by GA Hauser
“Of course.”
“And? What did you say about it?”
Placing the glass down in front of him, licking his lip, Carl replied, “That I’m madly in love with my co-star.”
Keith caught his impish smile and laughed. “You’re trouble.”
“I am.”
“I mean, did they get nosy? Push you about the gay thing?”
“No. Of course not. You know that show. The host is gay. Don’t be silly. It was done very tastefully. All the support you could wish for.”
“Good. That’s really cool.” Keith felt his mouth go dry from an unsettling nervousness that was creeping up on him. The sensation of Carl’s knee rubbing against his, his rigid dick, and his desire to jump over the table and French kiss his co-star was making him dizzy. He opened his own bottle of water and drank from the neck.
Carl appeared as enrapt as Keith had been.
Keith rested the bottle on the table and toyed with the cap.
“So,” Carl cleared his throat, “have you memorized all your new lines?”
“Pretty much.”
“You’re such a show off.”
Smiling at his tease, Keith nudged Carl’s leg with his.
“Are you flirting with me?” Carl asked sensually.
Feeling his face go crimson, Keith tried to cover his growing attraction. “Just getting into character. Trying to rehearse.”
“Oh? Is that a fact?” Carl appeared enchanted with the idea. “So, whenever I get the urge to be Troy Wright I can just swoop down on you for a kiss? Just to practice?”
Keith was burning up. He knew, being fair-complected, he couldn’t hide his blushing cheeks and by now he was convinced the rosy color was running down his neck. “No. I was joking.” Oh, God, help me. I am so fucking excited I need to come!
“Too bad. I thought it sounded like fun.” Carl sipped his water again.
They went back to the staring game. Keith knew he couldn’t get enough of it, but had no idea why Carl was playing this way. Was Carl as attracted to him as he was to Carl? Was that sane? Hell no!
“What’s taking the food so long?” Keith tugged at his collar. “Is it hot in here?”
Carl couldn’t hide his hilarity. Breaking up with laughter, he shook his head adoringly. “Christ, Keith,” Carl dabbed at his eyes as they teared up. “You are too fantastic for words.”
“Am I?” Keith felt the contagious laughter and started giggling.
“Yes.” Carl kept busting up with it, having a terrible time stopping.
Soon they were both laughing in a riot, for no reason, holding their stomachs and trying to stop. People began staring at them.
When Keith controlled himself somewhat, he reached for his bottle of water. Carl trapped his hand around the top.
The smile fell from Keith’s face and his eyes widened as they met Carl’s serious expression. Catching someone spying it, Keith withdrew his hand quickly. “Don’t do that.”
Before Carl could respond, the waiter arrived with their soup. Carl smiled up at the man. “Thank you.”
“Aren’t you Carl Bronson from Forever Young?”
Before he admitted it, Carl smiled at Keith. “Yes. I am.”
“I’m a big fan of that series. I can’t wait for the new episodes.”
“I’m very glad. Thank you.”
“Can I have your autograph? It’s for my girlfriend.”
“Of course.”
Carl reached for the man’s pen, signing a piece of paper. Keith hoped one day soon, someone would recognize him, and he could be signing his name for a fan.
“Thanks. I appreciate it. I’ll get your salads now.”
“No problem.”
Feeling slightly melancholy from his own aspirations not quite attained at the moment, Keith dazed off as Carl began sipping his soup from his spoon.
“It’s fantastic. Try it.” Carl ripped a slice of sourdough bread off the small loaf in front of them.
“That must feel really cool.”
“It does.” Carl smiled. “And by next month, you’ll be doing the same.”
“I doubt it.”
“Why? You’re loaded with talent, Keith. You’re as beautiful as a pin-up boy and you’re sweeter than honey. Why on earth shouldn’t people line up to meet you?”
Lifting his spoon and stirring the thick soup, Keith imagined that being possible.
“Stop beating yourself up again.”
Keith met Carl’s scolding eyes.
“Eat.”
Tasting the soup, Keith moaned, “Mm. It’s excellent.”
“I thought you’d like it.” Carl smiled wryly at him.
“Thanks, Carl.”
“Don’t mention it.”
~
After the small but satisfying meal, Carl walked with Keith out into the sunshine. “Okay, good lookin’, time for me to go home and memorize.”
Keith walked to Carl’s ‘Vette and admired it. “Nice car.”
“You like? It was extravagant, but I didn’t go outrageous with the condo, so I had to do something.”
“I love them.”
Carl dangled the keys at him.
“You’re such a tease.”
Choking at the comment, Carl replied, “Look who’s fucking talking!”
“Me?”
“Shut up and get in.” Carl stuffed the key into Keith’s palm.
Walking to the passenger side, Carl watched as Keith opened the door and crawled into the low slung driver’s seat. Reclining next to him, Carl purred, “Nice, huh?”
