conditioned airline hanger and the movie would be wrapped up…unless, of course, Anoop wanted to shoot some extra scenes in the upcoming weeks, but those would be easy enough. Anoop was generally too finicky to want to re-create something, so he would probably make do by splicing and slicing the various frames during the editing process.
Adam stopped at a picture of Kris. He didn’t remember taking the photo, but he slid his fingers across the screen to enlarge it. Kris was on the phone, in a corner, looking miserable. Adam moved the phone away from his face, but his finger kept hovering over the image as if wanting to stroke his hair, his face. Clicking out of the program, Adam closed his eyes and sighed. Two more weeks, he kept telling himself. Then there would be no more Kris.
The phone buzzed and the ringing filled the car, startling Adam. “Yeah?”
“So why exactly are you in a car instead of flying back to LA like a normal person?” Brad asked.
Adam laughed, “Because apparently my itinerary got leaked, and LAX is teeming with fans and paparazzi right now.”
“Ooh!” Brad said excitedly. “That could be fun! Why does Tatiana have to be a spoil sport and tell you this stuff?”
“Because she’s a good assistant and knows that I’m not in the mood to deal with it.”
“Your publicist won’t be happy,” Brad sighed.
“She’ll be even unhappier when I’m shoving cameras down people’s throats, so I think this is a nice compromise.”
“Whoa, you are in a pissy mood.”
“Just tired.”
“Why are you doing this again, sweets?”
“What? The acting thing? Or this film?”
“This movie. It’s small…well, small-ish…compared to the other stuff you’ve done.”
“Are we going through this again? It’s a beautiful story about unrequited love. Plus, Anoop’s directing. How could I say no?”
“You’ve been away from home for, I don’t even know anymore, no breaks, in the shittiest locations, and recently you always sound so exhausted. It doesn’t sound like you’re having fun, sweets.”
“I’m fine, Brad. Of course I’m tired, but it comes with the territory.”
“You didn’t even take weekends or days off to come home or even go to visit New York like you usually do.”
Adam rubbed his eyes, “We’ve been pretty much filming non-stop, haven’t had time. I’m in nearly every scene. Besides, I’m coming home now and have the entire weekend before I go to the set on Monday.”
“Your little boy-toy picking you up Monday morning?”
Adam sat up with a lurch, what? “What?”
“The cute little Southern thing that came by your place to pick up the extra duffle a few weeks ago? The one that seems to think plaid is a fashion statement?”
“Kris?”
“Kris…boy-toy…plaything…puppy…” Brad cackled. “I think I see why you didn’t come home for the weekends.”
“Brad,” Adam sighed. “He’s a production assistant for fuck’s sake. Tatiana was out of town, and I didn’t want the bag shipped.”
“Uh-huh.”
Adam patted and rolled up his jacket again to lie down, “Whatever. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“We’ll have some food ready for you when you get here, sweets. Tell the driver to get you here in one piece.”
“Knock yourself out. As soon as I get home, I’m crashing.” Adam ended the call.
**
StarMagazine.com
Glamberts Disappointed in Absent Lambert
Dozens of fans who waited outside terminal four at LAX for a brief glimpse of Adam Lambert left disappointed when the actor was whisked away with a bevy of beefy security guards into his awaiting limo. A source at LAX cited safety reasons for the extra security, stating that Lambert’s itinerary was leaked and every precaution needed to be taken.
RadarOnline.com
No Go for Glambert Fans
After Adam Lambert’s itinerary was leaked online, as first reported by Radar Online, fans of all ages descended into LAX trying to get a look at the actor. Returning from out of town where he was filming the latest Anoop Desai movie, Lambert was nowhere to be found. Sources close to Lambert said he had a major hissy fit when he found out his flight was published and booked more than a dozen flights into LAX to confuse paparazzi and fans.
**
“It’s better this way,” Nury said softly.
“No! No, it’s not!” Adam shouted. He turned his face up to Nury, tears running down his cheeks. He flung his arms out. “How…you come into my life, make me feel…finally feel. When all along, you were going through the motions, check another item of your list, is that it? After all this, you get to run away?” he yelled.
“I…I didn’t mean…”
“Of course you didn’t,” he bit out viciously. “You never mean to. Your concern, your friendship, your encouragement. What part of it did you mean? Any of it? None of it?”
