“We’re so happy for you. But let’s get back to why we’re here. Your Oscar. How does it feel to win Best Actor at just twenty-two years old?”
His stomach rolled. “It’s been a week since the awards and it still doesn’t quite feel real.”
“Well, I think it’s just the first of many wins to come. You’re clearly keeping your grandfather’s legacy alive.” She shifted in her seat. “Tell us a little about your upcoming project,The Silencer. You play a teen serial killer, obsessed with a girl you meet at the library. Are you excited to start filming? How does one prepare for a role like that? It seems so unlike you.”
“Not if you really knew me,” he deadpanned.
For the first time in the interview, her smile slipped, but she recovered quickly. “Did you do any special prep for the role?”
“I watched a lot of interviews with killers like Ed Kemper and Ted Bundy. We will have a technical advisor on set who profiled killers for the FBI. I’m excited. I think it will be fun trying to find the humanity in a character whose actions seem inhumane.”
Glenda’s voice took on a conspiratorial tone. “A certain big-name publication has floated a rumor that you’ve landed a starring role in theEmpiresaga. A role several A-list stars have been vying for over the last several months. Do you feel this shows that equality is heading in the right direction by casting a gay man as a superhero?”
She was obviously hoping to catch Elijah off-guard, but Lucifer had warned him this might happen. She was always ten steps ahead. Maybe she really was a demon. “As far as I know, the role is still open to anybody until the studio says otherwise. Icansay that the industry seems to be moving towards creating more opportunities for LGBT characters and becoming more accepting of queer actors, even though it’s taken far too long.”
“It seems the rumors were enough to spark some nasty comments on Twitter. Are you just taking a short break from social media? Do you think you’ll reactivate your accounts? Is your team taking the death threats seriously?”
She knew his team was taking them seriously. He had an impossible-to-miss bodyguard. “I took a social media break because people can’t stop sending me pics of my own nudes.” He looked at the camera. “Get some new material guys, I’ve been looking at myself naked for twenty-two years.”
Glenda gave a big fake laugh as if his answer delighted her. “Thank you so much for joining us today. We cannot wait to see you in Cannes for your next release.” The moment the camera was off, she threw a glare in his direction. “Don’t ad lib, asshole.”
Elijah snorted. “Right back at ya. If Lucifer finds out that you went off-script about a role we’ve yet to announce she’ll scalp you and make a wig for her Lhasa Apso.”
She gave him the finger before turning and walking away. He stood, slipping off the mic and sidestepping the camera. He sucked in a startled breath as he almost walked straight into Shepherd. He didn’t move, just stared at him with those intense golden eyes, making Elijah feel small even at six-foot-two. Elijah’s skin suddenly felt too tight. “Are you gonna just stand there? I want to go home.”
Was it wrong that Elijah liked how much larger Shepherd was than him? His gaze drifted to the older man’s calloused hands. Could he pick Elijah up? Hold him down? Force him into any position he wanted? Maybe Charlie and Wyatt were right, maybe Elijah just needed to get laid.
“You coming?”
Elijah’s head jerked up. “What?” he asked, startled.
“You said you wanted to leave, but now you’re just standing there, staring at my hands.”
“I wasn’t staring at your anything. I just zoned out. Too many edibles today.”
Shepherd snorted. “Sure, rabbit. Whatever you say.”
Once outside, Elijah collapsed into the back of the limo, Shepherd climbing inside after him. He settled into the seat just across from Elijah, much to Elijah’s dismay. He chewed on the inside of his lip, pretending to scroll on his phone. The entire interview, all he could do was think about Shepherd watching the camera, watching him, now it felt like the man had x-ray vision and could see right through him. Elijah both loved and hated the thought in equal measure.
“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a football player,” Shepherd finally said, the low timbre of his voice making Elijah want to lean in.
He flicked his gaze to Shepherd’s face, his expression just short of hostile. It was a statement, not a question. Even though Shepherd saidit with no malice, it still it rankled. “Let me guess, I struck you like more the cheerleader type?” he asked, letting his voice lilt into his natural register.
Elijah didn’t know why Shepherd’s question irritated him, except maybe becausehe was right. Elijah wasn’t a football guy. He hated sports, hated beer, hated action movies, couldn’t give even one fuck about cars or engines. He hated pretty much anything people pegged as hyper-masculine, yet in high school, he’d forced himself to do all of it. Every single one. Football had never been his grandpa’s idea. It was all Elijah. He’d needed to prove himself, needed to prove he could turn it on when he had to. He excelled at blending. His grandpa had called him a chameleon, but Elijah called it what it was… self-preservation.
“No, that’s not your thing either.”
The weight of his stare was making Elijah want to squirm. “Oh, well, you’ve known me all of about four hours, I can see how you’d have me all figured out,” Elijah snarked.
“I don’t think I’ve even scratched the surface,” Shepherd murmured. “But I’m guessing that’s because you haven’t either.”
Was he calling Elijah shallow? Claiming he didn’t know who he really was? It was true, Elijah supposed, but still fuck Shepherd for ferreting that out already. It was all Lucifer’s fault for bringing Shepherd there before Elijah had time to prepare, to put his game face on. Now, Shepherd had peeked behind Elijah’s curtains and he wasn’t sure how to close them again or if he even wanted to. Pretending to be somebody else all the time was exhausting. Being Elijah was exhausting.
“Well I’m sure by the time I’m your age, I’ll have had plenty of time for introspection. You're like what? Fifty or something?”
Elijah wasn’t sure what he’d hoped to accomplish with the crack about Shepherd’s age, but his only response was a wide grin that left Elijah feeling both stabby and horny.
“Forty-two, but I imagine you’ll figure yourself out long before then.”
