Colt grasped her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “I need your support, Des. Tony’s shooting an indie movie in Colorado right now and can’t be here. He didn’t want me to do this alone, so I promised him you’d be here with me.”

She nodded. “I’m here for you, honey. You know that.”

At the knock on the door, she read the panic on Colt’s face and reached down to squeeze his hand. “It’s going to be all right. Just be firm. You know this is what you want.”

“You’re right. I know exactly what I want.”

Colt went over and opened the door to his agent, Nora Pantere, and his PR rep, Stan Balleu. They weren’t the same people who represented Des, but they were reputable, and they’d done a great job with Colt’s career.

“Oh, hi, Des,” Nora said, shaking her hand. “We didn’t know you were going to be here.”

“Hello, Desiree,” Stan said. “I’ve seen some of the dailies for the movie. You and Colt look dy***ite together.”

“Thanks, Stan.”

“Would either of you like a drink?” Colt asked.

“Mineral water for me,” Nora said. “Lord, but it’s hot out here. How are you two holding up?”

“Same for me,” Stan said.

While Colt went to grab their drinks, Des answered. “We’re handling it just fine. And the shoot’s going well. Why don’t you two come in and sit down?”

She led them into the living space and they grabbed a seat.

“I hope this is some announcement that the two of you are either dating or engaged,” Stan said. “That would be such a stellar PR move in advance of the release of this movie.”

Colt handed them both drinks. “You know that’s not going to happen, Stan.”

Stan, a short, stocky bald man in his late forties, sighed. “A man can dream, can’t he?”

Nora laughed. “So why are we here, Colt?”

Colt took a seat on the chair next to them. Des took up position behind him.

“I’m going to come out.”

Dead. Silence. Des chewed on her lower lip.

“No,” Nora said.

“Absolutely not,” Stan added. “It’ll be the death of your career as a lead actor and you know it.”

“Stan’s right,” Nora said. “We’ve discussed this before, Colt. Many actors are g*y. Closeted g*y. And highly successful. Some are even married. To women. You can make this work, Colt, and have years ahead of you making profitable movies. Maybe even win an Academy Award.”

“But if you come out as a g*y man,” Stan said, taking over for Nora, “your leading man days are over. No actress will want to work with you, no studio will cast you in a leading role, and no women will fork over money to come see you. I’m sorry, but it’s a fact. The American buying public is just not ready for a g*y man to be a leading role in a movie.”

It took everything within Des not to speak out in rebuttal. But this wasn’t her show to lead. It was Colt’s. And if he backed down now, he’d likely never stand up to them again.

“Sorry, but I think that’s bullshit,” Colt finally said.

And Des exhaled.

“I’m a bankable leading man, and you both know it. My sexual orientation notwithstanding, I can open a movie. I’ve been doing it for ten years, and after I come out, I’ll continue to do it. I’m tired of hiding in the shadows with the person I love. I want to be able to live freely, and love the same way. It shouldn’t matter who I live with, or who I love. That makes no difference in my performance as an actor.”

“No, it shouldn’t,” Nora said. “But it will. Mark my words, Colt, it will make a difference.”

Stan stood. “You’re going to take a hit. A serious one. In the media as well as at the box office.”

“I might take a small one. But I don’t think in the grand scheme of my overall career that it’ll suffer. And I don’t intend to come out in a major way. I’m not going to make a major announcement. But Tony and I are going to live together, and he’s going to attend the premiere of Lost Objectives with me.”

Nora cocked a brow. “And you know with everything that’s in me as your agent, I’m going to try and change your mind.”

“You can try, but it won’t happen. I’m committed.”

Stan rubbed his temple. “You should be committed. This is a mistake. It’ll ruin you.”

“I don’t believe that,” Colt said. “I have confidence in my bankability, and in the public. In the end, it’s not going to matter.”

Nora sighed. “Colt, I don’t like this at all. But I’ll support you, and our team will do whatever damage control is necessary.”

They stayed through dinner, and Des didn’t leave Colt’s side the entire time. The biggest thing was, neither his agent nor his PR team abandoned him, which she knew had been Colt’s biggest fear. Of course they spent the entire time trying to talk him out of his decision, which Des had expected them to do, but in the end, they offered their support. She was so glad.

When Nora and Stan left around eight to catch their flight back, Colt and Des walked them to the entrance gate and waved good-bye as their SUV pulled away.

Colt turned to her and Des wrapped her arms around him.

He sagged against her, and she knew the emotional turmoil he’d been through that day had to have exhausted him.

“Jesus, that was draining,” he whispered against her neck.

She brushed her hands through his hair. “I know, honey. And you can still change your mind if you want to.”

He pulled back and held her hands. “I don’t want to change my mind. I’m tired of being afraid that someone is going to see me with Tony, that some paparazzi are going to snap a picture of the two of us together, then blow up our relationship in the tabloids like it’s some big sleazy secret. It’s not sleazy. We’re in love and we have been for three years. It’s about time I stop living like it’s a secret that I’m too ashamed to have out. I have to live honestly.”

“Yes, you do. And your fans will appreciate that honesty. They love you, Colt. They love the kinds of movies you make. You’re not going to be any different because you’re g*y.”

“I know that. But will everyone else?”