Adam sat in a pitch dark room, so dark in fact that he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face even if he tried. He was not alone, but among friends. They were all waiting silently for a few others to join them. In the darkness Adam's sense of sight was lessened, forcing his other senses to be significantly magnified. He could smell the scent of his own freshly-sprayed cologne, Dior Homme. He could taste the cherry flavor of his brand-new lip gloss. He could feel his heart pound faster in his chest in both excitement and anticipation as he heard the faint sound of voices drawing nearer and nearer by the second. But it was only one of those voices that truly excited Adam and sent his pulse into a frenzy.
In just a few seconds the beautiful Kris Donatello would be walking through that door to be surprised with a surprise birthday party set up by Adam himself, and Adam could hardly wait to see the look on that pretty little face when Kris saw what awaited him in the make-up room.
A few seconds later the voices were directly outside of the door and the door was slowly being opened, sending the faint light from the chandeliers in the hallway inside, to very minimally light up the room Adam sat in. It still wasn't enough for Adam to see around, and the two figures in the doorway were simply dark outlined shadows. But Adam knew one of those dark shadows was Kris and he was secretly counting down the seconds until the lights were on so he could see him more clearly.
"Turn on the light for me will you, sweetie?" Derrick said.
Adam saw the shorter figure move further into the room to click on the light on the wall. Suddenly the room filled with light, causing Adam's eyes to momentarily squint in adjustment before his eyes focused on the young, gorgeous, and very surprised porn star.
"Happy Birthday, Kris!" the entire room of friends, along with Adam, said together.
As soon as Kris took in the sight of the party before him, his face broke out into a bright and wide smile before he began to laugh. He's so cute. Like always...
Over the past month, since the first photo shoot, Adam's feelings for Kris had unfortunately gotten stronger. But luckily, so far, Adam was able to cope with his simple crush and not let the tiny twinge of longing for the young porn star get in the way of his or Kris' careers or their friendship. At first Adam hated himself for thinking of Kris the way he did, reminding himself time and time again that he will end up heartbroken and screwed over, the same way as he had by his ex-boyfriend Jonathan. But that was before Adam came to a realization: He didn't need to worry about ending up in the same boat with Kris as he did with Jonathan, anymore.
To get hurt the way Jonathan hurt me, Kris would have to reciprocate these feelings, and that will never happen. Crushes don't hurt anybody if they have no chance of going anywhere. Kris is young, he's hot, what would he want with me? Plus he's on top of the world in his career and his life, he wouldn't jeopardize that for me. I wouldn't jeopardize that for me. I'm not going to get hurt because he's not interested. He won't have the opportunity to hurt me. I have no chance with him so what was I even worried about? So Adam no longer found it difficult or shameful to check Kris out, either during his scenes or in regular social environments, for now. In Adam's mind there was no way Kris could hurt him because there was no chance that Kris was interested in or even remotely attracted to him.
Plus he's such a sweet guy and really seems to care about other people. He's way too good for me.
Adam remembered a couple weeks ago when Kris had his second photo shoot with Luke, in the office on the twenty-third floor. In the building with the elevator that Adam was terrified of riding, being an extreme claustrophobic.
Kris didn't need to be reminded of Adam's fear. The second they walked into the building Kris made it a point to find the stairs for Adam so his friend and manager wouldn't have to endure the paralyzing fear he had gone through the first time they rode the elevator together.
"Thank you for remembering," Adam said with a meek smile to Kris as he walked through the door Kris held opened for him leading to the first staircase.
"Of course," Kris said. "I told you next time we would take the stairs. I wouldn't forget that."
"We?" Adam asked turning around to face the shorter man. "You can go ahead and take the elevator, Kris. Really. I'll be fine. There's no point in both of us breaking a sweat."
"I'm coming with you," Kris said with a smile. "I'm not going to have you climb the stairs while I get the luxury of an elevator. What kind of person do you think I am? I'm from Arkansas, remember? I'm a good ole southern gentlemen." Kris shot Adam a wink causing Adam's cheeks to give a slight rosy blush.
"It's fourty-six flights of stairs, Kris," Adam tried one last time to get Kris to change his mind. He was overwhelmed with Kris' kindness. They didn't make them like that in Los Angeles.
