by Shea Balik
“You really don’t have to stand out here,” Jesse said, startling Kyler, who was still staring after Aaron. “It’s not like we were going to have sex in the front of my store. We would have gone into my office, like normal people, if we were going to do that.”
The door to one of the shops in the next building opened up. A man wearing a fanny pack came toward them. “Hey, Jesse,” the man waved. “Hi, stranger. Are you new in town?”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Really? That’s how you greet people you just meet?”
The other man lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “How else am I supposed to greet him? He is a stranger and I don’t know his name.”
There was a dumbfounded look on Jesse’s face. “How about, ‘Hi, I’m Vail, it’s nice to meet you?’”
Kyler was confused. Why would Jesse say he’s Vail? That didn’t make any sense.
The man’s lips turned downward in a frown. “How do I know it’s nice to meet him? I don’t know him yet. Maybe he’s a jerk and I’ll hate him.”
“Of course you’ll like him; he’s with me,” Jesse said as if it should have been obvious.
The man eyed Kyler critically. “I’m not buying it. I mean, I’m sure he’s fine and we’ll become friends, but just because he’s with you, doesn’t mean I’m going to like him. After all, just yesterday I saw you talking to Betty Sue and I don’t like her.”
This time Jesse’s body shuddered at the mention of this Betty Sue person. “Yeah, but it wasn’t like I was having a nice convers…” Jesse paused in what he was saying, his thick, mascaraed lashes narrowed in on the other man. “Wait a damn minute. You saw me yesterday with Betty Sue and you didn’t come over and help?”
The other man’s arms raised up from his sides in a helpless gesture. “What was I supposed to do? I had to get to work, and let’s face it, Betty Sue is a bitch. I didn’t need the aggravation before having to groom Bruce.”
Huh? Kyler was becoming more and more confused as he listened to the two bicker back and forth. He had no idea who Betty Sue was or why this other man felt the need to groom someone like they were a dog.
“You know, Vail, a good friend would help when they saw one of their friends having to talk to that psychotic bitch,” Jesse argued.
Ah! So Vail was the guy’s name. That made a little more sense.
Vail’s shoulder went up again. “If you’re waiting for me to give a shit, you better pack a lunch. It’s going to be a while.”
Jesse’s jaw dropped open as he stared at Vail.
“Plus,” Vail added. “It’s not like Betty Sue stands a chance against you.” Then Vail gave a grin that made his eyes sparkle with humor. “Or anyone else in this town for that matter.”
For a moment, Jesse didn’t say anything as he stared Vail down, who hadn’t stopped grinning. “True,” Jesse finally said. Then he jabbed a finger at Vail’s chest. “But next time you better join me while I explain why the world doesn’t revolve around Betty Sue or her pain in the ass boyfriend.”
“Agreed,” Vail nodded. “Now that we have that settled, mind telling me who your new friend is?”
Jesse’s eyes widened in surprise as he turned toward Kyler. “Kyler, right. I almost forgot you were there. Next time don’t be so silent,” Jesse admonished.
Huh? It seemed Kyler was forever thinking that one thought the longer he was around Jesse. It was becoming increasingly apparent that Kyler would forever be in a state of confusion if he hung around Jesse too long.
“Vail Sommerlin, this is Kyler Prince, my new manager of Nice ‘N Rosy,” Jesse said a bit smugly.
Kyler started to stick his hand out to shake Vail’s, but instead of returning the gesture, Vail squealed—something Kyler never thought people actually did—and pulled Jesse into a bouncing hug. “You did it. You found someone to take over.”
Then, as if the situation wasn’t strange enough, Vail started singing, “Jesse’s going to be mayor,” over and over again with Jesse joining in.
“That is completely inappropriate,” a woman in her late twenties with frizzy blonde hair said with a sneer in her voice. “Not to mention completely untrue. There is no way someone like you,” she said pointedly to Jesse, “could ever hope to beat Mayor Murphy.”
Jesse and Vail stopped their dancing around with a sigh. “You really know how to stop a party by just showing up, don’t you, Savannah?” Vail said.
