Can't Buy Me Love

Part 7

Joe had a boyfriend. That's what he told himself the next morning. What he told himself the next following mornings when he would wake up. Whether Ben was by his side or he was just waking up to a text message from him, it was enough to shake Joe and remind him that this was real. He was in a relationship again and the thing was going well.

Maybe too well. Joe kept waiting for something to happen, for the bow to break and for everything to come crashing down. Ben just called him silly and rolled his eyes at him, kissing away his worries. He knew it was silly. That he was overthinking it all. He was being pessimistic and a total bummer and he hated it.

Old habits were hard to break but he was doing his best. He invited Ben to come to the office, to see where he worked. He wanted to make things more normal for them. More relaxed. Rami didn't seem pleased with the transition, which was certainly odd because Rami had been the one to set them up.

Rami had confessed to him that he thought Joe would have done better than Ben, which was even odder since how could he find better than Ben? He was sweet and caring. His puppy was adorable and they went out often. Ben changed him, made him want to be like how he used to be. He made him see things in a decent light again. How could Rami think there would ever be better than that?

Joe just wrote it off as Rami getting used to Joe no longer being easy. No longer could Rami walk all over him when it came to the script or the shot. Being more open allowed Joe to be more alert with this work. Before he had put so much focus on it he more or less stuck from page to screen. Now he was open to accepting more options. To take things a little less personal than before.

He works was still important, but he had a life outside of it now. And he was glad for it. Joe missed the sunshine, missed sitting in the sand. He may not be the social butterfly he was as a child, but he didn't hate going to events now.

They had come coming up that he was excited about. It was for press for their upcoming film. Editing was over and it was in the final cut. He invited Ben who was eager to come along and show off.

They got ready at Ben's place, with Joe stepping out of the room in a neatly pressed tux. Ben was in white and looked like a living dream. They looked good together. They walked into the event holding hands and while it may have been a bit childish, Joe didn't care.

He introduced Ben to everybody, wanting the entire studio to know who he was with. He barely drank a lick, feeling like he was walking on the moon without it. He spoke to people he'd normally avoid, talking about the movie and other things.

At one point he lost Ben in the crowd, but he had been so busy talking to this person and that person that he didn't even notice at first. He went off to find him but he was stopped by Rami who was rambling on about something. Wanting to meet investors and drag him all around the room, but Joe wouldn't stand for it.

In a moment, that's what he promised. He wanted to see where his boyfriend, where his date, had gone off to. When he broke away from Rami he went outside into the hall and found Ben standing with another event goer.

They were standing close, a bit too close and it seemed they were having a heated conversation. Joe stood by, just watching for a moment until Ben pushed the man away. The man pushed back, slamming Ben against the wall.

"Hey!" Joe hurried over, ready to land a punch into the man's face but Ben caught him, keeping him at bay.

"Let it go," Ben muttered, holding onto him.

"Whatever you're paying him, he isn't worth it. Trust me." The man told Joe, glaring once at Ben before leaving the hallway, passing Rami and Lucy on the way out.

"You okay?" Joe asked when Ben finally let him go.

"What did he mean?" Lucy asked, utterly confused.

Ben didn't say anything, so Rami spoke. "Tell him." He told the blond. "Tell him or I will. This has gone on long enough."

"You're not apart of this," Ben told Rami sharply.

"You're involved because of me!"

"Stop it, both of you." Joe cut in.

"Will someone just explain what the hell is going on?" Lucy asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Rami and Ben exchanged a heated look and for a moment, it seemed like both would let it go until Rami opened his mouth and destroyed everything. "I hired him to take Joe out."

"What do you mean hired him?" Lucy questioned.

"He's like a fucking rent boy or something. I found him on the internet. He dates people for money."

"Shut your bloody mouth!'

"Is that true?" Joe asked him.

Ben swallowed hard, keeping Joe's gaze. He expected the man to avoid it, but green eyes connected with hazel for a long moment. "It's more than that. Look, I have a lot to explain, but I think it would be better if we did this somewhere else."

"So he was telling the truth. Did he pay you to go out with me?"

Ben kept his gaze once more but didn't say a thing. The silence was enough of an answer. Joe breathed slowly, looking between Rami and Ben. With a shake of his head, he walked away. He ignored their calls and shouts, ignored the text messages and phone calls. He just kept going until he got home and when he did get home, he crawled into bed and let the world go on without him.