"Then I'll be good and sweaty for my photo shoot won't I?" Kris smiled and laughed before patting Adam on the shoulder and walking ahead of him to start up the stairs.
Kris looked around taking in the scene before him with an unwavering smile plastered on his flawlessly beautiful face. He checked out the long decorated table in the center of the room laden with a cake and pile of presents, surrounded by his closest friends and co-stars. Kris looked around at all the people invited to the party individually, his face still resonated in a state of shock.
He looks so surprised! Adam was very pleased with himself for coming up with the idea for the surprise birthday party. Now he knows how much we all truly care about him. Look at that smile..
Julia, Kris' beautiful multi-tattooed and pierced makeup artist, ran forward to snap a birthday hat onto Kris' head and kiss his cheek. "For the birthday boy," she said with a giggle. She then embrace Kris in a tight hug before pulling at his arm and ushering Kris toward the table at the center of the room to show him his cake.
Kris laughed loudly once his eyes set on the cake in front of him. It was a flat sheet cake with a nude picture of Kris scanned onto it. In the picture scanned onto the cake, Kris was facing with his ass toward the camera, the light captured the gorgeous curve of it perfectly. It made the cake look even more scrumptious than any mediocre cake that didn't have a nude picture of Kristopher Donatello scanned onto it. Adam himself had chosen that particular picture for the cake. It was one of his favorite pictures of Kris. Damn, that boy is beautiful..That body...
"I call the piece with Kris' ass," Mitchell said raising his hand and causing the whole room to erupt in laughter. "Yum yum yum."
This comment from Mitchell earned an elbow from his fiancee, Cody.
"Ow. What, baby?" Mitchell asked, wrapping his arm tight around his blonde fiancee. "I love Kris' ass, you know that."
Cody cocked his eyebrow up. Mitchell chuckled, understanding the cue.
"You know I love your ass more than his any day," Mitchell said pulling Cody tighter into his body.
"You better," Cody said with a small smile on his face.
Mitchell leaned closer to give his fiancee a pecking kiss. They giggled together inside their intimate embrace before kissing again.
Immediately, without thought, magnetically, and almost instinctively, Adam's eyes flickered over to look at Kris. Adam didn't know what force prompted him to be drawn to Kris at that particular moment, but there was no escaping it. It was as if Adam's heart knew what it wanted even if its owner was too scared to admit it to himself yet. Then a mixture of shock and confusion was thrown at Adam when at that exact same second Kris' eyes flickered over to look at Adam. Their eyes met for a brief second before they both quickly turned their heads and attention back to their two friends, Mitchell and Cody, who were very much in love. What was that?...
"Stop it you two lovebirds," Derrick said with a giggle. "As precious as you two are, this night is all about Kristopher."
"Yes, sir," Mitchell said with a smile, his arm still wrapped around Cody's waist.
Cody couldn't take his eyes off his fiancee. The way Cody looked at Mitchell was almost enough to break Adam's heart. They are so perfect for each other. I hope I can find a man that looks at me the way Cody looks at Mitchell one of these days. Adam's eyes quickly flicked over to Kris again before dropping to the floor. Ha! Yeah right...like that'll ever happen. Wake up, Lambert. Even if he's interested, which he definitely is NOT, he's a programmed heart breaker. Fucking porn star. Just get over it. That's a road much easier to avoid than travel down.
While Adam sat lost in thought, the candles on the cake were being lit. He snapped out of his trance a couple minutes later to join the rest of his friends in singing a Happy Birthday to Kris. After the song died down Kris stood staring down at his cake in hesitation as if wondering what he should do now.
"Make a wish," Adam said, blurting it out before he could stop himself. Make a wish? Of course of he was going to make a fucking wish! Where did that even come from?
Kris turned to acknowledge Adam, they smiled at each other. Kris' eyes lingered over Adam for a couple of seconds, glancing him up and down.
"Thanks," Kris replied with a nod before turning back to his cake, closing his eyes to make a wish, and blow out the candles.
After the cake was served and eaten, it was time for Kris to open his presents. Adam got a kick out of all the presents Kris was receiving. Some of them were crazy and outrageous, such as a penis shaped cake pan and a book of gay sex positions for 'studying'.
