Starboys

by Jeremy Jenkins

  The air in the trailer got even more tense. It was like there was a current running through everything — I was surprised that Alina’s hair wasn’t frizzing out.

  “Oh, huh… they’re all flyover states to me,” he said with a wink.

  I frowned and the smile ran away from Oliver’s face.

  He glanced at Alina, seemingly for help.

  Her expression was unreadable.

  An icy chill crept into my bones, and Oliver took a step backward.

  “Do you have everything you need for tomorrow, hun?” Alina asked sweetly, in the very same voice she’d used with Mason.

  Oliver glanced down at the beautiful fabric hanging off his arm.

  “Y-yes, I think so,” he said quickly. Then he blinked a few times as if he just now realized that some social thing had taken place and worn out his welcome.

  Hell, I still wasn’t sure what had happened.

  “Thank you,” Oliver said quickly, then his eyes darted to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow on the set!”

  Like he couldn’t get away fast enough, he dashed out the trailer door and into the night.

  I shared a look with Alina, and she smiled at me brightly.

  “He’s totally into you,” she said, biting her bottom lip playfully.

  “He’s totally weird,” I fired back with a huff. “And why was that… why was that so…”

  “So weird?” She finished for me. “Because you’re hot!”

  I was flattered and tried to hide the fact that I was fiercely blushing.

  “Just because he was… he was maybe a little into me— if he was, mind you — that’s no excuse for being rude.”

  “Oh, I know,” Alina said, brushing her hair. “I’m from Michigan, remember? He was shitting on my home state too. Flyover state… please…”

  I sat back down on her bed, thinking.

  “But we do know one thing about him. Well, I know three things,” she said, a smirk curling on her perfect lips.

  “Oh? And what’s that Lady Bryn?” I mocked.

  She fixed me with her green stare and I was almost knocked backward by the power in it. Alina held up one finger and said, “One, he desperately needs to feel important. Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel the need to talk shit about where we’re from. You saw his reaction when you said you were from the midwest!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, that’s so unattractive though…”

  She held up a second finger. “Two! He’s attracted to you — he thinks you’re gorgeous.”

  “What, really?” I said, nearly squirming. “How do you know, how could you tell?!”

  “Bitch, please. It was so obvious,” she said with that glint in her eye.

  It made her eyes shine like emeralds.

  “And three!” She held up a third finger, “I know that you think he’s gorgeous too!”

  “Not true,” I lied through my teeth.

  She raised a black eyebrow at me, unraveling my lie.

  “…okay, I thought he was hot at first. There was obvious chemistry,” I admitted. “But if he thinks he’s better than me, what’s the point? That’s so unattractive.”

  “Give it a day. He’s actually really nice — he was probably really nervous. You’re a gorgeous, talented man, and maybe he was just a little threatened,” she offered.

  “I don’t know, Alina. I’m not into guys that feel threatened by me… I’ve been there, done that, and the relationship turns into some kind of weird competition.”

  “Who said anything about a relationship?” She asked with a wink.

  I shook my head and threw a pillow at her.

  Chapter Six

  The next day, I rose early to watch Mason’s scene. I knocked and knocked on Alina’s door, but there was no answer.

  Maybe she was somewhere else? Maybe she slept in late?

  I felt the worry curdle in my gut, hoping that she wasn’t proving Mason right when he came up and tried to intimidate her yesterday.

  As I ascended the steps carved into the side of the cliff, I thought about all the people I’d met yesterday. Out of everyone, the only ones that stuck out in my mind were Reese Riley the passionate director, Leo Knight the strangely introverted actor, asshole Mason Vayne, and curiously, Oliver.

  What was it about him was it that made me want to prove myself to him? To make him look at me the way he did when I first opened Alina’s trailer door?

  I could close my eyes and picture his bright green ones staring back at me with wonder, and his tan skin complimenting them in the moonlight.

  As I climbed the stairs, I thought more and more about how his comment made me feel. With each step I ascended, I became crankier and crankier.

  Who did he think he was? Some kind of east coast boy, no doubt. What made him great? Did he ever have to struggle? Did he ever have to move cities and experience the culture shock and the loneliness that came with it?

  I pictured him in my memory again, and the more I went over the details I’d captured, the less I liked him. His nails were perfectly manicured, he’d obviously used a moisturizer on his face every night to get that perfect, blemish-free skin. His clothing was tailored, perfectly fitted for his amazing body…

  Shaking the desire away, I reasoned with myself that of course his clothes were tailored; he was a costume designer. His clothes would be immaculate in the same way my grooming was always immaculate.

  Then I thought back to how he pronounced those words; his insult. “Flyover state.” And then how his eyes lit up with that smile like he expected us to agree with him. How crestfallen he’d been when it was clear that both me and Alina were offended.

  I felt gratitude; happy to have Alina on my side. At least I had one friend in all this mess.

  As I ascended the last steps and emerged at the base of the castle, it only took me one quick glance around at the people wandering around before I saw her.

  Her white hair shone like a beacon. Her hands were full of something she was eating.

  Relief flooded through me. Thank goodness she was there on the set; I wanted her to be able to stick it to Mason.

