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Finally, it was past midnight and only a few people were left. Stevie and wife had gone home to their kids. Vance had vanished somewhere, hopefully not onto my bed with someone male or female. And Ben and Liam were in the kitchen, each with a beer and nibbling at the last of the food, talking so softly it felt secretive.
I made my way over to them and said, “Did you have fun?”
They both tensed and cast me a look of uncertainty.
“It’s okay, Rett,” said Ben. “We were here.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Liam added, nodding. “Nice party. Nothin’ like Georgie’s.”
“Yeah, his were usually screaming queens everywhere.”
“He had way more furniture, too.”
“But not as many people showing up.”
Liam nodded.
I looked at Ben and said, “Party’s pretty much broke up. You drive here?”
He shook his head, absently. “Walked. I’m crashing at Liam’s.”
“He close by?”
“Just a block...over...” Then he cut himself off, as if he’d said too much.
Which he had. I now had an idea of Liam’s proximity, and if that wire still worked, it was probably broadcasting to his residence.
I acted like I hadn’t noticed. “Guys...are we on good terms?”
Ben frowned. “You’re kidding, right?”
“If you’re still unhappy with me, why’d you come?”
Liam sighed and said, “Vance asked us to.”
“As backup,” said Ben.
Shit, I’d been double-teamed by sk8ter boy security.
I made myself chuckle. “You think I’m going to rape Nicky?”
Ben looked straight at me. “The way you’ve been talking about him? And what you did with us? Yeah.”
“That’d be stupid of me,” I replied, smiling. “If we’re gonna work together, I can’t do anything that’d put him off me.”
“Work together?”
I nodded. “Didn’t Vance tell you? He’s working with Nick on a new program. Needs a writer. He likes what I did for Stevie’s project.”
“Stevie?” asked Liam.
I chuckled. “Smoke. Stephen Marlon Kratorski.”
“Oh, right. Right. Saw him here.”
“He didn’t know us,” said Ben.
Us? I’d only seen videos of Liam messing with the guy. None with Ben, even after going through all Georgie’s DVDs. So there were other projects out there? Some I hadn’t seen?
I just said, “The videos I saw he was blindfolded. Might not have known who was doing it to him.”
The boys just shrugged to each other. They still seemed nervous.
That’s when Vance appeared and said, “Valet asked me to let you know they were done for the night. Everyone who used them is gone.”
“What about you?” I asked.
“Last car. Parked in your garage.”
I nodded. The caterer had cleaned up and cleared out half an hour ago.
“So...party’s over,” said Liam.
Ben nodded then he and Liam headed for the garage door.
“This was a good idea,” Vance said as he and I followed them. “People got to see each other. A couple more jobs got set up. How do you feel about Nicholas?”
“I’d like to work with him.”
“I bet you would.”
I sighed. “You really have no respect for me, have you?”
That made him blink. “I never said that.”
“No, you just show it in the way you act around me. The way you manipulate me.”
That brought a cool careful expression to his face. “Careful, Rett.”
I smiled. “I will be.”
He smiled back, but only in a professional way. “Good. Let’s talk next week about the job. Tuesday work for you? About one? My office?”
“You have an office?”
“Oh, Rett, stop trying to be clever. It doesn’t suit you.”
Then he went into the garage, got in his car, and drove away...with Ben and Liam as passengers. Of course. See that the boys got home all right. Gotta be careful about big bad Rett.
I closed the garage and locked the door then headed to the front to check on that and...
Nicky was there. Leaning against the sliding glass door in a way that made him seem like sex incarnate. Looking straight at me.
I jolted to a halt. “Sorry, Nicky, I thought you’d left.”
He said nothing. Did not move. Just kept his amazing eyes locked on me.
I finally said, “Do you mind me calling you Nicky?”
No response.
“Would you prefer Nicholas?”
Still no response. He was almost like a statue.
My breath was growing shallow at the picture he made, and I started wondering if I still had that roll of packing tape in a kitchen drawer.
“How about Nick?” That brought an impossibly gorgeous smile to his face. Then he straightened up, casually came over to me in a cat-like stroll, took my face in his elegant hands and kissed me.
He fucking kissed me!
Holy fucking shit, he fucking kissed me!!!!!
And what a fucking kiss. Just lips to lips, no tongue. Only the slightest of touch but...but...
The kind that reminds you of all that is good and pure and lovely and desired in the world.
Nothing vile or base or animalistic, just the beauty of existence.
The joy of giving and receiving.
Of joining with another human being in all that is holy and meaningful in life.
A connection that demanded permanence and reverence and love eternal.
It couldn’t end. It never could end. Please never let it end.
So when he pulled away, even though it was only the slightest bit, I nearly wept until...
Until he whispered, “I like Niko. Call me Niko.”
And he kissed me, again. This time caressing my lips with his tongue. Parting then gently. Oh so gently. Until his met mine with the barest of touches and my heart all but stopped and my breath nearly ended and...and...I could not think because I...I...
I was lost in that glorious world.
