Page 17 of Best Supporting Actor
He caught a flash of frustration on Tag’s face as he turned away and felt a stab of savage satisfaction. Good. If Tag was spoiling for a fight, Jay was happy to disappoint. Unlike Tag, he knew better than to make a scene in public.
Steering clear of Austin’s table, Jay made his way out of the ballroom and into the bar—he had no intention of seeking out his agent, who would no doubt tell him to get back to his seat. It was a relief to escape the noise, and to get away from Tag’s hot glare. Hot in every sense, unfortunately. The man was insanelyattractive despite his prickly personality. Or, possibly, because of it? There was something about Tag’s spiky belligerence that Jay enjoyed, even when it was completely misdirected. Sometimes Jay found himself wishing that he could get Tag alone and just…well,talkto him. Tag seemed friendly enough with everyone else, after all, and Jay couldn’t help feeling that they might get along if Tag would only pull in his bloody spikes.
That didn’t seem likely, though, and certainly not tonight. The starter hadn’t even been served, and already Jay’s mood was ruined for the evening.
He was perusing the bar’s top shelf when a kerfuffle at the entrance drew his eye. A phalanx of people strode in, heading through the bar towards the ballroom. Jay recognised it as an entourage of the sort his mother attracted at events like this—security, publicists, and various hangers-on. He was about to turn away when he caught sight of the tall, charismatic figure striding along at the centre of the group, and his heart dropped through the floor.
Sebastian Talbot was one of the country’s most lauded theatre actors and a Hollywood star besides. He was also—though this was known to very few people—Jay’s ex.
Seb’s chilly blue eyes met his own, glittering in that handsome face beneath a crop of shining silver hair. His mouth curled into a smile, and he slowed. “Julius Warren, how wonderful to see you.”
Mouth dry, Jay nodded but managed to say coolly, “You too, Seb.”Thatwas a lie. “And please, it’s Jay.”
Seb’s smile broadened as he lifted a hand to halt his entourage and walked over. “Jay. Of course,” he said, a note of indulgence in his voice, as though he was magnanimously agreeing to some ridiculous demand. “Howareyou, dear boy? Still doing that little television programme?”
“It’s hardly little,” Jay said. “They’re about to launch a US version, actually.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to call them back. What the fuck was he doing? Trying to win Seb’s approval?Still?
“Oh, well, inthatcase…” Seb gave a condescending laugh, then turned to the gorgeous young—very young—man hovering behind him. “Niccolò, darling, this is Jay Warren—an old, er, friend. Jay, allow me introduce you to my beloved husband, Niccy.”
Niccolò was a very pretty package made up of large doe eyes, a mop of angelic dark curls, and a slender, twinky body. Exactly Sebastian’s type. “Pleased to meet you,” Niccolò said softly, though his black-coffee gaze was disconcertingly direct.
Jay had seen their nauseating wedding exclusive plastered all over one of the celebrity rags and wanted to tell the poor boy to run for the hills.
Instead, he murmured agreement, then turned back to Seb. “I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t think you bothered with television.”
“Oh I don’t,” Seb said, “but Niccy wanted to come, and I’m nothing if not his devoted slave.”
He laughed, looking around for the plaudits from his entourage. They all laughed obligingly. Seb had been deep in the closet when he’d been with Jay, but he’d finally come out a couple of years ago and now never missed an opportunity to flaunt his sexuality.
Seb’s attention returned to Jay, and he said, “What else haveyou been up to? I don’t recall seeing your name attached toanything.”
Jay gritted his teeth. “Leechestakes up most of my time these days.”
“Well... Obviously, I’m talking about the theatre. Still nothing?” Seb shook his head sadly. “Cordelia must be at her wits’ end.”
That was uncomfortably close to the truth, which of course Seb would know. He was extremely talented at slipping the knife in at exactly the right angle to cause maximum hurt.
Just then, a man in a dark suit and an earpiece leaned over and murmured something to Seb, who nodded. “Duty calls,” he said. “They’ve got me handing out some gong or other. But it’s been delightful to see you again, Julius—sorry,Jay. Do give my love to your mother—that is, all the love I can spare from my darling Niccy.”
With that, he and his entourage swept off towards the ballroom, leaving Jay behind with his heart thumping angrily in his chest.
After that, hereallyneeded a drink and spent a good while salving his bruised ego by letting the handsome guy behind the bar—Will, apparently—chat him up. He was even pondering the notion of inviting Will up to his suite later on when a burst of applause erupted from the ballroom, and Jay realised that the award presentations had already begun.
Shit.
Making a hasty apology, he hurried back into the ballroom and only just managed to slip into his seat in time to see Lewis Hunter receive his best screenplay award forLeeches. Jay didn’t think he’d been missed, at least not by anyone but Tag, who shot him another of those outraged glares just as the cameras and lights turned on their table.
Plastering on his most professional smile, Jay rose, applauding with everyone else. He even managed to cajole Lewis into posing for a couple of photographs with his boyfriend, Aaron, which was a miracle. Lewis was touchingly pleased to win, despite his curmudgeonly protests, and Jay was glad—for Lewis, and for the show. His show. Whatever Sebastian Talbot thought, Jay was immensely proud ofLeeches.
That was the high point for the RPP table, though. Misty Watson-King didn’t win her award, which started her off on a rant about the prejudice against daytime programming. Luckily, Leo Nowacki, one ofLeeches’ Executive Producers, came to the rescue. His teenage daughter, Sarcia, was a big fan of Skye Jäger, and Leo wanted Jay to come over to their table and say hello. Seizing the lifeline, Jay extricated himself from Misty and spent about twenty minutes chatting with the star-struck girl and posing for about a million selfies.
Jay always enjoyed talking to fans; it gave him real pleasure to see how important his show was to people. Whatever his family, and the likes of Seb Talbot, thought about his work inLeeches, Jay knew that the show and his character had a genuine place in peoples’ hearts.
Somewhat buoyed by his chat with Sarcia, Jay glanced back at the RPP table. He should probably check in with Mason, make sure he’d got all the content he wanted for his socials, but right now, Mason was in deep conversation with Lewis’s brother, Owen, and Misty Watson-King. And the last thing Jay wanted was more conversation with Misty.
Or more unsettlingly hot glares from Tag O’Rourke, who now appeared to be having a heated discussion with Aaron, one arm gesturing towards Jay’s vacant seat.
Apparently, even in his absence, Jay had the power to rile Tag.