Ene (impotentwaffle) wrote in politico,
@ 2010-01-04 13:12:00

Entry tags:

To Callaway, Backdated
"Are you sure I can't talk to him?" Parker said, clutching his manuscript to his chest. The publishing company had sent it back with a rejection letter and this was the last one Parker was going to take sitting down. He hadn't ever thought of getting an agent to do this sort of thing. All he knew about the writing industry was that he wanted in and damn if these people didn't tell him why his work wasn't good enough to get published when things like Twilight were being printed.

"No, Mr. Reigh. Mr. Sanders is in a meeting right now and even if he wasn't, it isn't likely that he would be able to take your request. He's very busy. Please, resubmit your manuscript at a later time." The woman was used to dealing with desperate writers who had been recently rejected by the company. Parker grit his teeth together and could hardly keep from slamming the stack of papers and the deceptively blithe manila envelope in which they'd sent his rejection down on the desk. He stood there, refusing to leave and the receptionist looked up at him blankly, stubbornly as their stand off began.

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did liam ever tell reagan much about his and chancellor's relationship and would you wanna do a

halloweenish
2010-01-07 06:04 am UTC (link)

backstory thread on that mayhaps?]

Callaway's expression brightened considerably at Parker's answer, and he set his cup down so that his fingertips could graze against the edge of the envelope that held Parker's manuscript.

"I'll probably be finished with most of this too," he agreed, "That'll give us plenty to talk about. Maybe I should cook you dinner instead, I hate the noise of restaurants when I'm trying to discuss writing. Too much distraction, you know?"

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He probably told Reagan everything; they seem to have that type of 'ship. And yeah let's play that!

impotentwaffle
2010-01-07 06:38 am UTC (link)

Parker finished his sandwich and then wrapped both of his hands around the warm cup of coffee and leaned back in his chair. "At your place?" he smiled and quirked a brow as if he'd caught on to some grand scheme to get him to Callaway's home. That was certainly fine by him.

"I think that sounds good. We can really talk. I'd better get reading actually. I'll walk you to your car so you can give me your book?" He dug in his pocket to pull out cash enough for the whole check. He'd said he was taking Callaway out to lunch and he planned on making good on that.

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I'll start it :]

halloweenish
2010-01-07 06:49 am UTC (link)

"Yes, at my place," Callaway said with a smile.

While most men would probably use making someone a meal as a ploy to get them to their home, making it easier to get someone into bed, Callaway genuinely just wanted a good conversation and a good environment to have one in. That wasn't to say that nothing would happen, of course, but he certainly wasn't planning anything.

"That sounds excellent, thank you for lunch," he told Parker as he got to his feet and plucked up the manilla envelope to tuck it beneath his arm. He led the way to the door and held it open for Parker before he slipped out behind him.

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Woo!

impotentwaffle
2010-01-07 06:57 am UTC (link)

Parker hesitated, expecting Callaway to be opening the door for himself. When he realized that he was holding it open for him, he laughed a little. "Do you try to be charming, or is that just natural?" He waited for Callaway to lead him to his car, really curious to see what he drove.

He glanced down at his manuscript in Callaway's hand. He was sure the man wouldn't like it, or worse yet, he would like it but be completely freaked out by its vast sadness. He knew he could put people off with his personality and he really didn't want that with this man.

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halloweenish
2010-01-07 07:07 am UTC (link)

"Natural, I guess," Callaway replied with a warm laugh.

He fell into an easy stride, both of his hands tucked into the pockets of his black slacks while Parker's manuscript was pinned neatly between Callaway's side and arm. His car was silver and sleak, an old vintage 1968 Mustang. Callaway preferred the classics over the new stuff, and he was absolutely in love with his car, mostly because he liked the history it held.

"One second," he said as he fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the car, and the inside was just as pristine as the outside. He grabbed his messenger bag and pulled out a stack of papers bound together, and as he handed it over to Parker he smiled. "I suppose I should write down my address for you. What time will you be coming over?"

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-07 08:04 am UTC (link)

Parker stared at the pile of paper in his hand. When he was in the hospital, he'd become a big fan of Callaway's work. This was kind of like the holy grail and before this moment he hadn't fully connected the man in front of him with the Callaway Martin of those books. He held onto it a little too tightly, half afraid he'd wake up and this would all have been a strange dream.

"Yes, you should." He offered him his hand as a scrap of paper for the address. Really he just wanted Callaway to have to touch him long enough to write the address on his skin. "How about 7:30?"

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halloweenish
2010-01-07 08:09 am UTC (link)

Callaway tucked Parker's manuscript away into the his messenger bag and put it back inside of the car after he'd snagged a pen from it, and he took Parker's offered hand to write down his address. His handwriting was surprisingly clean, smooth, and neat.

