Friends, Sexcapades, And Love Affairs – Ch. 11
By Laura S. Fox
Copyright © 2020 Laura S. Fox
All Rights Reserved
Gay Erotica
Intended for Mature Audiences Only
This story will contain graphic depictions of sexual intercourse, strong
language and it is not meant for readers who are less than 18 years of age.
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Chapter Eleven – Hurtful
Truths
Adrian traced invisible
lines on Edward’s hand, profiting of the fact that it laid flat between them,
like an invitation. Edward smiled as he stole a glance at him, but one of his
fingers began tapping, so Adrian placed his entire hand on top to stop it. “You
can’t be nervous,” he said matter-of-factly. “These are your people, right?”
In the backseat of his
luxury car, in his luxury clothes, spelling privilege, and money from head to
toe, Edward Hastings was nervous. Adrian couldn’t quite believe it, but it
didn’t take a psychic to realize that a lot went through Edward’s mind at the
moment.
“You don’t have to do
this if you don’t like it,” Adrian added, seeing how Edward remained silent,
lost, most probably, in his own head.
A short laugh was the
answer. “There’s nothing I like more in the world.” The voice inflections were
a tad harsh, and, for a second, there was a glint of something foreign in
Edward’s beautiful eyes. From smooth green, they turned to cut emerald, and Adrian
looked engrossed at the transformation. Edward was, undoubtedly, a man with
layers and shadows, too.
“All right. If you say
so. What am I supposed to do, again?”
“Be polite. Tend to me
and only me. Refuse any invitation, even if it may sound harmless. These are
not ordinary people.”
“Am I joining the
Freemasonry or something? Now I get why you wanted me to wear better clothes,”
Adrian joked. “I would appreciate knowing about it in advance.”
Edward laughed, but it
wasn’t his free laugh from before when they had been at the house. “Nothing of
the kind. But rich people, Adrian, are in the position of enjoying freedoms
like no other. That means they mostly believe that they have a right to treat
others like objects or pawns for their little games. I believe you have the
mental strength to resist. Others have failed before.”
“Damn. The plot thickens.
All I have to do is to stay true to you, right?”
Edward confirmed with a
small grunt as he kicked off some invisible lint from his suit jacket.
“Then, it’s the easiest
thing I’ve ever done.”
Edward stared at him for
a long second.
“What?” Adrian asked.
“I was expecting a
follow-up to such serious words.”
Adrian laughed. “You
won’t get a confession out of me so easily, Your Majesty.” He relaxed and
stretched like he was already bored out of his wits. “I’m a tough one, and I’ll
show it to you.”
“Counting on it, Adrian.”
Edward leaned in and placed a small kiss on the corner of his mouth.
Adrian cursed inwardly
for not catching the move so that he could enjoy kissing Edward
thoroughly.
“We’re almost there,”
Edward said, straightening back into his place and looking ahead like he was
expecting to go to war.
The moment was lost. But
there would be plenty of other moments, and right now, Adrian didn’t mind.
Edward had given him some heavenly head just earlier so he couldn’t complain.
Whatever Edward thought was so important about this stupid sex club, he would
forget about in due time. Adrian had a plan to make Edward spill out ill-timed
confessions. And, when that happened, he would have the man all to himself to
do as he pleased.
“Man, are we in Monaco?”
Adrian whistled as he looked at the rows of expensive vehicles that had to be
all limited editions or something. No, limited couldn’t cover what he was
seeing. Exclusive sounded more like a term that fit the fleet of cars already
parked in front of what seemed to be an old, but majestic building. “Are they
really okay with having sex at the museum? It doesn’t sound that kinky to me.
More like creepy.”
Edward smiled. “I love
your sense of humor, Adrian, but let’s just keep it to ourselves. And, of
course, it’s not a museum.”
“Right. It’s more like a
crypt for vampires. Wait, is that why you’re so sexy? Are you secretly a
vampire?”
“If you haven’t noticed,
I have no trouble walking in the sun.”
“You’re a hotshot vampire
and a doctor on top of everything. In all your thousands of years of existence,
you might have found a cure to that.”
Edward shook his head.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Hopefully, I’m not as pale as those creatures
of the night.”
Adrian caressed his
lover’s cheek briefly. “Maybe you could use more time in the sun.”
“Well, it’s already
evening, so let’s plan such an outing for a different time. Now, let’s face the
music.”
“As you say, boss. Your
wish is my command.”
The chauffeur came to
hold the door for them, and Adrian somehow expected to be welcomed by the harsh
lights of cameras when he climbed out of the car. Luckily, there was no such
thing, and there was no red carpet, either, which was, again, something he had
expected.
The impressive marble
staircase that took the guests inside the belly of the beast was just the
beginning. Adrian leaned and whispered into Edward’s ear, “Am I supposed to act
impressed? Because I am, and trying to keep a straight face might make my
muscles hurt.”
“It’s your first time.