“Oh, yes.” Keith fondled the leather interior.
“Take it for a spin.”
“Your car? No. I couldn’t.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Do you have time?”
Carl rolled his eyes and fastened his seatbelt.
The minute Keith ignited the engine he moaned. It was so sexual it sent tingles down Carl’s body.
Wanting to grab hold of Keith’s thigh in his tight jeans, Carl sat on his hands so he wouldn’t molest the man.
Keith backed out of the space and met the roadway. “Ah! I have to buy one. I am so excited.”
Peering into Keith’s lap, he muttered, “I can tell.”
Allowing Keith to drive around, keeping quiet and savoring sitting with him, wanting to touch him very much, but restraining his urges, Carl relaxed and imagined them a couple. A real, committed couple. The amount he wanted that surprised him.
After fifteen minutes Keith returned to the lot, idling the engine while they parked near his Subaru. “Thanks. That was a real thrill, Carl.”
“Any time.”
Before Carl opened the passenger door, Keith gripped Carl’s hand. Whipping his head around to see him, Carl found painful longing in Keith’s expression. “Keith. Stop torturing yourself.”
“It’s what I do best.” Keith’s lip started trembling.
“Oh, sweetie, don’t.”
“I’ll see ya Monday.”
Before Carl could respond, Keith had exited his car and was sitting in the Subaru. Climbing out of the passenger’s seat, Carl waved to him as he drove by, leaving the parking lot. Dropping back down behind the wheel, Carl growled in frustration and put the car in gear, heading home.
~
Keith battled with blurry eyes the entire drive home. Wiping them roughly, holding back his emotions, he parked in the lot and hurried to get inside the privacy of his home. When he came through the door, Patty was there.
He wasn’t prepared for that.
Turning away from her eye contact, he closed himself into the bathroom and leaned over the sink to compose himself.
“Keith?”
“Yeah?”
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Just had to piss.” He lifted the lid and urinated in the bowl. “I thought you’d be at work.”
“I was. Had the early shift.”
“Oh.” He flushed, running the water in the sink to wash his hands a
nd face. When he found his eyes in the mirror, he wasn’t happy with what he saw. Knowing he couldn’t stay in the bathroom all afternoon, he did the best he could to hide his tears and stepped out.
“What happened?”
“Nothing. Allergies.” He passed by her to sit on the sofa in the living room.
“Allergies?”
“Look, just drop it.” He picked the script up off the table and reread the lines he already knew by heart.
“Fine.” She left the room, closing herself into the bedroom. A minute later he heard the television. Throwing the script down again, Keith stared out of the window, wondering what the fuck he was going to do.
Chapter Nine
“You ready for ‘very passionate’ kissing?” Carl taunted as Ken brushed Keith’s hair.
“Yes…” Keith answered slowly, watching Ken pause and continue as he eavesdropped.
When Ken signaled he was finished, Keith nudged Carl to walk away from him. “You did that as a tease. The poor man is gay, Carl.”
“Poor man? Just because he’s gay he’s a poor man? Shut up. For a man who’s kissed another man, you do say some stupid things.”
“I haven’t kissed you for real.”
“Oh? Is there a difference?” Carl perked up.
“Yes. This is acting!”
“Oh,” Carl humored him.
Charlotte’s commanding voice boomed over the noise. The entire cast had been assembled for the party scene. Several quick shots of conversations with other cast members were going to take place before the discovery of them French kissing on the patio.
Keith crossed his arms over his chest as he watched his fellow actors perform. He loved it. They were all top-notch in his book and he had learned something from each one. They had so much experience he was in awe of them.
He and Carl did a quick scene, exchanging a few lines with Betty who played Carl’s mother. Soon it was their chance to up the passion once again.
A patio with a string of soft lights illuminated the set. It was a pretty backdrop and Keith was amazed at how authentic the fake homes were. No detail was spared.
“Get over here, gorgeous.”
Keith blinked at Carl’s sensual expression and tone. His skin lit up and he hadn’t even touched him yet. “Moi?”
“Shut up and come closer.”
“Yes?” Keith grinned, staring at Carl’s mouth soon to be connected to his own.
“Don’t get all weepy on me.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up.” Keith laughed.
“You’re a mushball. I know your type.”
“I am not a mushball. How insulting!” Keith loved the banter. Loved it.
“You ready, boys?” Charlotte roared.
“Yes, Mother!” Carl quipped. “She wants us to really suck face, cutie pie.”
“I know what she wants. She wants slutty porn.”
“Exactly.”
“Then we’ll give her slutty porn.”
As if it were spoken like a dare, Carl wrapped his arm around Keith’s waist and tugged him close, connecting their cocks. “You tell ‘em, tiger.”
“Ready when you are!” Keith waved to Charlotte playfully as he and Carl stood apart.
