Sansa pushed the door of the diner open. She knew Jeyne had just started her shift and the morning rush wouldn't quite be in yet, so she could get away with taking a seat and going over her script one more time.
This was a big day for her: her first meeting with her agent, and the promise of an audition for an 18th century period drama for HBO in the afternoon.
"Hey!" Jeyne waved from behind the counter, eager to see her friend. "Boy, am I glad to see you! The evening guy left this place in such a tip, I'm still cleaning up and the morning rush's just about to arrive. I tell you if I see Seth, he's going to get the rough edge of my tongue." She scrubbed at a sticky table, a cross look on her face as the stain refused to shift.
"I'll give you a hand." Sansa offered. "Where do you keep your aprons?"
Jeyne looked at her pastel floral dress Sansa was wearing for her audition. "Not in that you won't! Sit down; I'll make you a cup of coffee. I'm gasping for one as well. Fuck it. I was losing the will to live anyway-"
They sat down at the nearest clean table. Jeyne putting her feet up and undoing a button of her too-tight gingham polyester uniform.
"-That's better I can breathe now! And what's that under your arm? A script?"
She looked at the title on the front cover in envy. Outlander. She knew it. Her agent wouldn't even let her look at a copy, let alone read for a part.
"Girl, you're on fire. Not a week in this place and you're going places." It was hard for Jeyne to keep a tinge of envy from her voice though she made an effort to be nice about it.
"I'm just lucky-" Sansa murmured, trying to be polite as ever and avoiding the sore spot in the conversation.
Jeyne had been out here for a year and a half, from the same drama school Sansa had attended and yet she'd so far just booked the occasional gig on a tacky daytime soap, a couple of commercials she'd grudgingly put on her resume to pad it out and a spot on a CW paranormal drama that unfortunately didn't make past pilots.
"Just don't forget me when you're rich and famous, eh?" Jeyne remarked lightly. It was hard to miss the hint of hurt in her voice. Sansa didn't like hearing her friend like this, so jaded and ground down.
Is this what's going to happen to me? Do I know what I am doing quitting Broadway for Hollywood? She'd taken a big risk leaving 'Beauty and the Beast' on Broadway, even though she knew deep in her bones it was something she had to do. Needed to. Mother hadn't liked it; she'd complained bitterly Sansa was throwing away a promising singing career and the chance to follow in her illustrious footsteps, but Sansa had made up her mind.
"Jeyne-"
Her friend pulled herself together, giving her a bright smile that only seemed a little false. "I'm tweaking your leg, Sans. Seriously, I'm cool. I just have to be patient. It's all about luck after all."
Jeyne seemed to perk up as she finished her hazelnut latte and peered out of the window.
She got up and opened the door. "Here come two of my favourite customers. Seems like today's looking up-" she smiled, a much happier and enthusiastic expression on her face. "When you see these two you will plotz Sansa, I'm serious!"
Sansa froze as she took in the new comers. They had to be two of the most gorgeous guys she'd ever laid eyes on.
She felt like the dark haired guy was familiar, though she couldn't place him at first. He was pretty stunning though. Tall with glossy very messy black hair, fiercely blue eyes which were currently looking very bleary behind heavy hipsterish glasses, heavy dark stubble on a finely carved jawline and strong cheekbones.
"I know you're not quite open yet but I am epically hung over right now. Some coffee and a bacon bagel would save my life right now, Jeyne. Please?" he croaked.
Jeyne got busy behind the counter, preparing his request in a flash while the other guy smirked and muttered something that sounded remarkably like: "Pitiful-" in a fond voice.
While Jeyne was busy Sansa politely turned to introduce herself to the new guys. No harm in being courteous.
"Hi, very pleased to meet you. I'm Sansa Stark-"
He stopped, and peered at her carefully as if trying to work out who she was through a haze.
"Sansa Stark?" Recognition sparked in his eyes. "My god, you're Ned Stark's girl."
He stepped back to take her in. "Well, Robert will be pleased. He's always asking after your dad."
