Cocky

by Sean Ashcroft

  Eliot fit all of that description, down to the last detail. He had everything on Walter’s shopping list.

  The problem was that Eliot seemed unlikely to want to date him, especially if he knew it was for appearances.

  Unless…

  No. It was a terrible idea.

  All the same, Danny wanted to run it past Walter first, just to make sure it was as terrible as he thought it was.

  “So if I knew someone like this…”

  “Do whatever it takes to get them to agree to date you,” Walter said.

  Maybe this wasn’t the worst idea Danny had ever had.

  “I was thinking of paying him.”

  Walter’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I like the way you think.” He sat up, leaning his elbows on the desk. “It’s common practice, but I didn’t think you’d go for it even if I suggested it.”

  “It… is?” Danny raised an eyebrow. He knew it wasn’t the most honest thing in the world to do, but he wasn’t the only one who’d lose out if he couldn’t stay relevant with advertising and sponsorship deals for a while after he retired.

  Walter would lose out too, and he’d been good to Danny over the years. The fact that his career was being cut short wasn’t something either of them could have predicted, and he felt like he owed it to Walter to make the most of the rest of his time in the spotlight.

  “Sure!” Walter said. “Those vampire movie kids did it. I forget their names, but that was all for publicity. She’s a lesbian.”

  “I think she said she was bi, actually,” Danny corrected, and then immediately regretted making it obvious that he knew exactly who Walter was talking about. He’d never hear the end of it now.

  “I did not pick you for a vampire fan,” Walter said, grinning the kind of grin that told Danny he was right to regret what he’d just said.

  “I’m not gonna respond to that.” Danny cleared his throat. “But, uh. You think it’s a good idea?”

  “I think it’s perfect. As long as you can get this guy to sign a non-disclosure agreement.”

  Danny considered. Eliot had no real reason to trust him, but he did have reason to trust Eliot. He’d been true to his word and left out the stupid things Danny had said in front of him, even after warning him there was no such thing as off-the-record. Obviously, for whatever reason, he was on Danny’s side.

  If having a boyfriend like Eliot could secure his future, then he at least needed to try.

  “I’ll set something up. Get me a non-disclosure agreement for him to sign,” Danny said.

  Eliot might say no, but if he never asked, he’d never know.

  Chapter Five

  After telling himself that whatever his opinion of Danny Harper, he’d never have to see him again anyway, Eliot was surprised to have been contacted by the other man. He’d thanked him for the gentle treatment in the article, and sent him a box of seriously nice chocolates.

  Eliot was actually starting to feel as though he was being courted, which couldn’t be right. This was a man who could have had basically anyone he wanted. He didn’t want an obscure little journalist who happened to be nice to him once.

  When Danny had invited him back to his house to talk about a mysterious something that he couldn’t discuss over text or email, Eliot had almost refused.

  Almost. His curiosity—and his tiny crush—had gotten the better of him.

  Curiosity was what had gotten him into journalism in the first place.

  As he stood on the doorstep of what could only be described as the small mansion Danny lived in, Eliot understood the sense of loneliness he’d gotten from the other man the first time around. He had everything—fame, money, success—but he didn’t have anyone to share it with.

  Up until now, he hadn’t been in a position to have anyone to share it with.

  Despite Eliot’s prejudices about guys who were into sport, he had a much easier time being sympathetic toward Danny than he imagined he would have. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he’d never trade what Danny had for what he had, even if it meant getting to live in an apartment that didn’t have a roach problem.

  Danny opened the door in a pair of sweats and another too-small t-shirt, this one hitched up a little, showing an inch-wide strip of skin over his hip. Eliot stared at it for a half-second before averting his eyes, looking up instead.

  “Hi.” Danny stepped back from the door. “Come on in.”

  Eliot stepped into the hall and waited for Danny to close the door behind him before following the other man into the kitchen again.

