CHAPTER NINE

 

 

BILLY GOT out of Sissy’s Lexus and handed the keys to the valet. The girl had managed to offer her expensive car for the night without making him feel like an idiot for only having a truck. He walked around in time to see a different valet guy helping her get out of the fancy car. She looked nice. She was wearing some kind of denim suit, but really classy with tight pants and a men’s-style jacket. The jacket hung open over a white blouse with a big, high collar and a plunging neckline that showed off a bunch of those store-bought boobs. Her blonde hair flowed down on her shoulders. Not quite as beautiful as Shaz’s was when he combed it flat, but still nice. “Did I tell you that you look great?”

She smiled. “Did I tell you that you look spectacular?” With a big step back, she gave him an admiring once-over. “Shaz picked a great outfit. I love this color.” She ran a hand over the soft purple-colored fabric of his sports coat, then reached up and patted his cheek. “And you’re a total sweetie. I understand why girls like you so much.”

Just not enough. He offered his arm, and they walked into the fancy Newport Beach club that Mitch had rented just for the party. How much did it set him back? Man.

The party was well underway. No stuffy wedding event, this gathering took bachelorhood very seriously. A DJ blared music through the club, and the dance floor dominated the downstairs. It was a free-for-all. Men danced with women and with other men. Everybody danced with everybody. Upstairs, there was a balcony with tables and chairs that looked down over the dancers. Tables were also scattered around the outside of the huge room.

Sissy yelled into his ear. “I see Mitch and Rhonda up there. Let’s go.”

She pulled him toward the stairs. They pushed through the crowd that was trying to go in both directions and finally got to their table.

Rhonda pointed at some empty chairs. “We saved them for you.”

Billy held one chair for Sissy, then sat next to her. “Thanks. Sorry we’re late. Sissy couldn’t get back from LA earlier.”

Mitch grinned and waved a glass of champagne. “We didn’t wait for you. Now you have to catch up.” He waggled a finger at a waiter passing with a tray of champagne and snagged three glasses. He kept one for himself and gave them the other two. Rhonda gave him a glance but kept smiling.

Billy leaned toward his sister. “Did Teresa and Austin come?”

She shook her head. “No, one of the kids was sick. As usual.” She laughed, but it was tight. “She said they are a long way from being bachelors, so they’d see us later.”

He leaned a little closer. “Do you know all these people?” There had to be hundreds.

Her eyes looked wide, and she glanced around. “A few. I don’t think even Mitch knows all of them. They’re the sons and daughters of his parents’ friends and clients and stuff.”

Mitch leaned over the railing. “Oh look. There’s Giles and Shaz.” He leaned a little farther, and Billy stood up and grabbed his shoulder to keep him from tipping over the edge. He didn’t seem to notice. He yelled, “Giles, Shaz! Up here, darlings.” He flopped back down. “They saw me. They’re coming.”

Rhonda stared at him. “Dandy.”

A couple of minutes later, Shaz pushed through the crowd holding Giles’s hand. Holy crap. Billy just stared. Rather than his usual effeminate clothes, Shaz had put on tight blue jeans and a black motorcycle jacket. A rock and roll T-shirt peeked out from under the leather and studs. His hair was wrapped tight at his neck so all you saw was the face. Jesus, like some kind of coin or a carving in a Greek temple. Without all the flash and dash, the guy had near perfect bone structure. Only the bottom lip seemed out of balance. Too full, too sexy. But who’d ever have thought he could look so—butch?

Sissy whispered in his ear. “Psst. You’re staring.”

“Oh damn, sorry. Shaz just looks so different.” He raised his voice. “Hi, Shaz. Hi, Giles.”

Shaz struck one of his exaggerated poses. “You like?”

Billy swirled his tongue in his mouth to get a little spit. “You look nice. Yeah.” He stood up and held out his hand to Giles. “Good to see you, man.” Hell, was he trying too hard to seem as if he liked the guy?

Giles glanced at his hand like maybe it was dirty, then extended his own and shook quickly and softly. “Hello again.”

Mitch pulled out two more chairs beside him. “Sit. Join us.” That put Giles beside Mitch and Shaz beside Billy. Shaz leaned in a bit. “Hi. How’s the furniture?”

Billy grinned. “Great. I had a few minutes this evening to work with the spot remover. It’s gonna look so good.”

“You’ll have to throw a party and invite us all.”

Billy shook his head and looked at the bubbles in his glass. “Probably not.”