Renly. She remembered him now. He'd visited the family a couple of times with Stannis and Robert in tow. She'd always been too shy to talk much to him as he was older than her. Odd to think he'd recognised her, after all those years.
"What brings you to this hell-hole?" Renly smiled.
"I'm in town to take a few meetings, look at a few scripts. If all goes to plan I may move out here."
"Do you know many people out here?" Renly stirred his coffee, tipping an eye-watering amount of sugar into it.
"Not too many. I know Jeyne of course, but I've only just moved out here really." Sansa told him with an earnest light in her wide blue eyes. "I really am determined to make it, or at least try."
"You'll need as many friends as you can get in this town. I'm glad I ran into you, here let me give you this-"
He scribbled his number on a napkin with a pen from the counter. Sansa stuffed it into her messenger bag, scarcely believing her luck.
"If you need anything, call me. I'm glad to do a favour for one of Ned's kids. Robert thinks of you guys as family. I can't remember when I haven't heard him call him brother. It used to drive Stannis crazy with jealousy."
"Where were you before, then?" Loras asked, head down as he checked his iphone. He's as beautiful as sin with those heavy lidded hazel-gold eyes, rosy pouty mouth and soft golden brown curls, gold streaked in the early morning sunlight.
No wonder the girls all went nuts about him, putting their posters up and lapping up his records. Pretty much every girl at college had his poster up on her wall, breathlessly retweeting his every word and reblogging his pictures on Tumblr.
"On Broadway for a bit. I wanted to concentrate on acting for a while rather than musical theatre."
"Musical Theatre?"
Sansa didn't quite like the slight sneer on his face when she said it. Just because he didn't think it cool didn't mean he could mock her to her face.
Alright, it could be a little geeky, even she could admit that but Sansa had loved singing on Broadway. She loved the old-fashioned tunes. She loved the stories she'd grown up with, the romance, the drama, all of it. And if that wasn't trendy enough for Mr 'I'm too cool for school' Loras Tyrell then that was just too bad!
Renly was chatting away, slightly more animated after downing his coffee and dispatching the first of two huge bacon bagels. Loras kept pinching rashers when he thought Renly wasn't looking, pouting when Renly busted him for it.
"I would say check out a few clubs while you're here but I'm swearing off them for a while." he gave a delicate shudder which made her smile. "Frankly, I'm struggling. Should never got out of bed-"
"You're such a drama queen. Eat your bagel and stop moaning." Loras said with a fond little nudge.
Sansa wondered about their relationship. They seemed to tease each other with the long familiarity of easy friendship, yet there was something else, teasing under the surface she couldn't quite work out.
"Jeyne here is a queen among women. Best place to get some coffee and peace in the morning. This little diner is the best kept secret in this town."
Other customers started to filter in clutching scripts and yoga mats. Jeyne sighed as she reluctantly went back to work, starting to serve the newcomers.
Loras looked out of the window, the scowl deepening on his face. It was such a shame, he was so ridiculously pretty it was hard to look at him close range. But why was he in such a terrible mood? Renly was the one with the obvious hangover; you would think he would be the grumpy one.
"They're out already. Don't those bastards ever sleep?"
Sansa took a glance of the window. A gaggle of photographers waited outside, waiting for that golden photo-opportunity.
"Time to run the press line. Damn it." Renly went up to the counter and paid for their stuff with a flourish, and a dazzling smile. "Thanks for the coffee, Jeyne. You know you're a lifesaver."
Sansa could see how Jeyne melted and blossomed under his attention. Renly had that gift of charming people. He must have been well-nigh irresistible as a boy, all dark hair, big blue eyes, rosy skin and sinfully long dark lashes.
"-And I'll talk to my agent again about giving you another shot at something."
"You don't have to-" Jeyne started, blushing hot at the thought of it. "You've already done so much for me, Renly."
