Had Luke imagined it? Or had Noah really just blown him off?
Media profile?
If anybody in their pairing should be worried about a media profile it should have been Luke. Luke's occasional mention in the papers was miniscule when compared with Noah's. It would be Luke putting his privacy on the line by dating Noah. Wouldn't it?
It's Damian. Damn him!
Luke sank into an the armchair in his bedroom.
It has to be Damian.
Either that or Noah has found somebody better to take to dinner.
Luke's eyes narrowed. He snatched up his phone and began scrolling through the address book, determined to show Noah Mayer just how unconcerned he was at being left in the lurch. Luke had tons of people he could call... men who would break their necks to take him out to dinner. His thumb hovered over names. But his heart fluttered in his throat.
He couldn't do it.
Because...
Because...
Damian's Siamese cat, Jasper, chose that moment to jump into Luke's lap.
"Because I want him," he told the cat, burying his face into the warm fur. "Dammit, Jasper! I was waiting all day to see him and now..."
Feeling ridiculous, Luke snatched up his phone once more, played 'eeny-meeny-miny-mo' with the names and pressed call. Bradley Wiles answered almost immediately.
Clearly he doesn't have a problem with being distracted!
Lucky (or not) Bradley was in town and knew of a new bar opening and invited Luke to go along. And best of all, Bradley wouldn't press Luke for anything more than his company. They'd sorted out the status of their friendship years ago when a brief fling had fizzled out.
"Pick you up in an hour," Bradley said.
"Make it half an hour," Luke insisted, pulling up the zipper in his jeans. The last thing he wanted was to sit around on his own.
He ended the call and pulled the blue shirt he'd chosen to wear over his head.
Yes. Luke would go out, gossip, dance and amuse himself. He'd forget the whole thing with Noah ever happened.
He'd hold onto the fact Noah had spoken so flatly, so uncaring, allowing nothing to change his mind. Imagine him labeling Luke a 'mistake.'
Turning around, Luke caught his reflection in the mirror and a surge of sadness welled up from some place deep inside him. Would nobody in L.A. ever see past the Grimaldi connection to the person he really was?
Luke inhaled sharply, irritated by his thoughts, and with himself.
..
Goucho's Bar was noisy, but it had shadowy corners where a couple of famous faces could anonymously blend into the dark green leather and oak decor.
Noah made his way through a beer. He'd been off the hard stuff for almost four years. He didn't miss it, but every now and then a glass of single malt would hit the spot. This was one of those nights.
He should have been enjoying the company of the three people with him. It was all-male and full of good humor. Michael Colbuck, one of Tinsel Town's rising stars, was telling a story that had veered from off-color to downright pornographic. Noah listened but with only half an ear; his mind constantly wondering off.
He noticed a good looking man at the bar with shoulder length blonde hair and he was immediately picturing the sun glinting off the golden curls of Luke Snyder as he leaned back against his convertible, smiling at Noah with all the self confidence of an attractive man to whom other men flocked.
He picked up his beer and pretended to smile; contemplating how he'd become an expert at giving up what he liked for the sake of the bottom line. Concentrating on his goals, being single-minded, was how Noah had risen to the top of his profession.
It was just that at this moment he was having trouble remembering what the particular bottom line had been. He'd swapped an evening with a Blonde God for Colbuck's terminally bad and long-winded stories.
He stood up. "
Noah, man, where are you going?" Blake asked.
Both Michael and Jim Wright, a fellow director interested in Noah's project, stilled in their conversation.
"I have a previous appointment," Noah said.
Blake frowned. "You realize you called this evening together, right?"
Without responding Noah left; shouldering his way out of the bar.
Noah was leaving as Luke entered; towering over the guy he was with - a thick-set, strong-profiled Britishman Noah recognized from the acting circuit.
Wiles was dressed in a long black coat, suitable for the cooler evenings. Luke wore a pair of jeans and T-shirt, which on anybody else would have appeared understated, but somehow Luke shone; stood out in it.
Noah ground to a halt; his gut clenching. Because Wiles had Luke now and Noah didn't.
Luke barely reacted on seeing him. He brushed past Noah without glancing up; his attitude showcasing every reason Noah didn't want to get involved with him.
And every reason he did.
Noah inclined his head and Luke's gaze moved fleetingly against his. Wiles said something to Luke, gave Noah an amused look; and ushered Luke forward.
The aggression rushed up from nowhere and Noah brought his hand down on Wiles' shoulder. The other man turned around in surprise, his face hardening as he read Noah's mood and stance.
Noah froze just in time.
What the hell am I doing?
Thinking fast Noah said, "Nice to see you around, Bradley. Enjoy your evening."
Noah turned and walked out the door.
Yeah, being single-minded had brought him a long way.
...
Luke was aware he was talking a little too animatedly in the car, as if the flow of words would stem the rising tide of feeling behind it. Since running into Noah, he'd been preoccupied and not much company. Bradley was bringing him home early.
