“Where’s he going?” Lisa asked, seeing his face and knowing something was wrong. “What happened?”
    “I think he’s going to tell David and Katie about—”
    “No. Hugh!” She spun around and dragged Robert with her, trying to catch up, but Hugh was already only a few feet from his bosses and there was no way to catch up. The Muzik started up again and over the thumping bass line their voices were drowned out as they tried to call him back. “God, Robert, how are we going to stop him?”
    Unable to call to him, unable to get to his side before he could open his mouth and spill his secret, and stuck between a rock and a hard place, Robert did the only thing he could do.
    He threw his pie at him.
~*~*~
    “So. anda saw me running full speed into what could’ve been the biggest mistake of my career, a train wreck of epic proportions, ready to blurt out the news of my divorce and subsequent romance with a co-star. And the first thing anda thought to do was… ‘I know! I’ll throw my pie at him.’”
    Robert was leaning back against the stall divider in the bathroom with his arms crossed, shaking his head ruefully.
    “You’re welcome,” he said. “You ungrateful bastard.”
    Hugh met Robert’s eyes in the mirror and finally cracked up. A few moments later a crew member pushed through the door to use the restroom, saw the two men having hysterics almost to the point of tears, and silently ducked backwards out into the hallway, dancing from one foot to the other as he went in cari of different facilities.
    “So does pie come out of silk?” Robert asked finally as Hugh eyed his tie critically. “Or is it done for?”
    “Done for,” Hugh said, undoing the knot and tossing the material in the garbage. His fingers made short work of the bahagian, atas two buttons of his suit baju and he looked in the mirror again. The jaket covered the majority of the stains, and the rest were unlikely to be noticeable in the darkness of the ballroom. He was good to go.
~*~*~
    “So. anda think Hugh’s going to do something unbelievably stupid, that could cost him his reputation, have adverse effects on his career, turn him into fodder for the weekly gossip rags and get him in trouble with his bosses… and the best idea anda could come up with was to throw your pie at him.”
    Lisa was sitting back in a chair with a plate of Buah in front of her, grinning at Robert.
    “Boy,” he said, taking a kerusi, tempat duduk seterusnya to her. “You guys deserve each other. Hugh just gave me that exact same dressing down in the men’s room.”
    “Dressing downs in the men’s room…” Jesse appeared in the chair on the other side of Lisa. “That sounds delightfully homoerotic.”
    “I hate actors.” Robert muttered.
    “Oh Robert, when are anda going to learn to Cinta yourself?” Hugh’s voice came from out of nowhere and he lowered himself into the chair on Robert’s left. Lisa looked around a few times at the sudden crowd that had joined her and forked a strawberi into her mouth.
    “I Cinta anda all dearly,” she berkata when she had swallowed. “But I am not sharing my food.”
    “We anticipated that,” berkata David, appearing with Katie at his side and a full tray of desserts that he had liberated from the hand of a passing waiter. “Mind if we sertai you?”
    “Why isn’t anyone dancing?” Lisa asked, furrowing her brow and looking around the nearly full table. “Why is everyone all of a sudden following me around?”
    “We see Robert throwing pie across the room at Hugh and anda think we’re not going to sit here and give him grief about it?” Katie tilted her head. “What was up with the pie?”
    “Lisa double dog dared me,” Robert said, and was immediately kicked from each side.
    “O…k?” Katie and David both raised an eyebrow and looked at each other. “So,” David continued conversationally, leaning on the meja, jadual and looking at Lisa. “Why, exactly… would anda do that?”
    “Well…” Lisa stuttered, barely glancing at Hugh before realizing that she would certainly burst out laughing if she saw his expression. “I was just—talking… with Robert… and Hugh was going over to talk to anda guys about something and he was just looking so… smug… and British…”
    Hugh sneezed suspiciously and Robert “accidentally” jammed his elbow into his ribs.
    “And anda know how I can’t stand smug Britishness,” Lisa was saying lamely, and finally David put her out of her misery.
    “All right, fine, don’t tell us!” He said, putting up his hands and laughing.
    “Yes Lisa,” drawled an over-exaggerated British accent from behind Robert’s head. “Don’t tell us why I suddenly find myself without a tie, due to an overenthusiastic pie throw… no no no, don’t mind me, I’ll just sit here on my British arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrse…”
    Lisa nearly snorted a blueberry out her nose.
    “You all have the most perverted sense of humor,” Jesse said, extending a new piece of pie to Robert. “Now, if I give anda this, can I trust that it will not get hurled in my direction?”
