Page 11 of Starring Role

He realized Swindon was laughing at him with his eyes only. Coop shut his mouth again abruptly. He wasn't going to give the man more ammunition. Clearly, he liked winding people up. Of course, realizing that made Cooper want to say something cutting and snarky in the worst possible way, but instead he sipped his champagne and tried to think peaceable thoughts.

"I reallydon't like your art," he said instead.

"It's worth a lot of money," Swindon said, not appearing to take offense.

"No, people will pay a lot of money for it, but that doesn't mean it's worth it," Cooper said, feeling quite brutal. "It's worth it to you, maybe. But you're part of a very specialized market, and most people wouldn't take it home with them if you paid them."

"Most salt of theearth, police-drama-watching people, you mean?"

"Well, yes." He'd run out of things to say, even rude things. He looked at Swindon and shrugged apologetically. "It's what I know."

"You don't know art, you know what you like?" Swindon guessed.

"Oh, I know fucking art. You ever heard of a guy called Rembrandt? I heard he painted the Sistern Chapel," Coop said, wrinkling his nose at Swindonsarcastically as he deliberately mangled the art history he did know.

"After he invented the helicopter, no doubt," said Swindon.

Coop laughed; he couldn't help himself. The reference to Leonardo da Vinci's fantastical drawings didn't escape him, and the surprise of Swindon being willing to riff with him was strangely delightful. Most people would have taken offense, or not gotten what hewas going for. Swindon was a surprise after all. "Y-yes. I heard he cut off his ear, too."

"How temperamental of him," Swindon said, but he was smiling as well, with more than his eyes.

Coop stifled another laugh, rubbing his hand across his mouth. It felt good to be silly and ridiculous, and somehow not offensive after all. He felt suddenly quite brave: brave enough to watch his prime-timetelevision premier live, the night it aired, and not do something dangerous afterwards.

"I should go," said Coop. "There's a certain tawdry cop show I don't want to miss tonight. Thanks for the drinks. You really should see about replacing some of that with theMona Lisaor something." He waved at the art casually and sauntered off, feeling as if he'd gotten the last word after all. It wasa good feeling to have, for once.

"Wait."

Swindon caught his arm and Coop froze, wild and nervous thoughts rolling through his mind. He wasn't ready to be a boy toy; was that what was going to happen now? Teasing each other had been kind of fun, but that didn't mean he was ready for more.He won't try to make me stay, will he?

"There's a TV here," Swindon said, releasing his arm, his voicevery gentle, as if he realized he'd startled Coop.

Cooper wasn't going to say yes. But suddenly, facing the premier without being alone—even if that not-aloneness was shared by someone who would probably snark the whole way through the show—sounded like a damned relief.

He cleared his throat. "Then I guess I could stay."

And he knew very well they weren't just talking about the show—not entirely.Maybe I'm the next boy toy after all.

At least that would mean someone wanted him.