Chapter Eight - Gabe

Gabe was going to crack a molar if he didn't unclench his jaw. But it was that or tell their biggest client to back the fuck off, so Gabe figured he'd better sacrifice his teeth for the greater good.

Remy was a good guy, he reminded himself. He was more down-to-earth than most people would expect from someone with a career like his. He had a great sense of humor, fantastic taste, and was generally a nice person. Well, as nice as people got in Hollywood. He also had a reputation when it came to attractive young men, and Gabe wasn't pleased with the way he was eyeing Gabe's…Gabe's PA. It didn't help that Ev had stars in his eyes every time he looked up at the older man. If it went on much longer, Gabe was going to say something. He wasn't sure what, but it would be something.

"If you murder our biggest client, I'm taking it out of your half of the company," Xavier said from where he was leaning against the bar beside Gabe. He took a sip of his whiskey, the ice ball spinning in the tumbler.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gabe said, his tone as unconcerned as he could make it.

Xavier chuckled. "You're usually a better liar than that."

"Oh, fuck off," Gabe grumbled, turning his back on the small group at the far end of the bar. Remy was in the process of buying shots for Ev, Finn, and Asher, Xavier's PA, who had arrived just before dinner on a late flight. That was going to end badly.

"If it bothers you so much, why don't you do something about it?" Xavier paused. "Something other than giving Remy a black eye—if only because I don't want to have to make up an explanation for the press."

"Everett has made it very clear that it's none of my business what he gets up to, or with whom." Gabe tossed back the last of his drink and signaled the bartender for another.

"Shit," Xavier said with a sigh. "That explains a few things. Well, at least he's safe with Remy."

Gabe's jaw started to hurt, and he reached up to massage it. "Right," he managed. The bartender set a new drink in front of him, and Gabe had it halfway to his lips before Xavier stopped him with a hand on his wrist.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Gabe brushed his hand away and tossed back the new drink. "I don't remember you being particularly happy when Remy was all over your boy a few months ago," he grumbled.

For some reason, that made Xavier chuckle, and Gabe only scowled harder. "First of all, Remy was never interested in Finn. Their friendship may be unlikely, but it's good for both of them. And second, I wasn't aware that Ev was ‘your boy.'" He eyed Gabe consideringly. "Unless there's something you aren't telling me."

"He's not," Gabe said, his voice clipped.

"In that case, Ev and Remy—"

"Can do what they want," Gabe said, refusing to hear any more. "It's none of my concern unless it affects Ev's work."

Xavier sighed and signaled the bartender for two waters. "You keep telling yourself that, buddy. But you should know that Finn and I are both rooting for you."

Well, that didn't help at-fucking-all.

Gabe was sitting up in bed reading a few last emails with blurry eyes. He would respond in the morning after he sobered up. He was trying to decipher the last one when Ev exited the bathroom, yawning. He'd changed into a T-shirt and athletic shorts. He was wearing his glasses—presumably having taken out his contacts for bed—and his hair was messy and falling in his face. He was a combination of sexy and adorable that was kryptonite to Gabe in a normal situation. But fuck if this was a normal situation.

Ev's eyes went from the open side of the bed to Gabe to a spot on the floor. Gabe heaved a sigh and put his phone on the side table to charge. "Get in the bed, Everett."

Ev flinched, then blinked at him, slow and sleepy behind his glasses. Gabe wondered which of them had had more to drink. It was probably him. Ev was a responsible boy who knew they had work in the morning.

"But—"

Gabe made his expression stern and raised an eyebrow.

Ev sucked his lower lip between his teeth and color bloomed on his cheeks, but he did as he was told. He pulled back the blankets slowly, like he was trying not to be noticed, then slipped between the sheets. He set his glasses on the nightstand, stretched out at the edge of the mattress, and folded his hands over his stomach. He lay still, barely breathing, his eyes locked on the ceiling as seconds ticked by.

"Ev," Gabe said, fighting his amusement. "Please don't fall off the side of the bed. I'm too tired to take you to the hospital." He slid down, head landing on his pillow, and sighed. "I'm not going to do anything to you, you know. Despite evidence to the contrary, I'm not a complete asshole."

Ev pressed his lips together in a scowl and blew a breath out his nose. "It's not you I'm worried about."