    “Cross my heart,” Robert said, taking the dish. “This is going nowhere but into my stomach.”
    “So Lisa, we haven’t had any time at all to gossip,” Katie said, leaning ke hadapan and resting her chin in her hand. “What’s new with you? Have anda been seeing anyone?”
    Every male at the meja, jadual immediately copied Katie’s pose exactly, leaning toward Lisa in anticipation.
    “Um—no…” Lisa stammered, glaring around indiscriminately until she reached Hugh. Hugh, who had a positively wicked gleam in his eyes. Hugh, who was thinking to himself just how shocked their bosses would be if they only knew… “Not really, but then I haven’t really been looking.”
    “Maybe anda should think about it,” Katie continued, ignoring the glare that David was slowly turning in her direction. “For seterusnya season, it looks like Michael’s going to be coming back quite a bit, and anda guys seemed to be getting along so well before…”
    “Thank you, Katie,” Lisa berkata in a voice that brooked no argument. “But I’m not looking for a relationship right now. It’s hard enough finding someone to watch the Anjing when I want to go on vacation—where am I going to find a boyfriend-sitter?”
    Robert laughed, possibly too heartily, and was kicked yet again for his troubles. Scowling at Hugh and Lisa, he pushed his chair back and stood. “Well, as entertaining as anda lot are,” he said, picking up the remains of his dessert, “I’m going to go find some less violent meja, jadual companions. And I’m taking my pie with me.”
    “Violent? You’re the one throwing things,” Jesse said, affronted, then spotted one of the makeup girls giving him the glad eye from across the room. “Whoo! Later, mates.”
    Katie took the opportunity to relocate into the chair Jesse had vacated seterusnya to Lisa. “Lisa, I’m only saying this because I want anda to be aware of… the public perceptions, that’s all.”
    “Katie, I’ve only dated casually the entire time I’ve been on the show. What’s different now?”
    Hugh leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow at David, who simply shrugged.
    “It’s just we’re trying to decide how to promote seterusnya season. And it would be so fitting if anda and Michael did hit it off, since we’re going to be bringing Cuddy’s relationship with Lucas into the forefront towards the beginning of the season… it might take some extra promotions, some interviews atau something, if the audience reacts badly…”
    “If anda think the audience is going to react badly—” Lisa started, and Hugh finally put his feet square on the floor and braced himself to stand up.
    “I am going to say this once and then I am not going to have anything lebih to do with this conversation.” Lisa’s eyebrows flew up. Hugh looked his producers in the eye and continued. “The storylines are your domain. If anda think it’s the right thing to do, then do it. But do not expect any of your actors to prostitute themselves for the sake of making sure your decision goes over better just to cover your ass.”
    David and Katie watched with slack jaws as Hugh turned on his heel and made his way across the room, exiting the door that led to the kot room on the left. Lisa felt Katie’s gaze land on her and turned, smiling faintly.
    “Hugh has spoken,” Lisa said, standing up. “It’s starting to get late. Are anda guys going to keep things going atau start wrapping up?”
    “Probably keep going for a while,” David said, gauging the mood of the party. “That doesn’t mean anda have to stay, Lisa, if you’ve got a flight to catch. I know you’re leaving for Spain sometime soon, aren’t you? I never did ask when exactly you’re leaving.”
    “Just as well,” Lisa shrugged, “as the tarikh has changed a few times. I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing at this point.”
    “Means you’re staying!” David slammed his palms down on the meja, jadual decisively and stood, grabbing her hand. “Dance with me.”
    “Lisa—” Katie half rose from the chair as the two of them started to walk away. “I’m sorry, I really wasn’t trying to—”
    “It’s fine, just—it’s fine…” Lisa was being hauled off onto the dance floor even as she spoke.
    “I’m sorry about Katie,” David berkata as the song slowed into a pop ballad and he put his hand on Lisa’s waist. “I really am, she’s just—this Lucas storyline is her baby, and she’s got us pretty committed to it and I think she’s starting to panic about the reaction.”
    “That doesn’t mean she has to start poking around in my personal life,” Lisa berkata matter-of-factly. “I’ve had boyfriends. Just because I don’t parade around with them—”
    “I know, I know. I do.” David tilted his head at her and his eyes crinkled as his lips turned up in a smile. “You’re happy, right Lis? I know your situation isn’t exactly what anda thought it would be when we first brought anda on…”
    “Oh, David…” Lisa rested her chin on his shoulder as he spun her gently into his arms. “But whose situation is, really? I mean, no one could have predicted some of the life changes that our cast has gone through…”
    As they spoke, Hugh re-entered the room and leaned against the wall, watching his—what? Lover? Not yet… Girlfriend? Girlfriend just seemed such a trite word for what they had…
    His Lisa.
