by G. A. Hauser
“But I’m forcing you out when you don’t want to be.”
“Hush. Stop. We actually have to work today and we’re both a shambles.” Carl dabbed at Keith’s eyes. “And you’re wrong. I want to be out. Are you kidding me? I hate hiding, lying, feeling like a damn convict. What’s our crime, Keith?”
Keith dove on Carl and wrapped around him in a vice grip.
“Shh, okay. We’ll be all right.” Carl knew once Forever Young was through, so were they. It was time to scrimp and save. And they had better make damn sure this series went for a decade.
Chapter Seventeen
Camera flashed. Fans screamed.
The noise and commotion was distracting. Carl’s hand was squeezed tight. He waved at the shrieking men and women and was surprised to see quite a few rainbow banners. Media people with omnipresent microphones snatched the stars for comments and questions.
“Carl Bronson! Carl Bronson!”
Carl noticed a popular television station logo on a black microphone as he was waved over. A loud roar from the spectators exploded from his advance.
“Carl, you must be very excited to be nominated for your first leading television role.”
“I am. It’s very thrilling.”
“Keith?” The man with the microphone urged him closer. “And you, a newcomer to the business. How do you feel?”
After a shy smile, Keith replied, “Exhilarated. It’s like a crazy rollercoaster ride.”
“I notice the two of you holding hands. Are you finally making a statement?”
Carl smiled at Keith. “We are.”
“You are two very brave men. I wish you luck.”
“Thank you.” Carl waved at the screaming fans, tightening his grip on Keith’s hand. He paused as several photographers took their picture. Carl felt his stomach fluttering like a camera shutter, but pretended he was confident.
“You okay?” Keith asked softly.
“Yes. I want to be here with you. Like this.”
“I love you.”
Carl gave his lover an endearing smile.
They were shown to a table in the grand Governor’s Ballroom. It was like a who’s who of A-list Hollywood celebrities. Carl felt odd to be among them.
As they passed, several big named male movie stars winked in approval. Carl felt slightly bitter that he and Keith were making a stand while so many others were deathly afraid. But he understood. He sympathized with their plight.
Finding the cast, producers, writers, and of course, Charlotte and her husband already there, Carl released Keith’s hand to hug her and their co-stars Cheryl Jones and Betty Blue who were also nominated.
“Well done, boys.” Derek Dixon was seated with his beautiful wife while Will Markham was accompanied by his handsome partner, Madison Henning. Carl smiled in pride to see Will not behaving like a hypocrite. “Thank you, Mr. Dixon.”
“How’s it feel?” Will asked eagerly.
“Scary as hell.”
“You won’t feel that way with that hot little trophy in your hands.”
“If we win,” Keith mentioned softly.
“You will.” Will and Derek winked at them as if they knew something that Carl and Keith didn’t.
“Are you coming to the ceremony after?” Keith asked the group.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Charlotte kissed Keith’s cheek, leaving a lipstick mark which she rubbed off with her thumb.
The evening felt very long and tiring as all the small awards for art direction and production went first. Keith stifled a yawn, hoping he wasn’t being filmed for the television audience at that moment.
Finally the announcements were made for their categories. Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series came first. Keith sat up in his seat as clips were played on a big screen of each candidate.
“Good luck, babe.” Carl held Keith’s hand.
Suddenly Carl was screaming and Charlotte was jumping up and down.
“Did I win?”
“Yes! Go get your award!” Carl laughed.
“Really? They said my name?”
Charlotte stood, grabbed Keith’s hand, and got him to his feet, pushing on his bottom to move him in the right direction. The audience went wild with hilarity at her actions.
A buzz from the noise in his ears making him dizzy, Keith made it to the stairs and stage, but couldn’t think. He was on autopilot. His tuxedo-clad image was being broadcast on large screens all over the stage. The famous male star holding his trophy grinned knowingly at him. Keith felt as if he was suddenly accepted into a secret club and all the closeted gay men in Hollywood were looking at him with admiration and envy at being out.
“Thank you,” Keith said as he took the statue. He was left alone at a podium. Instantly, all he could see was Carl. He held it up to him. “For you, babe. For you. I couldn’t have done it without you. Oh, and Charlotte.” Keith laughed at himself. Holding the statue up high, he waved, “Thank you.”
Having no idea what else to say, he walked away from the microphone and was escorted back to his seat. Once he plopped down in his chair and set the idol on the table, he opened his mouth to Carl in a gape and said, “I can’t believe it.”
“I can.” Carl grabbed Keith’s hand and rubbed it in his.
Everyone around him reached to congratulate him.
Only a moment later the Lead Actor in a Drama Series was being announced.
Keith stared at Carl as they said his name and showed a clip of the show. Keith wanted Carl to win so badly he would die if Carl didn’t.
Yet another top sexy Hollywood leading man stood with the envelope. To Keith’s amazement, before the man opened the flap he looked directly at Carl. Keith knew right at that moment Carl had won.
