Cast a Shadow [My Stand In]

in foiled bliss

Ming sat in his office, waiting for Willy to bring him Joe.

He jiggled his leg, his heels tapping against the floor, his nerves on edge as his mind conjured various scenarios between Willy and Joe. Tong had seen him with Joe. Whatever plans he'd been hoping to put in place would falter now that Tong knew Ming was interested in his stand-in.

He'd been hoping to go behind Tong's back, to slip Joe's profile around till it was inevitable and a bunch of deals were struck in Joe's favor. He'd been hesitant to talk to May before, but now, he didn't know if he'd have an ally or a foe if Tong explained that helping Joe would jeopardize Tong's future.

When his office door opened and Joe walked in, Ming stood.

"What happened?" he asked Willy.

"They were in the service stairwell. I couldn't see or hear anything."

Joe scoffed as he leaned on the back of a couch. "I swear to god," he said, exasperatedly.

"What did Tong want from you?"

"It's a rock and hard place," Joe muttered to himself, looking up at the ceiling.

"I'm trying to help you."

"Fuck you."

"Tong is dangerous," Ming said, getting out from behind his desk.

Joe held out a hand. "Twenty feet between me and you anytime he's in the room," Joe said, nodding at Willy.

Ming stopped, eyes flitting to Willy as he contemplated which he would prefer. They hadn't signed any real contract yet, but Ming had an inkling of what Joe could do once he left Ming's presence. He hated having to make these concessions for Joe. Hated having to choose.

But he wanted Joe more than anything and he wanted a reassurance that when Joe walked out, Joe would walk back in.

So he stayed where he was as he asked, "What did Tong want?"

Joe ran his fingers through his hair as he slowly turned around on the spot, looking like a cornered animal.

"He wants me to stop seeing you."

"Why?" Ming asked, a pit appearing in his stomach. "Are you two fucking?"

"God no." Joe shook his head vigorously. "Nothing like that."

"Why would he care if I'm seeing you?"

Tong didn't remember who Ming was so he wouldn't be as possessive as he used to be when they were teenagers. And Tong had been possessive. Destructive in the way he dolled out his punishments for anyone who would dare touch Ming. Almost desperate when he got his hands on Ming again, as if trying to wipe dirt from a precious toy.

"I don't know," Joe said with a shrug. "Look, I agreed to come back here with Willy because I want our contract signed now. Like, before I leave. I want certainty and I want to be sure of what I'll be getting."

"Why?" Ming asked. Joe hadn't seemed that worried about certainty when he'd been strolling out the door a few minutes ago.

Scratching the side of his mouth, Joe said, "I see how you are with him. You're scared."

"I'm not scared."

"You're fucking terrified," Joe insisted. "You couldn't even look up. Or speak. You say you want to give me movie deals. How? You do that and Tong will riot because I'm his stand-in. That's the only job I've had for years because he couldn't risk me being busy when he needed me. Now you want to make me a superstar?"

"You weren't worried before."

"That's because I thought you had some vendetta against him," Joe said, watching Ming's face like a hawk. "I thought you hated him and you were going to use me to affect his career somehow."