Shaz smiled softly. “I understand. It’s your refuge. Not for the rest of us. I’m honored I got to see it.’

Jesus, he did understand. “You’re welcome anytime.”

“Thank you.” Those catlike green eyes glistened.

Giles stood up suddenly. “Come on, baby. Grab a champagne and let’s dance.”

“Oh yeah, I’m there.” Shaz leaped up and started boogying very gracefully in place. His narrow hips and tight butt waggled in the dark jeans while the chains on the jacket jingled.

Billy laughed. Damn, he was cute. He glanced up and found Giles staring at him levelly. So what? He didn’t own Shaz. But Billy looked away and started talking to Sissy.

Shaz danced down the stairs with Giles trying to keep up with him. Mitch snagged two more glasses of champagne from a hovering waiter and set them both in front of himself. He really was intent on getting drunk. Drunker. Rhonda didn’t look happy.

Billy leaned over to her. “You guys need a ride home? Sissy was nice enough to let me use her car.”

Rhonda glanced at Mitch, then shook her head. “We came in a limo.” She reached out and grabbed one of the glasses from Mitch and raised it to her lips. “Thanks.”

Mitch smiled blearily. “All yours. I really do love ya, baby. You know that, right?” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaned in. She flinched a little at the alcohol breath that Billy could smell from his seat but still let Mitch kiss her lightly.

“Yes, I know it. And I love you too.”

“So glad.” He snuggled his head on her shoulder. “I wouldn’t want to do this whole life thing without you.”

She petted his perfectly cut hair. “I know. I know.”

“Sometimes it’s just hard.”

“I know.”

Sissy tugged on Billy’s sleeve. He looked over, and she glanced as if to say Let’s go and leave them alone. He nodded. “Hey, Sissy, I’m an okay dancer. Want to dance with me?”

She clapped her hands like he’d just had the world’s most original thought. “Love to.”

She jumped up, and he got up beside her. Mitch still had his head on Rhonda’s shoulder. She looked over and gave Billy a strained smile. “Enjoy the dancing.”

Mitch raised his head. “Hey, I know how to danch.”

She pulled his head back to her shoulder. “No, that’s okay. We’ll have plenty of chances to dance at the wedding. You just rest.”

Billy followed Sissy down the stairs. On the crowded dance floor, she turned and started bobbing. He smiled. He hadn’t lied. He actually was a decent dancer—a gift of his coordination that also made him good at baseball and swinging a hammer. He started to move, and her eyes widened. “Wow.” She stepped up her game as the music blared around them, and they strutted and bumped while they laughed.

Two women were dancing together near him. They split up and started dancing beside Sissy so they were strutting with him too. He widened his movements and included them in the dance. Pretty soon, another girl joined in, and they formed a semi-circle around him. Sissy seemed to be enjoying it, so he kept dancing. Pound, pound. The music flowed through him. Man, he forgot how much he loved to dance.

All of a sudden, Shaz leaped into the middle of their circle. “May I cut in, ladies?” His red hair had come loose from its knot and flew around his shoulders. He’d lost the jacket somewhere so the tight black T-shirt proclaiming the virtues of Vampire Weekend stretched across his slim but surprisingly buff chest. Man, could that guy dance. He twirled and twerked. His hips gyrated so fast you needed slow motion photography to keep up. Like a damned hummingbird’s wings.

For a second, Billy paused. Did Shaz want to dance with the girls? Where was Giles? But he’d told the women he was cutting in. Billy glanced around. Everyone was watching Shaz. The girls were drooling. Hell, so were half the guys. Shaz spun and stopped in front of Billy. One big bump of his butt sent Billy back two steps. No way, man. Billy bumped him back. And just like that they were dancing. The girls shrieked and clapped.

“Take it off!”

“Show him watcha got, handsome!”

Billy laughed and twirled. Shaz stepped in front of him and rotated his butt. If he were a girl, maybe Billy would have pressed his hips against that gyrating ass, but as it was he turned and bumped his own butt against Shaz. Hellfire, even that was damned far. But fun. Really fun.

Shaz laughed and tossed his head so the flame hair flashed in Billy’s face. No thought. Billy’s hand flew out, grabbed the hair and, wrapping it around his wrist, he hauled Shaz in like a fish on a line. Face to face. Eye to eye. Oh shit. The watchers got quieter, like everyone was holding their breath.