Well, that was interesting. Gabe shifted onto his side so he could see Ev more clearly in the dim light from the lamp. "Oh?" he prompted.

Ev heaved out another, more dramatic sigh. "Finny says I have octopus arms."

Gabe chuckled, then bit it back when Ev's scowl deepened. "I see. How about we make a deal, then." He didn't miss the way the statement made Ev shiver, and he was reminded of the other deals they'd made. Possibly, that hadn't been the best wording. Possibly, Gabe was going to remember that reaction for the next time he needed something. "If you and your octopus arms happen to make your way over here during the night, I won't read anything into it."

Ev tilted his head so he could meet Gabe's eyes, vulnerability evident. "You promise?"

Gabe reached over and swiped a strand of hair out of Ev's face. "I promise."

Ev rolled toward him, scrunching the pillow up under his cheek. "Thanks…" He trailed off, and Gabe imagined the "Daddy" that followed. He might not read anything into it, but that didn't mean he wouldn't enjoy a cute boy cuddled up against him while it lasted.

Ev hadn't been lying about the octopus arms, and he had neglected to mention the octopus legs. Gabe woke to find himself impressively tangled with the boy, who had his face smooshed into Gabe's armpit and all four limbs wrapped around him like he was afraid Gabe would vanish in the night. It would be cute if Gabe didn't need to get up and deal with his pounding head and his full bladder.

"Ev," he said, rubbing his hand up and down the boy's back. He had no idea how deep of a sleeper Ev was, but considering he'd squirmed himself all the way across a king-sized bed in the middle of the night like a heat-seeking missile, Gabe was assuming pretty deep. "Ev," he called a little louder.

This time, he got a growl in response and Ev gripping harder.

Gabe slid his hand up and into Ev's hair, giving a tug. "Come on, tiger. None of that. You need to let me up."

Ev sucked in a deep breath, then lifted his head enough to glare at Gabe, his lower lip jutted out in a pout. His cheeks were flushed from sleep, and his hair stood out in every direction. The softness was in stark contrast to his tattoos and piercings.

Gabe loosened his arms, when what he really wanted to do was roll Ev onto his back and kiss the pout off his face. "Unless you want to go to the gym with me, you're going to need to unhook your claws, tiger."

Ev made a face that said just what he thought of that idea and rolled away, back to his own side of the bed. Gabe tried not to mourn the loss of warmth. "Do I hafta get up?" he asked with a sleepy whine that got Gabe right in his Daddy side.

"No," Gabe told him, walking around the bed and pulling the covers up over Ev's shoulders. "We don't have to leave for an hour or so. I'll wake you when I get back."

Ev sighed and snuggled back into his pillow. "Thank you, Daddy," he murmured.

Shit. Gabe swallowed his reply and went to get ready for his morning workout. This boy was going to kill him—that was, if working out with a hangover didn't get him first.

Luckily, the workout took care of most of his headache and a hot shower and four Advil the rest. The day flew by, and before Gabe knew it, he was making the rounds at the DeCain PR-hosted pre-awards party. They'd bought out the hotel ballroom for the evening, and their event planner had done an excellent job turning the space into something formal yet inviting. Gabe was glad Xavier had someone on the staff to do that kind of thing, because he would have been useless when it came to tablecloths and centerpieces.

The event was in appreciation of an intimate one hundred and fifty of their most valued clients—who also happened to be in town early for the awards show. It was a chance to make the people who paid them feel important, as well as earn brownie points with their agents and managers. What that meant for Gabe was lots of small talk and schmoozing—and very little actual enjoyment.

He'd brought a few of the newer, rising stars on their client list. Connections were vital in this industry, and the sooner they started making them, the better. Kelsey Monroe was one of those rising stars, and she seemed to be holding her own with a small gathering of mid-level celebrities on the far side of the bar.

Due to the nature of the event, he hadn't seen much of his PA for the last few hours. Ev had been helping Asher with last-minute details and then working the door to check IDs against the guest list. Now, Gabe spotted him over with Xavier and Finn near the buffet table. Ev had a drink in his hand and was laughing at something Finn said.