All is forgiven.”
“All right, then. Wow.”
“Duly noted.”
Adrian noticed the
somewhat rigid stance of Edward’s body but didn’t comment on it. Before getting
to know the guy better, he had thought him to be a cold fish. It was all right.
Edward could be as much of a cold fish as he wanted with anyone but him.
It was a bit childish of
him, but when the back of Edward’s hand brushed by his, it took him some effort
not to grab it so that they could walk inside holding hands.
At the entrance, he
allowed Edward to walk in front of him, but he kept one possessive hand on the
small of his back. Already, Edward was greeting all kinds of nobodies, and
Adrian felt instantly territorial.
Everyone seemed rich,
dressed nicely, and by how they greeted Edward back, they might have had more
than friendly interest. Something in their eyes told Adrian Edward was a prize,
whether he knew it or not. Lingering stares were aimed at him, as well, but he
focused on Edward, not wanting to gawk like a child taken to see the circus for
the first time. Also, he wasn’t entirely sure he could control a teeth-showing
snarl if he looked too hard around.
The place had a vibe, and
it wasn’t a pleasant one, Adrian could tell. It wasn’t creepy, or a museum, or
a crypt, but it was cold. It might have had something to do with those tall
granite walls. The interior was lit a giorno by
impressive candelabras and chandeliers that appeared to take up more real
estate than it was physically possible. The light came out of everywhere, and
yet it still felt like there was something inside sucking it in.
It could be the heavy
burgundy curtains draping the large windows, but Adrian doubted that. The place
was supposed to give the illusion of warmth, but it performed poorly. Around
them, people have already started to mingle, and Adrian allowed himself a few
looks around.
There were clearly at
least a dozen people who looked striking and as they had just descended from
the covers of fashion magazines. Adrian noticed a man in his late fifties who
was quite clearly showing his age, touching the ass of a twenty-something who
laughed and threw his head back, for the instant delight of his handler.
He shrugged. So rich
people came here to flaunt their young and beautiful lovers. Was that the only
thing he was to Edward? He could playfully ask, but that was a question for
later. For now, he needed to act like he wasn’t that impressed at all by the
lavishness of the place or the behavior of the guests.
“And who is this handsome
fellow you’ve brought with you tonight, Edward?” A man in his thirties, just
expensively dressed as the whole lot, approached them.
His angular features made
him unique, and Adrian supposed that some would consider him handsome, but,
instinctively, he felt put off. Maybe the man used too much hair product
because it shone a dark blue in the bright lights.
The way he held his lips
as he talked was presumably pleasant, and it could be a method to sweeten the
poisonous words spewed if Adrian’s intuition was correct. Everything about him
was too studied, to the point of looking fake. Probably, even his icy blue eyes
were contacts, not real.
“William,” Edward greeted
the stranger politely. “This is my companion, Adrian.”
William offered a meek hand,
and Adrian took it, stopping right in time from grimacing at the sensation that
he held something wooden and at least partially dead in his hand.
“I was hoping to see you
tonight alone for a change. It has been a while since that pretty thing you
used to bring along – what was his name? Raphael something? --”
“Ralph,” Edward corrected
the other promptly. “His name wasn’t that exotic.”
“But the things he did
with his tongue surely were,” William replied, his full lips stretching into a
strange smile.
Edward made a small
grimace. Adrian frowned. Hadn’t Edward said something about how he didn’t allow
his lovers to service anyone with their mouths? Apparently, a pretty thing
called Ralph had broken that rule.
“I found him boring,”
Edward said. “And I supposed you did, too, since I haven’t noticed you bringing
him around, either.”
“Oh, Edward,” William
placed one hand on Edward’s arm, holding on to it like he was about to fall and
needed the support, “don’t tell me you’re still mad about that. Here, at The Awakening,
it’s all about awakening one’s true nature.”
“In Ralph’s case, his
true nature was that of a whore,” Edward said in a light tone.
William seemed taken
aback by Edward’s words. “I had no idea you used such words.”
“One learns,” Edward
replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Adrian didn’t suppress a
smirk as they left William there, staring after them, like a child after the
ice cream truck. At the last moment, William’s eyes shifted from Edward’s back
to Adrian, and his expression hardened. Adrian showed a bit of teeth and
quirked an eyebrow. Whatcha gonna do, punk?
William pursed his lips
and set his chin high as he turned on his heels.
“Adrian?” Edward’s call
made him turn, too.
“Who’s the creep?” Adrian
whispered.
“William? He’s not a
creep.”
“So you say. He stole
your last boyfriend and fucked his mouth or something.”
Edward cleared his throat
discreetly. “Let’s not talk so freely here.”
“I’m whispering so low I
can barely hear myself. This party sucks already.”
Edward stopped and faced
him. A smile never leaving his lips, he fixed Adrian’s tie. “Then, please
forgive me. I will make it up to you.”
“Promise?”