“Shut up, Vail,” Savannah said with a scowl. “If I want to hear your opinion…” she shook her head. “Never mind. Just assume I don’t want your opinion.”
Then she turned to Kyler with a shrewd look. “You should consider staying away from these people or the rest of the town will get the wrong idea about you.”
“Huh?” This time, Kyler didn’t keep his question to himself. He wasn’t sure if he could have since he was now so confused his brain didn’t seem to know how to work correctly.
“They aren’t liked in Cedar Falls. Even the mayor is trying to find a way to get rid of them,” Savannah informed him.
Kyler saw Jesse open his mouth, but Kyler had already started asking his next question. “Why? I admit I don’t know them well, but so far they seem pretty nice.”
Savannah’s eyes seemed to light up with glee as she smugly informed him, “They have been known to turn other men gay. In fact, my own fiancé was led into that lifestyle even though he had wanted to marry me.”
“You know,” Jesse said to Vail. “I love rumors. I always find out amazing things about myself I never knew.”
“You mean, like how you are able to make straight men gay by just talking to them?” Vail asked.
Kyler wasn’t sure how that was possible, or even if they believed it, but he knew it wasn’t something he had to worry about. “While I appreciate the warning, that won’t happen to me,” he informed Savannah.
That smile that seemed to be more malicious than nice only grew as Savannah said, “That’s good to hear. We need more heterosexual men in this town.”
Kyler frowned at her. “No,” he explained. “They can’t make me gay because I already am gay.”
Jesse and Vail burst out laughing, although Kyler wasn’t sure why. He didn’t think that piece of information was all that funny.
Savannah scowled at him before storming off without a word.
Vail slapped Kyler on the shoulder and said, “You’re right, Jesse. I think I’m going to like him.”
That was all fine and good. Kyler could use more friends. He just wished he understood what had just happened. Maybe leaving the commune hadn’t been such a good idea after all. His mother had tried to warn him that the world wasn’t easy to navigate. Much as he hated to admit it, his mother had been right.
Chapter Four
Exhausted, Aaron climbed into his truck. After the afternoon he’d endured, all he wanted was to go home, drink a beer, and relax in front of the TV. Instead he had to take a shower, get dressed up, and go out with a man he didn’t know, and if he were honest, didn’t care to get to know.
Kyler seemed like a nice enough guy, and under normal circumstances he wouldn’t mind hanging out with him, but right now, he just wanted to be alone and not have to endure a night of awkward small talk.
If he had Kyler’s number, Aaron would have been tempted to cancel. Although, probably not, since doing so would incur the wrath of Jesse, who set this up to begin with. Considering some of the stories he’d heard about Jesse, the last thing Aaron wanted was to be on his bad side.
A glance at the clock had him groaning. Five. He was going to be late if he didn’t hurry. Even then he most likely wasn’t going to be on time. Twenty minutes later he was climbing back into his truck after showering and changing. Ten minutes to get all the way into town. He should be fine.
Sure enough, ten minutes later he was turning onto Main Street. He was a little surprised to find Kyler waiting outside for him. Aaron had hardly parked when Kyler opened the passenger door and climbed into his truck, clearly shiv
ering from the cooler evening air.
“You didn’t have to wait outside for me. I would have come in to get you.” Aaron felt bad for making Kyler stand out in the cold.
“I-it’s o-ok-okay,” Kyler finally managed to spit out through his chattering teeth. He put his hands to the vent when Aaron turned up the heat. “Jesse hasn’t given me a key to the shop yet.”
“You should have said something. I could have picked you up where you live.” Aaron didn’t miss the way Kyler’s reddened cheeks seemed to get redder, but he wasn’t sure what caused the reaction.
“As I said earlier, I had an appointment with Kit anyway,” Kyler said.
Aaron’s gaze immediately went to Kyler’s hair. It didn’t really look much different. Maybe a little bit shorter, and it may have been styled, but the wind hadn’t allowed the strands to stay in place. As far as Aaron could see, Kyler’s hair was still the non-descript way he’d had it earlier that day.
“Your hair looks good,” he lied, not wanting to insult Kyler.
