Becoming His

Chapter 1-2

Forty minutes later or so, Toby approached the studio visitor’s parking lot. Having no idea how long he would be allowed to watch the show or even how long they filmed for the day, Toby had taken the night off at his job as a stripper at a West Hollywood gay club. He usually worked only four nights a week, but the money was good enough to allow him a decent apartment in the San Fernando Valley. His act was popular enough to earn him really great tips, too. And a few pain in the butt customers who thought they should get something else from him other than a show.

Dream on.

He pulled his little green Mazda up to the guard’s station and waited for the guard to acknowledge him. The guy was beefy and black and talking into a walkie-talkie.

Eventually, the man looked at Toby, his expression blank.

“Uh, hi, I’m here to see the filming of Harrow’s Eyes. I’m a guest of Lucas Cartwright’s. My name is Tobias Sherwood,” he said, trying to deepen his voice.

The guard said nothing and looked at a clipboard.

Toby smiled and cleared his throat.

“Park in lot C.” The arm lifted indicating Toby could continue.

He found the right lot and pulled into a spot. His foot slipped off the brake and his car made a sickening thud on the pole in front of the space. Toby winced and closed his eyes.

Crud, you’re driving, stupid.

He opened his eyes and stopped the car before he did more damage.

“Well, isn’t that just great,” he said aloud. After he got out he went around to inspect the damage but other than a little yellow paint, it didn’t look any worse than the dents he’d put there before. In fact, if he didn’t mention it to anyone, maybe they’d not notice. He already had a bad driving reputation amongst his friends.

Toby found his way to another guard’s station to ask for directions. After that guard confirmed his name was on the list, he was sent off to a filming lot where a tall, skinny man stopped him. While looking down his nose at Toby.

“Stay over here, please.” The man indicated a barricade.

Toby could see in the distance Lucas Cartwright and the Hispanic actor, Miguel Martinez, who played his partner on the show, in the middle of a scene. He wished he had a better view.

“Can’t I move closer?”

“Were you cleared by security?”

“Two guards let me in,” Toby said patiently.

“Were you searched?”

“Well, no, but I don’t have anything.”

The man sniffed. “So you say. Do you have ID with you?”

Toby nodded and produced his driver’s license. Of course the picture was hideous and in it he’d worn makeup and his hair had been dyed black at the time.

Frowning, the man eyed the license and then Toby. “This doesn’t look like you at all.”

“But it is me, promise.”

“I’ll send Mr. Cartwright over when he’s done with the scene. In the meantime, I’ll have a guard search you.”

“Okay.”

The man stepped away and approached a big muscular guy in a security uniform. The security guard glanced his way and shrugged. After a few more minutes of conversation the guard approached Toby.

“I’m afraid I have to search you for weapons,” the guard said with an apologetic smile.

“That’s all right.”

After the brief search, the guard wandered back to where he was, giving a curt nod to the tall skinny guy.

Toby was left standing on the side viewing the scene from afar for quite some time. Close to an hour. When he heard the director end the scene, he watched Lucas walk, not toward him, but toward an exotic-looking dark-haired woman. His insides flipped watching Lucas smile at the woman—Lucas had a beautiful smile—and then, as Toby continued to stare, the woman embraced Lucas and they shared a brief kiss. On the lips.

Oh.

Toby looked away. It wasn’t that he was jealous or bothered watching Lucas with his girlfriend, he knew the man had one, after all. But he supposed it was rather rude to gawk at them.

“Excuse me?”

Toby turned back to see that Lucas had approached him. His heartbeat sped up, even though he told it not to. Lucas was the epitome of movie star handsome. Tall, dark and handsome with perfect white teeth and deep sapphire eyes. The only flaw Toby could see, if it could be considered a flaw, was a teensy mole to the right of his lips. The other flaw, of course, was that Lucas had a girlfriend.

“Lucas, hi,” Toby said brightly.

Lucas frowned. “They told me you were someone here to see the show filmed and that I invited you. Do I know you?”

Oh. Oh. Geez.

His excitement officially plummeted. His heart finally listened and stopped beating hard in his chest. Lucas didn’t even remember him. He blinked, looking away for just a moment, gathering himself.

When he thought he could speak without sounding like a dork, Toby looked back at Lucas. “I’m Toby Sherwood. Like the forest.”

Lucas suddenly smiled. “Oh, right. Kirk’s friend. Tobias from the hospital. I’m sorry. It just took me a moment.”

He nodded, resisting the urge to bite his bottom lip. He didn’t want to show any sign of vulnerability. “That’s all right, I know I look different from the last time you saw me.”

“You definitely do.”

Toby wondered if Lucas thought that was good or bad. It was hard to tell with actors. They were always faking. “I did call to say I was coming.”

“I’m sure, but the show publicist handles all that.”

Of course he knew that, but somehow he expected Lucas to be aware he was coming. Now he felt like a complete loser. And to think he had felt special.

Idiot.

“I won’t keep you from filming, I guess.”

Lucas shook his head. “Actually, I was about to go have lunch. You can leave your car here. I’ll drive.”

“You-you want me to come with you?” Toby asked, knowing he sounded a bit stupid.

“Of course. Aren’t you hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, then, come on, Tobias. My treat.”