by Jamie Lake
He didn’t say a word, but that gesture said all Casey needed to know.
I’ve got you.
Casey tried not to read into it anything more than Hunter was willing to get into character early. That was enough for him. Knowing Hunter was going to do this for him. It was enough.
Wasn’t it?
_________ o _________
CHAPTER 30
“We booked twin beds, not a single queen.” Casey spoke with the lobby on the room phone as Hunter checked out the balcony of their fancy hotel suite. He didn’t seem to be as concerned with the room as Casey was.
Casey plopped himself onto the bed. He was about to explode when Hunter grabbed the phone and hung it up.
“It’s just one night,” he said. “I’m gonna go get cleaned up.”
It took all of Casey’s willpower not to watch Hunter walk into the bathroom, but he wasn’t able to stop himself from thinking about what was happening when the door shut. He knew what he would look like when Hunter pulled off that t-shirt, his muscles rippling under his tanned skin. Next would come the jeans, revealing those muscular legs that he’d had his hands on just last night. He could still feel them under his fingers. Then the underwear. He’d only seen Hunter’s cock for a few seconds, but the image was burned into his mind.
“Fuck.” Casey let out a rush of air. He needed to cool down. He stood. Ice. He should go get ice. He grabbed his key and the ice bucket and headed out.
When he came back ten minutes later, he was feeling much more in control and his pants didn’t feel so tight. There was something to be said for holding a bucket of ice against his crotch when walking down the hall. He set down the bucket and walked over to the window to take a look at the view.
“Bathroom’s free.”
He turned as Hunter spoke...and nearly choked. Water droplets dripped from Hunter’s new, short haircut onto his shoulders, then ran down his chest to soak into the towel around his waist. A towel that wrapped completely around Hunter’s waist but didn’t do anything to hide the bulge in the front.
Hunter walked over to where he laid his clothes on the bed. He didn’t look at Casey as he spoke. “We’re gonna be… sorry; we’re going to be late if you don’t get going.”
“Right.” Casey could barely get the word out as all of the blood in his head raced straight south. Shower. Right. Now.
He practically ran into the bathroom, shoving the door shut behind him. As he stripped off his clothes, he failed to notice that the door had bounced back open wide enough to catch Hunter’s attention. The clothes came off, revealing a lean body that had become more defined over the last couple of months. Hunter had seen Casey without his shirt, but this was different somehow. Then came the pants, giving Hunter his first look at those firm, pale globes.
Hunter swallowed hard as Casey climbed into the shower. The frosted glass obscured most of the view, but there was a thin crack that still offered more detailed glimpses of the beautiful body inside.
It was like time froze around them. Hunter couldn’t move, couldn’t look away. Each image was a moment captured and imprinted in his mind.
Soaped up, Casey’s ass cheeks pressed against the sliding glass door. The imprint lasted even after he stepped into the water.
Soap bubbles trailed from the top of Casey’s head down his spine and fell off his ass cheeks into the swirling puddle near the drain.
Hunter knew he shouldn’t be watching, but it excited him in a way he didn’t think possible. He started to take off his towel, knowing he had to get dressed, but instead found himself touching his hardened bulge, the hotel towel rough against his palm.
What the fuck am I doing? He thought, swiftly pulling his hand away. He tossed his towel over the back of a nearby chair and grabbed the new boxer briefs Casey had bought for tonight. Even with them on, he felt naked. He quickly pulled on the pants and white dress shirt, breathing a sigh of relief as he did so. Now he could focus. He turned towards the mirror and began to carefully comb his hair. Casey didn’t know it, but Hunter had worn his hair like this for years. Then when he’d caught his fiancée cheating on him, he’d stopped caring what he looked like or what other people thought of his appearance. Casey was the first person who Hunter actually wanted to have appreciate how he looked.
“You look nice,” Casey said, stepping out of the bathroom. He was buttoning the cufflinks on his arms, but Hunter definitely caught his eye.
