Sitting in the office of Lew Weiss, he lowered his glasses, leaning forward to peer over the rims and down his nose. “Serving you say?”

Camden smiled, raising a hand to his chin. “That’s right, Lew. It’s not what I came to L.A. to do, obviously. Maybe we could talk a little more about that subject.”

“Happy to,” Lew said. “You’ve been taking these auditions?”

“When I can, of course.”

“When you’re not … serving.” With his short, curly black hair, receding far back toward the back of his head, Lew always felt to Camden like a nagging brother, somebody he liked and needed and appreciated but whose company he didn’t always enjoy.

“I stopped by Hamburger Haven a few days ago, hoped to surprise you.”

Uh-oh.

“Is that right? Well, I was … I haven’t been on shift for a few days. A friend of mine needed the money, I let him take my shift.”

“Did you? Well, that’s very generous of you, Camden, very good-hearted. So, you still work at Hamburger Haven then?”

Camden could sense his agent’s tack, he knew the tone of voice and the truth of what it revealed. Camden could tell that Lew already knew the answer.

“Not anymore. When I say I let him take my shifts, I mean, you know, my last two weeks. Hey, maybe we can get me some acting work and it won’t make any difference?”

Lew stared him down. Camden knew Lew was suspicious about how he was earning a living; everybody was. But he managed to tell a few close friends and dodge the question with everyone else for almost two years. But it was getting harder and harder, and with Lew Weiss, it was becoming damn near impossible.

“I just gotta say, Camden, Hollywood’s a small town — ”

“You’ve been telling me that for five years, Lew.”

“Then why won’t you listen? Word travels fast, that’s all I’m saying. And I know it ain’t easy to make a living in this town, especially these days. Also, I know there are a variety of different ways a guy can get by, unconventional ways, but that doesn’t make any of them a good idea, ya know what I mean?”

Camden had to wonder, Does he know about Longshadows? Is that why he called me in, to let me out of my contract, to cut me loose because he found out about all this? But … how could he have?

Lew looked as if he thought he was on to something, turning his head just so to get a better look at his soon-to-be-former client. “I also know that drugs, well, it’s a different world these days, right? Pot’s legal almost everywhere, so, y’know, if you’re selling a little blow, a few pills, I can see where you might think it’s not such a bad idea. But I gotta tell ya, Camden, it’s the kiss of death in this town.”

He thinks I’m a drug dealer? Camden thought. Thank God!

“Lew, I’m not selling drugs.”

“Well, you’re not serving at Hamburger Haven either.”

“No, like I said, I quit.”

“Last year.”

Camden sat there in the quiet of his guilt. There was no contradicting the truth, but there was a way to sidestep it. And though Camden loathed to do it, he’d heard that word travelled fast in Hollywood, though he couldn’t recall from where.

“Okay, Lew, you got me. I … I met a woman, older, well, older than me anyway. Divorced, lonely. She doesn’t mind helping me out.”

Lew cracked a wide smile and leaned back in his chair. “Well there you go! Why didn’t you just tell me?” Camden almost spoke, but Lew held his hands out and said, “No, no, don’t bother, of course, you’re not gonna go around telling everybody that. Still, there’s nothing wrong with it, not that I can tell. It’s Hollywood. So, live and let live, right?”

“Right,” Camden said, not wanting to show his relief. “So, can we talk about my next audition?”

“We can now,” Lew said, glancing around his desk and finding a business card. He handed it to Camden. “Langford Productions, doing a biopic of Paul Lynde.”

“Who?”

“Hollywood Squares? Bewitched?” Camden could only shrug. “Actor from the seventies, the Queen of Prime Time. So they’re playing up the whole gay underbelly thing. It’s like Club 54 meets Boogie Nights meets, I dunno, Casino or Goodfellas or something. I haven’t read it, tell you the truth. But it’s for HBO, so it’s gotta be good. And I got you a slot, tomorrow at ten.”

Camden glanced at the business card. “They want me to play this guy?”

“One of his lovers, I’m guessing. You don’t have a problem with that?”

Camden didn't have to think about it long. “Well, no, a good role is a good role.”

“That’s the spirit. And this time you need any role you can get.” Lew winked at him and leaned back in his chair. “Gimme a call after, lemme know how it went.”

* * *

Looking at his father’s reflection on the computer screen in front of him, Camden smiled, “How’s it goin’, superstar?” Gerald Kalan said as he leaned forward, his face becoming bigger on the Skype window dominating Camden’s laptop screen. Besides his short, graying hair and aging face, the resemblance to himself was hard to miss. Camden always felt he was looking into his future with every chat, but that wasn’t enough to make Camden miss their weekly appointment.

“It’s going good, Pop,” Camden said, letting his Boston accent leak out just a bit, knowing it made his father comfortable. “How’s everything back home?”

“Fine, just fine, already raining horse-cocks outside.”

“Pop, c’mon, I could have a girl here, you don’t know.”

