Lara and the City of Angels (4 page)

A
lthough Lara didn’t think it was a good idea, Sean decided to accompany her to Los Angeles International Airport. She was alone with nothing but her luggage and her husband. Sean’s sister, Sorcha, lived in the San Fernando Valley and earlier that morning, she’d come by and picked up Auriel.

“You don’t need our daughter with you on location, sweetheart,” Sean had said. “Let this be some time for just you.”

Lara wasn’t stupid. If Auriel wasn’t with her and she decided to run off, she would be leaving her daughter behind. Not that she would ever do anything that stupid. If her marriage with Sean really was dead, she would handle it correctly, in the court of law, and ask for the split physical custody.

He seemed to be in a better mood and slipped an arm around her shoulders in the back of the limousine.

“Babe, are you feeling okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Lara responded before she kissed his lips quickly. “I’ll miss you and Auriel. I just hope we will see each other soon.”

Sean stared at her with expressive crystal blue eyes. “You don’t have to go. You could come with me and we could…it would be like when we first got married. We’re alone, without Auriel. I would love for you to be there.”

She smiled and thought for a split second of calling the producer, Ben Allen, of
One Last Bite
and canceling. Sean would smooth everything over and then she could work on repairing her frayed marriage. However, she remembered the last time she’d accompanied him on a premiere tour and it had been pure hell. She had a hard time believing he would act any better while shooting a film on location.

Nights alone while he attended various after parties he didn’t bother to invite her to; the strange mood swings which made her feel uneasy and guilty as if every time something happened it was secretly her fault. All the endless luxurious hotel rooms where she went to bed alone and often awoke in solitude or her husband so far away from her, she felt by herself; his inability to reach her emotionally and his lack of feelings toward her physically which left her feeling drained and used like an empty vessel.

Nope. She decided she could do without all of that bullshit and nonsense. She would definitely catch that plane to Louisiana.

“We’ll talk about this when I get back from Baton Rouge,” Lara replied with a smile. “I need to do this for me. I want to do this and I’m not trying to steal your thunder as the actor of the family but I really want to be a part of this and I think we could use the time apart.”

Sean’s face changed from pleasant to stormy. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means I don’t want to be the equivalent of a trophy wife, Sean, and that is exactly how you treat me. When’s the last time you made love to me? Judging by Bijoux’s face last night and the after-fuck glow she was wearing, you can perform just fine with everyone
but
me.”

“I don’t remember you looking too bad after your tryst with Shane. Did he eat you out and finger fuck you before he slid his cock inside of you?”

Lara’s face turned scarlet. “Fuck you, Sean. You do this every time. I am not the only one who participates in our sexcapades so why do I always bear the burden every time you get upset?”

The limousine swung into LAX and pulled up to the airline kiosk she was taking to New Orleans Airport.

“Darling, I’m sorry. I’ll have the driver cruise while I walk you in—”

“Don’t bother. I’ll be fine and you can avoid being attacked by horny middle-aged women and pre-pubescent tweens.” She kissed his cheek quickly and got out.

The chauffeur took her one piece of Louis Vuitton luggage out of the trunk. “Have a safe trip, Mrs. Buchanan.”

“Thanks, Felix,” Lara said before she walked into the busy airport.

Chapter Four

S
ean was upset regarding Lara’s behavior for about five minutes after she rushed out of the limo but by the time Felix drove along the 405 Freeway, his anger was all but forgotten.

He could still remember the smell of Bijoux’s sex and her abandonment; the sheer pleasure of being inside of her. What exactly about his wife turned him off? He would never know why he couldn’t fully express himself with her like he could with other people.

Unlike a lot of a fake industry people, he had never denied his bisexuality though he would never admit it to the public unless he never wanted to make another kid-friendly blockbuster or Jason Bourne type of adult action adventure again. When it came to sex, he tolerated women more than he actually craved them but there were times when he couldn’t go without their warm bodies, feminine smells and beautiful visages.

Lara was perfect because they had met at a time in his life when he was about to throw away his career for a young twink—an ethereal yet usually too good looking young gay man in heterosexual speak—he’d fallen head over heels for but Markus had introduced him to his future wife at a party. They had immediately hit it off and the rest was history.

The wedding was dreamy and featured exclusively in
Society Magazine
while the birth of their child fetched incredibly high prices from the top magazines. However, he had never really felt a rush of sexual attraction for his wife. She was beautiful, amazing, and intelligent but she did absolutely nothing for his libido and this drove him around the bend more often than not.

Unfortunately, he found himself taking it out on her though it wasn’t her fault in the least bit. She was a victim and did not deserve his venom as she’d done everything a loving wife could ever do. She had kept herself slim, attractive as she looked much younger than her true age and her mothering skills were impeccable. Hell, she even went along with the swing parties though in all honesty she was pretty ambivalent about the arrangement.