“I always keep my word,
Adrian.”
Adrian caught Edward’s
arm before they would start walking again. “You know, the rule you told me to
play by? It goes for you, too. No fooling around.”
Edward patted his cheek.
“No need to worry. I’m a very selective man, and my tastes are not easy to
match by what’s on offer.”
“Some dudes around here
look like frigging supermodels.”
“I’m not interested in them,”
Edward replied. “I’m only interested in you. Better?”
“Much.”
Edward freed his arm but
only so that he could wrap it around Adrian’s. “William is a poor, tortured
soul. So that you know.”
“He’s in love with you,”
Adrian said.
“Hmm,” Edward offered in
reply.
“You know it.”
“And there’s nothing I
can do about it.”
“You know, you sound a
little cruel right now.”
“Do I? I’m only fair.”
Adrian shrugged. Edward
was right, after all. If it was not reciprocal, it wasn’t, and that was all
there was to it. “Has he been in love with you for long?”
“I don’t know exactly. It
could be years. But he will only be a friend. What? Do you feel threatened
already?”
“Already? Hey, is this
secretly your fan club? I swear, everywhere I look, people
look at us like they want to fuck you. What am I talking about? They’re
eye-fucking you, for real.”
“You’re mistaken, Adrian.
Everyone you see here has secrets and hidden agendas. When someone looks at you
like they want to fuck you, it’s one of two things: they really want to have
sex with you, or they want to screw you over. I belong to the second category —
you, to the first. And make no mistake. I bet most of the looks you noticed
were aimed at you, not me.”
“What a fucking clusterfuck,” Adrian murmured under his breath. “Why are we
here, again?”
“Because it’s fun,”
Edward replied with a small shrug.
The way Edward hanged on
Adrian’s arm, he was close and warm. Adrian felt a sudden urge to embrace him,
kiss him, and drag him out of there. “If you say so.”
“Edward!” Another man smartly
dressed, shouted from across the room.
He was in his thirties,
tall and lean, and the feline grace of his walk put him Adrian on guard right
away. His face was smoothly shaved, and Adrian could swear his eyebrows must
have been manscaped. His most striking feature was
his platinum blond hair that looked almost white. In contrast, his eyes were
dark, and they appeared almost unnatural on his pale face, but dangerously
appealing nonetheless. He was followed closely by another man, a slightly older
one, shorter, and plain-looking. However, there was something dignified in how
the second man held himself that made Adrian pay attention to him more.
“Ben!” Edward let go of
Adrian’s arm so that he could share an embrace with the tall man. “Mr. Wright.”
He bowed politely toward the other.
“Wow, new boy toy!” Ben
exclaimed, and he shamelessly guided his attention toward Adrian.
“Oh, Ben, please, don’t
do it,” Edward said.
“Do what?” Ben pretended
not to understand as he moved to stand in front of Adrian. “Oh, he’s so
exquisite! Such a beautiful complexion! May I touch him?”
“Hey, jerk,” Adrian said
as he kept a cold smile on his face. “Keep your hands to yourself, or we’ll
have a problem.”
Ben gasped exaggeratedly,
placing one hand over his mouth.
“Adrian,” Edward said in
warning.
“Hey, I can’t keep being
polite if he treats me like I’m a monkey or something.”
Ben seemed to have
recovered from the earlier shock. He snapped his fingers, which, for Adrian, at
least, seemed like a strange thing to do.
“I like him. Does he have
a name?” Ben asked, never removing his eyes from Adrian.
“He also has two mean
fists if you care to know,” Adrian replied, his grin broadening.
Edward cleared his
throat, but Adrian wasn’t going to let anyone walk over him.
“Benjamin,” Ben said and
offered his hand. “Call me Ben.”
“Adrian.” He shook Ben’s
hand and enjoyed the firm grip. “So, did I pass the test or what?”
Ben laughed and placed
his other hand over Adrian’s, holding it. “Did I tell you how much I like him?”
He directed his question at Edward.
“Only seconds earlier,”
was the wry reply.
“Finally, you realized
that looks aren’t everything,” Ben said. “Adrian,” he turned toward Adrian
again, “I’m glad Edward finally went for wits, too, not only for a pretty face.
Not that you’re not pretty.”
“Hey, I take offense to
that,” Adrian joked. “I’m not pretty. I’m not a butterfly.”
“Of course not. You’re a
bull. A fighting bull.”
Adrian burst into
laughter. “Then, don’t flaunt anything red in front of my eyes.”
“Not even if there’s a
sexy thong?” Ben leaned in, and his eyelashes batted in an exaggerated gesture
of seduction.
Adrian shook his head in
mirth and laughed. “Not unless it’s someone I like wearing it.” He stole a
glance at Edward.
Shadowed eyes stared back
at him.
“Good answer, Adrian,”
Ben congratulated him. “We should mingle a little more, right?”
Adrian shook hands with
Mr. Wright, too, as Ben whispered something to Edward that he didn’t
catch.