  Quickly, I scanned the scene trying to find him. It only took a few seconds.

  He was by the table full of breakfast food, leaning against it while sipping on a cup of coffee. Today, he was dressed in some drab-looking leather armor.

  I smiled a little as I thought of how it probably caused Oliver a little distress to make an outfit so un-fabulous.

  Though I reminded myself that I didn’t really know Oliver at all, and therefore I couldn’t accurately predict what he was thinking. Still, I held onto the small shred of a petty thought that he might be forced to make something he wasn’t excited about.

  Despite the drab leather armor he was wearing, Mason looked stunning. It wasn’t necessarily his looks that were doing it, although they certainly played a part. He was a drop-dead gorgeous man, undeniably. The thing — the real thing that held the eye and kept it there, was that intangible star quality that radiated out from him like an aura. It was like a magnet, and it made you watch him.

  As I approached the breakfast spread, I wondered if he could turn it on and off at will.

  Mason was standing next to the coffee machine as if he was assigned to guard it.

  I was surprised there was no one else around him. Then again, it was pretty early. Most of the cast and crew were still asleep in their trailers.

  Though I tried to be subtle about it as I plucked a styrofoam cup from the stack, I couldn’t deny the creeping sensation that crawled over my skin. He was watching me.

  I was nervous.

  Trying to contain the blush that was quickly rising into my cheeks, I pulled the tap down and kept my eyes trained on the dark liquid that pattered into my cup.

  I could feel those icy eyes boring into me, waiting for me to give in first.

  I wouldn’t do it. If he wanted to talk to me, he’d have to be the first one to say something.

  Mentally, I was
scrambling with plans in my head as the black liquid filled up the cup. The tone of the pouring raised in pitch as it got closer to the top. Time was running out, but the prickling on my skin was turning up a few notches.

  Just as I turned to join Alina, he spoke.

  “How are you sleeping?” he asked, his voice drenching me in honey.

  I stopped in my tracks. Something about the way he asked that prickled on my senses of that weird other-ness that I associated with Hazel.

  Sure enough, I turned to find those blue eyes piercing me.

  “Fine,” I said, walking back over to him.

  It felt like this was where my feet wanted to go all along; like I was finally giving in to the gravitational pull that Mason had.

  His lips curled into a smile. He must have known.

  Though my insides were squirming with nervousness and twisting around with feeling starstruck, I told myself that I’d have a quick chat with him. Just to power through it. Just to have the experience.

  I mean, how many more times in my life was I going to get to talk to my celeb crush on a beautiful Italian cliff?

  “You went to bed late last night,” Mason said, looking off to the ocean.

  “You’re observant,” I said, taking a sip of my coffee. It burned my tongue, but I pretended it didn’t as the pain was razed through my mouth.

  “I notice things,” Mason said simply.

  Like a Rolodex, my mind was combing through all the reasons Mason might be asking me this. He could have been watching Alina’s trailer door. He could have some type of weird crush on Alina and was watching to see if any other guys went into her trailer. Or…

  Or he could have been watching me because he had a crush on me.

  The thought was so absurd that I swept it out of my mind immediately.

  “What have you noticed?” I asked, tightening my grip on my cup.

  He turned his body so that he was facing me, then fixed me with a fierce, burning blue stare. “Secret for secret?” he asked with that million-dollar smile.

  I couldn’t say no. It was like I was under some kind of spell. So I nodded.

  “You first,” he said, quirking one of his thick dark eyebrows up.

  “It doesn’t work like that,” I said, internally screaming.

  “Oh?” he asked with a playful smile, “how does it work then? Please tell me, as you’re clearly calling the shots here…” he said sarcastically.

  My face fell.

  “Well, first of all, let's get one thing straight,” I said, holding my ground. My knees were shaking, but I was wearing pants so there was no way he could tell. “You ask me to trade secrets because you want something from me.”

  “Is that so?” he asked, clearly enjoying this exchange. “What could I possibly want from you?”

  “I’m not sure,” I admitted, my heart racing. “But I know something you don’t. And you know I know. And this information…” I met his eyes, “Is something you want desperately.”

  He tutted, then looked out to the horizon again.

  I wanted his eyes back on me; I felt cold in their absence.

  “I was just trying to make conversation.”

  “This is what you call a conversation?” I asked, daring myself to go a step further. “Calling me out and demanding my secrets?”

  “It was an exchange of secrets,” Mason said, rolling his eyes.

  I smirked. He felt like he needed to defend himself for some reason.

  “What could you possibly know that I don’t? I’m gay and shady, and I eat secrets for breakfast,” I said, plucking a donut hole off the table and popping it into my mouth.

  Mason watched me, stunned. I’d never seen him look lost for words before. But there was something else there in that expression of his: want.

  He wanted something from me. Something that I knew.

  Then the stunned look on his face was gone in an instant, and that arrogant, cocky facade was back. He took a step toward me, looking down at me with an expression of pure haughtiness.

  “I know lots of things you don’t, Charlie,” he said.

  I jumped a little, surprised that he remembered my name.