The smile that appeared on Kyler’s face transformed him from plain into stunning. Aaron was transfixed. But he must have been staring for the smile waned and then it was gone to be replaced by anxiety.
Kyler’s hands fidgeted in his lap. “So, um,” Kyler stumbled along as if trying to come up with something to say.
With the spell that Aaron had momentarily been under broken, reality returned. Had he just imagined how breathtaking Kyler had been when he smiled? Aaron wasn’t sure, but he planned to find out by finding a way to make Kyler smile once more. But first, they needed to get going or Jesse would have his head for being late.
“We should get going,” Aaron said as he put his truck in reverse and backed out of the parking spot. “Jesse texted me that he had a reservation for six.”
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kyler’s fidgeting had gotten worse. “Um, okay. What kind of place are we eating at? I mean, I only just started working and I haven’t gotten a paycheck yet so I can’t really afford anything too expensive.”
Aaron knew how that felt. He’d grown up in a family that had struggled from paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet. “That’s okay. I’m more than happy to pay for your meal.”
Kyler turned to him with horror on his face. “No. I can’t ask you to do that.”
Aaron stopped Kyler. “I insist. Consider it a ‘Welcome to Cedar Falls’ dinner.” It wasn’t something he would have typically done as he didn’t like having to spend money unnecessarily, but his southern manners insisted he put Kyler at ease.
The casino came into view right then and Kyler must have caught a glimpse of it. It wasn’t hard. With a hotel, casino, and four restaurants, the property was huge. Add to it all the lights and it was hard to miss.
“This is Utopia,” Aaron said as he pulled into the parking lot.
Kyler’s eyes were as big as saucers as he took it in. “It’s huge. I’ve never been to a casino before.”
“Then you’re in for a real treat.” Not that Aaron indulged very often, but once in a while he allowed himself a night of gambling with his friends. He hadn’t come to the Valentine’s Day Party a few weeks ago since he hadn’t been dating anyone, so this would be a good time to relax the tight grip he had on his budget. “Although, I have to warn you, Jesse tends to get into trouble when he’s here, so you might want to stay clear when he gambles.”
Kyler’s brown eyes seemed to get impossibly bigger as he glanced over at Aaron. “Would you mind if I stayed with you while we’re here? I’ve never gambled before and wouldn’t have the first clue what I’m supposed to do.”
There was something about the trust Kyler was placing in his hands to watch out for him that touched something deep inside of Aaron. His instincts as a Dom were coursing through him at the moment as the need to protect Kyler became all consuming. He just wasn’t sure why.
In an effort to break the spell that seemed to come over him, Aaron opened his door as soon as he’d parked. The chill in the air helped to dispel any strange feelings he’d been having as the pair walked swiftly into the main entrance of Utopia.
Lights and sounds assailed them as they entered. Having been there several times in the past, Aaron was used to the cacophony of noises and able to easily ignore them as he ushered Kyler further inside. It wasn’t until he felt Kyler slowing down that he noticed Kyler was doing his best to imitate an owl.
Wide brown eyes were doing their best to take everything in as his head nearly spun around in an effort to see it all. It was adorable.
Adorable?
Since when did Aaron use words like that? He didn’t. So why was he doing so now?
“We should get going if we don’t want to be late,” he said a bit gruffly as he tried to rein his odd emotions in. “You can look around later.”
Absently Kyler nodded, reluctantly following as Aaron led them into a wide hallway that led to the four restaurants as well as the hotel. But even though they’d left the main part of the casino, Kyler’s gaze was drawn to everything from the paintings on the walls, to the rich marble under their feet, to the plants and sitting areas that dotted the expanse.
“There is no way I’ll ever be able to afford to come to a place like this,” Kyler whispered.
Aaron didn’t say anything as he was pretty sure Kyler hadn’t meant to admit that out loud. He couldn’t exactly blame the guy. Utopia was opulent. Although Aaron had been in a couple of places that were by far grander, but still, he imagined for someone who didn’t have much money, this would seem like the Taj Mahal.
“Kyler, Aaron, you made it,” Jesse called from the entrance of Bliss.