“Are they together?”
Adrian asked as the couple was out of earshot.
“No. Just close friends.”
“What did Ben tell
you?”
A small smile lit up
Edward’s lips. “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.” His genuine smile faded fast
as another man approached them.
Adrian looked at the
stranger, more and more curious about the crowd. This one was in his forties,
and he appeared strong and bulky under his nicely tailored suit. His entire
demeanor expressed aggressiveness, and Adrian felt an itch like he needed to
take a fighting stance. His eyes and hair were both dark. The hair was cut
short, military-style, and he didn’t appear to manscape
like Ben. The planes of his face were harsh, and his lips were turned outwards,
in an almost vulgar manner. As he got closer, he towered over both of them with
his height. In a nutshell, he was intimidating, and Adrian didn’t like Edward’s
reaction to him.
“If it isn’t Eddy boy,”
the stranger said as he stopped in front of them, both hands in his pockets,
making no sign that he even noticed Adrian’s presence.
“Brown,” Edward
acknowledged the newcomer stiffly.
“Hmm. I see you have a
new plaything with you.”
Adrian made a small move,
but Edward caught his arm. “He’s not a plaything. Feel free to mistreat your
partners as you see fit, Brown. Now, we have things to do, and you’re standing
in our way.”
Brown didn’t appear to
care about Edward’s words and moved toward Adrian. Then, abruptly, he grabbed
Adrian’s crotch. Just as fast, Adrian closed his hand on the massive wrist and
squeezed.
Edward was scandalized.
“Brown, cut it off,” he whispered angrily.
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll break your
fucking arm,” Adrian said calmly.
To his surprise, Brown
let go of his crotch. An ugly smirk split his face. “I thought playthings were
to be used. I like the strong ones best. A real challenge to break.”
“He’s not a plaything,”
Edward said again.
“Let’s go,” Adrian said
and took Edward’s arm. “He’s not only an asshole, but he’s also mentally
challenged.”
“What did you say?” Brown
pushed himself in his face.
“I will call security if
need be. You know the rules, Brown.” Edward began to scout the room and raised
his arm.
Brown caught it and
pulled it down. “No need to get your panties in a twist, Eddy. I was just
messing around with you.”
“And I’d rather you
didn’t.”
“I bet.”
Edward didn’t care to
reply to that and just walked away. Adrian kept the staring contest for a few
moments until Brown moved, too.
“What the fuck was that?”
Adrian asked.
They were now climbing
the grand staircase to the first floor, where music and laughter could be
heard.
“An unfortunate incident.
Let’s not make too much of it. He’s just someone who enjoys testing
boundaries.”
Adrian wanted to know
more, but then he realized what all was about. “I can’t believe it. It’s
fucking high school all over again.”
“High school?” Edward
appeared surprised at his words.
“Well, so far, we’ve met
the guy who’s been crushing on you for years, your BFF and his quiet companion,
a frigging bully … What’s next?”
“Next is some real fun,
the kind I can bet you never had in high school,” Edward replied.
They were now on the
first floor, and Adrian stopped dead in his tracks. Sex club was, after all, a
good definition of the place. There were dancing poles around which sexy
dancers floated, a real sex show on what looked like a stage with couples in
various positions of intercourse and images projected on the walls with
close-ups of sex acts, as well.
“Oh,” Adrian managed to
say. “Okay. Just like any sex club in the world, I guess.”
Edward laughed. “Right.
Let’s get to our places and enjoy the show.”
“You won’t let me fuck
you. How the hell am I supposed to enjoy this?”
“I’m certain you can show
restraint. And we’re here also to find a few things about your true nature.”
“There’s hardly any need
for that,” Adrian replied. “I can tell you directly. I’m a horny dude who wants
nothing but to get into your pants and stay there for a while.”
“Around you,” Edward
gestured, “do you see anything you like?”
Adrian shrugged. “They’re
all fucking sexy. But I’d rather do you.”
“Good,” Edward said
shortly. “Now, let’s take place at our table.”
They had a table. Adrian
just shook his head. All right, he had seen striptease shows, pole dancers, and
people fucking. But everything around them right now was much more than that
and far beyond.
He joined Edward at a
table on which expensive drinks were neatly arranged. He sank into the plush
loveseat and enjoyed the proximity he had to share with Edward. “Can I at least
kiss you?”
Edward seemed amused. The
light was subdued here, making everything look more erotic. “I took care of
your needs at home. And I hope you don’t intend to take me in front of
everyone.”
Adrian sighed. “You have
a point there. I wouldn’t want these perverts to start looking at you, thinking
they could have a piece of you.”
“You assume that I’m more
liked than I actually am. Poor William is not the norm; I can assure you.”
“Why does Brown have it
in for you? Did any of his boyfriends run to you in the past?”
Edward sighed. “He’s like
that toward everyone. It’s what he does.” He shifted in his place and looked
away for a moment.