Hunter blushed. “I guess I clean up good. I mean well. I clean up well.”
Casey smiled. “Nice catch!”
“You look good, too,” Hunter said, letting his gaze run over Casey’s body. The tux was perfectly tailored, showing off the newly-defined muscles in such a way that it made Hunter’s mind flash to earlier when he’d seen those muscles bare. After an almost awkward moment, he cleared his throat. “We'd better get going.”
On their way down in the elevator, neither said a single word. Casey had adjusted the collar of his shirt so many times he was afraid the fabric had started to wear. Just looking at Hunter was making him sweat. The tux showcased Hunter’s muscular frame perfectly. Casey shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from pushing the emergency button so he could shove Hunter up against the wall and do some very non-platonic things to him. But the more Casey tried to ignore the feelings, the stronger they were. He also couldn’t escape the thought that this could all go horribly wrong.
“Hey,” Hunter said. “I got you. No worries.”
Hunter pulled Casey’s hand from a damp pocket and squeezed it tightly as the two of them left the elevator and headed for the real test.
_________ o _________
CHAPTER 31
All eyes were on Casey and Hunter as they entered the ballroom. It was like stepping into the past, and Casey felt his stomach twist into knots. The entire room was decorated like the gymnasium had been for his senior prom: the ever-generic, “Enchanted Evening” theme. It looked exactly as he remembered it. A color theme of black and white and gray / silver reflected in the filmy cloth draped along the walls, each one lined with Christmas lights, giving a soft, ethereal glow to the whole room. The floor was covered with tiny, glittery stars that Casey was sure the school was paying extra to the hotel for the clean-up.
It hadn’t been an enchanted evening for him. He’d spent the entire night watching McDermott dance with one of the girls on the volleyball team and wondering what would happen if he just walked over and cut in. He hadn’t, of course. Things had gotten worse as the night wore on, and the other guys started talking about the various places they were taking their dates to fool around. McDermott had joined right in, bragging about his parents not being home. When he’d left with his date, Casey had followed, waiting for McDermott to take her home so the two of them could be alone, but that moment never came. McDermott had taken her back to his house and they’d disappeared inside. Even now, McDermott had never told Casey what had happened that night, but Casey sometimes suspected that the stories McDermott had told in the locker room hadn’t been lies. Get a teenage boy horny enough and biology just took over.
His eyes skimmed the crowd that was turning and staring. Well, some were staring. Some were outright glaring. Mostly the nuns and priests. Casey recognized some of them, including ones who had looked the other way when he’d been bullied. And of course, there were some of those bullies at the front of the throng, wearing suits that didn’t fit quite so well over the athletic bodies which were softening from too many college frat parties. At least two of them had already started losing their hair. Casey felt a stab of vindictive pleasure.
One of the men – Nick, maybe – put his arm around the pretty blonde next to him as if he needed to shield her from the horror of seeing two men holding hands. A few of the other wives turned to their husbands with looks of disgust on their faces. Casey recognized many of them too. It hadn’t just been the guys who’d been cruel to him. He saw former prom queen Lisa Templeton, her skin almost orange with fake tan. Next to her
was Tammy Wright, who looked very pretty in her cute black dress. Tammy was one of the women who wasn’t looking away or glaring. She and several others were actually staring at Hunter. Leering, actually, would’ve been more accurate.
Hunter stiffened as a word floated towards them, spoken from the shadows, the perpetrator hidden from sight, just like all cowards. Casey tipped his chin up. He was used to it, but he couldn’t put Hunter through this. Hunter should never have to be called that, not because of him.
“We never should have come,” Casey said quietly. He started to take a step back.
“I told you. I got you.” Hunter pulled Casey closer. He ignored the stares and began to walk straight for the dance floor. “Let’s dance.”
“But everyone’s looking,” Casey said.
“I don’t care,” Hunter rumbled in a low tone.
