Chapter 19
Rafe
Rafe shook Nathan’s hand, yet despite the friendly greeting, there was a dark undercurrent beneath Nathan’s words. Something about him made chills creep down Rafe’s spine. Rafe stood by the door, next toEamonn.
“Hugh Grant actually has a wicked sense of humor. He loves pranking the other actors on set.” Nathan launched into an anecdote of one such Hugh Grant prank, complete with flawless impersonation. He got real quiet and hunched over the table. “And then Hugh turns to me and he says, ‘Not bad for aTuesday.’”
Heath and Louisa lost it. Rafe smiled, but couldn’t pretend tolaugh.
There were people who orbited and others who were orbited. Rafe was up against a guy with his own damn solar system revolving around him. It didn’t help that Nathan had a fit body and wicked smile. His designer sunglasses were folded and resting in his Burberry polo front pocket. Rafe wasn’t attracted to him, but there had to be plenty of other guys who were, and Nathan knew that. He seemed like aplayer.
Rafe squeezed Eamonn’s hand to provide moral support. Eamonn didn’t squeeze back. He stared down at the dirty dishes on the table and seemed to be in a different galaxyaltogether.
“Hugh Grant is like fifty years old, but I’d still do him,” Louisasaid.
“What else is new? It’s The Railway all over again,” Nathan said, and the table burst out laughing. Louisa covered her face in embarrassment and playfully smacked Nathan’sarm.
Rafe fake laughed, but only not to be leftout.
“You told him about The Railway?” Nathanasked.
Louisa and Heath looked behind them at Rafe, who wished there was a trap door he could sail outof.
“I guess that’s a no…” Nathan raised his eyes. Like Heath and Eamonn, his tone of voice made it seem like he was always being sarcastic, always mocking you. But unlike those two, Rafe got the feeling that he wasn’t kidding. “Basically, Louisa tried to pull some guy who told her he was a uni student, even though he was obviously forty-something. The man had crow’s feet and was balding. He walked with some kind of limp, probably from the Gout.” Nathan stood up and approximated the man’s walk. Rafe had to give him credit for getting into character so quickly. “We couldn’t figure out if Louisa was blinded by her Midori Sours or her sheerhorniness.”
“Sod off, Nathan!” She smacked his arm again, and the room filled up with the boisterous laughter of inside jokes and had-to-be-there moments that Rafe didn’t get. Even Eamonn couldn’t resist cracking the tiniest smile. He’d never felt like more of aforeigner.
“I sometimes regret introducing you to Midori Sours,” Nathan said. He patted the empty chair beside him. “E, have aseat.”
“I’m good here, thanks,” Eamonn said with no feeling in hisvoice.
Nathan cut a quick look between Rafe and Eamonn, which made Rafe’s stomachturn.
“You created a Midori monster,” Heath said. Rafe was surprised his flatmates were being so chummy with Nathan considering what he did to Eamonn. They were blinded bycelebrity.
“Speaking of monsters, you’ll never guess which famous actress is actually a completecunt.”
“Is it Judi Dench?” Heath asked. “It’s Judi Dench, isn’tit?”
“No. It’s one of the American stars. Her British accent is pathetic. She soundslike this,” Nathan said, taking on a Kardashian accent, before turning to Rafe. “Nooffense.”
Rafe wanted the spotlight off him as fast as possible. He wanted to fade into thewalls.
Nathan patted the empty chair beside him again. “E, seriously. You look like you’re practicing to guard BuckinghamPalace.”
“I didn’t know you were coming back,” Eamonnsaid.
“From the sounds coming from your room earlier, you weren’t holding your breath.” Nathan’s eyes flicked over to Rafe, who wanted nothing more than to crawl into thefridge.
Eamonn’s jaw was so tight Rafe thought it was going to breakoff.
“The shoot wrapped early.” Nathan slouched back in his chair. “My agent’s been sending me tons of scripts, but I spoke about it with my dad, and I wanted to finish up uni. I only have one year left. He told me that no matter what happens, I’ll always have that degree to fall back on, which is the only decent advice he’s ever proffered. I don’t know if I’ll need it. I mean, my agent’s said I’m in the mix to play JamesBond.”
“Are you bleeding serious?” Louisaasked.
“If they could have a blond Bond, then why not a gingerBond?”
“Wicked,” Heath said. Rafe’s flatmates had been reduced to fawning. Heath was a loyal friend to Eamonn. He wondered how much of the break-up story Eamonn had told him and Louisa. Maybe he tried to leave Nathan with some character in the eyes of hisfriends.
