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marketing.”
    “It wasn’t marketing.” God, Martin was so loud, Kieran probably heard every word.
    “Whatever. They love it. They are suddenly in love with gay romance. They wanted to know what you had in the pipe, so I told them about Two for the Show .”
    Just hearing the name of his baby made Theo’s stomach dip like a first kiss. The book, the music. All his. He didn’t want to direct it—hell, no. He wanted Raylene for it. And he wanted to see it mounted so bad he sweated for it like a junkie.
    “And?”
    Like Martin couldn’t hear the shake and the dry patch in Theo’s throat. He felt Kieran watching him.
    “They love it. They’re thinking it’s timely.”
    Theo had been around long enough to know there was always a but. Fairy tale investors did not drop from the sky. “They can come in on film and road, but the music rights and the book—”
    Kieran slid closer on the seat. Theo gave him a reassuring smile as Martin cut back in.
    “They’re not looking to muscle in. They want to back the production, come on board from the start. And you know that means everyone else will be jumping to get a share. Tedisco, Roegner.”
    Martin was like a genie offering Theo his three wishes for the backers he’d need. But it couldn’t be that easy.
    Theo had worked for everything he had, but he’d also learned not to ignore his hunches. The ones that told him a sure bet was going to be box office poison. The ones that told him to cut or add or tweak a song. And the one that told him that first morning after with Kieran: him . This man. He’s it.
    Right now something big was coming up, and he was going to love it or hate it, and the gut call would be the right one.
    Martin laid it out. “You and Kieran. It’s like the best, cheapest dress run ever. You keep on charming the Internet with your wedding plans. They see how it plays in Redstatelandia. Then you get your investors, and Two for the Show becomes a reality.”
    The possibility bubbled and fizzed inside like champagne. His songs, his words. Start to finish. And all it would take was—Kieran.
    “No.”
    “No what? Are you still pissed about Susan ? Because they’re the ones losing out there. The profits—”
    “It has nothing to do with Susan .” Theo shot a look at Kieran and forced himself not to wrap him in a hug that would have Kieran squirming away. “Martin, I’m going to be in a tunnel in a second. I’ll talk to you about it later.”
    “This is your dream come true and you tell me Nah, catch ya later ?”
    “Now you sound like a used car salesman.”
    “Christ, Theo, you know goddamned well you may never see this kind of timing again.”
    “Yes, Martin, I know. Tunnel.” Theo ended the call.
    “What’s up?” Kieran rubbed a palm over his jeans.
    “Just investor stuff. Bargaining over future shows.”
    Kieran stopped looking down and raised his eyebrows at Theo.
    Martin was loud. But even if Kieran had heard, this was what he wanted. Theo had just gotten him to put the ring on. No way was he going to freak him out into taking it off again.
    “It’ll be fine.”

Chapter 12
     
     
    AFTER PAYING the cabbie, Theo turned to see Kieran already heading up the steps to his parents’ house. Theo jogged to catch up. Theo kept half a continent between himself and his own family on purpose, so he could understand Kieran’s nerves. As much as Kieran might complain about and mock his family as “The Rainbow Made of Children” based on his parents’ decision to adopt from a variety of ethnicities, he was very close to them. Aside from his younger sister, Ash, who was still in school, Kieran was the only one who had chosen to return to Brooklyn as an adult.
    After pressing the doorbell, Kieran glanced up at Theo, who tried to reassure him with a wink. Even if Kieran’s parents had accepted him being gay with open arms instead of the heavily armed truce Theo had with his parents, seeing them on the eleven o’clock news wasn’t the way