To Make You Feel My Love by Garth Brooks started as the two of them reached the edge of the floor. Casey barely noticed the other couples whispering and pointing as Hunter turned so that they were face-to-face. A stab of horror went through Casey. He’d never thought to ask if Hunter could dance because he’d never thought it would be an option. Sure, there was the whole line dancing thing. But this was different. What if Hunter was awful and awkward? Or if he got all weird when he realized how close they would have to be?
All of the thoughts racing through Casey’s mind came to a screeching halt when Hunter put Casey’s hands around his neck and put his own hands around Casey’s waist. Hunter didn’t say a word as he pulled Casey close enough so that the line of their bodies was touching. Casey’s heart pounded in his chest as they began to sway together. They’d taken only a few steps when it hit him. They were in perfect sync. Their bodies were moving as if they knew where the other would be and how to respond. He’d never felt such natural movement with anyone, not even after years with McDermott. The muscles in his back and neck gradually relaxed, and there, with the twinkling lights of the dance ball, Casey rested his head on Hunter’s chest and stopped caring what everyone else thought. He felt safe, protected—like he was home at last.
When the song ended, Hunter lifted Casey’s chin and stared into his eyes. Casey caught his breath at what he thought he read in those blue depths. It was at that moment, they were rudely interrupted by a familiar face.
_________ o _________
CHAPTER 32
McDermott watched as the two of them pulled apart, his arms folded across his chest, his lips twisted into a scowl.
“Hey,” Casey said.
McDermott looked mortified. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What do you mean? I’m dancing with my boyfriend.” Casey let his voice sound innocent, but he knew exactly why McDermott was freaking out. He wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass.
“In front of everybody?” McDermott was obviously annoyed by his tone.
“Well, yeah. That’s what you do when you bring your boyfriend to a dance,” Hunter smirked.
“Not at this school,” McDermott hissed.
“I don’t think that’s really your problem anymore, is it?” Casey could barely believe the words coming out of his mouth, much less how firm he sounded.
“Lower your voice!” McDermott took a step forward. “Do you want everyone looking?”
Hunter opened his mouth, but Casey squeezed the other man’s hand and shook his head. This was his fight and it was time he started acting like it. “You know what, McDermott? Fuck off. I like my voice. I like how I sound and how I look. And, you know what? So does Hunter. So it doesn’t matter what you think.”
Casey could feel Hunter’s eyes on him, but he didn’t look from McDermott, whose face had turned a grayish color. A rush of relief and pride went through him. He’d finally done it, finally stood up to McDermott and told him what he should have said years ago. McDermott opened his mouth to say something when a tall, blonde-haired woman interrupted.
“McDermott?”
He swallowed hard, looking back at the beautiful blonde behind him.
“Just a minute, Jessie.”
Casey’s jaw almost dropped to the shiny dance floor. Okay, that was a surprise – to say the least.
The apologetic look on McDermott’s face explained it all. “That’s what I tried to tell you,” he said.
“A girl?” Casey asked, as Jessie approached.
“Um, Jessie, this is my...friend.”
“Oh,” she said, the tone of her voice revealing her surprise as her eyes dropped to where Casey and Hunter’s hands were linked. “Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah,” Casey said, reluctantly shaking her hand.
Hunter looked from Jessie to McDermott. “Thought priests weren’t allowed to date, Father.”
A muscle in McDermott’s jaw twitched. “We’re not, but when I found Jessie, I knew I had to make a choice. I’m going to be transferring to an order that allows priests to marry.”
Casey waited to feel the pain that would come with McDermott’s announcement, but there was none. He didn’t care, Casey realized. He didn’t care that McDermott was willing to stand there with his beard and pretend to be giving something up for her. Casey felt a wave of pity for the pretty woman in the tight silver dress. Based on the way she was looking at McDermott, she had no idea he was pretending. And Casey knew McDermott was pretending, not because of the past, but because he could see the lust in McDermott’s eyes when he looked at Casey and Hunter together.