Ev looked positively edible in his fitted gray pants and matching vest. He'd chosen a green button-down that set off his hair and eyes, and he had the shirt sleeves folded up to show off his tattoos. He didn't seem to be aware of the many eyes following him, but Gabe was. His boy lit up the room.

Gabe was in the middle of a conversation with one of the agents they worked closely with when he spotted Remy making his way toward Ev's group. When he reached them, he wrapped an arm around Ev and pulled him in for a side hug. Ev flushed scarlet but wrapped his arm around Remy's waist to return it. Finn looked giddy and Xavier amused.

Gabe turned away, kicking himself for noticing. Not his boy. Not his business. A few minutes later, while he was waiting for a new drink at the bar, Xavier stepped up next to him.

"I feel like we've already had this conversation, but you do remember we're supposed to be showing our clients how much we appreciate them, right?"

Gabe gave him a dark look.

"Because that right there—" he gestured to Gabe's face "—says ‘fuck off unless you want your head bitten off.'"

He had a point. Gabe dragged a hand over his face and tried to school his expression back to something neutral. "Sorry. It's been a long day."

Xavier draped an arm over his shoulders, something he could only get away with due to his height, and gave Gabe a light shake. "Well, the sooner we get back to it, the sooner we can get out of here."

Gabe agreed and fell into step beside Xavier. Things were easier with his business partner at his side, Xavier's natural charisma deflecting attention from Gabe's sour mood. They chatted with a producer and a studio executive who were sampling the hors d'oeuvres. After a promise to schedule a meeting soon, Xavier moved them deftly on. Gabe took the opportunity to look around—not for anything in particular, just to make sure he wasn't needed by anyone. He wasn't looking for Ev. He frowned as he noticed a shift in the energy of the room and a group of guests hurrying toward the doors, excitement in their voices.

He and Xavier exchanged a look, then started in the same direction. They were nearly at the exit when Gabe began to hear music that wasn't coming from the sound system. He ducked around a group that wasn't moving fast enough and stepped into the lobby. Tucked back in a lit alcove sat a grand piano. Ev was at the bench, and Kelsey was leaning against the closed lid, watching him play.

Gabe slowed to a stop, barely registering Remy off to the side with his arms crossed and a satisfied look on his face. Finn was next to him, twisting his fingers together anxiously.

Ev was wholly focused on the music, his long fingers dancing over the keys as a soft smile curved his lips. As Gabe watched, the song shifted, and Ev glanced up at Kelsey with a secretive smirk. She grinned back, and at some invisible cue, she began to sing.

The hair on Gabe's arms stood on end. Most of what he'd heard from Kelsey was pop-y and popular. This was something else. Gabe recognized the song, but it was as if he'd never heard it before. Ev had slowed it down, which allowed Kelsey to take full advantage of the lyrics, filling her voice with texture and emotion. Could they have practiced this? No. There was no way. When would they have had time?

Kelsey was fantastic, but Gabe found himself riveted by the way Ev's fingers floated between notes, like he was being led by invisible strings that made one movement flow into the next. Ev never looked away from Kelsey as he played, and Gabe couldn't be sure if he was following her cues, or she his, they were so seamlessly in sync. As the song swelled, Gabe could feel everyone in the room hold their collective breath.

From the corner of his eye, Gabe noticed Remy again. He had his phone out, recording. So did many of the others in the lobby, which had filled more the longer Ev and Kelsey performed. This kind of stunt was definitely Remy's doing. Gabe wasn't sure how he'd found out about Ev's talent or met Kelsey so quickly, but Gabe would bet good money that he'd manipulated this into happening. Ev was so tight-lipped about his playing, he wouldn't have agreed without a push from someone he couldn't say no to.

When the song came to an end, there was a moment of stillness, before the gathered crowd burst into applause. Kelsey lit up like the star she was, grabbing Ev and dragging him to his feet so they could bow for their admirers. Ev grinned as well and leaned in to whisper something in Kelsey's ear. She laughed and hugged him.

The industry professionals in the room knew talent when they saw it. They were eyeing each other, wondering who was going to make the first move and who they were going to need to fight off to get their greedy hands on the duo that had just brought a room full of stars to a standstill.

Ev was still riding the high of their performance an hour later. Gabe kept an eye on him—even as he made his final rounds of the room—while people stopped by to introduce themselves and praise his talent. He handled himself better than Gabe expected, probably due to his experience in the spotlight as a teen. He smiled and joked, brushing off the praise and directing it toward Kelsey, insisting that she was the real star of the night.

