Daniel had never been so glad to be behind a closed door in his life. He slipped out of the skirt, leggings, and blouse, pulling on the pink robe before heading across the hall to the bathroom, where he got comfortable and took care of business, then returned to the bedroom. James was already inside, sitting on the bed, tugging off his clothes.
“I should have asked for more money,” Daniel whispered. “Your mother is a pain in the ass, and your sister is a perfectly normal woman until she gets too much to drink, and then she’s wild, crying all over the place about her oven not working. Her friends are a threat to humanity when they drink.” He stripped off the last of his clothes, spent some time removing his makeup, put on his PJs, and got under the covers. “I swear the poor stripper was lucky to get out of there in one piece.”
“The guys were much better behaved. Howard stayed in the back, and I sat with him.” James pulled off his shirt and slipped out of his pants. “I can say one thing. He certainly loves my sister. He didn’t pay any attention to the stripper and seemed relieved when it was over. He didn’t drink too much either. It was like he was trying really hard to be good.”
“I’m sure he was. I think Howard is just as ready to have all this wedding stuff over and done with as Holly is.” Daniel propped the pillows under his back. “The whole wedding process is really stressful. You’re the center of attention, but that means all eyes are on you, and people comment on everything from your dress, the tuxes, to the centerpieces and the food. Every single thing you pick is under the microscope.” Daniel tried to make himself comfortable. He waited while James left the room in his robe and turned the light out.
Daniel spread the pillows back out and rolled over, determined not to watch as James returned and got into bed. Not that it mattered. As soon as he slipped under the covers, James’s warmth spread through the bed, and Daniel clenched his fists with tension, trying to ignore him and finding it impossible.
“I’m sorry you didn’t have a great time tonight,” James whispered.
“It wasn’t bad, just stressful. It seems Rachel is still holding a candle for you.” He snickered.
James chuckled. “She was always trying to get me to go out with her. Even if I was inclined that way, I was not going to go out with that shark. She’s nice enough, but I don’t think she’s ever been a really good person.” James rolled over, and Daniel felt his breath whisper over his skin. “There’s nothing wrong with her, but she pursued me way too hard, and that wasn’t what I wanted.”
“Rachel is one of those people who knows what she wants and is willing to go after it,” Daniel explained.
“I don’t think so. She’s the female version of Weston. I don’t think she understands when to stop.” A warm hand pressed to Daniel’s shoulder. “I saw what he did to you tonight.”
“Yeah, well, the guy is a real prick.”
“He called you names as he walked away, and Howard sent him home. He was livid about the whole thing. I wonder what’s gotten into him?”
Daniel slowly rolled over. “Some guys think they’re god’s gift to the world and don’t understand why anyone would tell them no. I know how to handle stuff like that. I get it at the theater all the time. Six months ago, I had a patron send me flowers every Saturday night for a month, asking me out after the show. I turned him down nicely the first few times, but after that I had to bar him from the theater.” Daniel sighed softly. “I don’t even know if he was gay or just enthralled with me and the character.” He rubbed his eyes from fatigue.
“I guess it’s hard not knowing if someone is interested in you or the character you play,” James said.
“Yeah. That’s pretty observant of you. When my star was on the rise, I used to be really flattered with the guys who wanted to take me out. Until I realized they wanted to date Lala and they expected me to put on a show all the damned time. That shit is exhausting! Lala is part of my personality, but she isn’t who I am.” Most of the time people didn’t understand that Lala was a persona. Sure, the fabulousness was part of who he was, and Daniel would be bereft without Lala, but she wasn’t all he was. “It’s sometimes hard to explain.”
James stroked Daniel’s cheek. “You’re a complicated person. Lala is part of you, but not all of you. You’re Daniel, and Lala is just a part of that.”
He slipped closer. “You do understand.”