Nury’s arms reached out, but she stopped from touching him, instead stepping back. Her face crumbled as Adam continued. “Do you feel anything? Anything at all? Do you enjoy doing this? At least if you do, I’d know you feel something,” he sneered. Hands wiped the tears as he turned his face away, “Get the fuck out.”
“I’m…”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” he whispered harshly. “Don’t you fucking apologize when I know you don’t mean it.”
Nury walked to the door, their backs to each other. Her hand on the doorknob, she paused. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way.”
Adam crumpled to the floor and pulled at his hair.
“And scene and cut!” Anoop shouted.
The horn echoed off the walls, indicating the end of the scene, and the set came alive with sounds of wires being hauled away, carts being driven with their loads of boxes, lights and umbrellas being wrapped up and sets being dismantled. Kris subtlety dabbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt and hurried behind the chairs to grab bottled water for everyone. He smiled when he saw there were other people on the set with red-rimmed eyes and blowing their noses.
“One more day people, let’s move it!” Mike shouted from somewhere.
Kris approached Adam and Nury as they sat in their chairs, laughing as hair and make-up people fluttered around them, taking Polaroid photos and fixed them up for the next scene.
“Uh, Mr. Lambert? Ms. Lavendar? Did you want some water?” he asked, holding the last two bottles out.
“Oh, aren’t you a sweetheart,” Nury purred. She fixed a bright smile at Kris, “And, look Adam. He even brought straw for me!”
Adam smiled as he took the bottle, fingers purposely dragging over Kris’s hand. “He’s adorable, isn’t he?”
“They all are, dear,” she replied and continued her conversation with Adam, effectively dismissing Kris.
Adam lifted his bottle in a small salute to Kris as he flashed his smile at Nury, attention back on his co-star. Kris quirked his lips and walked back to the table to grab his clipboard.
“She’s really sweet once you get to know her,” Tatiana commented.
Kris looked over to see Adam’s assistant typing on her phone. “Excuse me?”
She tilted her chin to where Adam and Nury were sitting as she put her phone away. “Nury. She just likes to put on an act. They all do, but they’re all nice for the most part.”
“I suppose,” Kris replied scrunching his face.
“Are you going to the party on Friday?”
Kris took a sip of water and stared at her, “I thought the wrap party was Thursday night. The catering crew is already preparing the tents and…”
Tatiana smiled indulgently and interrupted, “No, Adam’s wrap party, at his house.”
Kris shook his head, “Uh, I don’t…um, I don’t know anything about it.”
“Oh,” Tatiana frowned. “Huh, I thought Adam was going to tell you. He said he would.” She looked up and grinned, “Well, consider this your formal invitation then. Don’t tell the other guys, it’s kind of a private thing.”
“Why…uh…I don’t think…”
Blowing a raspberry, she started typing into her phone again, “There, you’ve been invited. All the information you need in both text and email forms, so you can’t say you didn’t get it.”
Kris started to protest when she answered the phone and turned her back on him. He debated waiting so he could talk to her about this unexpected thing.
“Kris!”
He turned to the voice and saw Mike waving his arms. Grabbing his headpiece and folder, Kris made his way across the trail of wires to where Mike was standing.
“What’s up?”
“Need you in the sound bay to help the boom guys move everything to the other end of the hanger,” Mike said pulling out a small keychain to a golf cart. “Then head over to help the rigging and lighting guys, okay?’
“Sure thing.”
Mike started to say something else when their headsets crackled, “Has anyone seen Kris Allen? Mr. Lambert is looking for him.”
Rolling his eyes, Mike sighed, “Better head over there.”
“But, what about…”
“Just go, Allen. Lambert’s obviously got a sweet spot for you, so you should go.”
Kris scowled, “His assistant is here, though.”
“Not the point. I’ll get Bobby and Steve to help out the other guys. You need to go before they send out a search party.”
“Fine.”
“One more day, buddy. Then, unless you work on another film with him, you don’t have to worry about seeing him again.”
“He’ll be at the wrap party, right?”
Mike laughed, “He’ll be there for like two minutes. The big guys never stay longer than they have to. He’ll make a quick appearance, give his sound bite to Entertainment Tonight, pretend he’ll miss the crew, and then we won’t ever see them again until the next movie or TV show we get booked onto.”
“Weird.”
“Eh, it’s life.”
Mike shoved him towards the trailers, “Go.”
**
The impatient tapping of a foot on a hollow floor is what greeted Kris as he slowly entered Adam’s trailer.
“You needed something, Mr. Lambert?” Kris asked.
