 The action of Imperial Bedrooms depicts Clay upon returning to Los Angeles , having lived in New York for four years , in order to assist in the casting of his new film . There he meets up with his old friends who were characters in Less Than Zero . Like Clay , they have all become involved in the film industry : his philandering friend Trent Burroughs — who has married Blair — is a manager , while Clay 's former classmate at Camden , Daniel Carter , has become a famous producer . Julian Wells , who was a male prostitute in Less Than Zero , has become an ultra @-@ discreet high @-@ class pimp representing struggling young actors who do not wish to tarnish future careers . Rip Millar , Clay 's former drug dealer , now controls his own cartel and has become disfigured through repeated plastic surgeries . 