  He gave a quick glance around and lowered his voice. “I know everything about these people. I know there’s a marriage about to go sideways. I know who has a crush on whom, the rejections, the wooing, the betrayals and secret relationships that are going on all around you.”

  I was stunned, rooted to the spot as he bore down on me.

  “This place is a rat’s nest of drama, and shit is about to hit. The. Fan,” he said, taking three small steps towards me.

  I could feel his body heat coming off of him like an electric charge, sending a buzzing through my skin.

  “But what I don’t know,” he said, biting his lip, “is anything about her.”

  Mason jerked his gaze over to Alina, who was laughing. Her white hair was shining in the morning sunlight like she was an angel.

  “What, do you have a crush on her or something?” I asked with a faltering smile, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

  He chuckled, flashing those perfect white teeth at me again. “Hardly. She’s the last piece of the puzzle. The one part of this whole thing that, if I knew, I could stop all of this drama from happening.”

  I blinked and looked aloof, mentally shoving all of Alina’s secrets into a safe and locking it. “I don’t know what you mean. Surely someone like you could use other sources to… what was it? Keep shit from hitting the fan,” I said victoriously. “Honestly, I think you have a crush on her, that’s why you’re—”

  He cut me off as he kissed me, long and deep.

  Everything in my body felt numb with surprise, and it felt like an explosion of lust was happening within me. If being in proximity to a star like Mason was overwhelming, it was nothing compared to kissing him.

  He pulled away as suddenly as it happened, his blue eyes flickering to mine.

  Then he smirked and said, “I don’t have a crush on her. I don’t swing that way.”

  I was speechless, my false bravado stolen from me with that kiss.

  “Mason! You’re up!” Cried Reese from the background somewhere.

  Mason smirked at me one last time, confident that he had all the power now. “All I want to know is who Alina is seeing,” he said.

  And just like that, he turned and left me at the breakfast table.

  It took everything in me not to collapse to my knees.

  “What?!” Alina hissed, her eyes going wide with disbelief.

  “He kissed me,” I repeated, still unable to believe it myself.

  Nearby, Mason was locked in a fierce sword fight with some other character, the golden morning light glinting on the blades as they clattered together.

  “No way,” Alina said breathlessly, pulling me into a dark corner near the base of the castle.

  “Well, he did!” I said, willing her to believe me. I could tell from her eyes that she did, but the doubt in her voice threw me off guard.

  She put her hand on my shoulder and all was right in the world again. Warmth and friendship flooded through me.

  “I believe you,” she said, her eyes open and earnest, “I need details. When did it happen?”

  “Just now, over there!” I shout-whispered as I pointed to the breakfast table.

  She glanced over to it. “But that’s out in the open…”

  “Apparently he is, too,” I said grumpily, crossing my arms over my chest. “I… I may have accused him of having a crush on you.”

  She smiled, her eyes glittering like emeralds. “And what did he say to that?”

  “He denied it,” I said carefully. “Said something about wanting to know who you’re dating.”

  Her face froze up and there was a clear look of panic there, but it was gone in an instant. It was as if this calm, collected veil that she was wearing at all times was pulled away, revealing something glittering and far more human underneath.

 
Fear.

  “I’m not dating anybody, I already told you that,” she said shyly.

  I examined her closely, then said, “Okay, you don’t have to tell me. Just know that Mason’s sniffing around for your secrets. You probably shouldn’t tell anyone in case you are…” I said, glancing out towards the sword fight.

  “Charlie, I trust you,” she said, squeezing my hand. “It’s just… ugh, it’s a complicated situation, and I want to wait until everything blows over before I can tell you the story.”

  I gazed at her with wide eyes. “So there is something going on,” I said, turning to face her. “I knew it!”

  “Look, boo,” she said with finality, grinding my accusation to a halt. “A lot is going on here that I don’t even understand yet. And before I go making assumptions, I want to be sure I have the full story.”

  “Why don’t you tell me and I can find out for you? I could be your professional tea-gatherer.” I said with a grin.

  “Maybe…” she said, her green eyes shining gold in the morning light.

  I followed her gaze over my shoulder and saw none other than the golden man himself, Leo Knight, lingering at the breakfast table.

  Something in the way she was looking at him tugged on my curiosity, and my intuition sparkled. Whatever secret she was hiding had something to do with Leo.

  She blinked as if snapping out of a trance and looked back at me. “It’s almost time to shoot my scene, I need you to get started on my hair.”

  A half-hour later, I was still working on Alina’s hair.

  She was an absolute vision in her incredible costume — some kind of dress with what looked like fancy caging around her ribs. When she leaned down to pick up her phone, the slit in her dress yawned open and I caught a glimpse of her lacy lingerie wrapped around her juicy leg underneath.

  If I was straight, I’d very well be losing my mind over the sight of that. I’d wager that whatever episode of the Black Castle this sex scene showed up in, it would undoubtedly be the most popular.

  I was very conscious of Pretty Boy Oliver hovering around, frantically sewing buttons or repairing lace on Alina’s outfit as I worked on threading together the complicated braiding and curling of her hair.