Page 7 of Hot Set

“Yeah,” Seth said, “So unless you come up with some twist or something, you need to fix it. I’m only dyeing my hair once.”

“Noted,” Brandon replied. “Send me a text to remind me.”

Seth shrugged and strode away. There was something in his posture or maybe his walk that seemed to have a physical, heavy weight.

“He seems…” I trailed off.

“Like a huge jerk,” Brandon replied. “Piss him off and he’ll prank you into oblivion.”

“Really?”

Brandon nodded. “And drink you out of your inheritance. I have no idea how someone that skinny manages to hold his liquor, but he does. Literally the last man standing.”

“So, watch out for Seth. Good to know,” I replied.

“Sure,” Brandon said, “So, moving along, do you want to see the costumes? We have some pretty cool stuff in wardrobe.”

As if to prove his point, a woman dressed in a vaguely colonial dress rushed past us.

“It’s a zombie movie, right?” I asked. “With the zombie cast ofHamilton?”

Brandon’s face lit up. “It is! But there’s time travel involved, too! It’s really cool, and the effects are going to bekiller. I’ve got the best in the business.”

I arched an eyebrow and wondered how many figures it would take to get the best in the business to agree to be a part of a Sci-Fi original movie knockoff. It must’ve been an astronomical amount. “What doyoudo?” I asked, glancing at Brandon to judge his reaction.

I felt vaguely like one of my parents.So, what do you do for a living?

When I was a kid, my parents hadalwayswanted to know what my friends’ parents did, and I’d never understood their fixation with that. Even as an adult, I didn’t really get it. What kid went around asking his friends what their parents did for a living?

“Me?” Brandon asked, laughing. “This for now. It’s my parents’ money. They’re in telecommunications. Boring. But I won’t deny that I’m enjoying the benefits. It’s funding all this, after all.”

I nodded.

We went along, walking through sets and people. It was a bit like being back on stage, and it hadn’t really occurred to methat I had missed the theater and its people somuch. A little, but this sharp, suddenneedjust hadn’t hit me. Not then. But now, standing in the midst of Brandon’s film, all my old love for working in theater came flooding back.

Chapter three

Alex

After looking over the set, Brandon invited me out to lunch. His treat. I spent the drive over toLa Nochetrying to think of a tactful way to refuse his charity. That was until I arrived at the restaurant, took a menu, and realized that the menu didn’t have prices; never a good sign.

After we ordered, Brandon cleared his throat and ran a finger around the rim of his glass. Tiny bubbles popped in the warm brown soda. “So,” Brandon said. “What do you do?”

“Do?” I echoed.

“You asked me,” Brandon said. “It seems only fair.”

“Well, I majored in art history,” I replied.

“So, you’ve seen a few naked men,” Brandon joked.

I had nearly forgotten that Brandon had mentioned being a nude model. “Yes,” I replied. “Just a few. Some great abs. Small penises.”

That was true. But dear God, why did I say that?

Brandon snorted. “That’s an… interesting observation.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “No,” I replied. “See; it makes sense. A small penis was seen as…you don’t really want to hear this.”

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