“Don’t you just love them?” Charlotte gushed.
“Patio scene. Take one. Action!”
Carl purred in a low deep voice that sent the chills coursing over Keith’s body, “You know how hard it is to pretend I don’t want my hands all over you?”
“Very hard.” Keith rubbed his palm over Carl’s crotch, totally unscripted. Pausing, seeing if he had flustered Carl, Keith waited.
“You drive me insane.”
Carl’s cock went stiff under Keith’s hand. “We shouldn’t. Someone will see us.”
“Screw it. Think I care what my mother and her stuck up friends think?” In response to the tease, Carl grabbed Keith’s crotch.
Stifling a choking gasp from the surprise grope, he read the mischief in Carl’s eyes. “Obviously not.” Keith forced the lines to come out steady and not with a choking laugh.
“Obviously not,” Carl crooned, stroking Keith so wonderfully, Keith wanted to kiss him. He didn’t care if it was the next action in the script or not. Cupping the back of Carl’s head, Keith opened his mouth and closed his eyes.
Carl connected to him with so much intensity Keith imagined light bulbs bursting around them. Keith immediately used his tongue. Suddenly the two of them were licking at each other’s mouth and lips, sucking hard and lapping like mongrels. Keith groaned in pleasure as Carl’s hand stroked him to new heights. “Oh, God…” Keith whimpered, again, unscripted.
“Troy! How could you!”
Knowing that meant they had to stop, Keith had to physically tear himself away from this man’s mouth. Completely spaced out from the tantalizing contact, Keith felt Carl move away and answer Troy’s mother’s accusations.
“I love this man! I don’t give a shit who knows.”
Betty pointed to Keith in horror. “You love him? What are you saying?”
Keith kept feeling waves of passion rushing over his body and screamed at himself silently to behave and pay attention.
“Yes! Okay?” Carl roared, “I’m gay! Now you know. So? Disown me? Beat me? What? I don’t care. You won’t separate us.”
Betty let fly her slap at Carl’s face.
It seemed hard and Keith cringed for him. Immediately after the strike, Keith was gripped again in a powerful arm. Carl had connected him to his side. Keith knew he had a line coming and was struggling to decide when.
As the pause grew and Carl nudged him, Keith looked at him curiously.
“Cut!”
“Shit.” Keith knew he’d fucked up. “Right! I remember. Sorry.”
Carl smiled at him smugly. “Gotcha.”
“Shut up.” Keith laughed.
Charlotte approached him with the script in her hand. “Your line is, ‘We’re not gay. He’s just my lawyer.’”
“I know. I just blanked out.” Keith tucked in his shirt tails nervously.
“Okay. Let’s go. I want it in one take. Back to the beginning.” She walked away, shouting at the cameramen and lighting crew to get ready.
Carl hissed, “I knew I’d frazzle you. Groping my cock? Two can play that game.”
“Shit. I feel so stupid. And Betty has to slap you again. Ouch.”
“Don’t worry. It was hardly a slap in my book.” Carl whispered, “Do you regret having to do it again?”
“No.” Seeing Carl’s demonic smile, Keith added, “But not because of that.”
“No…of course not.”
“Stop patronizing me, asshole.” Keith shoved him playfully.
“From the beginning!” Charlotte ordered.
Keith felt Carl’s arm around his waist again. Oh, hell who was he kidding? He could do this all day.
“Patio scene! Take two! Action!”
Carl looked even wilder as he repeated the first line. He didn’t even wait for Keith to react before he reached down between his legs and stroked his cock. “You know how hard it is to pretend I don’t want my hands all over you?”
“Very hard.” Keith struggled with a coming laughing fit and Carl instantly knew it.
“You drive me insane.”
“We shouldn’t. Someone will see us.” Keith was about to swoon from the heavy petting. That hand knew just how to touch him. He pressed his hips forward, harder into Carl’s palm, trying not to hump it.
“Screw it. Think I care what my mother and her stuck up friends think?” Carl was beginning to pant, his expression lost the slight, wry humor. It had turned very serious.
“Obviously not.” Keith barely got the line out of his mouth. He was so hot he was about to come in his pants.
“Obviously not,” Carl echoed softly. With slow deliberation, Carl drew Keith against him, wrapping one arm around Keith’s waist, and another around his neck.
Grinding his hips against Carl’s, feeling his
enormous erection under his slacks, Keith levitated off the ground at the touch of their lips. Carl’s tongue was fucking his mouth. Keith grabbed his face and sucked back, licking his lips and devouring him. “Oh, God…” Keith gasped as the fire consumed him.
“Troy! How could you!”
Hearing that dreaded line, Keith knew they were done kissing. This time he was determined not to screw up.
“I love this man! I don’t give a shit who knows.”
Betty pointed to Keith in horror. “You love him? What are you saying?”