Thank God. Aaron wasn’t sure why, but he was suddenly starting to look at Kyler differently. Until he figured out what he was feeling and why, it would be best if he didn’t spend time alone with Kyler.
“Of course we made it,” Aaron said, leaving off the fact that he would have been too afraid of Jesse’s revenge if he hadn’t of brought Kyler.
“Am I dressed okay to go in there?” Kyler asked as he glanced down at his clothes. “It seems pretty fancy for what I’m wearing.”
Both Jesse and Aaron looked at Kyler as if he’d lost his mind. Sure, Jesse had on make-up, but he was still wearing a T-shirt, while Aaron had on jeans and flannel shirt. It wasn’t as if they were dressed up. Compared to them, Kyler, who was in khaki pants and a long-sleeved, light blue dress shirt with a darker blue and tan sweater, would fit in better than they would. Not that it mattered. The restaurants of Utopia were used to their guests dressing more casually.
“You’re fine,” Jesse said as he pulled Kyler inside Bliss. “Now, normally there will be a menu, but because they are trying to show the skills of the new chef, Tarquin Havish, it was decided buffet style would be a better idea so everyone could have an opportunity to taste a good majority of his dishes.”
“Which, I regret to say, are amazing,” Reed, one of Utopia’s security guards said as they got in line behind him.
“Why would that be a bad thing?” Kyler asked, clearly confused at the dynamics at play. Admittedly, they were hard even for Aaron to keep up with and he lived in Cedar Falls.
“Because Tyrq is an asshole of epic proportions. Why Shane ever agreed to replace Kayden with him, I will never understand,” Reed said. Then, as if Reed finally realized he didn’t know Kyler, narrowed his gaze and asked, “Are you new here?”
“Reed Bowden, I’d like you to meet Kyler Prince, the new manager of Nice ‘N Rosy,” Aaron said when it became obvious Jesse was more interested in putting food on his plate than introducing the two. “Kyler, this is Reed. He works security here.”
Reed shook Kyler’s hand but also scowled at Aaron. “I do more than work in security. I lead a team.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re king of security,” Jesse said as he pointed to one of the dishes on the table. “Now pay attention,” Jesse admonished. “Is that spicy? You know I don’t like to cry when I eat.”
Reed
glanced at the name on the dish Jesse pointed to. “Then stay away from foods that have a flame printed on the card.” That particular card had three flames on it.
Jesse’s eyes widened as he stared at the cards and some of the food he’d already dished up. “No point taking chances,” he mumbled. Then he set his dish on the table and went back to the beginning of the line and got a new plate to start all over again. “Now, point to the dishes I can eat.”
Aaron preferred something a bit spicier than Jesse, so he picked the dishes with one or two flames on them. He couldn’t help noticing Kyler paid close attention to the dishes Reed pointed out and made his selection from those.
“Don’t like spicy food?” he asked.
Kyler pushed the bridge of his glasses further up his nose. “I have no idea, but I also don’t want to cry.” Kyler’s brown eyes appeared huge behind his glasses as he stared up at Aaron. “I didn’t even know food could make someone cry.”
Surprised that anyone didn’t know that, Aaron started to wonder exactly how sheltered Kyler was. There had been a few times Aaron had wondered if Kyler had grown up in a cave with how innocent he appeared to be. Not about to ask something like that, he went for something a little more innocuous. “How do you not know if you like spicy food?” It seemed like something everyone would know by their age.
Pink flushed Kyler’s cheeks as he stared at one of the dishes as if he were studying the contents. “I…well…I didn’t grow up eating out a lot.”
Instantly feeling bad about making Kyler uncomfortable, especially since Aaron had hated growing up poor, Aaron rushed to reassure Kyler. “Yeah. My parents were poor when I was younger, too. We got by, but more nights than I care to remember we had hot dogs with macaroni and cheese out of a box.” He chuckled just thinking about those days. “For years after I’d left home, I refused to eat either one.”
He placed a couple of pieces of naan on his plate. “To this day, I still cringe when I smell hot dogs being cooked.”