But Adam had to muster ever molecule of self restraint to keep his mind from wandering to sexual things happening between Kris and himself when Mitchell and Cody presented him with their present. A large waterproof vibrator for Kris to use on his days off when he wasn't filming scenes. The second Kris unwrapped the gift a quick and almost lightening fast picture entered Adam's mind. The moving picture was of Adam using the jelly blue vibrator on Kris as Kris' eyes were shut tight in pleasure as he moaned loudly and rode the vibrator as it invaded his hot tight body. Adam closed his eyes and shook his head and the picture faded away almost as quickly as it had materialized. Thoughts like this entered Adam's head almost daily but he never allowed them to stay long enough to flourish into an actual fantasy. He felt that allowing a fantasy to flourish would be crossing a line. Not only professionally but socially, and maybe even a little emotionally.
Adam was brought back to earth when Derrick presented Kris with the Falcon Studios ring.
"Oh my god," Kris said as his hand covered his mouth. "It's...it's gorgeous." He looked up at Derrick, his eyes looked as if he was about to cry. "Thank you. Wow!"
He so deserves that ring...He's phenomenal. I'm so proud of him. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees what I got him. I worked my ass off night and day for almost two weeks trying to score the scene. But its all worth it to see Kris happy...He's going to be so excited!
Kris began to put his new ring onto his finger before Derrick stopped him.
"Wait, you won't want to be putting it on right now..."
"Why?" Kris asked, his face was drawn in confusion.
"You haven't gotten your final present yet," Derrick said. "Just keep the ring in the box for now, you can put it on later. Are you ready for your final present?"
Here it comes!...I can't wait to see his reaction!
Kris looked around the table at all of his friends and co-stars. Kris' eyes landed on Adam who was busy trying to hide his smile, knowing exactly what the final present was, before turning back to Derrick.
"Yeah...yeah I guess so."
"Alright, get up and follow me."
Everyone got up to follow Kris and Derrick out of the room and down the hallway until they were standing in front of the last door on the right. Adam was right behind Kris, wanting to be the first person to see Kris' reaction when he saw who was waiting for him inside.
"Go on in," Derrick said with a smirk.
Kris hesitated for a few seconds before following directions and reaching forward to open the door. Adam saw the profile of Kris' face when a huge beaming smile filled it. Kris' smile fed Adam's.
"Brent!" Kris said before he ran forward and flung himself onto the other young porn star squeezing him into a tight hug.
I knew he would love it! I can't wait until he learns he actually has a scene with him tonight!
"Kris!" Brent replied with a chuckle as he squeezed Kris tighter against him. "Happy Birthday, sweetie!"
"Thanks!" Kris said before leaning back smile at Brent again. "What are you doing here?"
Brent smirked before nodding his head toward Derrick. Kris turned his head to look acknowledge his director. Here it comes!
"Well..." Derrick said with a huge smile. "I've recently come to find that you are a huge fan of Mr. Corrigan..."
"I am! I am!" Kris said.
Adam chuckled. Seriously...how cute is he?
"I've also heard through the grapevine that you want more than anything to work with him..."
Kris' eyes got wide and he covered his mouth with his hand. "Oh my god," he mumbled.
Adam was smiling so hard his cheeks were beginning to hurt. He's got it!
"And believe it or not, you and Brent have a very large joint fan base who are dying to see you two in a scene together so..."
Yep...it's true! I had to use that joint fan base thing as the majority of my argument to allow Brent's company to allow the scene to even be possible.
"Holy shit," Kris said before shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you serious? Are you...? Seriously?"
That's the reaction I was looking for! Kris' eyes were filling with tears and his body was beginning to tremble. And for Adam, Kris' current euphoria was more than enough payment for the hours of hard work Adam had gone through to arrange the scene. It's the main reason Adam went through so much to make it happen. If anybody deserves it it's him. Seeing that excitement is priceless and worth every second of work and debate I suffered through.
"Yes, sweetie, I'm serious," Derrick said beaming.
Kris' face was in an unchanging state of shock. He turned to look back to Brent. "I'm looking forward to this just as much as you are," Brent said before sliding his hand under the bottom of Kris' shirt and began caressing his side.
Kris visibly shivered. Adam smirked. This scene is going to be hot hot HOT! Look at their chemistry! I can't wait to see how it all pans out!