"It really isn't a bother Jeyne, seriously. And I wouldn't do it unless I wanted to. Please, it's the least I can do-"
She relented, looking up at him with starry eyes. "Alright. Thanks a million, I owe you-"
He smiled at her, giving her hand a squeeze. "No you don't. It's a favour, Jeyne-"
"That was very kind of you to do that for Jeyne." She ventured as they left the diner. Renly had offered to drop her at the agent's office which was very kind of him. They headed towards his car which was parked across the street.
"Jeyne's a good sort, it's no hardship to do her a kindness. I just wonder-" his voice trailed away in thought as he turned back towards the diner.
She looked up at him. "What?"
"I wonder if she's really cut out for this business-" Renly's handsome face was serious for a moment. "This town can be brutal. You have to be tough to survive."
Sansa heard his warning and took it as a challenge. She was equally as serious about her career. She wanted to be a star and was prepared to do what it took to get there.
Loras fell back, a scowl on his face as he let them pass before him. Sansa felt a bit scared at the barrage of lights from the flashes and the confused swell of shouts, but Renly's hand on her arm was a comforting pressure.
"Just don't take any notice of them and keep walking. You're doing great, Sansa." He said in her ear.
"To me, beautiful!" shouted one rat-faced photographer who got right in their faces and started taking pictures blocking their escape route.
"You must be new in town. What's your name, darling?" called out another in an overly familiar voice.
Sansa over heard one guy say in a disrespectful tone: "Is he banging her? Nice one, Renly!"
"Don't engage them, don't encourage them. Keep walking –" Loras muttered behind them, in a thoroughly bad mood now.
"She's a cracker! How do you do it, Renly?"
Renly turned to the paparazzi with his most charming smile, ready with a witty retort. He seemed unfazed by the attention thrown at them, taking it as his due. "C'mon guys she's a friend of the family. Leave her be, alright?"
Sansa could hear Loras in the background mutter distinctly, 'Oh for fuck's sake, Renly!'
Loras was still sulking as they pulled away. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white.
"I still don't know why you were being so nice to her. Wasn't she a little bit young for you?"
He didn't care if he sounded petulant. Loras was stung to irritation by the whole thing. First those callow little teenage girls mooning over them at the diner and now this! It was too much!
"She's Ned Stark's girl. She's practically family. I've known her since she was knee-high to a june-bug, I told you at the diner." Renly took it in his stride as laid-back and easy-going as ever.
Loras made an unconvinced sound as he drove into the car park.
"I was only being kind to the girl, I didn't mean anything by it." Renly tried to sound placating, almost as if he was trying to apologise for the situation.
Loras wasn't going to let him off that easily.
"You know the thing that really bugged me?-" Loras looked at the dashboard, his mouth set firm. "I was right there next to you-"
Renly opened his mouth to say: I know that, but he spotted the unhappiness on Loras's face.
Loras pulled into the car-park and stopped the car. Renly faced his friend, focusing entirely on him.
"-and because you were with another girl, they all thought you were with her, that she was your latest conquest, and-"
Renly wanted to wipe all the hurt and bruised pride away from his young lover's face. "What?" his voice was gentle and tender as his hand stroked Loras's cheekbone.
"- that I didn't matter-" his voice died away as Renly leaned forward and kissed him.
Loras wanted to be mad at him, he could tell by the set of his mouth under his, but he couldn't resist Renly's kisses. He could feel the moment Loras melted, responding to his taste and melting into the kiss.
Renly pulled and cupped his face in one big calloused hand, looking right into his eyes as if he was the most precious thing in the world to him. "How could you ever think that you don't matter to me?"
They both knew it was dangerous kissing each other out in the open even in a deserted car park but they started neither could stop.
All it took was some nosy bastard with a camera, someone to see them locked in intimacy and it would be all around town. The scandal of the season.
The stakes were even higher for Renly. Not only was he part of the powerful Baratheon family, bonafide Hollywood royalty; owners of the most successful studio in Hollywood and worth billions, but his acting career were on the verge of going supernova.