Adrian could bet there
was more to that story, too. But he pretended not to care, anyway. He was there
to run some serious research.
A pretty twink dressed in a skimpy outfit made from a tight pair of
shorts and a top that stopped just above his perky nipples materialized to
their table and placed menus in front of them without a word. Strangely enough,
he bowed rather stiffly, a contrast to his provocative clothes. He walked away,
and Adrian started curiously after him. He didn’t make an effort to swing his
hips.
“Why is he pissed?” he
asked the first thing that came to his mind.
“Normally,” Edward
replied, “the waiters would wear their normal uniform. Someone seems to have
been in the mood for a little practical joke tonight. They wanted to make
things a little kitschy. You know, like we’ve just walked in the gay version of
Hooters.”
“So that little waiter is
pissed about having to walk around in those tight shorts?”
“You can say that.
Germaine is a perfect waiter. He doesn’t appreciate such jokes.”
“Then why is he here?”
“Just like anyone else,
for the money.”
Adrian shrugged. He then
noticed that there were two pairs of menus, one with royal blue covers, and
another the color of red wine. “Why are there so many menus?” he asked.
Edward smiled
enigmatically at him. “Let’s see, shall we?”
Adrian picked the red
menu. A cursory look over the words in there made his eyes as big as saucers.
“Wow.”
“I knew you would say
that. Shall we pick something?” Edward winked at him.
***
Mike stood there,
motionless for a while, taking in his own reflection in the glass doors. Jared
had been right about everything, down to the last details, such as the way his
hair curled right above the collar of his shirt. He looked good, better than he
ever recalled, and it made him feel a little out of place like he was no longer
living inside his own skin.
“Going in, Mike?” One of
the guys in Accounting who had always been friendly toward him as that appeared
to be his natural personality, patted him on the back.
“Yes,” he murmured and
joined the flock of employees flooding the venue booked for the event.
He sat at the table with
some guys from the IT department, as it appeared to be some unwritten rule
about sticking to the people who were in the same field, but paid little
attention to the food or the conversation, the humming of bees around him.
All he could think about
was Ryan and the promised dance. He couldn’t fathom how they were supposed to
dance together in that room fully packed with people. Also, there was no music
and no dance ring. When Ryan took the mike and began congratulating everyone
for a job well done, regarding a big project the company had been involved with
for the last few weeks, Mike became suddenly focused.
Not that he listened to
the words. A few employees were called forward and presented with accolades for
their activity, a sign of appreciation from the management. There was a bit of
a ruckus as the respective employees expressed their delight and gratefulness
at being singled out. Ryan insisted that the whole team, the entire company,
was responsible for their latest resounding success, without making everyone
feel left out. At the same time, he let everyone know, between the lines, that
hard work would always be rewarded.
Mike was thankful for not
being called out. He didn’t know how he could manage shaking hands with Ryan,
touching him, in front of everyone. Yet, a feeling of excitement nestled in the
pit of his stomach. Tonight, at some magical moment, like Cinderella, he would
dance with the prince. Details didn’t matter.
Apparently, there was a
dance ring, only that it was located in a different
room where everyone started to move as the food began to settle in their
bellies, along with the exquisite drinks served. While some couples
courageously attacked the dancefloor, showing off their prowess in more than
just business matters, others prefer to mingle. Mike gravitated between groups,
not that he liked to do that on purpose, but because different people called
him out, asking him this and that. A few of his female coworkers congratulated
him on his new look, which left him embarrassed and a bit flushed.
He had no recollection of
how he ended almost bumping into Ryan. His boss turned graciously around and
asked him in a loud enough voice for everyone to hear, “Are you okay, Mike?” He
had no chance to reply, as a gentle whisper followed. “Meet me on the roof.”
The words had been spoken
so softly that he was not entirely sure he had heard correctly. What was the
way to the roof? He murmured excuses to no one in particular as he found his
way out of the ballroom.
An employee in impressive
livery was tending the crew in charge of clearing the tables. After a few
moments of hesitation, Mike dared to ask him if there was a way to reach the
roof.
“Would you like to admire
the stars, tonight, sir? We have a few astronomy binoculars installed on the
roof.”
Mike just nodded and
swallowed nervously.
“Right this way, sir,”
the employee said politely and gestured for him to follow.
He walked out of the
elevator and then up the few stairs leading to the door to the roof, barely
hearing the latest of the employee’s instructions on how to identify the most
visible constellations. Inwardly, he felt a bit guilty about not paying
attention to the free astronomy lesson generously offered by the employee on
their way up.
His heart was in his
throat, and as much as the Cinderella comparison have been swirling around in
his mind like a broken record, he knew he was just that. For one night, he had
transformed, and he was about to dance with his Prince Charming.
It was a bit windy on the
roof, and Mike shivered slightly. Noticing the binoculars mounted where the
employee had told him they would be, he walked over to them. Maybe he would do
a little bit of stargazing while waiting for Ryan.