“And the winner is…Carl Bronson from Forever Young.”
“Carl!” Keith shouted in excitement.
“Come with me.” Carl yanked Keith’s arm.
“What?” Keith choked in shock. Looking back at his producers and his director, he found them waving him on.
As Keith rose to his feet with Carl, the audience went crazy. There was no lack of support in front of the camera for them. It was behind the scenes that was the brutal reality.
Carl released Keith’s hand as they closed in on the handsome movie star who handed Carl his award. Once he had, Carl reached back for Keith. Keith was standing shyly behind him, more nervous than when he received his own statue. At Carl’s insistence, Keith stood next to him, feeling Carl’s hand wrap warmly around his waist.
“Thank you.” Carl held the award up. “To the producers, Derek Dixon and Will Markham who steered me in the right direction. To Charlotte Deavers whose constant creative genius astounds me. To my co-stars who are infinitely talented and inspire me. To all the fans who watch the show and make it what it is.” Carl gave Keith a demonic grin that made Keith’s knees wobble. “And to Keith O’Leary. My strength, my support, my guiding force, and my lover.”
When Carl kissed him, Keith blinked in shock and had to hold onto Carl to prevent fainting.
Once he had parted from Keith’s lips, Carl waved the statue at the roaring crowd and held Keith around the waist as they were led off the stage.
The comedian MC returned to the microphone. “Another first for Emmy night. The first gay kiss. I hope the censors keep it in. Well done, men!”
Carl sat down again, staring at Keith with a big wild grin on his face.
“You are amazing,” Keith laughed in awe.
“Get over here.” Carl grabbed him and planted a good, wet tongue kiss on him. When Keith peeked up, it was being broadcast on the big screens behind the host.
“Now, now, boys,” the comedian teased, “you’re liable to coax others out of the closet with that behavior.”
Carl roared with laughter and held Keith tight. “I love you.”
“I love you to, you sexy thing,” Keith purred. Seeing Charlotte’s proud smile, Keith didn’t know how their night could get any better.
But it would. The best was yet to come.
Chapter Eighteen
On the beach in Malibu with the choppy Pacific Ocean at their backs, the September light beginning to wane, Carl stood next to Keith, surrounded by all their friends and co-workers.
Still high from the award ceremony, Carl held Keith’s hand tightly as a private photographer took photos.
A Justice of the Peace stood with an opened book in his hand in front of the happy couple. “Repeat after me. I, Carl Bronson, take you Keith O’Leary to be my husband, my partner in life, and my one true love.”
Carl gazed into Keith’s teary blue eyes. “I, Carl Bronson, take you Keith O’Leary to be my husband, my partner in life, and my one true love.”
“I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you, I will laugh with you and cry with you.”
Carl choked up, trying to keep his voice strong. “I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you, I will laugh with you and cry with you.”
“I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come, I will always be there.”
Dabbing at his eyes, Carl repeated, “I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come, I will always be there.”
“As I have given you my hand to hold so I give you my life to keep. So help me God.”
“As I have given you my hand to hold so I give you my life to keep. So help me God.” The last syllable cracked from the emotion Carl felt.
As Keith repeated the same vows back to him, tears ran from Carl’s eyes.
The Justice of the Peace asked, “Both of you repeat after me. Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, for where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.”
Struggling with his words, Carl heard Keith’s voice quivering as well. “Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, for where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.”
“And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.”
Unable to contain it, Carl was sobbing he was so happy. “And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.”
“Do you have the rings?”
Mark handed Carl a gold band. Carl slipped it on Keith’s finger.
Adam gave Keith one next.
Keith pushed it on Carl with trembling hands.
“By the power invested in my in the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and husband.”
Keith pounced on Carl and kissed him, almost knocking him over. Carl wrapped around him and lifted him off his feet.
They were showered with rose petals as they raced into Adam’s Malibu home.
“I love you, husband.” Keith giggled like he was drunk.
“I love you too, husband!” Carl broke up with laughter.
As the crowd filtered into the home, popping champagne bottles sounded in every direction.
Adam raised a glass. “To two very brave, wonderful men!”
The crowd agreed, tapping glasses.
Carl kept kissing Keith. The feeling of being married to Keith thrilled him.
“Can I kiss the bride?”
Carl found Mark’s luscious smile. Both he and Keith dove on Mark and dipped him precariously backwards as they chewed on his neck and lips.
When Mark was set back upright he appeared completely woozy. “Wow.”
Carl broke up with laughter and grabbed his husband again. “I love you. You know that?”
“Even though we may be out of work in five years?”
“Yes. Even though. Screw it. I can direct.”
“And I can do gay porn.”
Carl caught Keith’s impish smile and held him tight. While they teased each other with the tips of their tongues dueling, Charlotte shouted, “Perfect for next season! Your wedding and honeymoon night.”
“She’s a horny lady.”
“I know. Lucky us.” Keith hugged him, locking onto his lips once more.