Shaz grinned. “Now that you have me, big guy, what, pray tell, do you plan to do with me?”

Billy’s mouth opened. Who was the fish now?

Suddenly, Shaz leaped up, kissed Billy’s cheek, then flung his head so the hair slipped from Billy’s hand, and he danced away. Billy touched the wet spot below his cheekbone as the girls applauded.

Two really pretty guys flanked Shaz, and he stopped dancing. Billy heard one of the men say, “Are you ready to go?”

Shaz looked over at Billy, gave him a soft smile, nodded, then turned and walked off with the two men. No Giles. Wonder where he is?

Billy’s breath still came in pants. He didn’t dance much. Not like that! Sissy grabbed his arm. “That was so great! Both of you are super dancers. I just loved watching.”

He tried to catch his breath. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to abandon you.”

“Are you kidding? You two are hot!”

His breath caught. He glanced around. What had people thought? Nobody seemed to be looking. He smiled at Sissy. “What do you want to do next?”

“You know, to tell the truth, the best thing about this party was you and Shaz dancing. I don’t think Rhonda and Mitch need us, do you?”

He glanced up toward the table. They were gone. Who knew where? “I don’t think we’ll be missed.”

“Good. How about you buy me a taco and drive me home?”

“Don’t you want to get a nice dinner?”

“No. I love tacos, and I’m kind of tired.”

He really did like this girl.

An hour and a half later, after smelling up the Lexus with greasy, delicious tacos that they ate in the parking lot of the takeout place, Billy waved at Sissy from his truck as she carried her leftovers up the walkway to her townhouse. What a weird evening. He’d never seen Mitch drunk before, he’d been crowded by people he didn’t know at a party supposedly for his sister, and he’d danced with a man.

His foot hit the accelerator, and he pulled out onto the residential street. What a dance. He hadn’t rocked out like that for years. Truth? Ever. Since he’d certainly never had a partner like Shaz. That butt should have landing lights. He smiled and shifted in his driver’s seat. Sissy had said they were hot. At least Shaz was. Shit, he had shuffled, twerked, and Dougied his way across that floor until the girls were panting. Guys too.

Billy adjusted his junk and shifted to the other cheek. He should go home.

Didn’t really want to.

What would it hurt? Last time was amazing.

His foot pressed down and his cock popped up. No doubt where it wanted to go. He could stop in there looking really good tonight. That would be kind of fun. Maybe Perry would be there again. That guy had sent him into outer space last time. Jesus, that should make him blush, but it had felt too good.

The light ahead turned red. He stopped.

He shouldn’t spend the money. Between the clothes and the furniture, his outlay was pushing his budget. Maybe he could get some extra work? But he didn’t want to give up the Little League team.

The light flashed green. He didn’t turn around.

Rhonda said she and Mitch were going to help support his folks. He wouldn’t count on that—but it sure would make him feel better to know someone else was in that loop. At least both his sisters would be well and happy.

The sign said Seal Beach. He turned right onto the side street and started looking for a space. Not as lucky as last time. Hope that’s not an omen. Three blocks inland, he found a space next to a vacant lot and pulled into it. For a second, he sat there. Why was he doing this? Why?

Shit, right now he didn’t care. He pushed open the door, climbed out, and beeped the lock as he walked away. Just something. He just needed something.

Guys were falling out the door of Anthony’s. Made sense. It was Friday night. Two men leaned against the wall drinking. Not good if the police saw them. One, a short guy with big muscles and a bigger mustache, looked Billy over. “Hey, gorgeous.”

Billy smiled and nodded but kept going. Not his style. Not that he had a style in men, exactly.

He managed to push his way between the guys near the door. Aftershave, sweat, and alcohol perfume. The bodies stopped him dead as he approached the bar, so he moved sideways, parallel to the action, until he got about halfway through the big room. A guy backed out with three drinks in his hands and Billy grabbed his spot, which got him an arm’s length from the bar. The bartender was lining up beers. Billy nodded at one of the drinks, got a nod back, tossed a ten on the bar, grabbed the beer, and took a swig. The bartender pulled three dollars from his pocket and Billy waved it back at him. The guy smiled, winked, and moved on to the next man.

Billy turned around and stared into the crowd. Being taller helped, but it was such a crush he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pick out Kobe Bryant if he was five feet away, much less Perry. He slid sideways between two guys and managed to get close to the wall. At least he could have a beer.

“My, you do look fine.”

