Staying Power Book 14 in the Action! Series (5 page)

Then it hit him. Federico Castelluccio, the
actor who played Furio in The Sopranos. Alex loved that series that
aired over and over on HBO. He also thought that actor was hot, so
always paid close attention to the scenes he was in.

Alex began talking, trying to mimic Furio's
accent. Of course, he thought he sounded terrible, but he had to
try.

The traffic on a Friday evening in LA was
miserable. It didn't take much effort to stay on the bumper of
Adam's car. Seeing Adam using his Bluetooth, Alex stared at his
cell phone and wondered if he needed one. Nah. Screw it. His work
did not require him to be connected twenty-four-seven like it did
for Adam.

By the time Alex and Adam pulled up to the
studio gate, Alex had recited the memorized lines from Being
Screwed, since he knew them, over and over in an Italian accent. Or
at least what he hoped sounded like one.

Furio…Furio…talk like Furio…

Alex pulled up to the guard at the gate after
the man in uniform had spoken to Adam. The guard didn't even ask
Alex a question, just raised the barrier and sent him through with
a wave.

As Alex tried to make eye contact with the
man, the guard did not look impressed. After all, Alex was not a
movie star. No. Just a lousy cable TV nighttime drama star. A
'D-lister' in the opinion of the Hollywood elite. Did Alex
care?

No. He admired one star. His dad.

The top gay Hollywood celebrities were in the
closet. Alex did not admire them because of it. His father, on the
other hand, had 'come out' to the world. So did Keith O'Leary and
Carl Bronson, two of his dad's closest friends who starred in their
own cable drama, Forever Young. That was the kind of star Alex put
on a pedestal.

He parked his car beside Adam's BMW. They had
a long walk to the studio entrance, but the weather was perfect;
cool, breezy and comfortable. Holding his audition paperwork, Alex
asked Adam, "Do you have a rubber band?"

"A rubber band?" Adam asked, reading his
phone as he walked.

"For my hair."

"No. I don't. Don't worry about your hair.
They don't care about that now."

"It's to get into character." Alex began
reading the dialog aloud, with his newly acquired Italian
accent.

Adam stopped short and tapped Alex, making
Alex look his way. "Hang on."

Alex met Adam's bedroom brown eyes.

"First of all, does it say the character has
a ponytail?"

"No. I'm doing Furio from The Sopranos."

Adam blinked, and then cracked up with
laughter. "I love you, Alexander." He put his arm around Alex's
shoulders and held him close. "Do Furio."

Alex read the lines of Beau's scripted
dialogue with his fake accent. "Is there something wrong?...So
mysterious…" Alex paused where the second character's lines would
be read, but kept reading his. "Ha! You won't even exchange idle
chitchat…Yes. That is you. The strong, silent type who enjoys a
cuddle."

Adam shook his head. "My God. That's not bad…
Alexander?"

"Yes, Adam?" Alex rested his head on Adam's
shoulder playfully as they walked.

"I adore you."

"Back at ya." Alex kissed his cheek, and kept
reading.

~

Adam approached another security guard at the
main entrance and held out his business card. "Adam Lewis. I
represent Alexander Richfield and we have an audition with George
Ford."

The man checked a clipboard list. Then he
nodded. "Down the hall, to the left. There's a sign-in sheet and
the name of the production on the wall."

"Thank you." Adam held onto Alex and they
walked together through a dim, wide corridor with doors along the
walls, no windows, and groups of people all holding paperwork,
pacing, reading out loud, and preening in mirrors.

Adam steered Alex to the correct waiting area
and signed Alexander in for him. He could see only two other names
were listed before Alex, and neither he knew. Voices coming from
inside the room were being projected out, into the waiting area.
Adam did not recognize the dialogue so it was possible they were
not reading for the same part.

A few young men peeked over their paperwork
at Alex. Alex was now pacing as well, reading his lines with an
'accent'. Adam had to cover his smile. Alex had the drive to get
places, he had no doubt. Sitting down on the corner of a sectional
sofa, Adam removed the script from his briefcase and crossed his
legs, continuing to read it.