Pulling the men closer to her, Charlotte whispered, “Can I confide a secret to you both?”
Carl felt his skin tingle at her serious tone. “What is it, Charlotte?”
Laughing, Keith asked, “Are you coming out, Charlotte?”
“No. Sweetie, I have a confession to make.”
“Oh?” Carl felt the smile fall from his face.
“It was me who leaked the story to the press and set up the YouTube site. Will you ever forgive me?”
“You?” Keith pointed at her.
“Yes. Derek and Will were putting a huge amount of pressure on me for the February sweeps. Please forgive me.”
Carl met Keith’s eyes. “What choice do we have? If we don’t forgive you, we’re out of work.”
“No. That won’t happen. If it was up to me, the show would go on like a soap, for twenty years.”
“Oh, Charlotte,” Keith sighed sadly. “You caused us a lot of grief.”
“I’m sorry, boys. Honest. But in reality, didn’t it help you get here?” She gestured to the party. “To coming out and getting married?”
Carl thought about it. There was some truth to her words. Without all the devious tactics, he and Keith would still be hiding. What would happen to their future careers was still up for debate.
“I forgive you,” Carl sighed.
“Me too, Charlotte.”
“I love you both, you know that?”
“Group hug!” Keith laughed as she embraced them.
“It’d be group sex if Charlotte has her way,” Carl laughed.
“Oh?” Charlotte’s eyes sparkled, “Oh, Mark…” she sang. “Mr. Richfield?”
“Bad girl!” Carl admonished.
“I can dream, can’t I?”
“Go to your husband. You’re making him jealous.” Keith nudged her.
After she walked away, Carl drew Keith against him. “We thought it was her.”
“Yes. Ratings mean more to Charlotte than anything.”
“Forget it. It’s meaningless now.” Carl kissed him.
“I love you, Mr. O’Leary.” Keith grinned slyly.
“What? Aren’t you, Mr. Bronson?”
“Who cares, kiss me.”
Carl wrapped around him tight and sucked at his mouth. A cheer of applause rang out around them. That was the kind of feedback Carl craved for he and Keith. A standing ovation.
Turn the page for a look at:
Getting It In The End
Book Three of the Action! Series
G.A. Hauser
Coming in March 2009
Brought to you by Linden Bay Romance
Chapter One
Changing into their shorts and t-shirts, Steve stared at Mark as he sat down on their bed to yank on a pair of socks.
“It’s hot out. You want to just do a quick three miles?”
“That doesn’t sound like very much.” Steve stood, tucking in his shirt.
“Four?”
“Okay. Four. We’ll save the long runs for the weekend.”
“It’s too bloody hot out.” Mark found a rubber band and pulled his long hair back from his face.
Steve loved to ogle him. Just the sight of Mark Richfield put him in heat. And now that he and Mark were running every day together, Steve looked forward to the sweaty after-run sex that followed the exercise. It was their daily routine.
He thought he’d tire of Mark, working at the same advertising agency and living with him. But that never happened. At work they soon were immersed in separate deals and rarely caught up until the drive home, so it didn’t seem as if they were overlapping to the extreme.
Once Mark had his LA Dodgers ball cap in place, his long brown ponytail flowing out of the back, Steve
couldn’t resist. Wrapping around his narrow waist, he swung Mark to his chest, and contacted his mouth.
Grinding his hips into Mark’s, feeling that big dick of his rubbing against him, even when it wasn’t fully erect, Steve lit on fire.
Parting from the kiss, Mark chided, “Officer Miller. If you keep that up, the sex won’t wait until after the run.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Steve forced himself to let go. Something that was harder than his cock at the moment.
“Right. Shall we?” Mark led the way out of their bedroom while Steve salivated at the sight of his tight ass in tiny red shorts.
Once they were running at their normal pace, Mark said, “Oh, I forgot to mention something to you.”
“Yes, dear?” Steve asked playfully as they ran passed rows of stately homes with gated entries.
“You know that silly new account, Artists and Models for Hire?”
“You mean that front for prostitution?”
“Steven! It isn’t a front for prostitution.” Mark paused at a corner and tapping Steve to go when the cars cleared out.
“Sure it ain’t.”
“You think Parsons and Company would take their account if they weren’t strictly above board?”
“Never mind. What about them, Mark?”
“Well, when I went there to talk them into some long term advertising, the owner, Arnold Newhouse, just about begged me to do a photo shoot.”
Steve groaned in annoyance. “I thought you were dead set against modeling, Mark.”
“Well, I am.”
“But?”
“I just thought it might be a pleasant diversion. I wouldn’t take anything seriously. And after that little guest spot I did on Forever Young with Carl Bronson and Keith O’Leary, I have to admit I got a taste of it and I liked it.”
“Vanity, vanity…” Steve teased.
“Are you running deliberately fast to lose me?”
“To punish you.” Steve gave him a sly glance.
“Stop it or I’ll leave you in the dust.”