"No. He didn't. And he doesn't get to speak to you that way." Jimmy sat down beside Cooper on the bed and began to rub his back. This man knew how to spoil a guy.
Coop leaned into the comfort. He'd known he missed Jimmy, but he hadn't realized how touch-starved he'd become. Every touchseemed to wake up a new part of his body, which was shockingly good, his skin unexpectedly sensitive. He was deeply affected by the lightest touch, couldn't get enough of Jimmy.
He bit his lip. This was nice. Maybe they could have sex again instead of talking about this.
"Coop," said Jimmy. "You need a better agent. Someone you can trust. And you need to talk with the studio about notpushing you so hard. That wasn't good. It wasn't healthy. You're carrying the whole show right now, and if they want you to be able to keep doing that, they can't break you with over-scheduling."
"Okay," Coop said, well aware that he wasn't actually promising to do anything, just agreeing that Jimmy was right, he probably needed to do those things.
Jimmy sighed. "I mean it, Coop. You haveto come first—with yourself, most of all. Then with your agent. And the studio has to take better care of you. You're not disposable."
"No," Coop said, cheering up a bit. "My character's too popular to toss away now." He grinned at the thought of actually being necessary for something, being needed, a non-negotiable.
"I mean you," said Jimmy. "Not just your character. You aren't disposable,a piece of meat they can treat however they want, no matter the cost to you. The shooting schedule was tough, the fitness routine they have you on is tough, and now the promo work is all falling on you, too. It's not good, Coop. You want to do this long-term, right? We can't let them take and take, or push and push. We gotta keep you safe, first of all."
Jimmy wrapped his arms around Cooperin a hug that was so tender and filled with concern, it melted Coop's heart.
He'd felt so lost. Now, he really was home. Maybe he wasn't going to have a mental breakdown after all, because he already felt so much better. With TLC from Jimmy, a shower, and sleep, and food, and sex, he felt much more like himself. He was probably being a little pathetic, letting Jimmy spoil him so much, buthe didn't care. He'd eaten everything Jimmy had given him, too—a ridiculously hearty meal, every bite delicious: ham and green beans and mashed potatoes and rhubarb cobbler. It was glorious, the most he'd eaten in ages.
He still wasn't looking forward to confronting the studio, asking for anything, or trying to find a new agent. But he could concede that Jimmy might have a point. He couldn'teven figure out exactly why he'd come so close to having a breakdown—possibly a little over the line into one—but it was too close a call. He didn't want to end up in that mental space again, ever, if he could avoid it.
"I'll talk to somebody," he agreed at last. "I'm not sure about getting a new agent, though. It sounds overwhelming."
"I'll help you find someone good, if you'd like," saidJimmy.
"What do you know about finding an agent? No offense. But you've never dealt with them."
"No, that's true. But we work with a lot of actors, right? People in and out of the studio, people who know the business. I can ask around about which agents are the really good ones—hardworking, taking good care of their clients, and not cutting corners. I can look into it for you, and thenwhen we narrow it down, you can contact some of them. When you meet them, I'll be close by, and I'll tell you if I think they're trustworthy or not. I'm pretty good at reading people."
He said it without a trace of pride or braggadocio, like it was simply the truth. And put like that, his plan sounded reasonable and not difficult to handle at all. They didn't have to do anything immediately;it would be a process, and Jimmy would take the reins, at least at first. His gut instincts and common sense would keep Coop grounded and maybe help him not be too eager to please, willing take the first agent who would accept him.
It still might end up being a worse situation than with Allan Pearson. To be honest, that was one reason Cooper hadn't tried to change agents so far. He didn'twant to end up with someone worse, and it was hard to imagine any truly amazing agent looking twice at him. But with Jimmy's help, getting a better agent was vastly more likely.
"We can try," he agreed.
"Good." Jimmy kissed his temple. "Now, lie back and let me suck you off. It'll make you feel better." He stroked the back of Coop's neck, where the little hairs, when they were touched,made him shiver.
"Mm. You have the nicest ideas."
Jimmy grinned at him and unfolded the towel from around Cooper's waist like he was opening a particularly valuable present. "True," he said, his smile cocky and sweet at the same time. "And I've got some more ideas for later."
Coop couldn't wait.