Adam looked up and…beamed actually. “Kris! There you are. I was looking for you, but you disappeared. Tatiana said she saw you, but she left before she told me where you were.”
Kris tucked his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and waited for Adam to send him on an errand. He was talking too fast and had started to pace across the small width of the room.
“You were probably in the middle of some hauling or lifting or cleaning, but I figured you really didn’t want to be doing any of that shit, especially so close to the end,” Adam continued, speaking ridiculously fast. “It’s been amazing, hasn’t it? I can’t believe how quickly the time flew. Oh, sure, some days it felt like it was dragging and this film would never be done. Hell, I even regretted taking the part a few times, mostly because it’s been so hard to get in and out of the character, you know?”
Kris bit his lip trying to keep in the laughter and waited. Leaning against the door, he looked over his shoulder as his friends bustled about setting up the next-to-last scene for the night. Seriously, this was his life. Adam probably took something right after that last scene, and it was an intense scene, but really? Kris turned his attention back to the man talking a mile a minute, hands flailing and taking up entirely too much space in the small confinement of the trailer.
“…can’t believe tomorrow’s the last day. I think the crew’s been amazing. They know that, don’t they? They should know that. I honestly think this has been Anoop’s best work. If he doesn’t get recognized for it, I don’t…” Adam stopped suddenly. “What are you doing?”
Kris covered his mouth with his arm and coughed into it, “Um, just waiting to see what you needed? I was told you were looking for me.”
“Yeah, but what are you doing?”
Kris lifted his head and looked around, “Standing here, waiting for you.”
Adam rolled his eyes as he approached him, “Why are you just standing there?” Adam grabbed his wrist, closed the door and led him to a chair.
“You should be relaxing,” he said. “It’s why I called you over here. Sit.” He pulled out a small chair.
“You had me paged so I could sit here, relax and keep you company?”
Adam smiled and held out his arms, “You’re welcome!” He turned to the makeshift kitchenette. “Did you want water or a soda?”
“I need to be helping the guys out,” Kris protested. “If they find out…”
Placing two cans of Diet Coke on the table, “They won’t. I’m the narcissistic demon actor who always gets his way, remember?”
Kris blushed and played with the hem of his shirt, “You heard that too, huh?”
Adam pulled out a second chair from under the table and sat down. He stretched his legs out and tapped his foot against Kris’s calf.
“I thought it was funny.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“I really should be helping the guys out.”
“No, you should be keeping me company until I’m needed for the last and final scene.”
Kris looked up, “Oh, that’s right. It’s your last day.”
Adam nodded, “Yeah.”
“You, uh…Are you going to the wrap party tomorrow night then?”
“Of course!” Adam replied brightly. “I love parties. Plus, everyone worked so hard, it’ll be good to see everyone let loose.”
Kris laughed, then lurched as his headset went off, “Allen, if you’re with Lambert, get him to make-up now.” Kris responded, “Got it. We’ll be there in five.” He smiled at Adam, “I guess it’s time.”
Adam stood and was at the door, holding it open, “Oh, I forgot to invite you to my party on Friday, but Tatiana said she gave you the information.”
Nodding, Kris stepped down in front of Adam, “Uh, yeah.”
“So, you’ll be there?”
Kris rubbed the back of his neck, “Uh, I’m not sure.”
Adam locked the door and headed towards the make-up trailer, leaving Kris standing at the bottom of the stairs. “Come. It’ll be fun.”
Kris watched as Adam walked away from him. Adam paused and shouted out, “I’ll be waiting!”
**
People.com
On The Scene!
Adam Lambert and Nury Lavender were at the wrap party for their filmNot Today, Not Tomorrow last night at Santa Monica hangar. Cast and crew were reveling until the wee hours of the night. The arduous shoot took place over five months in Los Angeles, Orlando, Las Vegas and Phoenix. The just-finished movie is already receiving serious buzz as a potential Oscar contender.
PerezHilton.com
Party Snubbing by La Lambert
Even though La Lambert made a brief appearance at the wrap party for the cast and crew of his latest film, sources tell us that he was not a happy camper about it. In fact, he made his disdain known by ignoring everyone except for the press, and even that was brief. He barely acknowledged any of the lower level production crew and stuck by director Anoop Desai’s side until he made his escape just minutes after arriving.
**
“Yeah,” Kris shouted at the knock on his door. He scrambled over the shambles of the floor to turn down his music. The packing was slow going, but at least he had started.
