Movie
critic Gregory Hanson had loved his job. How many people could say all they
had to do is watch movies and tell people what they thought of it, good or bad?
And get paid for it? Well, used to
get paid for it…
A
day came when it wasn’t so fun anymore. The day a certain A-list movie star got
pissed at him and sued him for slander. Gregory didn’t have the money to fight
the suit—and lost everything.
He
lost his job, his house, his car—his wife. She took their son and moved away,
stating she wouldn’t stay with a loser. That only made Gregory madder at his
predicament since he wasn’t a loser to her as long as he was making money.
But
what really ticked Gregory off was the day of the hearing for restitution. He
just assumed, since the star was so big, that he wouldn’t show. That his
high-priced lawyers would be there and that’s all. He was wrong. Not only was
the star there, but Gregory’s reaction to him was a shocker.
Sure,
the guy was stunningly handsome, talented too. Gregory’s critique of the movie
the man had been in hadn’t reflected on his acting in any way, even if the
spoiled man thought so. It was Gregory’s attraction to the man that left him
confused and flabbergasted.
But
what came as even more of a shock was the actor’s demeanor. Not once did he
look anyone in the eye. He said nothing as his lawyers babbled on, keeping his
head down. Was he that conceited? Or was he simply bored? Or was something more
happening here? Gregory’s confusion grew, but there wasn’t much he could do
about it.
*~*~*~*~*
Garrett
Middleton was not happy with his agent, or his publisher and certainly not his
lawyers. He’d read that critique and it wasn’t hard to figure out it was the
movie, and not Garrett’s performance that the man tore down. Garrett couldn’t
blame him. He’d been wangled into the film to begin with, his agent thinking it
was going to be the next big blockbuster.
It
hadn’t. As a matter of fact, it was probably the worst movie Garrett had ever
starred in. He hated it as much as the film critique did and wished he’d never
done it. Now he was sitting in a court room, knowing the man sitting near him
was ruined. The guilt ate at him.
He’d
also been told in no uncertain terms to keep his mouth shut and not draw
attention to himself. Garrett gave an internal snort. Of course not. No one,
from the paparazzi to his audience to his fellow actors had ever heard
Garrett’s speaking voice, his own voice. The one that stuttered so badly that
he couldn’t string together two words without practically spitting on people.
Not to mention the accent. No one wanted to know a star like Garrett was from a
backwater town in the Appalachian Mountains with a 3rd grade
education and dubious relations. And, to top it off, he was gay. Holy hell, they
sure didn’t want that getting out, not with the caliber of female leads he
could get just by looks alone.
But
he had to do something as he watched the distress in the man from the corner of
his eye. This Gregory Hanson didn’t deserve to be humiliated and financially
ruined by Garrett who had more money than God.
As
he surreptitiously stole looks at the man, he found himself attracted which was
so not going to help the situation. Of course, it wouldn’t go anywhere anyway
because his agent would have coronary.
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