Kris turned to look back to Derrick. "I don't know what to say...Thank you!"
"Don't thank me, sweetie," Derrick said. "Thank Adam. He's the one who set this up and made it possible."
Kris immediately turned his attention to Adam for the first time since entering the room with Brent in it.
"Thanks, man. So much."
Adam smiled and nodded. "Happy Birthday, Kris." Anything for you."
About ten minutes later Kris and Brent stood naked together, in the same room, getting their promo-pictures taken by Derrick before the scene started. Adam stood watching from a distance, trying not to make it too obvious that he was checking Kris out. He's so beautiful...that skin of his is flawless...that body...seriously, wow!
Kris stood with Brent looking like a scared baby deer as they got their pictures taken. Adam had never seen Kris this way with a co-star before. He must just be really excited...I don't blame him, really. Anybody in his situation would be acting the same way. He's with someone he really admires..Some one he's loved for years...
Adam watched as Brent leaned closer to Kris to whisper what looked like words of encouragement and calming before Kris was back to his old self again, burning holes through the camera with his eyes. Brent caressed Kris' body and chest as they stood getting their picture taken again and again. Brent's opened palms slid across almost every satin smooth inch of Kris' body. They looked very intimate...very close...too close.
A pang of jealously hit Adam quick and unexpected, like a typhoon as it crashed all around him and in no time at all he was drowning. He wanted to be the one behind Kris caressing that gorgeous body. He wanted to be the one whispering into Kris' ear to help him relax. He wanted to be the one whose cock was currently nestled between those flawlessly curved ass cheeks. Adam's heart sped up and he quickly looked down at the floor, trying to mask his feelings so nobody else could see him or sense what he was going through. Adam was beyond disturbed by his current emotions. He had never felt this way observing a scene of Kris' before. The jealously he felt was suffocating. Adam tried to conquer it but it was an impossible match. He hadn't felt this jealous since...Jonathan.
Adam closed his eyes tight as his conscience fought with itself. Why? Why am I thinking this way? Never before have I...This isn't good, stop thinking about it. Suck it up, look up, and watch them. Adam lifted his glance just in time to see Kris and Brent embrace in a hot open mouthed kiss. I can't stay here...this is just like how I felt with Jonathan. It's Jonathan all over again! Except one tiny difference...Kris is not yours! So suck it up! I can't...I can't stay here...
"Okay..." Derrick said. "I think that's enough pictures, lets get to filming this scene already!"
Adam lifted his head. You stay or you go...decide now! Adam mustered the courage to look up at Kris and Brent again to help him make his decision on whether he was strong enough to stay or not. Kris and Brent were smiling at each other, looking so cozy together. This scene was different from all the others Kris had been in before. In this scene Kris was not playing a character, but himself. Himself with his idol... Adam quickly came to a decision.
"Everyone come in a grab a seat," Derrick said ushering the birthday party posse inside with a waving arm. "If there aren't enough seats you may sit on the floor."
"Actually..." Adam said causing Derrick, half the guests, and even Kris himself to turn to look at him. "I actually have plans tonight, I'm sorry but I can't stay for the scene. I have to be going."
"Alright..." Derrick said, his tone was thick with confusion.
"Sorry, Kris," Adam said, turning to face the young and beautiful porn star for the last time that evening. "I'm sure you'll be phenomenal as always."
"Thanks," Kris replied. "And it's okay. Thanks again for setting all this up. You're a bad ass manager, dude."
"Anytime," Adam said with a nod and a sad smile that went unnoticed by Kris, before turning to walk out the door.
But before Adam took another step his eyes fell on Derrick who had been staring at him. The following exchange only lasted for three seconds. The older director's eyes were confused then suddenly full of understanding, like he figured it out, like he knew exactly what was going through Adam's head. Derrick's expression changed from understanding to immediate sympathy. He knew what Adam had been through, and now he had this to deal with. Adam tried to mask his thoughts, but Derrick was too good at reading them. He had known Adam for too long to not get what was going on.
Of course Adam could trust Derrick with his secret, but it made him uncomfortable to know that anybody knew about it now. Adam flashed Derrick a stern look, as if warning him to keep his secret a secret, before quickly turning and walking out of the door and into the hallway.