Sean needed to talk to his confidant and over the years it had become a very famous and high-profile half of an openly gay couple in the industry. Like Tom Cruise, the rumors around him swirled though he had never been caught in a compromising position. They were just friends and the tabloids couldn’t prove otherwise.

He lifted his Google Android to his ear and voice dialed Gray Goldberg.

The man in question answered his phone after a couple of rings. “Sean, what is it, babe? You never call me if everything is okay so things must be fucked up.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, they are pretty bad. Can we meet somewhere? I need to talk to you.”

“Just talk or will other activities be included?”

“I am going to tell Casey what a bad boy you are being if you don’t agree to meet me somewhere with privacy but no where the paparazzi can take pictures.”

“I’m about fifteen minutes from the Chateau Marmont. It’s either there or the Hustler Cafe—take your pick,” Gray responded in a flippant tone.

“The Chateau Marmont it is.” Sean hung up as his pulse began to race.

He shouldn’t feel the excitement to see a friend but right now, he really needed to discuss his situation with someone who would understand and wouldn’t judge him.

***

F
elix dropped him off at the Chateau Marmont. He knew Gray would take him home so he dismissed his chauffeur and walked into the extravagant hotel.

Although it was a favorite with celebrities, Sean hated its pretentious and faux-French feeling. He preferred the country itself. Lara’s sister, Jenna, lived in Paris and it was one of his favorite cities in the world.

He walked to the bar and immediately ordered a double cognac while he waited for Gray. Though a notorious hang-out for paparazzi, inside the hotel, they would be safe to talk. Celebrities were a chatty bunch but they also knew how to keep mum as so many had their own skeletons, telling other people’s was too much of a karmic risk.

Sean looked around and spotted a famous blonde actress to his right who was known for her “innocent young woman next door image” yet secretly had a penchant for lesbian affairs. Ironically, she was on her second marriage and preggers by her current husband with their first child though it was her third. She sat a little too close for comfort with her personal assistant. It was common knowledge in the industry the two had been lovers while she’d been in both marriage number one and two.

Several seats down to his left was an out of work middle-aged actor of Hollywood royalty status with an uncontrollable drug problem and both his “girlfriends” accompanying him on each side. Sean knew the two women had drug problems as well by their shifty movements and shaky hands as they precariously held drinks which would end up on the floor any moment.

He downed his cognac and stood. He would rather risk a paparazzi shot then be stuck in this place.

A dark-haired, former child actress who was barely out of her teens bumped into him. With her dark Latin looks, they all looked the same but she was vaguely familiar and he tried to remember if she was the one who dated the barely-legal pop star who was giving Justin Timberlake a run for his money.

“Oh, you’re hot. You wanna fuck?” she inquired straight-faced.

Sean glared at her coolly before a peroxide blonde grabbed her by the arm. “Sorry, Mr. Buchanan, but Missy’s had too much to drink tonight. Come on, let’s go to the room. A few lines of coke should sober you right up.”

He shook his head sadly before he began to walk to the pool area. This is what L.A. and the entertainment industry had turned into; was it no wonder the movies didn’t make any money and they were losing ground to Bollywood and all the other film industries starting to thrive around the world?

“There you are,” a low voice said only loud enough for him to hear.

Sean fell into step with Gray. “I was starting to wonder maybe you’d decided to stand me up. How are you?”

“I’m good…just delayed by problems of the business variety but nothing that won’t work itself out. You should know I keep a suite here so why don’t we go on up.”

Unsure of whether that was a good idea with Lara out of town, Sean hated he double-guessed himself before he agreed albeit reluctantly. If they stayed in public, there was less chance of anything happening that shouldn’t.

He didn’t answer but instead followed his friend up the elevator to a room on the appropriate floor.

Why did he always feel so guilty when he spent time with Gray? Perhaps because sometimes he felt they should have been married instead of him and Lara? They made the perfect couple and he considered the man his best friend but alas, he was taken and like Sean, he also had a child and spouse.

Life never seemed to work out the way he wanted it to but rather according to someone else’s wishes other than his own.

Sean followed Gray inside and relaxed on the sofa. Another cognac poured but different hands set it in front of him and somehow this gave him room for pause.

“So, what’s up?” his best friend inquired as he sat next to him on the sofa.

Sean stared into Gray’s seaweed green eyes and smiled but it lacked mirth. “
One Last Fucking Bite
, that’s what is up.”

Laughter followed. “I don’t remember ‘fucking’ being in the title but it should be as much as each character seems to get around. I know you aren’t worried about your reputation so what’s bothering you? You haven’t been yourself lately and I haven’t heard from you in ages. Has Lara found out about what happened between us?”

“No,” Sean responded in a forceful manner. “She doesn’t suspect but I finally realize why I am being such a complete and utter dick. I think she just might cheat on me in Louisiana and that scares the shit outta me.”

Gray raised curious eyebrows. “Explain. I mean, even if she did sleep with someone else, how is that different from what you two do when you swing?”

“It’s different because that is sanctioned and we both know what’s going down. To cheat while she is away is a violation of my trust.”