“I’m sad to see you going, son,” Neil said coming into the room.
“Well, I figured I can only mooch off my parents for only so long,” Kris laughed.
“There’s plenty of space at the house, no need for you to move so soon. Plus, you’ve hardly even been home.”
Kris shrugged, “I’m 27, dad. I shouldn’t be living at home being a stereotypical socialite loser with no job. Besides, I haven’t lived at home since high school, and it’s a bit weird.” He bit his lips, “No offense.”
Neil chuckled, “None taken. Your mom and I will miss you. You barely got here, and now you’re leaving us. This giant house will be all empty again.” He paused, “Unless…”
“Don’t even say it, pops,” Kris moaned. “Grandkids are Daniel’s territory, not mine.”
“You could always adopt. There’s surrogacy and…”
Kris rolled his eyes, “I think I’d like to be in a stable relationship before even thinking about something like that.” Kris continued to stack his books into a cardboard box. “Hell, even a first date would be nice at this point.”
Neil handed a couple books to him, “Well, I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but in my line of work, I happen to know people who know people…”
“Dad!”
Neil shrugged, “I’m just saying it wouldn’t be hard for me to see about setting…”
Kris put his hands on his ears, “No, no, no…my parents are not going to set me up on a date, especially my dad. Nyah, nyah, I’m not hearing this.” Kris dropped his hands, “Plus, how pathetic would I be that my father, head of a major production company, had to put feelers out to see who’d be interested in going out with his sad-sack son? Just no.”
Neil pulled at Kris’s hands, “You’re an amazing man, Kris. Stop it. There are tons of people in town who would love to meet you and go out with you, and not because they’re opportunists. Why don’t you come with me and Jeremy to this party tonight? I was just planning to make a quick appearance, but if you come along, I could make some introductions.”
Kris sighed, “Thanks, dad, I appreciate the sentiment. I do, but I don’t think so. And, I…I might be going to a party myself later. Just waiting to hear back from Cale to see if he can make it.”
“Why are you waiting for Cale?”
“Well, his boss called him in for a last-minute showing, so if he gets out of it in time, he’s going to go with me.”
“That should be fun.”
Kris snorted, “I haven’t decided if I’m actually going to go or not or just grab a bite and watch the game instead.”
Neil sat on the floor next to the bed, “So, have you figured out what you want to do next?”
Kris taped up the box and stacked it next to the others by the door. Playing with the tape gun, he chewed on his lower lip, “Not sure.”
“There’s another movie…”
Laughing, Kris slumped to the floor, “Uh, no. I think my Hollywood career is done. I don’t have the temperament for something like that.”
“How about something in management, then? You can read scripts, do location scouting, casting, marketing, finance. There are a ton of options.”
Kris scrunched his face, “Sorry, dad, but none of those sound appealing. Location scouting would be amazing, but I’ve been living out of a suitcase for three years, and I just got back a couple weeks ago from location. I think I want something where I can go home and sleep in my own nice bed every night and have the chance to hang out with friends, you know?” He looked over to see his dad nodding. “After I get settled into the apartment, I think I’ll put some feelers out to a few non-profits in town. I know a few places were looking, so maybe I’ll meet with them and see how that goes.”
“You know your mom and I will support you no matter what,” Neil said softly. “It’s just after the Zach thing…”
“I know, dad,” Kris smiled. “But, it’ll be different this time…I’m over Zach, the heartache. I’m done running.” He moved crawled over to sit next to his father. “With my savings and with what I got paid from doing this film, I’ll be good for a while, okay? I’m turning over a new leaf, brand new start and all that shit. New city, new apartment, new job…new person,” he said leaning his head on his dad’s shoulder.
“Still wish you’d stay here a little longer.”
“I’m only moving ten minutes away!”
“More like half an hour with traffic,” Neil grumbled.
Kris barked out a laugh, “Well, that can’t be helped. Then, guess you and mom will just have to visit either before or after rush hour.”
**
“So, this party thing…” Cale started to say.
“I can’t believe he missed that catch!” Kris interrupted. “Fourth quarter, and I know they’re up by a field goal, but anything can happen if they keep missing easy ones like that, you know? A lot can happen in two minutes.”
Kris was sitting with Cale at the bar at Q’s, picking at various fried vegetables in front of them and nursing his beer.
“Are we going to this thing or not?” Cale insisted.
“I don’t know.”