At the same time, there was a sharpness to Ev's energy, an unease that put Gabe on alert. He was glad to see Finn sticking close. He clearly knew his best friend and was aware that Ev was going to crash, and it would probably be soon.

Gabe caught the moment Ev started to falter. It wasn't a big shift, but his smiles turned brittle and his eyes started to flick around the room, searching, as his fingers drummed on the table next to him. Finn had been distracted by something Remy had on his phone, and the man talking to Ev, who Gabe vaguely recognized as an agent, kept on obliviously.

Gabe's adrenaline spiked. He ended his own conversation as smoothly as possible, and then he was crossing the room.

Ev saw him coming. Their eyes locked, and relief washed across his face. "Did you need me for something, Sir?" he asked, tone hopeful.

"I do." Gabe played along. "Sorry to interrupt," he told the agent that he now recognized as one who worked with a few of their influencer clients. "Nathan, good to see you," he said, exchanging handshakes.

"Likewise. I hear that you've got little Everett Bailey here working as your PA. I have to say, I'm surprised," Nathan said with a good-natured smile. "We were always convinced he would be on the other side of the table, so to speak, considering his talent."

Gabe raised an eyebrow. "We?"

Nathan chuckled. "My wife and I. She's a big reality TV fan. We've watched every episode of The Star." He patted Ev on the shoulder, not noticing how tense the boy was. "We voted for you, you know. Such a shame. I still think you should have won."

"He prefers Ev," Gabe corrected, irrationally annoyed by the man using Ev's full name, when he knew he did it himself, often.

Nathan made the appropriate sounds of apology, offered more praise for Ev's performance, then excused himself a minute later when someone across the room flagged him down.

"Thanks," Ev said, not meeting Gabe's eyes. "I think he was two seconds away from taking me home to meet his wife. That would have been awkward."

His words were joking, but his tone was thin and set off even more alarm bells. Gabe scanned the room until he found Xavier. When he caught his eye, Gabe tilted his head toward the door. The party would be wrapping up soon. Xavier could handle the last of it.

Xavier nodded in agreement, and Gabe put a hand between Ev's shoulder blades, steering him toward the lobby and the elevator. The fact that Ev went without question told Gabe all he needed to know about his boy's mental state. The elevator door closed behind them, cutting off the noise of the lobby. Ev released a shaky breath and leaned into Gabe's touch. He fidgeted the whole ride up, flicking his tongue against his piercing.

Eventually, the elevator reached their floor, and Ev let Gabe guide him down the hallway and into their room. With the door closed behind them, Ev pulled away and crossed to the bed, where he collapsed on his back, his feet still on the floor and one arm folded over his eyes. His leg started bouncing, hard enough that the whole bed was vibrating with it.

Gabe sat next to him and put a hand on his knee to stop him. "You stole the show, tiger."

Ev huffed a strained laugh. "I might have to kill Remy."

Gabe squeezed his knee. "Unfortunately, I don't think I'm allowed to let you do that."

"Even if he really deserves it? He promised he just wanted to hear Kels sing. No one was around when we started."

Gabe chuckled. "Well, there's your first mistake, thinking anyone in this town is capable of minding their own business."

"What was the second?" Ev asked.

"Thinking you could be exceptional without anyone noticing."

Ev's laugh choked off, and he pressed his palms hard against his eye sockets. "Shit," he said, voice cracking. "What the hell was I thinking?" The knee Gabe wasn't holding started bouncing this time, and Ev's breathing turned choppy.

"Hey," Gabe said, concern swelling. "Talk to me, boy. Is it what Nathan said?" Gabe was sure losing the reality competition was a difficult memory. Dammit. Gabe should have cut Nathan off sooner.

Ev shook his head. "No. Yes. Not how you think."

Well, that was less than informative. Gabe caught Ev's wrists and drew his arms away from his face. Ev gave him an annoyed look but didn't fight. Gabe met his eyes and waited.

After a few seconds, Ev sighed. "I hate feeling like a fucking party trick," he began, voice rough.

Gabe stayed quiet, his thumbs rubbing circles on the insides of Ev's wrists.