Adjusting the focus
proved to be a bit of a technical challenge, but with all things technical,
Mike found pleasure in discovering how they worked. Not the same thing could be
said about his interactions with other human beings. People were unpredictable,
intimidating, challenging.
His fingers played with
the center knob. Ryan hadn’t said a thing about when to meet. Maybe he had said
something, and Mike had missed it, too busy to listen to the pounding of his
heart? There was no sure way of telling, and, right now, Mike felt a bit stupid
and childish. He had rushed to the roof with one thing on his mind.
The stars were bright
tonight, or the pollution wasn’t as bad as usual. Mike sighed. Through the
lenses, they seemed so close, yet they were so far away.
“Are you interested in
astronomy?”
Mikee
turned on his heels at the sound of that voice, managing to smack one shoulder
against the mount. “Not until tonight.”
Could he be any more
nervous? The warm wind brushed Ryan’s hair, played with it, as the distance between
them grew smaller and smaller.
“Can I have this dance?”
Ryan offered him one hand.
Mike took it, wondering
briefly if his palm wasn’t too clammy already and whether Ryan would be put off
by that. “There’s no music,” he pointed out.
Ryan smiled and, even in
the blue light that shone on them from the roof illumination system, drawing
shadows around them, Mike could tell how gorgeous the man in front of him was.
Now he understood that expression, ‘so happy you could die’. It was fitting.
Mike couldn’t care about anything in the world right at that moment. He was
swept off his feet, hopelessly in love.
Ryan didn’t let go of his
hand as he used the free one to pull a small white case from his pocket.
Wireless headphones. Sure, how obvious was that? Mike wondered and took them. A
closer look told him that Ryan already had his on.
Only for a couple of
moments, Ryan let go of his hand to select the song they would dance to.
“I should warn you,” Mike
said. “I have two left feet, and they are bad left feet.”
Ryan caressed his cheek
briefly and pushed his phone back into his pocket. “Just follow my lead. You’ll
be all right.”
Mike nodded. Ryan circled
his waist with one arm, resting his palm flat against the small of his back. He
took Mike’s hand with the other, linking their fingers together. The music
flooded his ears, and Mike’s eyes grew wide. “Are we really going to waltz?”
Ryan couldn’t quite hear
him, so Mike did what he had been told. He leaned into Ryan’s first move, and
his feet, his two left feet, the bad ones, suddenly were touched by magic,
because they fell in synch with Ryan’s rhythm and with the sound of music.
They were swirling
around, and Mike didn’t feel dizzy at all, even if he had never liked getting
into a Merry-go-round, not even as a kid. His gaze was drowning in Ryan’s dark
one, and for now, they were connected, moving like a single body, in complete
harmony.
He was either uncovering
a hidden talent for dancing, or Ryan was a master of the waltz. Most probably,
it was the latter because Mike was pretty sure he had no superpowers.
Everything was perfect,
the sweet air of the evening, the warmth of Ryan’s body, their eyes never
leaving each other. Mike felt, deep in his gut, that this would be a memory he
would fondly recall for years and years.
The music stopped, and so
did Ryan. And Mike crushed into him, as he failed to realize he was supposed to
stop, too.
“Sorry,” he said, and he
looked up.
Ryan kissed him, and
Mike’s mind exploded to smithereens, incapable of dealing with the assault. It
was a deep, passionate kiss, and he couldn’t recall anyone else ever kissing
him so completely. It wasn’t just a kiss; it was the fusion of two human
beings, and they were there for each other like all the lovers of the world had
always been.
And then the kiss was
over. Ryan removed the headphones from his ears, and Mike mimicked his action,
offering the tiny pods back to their rightful owner. The headphones disappeared
into one pocket, and Mike followed the gesture.
“Mike,” Ryan started.
Mike looked up, afraid of
what he might see. Ryan was serious, the corners of his mouth dropping. The
magic from their dance on the roof was gone.
“I can’t be with you.”
He nodded, not knowing
what he could say to that or what was expected from him.
“No, you must listen.”
“All right,” Mike
murmured.
“I want you like I can’t
recall wanting someone,” Ryan said. “But there is something you need to know.
Where I worked before, there was a scandal.”
Mike’s ears perked up.
“What sort of scandal?”
Ryan took a step back as
if he needed to put some distance between them for what he was about to say. “A
sex scandal. The worst type. I was accused of sexual harassment.”
Mike licked his lips,
feeling them dry like paper. Hadn’t his friends alluded at the possibility of
people seeing them together as some sort of precisely that? But Mike knew that
wasn’t it. He was shy and awkward and remote from social life as one could
possibly be, but he knew what was happening between Ryan and him. “That’s not
what’s happening here, with us,” he said with a stubbornness he had no idea he
possessed.
Ryan let out a small
frustrated sound. “Mike, you’re not listening. I was accused of that.”