“Then why the fuck did I rush home from work? I could have spent more time showing the house to these people and closed the deal! I get a cut of the sales I’m a part of.”
“Sorry…it just…I don’t know, okay? Part of me wants to go and the other part me doesn’t.”
“It’s kind of a big deal, dude. Getting invited to a celeb’s private party…not just any celeb either, it’s fucking Adam Lambert!”
“I know who’s throwing it. And keep your voice down,” Kris whispered harshly.
“Kris, dude. I know you’ve been out of the loop pop culture-wise, and you’ve barely had time to experience the whole living in LA thing, but guess what? No one on the Westside gives two fucks about celebrities. Angelina Jolie could walk in here right now, and the only reaction would be ‘Oh hey, hot chick! Um, what’s the score?’ as they flag down Penni for another beer.”
Kris laughed despite himself, “Okay, fine. That’s why I’m moving out this way, remember?” Kris turned to his friend, “You still gonna help me move next weekend?”
Cale took a pull from his beer and stared up at the television screen, “You still gonna take me to this party?”
“Fine. We’ll go.”
“Cool.”
“I thought you Westsiders didn’t give a fuck about celebrities,” Kris mumbled under his breath.
Cale choked out a laugh, “Yeah, most don’t. Usually I don’t, but shit son! It’s Adam Lambert! Plus, I’ve only been in LA for two years, that attitude hasn’t been fully ingrained in me yet. I can still get excited about Hollywood and all the nonsense that goes with it.”
“Thought you had enough of that in Dallas,” Kris retorted.
“Not the same, and you know it.”
“I’m not going to know anyone there. None of my friends from the set will be there.”
“Who gives a fuck? You know how awesome it’ll be when we go out after this and let it casually drop that we’ve been to his house and kinda know him? The ladies will be lining up to talk to us…er” Cale stopped and looked at Kris. “Well, at least me. You can play my unobtrusive gay wingman.”
Kris shook his head and rolled his eyes, “We’ll head out after the game is over.”
“Cool.”
Kris could hear the excitement in that one word. If nothing else, it would be fun for Cale to gawk at the house and possibly meet Adam. Adam. Kris tried to tamp down the sudden flurry of butterflies in his stomach. It’d been barely 24 hours since they saw each other, and by saw each other, it meant Kris waved hello, Adam winked at him, grabbed a plastic champagne flute and went off to do some interviews. He really shouldn’t go to Adam’s party. It was a bad idea all around. What business did he have in showing up? It’s not like they were friends or that Kris liked him or anything.
“You’re not even watching the game, you shit,” Cale said, nudging his elbow. “What are you scowling about? They’re still up by three.”
“Nothing. Just thinking.”
“Don’t think too hard, you might hurt something.”
“You think you’re so funny, yet not so much.”
“I’m hilarious,” Cale replied. “I’m getting the check so that I can be your plus one at this fabulous party.”
“Game’s not over.”
Cale pointed up to the screen, “Missed the kick to tie the game. Your boys won. Game’s over. Let’s go.”
Kris blew out a breath, “Fine, I’ll get the car.”
**
“Sweets, you’re being rude to your guests,” Brad admonished. “Sitting here in the kitchen and bothering the caterers is not where you should be.”
Adam sat at the island counter surrounded by trays of hors d'oeuvres. Picking at a plate of vegetables, he looked up at Brad. “It’s my party, I can disappear for a little bit.”
“You’ve been gone for at least half an hour.”
Shrugging, “Everyone’s having a good time. That’s all that matters.”
“Everyone except you.”
“I’m just tired.”
“Bull. Shit,” Brad replied as he pulled up a stool. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing!” Adam insisted, standing up. He dried his hands on a towel, “Let’s go mingle.”
Brad grabbed Adam’s wrist and yanked him back to the counter, “You’re being petulant, and it doesn’t suit you. I know this role was tough, but you were fine after the wrap party and dinner last night. What happened since then?”
Adam cupped Brad’s cheek gently, “I’m fine. Nury’s probably sprawled across the top of my baby grand right now, and I really don’t need her to spill champagne or fall off.”
Brad narrowed his eyes, but let go of Adam’s wrist. “I will find out what’s turning you all Oscar the Grouch.”
“Not everyone can be Elmo all the time, darling.”
“Big Bird, darling, we need to find you your own Snuffalufagus.”
Adam laughed, “Wouldn’t a Bert to my Ernie be more appropriate?”