“Oh sure. Y’know, I wouldn’t mind at least one grandson before I go meet your mother at the pearly gates.”

“Pop — ”

“I know, I know, you’ve got your career. Any good news? How’s that scumbag agent treating you?”

“Pop!”

“What? He just seems downright scummy to me, always has.” Gerald expressed.

“He’s doing the best he can,” Camden said, trying to believe the words that were coming from his mouth.

“I’m just saying, if your career hasn’t taken off yet, maybe it’s not exactly your fault, ya know?”

Camden released a long, tired sigh. “He got me an audition for tomorrow, as a matter of fact.”

“Oh yeah? For what?”

Considering his father’s predilection for backward thinking, one of Camden’s principle inspirations for moving across the country, he thought better than to go into detail about what kind of story it would be or what kind of character he might be playing.

“Not sure,” Camden said, “some cable thing, no big deal.”

“I’m tellin’ ya, Camden.”

“Pop — ”

“What? They don’t have any good Catholic agents out there in Lala Land?”

“Some, but they're all working for the Church.”

“Oh, very funny. Maybe instead of being an actor, you should be a comedian.”

Camden cracked a smile and offered a consolatory nod. “Maybe I should. I gotta go, Pop. I love you, take care.”

“You too, kiddo. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

The click of the touchpad to close the Skype window coincided exactly with the pop of a Champagne bottle in the living room. Camden stepped out to see his roommate, Kate Walsh holding the opened bottle, a waft of icy mist rising up out of the mouth.

“Kate, isn’t it a little early to celebrate?”

Kate’s eyes and mouth were wide, big and round, much like the rest of her. She often reminded Camden of a vanilla ice-cream sundae, three big, round pale scoops topped with a head of chocolate-sauce hair, her red nose, the cherry on top.

But she was just as sweet, too, and Camden was often struck with the same thought: Who doesn’t like ice-cream?

“You’re gonna get it, Camden, I can feel it in my bones. Anyway, it’s after five.”

Camden checked his watch and chuckled, “It’s only three.”

“I didn’t mean in this time zone, silly.” She handed him an empty glass and she filled it, then her own. She set down the bottle and they toasted, the glasses clinking between them. “Here’s to your career.”

“I guess I can drink to that.” He considered and took a sip, the crisp and bubbly drink undeniably satisfying.

“Paul Lynde, how exciting. I love him. I can’t believe he thought of all those jokes on Hollywood Squares just off the top of his head like that. So talented.”

Camden shrugged. “I really don’t know anything about him. I should probably hit Youtube, check out some docs.”

“Absolutely … later. Right now, we’re having a party!”

“Kate, I really gotta watch it. All this drinking, I’m almost thirty, I can’t afford to age myself any more than God’s doing for me.”

“Oh, c’mon, you’re gorgeous and you know it.” Kate batted her eyes, the way she often did. Camden tried to ignore it, the way he always did.

“Well, just one,” he said, having little else to say before downing the drink.

She refilled their glasses. “I’ve heard that before an audition, it’s always a good idea to be nice and relaxed; get real loose, y’know?”

“And where’d you hear that?”

“Actors come into the bar all the time. I’ve heard it all, roomie.”

Camden tried to shrug it off. “I’ve got exercises I do to get ready.”

“Oh, I know you do,” Kate said, her eyes tracing Camden’s strong arms and muscle-caked torso. “I know you got lots of exercises and things, and I know you’re so good at them … so good … ” she said, getting lost in a private fantasy.

“Okay look, Kate, we’ve been dancing around this flirting, but it’s really gotta stop.”

“Why, Camden? It’s because I’m a big girl, isn’t it?”

“Kate — ”

“Oh just say it; you’re a hunk and I’m a chunk, that’s what it always comes down to.”

“We’re friends, Kate, roommates. That would get ruined.”

Kate leaned forward, eyes getting even rounder with her fervent optimism. “It wouldn’t have to. It wouldn’t have to be a whole love thing, I don’t care about that. I’m just talking about … you know, benefits.”

“But that’s not what I want, Kate, that’s never been what I was looking for.”

Kate set the bottle down on the coffee table with a deliberately heavy thunk. “So it’s okay for you to go have sex with women for money but you won’t hook a sister up?”

“Kate — ” he said exasperated, having had this conversation too many times before.

“You’re such a hypocrite. You’re waiting around for Miss Right, for the love of your life, then you go around doing what you do? What a joke.”

A long, awkward silence passed between them, Camden releasing a long and reflective sigh. “Yeah, I think you’re right, Kate.”

She leaned forward again, another little burst of hope in her eyes. “Yeah?”

“About some things. But I’m not looking for Miss Right, anymore. I think I may have found her.”

Kate’s big eyes dipped shut, lips pouting ready to land a big wet kiss, “Oh, Camden … ”

“Her name … is Amy.”

Kate’s eyes opened again, her parted lips closing, posture slumping. “Oh … Amy.”