“If people would like to look at Maxmillian they can visit the company website,” Ethan said, playing along. “There are plenty of photos and videos there to satisfy their interest.”
“Do you get that a lot? Horn dogs sniffing after him? Or you? Come to think of it, do you guys have fans?”
“We absolutely do not have fans. At least, I hope not,” Ethan added with a smile. “We’re happy to leave the celebrity lifestyle to you and Loren.”
“And we’re living it up, baby.” Theo laughed at himself and rubbed his palms together eagerly. “Can’t wait to see him.”
As requested, they returned to Theo’s hotel room at the Flamingo for lunch.
“Order whatever you like,” Theo told him as he tossed the room service menu Ethan’s way. “I’ll take the prime rib sandwich. No fries. Tell them to sub fruit.” As he opened up his laptop, he added absently, “thanks.”
Inwardly sighing, Ethan browsed the menu and then ordered a turkey sandwich for himself and relayed Theo’s order to the person on the other end of the line. He hung up just as Theo’s Skype session loaded up. Ethan moved to the sitting area and turned the television on low to provide the other man with privacy.
His thoughts drifted away from the sports news channel on TV to the wedding plans that his and Max’s mothers were planning. He was aware that weddings were complicated, expensive, and stressful, but he’d naively assumed that because the wedding was for two men they would avoid all of that.
His parents had never indicated that they wished they had a daughter to marry off. And they’d been tremendously accepting and supportive when he’d come out to them. There was no doubt in his mind that if he told them he’d like to skip a big ceremony and get married in a bowling alley they would back the decision. They were the most loving people he knew.
But this wedding wasn’t about him. It wasn’t even about him and Max. It was for everyone in their lives who wanted to express their happiness for their union, and for that reason he had to go along with whatever their two mothers came up with. The tough part would be having to draw the line if Marcela’s needs began to override or hamper his own mother’s hopes for the wedding. Both women deserved to get what they wanted from the event, but with both of them being from such different backgrounds, finding a middle ground could become challenging.
Would a second, unofficial ceremony in England be the answer? Ethan didn’t mind that, but he worried that Max would resent being forced to capitulate to his mother’s wishes. Max was growing closer to his parents, but they wouldn’t become loving and trusting overnight. It would take time, and this wedding might derail the progress they were making. More than anything, Ethan didn’t want that. He’d sacrifice the wedding to prevent that.
“—the hell, Loren?”
Theo’s exclamation yanked Ethan’s attention around. The other man was glaring at his laptop screen, which Ethan couldn’t see. Theo’s expression was enough to clue him in, though. Seemed like their lunch date wasn’t off to a good start.
Ethan was grateful for the knock to the door. It caused Theo to lean back from his aggressive hunch toward the screen and remember that he wasn’t alone in the room. He shot Ethan a guarded look before muttering something into his headset that Ethan couldn’t hear.
Pretending he hadn’t noticed anything wrong, Ethan answered the door and admitted the room service waiter into the room. The man glanced at Theo but didn’t appear to recognize him as he wheeled the cart into the room.
“I’ll set it up, thanks,” Ethan told him before taking the check wallet from him. He walked it over to Theo, pen held out.
Theo took it from him and began to sign it and add a tip. Ethan couldn’t help glancing at the screen of his laptop. The screen didn’t show Loren, as he’d expected. It showed what appeared to be a pool, around which three young men were lying, catching the sun. None of them appeared to be Theo’s new boyfriend. Ethan quickly looked away as Theo finished signing and shoved the wallet back at him.
After letting the waiter out of the room, Ethan picked up Theo’s order and set the plates beside his laptop. Theo didn’t glance at him but continued scowling at whatever was on his screen.
Ethan told himself he didn’t want to know. He selected his own sandwich and carried it back to the sofa.
“You’re crazy,” he heard Theo mutter angrily a few minutes later. “That’s so wrong.”
Wincing, Ethan turned the volume up slightly on the TV and tried to concentrate on last night’s basketball highlights.
“—you think that’s acceptable? What did we talk about last time, huh? What about that? I swear to god, Loren, if you—”
Ethan hummed to himself, managing to drown out whatever Theo said next. The situation was spoiling his appetite, but he forced himself to eat one half of his sandwich. He consoled himself with the meal he’d have tonight with Max. He looked forward to seeing his dark-haired lover dressed up for an evening out. Max always made a dramatic impression no matter where he was, but he was especially striking at dinners, where the ambient lighting and table settings seemed to highlight his elegance and aloofness.
“—if you do that you will regret it!”
Ethan twisted around on the sofa, alarmed. Theo had risen to his feet and was pointing at the screen.
“You know that isn’t true!” the star shouted into his headset. “You know it isn’t! What do I have to do to—Loren! Goddammit!” He yanked off his headset and hurled it violently across the room.
“Theo, calm down,” Ethan ordered sternly, rising to his feet. His meal hardened into a lump in his stomach. “Step away from your laptop before you knock it to the floor.”
“Why the hell should I care?” Theo snapped at him, eyes on fire. He pointed viciously at the laptop screen. “He doesn’t give a shit, so why should I? It’s all bullshit. Nothing but bullshit and lies and this whole damn world that needs to be nuked a thousand times.”
The fury on his face was chilling and his words didn’t help. Ethan stepped slowly around the end of the sofa, hands held out in a placating manner. “Just calm down for a minute, Theo.”
Theo laced his fingers behind his neck. “If he were here...”
The implication of violence against Loren worried Ethan. “He’s not here, so you need to calm down. Just breathe for a moment.”
“What are you, my therapist?” Theo glared at him. “You’re my bodyguard. Just sit there and shut up. I’m not paying you to give me advice about my love life.”
“I wasn’t doing anything of the sort. I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
“I’m standing in a damn hotel room. What kind of danger am I facing?”
Ethan didn’t approach the table where Theo stood. He leaned against the back of the sofa. “You’re right. Everything’s fine, so let’s keep it that way. Why don’t you think about starting in on your lunch? Take a break for a little while and eat.”
“You think I can eat after that?” Theo began to pace, his shadow falling away from the window and its view of the Strip. “I feel like throwing up.”