  He took the time to get a look at the place this time, noting the tasteful but impersonal decor. No photos of Danny, his team, or his family. Nothing that really looked like he’d picked it out himself.

  Danny suddenly looked very small in his very large home. Too big for one person.

  He could have lived in a slick apartment closer to the city center if he’d wanted to. That he’d chosen a place like this told Eliot he wanted a family.

  Despite himself, Eliot hoped he found it. He hated to see anyone alone.

  Not that he was any less alone, but he couldn’t have fit a goldfish in the shoebox apartment he lived in, and his landlord would probably have kicked him out if he tried to.

  “Coffee’s fresh. Still black?” Danny asked as he got two cups out, mirroring the last time they’d talked like this.

  Eliot nodded, settling on the same bar stool he had the first time. This time, though, he wasn’t nearly as nervous.

  At least any flirting he did would be deliberate this way. Not that he was here for that.

  Even if he kind of hoped this was actually a weird attempt at seducing him. The more Eliot thought about it, the more firmly he’d decided that Danny really only had to ask. Curiosity, again, was getting the better of Eliot.

  “I hate to rush you, but you wanna tell me what I’m here for?”

  Danny pushed one of the cups over to Eliot and kept the other for himself. “Well, firstly, I wanted to thank you for not making me look bitter in that article. You could have, and I appreciate that you didn’t.”

  “I assumed that was why you sent me my own body weight in chocolate,” Eliot said. He was never going to have to buy chocolate again.

  He still hadn’t heard the end of it from Meg. As far as everyone in the office was concerned, he had a not-so-secret admirer.

  That had been fun for all of thirty seconds, and then Eliot had wanted to crawl under a rock and never speak of it again. All the same, he appreciated the gesture for what it was. No one ever sent him anything.

  “Yeah, it was,” Danny said. “My manager wanted to give you game tickets, which didn’t really seem like your thing.”

  Eliot smiled wryly. “What gave me away?”

  Danny chuckled. “Call it a hunch. Something I picked up right around the time you said you knew nothing about hockey.”

  “I knew you were smarter than you looked,” Eliot teased. “So… you could have sent me a text saying that. You told me we had to talk in person.”

  “Anyone ever tell you you have exactly the right personality for a journalist?” Danny asked.

  Eliot wanted to laugh, but the answer was no. No one had ever told him that. He’d had to prove himself time and time again, no one had ever said he was a natural.

  It shouldn’t have meant so much to hear it from someone who didn’t even work in the industry, but for whatever reason, it did. All he’d ever wanted was a scrap of approval.

  “Actually, you’re the first,” Eliot admitted. “So thank you.”

  “Oh.” Danny glanced down at the countertop before meeting Eliot’s eyes again. “Well, you do. But, uh, I need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement before I tell you why you’re really here.”

  “Seriously?” Eliot raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t imagine Danny having an NDA-level secret at all, least of all one that he’d want to tell Eliot. What was the point? A journalist who’d been sworn to secrecy was useless.

&nbs
p; “Seriously,” Danny confirmed. “And I get it if you don’t wanna do that, and there’s no hard feelings between us if you don’t. But you’re curious, right?”

  Eliot considered for a moment, and then sighed. He was curious. That was why he was here. To give up over having to sign his name on a piece of paper seemed like a waste.

  Even if he couldn’t tell anyone else what he was about to find out, he’d know for himself.

  He couldn’t work out why Danny would bother telling him if he was going to have to keep it a secret, but that only made his curiosity all the more intense.

  He had to know. There was no other option in his mind.

  “Bring on the paperwork,” Eliot said. “I’m actually dying to know.”

  Danny walked to the other end of the counter and collected a stack of papers and a pen. “I assume you’ve seen one of these before? It’s pretty standard.”

  “Keep your secrets or you’ll sue me until my nose bleeds. I know.” Eliot nodded. He skimmed the papers for any weird clauses, and on finding none, scrawled his signature on the dotted line.