    Watching her spin gently around the floor with their boss, seeing the seriousness in her eyes—they were having a real conversation, and David was really listening, really hearing what she was saying. Hugh felt himself relax a little; Lisa had it under control. No one was going to talk her into anything, not unless she was good and ready.
    “So are anda happy?” David pressed, leaning his head against Lisa’s. “Really. Honestly.”
    “I’m happy, David.” Lisa leaned back and reached up to Ciuman his cheek. “I promise I’m happy.”
    “Then that’s what’s important.” David kissed the back of her hand and spun her around, just slow enough that Lisa spotted Hugh standing sejak the exit, but not slow enough that she was able to see the look on his face. “Now go play with your Friends while I tell the bar we need lebih liquor.”
    Lisa laughed—a genuine, from the gut laugh that came out of her lebih easily than anything had in a good while, and felt the load lighten just that little bit lebih because of it. Everything was going to be all right.
    “Everything’s going to be ok.” Hugh was suddenly right behind her. “And before anda get swept off your feet sejak another man, I want anda to dance with me. And then…”
    Lisa turned to face him, reaching up impulsively and pulling him close as the Muzik continued. Hugh’s hands warmed the small of her back as they swayed, and his breath was hot on her ear.
    “And then?” She whispered.
    “And then…” Hugh pulled away just far enough for Lisa to finally be able to read his eyes, and her body’s involuntary response sent a shudder throughout her entire being.
    Oh…
~*~*~
    Three minit later the song ended, and Hugh’s arms involuntarily squeezed around Lisa’s waist as he dipped his head down near her ear and breathed in deeply.
    “You’re gorgeous, anda know,” he said, finally saying aloud what he had only been able to say to her unconscious form in her trailer.
    Lisa raised luminous eyes to his face and Hugh’s breath caught quickly in his throat. As the song’s final notes played, he leaned down to Ciuman her cheek softly and then turned and walked away. Lisa frowned slightly, watching him go, until she realized that he was making his way toward the microphone. He was going to make a speech?
    Surely not… She bit her lip, starting to follow him. We’ve already been through this once tonight! He wouldn’t—
    No. He was passing the mic and heading for the DJ. Lisa tilted her head in bemusement as they spoke briefly, and then Hugh’s face contorted in disbelief, and then he graciously shook hands with the young man and headed back in her direction, shaking his head.
    “What was that about?” Lisa asked, casually leaning back against a chair as Hugh stood a selamat, peti deposit keselamatan three feet away from her, hands in his pockets, looking out at the room.
    “It was stupid. I was just going to ask if he had Melody in his playlist.” Hugh suddenly started laughing. “He didn’t even know what song I was talking about. God, I feel old.”
    “We are old,” Lisa berkata teasingly. “But I have a few ideas about making us forget that fact later…”
    David came wandering up to his stars. “You guys having a good time?”
    “I have to get going, actually.” Hugh said, not looking at Lisa. “But Lisa berkata she was going to stick around for awhile.”
    Lisa’s eyebrow rose very, very slowly as she turned to look at her co-star. “I am?”
    “You don’t have to,” David started, and Hugh cut him off.
    “You promised Omar a dance. And Jesse. Remember?”
    “And I intend to collect,” Jesse said, appearing at her side. “All those young gorgeous girls are boring me to tears. I want to dance with you.”
    “Me. The disintegrating crypt keeper.” Lisa glared at him. “How charitable of you.”
    “Get out here,” Jesse said, and hauled her along after him onto the dance floor.
    “Hugh…” David stepped ke hadapan and shook his lead actor’s hand. “It was a fantastic season. We’ll be in touch with schedules soon for seterusnya year. Enjoy the break.”
    “I will.”
    As David walked away, Hugh looked out over the crowd and spotted Lisa and Jesse laughing together at some private joke, and smiled to himself. Between him and Omar, Lisa would be kept occupied for a while. That would put plenty of time between their departures; no one would even start to suspect anything was going on. And it meant he didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing her follow him home.
    Hugh’s eyes smiled softly at her as she finally looked in his direction, and then he spun on his heel and headed for his car.
    Dance fast, Lis, he thought to himself. And follow me home.
~*~*~