Page 109 of Best Supporting Actor
“Jay, meet my parents, Bridget and Sean.”
Sean was like an older version of Tag, at least in his height, build and facial features. Tag clearly got his colouring from his mother, though. She had the same dark hair and pale skin, though her hair was shot with grey.
“It’s nice to meet you, love,” Bridget said, beaming. “Tag never stops talking about you when he phones.”
Jay glanced at Tag, raising his brows, and was amused to see colour flood Tag’s face.
“As if I ever get a word in when I phone you,” he grumbled, but he shifted awkwardly as he said it, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand.
“Well, of course he talks about him,” Sean said. “He’s his boyfriend, isn’t he?”
Tag, Jay, and Bridget all turned as one to look at Sean. Jay wondered if he looked as shocked at the other two.
“Well, aren’t you?” Sean said.
Tag cleared his throat. “Well, um—”
“For God’s sake, Sean! Will you keep your nose out of their business?” Bridget scolded. Then she turned to Jay and laid her hand on his arm, saying, “If you are together, though, we’d be pleased as punch. You seem like a very nice fella and we love that television programme you’re in, about the vampires. Oh, our Caitlin’s just daft about Skye and Faolàn, isn’t she, Tag? She reads all that fanfiction, you know.”
Tag’s face was scarlet now. He mumbled his agreement, but looked very relieved when Jay’s mother joined them. She introduced herself to Bridget and Sean with her usual panache, then announced that Tag had revealed that Sean was a fan ofFoxy PIand would they like to meet Amanda Ffyffe?
Unsurprisingly, the answer to that question was an enthusiastic yes, and moments later, Jay and Tag were finally alone.
“Hi,” Jay said softly, feeling unaccountably shy all of a sudden.
“Hi.” Tag’s smile was sweet, but it wavered when he spotted something over Jay’s shoulder. “Wait, what thehell?”
Jay turned to look—a new, unfamiliar group of people had just arrived backstage, led by none other than Giles Cox. Jay recognised Orange-sack-dress-woman from his mother’s party, though tonight’s equally shapeless dress was royal blue. And yes, that was her strange, nautical husband with her, in baggy boat shorts, deck shoes with no socks, and a denim sailing cap. What were their names again? The man gave Jay a jaunty little salute, and Jay smiled wanly back—until they moved aside and Jay spotted who was lurking behind them: none other than Austin Coburn, who immediately made a beeline for Rafe and the champagne.
“Fucking hell!” Tag hissed. “What aretheydoing here?”
Clearly, he wasn’t the only one thinking that because Freddie was already beating a furious path towards Giles, muttering, “Cast, crew and family only!”
“Coburn’s got a bloody nerve!” Tag said angrily, hands fisting by his sides. “I’m not having this.” And with that, he stalked off in Austin’s direction too, leaving Jay standing paralysed behind him.
Fuck. Jay was resigned to getting the usual hatchet job from Austin about his performance, but the last thing he wanted was for Tag to make himself a target as well, so he hurried after him, desperately trying to come up with a damage control strategy.
Rafe was in the process of opening another bottle of champagne as they approached, and Austin was speaking, his expression smug and sneering. Jay could only imagine what he was saying. But before he and Tag reached them, and with the towering presence of a natural-born prima donna, Rafe reared back from Austin, fixed him with a look of utter disgust, and said loudly, “Really?I think we must have been watching different productions, Austin. I thought Jay wasincredibletonight!”
Everyone in the room must have heard that because all other conversation came to an abrupt, screeching halt, and every single head turned to stare at Austin and Rafe. Austin’s expression morphed in an instant from supercilious to hunted.
Never one to be upstaged, Dame Cordelia pronounced, in her hit-the-back-of-the-stalls voice, “Are you talking about Julius? Who’s saying he wasn’t incredible tonight?”
“Oh, it’s onlyCoburn—that tabloid critic?” Rafe replied, still very loudly, his voice dripping with contempt. “And to be perfectly frank, if that’s how he feels, I can’t for the life of me understand what he’s doing here, can you?”
“Not at all. Perhaps he got lost.” Dame Cordelia sent Giles a withering look before fixing her attention on the now cowering Austin. “This is acelebration, darling, and I’m fairly sure you’re not invited.”
“Besides,” Rafe said acidly, “don’t you have a column, or something, to scribble? You’ll want to make sure you get it right. I suggest you give your words someverycareful thought. I’ve already told Grandy all about the show, and you know how he loves his theatre.”
Austin’s face, which had flushed a deep red, went suddenly very white. He opened his mouth to say something but Rafe had already turned away, champagne bottle in hand, and was approaching Jay and Tag, standing just a few feet away now. “More bubbly?” he trilled, as though he hadn’t just made a lifelong enemy of one of the country’s nastier critics.
Automatically, Jay and Tag lifted their glasses, and Rafe calmly topped them up while, behind him, Austin slinked towards the door and made a hasty and very quiet exit.
“Bloody hell,” Tag breathed.
“Is he gone?” Rafe asked, seeming unconcerned. “God, what a prick!”
Jay made a face. “Unfortunately, he’s a prick with a big audience. I’m afraid he won’t forget that, Rafe. He’s a vindictive bastard. I should know. He’s been writing crap about me for years.”