Man of the Year Read Online Free PDF Page A

somewhere.
    “And this studly creature over here,” he smiles, giving James a big hug. “You look so mature in grownup clothes,” he teases.
    James chuckles and bashfully looks down. He does look older and more responsible in this ensemble. Maybe that’s what I’m so drawn to tonight. This is Future James, the handsome, older man I’ll be with years from now.
    “Well, Brangelina, you guys psyched for the awards tomorrow?” he grins. “Your man’s up for the big one, you gonna start the standing ovation when he wins it?”
    “We don’t know if I’m gonna win it,” James modestly responds.
    “You know you are!” Chad laughs. “It’s a given. You were in the hottest movie of the year and you’re retiring. They love to give people their last hurrah.”
    I nod in agreement and James chuckles. It’s rather accurate. The entertainment industry—adult or otherwise—loves to honor people towards the end of their careers rather than during their rise to fame.
    “Yeah, but what about you?” I grin. “You’re in the running for Best Gay Duo Scene, I hear.”
    “Yes, yes, I am pretty amazing, that’s a fact,” he jokes.
    I playfully poke his ribs and tease, “And so modest too.”
    He gives me a little smack on the butt and then hugs me again, pressing his face into my hair with a playful growl.
    I think I’m like a shiny little toy for Chad. He’s always liked me a lot and we’ve gotten along spectacularly since the day we met. He and Alejandro completely adore James. They’re like the protective, supportive, super gay big brothers he never had—since his real big brother, Jonathan, is an arrogant dick. When he moved out to L.A., they made it their personal responsibility to look after him and I think they’re proud of all he’s accomplished in his career. I’m proud of him too … sort of. Having sex on film is a weird thing to be congratulating someone about, but I know the Man of the Year nomination means a lot to him.
    “So, where’s your man?” I ask Chad.
    “He went over there to talk to Amber or somebody,” he says, waving his hand towards the windows. “Have a seat, sugar, and we’ll wait for him to get back.”
    He gets up from his stool and kindly offers it to me. I giggle at the gentlemanly display, but I go ahead and sit down, since I’m the one in the uncomfortable heels. James stands slightly behind me and lightly strokes his fingers over the small of my back while the three of us chat about what to expect tomorrow night.
    Chad says the awards are fun, but that the after-parties are completely wild. James vows to stick with me and be my guide through the debauchery, which I appreciate. I’m not much of a party girl anyway, and I have a feeling that these people party pretty fucking hard.
    Alejandro comes over, his goatee and stubble giving off a rough-but-model-esque vibe. He’s shorter than James and Chad, but very muscular and he has a full sleeve of elaborate Day of the Dead tattoos, which are currently covered by a red, knit shirt with a v-neck that comes halfway down his beautiful, caramel brown chest.
    “Lola!” he says, giving me a little squeeze around the waist. “It’s good to see you, baby girl.”
    “You too!” I smile, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
    He greets James with a warm hug and then stands next to Chad to chat with us.
    “I heard you couldn’t decide on a dress,” he teases when we get to the subject of the red carpet.
    “I know!” I laugh. “I couldn’t narrow it down—”
    “So we schlepped three dresses,” James laughs, bumping me with his hip.
    “Whatever! I needed choices!” I giggle. “I was worried because I don’t want to look slutty, but a lot of the things I tried on made me too big up top—which was the last thing I wanted at an event like this.” In a room full of silicone starlets, my goal was to keep my bosom on the modest side.
    “So you’ve got big boobs. What’s the big deal? You should roll with it. At least