Page 113 of Best Supporting Actor

“In which case,” Tag said, turning his gaze back to the screen. “This looks like karmic justice.”

* * *

The party was in full flow when they arrived, and they spent a good hour just circulating and saying hello to a million people before Tag dragged Jay up onto the very crowded dance floor. When they finally stumbled off, sweaty and thirsty, and desperate for something to drink, Tag spotted Aaron and Lewis. He elbowed Jay. “Look who it is!”

“Wow! Lewis turning up for the second year in a row.” Jay grabbed Tag’s hand and towed him towards them, calling out, “Hey, you two!”

Aaron was working a sexy devil look in a long, dark red coat over tight black trousers and shirt, a neat pair of black horns, and a painted-on moustache and goatee. Lewis, however, just seemed to be wearing his usual shirt and trousers, though he had a bunched-up wad of white fabric under his arm.

“What are you meant to be?” Tag asked him.

“He forgot to pick up his costume,” Aaron said placidly, “so we improvised a ghost outfit for him, but he’s taken it off, as you can see.”

“A… sheet with eyeholes?” Tag said, raising his brows. “Classy.”

Lewis sent him a flat look. “Boo.”

Tag bit back his grin, but Jay laughed out loud, slinging an arm over Lewis’s shoulder and saying, “Come on, grumpy. I’ll buy you a drink.”

They headed to the bar, leaving Tag and Aaron to follow.

“I’m surprised you didn’t pick his costume up for him,” Tag said. “You’re normally the organised one, aren’t you?”

“I’m actually just back from the States today,” Aaron said. “Had to go over for some meetings aboutBloodsuckers.”Bloodsuckerswas the US version ofLeeches,and Aaron had taken on some fan liaison role or something. Tag wasn’t very clear what it was all about, but it seemed to involve lots of high-powered meetings and calls with big executives in between hisBow Streetwork.

“I’ve been away for a week,” Aaron continued, “so, to be honest, we could have done without a party tonight, but I persuaded Lewis that we needed to put in an appearance. It’s only once a year, and it’s always good fun, right?”

Tag grinned, remembering last year’s party. It had been pretty eventful, but he would always think of it as the night he’d met Jay for the first time.

As though reading his thoughts, Aaron said, “So, you and Jay?”

Tag flashed a grin at him, but he felt his cheeks warm too. “Yeah. It’s a thing. We’re a thing!”

“I’d say I didn’t see that one coming,” Aaron said drily. “Except I did. From a mile off.”

“Easy to say, after the event,” Tag said, threading his arm though Aaron’s as they strolled after their boyfriends. “But I don’t remember you mentioning it before now.”

Aaron raised a brow. “All I’m saying is that there was alotof Unresolved Sexual Tension going on at that awards dinner you came to with Owen.”

“Yeah, well, it didn’t stay Unresolved for long that night,” Tag shot Aaron a look. “After Mason and Owen left, Jay took me back to his hotel room.”

“Oh my God! You shagged himthat night?” Aaron’s face was comically astonished. “You’ve been together since then?”

“Not exactly,” Tag hedged. “That was… kind of a one-night stand. But once we got to York and started rehearsing, we… Well, let’s just say we eventually got our shit together. And now here we are. All loved up, just like you and Lewis, which, speaking of, seems to be going well?”

Aaron’s whole face softened, the soppy git. “Yeah,” he said. “It’s goingreallywell. I mean, hemustlove me because he actually came to this party, and he even wore a costume!” He made a face. “Well, sort of.”

“He fucking adores you,” Tag said, squeezing his arm. By this time, they had caught up with Jay and Lewis, who already had drinks ordered. Aaron sequestered a table for them, and over the next hour, they caught up on all the other RPP gossip. Lewis even unbent enough to laugh at Tag’s jokes, which was quite something given that, a year ago, he’d been giving Tag death glares—admittedly while Tag hung all over Aaron in nothing but his notorious silver shorts. Hell, a year ago, Jay and Tag had been butting heads in this very bar.

A lot could change in a year.

“Oh, hey,” Aaron said then, grabbing Lewis’s arm, “you’ll like this. You know that critic you hate?”

Lewis frowned, clearly drawing a blank. “I hate all critics.”

“True,” Aaron conceded, “but I mean the one youreallyhate, the one who’s always callingLeechesa melodramatic angst-fest?”

“Austin Coburn,” Jay supplied, giving Lewis an apologetic smile. “Mostly, that’s because he hatesme,notLeeches.”