"I'll see you at 7:30 then," he said as he held onto Parker's hand for a moment, then gently let go. "Any requests for dinner? I make really amazing spaghetti and meatballs."

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-07 08:52 am UTC (link)

Wallowing in the way the pen felt gliding across his skin, Parker stared at the marks left by Callaway. He didn't recognize the street and would need to look it up when he got home. "Amazing spaghetti and meatballs it is then," he smiled.

When 7:30 rolled around, Parker was not there. He'd stood plenty of people up before, but that was not the case here. He'd lost track of time reading the man's new novel and now he was sitting on a bus, looking at his watch every five seconds. He hadn't thought to get Callaway's number so he couldn't call him to let him know he'd be late. It was nearly 8:15 by the time Parker found himself booking it from the bus stop down the street toward Callaway's place. He didn't want the man to think he wasn't coming. When he got there, he was out of breath and leaned against the door with one hand, gasping for air before he managed to knock. He looked utterly disheveled, winded.

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halloweenish
2010-01-07 08:59 am UTC (link)

Parker hadn't been the only one who'd gotten lost in reading. By the time Callaway looked up at the clock, it was nearly 7. He'd meant to start cooking a half an hour ago, but instead of panicking about it he got up to start. When 8 o'clock rolled around, he was a little surprised that Parker wasn't there yet, but he wasn't worried that the boy wouldn't show. By the time he heard the knock on the door, he'd just stirred the sauce and put the noodles on, and when he went to answer the door he smiled a little bit.

"I guess I wasn't the only one who over-read," he said, as if over-reading was just like oversleeping. "Come on in," he added with a friendly wave.

His apartment was neat. Old antique furniture made up the bulk of it, but it was oddly comfortable, lived in, well used. The flooring was made up of a rich dark hardwood, and he had a stack of books sitting by the fireplace.

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-07 06:43 pm UTC (link)

"I was afraid you'd think I wasn't going to show up. I've done that to a lot of people and I kept thinking that it was karma for all those times, that I wouldn't make it when I really wanted to." It was clear that Parker tended to make mountains out of molehills and he got the feeling that Callaway was exactly the opposite. That would be good for him, he thought to himself.

The apartment was amazing. Parker's was, of course, a little hole in the wall and utterly messy by comparison. "It smells good," he said as he relaxed a bit from running and angsting over whether or not Callaway would be mad that he was late.

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halloweenish
2010-01-07 09:50 pm UTC (link)

"I got carried away with reading your manuscript, I just figured you'd probably done the same - which I take as a compliment, by the way," Callaway said as he shut the door and put a hand to Parker's back to lead him towards the open kitchen area.

"I just put the noodles on. Shouldn't take long for them to get ready, are you thirsty? Would you like something to drink? I have water, wine, beer, juice, and soda."

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-07 11:29 pm UTC (link)

"Beer would be good," he said quickly. It might take the edge off. "And yeah, you're right. That's exactly what happened. I'm nearly finished actually--didn't even get up to go to the bathroom. Speaking of which, where is yours?" The book had been exciting and intricate and like always, Parker had been transported. He couldn't believe that he'd been among the first to read it.

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halloweenish
2010-01-08 04:51 am UTC (link)

To hear that Parker was enjoying his novel so much was relieving to Callaway. While he'd grown a little confident in his writing over the years, and because of his success, there were times when he still felt a bit insecure. He really wanted to impress Parker, and he didn't quite grasp that he all ready had impressed the younger man, and had been for years through his books.

His current book focused more on an Egyptian historical mystery rather than religious history, though there was some religion mixed in. He'd gone to college and majored in religion studies, wanting to know as much as he could about the topic, and minored in history. It paid off, too. All that he'd learned, he used in his writing.

"I've nearly finished yours, too," Callaway smiled as he went to snag two beers from the fridge. "It's down that way," he added with a nod. "First door on the left."

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-08 05:55 am UTC (link)

He was incredibly nervous to hear what Callaway thought of his book. He paused, trying to glean what information he could from the way Callaway was speaking. Nearly finished yours too. He couldn't quite decipher the deeper meaning of that. Then again, there probably wasn't some cryptic meaning behind it, Parker was just looking for one.

Heading off to the bathroom, Parker was thankful to have a moment to catch his breath. While he was there, he could not resist looking inside of Callaway's medicine cabinet.

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halloweenish
2010-01-08 06:08 am UTC (link)

Callaway was blown away by Parker's writing. The story, the characters, the plot - everything. It had been a long time since he'd found himself so entangled in a book, and it was refreshing. It reminded him of why he enjoyed writing so much.

As Parker peeked into his medicine cabinet, (which held nothing more than aspirin, some dental floss, a box of Q-tips, and mouthwash), Callaway stirred the spaghetti sauce and then drained the water from the noodles with a strainer in the sink.

