Page 14 of Playing Cowboy
“My truck, silly.”
His smile widens as we round the corner into a parking lot behind the office building.There are only a few cars in the lot and only one truck.I smirk.Usually, there are two, but Parker’s raggedy ass pickup is nowhere to be seen.Then I remember—hadn’t he said something about keeping Ginny McBride “busy” as soon as I left the office?
I steer past the driver’s side door and, instead, hold the passenger door of my gleaming silver truck open for him.He looks at it like he doesn’t know how to get in.Either that or he’s not used to southern gentlemen being so ...southern gentlemanly?I kick the guardrail beneath the door with my chocolate brown loafer.“You just step up here,” I warn him playfully.“And I’ll toss you in the rest of the way.”
“No, it’s just...”He nods at the open door.So that was it, after all.“You don’t ...you didn’t...”
“It’s fine, Chet,” I assure him, tempted to boost his little ass up into the shotgun seat if only it wouldn’t make the situation even more awkward.“Haven’t you ever heard of southern hospitality?”
“Sure, yeah, I’ve just ...never seen it in action.”
He breezes past me, alighting into the passenger seat with surprising dexterity for such a prissy little fella.Once he’s settled, wriggling into place like a little tyke about to head off to Sunday school in his sleek LA outfit, I nod at the seatbelt.“Buckle up,” I grunt, swinging the door shut on his playful laughter.
Damn,I think, hustling around to the driver’s side with a sudden kick in my step.But ain’t his laugh pretty?
“Where’s your luggage?”I ask suddenly, backing out of my spot as the heavy messenger bag jostles between us.
He pats it playfully, as if feeling adventurous all of a sudden.“The studio’s sending it along once I get settled.I didn’t want to mess with baggage claim, so I just packed his baby to the gills for now.”
I frown.“Can you change the address?”I ask, easing into traffic along Hastings.“I mean, once I get you all settled in your new place?”
“I doubt it’ll be a problem, but ...you don’t have to go to all this trouble, Grady.Honestly.”
I smile, my elbow resting on the open window as I wait to turn onto Winding Way before cruising out to the new development at Juniper Junction.“Consider it a makeup gift for, you know ...our little dustup back at the office this morning.”
He grunts.“You call that a dustup?You should hang around the studio when they’re negotiating a new contract.Nowthoseare some dustups.”
I glance over at him as we wait at the next stop sign.“Funny, Chet.I just—don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but...”
“I know, I know,” he beats me to the punchline.“I’m not exactly the Hollywood type, right?”
“Something like that,” I murmur as downtown Pistol Creek fades in my rearview mirror as we head on to the newer, more moneyed side of town.
“I mean, obviously I didn’t move to LA to do publicity for some western studio,” he grouses.
“So whatdidyou move to LA for then?”
“I mean, it wasn’t much of a move,” he explains coyly, avoiding my eyes as we watch the older, more lived-in buildings of Pistol Creek give way to the glossier, sleeker, newer developments on the outskirts of town.“I grew up in Palmdale, so...”
“That’s ...not quite answering my question, Chet.”
“For a boy, okay,” he gushes, relief seeming to flood both of our bodies as he stares back at me at the next stop sign.“I followed a stupid boy to LA and ...and...”
“How’d that work out for you?”I ask with a smidge of foreshadowing.
“How do you think it ended?”he huffs.“Fucker dumped me the minute he got his first role on a soap opera.It wasn’t even a recurring role.He played an extra in a crowd scene, and thought he was going to be the next Brad Pitt.”
“Who’d he dump you for?”I ask, heart racing with the implications: no more beating around the bush.No more guessing.No more doubt.Chet and Idoplay for the same team, after all.
“Huh?”
“You said he dumped you, so...”
“Some stupid actress,” Chet squawks, voice breaking like he’s literally just reached puberty at that exact moment.“Of all things.”
“I mean, people are ‘bi,’ Chet.It’s a thing.That exists.Especially out in LA, I’m thinking.”
“Pierre’s not bi,” Chet gushes.“He’s probably not even gay, either.Or straight.He’s just ...just ...in love with himself, that’s all!”