“I don’t believe it,”
Mike said with conviction.
“You don’t know me. Are
you going to tell me that you would believe me if I said I was innocent?”
“Yes.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that. I know
you enough.”
Ryan laughed softly.
“Never change, Micah, please, never change.”
“My friend Jared says the
same.”
“He’s a smart one then.”
For a few seconds, they
remained silent. Mike pondered over his next few words, but then he asked,
“What happened?”
“Are you sure you want to
know?”
“Yes.”
“All right.” Another sigh
followed. “I made the mistake of dating an employee. He told me to keep it a
secret, arguing that others would think he was privileged by his relationship
with me. I agreed. At the time, it didn’t seem like such a big deal, and I
didn’t need disruptions at the workplace. And, then, quite suddenly, he turned
on me. Or maybe not so suddenly. Things had started to grow stale in our
relationship. No, he didn’t come to me to break off the relationship. He sent
his lawyer.”
“What a jerk,” Mike
murmured.
Ryan rewarded him with
another smile. “I thought I knew him. But, apparently, that wasn’t the case.
Secrets have a way of being found out. When some other employees confronted
him, he blamed me, said that I was the one forcing myself on him. At first, I
was angered. But, at the same time, I didn’t want to destroy his life, as much
as he wanted to destroy mine. Actually, that wasn’t quite true. He only wanted
money.”
“And what happened after
that?”
“I settled.” Ryan pushed
one hand through his hair. “God knows how awful I still feel about it. It was
an admission of guilt, and I had to do it so that I didn’t hurt the company’s
reputation. At least, that was what my lawyer convinced me to believe. There
was also the matter of the other employees who knew about the so-called sexual
harassment. So, part of the deal was for me to transfer to another workplace.”
“That’s unfair,” Mike
said, a bit too loudly.
Ryan snorted. “Are you
telling me about it? It feels like I didn’t learn my lesson, though. The first
thing I do once I land here is to pick you up from a bar.”
“I would never do this
kind of thing to you,” Mike said stubbornly, closing his fists and taking a
stance.
Ryan shook his head and
looked down, his shoulders slumped. “It doesn’t matter. As I say, things like
this, they always come to light.”
“I would never accuse you
of anything,” Mike said, with growing desperation.
“Yet, others might. I’m
sorry, Mike. You don’t even know how much. But in the world we live in today,
rumors spread like wildfire, and the truth is weak and can’t put it out, no
matter how much you struggle.”
Mike swallowed, feeling a
little sick to the stomach. “Then why did you call me here? Why did you dance
with me? Why did you kiss me?”
Ryan pushed both hands
through his hair and pulled at it to the point that it looked painful. “Because
I wanted this memory with you. I can’t abandon my position. My family made it
clear that I should keep clean of any scandals and that I need to make things
work.”
“They don’t believe you?”
Mike shouted and then covered his mouth quickly.
“They do. But they also
care about the business that made the Armstrong family into the wealthy
influential name it is today. For everyone’s sake, I need to give up on you,
but I wanted you to know that it’s not with an easy heart that I do this.
Goodbye, Mike. I wish I could have come to know you better.”
Ryan caressed his
shoulder in passing as he walked away. Mike stood there, petrified. Was that
it? Everything? The end? Ryan hadn’t even asked him if he would move to another
company. For him, it felt like a given that they needed to go their separate
ways.
It wasn’t fair. It sucked
like hell.
***
“You’re busy? On Saturday
night?” Jared didn’t like the sound of his own voice as he said that.
“I wanted to see you just
as badly,” Chris replied.
Jared would have liked to
see Chris and look him in the eyes when he came up with these excuses. That
would have given him the chance to see if they were just excuses or the truth.
But, over the phone, he had to settle for whatever Chris wanted to happen.
Maybe he was getting a
bit paranoid. Or maybe he wasn’t paranoid enough. Just as he wanted to talk to
Chris about the nature of their relationship, this had to happen. It was like
something always slipping through his fingers.
“All right. I suppose it
can’t be helped,” Jared said, trying to make his voice sound light and
unworried.
There was a small silence
at the other end. “We will see each other soon.”
How soon? As much as
he wanted to ask that, he decided to keep his mouth shut for the moment. There
was no point in getting pushy or clingy. Jared hoped he wasn’t this pathetic.
He had wanted a relationship, and relationships were work. That was something
he really needed to keep in mind if he wanted to make things work. They were
just at the beginning of their relationship, whatever it was.
“All right. Have fun
working or something,” Jared joked.
Chris chuckled. The sound
of his laugh was making Jared feel as if something was tickling his ear. Maybe
he was too serious for his age.
“Will you be all right?
Will you find something to do since our plans fell through?”
“Are you kidding me? I’m
a young dude in a city filled with possibilities.”
“I hope you’re joking,”
Chris teased.
“Yeah, you caught me. I
have Internet access. There’s always something to do.”