"So... are you seeing him?"
Luke didn't even bother to deny it.
"We only met yesterday," he admitted in a low voice. "We had arranged to go out to dinner tonight. He cancelled and I..."
"You phoned me," Bradley drawled. "I'm flattered."
Luke put his hand on Bradley's arm. "I phoned you because you're one of my friends and I knew I could trust you. I knew you'd be good company without expecting anything. Besides, if I called Maddie she'd want all the details."
"Will you be seeing him again?"
"He's not interested."
"For a man who isn't interested, darling, he has the eyes of a jealous husband."
Luke swallowed, but couldn't ignore the flutter of excitement that observation arose within him.
"A word of advice, Luke. Take it from an old friend who cares about you." He gave Luke a wry look. "Noah Mayer is not a man for you to play with. He has been ruthless with men in the past. Some a lot tougher than you."
"Ruthless?"
Luke couldn't help the shiver that ran through him, even though the Mercedes was climate-controlled. He sat back and looked unseeingly out the dark passenger side window. He knew exactly how he felt about men who were ruthless to women (or other men). Hell, he had had front row seats with Damian. But Luke couldn't put aside all the sweet things Noah had done for him that day. He was almost wrapping them to himself like a warm blanket.
In all the years since men had started following him with their eyes and making all sorts of empty promises, no man had ever gone to as much trouble for him as Noah had in just a few short hours. Luke could almost forgive Noah for the cancelled date and the reason he had given for it.
Almost.
"He is a player then? Like they say?" Luke couldn't help but ask.
Bradley shrugged. "No more than any other rich and famous man, darling. Their situation doesn't leave them with many options. It's hard to trust anybody when so many out there are after what you have. I do know he's well known for his self-control. He doesn't drink or smoke or get into fights. You say you met him only yesterday?"
"Yes."
Bradley threw back his head and laughed.
"What?"
"You know," he struggled to speak through his laughter. "It's even funnier you had to ask that!"
Luke shook his head, noticing how close they now were to his home. He could feel the darkness edging in and a great unwillingness for the evening to end, for all the noise and activity to stop, to be alone. To think.
But when Bradley asked whether he could see Luke inside, Luke immediately shook his head. Bradley wasn't the company he wanted.
Holden's truck was parked outside, but it was late, and Luke knew his father would be asleep. He made his way upstairs; the cold, empty weight of the house bearing down on him.
He tried not to think about all the debts and those warning letters and threats and what it would all come to... and somehow what flashed to mind was...
What if Noah Mayer followed me home?
If he did - if he drew up in the courtyard in that smart car of his, if his heavy tread crunched on the gravel, if he stood there under Luke's window in the dark and called his name - like in a movie - what would Luke do?
"I'd piss on his head!" He told the cat, currently spread across the window sill. "That's what I'd do!"
Jasper immediately hopped down to the carpet and trotted underfoot as Luke washed his face and undressed, all the while cursing to himself.
"He thinks I'm a media disaster and only interested in his money," Luke muttered. "Well, I'm neither of those things, Jasper." He wondered over to his dresser and opened the top drawer - the one stuffed full of unopened and ignored correspondence from his lawyer and various legal firms who handled Damian's case.
As he settled himself down and took up a pen, he felt something like relief that he'd finally started making a dent in them - until he actually began reading...
It was only when he was lying awake in the dark hours, resting his chin on top of Jasper's warm little body, that he realized it had taken someone like Noah to come along and force Luke to see his behavior through the eyes of another, and for Luke to find the courage to face his problems.
Luke supposed he should thank Noah for that. Luke shivered and drew the cover up a little closer to his chin. It was a cold night, and Damian's house was always so full of drafts.
..
The next morning he was walking in his cotton pajamas, barefoot along the terrace, when his convertible drove up to the house.
He put his freshly brewed coffee down and hurried out to speak to the mechanic who delivered it. The car had been given a certificate of good health, he read, noting a few key parts had been replaced and the car had been tuned.
But there was no bill...
"I don't understand," he said uneasily.
"Compliments of Noah Mayer," said the guy with a shrug. "She's a beauty, sir. You really should take better care of her."
Luke's fingers crumpled the report in his hands slightly before he realized what he was doing. He wasn't a charity case! He didn't need to be rescued least of all by hot shot director Noah Mayer!
As Luke continued to slowly burn laser holes in the report, a flower delivery van pulled up on the gravel drive. Luke looked up to see a boy leap out and came toward him, bearing a large bouquet of red roses.
"Luke Snyder?" the delivery guy asked thrusting the flowers forward. "These are for you." Luke had to take them in both arms. He blushed even as he buried his nose in the rich aroma. He'd never received flowers before.
Bradley. How sweet of him - and unnecessary.
He plucked out the card and suddenly the blooms in his arms took on a whole different meaning.
"Forgive me," the card read. "Noah."