Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 08:26:13 -0800 (PST) From: stephen lowe Subject: The More Things Change, Part 2 This story contains graphic sexual scenes between males. If material of this nature offends you then you should not read this story. Additionally, if you are under 18 years of age in most states you are not allowed to read this story by law. This story is purely a work of fiction. Any resemblance to person's living or dead, or to events that may have occurred, is purely coincidental. The author claims all copyrights to this story and no duplication or publication of this story is allowed, except by the web sites to which it has been posted, without the consent of the author. The More Things Change, Part 2 "Well," Jason thought, "that wasn't so hard." He tossed the rest of his drink off in a single gulp. Greg was instantly there. "Can I get you another, Mr. Katz?" Jason shook his head. "I think I'd better eat something." "Would you like a table, or will you eat here at the bar?" "Here is fine." If nothing else, he reasoned, Landon had expressed a willingness to help. That was the key thing. Whatever it cost him, he at least had a way out of the mess he'd made. Jason smiled to himself when he thought about Landon's scathing little sermon. He supposed that he had deserved every bit of Landon's contempt, but Jason had no doubt that it wouldn't be long before Landon changed the price of his assistance. "Think you've still got a soul, Jase?" It was a question Jason couldn't answer and didn't care to contemplate. He'd never been very interested in philosophical or spiritual speculation, nor indeed anything that involved self-examination. As far as he was concerned, life didn't have any deeper meaning; you just did what you could to get what you wanted. The specifics of what Jason wanted had varied over the years, but the common denominator had always been sensual gratification. That his pleasure was often gained at the expense of others didn't cause him a single qualm. Those who came up against Jason Katz were no angels; and if they got burned in their dealings with him, maybe it would teach them to be more careful. Greg had swifly arranged a place setting for him, and was now handing Jason the menu. "Would you like to hear about tonight's specials?" Jason didn't even bother consulting the menu. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he knew from experience that swilling martinis on an empty stomach was a very bad idea. "No, thank you Greg. Do you have a simple grilled steak?" "Yes, of course, Mr. Katz. How would you like that cooked?" "Medium rare, please." "Certainly. Tonight the steak comes with a baked potato, julienned carrots, and a salad of mixed field greens with a raspberry and pear vinaigrette. Will that be satisfactory?" "That will be just fine." "Would you like your salad before or after your entree?" "After, I guess." "Very well. Can I get you something else to drink?" Jason considered for a moment. "I don't suppose you have any red wines by the half bottle, do you?" "We have a shiraz, a cabernet, and a merlot in half-bottles." "Then I'll have the cabernet." Greg smiled and removed the empty martini glass. "Right away, Mr. Katz." As he watched Greg entering his order into the computer, Jason recalled what Landon had said about his being well-informed about "deadly sins". How exactly did Landon know that? He'd been noticeably evasive when Jason had asked about his relationship with Greg, which was a sure sign that there was something to hide. If Landon had been fucking Greg, Jason could hardly blame him. The man was hot. He was tall, probably six-four, and lean without being skinny. His hair was thick and black, and it waved down to the collar of his black shirt. What was fascinating, though, was that his racial heritage was impossible to guess. His skin was darker than Landon's, but with a kind of olive cast to it. His facial features didn't seem to match either his skin tone or one another. His eyes were almond-shaped, but they were hazel. His cheekbones and jawline were delicately drawn, but he had a very prominent chin. His nose was more of a beak, and it sat above an almost comically wide mouth. No one would ever call him handsome; but as discordant as the parts wer, the whole was very striking. "Tell me something," Jason began, as Greg presented the bottle for his approval. "You're going to ask me where I'm from, right?" Jason glanced at the label and nodded. "I guess you get that a lot." As he began to work on the cork, Greg replied easily, "It's no big deal. When you look like I do, people are going to be curious." "I think you look pretty amazing." Greg grinned. "Landon warned me that you'd be charming." "Warned you? About me?" Greg poured out for Jason to taste. "Just a figure of speech, Mr. Katz." "Please, call me Jason." He sampled the wine and nodded. "What else did he tell you about me?" Greg shrugged. "Just that you all knew each other when. He said that you're thinking about moving here, so you asked him to show you around. Since he's a busy man, he asked me to look after you." Jason gave him a hard stare. "Look after me how?" "However you need. I am to be completely at your disposal." "Won't that interfere with your job here?" "Not really. I'm not technically on duty tonight. Landon asked me to be here so I could meet you." Jason raised an eyebrow. "That's customer service above and beyond." Greg looked at him closely. "You do know that he owns the place." Jason's glass paused in mid-air. "No, I didn't know that." "Well, he's not one to brag. As a matter of fact, he's one of the lowest-key people that I know." "Tell me more." Greg smiled and shook his head. "I have specific instructions: tonight is supposed to be about you. Anything you want to know about Landon, you'll have to ask him." Jason put on his best pouty face. "That's no fair." Greg laughed out loud. "Landon also warned me that you'd stop at nothing to get what you want." Nettled, Jason muttered, "Did he give you my