  A smart man would probably have read the paperwork more thoroughly, but Eliot was too desperate to know. Besides, he couldn’t imagine Danny going out of his way to hurt him. That didn’t seem to be the other man’s style.

  “Okay. Tell me everything.” He leaned forward, butterflies exploding in his stomach. This had to be good.

  Danny took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair. “Uh. I’m having a little trouble coming up with the right words here, so I’ll be blunt. I want you to pretend to date me.”

  Eliot blinked at him, blood rushing in his ears.

  Danny wanted him to date him?

  No, Danny wanted him to pretend to date him.

  Eliot wasn’t even sure what that meant. He wanted a fake boyfriend, maybe?

  But what the hell for? He could have had any gay man he wanted and probably quite a few straight ones.

  “I’m not entirely sure what you’re proposing,” Eliot said, trying to buy himself a few more seconds to analyze the situation.

  “You don’t have to make a decision right this second,” Danny assured him, apparently seeing right through the tactic. “Let me explain myself, okay, and then you can decide. Or you can even go away and tell me later, whatever works for you. I know this is a weird idea, but hear me out?”

  Eliot bit his lip, trying not to think about how cute Danny was when he was flustered. Underneath his self-confident exterior, there was a much more complex man.

  “I’m listening.” Eliot shifted to make himself more comfortable, scooting closer to the counter.

  “Okay, well, I’m retiring at the end of this season. That’s a secret, and it’s kind of sudden and unexpected, so I’m in a weird spot right now. I probably shouldn’t have come out, but I didn’t want to be yet another guy who comes out once they’re done. I wanted to be brave about it, even if it’s a little too late for that. Anyway, point is, athletes live on advertising and endorsements once they retire, right?”

  “If you say so,” Eliot said, having never thought about it before. He’d assumed they just made obscene amounts of money during their career and lived on the interest.

  “Right, well, the thing is, the brands who specifically want a gay man at the front of their campaigns don’t want just anyone. They need him to have a cute boyfriend, minimum, so they can run the love angle instead of just, y’know, gay people are also accomplished human beings. You would make me a more appealing prospect. Or so my manager says, anyway, and he’s never steered me wrong before.”

  Eliot’s head spun. This was so much to take in, such a huge thing to be asked. He still wasn’t sure exactly what he was being asked.

  “So… tell me how this would work?”

  “Uh.” Danny scratched the back of his neck. “I haven’t thought a lot about the exact details, but like… we’d start being seen in public together, maybe go to a few events and stuff. As if we were actually dating. In exchange, I’ll pay you.”

  “Pay me?” Eliot asked.

  A moment later, he felt stupid for it. Of course Danny was going to pay him. What else would he be getting out of this deal, since they were faking it?

  Danny didn’t actually want him. He just wanted the image boost being seen with him would give him.

  That stung. That stung a lot more than Eliot would have expected it to.

  “Obviously,” Danny said. “Plus, I figure I can get you access to some connections you might not otherwise be able to talk to.”

  “How much?” Eliot asked. He hated himself for it, but the ad revenue bonus he’d gotten for the online version of his article about Danny had paid for his car repairs.

  It had really brought home how badly he needed the money. LA wasn’t cheap to live in. His rent alone was eating over half his paycheck most months, unless he got really lucky with a hit article.

  None of them had ever performed as well as one simple interview with a guy people actually cared about. Eliot had barely realized that many people read any article.

  He understood now what Ben meant about taking opportunities.

  “I was thinking five hundred a month, plus expenses.” Danny chewed on his lower lip.

  Eliot got the impression he could push for more, but he didn’t want to seem greedy. Five hundred dollars more per month would solve all his problems, and then some.

  “That’s a very generous offer,” he said.

  Was he going to do this? On the one hand, it was a lot of money, and for very little effort. On the other hand, it did seem… morally grey.