As the door to the audition room opened, and
an actor left, the assistant picked up the clipboard, read the name
and crossed it off the list. Adam watched a nervous young man, who
had a beard and was heavyset, hustle into the room. After everyone
watched the man vanish into the interior of the audition room, they
went back to their memorizing, and Adam, to his reading.

So far, he liked the script. The plot seemed
solid; a spy drama, all the rage at the moment, but there was full
frontal nudity, however, and simulated sex scenes. Alex had been
asked to do both on Being Screwed, though the full frontal had been
nixed in the end by the producers. Adam had a feeling it would not
be cut out on this film. If George Ford wanted to show an actor's
cock, it was shown.

Adam tried to think of any other gay film
this man had directed. He took out his smart-phone and searched his
resume on a movie site. Nope. No other gay films.

Adam looked up at Alex, his focus centered on
his work. It was then Adam noticed how many other men had also been
staring at Alex. No, Alex was not a movie star, but his show was an
award winning series, and Alex and Mark's cologne advertising
billboards were literally on every corner in Hollywood. No doubt
these men knew him on sight. Ironically? Adam did not recognize
even one of the men in the room. And shouldn't he? Shouldn't he be
seeing all the A-list celebrities that usually stared in Ford's
productions?

Hmmm…

Adam kept reading the script, wondering how
this was going to pan out.

After finishing the last word of the
dialogue, Adam was woken out of his lull from reading to hear,
"Alexander Richfield?"

Not only did Alex respond, every young stud
in the room spun around to stare at Alex as he made his way to the
audition room. Adam met Alex at the door, caressing his hair
gently, brushing it to lay behind his shoulder, as they
entered.

The room held no surprises. Since Adam had
auditioned hundreds of people himself to see if he wanted to
represent them, this was no different. A video camera, a small
intimate space, two chairs placed up front, several people he did
not know and…George Ford himself was there. Now that was a
shock.

Adam nudged Alex towards the man first.

"Alexander…" George stood, smiling brightly.
"I'm very excited to hear you read."

Alex answered him using an Italian accent.
"So nice to see you again too."

Seeing George's amused laughter, Adam had to
cover his smile. Alex amazed him, and no doubt impressed the hell
out of Mr Ford with his drive and effort.

"You sound like you're from Italy already,"
George said, still chuckling. "Alex, this is my daughter, Frances.
She begged me to come to see you audition."

Adam noticed a pretty, very young girl, maybe
fourteen at the most, looking star-struck at Alex.

Aha! Adam found the missing puzzle piece. An
indulgent father giving his daughter her dream. Meeting Alexander
in the flesh.

Once the two were introduced, Adam shook
George's hand politely as George introduced not only his small
crew, but the reader, a strikingly handsome older man named Randy
Dawson. Adam recognized him from somewhere but couldn't figure out
where at the moment.

A woman gestured to Adam to sit down behind
the desk, away from where Alex would audition.

They were both given bottles of water and
Adam shut off his phone.

"Alexander, sit beside Randy." George
gestured to the chairs facing each other, which were in front of a
blank wall.

Randy had paperwork in his hand, and it
occurred to Adam he may be auditioning as well, showing George how
he read with various other actors. There was no way to know what
was going on behind closed doors.

Alex brushed his hair back from his face
nervously and kept his paperwork on his lap.

"Alexander, announce to the camera your name
and the part you are reading for," George said, "then begin in your
own time."

Alex nodded, looked directly at the camera
lens and waited.

The man behind the camera nodded, "Live.
Go."

"I'm Alexander Mark Richfield, reading for
the part of Beau Cruz." Alex then stared at the handsome older man
beside him, glanced only once at the paperwork, and said in a
wonderful Italian accent, "Is there something wrong?"

Randy also seemed to be acting, not just
reading as if indeed he were also going for the part, "No.
Enjoy."

"So mysterious." Alex leaned closer, putting
his hand on Randy's leg sensually.

Randy glanced down at it, and then said, "No.
Not really. I'm a simple man."

"Ha!" Alex lowered his voice and purred. "You
won't even exchange idle chitchat."

