He shook his head. “It’s not the house.” He crossed the room again, set his Gatorade on the floor, and took a seat on the ottoman, facing Steve. He reached for Steve’s hand. “It’s what you put in it.”
For the first time Steve could remember, he lost his words. He was trapped in Drew’s warm, dark eyes, waiting, rapt.
After what felt like ages, Drew broke eye contact and smiled, rubbing his thumb over the back of Steve’s hand. “You forget to give something back to the props department?”
Steve followed his gaze. The third finger of his left hand still bore Morgan’s wedding ring. Steve cleared his throat. “Oops?”
Drew treated him to another sappy grin. “Let’s go to bed. House hunting can wait a few hours.”
Chapter Twenty-One
HOLLYWOODMagic for Beaumont, Stone
With the limited theatrical release ofDog Gone, Drew Beaumont and Steven Stone’s joint motion picture, just a week away, reviews from the film’s advanced screenings are coming in—and they’re glowing.
Though perhaps not so much as the leads themselves.
Gerald Dunwoody, our in-house critic, called the movie “gut-bustingly funny. Beaumont and Stone have an undeniable chemistry, and it crackles in every scene they share.” In the blogosphere,Crooked Cinemareviewer Donna Gill said she “laughed until my abs cried for mercy.”
Even the bro brigade had to give it two reluctant thumbs-up. “I didn’t expect to like it,” admitted Tom Woolworth, president of the Stanford chapter of Delta Nu, whom I caught up with outside the sneak preview Thursday night. “My girlfriend made me go. But it’s f—ing funny. And the dog was cute.”
The dog in question is Rita Stone, pampered pooch of Marla Stone—who also has a cameo in her son’s debut, by the way. And as you can see from the attached picture, Rita is exactly as advertised.
If the nameDog Gonedoesn’t ring a bell for you, you can be forgiven. It’s a small production with a small budget and what was expected to be small-potatoes distribution—in theoryDog Goneis notable only for its surprisingly star-studded cast (longtime Beaumont BFF Leigh Miller also has a role). Either way, you’re hearing about it now.
The movie stars Drew Beaumont as Scotty, a hapless but well-meaning guy whose most fervent, flighty desire is to return his best friend’s dog to her rightful owner. Between his puppy-dog eyes and his way with words, it’s no wonder Morgan—played by Beaumont’s real-life partner, Steven Stone, who also wrote the screenplay—goes along with his scheme, to hilarious results.
But don’t be taken in by the innocence of the premise. And don’t expect a typical cheap laughs slapstick comedy either. Stone’s writing is razor-sharp, and his delivery would impress even a seasoned acting coach, though this is a freshman effort for him all around. Beaumont’s irreverence and delivery are pitch-perfect, and the dialogue gives his comic chops a chance to shine, but it’s through Morgan’s eyes that we grow to love him as a character.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why Steven Stone is so effective in this role. Since they first began dating last summer, Beaumont and Stone have rarely been apart. Stone has escorted Beaumont at every major appearance he’s made since July, including starlet Leigh Miller’s destination wedding in Fiji. And even to the untrained eye, they look deliriously happy in every photo.
When they’re not attending black-tie or Hawaiian-shirt events, it appears they’ve been dabbling in real estate. Beaumont’s Santa Monica condo hit the market last month. Rumor has it he and Stone have been looking for a home in Beverly Hills.
Looks like these two are living their own Hollywood happy ending.
“THEREhe is!”
“There they are!”
“Drew! Over here!”
“Steven! Can we get a smile and a quote forOut Magazine?”
Steve shot Drew a long-suffering look, but he didn’t threaten to go back to the limo like he did the first time they walked a red carpet together. Progress.
“You know, you don’t have to come,” Drew had said after two premiere experiences failed to enchant Steve. “I can go alone.”
Not according to the expression on Steve’s face. “Ugh, no. I’m not giving the vultures grounds to start a rumor we’re ‘on the rocks already’ or whatever garbage they just put Leigh through. No, thank you. I can suck it up. It’s not like it’s every week.”
So they went, with the understanding that they would leave as soon as it was polite.
“What, no smile?” Drew teased now, bringing Steve’s hand to his lips for a kiss.
“Not forthem,” Steve countered, his eyes soft as his lips edged upward.
Drew couldn’t help but smile back.
Unfortunately he couldn’t make eyes at Steveallnight. After all, this was their movie premiere.