As Adam walked he kept his head down but his mind kept right on reeling. You watch Kris' scenes all the time! Why would that one have been any different? It has to be because it's Brent...Kris absolutely adores him...Adam stepped into the elevator at the end of the hallway and pressed the 'up' button. How...how the hell am I jealous? I can't be jealous! I have no place to be jealous! Kris isn't mine! He doesn't belong to me...He's not my boyfriend...I have no place! What the fuck! Adam stepped out of the elevator and took a left. He walked to the back of the mansion before reaching a door in what would be the kitchen, if it were a normal house, and walked outside onto the back parking lot of Falcon Studios.
And how the hell can I be jealous? Seriously, how? I'm the one that set it up!
A couple minutes later Adam was plopping himself into the drivers seat of his black Lexus. He backed out, pulled out of the Falcon Studios lot and was on the road in no time. He drove the streets of the valley attempting to get straight home. Obviously his 'plans' he lied about having were completely made up. He just needed out of that room fast, before the nausea began.
Seriously! It's not my place to be jealous! He is not mine. He is his own person. Why could I not bare to watch Brent even touch him...What's wrong with me?
Adam stopped at a red light and sat in thought. Kris is the first person who has shown they care about me since...well since...He's so sweet. No! It's just going to be Jonathan all over again! Wait, just because you like him doesn't mean he likes you, remember? And he doesn't like me, that's a guarantee. Jonathan cheated because I wasn't good enough, I never found out what 'enough' was, but to be with Kris I would have to be perfect. And I'm far from perfect. If I was perfect Jonathan would've never cheated...
The light turned green and Adam pressed his foot on the accelerator and was off again. Each foot he drove was a foot closer to his home and safe haven were he could sleep and rid himself of these thoughts for at least a few hours. He couldn't wait to be home.
I've got to get over this stupid crush. It's doing nothing but causing trouble. It's fucking with my career and hindering me from performing my job at the best of my ability. I've got to get over it...It's never been a big deal before, but now it is...Maybe I should ask Derrick to assign Kris a different manager...At this thought Adam's heart tightened up. He couldn't bare not being Kris' manager anymore. It would mean no more interaction with him almost entirely. Plus Kris would be confused as to why Adam asked for the change and Adam already promised to take great care of Kris and his career to help him succeed as much as he possibly could. No, quitting managing Kris wouldn't solve anything. It would just make Adam feel guilty. I've just got to get over it...Get over the crush...
Adam was about fifteen minutes from home, seeing as how he lived in the valley. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep once he was home no matter how hard he tried to until he resolved this issue in his head. He already had trouble falling asleep and now he had this whopper of an issue to weigh on his mind and make sleep almost impossible. So as he drove he searched his mind trying to find a solution to his problem.
That's it! I'm just still brokenhearted over Jonathan! I don't really like Kris! I just like the idea of him!...Right? He's just the rebound guy...a way to mend my broken heart. That's it! I don't really like Kris...I don't think...No I don't...No...That's it! It's just my way of coping with what Jonathan did to me! That's it! That's it!
Adam was so excited to have found a possible solution to his problem that he wasn't paying attention while he was driving and he ran a stop sign before smashing into the side of a car in front of him driving the other way. The impact wasn't serious or at all life altering, seeing as how the speed limit was only thirty in that area. His airbag didn't even deploy. But the crash certainly gave Adam a nice big dose of whiplash and luckily that the extent of his injuries. Quickly Adam got out of his black Lexus to check on the car he hit and see if its passenger, or passengers, were okay. It was about ten o'clock at night and the four way stop the crash occurred on was completely barren of people, businesses or homes. The only light came from the street lamps and the headlights of the two cars.
Adam's heart was pounding hard and fast against his ribcage as he choked in fear that the person or persons he hit were badly injured. He quickly walked around the back of his car to more easily reach the drivers side of the red Ford Fusion he had crashed into. But before Adam could make it all the way around a woman got out of the red car and walked around to look at the damage. Adam's heart sighed seeing that the woman was okay.
She was an older woman, in her mid-forties. She had blonde hair down to her shoulders and a beautiful face for her age with hardly any wrinkles. She wore a pair of jeans with a maroon blouse and a thin black jacket. She hadn't acknowledged Adam at all so far, she was still intently surveying the damage.