“Just make sure not to
tire your pretty eyes.”
“Okay, mom. Just go to
work already.”
“See you soon,
beautiful.”
Jared sighed after he
finished the conversation. That was great; what could he say? Mike was living
his fairy tale, Adrian was living his kinky fairy tale, and he was stuck at
home on Saturday night.
As if someone could read
his mind, his phone rang. Jared stared for a second at the caller’s ID and then
took the call. Chris wasn’t the only one who could brag about having to work on
that Saturday evening.
“Jared, hey, long time no
see,” the energetic voice he knew quite well began.
“Hi, Sam. What’s the
deal?”
“Straight to business,
right?”
“I know how much you hate
wasting time.”
“Great. I know it’s a
long stretch, but do you think you have the time for a little meeting?”
“As it happens, my plans
for the evening didn’t happen, so I’m free.”
“Excellent! Then, here’s
the deal. I have this little sunshine with me --”
“Oh, this is bad,” Jared
moaned.
“No, no, she’s a darling,
really, but she has this idea that she should meet the photographer who will
take her pictures before --”
“Wait, I didn’t agree to
anything,” Jared said and smiled. It was fun to tease Sam once in a while.
“You’re killing me here.
Please say ‘yes’. She’ll pay for your time, including tonight. Plus, she’s
paying for dinner,” Sam said cheerfully. “And not just anywhere. Let’s just say
that this restaurant has one shiny Michelin star, and it just got it.”
“No way. So I should
dress nicely, then.”
“Put on your best suit.
And, of course, keep your hopes low about the food. Some people might survive
on leaves, but I’ll gobble a burger before going.”
“That’s a good idea,”
Jared admitted. “So, do you care to share more details about this job?”
Sam began talking
quickly, and Jared listened carefully. As usual, the guy had a penchant for
mixing gossip with technical details, and he had to pay attention if he wanted
to do his job well.
***
“You’re so young and
pretty,” the lady who was picking the tab for the dinner said in a falsetto
voice.
Little sunshine. Yes, it
sort of worked for her, seeing how sparkly she was. But Jared knew exactly what
he needed to do to make sure that her pictures turned out all right. In a way,
Sam’s idea hadn’t been bad at all. Jared also liked to get to know his clients
a bit, especially when they were supposed to sit in front of a camera.
“Will you show me to the
little girls’ room?” The client batted her eyelashes at him.
Jared exchanged a glance
with Sam, who shrugged and sipped from his glass like it was entirely
reasonable for middle-aged ladies to ask such things.
“Sure,” Jared said and
stood up. He also needed to ask one of the employees to guide them in that
direction, but he didn’t want to offend the client.
As they were there, Jared
chose to remain at a respectful distance. He studied the large fern that served
as a functional divider so that nobody could observe the clients going in and
out of the toilet. From behind the greenery, however, one could have a good
look at the reception desk; behind it, a man with a caricature mustache was
inspecting the patrons quietly and wrote something in a little book.
For Jared, it was a
common pastime to observe people. As he tried to say stories when taking
pictures, it helped him to note down mentally the tiniest transformation that
happened on a human face.
In this case, the
caricature mustache stretched and curled up as its owner smiled affably. A
couple of men in suits then blocked Jared’s line of sight.
“Oh, certainly,” the
mustache man said in an exaggerated voice. “A table for Mr. Reeves and,” there
was a short pause, “Mr. Reeves.”
Jared froze and took in
two strangers. No mistake, that was Chris. Was he
there with a business partner? But Mr. Reeves and … Mr. Reeves?
The other man turned, and
Jared stared at his profile. He was handsome, as they say, in a classic way,
and he could be in his thirties by how he carried himself. He leaned toward
Chris and laughed. “I’ve always loved the sound of that. Mr. and Mr. Reeves.”
When Chris turned, any
doubts Jared might have had disappeared from his mind. “As I do, too.”
The two shared a smile
that spoke of a long relationship and tacit understanding. Jared felt the
ground under his feet shaking. Chris and the other Mr. Reeves followed the
receptionist’s indications to reach their table, luckily in a part of the
restaurant that was out of sight.
“Are you all right,
dear?”
Jared shook his head and
turned to face his client. The lady seemed genuinely worried.
“I’m fine, Mrs. Daniels,”
he murmured.
“You look a little pale.
Please don’t tell me you can’t hold your liquor. I should have never forced you
to drink with me.”
“No, no, I’m fine, please
don’t worry,” Jared said politely.
Polite. That was what he
was. So polite that he had failed to ask Chris for some semblance of
commitment, the way he saw it. And now, Chris was sitting somewhere in the same
restaurant, with his – what? Husband? – having the time of his life.
He could confront him,
make a scene, but that wasn’t him, Jared thought. No, for now, he would go back
to his table, see about his business meeting, which was real, and pretend that
all was fine in the universe. His crumbled dreams played no role in all of
this.
TBC
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