“I need more alcohol if we’re going to Sesame Street tonight, sweets.”
“Let’s go,” Adam chuckled, dragging Brad back out to the party.
The waiters quietly slipped in and out of the rooms with trays of food and champagne. Music played softly in the background as his guests laughed and spoke animatedly about the various scenes and locations from their respective work days and projects. Anoop and his sound editor were going back and forth, large hand gestures nearly knocking people over.
It was definitely more of an understated affair than the wrap party last night. With the entire cast and crew present, the parking lot of the airport hanger had turned from loud and silly to outlandish in a matter of minutes. He supposed it had to do with the material, everyone on edge and in serious moods from filming. The party was their way to let loose and shake the movie from their system. He’d seen snippets of them, especially the crew, get shitfaced in Orlando, Phoenix and Vegas, but not at this large of a scale with everyone dancing and drinking.
“Darling,” Nury purred as she came up to Adam. She pulled him away from Brad and leaned into his side, “You need to give me the name of your caterer.” She winked at the bartender, “And, mmmm, the name and number for him, please.”
“I’ll have Tatiana email your assistant. And, I thought you and Hugh were...”
“Oh, he’s in Vienna right now, then Bucharest next week. I’ll be joining him when he hits Madrid at the end of the month, but until then, I can play for a bit.”
Adam smiled at the bartender as he moved with Nury down the hall, “I think the only playtime you two will be having is a shopping adventure or mani-pedi date.”
Nury looked over her shoulder and sighed, “Of course. Why do you always have the best eye candy that we girls have no chance with?”
“Eye candy should be seen, not played with.”
“Uh-huh,” Nury stopped them. “And, speaking of eye candy, where’s your little pet? I figured he’d be here.”
Adam stiffened at her question but kept his face blank, “Nury, dear, what are you talking about?”
She swatted his arm, “Don’t play dumb, Adam, it’s not one of your better faces. I’m talking about the cute little PA you were flirting shamelessly with these last few months. The one you couldn’t keep your eyes off of, not that I blame you.”
“Why would I invite a PA to this party?”
“Why not have a little fun with the help?”
“Let’s get you another drink.”
“Oh, you do know a way to a woman’s heart.”
**
You have arrived at your destination.
Kris pushed the “off” button on his GPS system as he pulled up to the house. Not that he knew exactly how to get here by memory or anything, nope. He looked at the lights lining the curved walkway up to the front door and blew out a breath.
“Damn!” Cale exclaimed. “He’s got valet service for this?”
“Yeah, god-forbid these people actually have to park down the street or something and walk,” Kris muttered.
Cale smacked the back of his head.
“Ow, what the fuck?” Kris palmed the back of his head.
“What is wrong with you?” Cale asked.
“What?”
“I know you’re not used to all this, but jeez, dude, have some respect.”
“Whatever, let’s go.”
Kris got out of the car and exchanged his keys for a ticket and walked to the gate. Waiting as the security guard checked for his name, Kris tried to tamp down his nerves.
“Go on in, Mr. Allen. Enjoy your evening.”
He gave the guard a small smile, and with Cale in tow, trudged up to the front door. Knocking, he heard the bursts of laughter and music coming through the open windows. He would go in, make a quick appearance, have a drink to be social and leave. Easy.
The door opened suddenly, blinding Kris and making him blink rapidly.
“Oh! Puppy! You’re here!” the voice cried out. “No wonder Adam was in such a pissy mood earlier. I didn’t realize he invited you, but I should’ve known better.” He looked over Kris’s shoulder, “Ooh, and who’s this yummy creature?”
Adam was in a mood? “Uh, hi,” Kris said lamely. “I’m Kris and this,” he said throwing his thumb back, “Is my friend Cale.”
Brad laughed and opened the door wider, “Oh, Kris, I know your name, silly. We met, remember?” He turned to Cale, “Hi Cale, I’m Brad, also known as Adam’s ex and current bestest friend and social director. Come on in you two.” He grabbed Kris’s hand and pulled him in, “Adam will be so giddy you’re here.”
Kris looked over his shoulder trying to get any kind of help, but Cale just laughed and ignored his silent pleas.
“…So we’ve got hors d'oeuvres and champagne being passed around, there’s an open bar in the corner of the living room with the harder stuff,” Brad continued. “Make yourselves at home, I’ll be right back.”