Billy turned and smiled. “Hi, Perry.” The blond had used heavier eyeliner tonight, but his roots were showing. Still, a soft pink gloss emphasized his finest feature. Billy stared at Perry’s lips. “How you been?”

Perry grinned. “Mighty fine and even better now that I see you. Hell, you look edible.”

Billy felt the heat creep up his neck. “Thanks.”

Perry leaned in. “Was it eating you had in mind? Or should I say, being eaten?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“I’d be most happy to oblige.”

“Do you want a drink?”

His lips turned up. “Why waste time? I can drink later.”

“Okay.”

“Where’s your truck?”

“A few blocks. It was so crowded.”

“I don’t mind the exercise.” He stuck out a hip.

A hand grabbed Billy’s arm from behind. What the hell? He pulled his arm back and got a body slamming into his back. “What the fuck? Who are—”

He whirled and found narrowed, cat eyes staring up at him. Shaz.

Those green eyes flashed. “What the bloody, everlasting hell are you doing here?”

Billy just swallowed. He’d always thought if he saw someone he knew here it would be okay since they’d kind of blackmail each other. But that didn’t include a gay man in a gay bar. It didn’t include Shaz. “I, uh, I’m—”

“You’re nothing.” Shaz pulled Billy’s arm and then turned and glared at Perry. “Listen, blondie, this is a friend of mine, and he’s going nowhere with you. Got it?”

“Sure, Shaz. What the hell? He’s a grown-up.”

“Not that kind of grown-up.” He pulled again. “Come on.”

People were staring. A couple of guys laughed, and one yelled, “Cat fight!”

The power of Shaz parted the crowd, and he hauled Billy out the door. The night air slammed into him after all that sweat, but it didn’t cool him one bit. They were a block away before Shaz turned and faced him. “What the bloody hell were you doing in Anthony’s?”

Billy frowned. “I came for a drink.”

“Nobody goes to Anthony’s for a drink.”

Billy pulled his arm from Shaz’s hot grasp. “You did!”

Shaz stepped up until he had to bend his neck to look in Billy’s face. “How do you know I wasn’t in there to get laid?”

“Because you’re so gorgeous you could get any guy you wanted any time you wanted him. You don’t have to troll at a gay bar.”

Shaz sucked in a breath, paused, then let it out slowly. “Billy, why did you go there?”

Billy pressed his lips together.

“Have you been there before?”

He nodded.

“With Perry?”

Billy walked a couple steps and stared at his beautiful boots. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“I just wanted—something. To feel good. Tired of my hand.”

“What you said about me—that I could get any guy—well, you could get any girl. Why are you here?” His voice rose on the end.

Billy wanted to crawl under a rock. “Girls don’t like me long. And they’re so damned much trouble.”

“You think guys aren’t?”

“I don’t know.”

Shaz stepped closer. That high, musical voice softened. “So you’ve been coming here and letting Perry do what? Hand job? Suck your dick?”

Shit. “I only did it once before. I mean, with Perry.”

Shaz glanced up. “Have you been safe?”

“Yeah.”

Shaz stuck out his hip and propped a fist on it. “Because believe me, darling, you don’t know where that mouth has been.”

Billy almost laughed.

Shaz crossed his arms over his chest. “So you like blow jobs from men?”

Billy crossed his arms too. “Men are good at it. The women I know are crappy.”

“Hmm. Interesting. Why do you like it?”

“I guess the guys know what they like themselves and do that.” He shifted feet. “All I know is it feels good. Really good.”

Silence.

Standoff.

Suddenly Shaz uncrossed his arms and grabbed Billy’s wrist. “Where’s your truck?”

Billy pointed, and Shaz started hauling him down the narrow street past the eclectic beach houses. The guy was damned strong. Billy could have pulled back and stopped him, but why? He sure as hell couldn’t go back to Anthony’s now.

Shaz half dragged him to the truck and around to the driver’s side that was next to a ditch and the open lot. Dark. “Open it.”

“Okay, okay, bossy.” He beeped the key and pulled open the door.

“Sit.”

“Jesus.” He started to swing his leg in and Shaz stopped him.

“Not like that. Sit facing me.”

What the hell? He propped his butt against the high seat.

Shaz stood there in his black leather and skintight jeans, his hair still hanging down his back. The dim light from the moon reflected off the buckles of his jacket and the diamond in his nose. His eyes glittered with a funny expression, like he was talking to himself inside his head. He took a breath. “So you really wanted a blow job from a guy?”