The handsome man seemed to relax. Neither of
them were reading any longer, having committed the words to memory.
He faced Alex, leaning close, as if they were going to kiss.
"What's wrong with a quiet cuddle?"

Alex gave Randy a long leering glance and
said, "Yes. That is you. The strong, silent type who enjoys a
cuddle."

Instead of simply shrugging, like the script
read, Randy cupped Alex's cheek and gave him a sexy caress.

Adam was trying to follow along with his own
paperwork but these two were already in character and amazing him
with their performances.

"What business is it you do?" Alex cupped his
hand over Randy's, scooting closer so their legs touched.

"This and that." Randy brushed his lips over
Alex's sensually.

Adam's cock grew thick in his trousers and he
felt a wave of heat. He peeked at the others and they were riveted
to the two men auditioning.

Alex smiled wickedly, then appeared shy. "Did
you ever serve in the military?"

"Why do you ask?" Randy dug his hand through
Alex's long hair.

"The tattoo. It appears to be some kind of
army shield."

"How long have you been playing the guitar?"
Randy acted as if he was put-out by the question and sat back as
his character changed the subject.

"Since I was a very small child. My
grandfather gave me the guitar and he taught me how to play."

"You play well. And have a lovely voice."

"Thank you." Alex complied with the pause the
script had indicated. In the silence Adam could hear a pin drop.
The looks Alex and Randy were exchanging were electric. Sexy as
hell.

Alex said, "How many languages do you speak
fluently? Your Italian is flawless."

Randy gave a low laugh, but did not answer
his question. "Do you live with your family?"

"No. I share a small flat with Roberto and
Eden."

"Are they gay as well?"

A long pause occurred and George said,
"Wonderful." He then sifted through more paperwork. "I know these
are new and you haven't seen them, but read them, please." He
looked at the cameraman. "We still rolling?"

"Yes, sir."

Adam felt a nervous catch in his throat for
Alex and sipped his water. Both Alex and Randy looked over the new
scene quickly. Now Adam had no doubt Randy was being auditioned
with Alex for the part in the film. They had obviously already
decided on Randy for the role, now they were seeking chemistry, and
boy! Did these two have it. Randy was just what Alex loved;
masculine, older, gorgeous, and that fabulous military gleam…or at
least his character did.

George said, "I know you have to read the
lines, don't worry. Just pay close attention to the
directions."

Adam could see Alex's nervous gulp. Though
Adam had the script with him, he wasn't about to scan through it
like an uptight dad…but that's what he felt like, an uptight dad
whose son is out on a date with a stranger.

"In your own time," George said calmly.

Alex read the line, and then scooted the
chair so close to Randy their legs overlapped. Immediately Randy
straddled his legs, tugging Alex closer still.

Adam thought first of Billy's reaction to
this type of film, then of Mark's…oh dear.

Alex cupped Randy's head, speaking close to
his lips. "When do you leave Rome?"

Randy ran his hand down Alex's neck lovingly.
"I don't know."

Alex focused on Randy's shirt, traced his
finger over Randy's chest, right above his nipple, which was
visible from under Randy's shirt. "It's Latin. What does it
say?"

Randy smiled and kissed Alex's cheek. "It's a
secret."

"I will see you again?" Alex asked, appearing
lost in Randy's blue eyes.

"I don't know." Randy grabbed a handful of
Alex's hair and Adam was now stiff in his trousers, hiding it with
the script.

Alex licked Randy's cheek. "Can I have your
phone number?"

Randy laughed softly. "I don't have a phone
at the moment."

Then the two of them stared at each other,
dropped the paperwork, cupped each other's face and went for a
kiss. And what a kiss it was! Adam nearly died. There was no doubt
tongues were involved. Randy made a low noise of pure pleasure and
then they parted, staring at each other.

"Good!" George said, making a signal for the
cameraman to stop shooting. "Randy, can you step outside the door
for just one moment?"

"Yes, sir." Randy stood, tried to appear
casual, but Adam could see the outline of his hard-on in his jeans.
They all waited until he left.

George picked up Alex's bottle of water and
handed it to him. Alex drank from it, looking either hot as hell or
terrified, Adam was struggling to figure out which.