In the first act of his new approach to life, he called his agent.
“Spanish!” MJ said as he answered his phone. “How’s my hottest property?”
“Brace yourself. There’s about to be an ice age.”
“What?” MJ sounded much more alert now. “What the flaming fuck does that mean?”
“I’m not doubling Jason Forrester anymore. I already informed the production company.”
“You did what?”
“You heard me.”
“You can’t do that. That’s your agent’s job.”
“You’re one of the few people I know who’d complain about having his work done for him.”
“Don’t get cute. We’re having a serious discussion.”
“I know. And the reason I didn’t run it by you before I quit is because this was a personal choice. It’s not because I want more money or control over edits. I just can’t do it anymore.”
“Have you thought really hard about this? It’s going to cut your income in half.”
“And yours too. I understand.” Spanish got off at the Venice Beach exit. “I’m sorry, MJ.”
It took the agent a few seconds to get his laughter under control. “You’re really sweet, but that doesn’t mean I won’t sue you for loss of wages.”
“I’m sure you’ll do what’s best for you. Don’t be mad at me for doing the same.”
“This isn’t an emotional issue. You’re screwing with my money.”
“If you want to quit being my agent, I’ll understand.”
After a brief silence, MJ spoke again. “Let’s not be hasty. You’ve got more going for you than a resemblance to Jason Forrester. Why don’t you call me after you work out whatever’s up your butt? I’ll trawl around and see who’s hiring.”
“I’m honored that you’d offer to do your job.”
“Blow me. So how did Speltz take the news?”
“I don’t know. Fawn’s acting as my gobetween.”
“Lucky you.”
“Yeah, it’s nice having someone on my side.”
“Is that a dig at me?”
“Not intentionally.”
“Oh. Okay. Guess I’m feeling a little defensive. Any other bombs you want to drop before I do this line off my hot Korean masseur’s rock hard abs?”
“Nope. Wouldn’t want to harsh your buzz. Talk to you Monday.”
“Okay. You know, you really should party with me sometime.”
“I couldn’t keep up with you, MJ. Bye now.” Spanish put the phone on the seat beside him and enjoyed the satisfied feeling of having done the right thing. He wasn’t doing it to please anyone else or to maintain some façade. This was the right decision for him, no matter what the consequences were. He hoped this feeling would be a comfort after Jason dumped him.
ONSATURDAYmorning, Spanish met Jason at a private marina and was led to a small yacht. After stowing their bags in the cabin, Jason took the boat out while Spanish looked on.
“I didn’t even know you could drive a boat,”
Spanish said. “Well, now you know. You have to take special training to pilot a boat like this.”
“Where are we going?”
Jason gave Spanish a sly smile. “A secluded little inlet.”
“I like the sound of that.” “I hoped you would. My secretary researched it, but it was my idea.”
“I don’t care who thought of it. I just like being alone with you.”
“Do you?” Jason looked over at Spanish. “I’ve been wondering if it bothered you that we hardly ever go out in public.”
“Not so much. I like having you to myself.”
Jason smiled and leaned away from the wheel to kiss Spanish. A couple of hours’ sail up the coast, he steered the yacht into a small bay and dropped anchor in the crystal blue water.
“I can’t wait to jump in,” Spanish said, peeling off his shirt as he went to the cabin. Shucking his pants, he pulled on a pair of trunks and ran back on deck. “Come on,” he hollered, smacking Jason on the ass as he flew by.
Jason grinned as Spanish dove over the side, bronzed muscles gleaming in the sun. Stripping off his clothes, he dove in naked. After a few lively minutes of underwater grab-ass, Jason kissed Spanish and swam back to the boat.
“I put lunch in the oven to keep warm before we left the marina,” Jason called to Spanish. “Come back aboard when you get hungry.”
Spanish swam to the beach and back and climbed the rope ladder hanging from the stern. He didn’t see Jason at the wheel or in the galley and went to the cabin, picturing Jason waiting for him in bed. As he opened the door of the cabin, Jason rose from his knees.
“Wow!” Jason looked up from the slips of paper in his hand. “I still don’t know exactly what you do for a living, but I guess it pays well.”
“Where’d you get those?” Spanish took the deposit slips from Jason’s hand.
“I picked them up off the floor.” Spanish looked past Jason to the jeans crumpled at the foot of the bed. The last time he’d worn them, Speltz had handed him the slips and
he’d stuffed the paper in his back pocket. Why couldn’t he have washed them? Now he had to give Jason some sort of explanation or put him off by getting all huffy about private space. The moment he’d dreaded had come and the choice was now upon him. Lie or come clean?
“I have to tell you something, and you’re really not going to like it.”
Jason glanced out the cabin door as though he was considering jumping off the boat. “Can it wait?”
“Afraid not. I don’t want you to hear from someone else before I have a chance to tell you my side of it.”
Jason picked up the tequila and drank a shot from the bottle. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“I act in porn films.”
“Oh, come on. You don’t really think that would bother me.”
“You know those X-rated inserts in your movies you were talking about last week? Well… I’m the guy pretending to be you.”
“Not funny.”
