“Don’t worry. Carlos has it covered.”
“You look….” Teddy couldn’t find the right words, certainly not a PG enough version for this venue.
“You too.”
Laverne delicately cleared her throat, waiting to be introduced as she reminded Teddy of her presence.
“This is my mother, Laverne.” He gestured to her with the grandness she deserved, though he still worried she might scare Finn off. If Erina hadn’t, though, maybe that was more difficult than Teddy would have guessed.
“A pleasure, ma’am.”
“All mine. You know, twenty years ago you would have been just Teddy’s type.”
“Mother,” Teddy sighed.
“Kidding. You are adorable, though. Teddy never brings home nice boys. Not like Rickey with Daniel,” she said as they walked up from making the rounds of theater people Rick had to mingle with.
“Trust me, Mother, Finn is much better than Daniel.” Teddy winked at Dan as he slipped an arm around Finn’s waist to pull him closer and let him know how much it meant to have him here. “Finn, these are my friends.”
“Rick and Dan, sure.” Finn eagerly shook their hands, then immediately leaned back into Teddy’s hold. “Playwright and… the one with the cupcakes! They were incredible.” He dropped his voice to a hush as he added, “Please never tell my brother-in-law I said that.”
It was obvious within only a few minutes how charmed everyone was by Finn, easing the nagging voices in Teddy’s mind that had been making him feel sorry for himself again.
“Edmund, there you are!”
Until Hartley appeared.
Teddy had grown lax in losing him in the crowd after Finn’s appearance, but now he strode right over, positively bursting with preemptive bragging rights. Hartley was young, handsome, talented—and flaunted all of it.
“Stewart. Didn’t realize you knew I was coming.”
“Please, did you think you could lumber in here unnoticed? People still remember you, if you can believe it.” He laughed like he’d given Teddy a compliment, while enjoying his obvious dig. “Can’t say I’m mad you retired since it gave me a chance to shine. How is the quiet life treating you?”
Teddy opened his mouth to just get this over with, grin and bear it, and admit he’d accomplished very little, only vacation, only boring retirement, when Finn spoke first.
“You must be the one trying to fill Teddy’s shoes. I don’t envy you.” He snickered, hugging Teddy’s arm. “I am envious of Teddy, though. So successful that he could retire this young to a house as nice as his at the beach without working anymore? You’d think he’d miss all the constant praise, but I guess even that gets old after a while.
“Oh, I’m Finn, by the way, Teddy’s boyfriend. And you? Sorry, I’m terrible with names if I don’t hear them more than once.”
Teddy’s mouth was still gaping from the words he hadn’t gotten out, but now he snapped it closed. He never would have used Finn against Hartley like that as a hot piece of arm candy, but if Finn was playing it up himself….
Teddy was loving every second.
“Charmed,” Hartley said, taken off guard enough that he sounded anything but. “As I was—”
“It really is commendable, don’t you think?” Finn cut him off again. “How it took serious injury and even surgery to take Teddy out of the game. Instead of, you know, bad reviews, stress, creative stagnation.
“Most people in high-profile jobs like this flake out after their first year, sometimes the first few months. But I’m sure you know that. This show must really be taking it out of you. All hard work, though, right, if you’re that exhausted?”
“I… well. Maybe some would find it, um…. I should…. Pleasure meeting you. Edmund.” He nodded to Teddy rigidly, usually quick with a barb or witty comeback, but clearly drawing a blank and floundering as he scurried off—probably to powder his nose after Finn implied he lookedtired.
“Shit,” Rick said admiringly.
“I have never seen Stewart retreat like that!” Dan agreed.
“You naughty thing.” Laverne joined in with a chuckle.
“I know, that was awful of me.” Finn glanced at the floor, though he didn’t sound too sorry. “I’m not usually an ass, but I guess I felt inspired.” He passed Teddy a sly grin. “Plus, Erina warned me about that guy and gave me some tips.”
