Page 26 of Starring Role

"I know, right?"

"All right. I'll see you later." She held up a hand to give him a fist bump. "Just don't go getting unprofessional on me again, you hear?"

He returned the fist bump gratefully. His fist looked big next to hers. She was so much tougher than he was, but a lot smaller. "No problem."

Good. They weren't fighting anymore.

#

Coop wanted to go homewith Jimmy again, but he knew better than to be clingy at the start of a relationship. He'd learned that the hard way. Besides, as reinvigorating as the time with Jimmy had been, he needed to sleep. The work schedule was punishing, and he'd had some surprises today. Singh, then the agent issue—he needed his rest. And to start looking for another agent.

He managedto find a moment to ask for Jimmy's phone number, though. Even that made him nervous, but if Jimmy had had any idea of pretending they didn't know each other, he wouldn't have jumped in to defend him earlier.

At any rate, he exchanged numbers with alacrity. "You're not in trouble, I hope?" he added in an undertone.

"No," said Jimmy. "My cousin wasn't thrilled, but she doesn't matter."

Oh. Cousin, not just coworker. "Do a lot of your pack work here?"

"No, but maybe soon!" Jimmy looked thrilled. "Some of us are maybe going to be hired as extras for a multiple-wolf scene. I'll tell you about it later." He looked at Coop's face, studying him. "Is there going to be a later?"

Coop hesitated. He'd been ready to head home alone and be a good boy. But if Jimmy really wantedto see him again already, it would be pretty hard to say no. "You want to see me again?"

Jimmy grinned, perhaps sensing he'd won. "I'll cook for you again. I promise I'll let you get lots of sleep this time. Or if you'd rather that I drive you home..."

"No, no. I'll drive this time." They could only come into work together and leave together so many times before everyone would know whatwas happening. It was best to be discreet. Although it might be too late for that, the way Jimmy was looking at him. It melted something in him to jelly, a softness he shouldn't dare feel this soon. "I shouldn't keep leaving my car here."

He wanted to reach out and grip Jimmy's arm to assure himself that he was real, and here, and not Coop's imagination. Instead, he turned abruptly to go.

"I'll text you," Jimmy said softy. "If you can make it, I'll drive ahead and show you the way."

All the rest of the day, Coop thought about that, about this kind, hot man who somehow liked him.

It was weird to be seeing someone who seemed to have his heart on his sleeve this way and to have feelings so soon; Jimmy seem as enamored as Coop felt. Had he broken his pattern of dating menwho remained detached? More likely, he'd gotten lucky, stumbling into something. Besides, he should really put the brakes on thinking of this as dating. Let Jimmy be the one to label things first, not him. He really didn't want to scare the guy off.

The rest of the day flew by, and they didn't keep him as late this time. Fortunately, there were no emotionally harrowing scenes to be filmedat night. That had been a challenge. Maybe he'd be lucky and they wouldn't write any more scenes like that for a while. But it felt like people really liked to see his character suffer so they'd have someone to root for.

Still, he should be glad he was getting more episodes at all, not immediately looking for problems.

Finding a new agent, though—that was a problem.

He'd felt so lucky findingsomeone who would accept him. The idea of starting fresh and putting himself out there again wasn't a comfortable one. But there was no denying he had a lot more to offer now, a longer resume and, at least currently, a steady job.

He was really a very lucky man, in so many ways.

He remembered the way to Jimmy's apartment, more or less, and the address he'd put into his phone for directionswould help with anything he'd forgotten. With that in mind, he excused himself to go to his hotel room first and get some clothes and a toothbrush. It really wouldn't do to show up for work again looking like he'd enjoyed a night of passion.

When he got to Jimmy's apartment, whatever half-formed ideas about a nude and sexy Jimmy meeting him were dashed. The handsome wolf shifter was pacinghis kitchen, talking on the phone while he tended the stove with half his attention.

He waved to Coop, but a frown troubled his brow. "Yeah, I mean, if he's got the time. I'll definitely ask him." He held a finger to his lips so Coop wouldn't say anything. As if he'd been about to; it seemed like they were talking about him.

Who's he talking to?His dad?Is he the alpha, I wonder?Thatwas an unnerving thought, to have to impress a powerful, likely cynical leader, and to know you were seeing his son as well. Of course Jimmy's father could be perfectly nice and mellow; Coop's mind tended to go to harsh and fickle father figures because of his own experience growing up.

Coop's dad was an alcoholic, and a volatile and chaotic childhood had made him a people-pleaser early on,hyperaware of whether anyone was angry with him, whether he was in danger of displeasing the present authority figure, tending to fear the worst and not particularly feel safe anywhere. Love was very conditional. He'd learned a lot about himself and his desire to please and his coping mechanisms from some counseling he'd gotten in college, but it hadn't really changed anything about him. It hadjust made him starkly aware of his cracks and how he'd tried to fill them.

So he smiled at Jimmy, his most winning smile, and kicked off his shoes, trying to look at home and cool and not worried at all. He slipped easily in front of the stove and took over stirring the spaghetti sauce Jimmy had been half-attending. Nearby was some pasta waiting to be boiled, as well as some of those thinlysliced vegetables that could be used as a substitute for noodles.

He spotted an apron near the stove and slipped it on, hoping it would earn him a smile. Very much in people-pleasing mode, he kept silent and listened in on half of the telephone conversation. It ended soon, though.