Billy sighed. “Yeah. I guess so.”

“Really?”

“Yes, dammit!”

The green eyes glittered in the moonlight. “When you need something, really need it, I always figure you should ask your friends.”

“What?”

Shaz moved so fast Billy couldn’t figure out what the hell he was doing until he felt the cool evening air on his bare, half-cocked dick. “What the hell?”

Shaz dropped to his knees in one graceful move, grabbed Billy’s cock from inside his slacks, and had the sucker in his mouth before Billy could even yell.

Holy Jesus. “No, wait. You don’t have to—” Oh God. He couldn’t get the words out. Heat flowed from his groin like warm oil, making his legs shaky and his belly convulse. If he hadn’t been propped on the car seat, he’d have fallen down. Stop? Shit, he didn’t ever want to stop.

Shaz’s tongue painted Billy’s cock like a work of art. Up one side, down the other, around the head, then tickling the frenulum. Every lick sent shockwaves through his balls and into his brain. The same brain that ought to be working. That ought to be telling him that Shaz was his friend and this was not something friends did together. But Jesus, it felt so frigging good. Billy’d had blow jobs from two men up until now. Both great. But those events weren’t even on the same Richter scale as this.

“Oh God, Shaz. Stop. No, don’t. Crap.” His hands slipped into that brilliant hair that even managed to look red in the dark. Satin. It felt like Yerby’s fur. His fingers explored while his cock drowned in heaven. “Shit.” Shaz swallowed. Muscles worked over Billy’s cockhead, stirring the pot of boiling cum in his balls.

Best of all, Shaz made little moaning, whimpering noises as he worked. Every noise vibrated through Billy’s heart. I should think. Hell, who could think? Too amazing. His head fell back and a long groan poured out of him as his hips popped up into Shaz’s hot mouth. The idea of Shaz blowing him. Those gorgeous lips wrapped around his cock. So special, so hot, so amazing. “Oh God, she-it. Too much. Oh. Oh.”

Shaz sucked, swirled, and swallowed, and Billy blew so hard his vision went white. Then everything blacked out for a second as gush after gush of cum shot straight down Shaz’s throat. The man never let up. He swallowed and swallowed. Some unfried brain cell in Billy’s head registered that they hadn’t used a condom, but convulsing through three aftershocks of that mind-blowing orgasm, it was hard to focus. Shit, it was hard to care.

His breath sounded like he’d won the third race at Santa Anita. Or maybe it sounded like he’d lost it.

Lost his mind.

Lost it all.

What the fuck have I just done?

His breath slowed. Scared to open his eyes, he just sat there frozen with his dick wilting and some piece of his heart cracking. He liked Shaz. A lot. The guy was kind and seemed to understand him. He’d just wrecked it.

“Billy, quit thinking so hard.”

Billy opened his eyes. Shaz was standing in front of him looking composed and gorgeous. How did he do that? Billy looked down, shoved his dick back in his pants, and zipped up. “I sure as fuck should have been thinking this hard fifteen minutes ago.”

“A different head was in charge.”

“Yeah, and he’s an idiot.” He didn’t want to look in Shaz’s eyes.

“Come on, darling. I don’t work that hard for just anyone.” He laughed, but it sounded kind of forced. Billy looked up. Shaz’s eyes flitted away from his, then came back slowly. “I’ll admit, neither of us was really thinking. I wanted to do it, you wanted me to. Nobody got hurt. So let’s just put it behind us, okay?”

Billy nodded, but his eyes glued to the bulge in Shaz’s jeans. The big, unsatisfied bulge and the fact that all Billy wanted to do was give Shaz as good as he’d gotten. He wanted to suck him to infinity. Crap, his lips hurt from holding back.

Shaz frowned. “We can’t take it back. We have to go on.”

Billy nodded again and forced his eyes away from Shaz’s crotch. He had to get out of here.

“Billy, we can still be friends, right?”

Jesus, why am I thinking about sucking a man? His hands started to shake. Did Shaz say something?

Shaz sighed. “Fuck it.” He turned and walked slowly back toward Anthony’s with his head hanging.

Billy felt like crying. He barely knew Shaz really, but seeing him walk away hurt like a hole in his chest. He wanted to run after him. But what would he do if he caught him? Drop to his knees like Shaz had? What the hell was wrong with him?

He slid onto the seat of the truck, started it, and pressed his foot to the fucking floor.