Page 46 of Footlights and Forever

“I’m so proud of you!” I squealed down the phone. “Congratulations!”

“I still can’t believe it myself.” His words were coming so fast, and the joy was evident in his voice. “It was just such a lengthy process going over and over different scenes, and chemistry reads with the other actors but right before I was about to leave, the casting and stage director pulled me to one side and offered me the part.”

“Austin! Come back inside, this is your party after all,” I heard a familiar voice say on the end of the line.

“Hey Kyle, I’m just talking to Dylan. I’ll be back in soon.”

“Kyle threw you a party?”

“Yeah, he said that he couldn’t let my first big gig go uncelebrated, so he threw something together last minute.”

“Hey, what are you guys doing out here?” A chill ran down my spine. “Come back inside babe, people are wanting to talk to you.”

“Kevin, shush,” I heard Kyle whisper.

“Kevin’s there?”

“Listen baby, he was crashing with Kyle, and it’s not like he wasn’t going to get invited. I’m just here with Kyle though. You have nothing to worry about.”

Scenes from college rushed through my head. Austin telling me that Kyle and Kevin were harmless, that they were just overly flirty, that they didn’t really detest me as much as I’d presumed they did. Then that final image of Austin’s lips pressed against Kevin’s.

“Dylan, are you there?”

“Yeah. Go have fun I guess.” This motherfucker was out partying with a guy who he’d cheated on me with and he expected me to what? Just chill? “I’m kind of tired, so I’m going to bed.”

“Dylan come on, talk to me. I miss you and haven’t spoken to you all day.”

“No that’s true, you were too busy letting your boys and your boyfriend know about your news before letting, oh I don’t know, your actual boyfriend know.”

“Dylan…”

“I don’t want to fight, so I am going to put the phone down now and go to sleep. Congratulations again Austin.”

“Dylan, wait,” was what I heard as I hung up.

I realized I hadn’t told him about my news. The previous joy in my heart was now a fading memory as images of Austin and Kevin flitted through my mind until finally hours later, I drifted off into a troubled sleep.

Chapter 16

“If you are an adolescent, here is the trick to being neither quite a nerd nor quite a jock; be no one. It is easier than you think.” ? David Foster Wallace

Austin

“Hope I didn’t get you in too much trouble with the missus,” Kevin smiled from behind the cocktail in his hand.

“Not too much, I hope,” I glared at Kyle, who at least had the good grace to look slightly guilty. “Dylan knows that what happened between us was a total fluke and that I have no interest you like that in any way.”

“Ouch.” I could see I had dented his pride a little, and I didn’t like to be the person that upset anyone.

“I mean don’t get me wrong, you are objectively good-looking,” I gestured towards him, which earned me a small grin, “but I’m in love with my boyfriend. Also, I now only see Kyle when I look at you so the idea of hooking up with you makes me feel physically sick and my cock shrivel up to the size of a raisin.”

“Erm ouch?” Kevin laughed, his hand pressed over his heart.

“Just being honest with you buddy.” I leaned over and slapped the side of his arm.

“I don’t know whether or not I should be a bit offended.” Kyle laughed.

“You’re a big boy.” I shrugged. “You’ll get over it.”

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