Starling (Love in Los Angeles, #1)

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IN JANUARY ALEX WINS a People’s Choice award for Best Newcomer.

Liam gives him a bright Congratulations! when Alex slides back into his seat at the awards show. As is usual from Liam, it’s both sweet and excessive. Alex finds it faintly irritating. He has never believed in the myth of the perfectly kind and utterly humble star. The day-in and day-out of The Fourth Estate largely hasn’t changed his mind. Liam is trying to be that guy all the time and Alex doesn’t get it.

“You know, that category is new,” Liam says, nodding at the trophy in Alex’s hand as they leave together for the after party. Alex doesn’t want to go, but Victor had sternly instructed him to be there and even Margaret had reminded him that he’s contractually obligated to attend.

“Mmm?” Alex says vaguely. He never paid much attention to awards season as a civilian. He always cared more about the stories people told than the glamour of the red carpet. That’s still true.

Liam nods. “It exists this year because of you.”

“Oh?” That’s a disturbing thought. Alex didn’t come to L.A. to be an actor. For L.A. to be rewriting its rules for him seems a break in the order of the natural universe. Who knows what calamity could come from that.

“People — and advertisers — are hungry for you. And your Cinderella story.”

It sounds like something Victor would say. Alex has another disturbing thought. How much time does Victor spend talking about him to Liam? To anyone?

He’s going to demand more information on that subject from Liam but they step outside. There are fans staked out. The noise and the shouting and the flashes are overwhelming. He takes a deep breath and, along with Liam who loves s**t like this, handles it as best he can. He signs a few things to be gracious, until a girl grabs his arm and pulls him way too close. Then the person next to her grabs him too, fingers digging into his shoulder. More hands reach out to him, landing on his sleeves and even in his hair. Alex feels like carrion being fought over. He doesn’t hear what any of them are yelling, but disentangles himself as politely and quickly as he can. He seethes internally that his gratitude must extend to what no real person would be expected to bear.

When the Emmy nominations come out that summer, Fourth is up. One of the nods is for writing; it’s not for an episode that has Paul’s name on it, but Alex finds him the next morning to give him a high-five anyway.