The PA had told them it’d be tough to see the audience—the stage lights almost blinded him, and the audience sat in comparative darkness. But he could hear them clapping and whistling and cheering for Drew, who grinned and waved, haloed in the spotlight. Steve almost tripped over his own feet, but he caught himself, and then he caught Drew’s eye, kind and fond, and mustered a smile. His wave felt weak, but no one would care; they were all watching Drew.
Automatically his feet carried him to Drew. He and Drew shook Gloria’s hand—Drew first, then Steve, who could barely make out Gloria’s welcome over the roaring in his ears. When he looked at Drew, he was fussing with his mic, which had apparently come askew, because it dropped into his lap to the sound of the audience’s titters.
Steve smiled too. “Trying slapstick now?” he teased, forgetting his mic would pick up everything until the titters turned into laughter.
Drew shot him a sly wink, and Steve realized Drew had created a diversion to give Steve time to collect himself. A pleasant warmth calmed the butterflies.
“I thought you were supposed to be the professional,” Gloria chided.
Drew smiled winningly and clipped on his mic. “Hey, everyone gets the jitters.”
Gloria laughed like she was supposed to. “Right, of course, I’m so intimidating. Drew, thank you so much for agreeing to be on the show on such short notice. I know it’s been an eventful week for you.” The screen at the back of the set switched from the show’s logo to the incriminating photo Rico had leaked. Gloria inclined her head to indicate Steve. “And this must be the lucky man.”
“I’mthe lucky one,” Drew said over the murmur spreading through the crowd.
Gloria nodded and addressed Steve again. “Of course. And I don’t mean to give you second billing, but for most of our audience, this is their first time hearing of you, and I wanted to give you the full introduction.”
The picture changed—a candid shot of the two of them between takes, relaxed and laughing.
Drew picked up the thread—and Steve’s hand, which he pulled into his lap. “This is my boyfriend.”
Cheeky, Steve thought, his face flaming as the audience cooed.
“I was thinking I’d do more of a balanced view,” Gloria said wryly. “You know, ‘script doctor,’ ‘screenwriter.’ Maybe include his name.”
Steve elbowed Drew in the side, just enough that the audience picked up on it. Improv. Good thing they’d been practicing for weeks. “It’s fine,” he said. “I can introduce myself. I’m Steve Sopol.” Then he took a deep breath and added, for the first time in public, “Well, that’s what I go by, anyway. My birth certificate says Steven Stone.”
Another ripple went through the audience, and Gloria’s mouth opened in a perfectly lipsticked O. “As in the son of Marla Stone?”
“Uh, yeah,” Steve said sheepishly, more keenly aware of the audience than ever. Drew squeezed his hand. Steve appreciated that Gloria didn’t bring up his dad; this was difficult enough. “Long story.”
Gloria nodded and crossed her legs. “So. I know you’re very busy getting this movie filmed, and let’s face it, most people don’t enjoy giving these ‘yes, we’re in a relationship’ interviews. Shall we cut to the chase?”
Drew bounced their hands once on his thigh. Steve guessed that was his way of saying the ball was in Steve’s court. “Please.” The sooner they did this, the sooner he could go hide.
Gloria shot him a quick smile. “Okay. So recently a photo of the two of you at the Aquarium of the Pacific surfaced in the media.” The picture switched back again. “Drew, you went on record as saying you were happy but trying to keep a low profile. What changed?”
Right for the throat, but Drew took it in stride. “We weighed the pros and cons. We’re going to be together for a long time, and the truth was going to come out eventually. This way it’s on our terms, in our own words, and not because some hack with Google and a camera figured out who Steve is.”
Gloria nodded. “That’s understandable. Steven, tell me a little more about yourself. You say you usually go by Steve Sopol.”
He wiped his free palm on his pants, needing an outlet for his anxiety as attention returned to him. “Yeah, that’s the name I used growing up. It was important to my parents that I have a ‘normal’ childhood. And that’s really who I am, more than Steven Stone, who everyone expects to be worldly and glamorous.”
Gloria nodded sympathetically as though she understood. “So how did the two of you meet?”
Drew took over to begin the story of falling in love with Steve’s script and the botched auditions for the part of Morgan. Steve got a few seconds to relax until it was time for him to chime in with the end of the story.
“And the next thing you know, Hilary—that’s my agent—tells me Drew wants me to play the role,” Steve finished when Drew looked at him.
“Had you always wanted to act?”
Drew squeezed Steve’s hand again as his heart raced. “No, not at all. I’ve always been more interested in behind-the-scenes stuff, mostly writing. But as Drew put it the other night, I sort of couldn’t resist.” He sneaked a look over at Drew, who was smiling in encouragement, though it was his public smile, not the one Steve usually got. “Letting a writer on a movie shoot is dangerous. We can be control freaks.”
“What’s it like working with Drew?”
Crap. Another question for him. “Easy. We got along really well from the start. If we hadn’t clicked during that first read, I don’t think he’d have asked me to be in the movie, and if he had, I wouldn’t have said yes. But he never makes me feel stupid or less important or a total beginner, even though I am one.” The audience cooed, and he felt himself flush further. “And the acting is easier than it should be, which I think is down to Drew being so good at his job. I’m having a lot of fun. But I don’t think I’d enjoy it this much with anyone else.”
“Of course not.” Gloria turned to Drew, and Steve’s pulse ratcheted back down a few notches. “What about you, Drew? What’s it been like working with the son of two of Hollywood’s most famous?”