In a couple of years Renly could be as A-List as Clooney or Ryan Gosling - as long as he didn't blow it. And Loras was clever enough to know that getting caught making out with him wasn't in the game plan.
"How could you ever think that I don't want you for one second?" Renly breathed pressing adoring kisses against his jawline, nipping the skin just under his earlobe.
"Stop trying to distract me!" Loras still sounded cross though he gave his lover a satisfied smile.
Renly returned his smile, so sweet and boyish he wondered how he could ever resist him. "Is it working?"
Loras poked him in the chest. "Asshole!"
"Let's go home-" Renly groaned, kissing him again as his hands tangled in his curls. "Let me show you how much I need you-"
Loras was sorely tempted but he had to put his foot down a little. "I've got rehearsal, Renly-"
"Come afterwards. Please? I'll need saving from the madness at Robert's. You are coming tonight, aren't you? I promise we'll stay for an hour, two tops-"
"Don't think that those puppy eyes are going to make a blind bit of difference, because it won't." Loras grumbled, though his hand smoothed Renly's messy hair in a fond gesture. Renly butted his head against his hand rather like an affectionate cat demanding to be petted.
He restarted the car. "Come on, let's get going. I don't have to be there for a while."
Wicked Whispers
Which swoon worthy Hollywood hunk is hiding a huge secret from his legion of female fans?
Johnny Cupid has the world at his feet. He's gorgeous, trust me on this one. Talented too, and charming. A genuinely nice guy. There's no way he won't make it. But would his army of fangirls love him quite so much if they realised they haven't got a chance with him?
Yes, this lusty young buck bats for the other team and what's more is having a torrid affair with a hot rock star that's as white hot as he is?
And it isn't: Alexander Skarsgård, Richard Madden, Tom Hiddleston, Robert Pattinson
Sansa's meeting with the agent went well on the whole. They'd taken the time to look at her showreel and expressed a keen interest in her audition at HBO. All they were doing today was signing the contract and talking plans to launch her on the scene.
"We have high hopes of that show. Great talent already attached and there's a whole lot of demand from the fans. They've been waiting for this show for years. The fandom is already there. This could really launch you."
Sansa nodded, stunned by how quickly things seemed to be going. She'd barely put pen to paper and they were already talking roles and strategy. It made her head spin with the speed things were going.
"I have to say you appear to be very smart as well. You know exactly how the game is played here. Setting up with a rising A-list star like Renly Baratheon, well I have to admire your hustle, Ms Stark-"
"I'm sorry I'm completely lost. I have no idea what you're talking about." She tried to remain polite even though she didn't like the implication. What was he trying to say?
He pulled up TMZ on his laptop and clicked the link. "You sure work fast, I'll give you that. And you don't want to give away your secrets I respect that-"
Sansa stared in horror at the pictures on the screen. In the first one, she was clinging onto Renly's arm leaning towards him as the paparazzi converged on them.
It had been completely innocent; she knew that but it didn't look that way, not in the photo. Loras scowled behind them, his face scrunched up in misery. Looking at the photo closer, it suddenly hit her why Loras had been so moody at the diner. He's jealous. That has got to be it. But jealous of what?
The agent was still chattering away with bubbling enthusiasm. "You make a gorgeous couple, despite the age difference. He so tall dark and handsome, so like Robert in his prime and you're so lovely and fresh- that wonderful fiery hair -it's natural, isn't it? The press will go nuts-"
"It's not true–" she said faintly feeling sick as she realised the game they wanted her to play. "He's a friend of the family. Dad and Rob Baratheon go way back. We're not seeing each other."
"If you say so, Ms Stark. Shame, you two would make a great Hollywood couple, and-" the agent's smile turned sly and knowing. "-I think you'd be quite useful to one another."
Sansa couldn't help thinking that she'd stumbled into a game she didn't know the rules of. It was a jarring experience and she feared she was not entirely equipped to deal with what was going to happen next.
I wanted to be a success here so badly, but now I'm wondering if Renly Baratheon was right.
Do I even know how to play the game?