  But then, it was morally grey to ignore gay men unless they had cute boyfriends, too. It wasn’t as though it was actually going to hurt anyone. It was a lie, but as lies went, it wouldn’t even have been the worst one Eliot had ever told.

  “So…” Danny trailed off. He looked so hopeful.

  “Why me? Why not find an actual boyfriend?” Eliot asked. There was his curiosity again, getting in the way of taking a good deal at face value.

  “Honestly?” Danny shifted, playing with his coffee cup. Neither of them had touched their coffee, and it was probably cold by now.

  “I would prefer an honest answer. This is a big lie to tell for you,” Eliot said. Really, he just wanted the truth.

  “I’m not ready,” Danny said. “I’m not ready to go look for love. I’ve wanted it for so long and I’ve never been allowed to have it. I can’t handle an actual romantic relationship now if I want to finish this season without embarrassing myself. I’d be needy and clingy and pathetic, and I know it.”

  Eliot wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting to hear, but that wasn’t it. His heart clenched in his chest for Danny, for the quiet, defeated way he’d said all that.

  He was a lonely man. More lonely than Eliot had first thought, even. It ran deep, and he wouldn’t even let himself look for relief from it.

  This was a terrible idea. Pretending to date a guy he both had a crush on and felt sorry for could only end in tears.

  But Eliot was only one more financial hit away from having to move back home with his tail between his legs. One busted refrigerator, one illness or injury, one rent hike. He needed the money more than Danny could possibly realize.

  Desperate times, and all, as the saying went.

  “Okay,” Eliot said. “Okay. We can do this.”

  Danny blinked at him. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.” Eliot offered his hand. “You’ve got a deal.”

  Danny shook his hand eagerly, relief written all over his face. “Thank you, man. You don’t know what this means to me. Do you want lunch, or something?”

  Eliot shook his head. “I need to get back to the office, but I appreciate the offer. You can take me to lunch later in the week, and I’ll accidentally let it slip that I’m seeing you. Half of the LA media world already thinks you’re into me, anyway.” Eliot smiled wryly.

  A tiny part of him had thought that,
as well. Now, he knew better.

  “Awesome.” Danny beamed at him. “I think this is gonna work out.”

  “I really hope so.” Eliot stood, straightening his jacket out. “Because it seems like the kind of thing that could backfire horribly.”

  “Not as long as we keep the secret.” Danny shrugged. “I mean, how would anyone know, otherwise?”

  Eliot had to admit that was a good point. It wasn’t as though they’d be expected to release a sex tape or anything.

  “Then I’ll see you later in the week,” Eliot said. “Love you.” He smirked, heading for the door.

  “Love you too, honey,” Danny called after him. Eliot couldn’t help laughing at that.

  Maybe Danny was right. This would be fine.

  It might even be fun.

  Chapter Six

  Danny knew it was ridiculous to be nervous about a completely fake date with a guy he already knew, but that wasn’t enough to actually stop him from being nervous. What if they didn’t look convincing together? He was no actor, and neither was Eliot, as far as he knew.

  What if Eliot hated him once he got to know him a little better? What if all of this served as proof that Danny’s love life wasn’t a disaster because he was in the closet, or because he didn’t have time, but because he was him?

  That was what he was really afraid of. That he wouldn’t even be able to make a relationship work if he paid the guy.

  While he was lost in thought, someone brushed past him and bent down to kiss his cheek.

  It was a relief when he looked up and realized it was Eliot. He was suddenly self-conscious about being outside, in front of all these people, on a date.

  Any date, but especially a fake one.

  It was way too late to back out now.

  “Hey,” Eliot said, beaming at him across the table as he settled into the seat opposite. “You were a million miles away when I got here.”

  Danny blinked, forcing himself back into the present. “Uh, yeah. Thinking about…”

  He couldn’t tell Eliot what he’d really been thinking about, could he? It was one thing to trust him with his public image, another thing to share his deepest secrets and fears with him after only having met him three times.