"Ma'am I am so sorry," Adam said. "I'll pay all the damages."
Adam expected the woman to round on him and begin screaming, cussing him out or maybe even throw a punch or two, but to his surprise the woman simply looked up at Adam and spoke in a small and meek voice.
"Were you not looking where you were going, young man?"
The woman looked familiar to Adam even thought Adam was sure he had never seen the woman a day in his life previous to this. She reminded him of someone that he knew, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Her mannerisms, the way she spoke, her accent. Why does she seem so familiar?
"No, ma'am," Adam replied. "I just wasn't paying full attention. I've had a lot on my mind. I'm sorry."
The woman broke eye contact with Adam to stare down at her feet. "I know the feeling," she said.
Adam watched the woman from a distance as he tried to figure out just how she seemed familiar. He stayed a good ten feet away from the woman in case she decided to lunge at him at any second. That car of hers looks brand new. Or looked, rather. The side was now dented in significantly, it would cost a lot of money in repairs to fix. His own car, the black Lexus, was damaged pretty bad too. The hood was bent in half and the front bumper was a thread away from falling off. And those were just the simple surface flaws. The engine probably took a bit of a beating too which would no doubt cost a pretty penny to repair. Adam brought his glance back up to the woman. Her calmness of the situation was undeniably odd.
"Once again, ma'am, I'm so sorry," he said. "I'll pay every penny of the damages out of my own pocket. Really, we'll get this sorted out in no time."
The woman, while keeping her gaze at the ground let out a light chuckle before looking up at Adam again.
"Sweetheart, it's okay," she said with a light laugh. "I'm not going to jump at you with a shank."
Adam stifled a small chuckle at the woman's joke.
"It's just a rent a car from the airport. I bought the full coverage insurance so I'm fine."
"Oh," Adam said. "Okay. But why are you so calm about it...if you don't mind me asking?"
"Oh no," the woman said. "I just flew in today. I'm so tired...and physically and emotionally drained. Normally I'd be throwing a fit right now, but you got lucky and I'm not really in the mood."
"Oh," he said again. He stood still, continuing to attempt figuring out how he knew the woman. "I'll go call triple-a and get us towed and you back to your hotel. The airport car rental should replace your car for free. Do you want me to ask?"
"No, thank you," she said. "I'm leaving tomorrow to go back home. I'll just take a taxi."
"Alright," Adam said. "Excuse me for a minute."
He stepped away for a few minutes to make a call before coming back to the older woman.
"They said they'll be here as soon as possible," he said. "Once again, I'm so sorry."
"Thank you, son," she said. "You're a sweet boy. I'm sure your girlfriend loves that about you."
Adam laughed. "Yeah..." He then attempted some small talk, continuing to spark a memory on why the woman was so very familiar.
"So you said you were just in town for tonight?" Adam asked. "A special occasion?"
The woman's smile faded and she looked down at her feet again, kicking the pavement with her tennis shoes. "Something like that." Her face looked undeniably sad so Adam decided not to press the issue. They stood in silence for a few minutes before the woman raised her head again to speak.
"So you're from around here, right?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Could you help me find something?" she said. "I've been driving around for hours."
"I can try," Adam replied. "What are you looking for?"
"It's a place...I believe its called Falcon Studios. It's a um...a movie studio," she said, her gaze falling back to her feet again.
Suddenly Adam realizes how the woman in familiar and his guardian wall slams up like a steal chained moat protecting himself and the third party he was intent on taking care of and watching over. He wasn't sure of the woman's motives and it was his job and duty to protect his client. She could do something drastic...She could take him away from him.
"Never heard of it, ma'am," Adam said, his voice low and hushed. "I'm sorry."
"No I didn't think you would," she said. "You seem like a good respectable man. Anyway, I'm going to go wait in my car until the tow gets here. Los Angeles is so much chillier than Arkansas. It was a pleasure to meet you, young man. Even under such unfortunate circumstances, Mr...?"
"Lambert," Adam said. "Adam." He accepted the older woman's hand shake.
"Kimberly Allen," she replied with a sad smile. "Have a good night," she said before turning away to go sit back in her damaged rental car.
Adam's throat tightens as he watched the woman walk away. That was Kris' mom...