"You know I went on Oprah when I was four?" he burst out suddenly. "This cute little kid with red hair and freckles who couldn't tie his shoes yet but could play Rachmaninoff and Chopin like a pro." Ev rolled onto his side and curled toward Gabe but didn't try to free himself. "I didn't play sports because I couldn't risk hurting my hands. Video games were a waste of time that could be spent practicing. And friends?" Ev scoffed. "Piano doesn't exactly win any cool points when you're an awkward, gay, thirteen-year-old who can't go to your crush's party because you're playing Carnegie Hall that weekend."

Poor kid. The hurt was still strong in his voice after all these years. Gabe had worked with his share of child stars, and Ev's story wasn't unusual. It was a tough business, and there was a reason so many left it before adulthood. "That kind of thing can be very isolating. Especially when you start so young."

Ev gave a nod, then a shrug, tracing the shapes on the bedspread with one graceful finger. "When I lost the competition, I thought I was done. I could finally do things I wanted to do. Whatever that meant. I didn't care, as long as I didn't have to be my parents' perfect little prodigy anymore. ‘Smile for the cameras, Everett,'" he parroted, saccharine sweet. "‘Say something clever to the interviewer, Everett. Don't be so loud. Don't be so dramatic. Don't be like that. You're going to alienate your audience, Everett.'"

Gabe frowned at the hard edge that crept into Ev's voice. No wonder he had objected to being called by his full name. What a huge amount of pressure to put on a kid. "What happened?"

Ev rasped a laugh that sounded painful. "They wouldn't let me quit. Said I owed it to them to go on the contestants' tour, even though I was nearly eighteen and I'd legally be an adult. At the first stop, I cut my hair and pierced my lip. Then as soon as I could, I got a tattoo and an inappropriate boyfriend."

Gabe smiled at that. His little rebel. "How did that go over?"

Ev sniffled, then flashed a grin that quickly died. "About as well as you'd expect. They threatened to cut me off, so I cut them off first. Then I found out my ‘boyfriend' was actually a married father of three." Ev laughed, the sound harsh. "I clearly make fantastic decisions when it comes to Daddies."

Gabe tried to breathe through his building anger. "I'm assuming this man was also your boss?"

Ev shrugged. "Might as well have been. He was a producer on the tour." He looked up at Gabe, the corner of his mouth pulled up in the shadow of a grin. "Don't worry, I was just eighteen and perfectly legal. 'Course, his wife didn't care about that part when she heard. And the ‘Daddy' thing played really poorly in court." He wrinkled his nose. "I'm never getting married, by the way."

Shit. Well, all of that explained a few things. "I'm guessing performing brings all of it to the surface?" Gabe asked. "The pressure, the expectations…the hurt."

Ev's lower lip wobbled, and he tried to pull his hands back from where Gabe was still holding his wrists. "I feel like I'm gonna vibrate out of my skin," he admitted. "I hate feeling like this."

Gabe squeezed his wrists a little more firmly. "How can I help?"

Ev's eyes slid shut, and when he opened them again, they were glassy and pleading. "I just—I need a break. I need to turn it all off."

Gabe wasn't sure which of them was more surprised when he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Ev's forehead. "Can you do something for me?"

Ev blinked at him. "Um. Yes?"

"Let me help you unwind. Just for tonight."

Gabe watched carefully as Ev thought it over, eyes skeptical.

"You can say no."

Ev took a deep breath, let it out, then nodded. "Yeah. Okay." He bit his lip, then nodded again. "Yes. Green. Just for tonight."

Gabe smiled, relief flooding him. Thank fuck. He wasn't sure what he would have done if Ev had refused. Possibly called Finn and Xavier and then made himself scarce. If he was honest, that would have been the right thing to do. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to deny his inner Daddy, who was demanding he fix his boy's pain right-the-fuck-now. He nudged Ev to get up. "Then be a good boy and go take a shower, then put on something comfy. I'm going to order us dinner. It's been a long day, and I don't know about you, but I need pizza and ice cream."

"Room service has ice cream?" Ev asked, bemused, as Gabe ushered him toward the bathroom then picked up the phone. Gabe dialed without answering him. Ev needed to unwind, and Daddy knew exactly how to help him.