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-08 06:35 am UTC (link)

Parker had expected to find something nefarious in Callaway's medicine cabinet. Something that would mean he wasn't as together as he seemed to be, but when he found nothing he wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

When he came back out, he plucked up the beer that was meant for him and took a good long swig before padding into the kitchen and looking over Callaway's shoulder. "I can't find anything wrong with your book. Whenever I read, I always read like an editor, but I can't find a single thing I'd change yet."

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halloweenish
2010-01-08 06:42 am UTC (link)

Hearing Parker's voice brought a smile to Callaway's face, and he turned to look over his shoulder at the younger man to meet his eyes before he offered him the wooden spoon. It had some sauce on it, and he used his free hand to hover beneath it so that none would drip on the floor.

"I was going to say the same thing about your book," he replied softly as he met Parker's eyes.

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-08 07:09 pm UTC (link)

Instinctively, Parker leaned forward to test some of the sauce and it was quite good. His eyes fluttered shut with enjoyment and he made a little sound in the back of his throat. But when Callaway complimented his work like that, his eyes flew open and his face burst into one of the brightest smiles anyone had ever seen on the somber boy.

"Really? You like it so far?"

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halloweenish
2010-01-08 07:25 pm UTC (link)

Callaway was sure that nothing could be better than seeing that look of enjoyment flicker over Parker's face because of something he'd cooked, but then the boy's face lit up into that bright smile, and Callaway realized he'd been mistaken. Nothing could be better than that smile, he was sure of it.

"I think like isn't quite the word," he said with a little laugh as he turned to stir the sauce again. "I really love it so far. The story is full of sadness, but there's hope, and I think when you can write something in such a way that it makes the reader really feel things - real emotions like that - well, then it's something special."

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-09 06:04 am UTC (link)

Parker's smile settled into something far softer. The fact that Callaway had sifted through all of the muck of his life and found the hope made Parker's body tingle as if someone was brushing warm fingers up his spine. No one ever seemed to get that out of his writing even though it was definitely there. Everyone focused on how misplaced the little king felt, or how he never did quite find his proper place in either world. But there was freedom in that, and Parker tried to convey it. He was thankful that Callaway seemed to understand it.

He realized that he was staring somewhat dreamily at the other man and he blinked, taking a step back. "Sorry, I guess I was getting lost in your compliments." Really he was getting lost in the connection he felt, but he wasn't going to say anything about that. "So, Egypt. Great setting."

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halloweenish
2010-01-09 06:12 am UTC (link)

"It's an interesting an beautiful place, I went last winter," Callaway said as he got two plates down so that he could start getting their meal ready. "It's a little overwhelming to be staying in a place with so much history, I can't properly describe it. Cairo is amazing, I was meant to be on vacation but I just got inspired and spent so much time writing," he added with a laugh. "I have no idea what Sanders will think of it, it's different from the things I usually write."

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-09 06:28 am UTC (link)

"He'd be a total idiot not to love it." Parker had to wonder what it would be like to have an editor, a real publisher. He'd written lots of things, but this was his first real cohesive piece of work and it was getting ignored at every turn.

He took a few drinks of his beer and leaned against the counter, settled to watch Callaway serve up the spaghetti. "How did you get started in this? It feels like I'm never going to cut a break. I finished this book about 3 months after I got out and I've been trying to get someone to actually read it ever since."

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halloweenish
2010-01-09 06:36 am UTC (link)

There was a lot about Parker's writing that felt distinctively personal to Callaway, even though they were subtle and at times cleverly hidden. He'd easily picked up on the bits and pieces of Parker in the king, though at the moment it was all guess work.

"Got out?" he asked as he got two forks our and gathered up the plates so that he could carry them to the table. "Can you grab my beer? And god, it's been so long I can hardly remember. A lot of rejections, it was frustrating. But I just kept going. Eventually I met my mother's new boyfriend, he knew the man in Sander's position before Sanders. So he passed it along so it'd at least get read one time."

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impotentwaffle
2010-01-09 07:05 am UTC (link)

Parker tried not to skip a beat, but inside his stomach was clenching. The hospital had been such a part of his experience that sometimes he talked about it without thinking. "From Central State Hospital," he said casually, but averting his eyes so he didn't have to see Callaway's reaction. Central State was a fairly well known Virginia mental institution for both the civilly and criminally committed.

"I've always wanted to travel but I haven't had the chance yet. Um, how old are you if you don't mind my asking? I suppose I could always google it."

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halloweenish
2010-01-09 07:15 am UTC (link)

Callaway glanced over at Parker in slight surprise, but he didn't press the issue. He could tell that it was a sensitive subject, and if Parker didn't want to talk about it just yet, then it was understandable. Callaway wasn't the type to pry.

"33," he answered as he pulled a chair out for the younger man. "And what about you? If you don't mind me asking," he smiled.