date of birth and social security number too?" Greg patted his hand. "Why don't you just relax and enjoy yourself? From what I understand, you've been having a rough time lately and could stand to let off some steam." Just then, Jason's steak arrived. As Greg placed it before him, he said, "I have an idea." "What's that?" "Enjoy your food and your drink. I'll wrap things up on this side of the bar, then I'll join you for dessert. After that, we can come up with a game plan for the rest of the evening." "What kind of game plan?" "Anything you like. I know this town inside and out. Whatever you have a taste for, I'll take you to where you can find it." Jason took a bit of his steak and chewed thoughtfully. "Anything I like?" Greg smiled and winked. "I'm a tour guide, not a chaperon--and I'm over twenty-one." Jason nodded. "Then we'll do just as you suggest." "Good. Let me take care of a few things, and I'll be back with you before you know it." Jason watched as Greg spoke briefly to another bartender, then disappeared around a corner of the bar. Whatever Landon was up to, Jason hadn't been born yesterday. Hell, Ray Charles could see that this was some kind of setup. Still, it was Landon's game. If being led around by one of his hot playthings was the price of his help, Jason would gladly pay the cost. He was looking forward to seeing what Greg looked like under that sober black uniform. Over coffee and dessert, however, Jason discovered that Greg was quite a bit more than just a hot plaything. Not that he learned many details about the man. He found himself in a fencing match of sorts, trying to learn as much as he could about his opponent while giving away as little as possible about himself. Greg turned out to be a very worthy opponent, gently but firmly parrying Jason's attempts to probe. "I know that an air of mystery is supposed to be attractive," he told Greg at one point, "but this is a bit much, don't you think?" "I could say the same thing. You ask a lot of questions, but your answers are masterpieces of ambiguity. You must be one hell of a lawyer." Jason looked away. "So they tell me." "Did I strike a nerve?" Jason gave him a hard look. It was met with an unflinching gaze. "Let's cut the bullshit, OK?" Greg simply nodded. Jason continued. "I don't know how much Landon has told you about me; but it's probably enough for you to know that I'm here because I need his help, and that he's trying to decide whether or not he'll do for me what I need. Your job, obviously, is to have a play date with me, observe my behavior, and report your findings to the boss. Am I right?" "Go on." "That leaves me with a few options. Option one is to finish here, wish you a good night, and go off on my own to do whatever. Option two is to hang out with you and be on my best behavior. Option three is to throw caution to the wind and be myself with you." "That about sums it up, I guess." "So if you were me, which would you choose?" Greg pondered for a while. "Based on what I know--which isn't much--you don't have much to lose whichever way you go. If you're already on Landon's shit list, not much you could do tonight would make that situation any worse. So if you've gotta go, you might as well go with a smile." "Meaning?" "Meaning that with option one, you either spend a solitary evening or you try to sniff out a good time on your own. The former leaves you bored and lonely, and the latter provides no guarantees. Option two sounds like a lot of effort for not much reward. Option three, however, at least affords you the opportunity for one last balls-out fling before you have to do whatever penance Landon is going to demand. I doubt he'll let you forget about your sins for long after tomorrow, so you might as well practice amnesia tonight." Jason couldn't help laughing. "I do like your style." "Maybe because it's so similar to yours?" "Touche." "So, what's it gonna be?" Greg asked, finishing his coffee. "I think we need to get out of here and start really having fun." "I was hoping you'd say that." Greg caught the bartender's eye, gave him a signal that they were done, and rose from his stool. "First stop is my place." Jason's eyebrows flew upward. "Isn't that how the night is supposed to end?" "Gotta love a guy with jokes." Greg shook his head. "Seriously, dumbass, do you really think you want to run around all night with a guy who's dressed as a bartender?" "Sorry. I forgot about that." "That's OK. The smart ones are always the clueless ones. Shall we?" "Lead on." Greg lived a few blocks from the restaurant, so it only took them a few minutes to arrive at what Jason observed was a very well-appointed apartment building. It was an older structure, but the lobby had been restored with painstaking care and apparently unlimited expense. The lobby was a festival of marble, brass, and genuine wood paneling. Leather chairs and sofas were arranged in alcoves to the side of the entry area, including a grouping in front of a large marble fireplace. Either Landon paid his employees extraordinarily well, or Greg's physical beauty and winning charm inspired customers to tip very generously. Instead of heading directly for the elevators, Greg stopped in front of the concierge desk. A striking young woman lifted her head from a book and greeted him with a smile. Jason was too far away to overhear their conversation, but the air of flirtation was quite perceptible in their exchange. Greg bent low over the counter to speak with her, while she gave her generous bosom an upward thrust and pouted her lips moistly as she listened. At the end of the brief exchange, Greg tossed her a smile and a wave and beckoned Jason toward the elevators. Jason glanced at the concierge and caught her eyes frankly appraising him. He nodded in greeting and was taken aback when she smiled and winked before returning to her book. "Aren't there rules about fraternizing with the help?" he asked as Greg led the way onto the elevator. Greg chuckled and pushed the button for the ninth floor. "Natalie's my