CHAPTER 29 - WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES….AND THE DIFFERENCE IS YOU
BABYLON - SUNDAY EVENING
MARLON, DOORMAN
It has been wonderful, just wonderful, not having to deal with his sniping comments, staggering arrogance and bumptious nature as he looked around the bar thinking he’s a thing of beauty! But now it’s over. The banishment and the being out of state have come to an end. However, there is something in the air today, I felt it yesterday, just a frisson of something. I look up the street and can see Ted and his new beau, Blake, coming towards us. Behind him is Emmett and Drew, and then of course it’s the Stud and his Prince. They look so loved up it’s nauseating...but while they look that way, they don’t act that way, well only when they are in a world of their own.
“You want to know a secret?” A voice behind me whispers, and all 6 foot 6 of me fights not to melt into a puddle of mush. “You look superhot in those pants. The way the leather cups your butt...that butt that I will be ploughing later. But in the meantime, I shall get my groove on all by my lonesome...I guess.”
“I will be off in an hour, hold hard until then.” I mutter out of the corner of my mouth.
“Okay, but only because you asked so very prettily.” She snickers before dropping a soft kiss on my shoulder, stroking my left butt cheek and leaving me bereft!
“I’m back!” Novotny crows as he stands in front of me, his voice and appearance sending my burgeoning arousal into a coma. “Did you miss me?”
“No, not as much as your reflection does. $20 fee, pay at the counter.”
“What’s wrong with you? You’re normally pleased to see me.”
“Still as clueless as ever. Pay at the counter, first gent please!”
“What do you mean first? Shouldn’t that be next?” He queries with what he thinks is a sultry look...it isn’t.
“No, as that would imply that you’re a gent, which you are not!” A guy shouts from the front of the queue. “As the A-list can testify. I mean, it is bad enough that you top it, but to have that as well...you might as well join a monastery!”
For once both of us are joined in confusion but whereas he just shrugs and walks in and almost gets away without paying, I am determined to find out what that is about!
MICHAEL
Not sure what’s got Marlon’s goat today, but it is so good to be back in my other domain. I saunter up to the bar, pausing briefly to check out my reflection. I bought myself a stylish new leather tee-shirt, and despite the shock of my diagnosis, I am on the prowl tonight! I spot the gang and head over and am surprised to see the guy from the last class is there too.
“Hi again.” I smile at him and he gives a curt nod before he goes back to talking to Blake. “I didn’t think you would be sticking around for…”
“I am going to be the lead violinist in the orchestra, I might as well see what it is like at full throb as it were.”
“I do believe that it will be Ethan and on the cello?” I counter. “He was very certain of that when he visited me in hospital. Which is more than one of my oldest friends did.” I raise my voice in order for Emmett to hear.
“You remember the f-word you dropped about him?” David turns to me scowling as if he’s smelt something bad. “Which you said twice. Well, it was that which ended the friendship, or didn’t you notice?”
“Is he still smarting over this?! Emmett, I am so very sorry for hurting your feelings about calling you a…”
“Are you for real right now?” Blake interrupts, which I find surprising as we barely spoke before my accident. “You weren’t going to repeat that were you?”
“Blake! We were so close to getting him banned again!” David grumbles and I glare at him. “I take it that was supposed to be intimidating?”
“David, you need to get over the fact that I am not interested in you and stop carping like a jealous schoolgirl.”
“Yes that’s what I’m annoyed with you about.” He sighs before turning his back on me.
I am about to say something when Justin comes over and he’s alone. “No boyfriend tonight?”
“Are you lamenting the state of your private life, or asking where mine is?” He looks coolly at me, and someone hi-fives him as he walks past.
“Good evening, boys!” Chyna bellows. “Lists are up! And we have a couple of newcomers, some fallers, some stayers and, of course, the toppers have swapped!”
I decide to join the crowd and check my phone, I feel sure that I have dropped down the rankings...for a start I haven’t been around...I must have done, surely?
“Well, well, well at least you have another quiver to add to your bow of consistency. You still top the charts and have a gold star next to your name, just like Brian and Justin. Wonder what your prize is? I am guessing it is not going to be as good as their prizes!” Ted cackles.
Fuming, I stalk up to Chyna who is talking to Marlon. “What the hell is going on? This has to be rigged!”