“Are you two together?” Jessie’s question drew Casey’s attention.
“Um...yeah, yeah.”
“Nice. Nice couple,” she said. She looked at Hunter. “You just don’t look ... you know.”
“Gay?” Hunter finished her sentence.
“Well, yeah.”
“And what does ‘gay’ look like to you?” Casey asked, an edge to his voice.
“Well, you know.”
“No, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me?” Casey said, crossing his arms. He’d had about enough of this place and their stereotyping and homophobia. He wasn’t going to put up with it, not after he’d finally gotten the courage to tell off McDermott.
“Hey, cool it,” Hunter whispered in his ear. His breath was warm and tingled Casey’s skin.
“Let’s just let it go,” McDermott said to break the tension. “As usual, Casey, causing drama,” he mumbled.
“McDermott.” Casey kept his voice calm, but Hunter must’ve heard the tension because he put his hand on Casey’s shoulder and squeezed. Casey continued anyway, “Walk away if you want, but don’t you dare blame me. I’m through being your whipping boy.”
“Can we talk about this outside? Away from all this attention?” McDermott asked, his eyes darting back and forth at the people eavesdropping.
“No.” Casey shook his head. “I’ve had enough of hiding with you. If you wanted to pretend to be something you’re not, you should’ve just left me alone.” He turned to Jessie. If McDermott had walked away quietly, Casey would’ve let him go, but he was tired of McDermott pushing everything off on him. “Did your boyfriend tell you he used to date me?”
“What?” Jessie’s eyes bugged.
“He’s joking, aren’t you, Casey?” McDermott shot a threatening glance towards Casey. When Casey didn’t respond, McDermott continued, his voice unsteady. “Even if that was true, the past is the past, and sometimes it’s better to let things lie.”
Casey laughed. “Oh, yeah, lie. You’re really familiar with that word, aren’t you?”
“We all have secrets; things we don’t want out there in the world,” McDermott said, leaning in with a low tone.
Casey heard the threat and knew what McDermott was hinting at. His mouth flattened. If McDermott wanted to go there, Casey would too. “Secret? Like stealing kisses in the locker room when everyone else on the team had gone home? Like fucking me, but not having the balls to take me to prom? Like making me lie to everyone even though we lived together for four years? Kicking me out and changing the lock
s so I couldn’t even get a change of clothes, all because I dared to touch your arm in public?”
McDermott’s face had gone from gray to red.
Casey took a breath. He wasn’t done yet. There were so many more things he wanted to say. It was like everything over the course of his relationship with McDermott was bubbling up and wanted its chance to be heard.
“Come on, babe, let’s go,” Hunter suggested. He put his hand on Casey’s arm, feeling the muscles flex under his palm. His own blood was boiling, and it was taking all of his self-control not to punch that self-satisfied prick right in the face, but Casey was his first concern.
Casey glanced up at Hunter and nodded. They started to turn when McDermott opened his big mouth again.
“Hey, Hunter, Casey ever tell you he used he used to give erotic massages to strangers to make ends meet?”
Hunter spun without stopping to think about it. His arm was up, fist clenched, as he turned, using all of the force of his moving body to drive his fist into McDermott’s jaw. Pain flared through his knuckles and McDermott dropped like a fly. Hunter was sure he’d felt something crack, but not in his hand. He had a feeling McDermott wouldn’t be using his mouth for anything for quite a while. Before anyone else in the crowd could do anything more than gasp and stare, Hunter grabbed a stunned Casey by the hand and walked with him through the parting crowd. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
_________ o _________
CHAPTER 33
So maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to go to this thing, Casey thought. But watching Hunter punch McDermott made it all worth it.
When they arrived in their room, Casey couldn’t gather his things and get them checked out fast enough. Just being in that building was making his skin crawl. He wanted to be as far away from this place as possible. He wanted to go home.
Both he and Hunter were quiet until they reached the outskirts of town. Only then did Hunter break the silence.