“Look, sooner or later, you’re going to see a clip or a screencap, and as soon as you see my
dick, you’re going to know it’s me. I didn’t want you to find out like that.” “I don’t believe you. You wouldn’t betray me like that.”
“Listen to me, okay? I did the inserts before I met you.”
“Fuck!” Jason took another slug of tequila. “Damn it, John. Why couldn’t you just be honest with me at the beginning?”
“Because you would’ve never said another word to me. At least I had a few months with you.”
“I trusted you.”
“And I kept something from you that I shouldn’t have. But I did eventually tell you. And I quit.”
“You quit what?”
“I told my boss I wouldn’t impersonate you in porn anymore.”
“Why? Looks like you’re making good money.”
“The last inserts I made were for that French wine country movie. That was before I got to know you. When I was asked to make Erection Man, I said no.”
“You know you’ve probably wrecked your career by telling me this.”
“You’re more important to me.”
Jason looked at the shoreline while the silence stretched out.
“Please don’t hate me,” Spanish blurted out. “I don’t hate you. I hate what you did.” Jason sighed. “And I feel like such a fool.” Tears stung Spanish’s eyes and overflowed to run down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you before we got involved. But I never thought it would hurt you like this.” He looked down at the floor. “You should dump me. I’ve got some growing up to do before I’m boyfriend material.”
“I don’t want to dump you. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and I’d rather be with you than anyone else in the world.”
“Me too. I’m sorry I fucked it up.”
“Hold on now. Let’s see if we can’t unfuck it before we toss it on the junk heap.” “Don’t play with me, man
.”
“I’m not playing. What you did was bad, but I don’t think it’s going to be fatal. Give me some time to be pissy about it and get some distance
from it. I’m good at putting things behind me.” Jason chewed his lip in thought before he spoke again. “I hurt someone once… hurt them so bad that I wanted to die. I never thought I could face him again, but when I finally had the balls to say I was sorry, he told me he understood. He forgave me and gave me a second chance. Maybe he thought he had to because he was my dad, but I decided that day that I’d never cut someone out of my life without giving them a chance.”
“I’m not sure I deserve a second chance, but I’ll take it if you’re offering.”
“Just don’t ever do anything like that again.” “You got no worries on that score.”
“I mean it. No lying about the big things.
Little things are okay. You can tell me I look good even if I don’t… especially if I don’t. But you have to be honest about the big things.”
“I promise.” Jason held out his hand and Spanish took it. “I promise you the same,” Jason said as he pulled
Spanish closer, smiling as their chests bumped together. “I’m glad that’s settled,” he said. “It could’ve ruined the whole trip. Do you have any idea how much it costs to rent a boat like this?”
“No, how much?”
“No idea. I bought this one.” Jason’s grin got wider. “So I hope you like it.” “Can you teach me how to… pilot it?” “Yes, I can.”
“Then I love it.”
“Righteous,” Jason said as he leaned in to
kiss Spanish. Spanish couldn’t believe Jason had forgiven him so easily, but as the weeks, months, and years went by, he accepted the fact that his lover was able to put aside his own feelings and see past what Spanish had done to who he was. That big gesture on Jason’s part at the beginning of their committed relationship inspired Spanish—or John as he was called from then on—to apply the same policy to those who he felt had wronged him. Before he condemned anyone, he thought long and hard about their actions and what might have motivated them. Maybe he did get used once or twice, but he didn’t get used up, and at the end of the day, he went home with Jason Forrester. And that was enough to constitute a happily ever after for him.
About the Author CONNIEBAILEY is a Luddite who can’t live without her computer. She’s an acrophobic who loves to fly, a fault-finding pessimist who, nonetheless, is always surprised when something bad happens, and an antisocialite who loves her friends like family. She’s held a number of jobs in many disparate arenas to put food on the table, but writing is the occupation that feeds her soul. Connie lives with her ultralight designer husband at a small grass-strip airfield halfway between Disney World and Busch Gardens. Logic and reality have had little to do with her life, and she likes it that way.
Visit her blog at http://baileymoyes.livejournal.com/.
By CONNIEBAILEY
NOVELS Kaji Sukoshi and the Shining One Miles to Go
Moonlight, Tiger and Smoke Revenant
Something for Nothing True Blue
NOVELLAS The Raw Prawn Human After All Insert Here
Published by DREAMSPINNERPRESS
Romantic Suspense fromCONNIE BAILEY
Contemporary Romance from CONNIEBAILEY
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
More Romance from DREAMSPINNERPRESS
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Copyright
Insert Here ©Copyright Connie Bailey, 2012 Published by
Dreamspinner Press
5032 Capital Circle SW
Ste 2, PMB# 279
Tallahassee, FL32305-7886
USA
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Art by Aaron Anderson [email protected] This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 5032 Capital Circle SW Ste 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL32305-7886, USA.
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eBook Edition
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62380-382-7
Released in the United States of America December 2012
Table of Contents
Title page
Insert Here
About the Author
Romantic Suspense from Connie Bailey Contemporary Romance from Connie Bailey More Romance from Dreamspinner Press Copyright
Connie Bailey - Insert Here Page 6