The noise and smell of the room takes him back to cheap bars, when they snuck into smoky dives in high school. When pisswater beer was enough to make brothers of his friends and lose inhibitions right and left. Jeremy. They were stupider than sheep back then. A wonder that he got off with a scar and some embarrassing memories. Angie had it worse...

Now it takes more than a beer or three to loosen him up. Pretty wound up these days, gotta watch out, not lose control. But it's the first night out with the guys from the cast, and fuck if he's going to cut himself off this time. Idiot stunt, to do Method in a piece of trash like GI Jane. Anyway, a Fellowship requires a different approach, and we'll be here for most of a year.

Coming in late, to the shoot and to the bar. Do the generous thing, and buy a little affection. They turn towards him, and he finds the good-old-boy voice to say "Drinks for everyone, on me!" Their faces light, the voices chorus thanks, that was clearly the right thing to say.

So many of them to keep track of, peering into the dim haze. Elijah, the kid who plays Frodo. Not much like the book character, but damned effective on film, in the rushes Peter showed. Bob, the swordmaster, deserves more than one drink for taking a rank newcomer and helping him survive a scene like Weathertop. A couple of short guys, hobbits, harassing the guy who plays the dwarf. Peter explained that casting a tall one works for proportion but it still doesn't make sense.

Let's have that beer and smile and nod. We're going to be companions. And look at that elf in the mohawk, saw him at archery practice earlier. The hobbits seem to have attacked him now, stripping off his shirt and tickling him. Nice to look at. Eye candy. Everyone's looking at him now. Anyone would want him, not just an artist who hasn't been laid in months. He's looking here, appeal in his eyes. Should I rescue him from the hobbits?

Ending 1

The boy is young, but fuck, he's gorgeous. I think he knows it. He's so much like Jeremy, smooth and lithe and beautiful. When they tickle him, he moves like a seal in the water. Bet he'll move like that when he's fucking too. Want to find out. Time to wade over and rescue him.

Ending 2

The boy is young. Someone said he's twenty. Christ, I was in high school twenty years ago. I did a lot of stupid things then. Beer and dope and sex. Before AIDS, I can't believe how much we fucked back then. Angie... He could be my son. He's looking at me like a child might. We never knew if it was a boy. I could never have raised it. I could never have asked Angie to keep it. But Henry... Time to wade over and rescue him.