Jorah looked at the object as though it had spurned him. "The fuck it is." he frowned. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"You know joke and work are never in the same sentence with me." Tanner replied matter-of-factly.

Jorah knew this to be true.

"Think of it as a genre you haven't explored yet," he picked up the script and tossed it on the sofa beside Jorah before walking back to his desk. "It's a chance to show range."

Jorah shook his head resolutely. "I won't do it."

"And why's that?" Tanner watched him, unblinking. "I don't see anything wrong with it." he continued. "I read it. I think it's actually a really good story."

"What the shit! A good story?!" Jorah exploded "It's about two men"

"So?" Tanner questioned nonchalantly.

"What do you mean 'so'?!"

"Do you know what I went through to even get them to consider you for this role? I had to call in favors." he frowned in displeasure. "I never call in favours."

Jorah was stunned momentarily. "Fuck that!" he retorted. Even if Tanner had gone this far. He hadn't asked him to.

"My answer is still no." Jorah insisted. "This isn't me. It's not the type of work I want to do."

"Won't?" Tanner looked at him squarely "Or can't?" There was a clear challenge in his voice. "Or is it that you're scared to take a risk? To really act?"

Jorah's jaw clenched. Tanner had a way of poking at his pride, of turning every conversation into a battle of wills. But he wouldn't be swayed or manipulated.

"Think about it, Jorah," Tanner pressed. "This isn't just any project. It's a chance to reshape everything."

"Reshape," Jorah muttered, the word leaving a bitter taste "Really?"

"It's worth a shot." Tanner replied.

Jorah scoffed, the concept ricocheting in his mind.

"Look, Jorah," Tanner continued, his tone patient yet firm, "Your image could use some... expansion. Show them there's more to you than tabloid fodder"

Jorah smirked "But I'm more than that now. I even made the news this morning."

"Even worse." Tanner frowned. "It's time we worked on this."

He rose from his seat, his movements sharp. "And you think the way to fix that is by throwing me into uncharted waters for the sake of shock value?"

"It's not about shock," Tanner insisted, "It's about depth, range—"

"Depth," Jorah echoed mockingly. He paced the room, each step heavy with defiance. "There's got to be a hundred other ways to show 'depth' without me prancing around in some—some love story with a man!"

Tanner leaned back in his chair, regarding Jorah with an unreadable expression. "This could redefine you. Give people something they wouldn't expect."

"Or" Jorah shot back, "It could sink what's left of my reputation." His heart raced, a trapped bird against the cage of his ribs.

"Since when do you care about your reputation?" Tanner was genuinely curious. "You're on the cover of every trashy tabloid...the front page!"

Jorah gritted his teeth.

"I think your reputation as it is now might be the least of your concern." The little man stood and walked to the front of his desk.

Leaning against the desk he crossed his legs at the ankle and put both hands into his pockets.

"Look kid." Jorah winced at being addressed in that manner. "Think about it. This is a good opportunity,"

"Opportunity or not," Jorah said, voice firm as bedrock, "I'm not doing it."

"Then what will you do?" Tanner asked, a challenge laced within the question.

"Anything else," Jorah declared

Tanner gave him a knowing smile.

"I've been doing this for a long time. People eventually get tired of the same narrative. We know you can shoot guns and scale walls but the question everyone is asking is what else can you do?" His manager looked at him squarely. "Only you can answer that question," he poked at him with his words. "Are you going to show them?"

Jorah's frown deepened. "You can't be serious!" he hissed; eyes narrowed to slits of barely contained anger.

"Jorah, listen—" Tanner started, but Jorah cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Me? In a boy love drama?" The words stung his tongue. It was unfathomable. He couldn't imagine doing it.

"Have you ever heard of Neon Thanlacorn?"

"What?" Jorah made a face. "What's that?"

"Not a what." Tanner pointed out. "A who."

Jorah still looked blank.

Tanner's knowing smile came back.

"Do you know how much the BL industry is worth these days?" He tried to make Jorah understand. "This industry is changing, and the audience for boy love dramas is huge. They're devoted, they're vocal, and they'll bring new life to your career."

"New life?" Jorah scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. His heart thumped hard, a pulse of pure rebellion. "Or a death sentence?"

Tanner laughed. "I don't see what you have to lose at this point."

Another jab to Jorah's rib.

"Your talent is undeniable," Tanner confessed, every word measured, aimed to strike true. "Imagine what you could do with a character like this. It's more than just romance; it's about connection, vulnerability—"

"Vulnerability," cut in mockingly.

"Give it a chance," Tanner urged softly. "For your fans, for your craft. For yourself."

Jorah couldn't see it. The idea tangled in his mind, a knot he couldn't loosen. He turned sharply, the muscles in his jaw tensing as he fought against the current of Tanner's persuasion.

"Those critics," Tanner continued. "They think they've seen all you can do. Show them they're wrong. Show them—and yourself—that you can take on any role and shine."

"And you think a role like this is the best way to do that. " Jorah's voice was barely above a whisper, his usual confidence just a dull echo.

"It's worth a shot." There was a level of encouragement in Tanner's words.

A pregnant silence hung in the air as Tanner's words spun in Jorah's head.

Seeing the defiance in his eyes, Tanner walked over to his client.

"Just try." he encouraged. " If it doesn't work out, then we'll figure something out." He looked at him. "The audition is in a week."

After saying his piece with that air of finality, he walked back to his desk.

For Jorah, there was nothing else to say and so they parted ways.

He was leaving in a worse condition than he'd arrived in. At most he'd expected Tanner to scold him about what happened. Who would have imagined he would feel this way after being presented with a new project?

While he wasn't very familiar with Boy Love Dramas, homosexuality was still a hot-button topic. It was already bad enough that he was failing with his current projects. If he took part in a project like this, what would happen to him?

When he exited the building, there were more relentless clicks of cameras.

Ignoring them, he ducked into the car and pulled away, making a silent vow.

No matter what, he wouldn't take the part. He wouldn't be anyone's pawn in a game.

His life was his own.