Kris gulped as he was led through the large entryway into the open living room. He spotted Anoop with all the bigwigs of the film. The faces and names were familiar, but he didn’t really know any of them, not even close and why would he? He suddenly missed the comfort of having his fellow low-men-on-the-totem-pole buddies around. Last night’s party was more like a frat party, Adam’s party? It was so…grown up. This was definitely not someplace he should be. Brad had let go of his hand, and he was alone in the living room surrounded by strangers. Even though he didn’t know Brad, it was a small comfort that he now missed.
“Holy shit,” Cale whispered.
“Uh, yeah. I know.”
“Is that Nury Lavendar? Why is she lying on top of the piano? Oh, and crap, that’s Jessica Biel and oh my god, Katherine Heigl…and shit, James Franco? Damn, that’s the director, right? Anoop? Like, dude, serious whoa going on right now.”
“Shhh, stop being so loud.”
“I didn’t realize…”
“Neither did I,” Kris said miserably. “I don’t…I think we…”
“Come on, let’s get a drink.” Cale pushed Kris towards the bar. “This is so surreal. Dude, I don’t even know…Like, seriously, Kris, thank you.”
“For what?”
“For letting me be your plus one. Dude, the guys in the office are never going to believe this when I tell them on Monday.”
“When did you start talking like a Valley girl, Cale? You’ve used the words ‘like’ and ‘dude’ more in the last five minutes than the entire time we’ve known each other.”
“Los Angeles living, buddy,” he nodded to the bartender in thanks for his drink. “And, why wouldn’t I? I mean, there are no words right now.”
“They’re just people, Cale.”
“Uh, no. You and I are just people, and even that, I’m just people. You, buddy, are one of them.”
Kris scowled, “I am not!”
Cale took a sip and sighed, “You could be.” He peered over his glass and studied Kris, “Why aren’t you, anyway? You could be one of these bigwigs doing this all the time. I mean, your dad and all his connections and shit.”
“Let’s not talk about it, okay? Not in the mood.”
“Whoa, okay,” Cale said holding a hand up. “Obviously you’re still touchy about this. Maybe seeing your boyfriend will put you in a better mood.”
“He’s not my…”
Cale backed up, “Joke! Sheesh. What the fuck is wrong with you today?” Looking at the scowl deepened on Kris’s face, he took another step back, “Okay, um, so I’m going to go over there and help myself to some fancy food bits that aren’t fried.”
**
Adam raked his hands through his hair and pasted on a smile as he saw Brad approach, “I just went to the bathroom, okay? I’m not avoiding my own party. I am allowed to pee, right?”
“Of course you are, sweets,” Brad smirked. “But, I do think you should come with me and join everyone in the living room.” He clasped the crook of Adam’s elbow and led him down the hall.
“Why?”
“Seeing that your pet just arrived, I thought you’d want to say hi.”
Adam jerked back, nearly knocking over a waiter. “Wait, what?”
“Ah, see?” Brad smiled, an evil glint in his eye. “I was wondering why you were being a bigger bitch than usual today. I didn’t realize you invited your little plaything over to join us tonight. It was because you thought he was blowing you off, right? I would have realized sooner if I thought to look over the guest list. My bad with that one.”
“I…Oh shut up.”
Brad laughed, “Yeah, you got nothing.” He tugged Adam at again, “Come on, sweets. He’s here, and oh, he brought a yummy friend with him.”
“He…he brought someone with him?”
Adam stopped them at the entryway to the living room and watched Kris and his friend lean into each other and whisper.
“Oooh,” Brad cooed. “Looks like they might be having a little lovers spat right now. Puppy is still cute scowling like that.” He tilted his head and examined Adam’s face as he stared at Kris. He lifted his hand and ran the back of his knuckles softly down Adam’s jaw, “You like him a lot, don’t you?”
“It’s not…I don’t…shut up, Brad.”
Brad cackled, “Go. He’s alone now. I’ll find the boyfriend and keep him occupied. Talk to your boy.” He shoved Adam into the living room.
Adam grabbed a bottle of water from a tray as he made his way to where Kris was standing. He had moved to hide out behind the piano and was occupying himself with his phone, looking uncomfortable and out of place.
“Hey, you made it,” Adam said brightly.
Obviously startled, Kris jerked up. He scrambled to put his phone away, the front of his button-down shirt stretching tightly over one shoulder as he slid it into the back pocket of his jeans. Adam bit his lip and extended the bottle of water.
“Uh, hey. And, no thanks,” Kris stuttered. “I, uh, I just had a drink.”
