Secrets
Shawn can't understand the amount of money that his publisher is putting into the advertising campaign for his book. Despite the success he's already had, he still has trouble comprehending that anyone would be willing to spend that kind of money and effort on him. The publisher sends someone to interview him, to get a feel for a way to market Shawn himself because he's young and handsome and nothing sells like sex.
The interviewer asks him questions about his favorite food and favorite color, she asks him about how he grew up, she asks him about college. When she asks him whether or not he's got a girl in his life, Shawn's about to tell her about Cory and his seventh official anniversary that Friday and stops. Everyone in the book is straight, he thinks, and it's too good a story to let the audience dismiss just because it doesn't seem genuine coming from a gay author. He smiles, the ladykiller smile that he perfected in high school, and tells her that he's not really looking right now.
When Shawn tells Cory about the interview he's pretty sure it's the first time that he and Cory have ever screamed at each other. The fight goes on for nearly an hour and only stops when Cory half drops and half throws a plate onto the kitchen floor and sees Shawn spasm violently at the noise.
Cory's anger evaporates instantly. Shawn's father used to break plates when he hit an angry drunk phase. He's seen the scar on Shawn's leg from the time when one of the broken pieces hit him. Cory pulls him into his arms, apologizing into his shoulder. Shawn apologizes for lying about Cory and that he'll do it, he'll come out, he'll make a statement, he'll call the interviewer, whatever Cory wants and Cory tells him that he'll play along. But just this once. Shawn moved to New York to give him a chance, and Cory will do this to give Shawn a chance.
That night they make love so wildly that the neighbors bang on their bedroom wall to quiet them down.
Next Installment: Fame