She turns to face me slowly and then looks me up and down. “Oh, you’re back. I had wondered what that pall was. And what exactly are you being unpleasant about this time?”
“These lists! I can’t possibly still be on top of the A-List and not appear on any of the others!”
“Why not? The people have weighed you, measured you and found you wanting...sorry unwanted. I do not get to vote on my own site, if that is what you’re alluding to. Daph saw to that. And speak of the devil. Girl! Where you been?!”
She pushes passed me to get to a just arrived Daphne and Cynthia, and in doing so steps on my toe. I cry out in pain but it gets lost in the squealing they are doing, so she doesn’t notice. I catch the smirk on Marlon’s face and glower at him. He just shrugs, shakes his head and goes back to the door.
When I get back to the guys, Ethan has joined them. Well, when I say joined, he is standing to the side cruising the crowd. “See anything you like?”
“Yes. And I am just going to get him.” He replies confidently, and strides over to a dark haired man, then after a few minutes of conversation comes back. “Sadly, he is an anomaly, a faithful gay man.”
“Ah, someone as good looking as him has to be spoken for.” I nod.
“Boys, Girls and in between! We have a treat for you!” Chyna yells and the club goes quiet. “I have always promised this and now I shall deliver! I give you the CockyCock Boys!”
The club goes dark and slowly the stage starts to light up and there in the middle of the stage is a human pyramid kind of thing. An appreciative murmur goes up from the crowd.
“Now, that is an apparatus I could climb!” I yell to Ethan as I point to one of the guys on stage.
“Oh, I know what you mean! That is superhot!”
We all watch agog as they dance and twist themselves into various positions, but it’s the final leap in the air that has the club hollering, it looks like they are hovering.
“I could do that!” I tell Ethan but he looks at me with disbelief. “I could! Everyone thinks that I am this bumbler, but I’m not. I’ve been playing everyone…”
“And you know how to do that, don’t you?” David interrupts, and I am beginning to get mightily fucked off with him.
“Seriously, what the fuck is your problem?! I know your ego is as large as your girth, but this is just pathetic.”
“What’s wrong with me, Michael, is that you have this air of innocence. A boy next door olde worlde charm but it’s all a facade isn’t it? All a myth. A lie. A…”
“David, don’t get pulled into this. Come on, he’s not worth it. Let’s go and dance.” Alexi interrupts him and then takes him by the hand, but stops when he hears my snort of derision and turns to look at me. “Something amusing you, Mr Persistently Single?”
“You two surely aren't thinking of hooking up, are you?” I shake my head at him. “Bad idea. Not only does he not know how to dance, but he is a grump and tightfisted. We went on one, note the singular, date and he divided the bill to the nth degree and...”
“But I bet he, unlike you, doesn’t have chlamydia.” A female voice interrupts sharply, I go cold and people around me go silent. Slowly I turn around and am facing someone who looks vaguely familiar. “Yes, thanks to you, I have a severely reduced chance of motherhood. So I thought I would warn the greater good, for you certainly aren’t one of them, of your malaise. And to give you two things. One of them is this. Take it or not, but it will happen....”
I just let the envelope fall to the floor and snicker. “Uh, hate to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but you clearly have the wrong person. This is a gay club, I am a gay man who…”
“Fucked another gay man bareback and gave him chlamydia psittaci, which he, in turn, gave to me.” She interjects, and, before I can step out of harm’s way, punches me in the eye. I yelp in pain and stagger backwards into Ethan, who at least stops me from hitting the ground. “And that’s the other thing!” She spits. “I will see you in court, Mr Novotny!”
“Your problems just keep mounting up, now don’t they?” Brian questions, and beckons to someone behind him. “That’s the guy.” He points at me and an officer approaches and the music stops and the lights go up...everyone is staring..
“Why the hell are the cops in our place?!” Sade demands, striding up to me.
“I have no fucking idea!” I declare and start to back away.
“So this isn’t yours then?” The cop holds up my vintage tee.
“Well yes it is. I have been looking for it for a few days now. Where did you find it?”
“Outside the Bubble Playhouse.” Brian replies, and I frown, but then my eye widens. “Yeah, do you recall when you were last there? Let me refresh your memory, it was where you watched Justin fuck me. So, apart from doing that, what were you doing that involved the removal of your shirt?”