buddy. She always has something smart to say, especially when I have a visitor. She's cool, though." "Seems like she'd rather be more than a buddy." "Natalie? No, she knows the score. She's the kind of person who flirts with telephone poles when she's got some time to kill." "sounds a lot like you." "People in glass houses should learn to keep their own clothes on." Jason shook his head and smiled in spite of himself. "I keep forgetting what a smart ass you are." "Better to be a smart ass than a dumb ass." The doors opened. "Follow me." Greg led the way around two corners and to a door at the end of a long hall. He unlocked it and held it wide for Jason to enter. "Welcome to my humble home." "Humble" was not the word to describe it. While the space itself was fairly ordinary, it was decorated with good taste, thought, and no small expense. The impressive view from the windows facing the door and the fourteen-foot ceilings were reason enough to know that this was no bargain flat. The carved mantle above the fireplace in the living room, the crystal chandelier over the dining table, and the pricey rugs laying on the chevron-patterned wood floors said that the place had been designed for someone to whom elegant touches were very important. Yet there was nothing ostentatious about any of it, as if the furnishings had grown out of the structure. Greg watched him taking it all in. "I take it you like?" "It's amazing. It's also the last thing that I would have guessed for you." Greg shrugged and walked over to the bar. "Guess you can't judge a book by it's cover." Jason snorted. "Do I look like fucking Goldilocks?" Greg looked surpised. "What do you mean?" "I mean does Landon still live here with you, or does he just visit on occasion." "Scotch on the rocks?" Jason nodded. "Landon said you were a quick study." "I shared an apartment with the man for three years in college. Even now, I could spot his style anywhere." Greg picked up the glasses and handed one to Jason. "Landon and I have been platonic for a very long time now." He motioned Jason to sit on a couch, then placed himself at the other end. "Technically, he bought this place for both of us; but he never actually lived here. We were involved at a time when it was best for us to be discreet, so the apartment has always been in my name. When it ended, he just left it that way. Never said a word about it." "Sort of a divorce settlement?" "Just so." "You must have impressive skills." Greg's cocked his head and inquired, "What do you mean by that?" Jason took a long pull from his drink. "I mean that only the most qualified courtesans can demand this level of compensation." Greg gave him a searching look. "Sounds like you speak from experiencing both sides of the equation: the keeper and the kept." From the way Jason averted his eyes, he knew that it was a direct hit. "I'm sorry," was Jason's reply. "That was unnecessary." "Apology accepted." He moved so that his face was inches away from Jason's. Greg lifted his chin, looked into his eyes, and said softly, "I like you Jason, and I look forward to having a great time with you tonight. Just try to refrain from taking out your problems on me, okay?" "Okay." Greg kissed his nose, then gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I'm going to get ready now." He stood, stretched, and set down his glass. "Make yourself at home. The laptop on the coffee table controls the music. If you want TV or a movie, I can take you to the den." "Music is fine." "All right. Then I'll be back in a few." As he walked down the hall to his bedroom, Greg reviewed him impressions of Jason. After the things that Landon had told him about the guy, he was surprised at how much and how quickly he'd taken to Jason. Then again, Greg probably had a lot more in common with Jason than Landon ever could. Whatever the vicissitudes Landon had endured, he'd never had to wrestle with self-esteem. Poor Landon, Greg thought as he rummaged through his closet. He'd be so much happier if he would just enjoy his good fortune instead of always trying to deserve it. Not that having one's parents die in one's infancy could be considered good fortune, but the pile of money they'd left him and the loving grandparents who'd raised him must have gone a long way toward mitigating the loss. As he got undressed, he pushed thoughts of Landon out of his head. He was no shrink, and he'd long since accepted that fact that his boss was far too complicated for his simple little brain to analyze. His current task was Jason, and he suspected that it would require all the mental energy he could command. As always, he took a long moment to scrutinize himself before jumping into the shower. Not bad for thirty-five, he decided. The dark skin was smooth and unblemished; contoured by long, lean muscles. The dark, uncut dick was long and lean too. The ass was nicely rounded, with a deep dimple on the side of each cheek. Jason would certainly not be disappointed when the reveal occurred later in the evening. Greg had harbored no illusions when Landon had asked him to look after Jason on his first night in town. Although Landon had been gracious enough not to spell it out, Greg had known that one of his duties would be to sleep with Jason. That didn't bother Greg in the least--hell, the little guy was hot. What did trouble him was the vague sense that Jason might be a bit more vulnerable than Landon might have anticipated. The guy had trashed his life pretty thoroughly, and he was grasping for a lifeline. Greg was feeling more like a carrot in front of a donkey. A straightforward sexual liaison was one thing, a cold-blooded manipulation was quite another. "Oh well," he said to himself as he stepped under the spray in the glass enclosure, "that's not my problem." As he lathered shampoo into his hair, he was startled to hear the bathroom door click. He rinsed quickly, and opened his eyes to a naked Jason opening the shower door. "I'm sorry," Jason said shyly. "I just didn't want to be alone." TO BE CONTINUED....