“Did you want to see the house?”
Kris looked around nervously, “Um…”
“Are you…We can wait for your boyfriend to come back. I don’t mind.”
Kris blushed, “Oh, Cale? Oh, uh…he’s…he’s just a friend.” Adam cocked an eyebrow. “I mean, I thought it’d be weird if I showed up alone, and I figured I wouldn’t really know anyone here, and oh god, you don’t mind, do you? Shit, you didn’t say I could bring a friend…”
Adam was tempted to touch his face and see how warm it was under the flush of pink, “No, it’s okay,” he said stopping Kris’s nervous chatter. “I don’t mind.” He checked the room, “Did you want to wait for him?”
“No. Uh, I mean…yeah. Yes, I’d like to see the house,” Kris smiled.
“Great, come on. I’ll give you the grand tour.”
Adam made himself to relax as they went through the house, pointing out the library, den, makeshift music studio and home theater room. Instead of heading upstairs, he deliberately stayed on the first floor. If Kris noticed, he didn’t say anything. Adam opened the door to the backyard, tiki torches and string lights strung along the fence, lighting the way as they walked quietly around the pool and barbeque station. They ducked back inside through the kitchen, making their way back to the living room.
“So, you’re recording, too?” Kris asked.
Adam pursed out his lips, “Sort of, I guess. It’s more like a hobby at this point, just something to do to relax. We’ll see how it goes when I have a bulk of time so I can actually focus.”
Kris nodded, “Always keeping busy.”
“Better than the alternative,” Adam agreed. “What about you? What’s next for you?”
Kris leaned his shoulder against the hallway wall, shoving his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet, “I don’t know yet.”
“You have anything lined up?”
“Kind of trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.”
Adam laughed softly. He couldn’t help himself from leaning into Kris, “You look all grown up to me.”
Kris looked up and his eyes widened at Adam’s sudden proximity. Adam felt the heat from Kris’s body draw him closer, the sharp intake of breath that made his heart jump.
“Is your boyfriend going to be okay with you being alone with me?”
“He’s…” Kris whispered. “He’s not…I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Bracing his arms around Kris’s head, Adam studied Kris’s face, the fluttering of his eyelashes, the hint of pink on the edge of his cheeks and tips of his ear. Adam lowered his head and whispered into Kris’s ear, “I think maybe your friend should leave by himself later.”
He heard Kris swallow loudly as Adam moved his hand down, making a trail from Kris’s temple down to his jaw. Adam’s fingertips ghosted over lips that haunted his thoughts before progressing down his neck that he had imagined licking. Adam shivered as he felt Kris’s stuttering breath on the patch of skin on his collar.
A crash, the sound of glass breaking and a litany of cursing made them both jump back from each other and move out of the hall into the living room. People were surrounding Nury as she stood up unsteadily.
“What happened?” Adam shouted as he pushed his way forward. He carefully helped Nury up, “Are you okay?”
“I…I’m fine,” she said and giggled. “I just slipped off the piano. I shouldn’t have tried to reach for another glass of champagne.” She patted Adam’s cheek, “I’m sorry about the vase, baby. I’ll pay you back for it.”
“Fuck the vase, are you sure you’re okay? Are you hurt? Do we need to call an ambulance?”
“Adam, honey, the only thing that’s hurt right now is my ass and my pride,” she replied and stood up taller. “No need to fret, though I do love you for it. And,” she stopped to look around, “I’ve made a huge mess and am currently embarrassing myself.” She rolled her eyes and held out her arms, “I’m okay guys, really.”
A man stepped up from behind her, “Ms. Lavendar, are you sure you’re okay? I could take you to the hospital if you don’t want an ambulance.”
She turned to him and kissed his cheek, “Neil, darling, I’ve told you many a times to call me Nury. And, honestly, I’m fine. I’ve just made a fool of myself is all.”
“Neil,” Adam said turning his attention to the man. “I didn’t realize you were here. My apologies.” He extended his hand.
“Oh, don’t worry about it Adam. Jeremy and I just got here,” he replied shaking Adam’s hand. “I’m sorry we’re late, dinner ran a little longer than anticipated.”
Neil smiled and looked up at everyone in the living room. He did a double-take when his eyes landed on a familiar face, “Kris?”
Adam’s head whipped from Neil to Kris and back to Neil. Kris turned white as a ghost.
“Dad?”
**
And we go to Part 4 ...over here...