MAY 2006
"Oh fucking hell! This is the 5th time this month"
Justin Taylor cautiously pushed the door inward to his room on the 6th floor to his building. The medium sized room was not completely ramsacked, but it had been clear, by the open drawers, the messed up closets and shear clutter all over the floor that somebody had had a good rout around for anything valuable to steal.
The girl with him pulled a hand through her curly hair and looked about the clutter and back to Justin who started to hang some shirts back into the closet.
"Why not find someplace else?"
"I would if I could Lisa...but you know how it is, I can't afford it with the money I make working at that bar...I think I might be living on tips alone if it wasn't for my salary going on the rent"
Lisa laughed as she helped him clear up, "Yeah...but you must get alot of those...with that smile in all"
Justin laughed and closed up the closet, "You still working on that piece for the gallery?"
Lisa shook her head as she sat on Justin's bed, "No...free night...and it's a Friday", she sang with a twinkle in her eye.
Justin found her zest for the clubs infectious. It was like a candy-store for her, a forbidden one where you couldn't eat or touch anything. The men were hot...but not hot for was also his only true friend in New York. She was an artist too but was doing abit better than him.
Justin quickly changed his T-Shirt and said, "I guess we can throw a burger down our necks and then head off to ZZens"
Lisa jumped to her feet, "Ohhh the new place...sounds great..."
Justin grabbed her hand and thery were on their way down the fire escape, "Okay...but you don't go all weird on me when you and stare at all the lights"
Lisa chuckled as she tried to keep up with him, "It's inspiration for next piece...a rainbow of color"
They reached the sidewalk at the base of the stairwell and he looked at her, "Hey are you sure Jamie doesn't mind you coming out with me on a Friday night AGAIN..."
Justin flagged down a cab, "Jamie is studying...Jamie has his nose in a book ALL the time...Jamie is..."
"...Boring?", asked Justin with a hint of cheeky grin.
Lisa laughed out loud as a cab pulled up and they jumped in the back.
QAF
ZZens nightclub maybe new in town, but it didn't disappoint. It rocked. The music, the atmosphere, the guys, the lights, the go-go dancers in their jockstraps and the gantries on three levels with guys, guys and yet more guys.
Lisa's eyes, as usual, were on stalks. But she so loved the electric atmosphere of a gay nightclub, it makes straights one's appear grey and dull.
Justin had his backside pinched more than once as he skipped across the busy dancing area from the back bar. Two beers were in his tight grasp.
His teeth blinded her as he smiled and handed her one of the bottles.
"I'm so drunk!", she laughed and hiccuped.
Justin took a long swig of his beer and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "You and me both, honey"
Lisa marvelled around her, "this place maybe new...but it must be THE BEST place to be around the Village"
"I second that", Justin yelled over the music. A woft of poppers hit his face.
"He's HOT!", Lisa pointed to a twentysomething guy leaning over the first gantry in a tight leather vest.
Justin pulled a face at the way the guy slicked back his hair, that hid a scar on his cheek, "he's so not"
Lisa shrugged at him, "I think he is...he looks...what's the word?"
"dangerous?"
Lisa laughed, "Compared to my Jamie I guess so...O.M.G the excitement, I can't cope!"
Justin turned and closed his eyes moving to the beat, "If you like him, go get him...he might even be Bi"
"I've gotta guy!"
Justin smiled, "So do I"
"Mines not hundreds of miles away..."
Justin opened his eyes, "No he's not...but I bet you wish he was..."
His eyes fell on the guy that had just came to the forthfront of the dancing. Young, hair slightly slicked back, but not as bad as the scar guy earlier. Justin was instantly drawn to the bulge in the tight skinny jeans. And those pecs in that T-Shirt.
Lisa landed her hand on his shoulder, "So...looks like YOU have pulled"
Justin shook his head, "I'm not interested"
"HE IS!"
The guy held Justin's gaze until Justin broke it and turned to look at Lisa, "I think we should go"
Lisa glanced at her watch, "But it's not even 1 am"
Justin yawned, "I'm tired...I feel like I just want to lay my head down"
Lisa downed her beer, "Great...wasn't you tired LAST week too?"
Justin swallowed and shook his head, "It's nothing for sure"
She grabbed his hand, "Come on...and there I was saying earlier that Jamie was MR. Boring"
Both were feeling all sweaty. Justin shot a final glance at the guy who smiled at him and danced back with his group, he then followed Lisa to the exit and into the cool night air outside.
QAF
The cab dropped off Justin in the East Village. Lisa waved, "I'll call you tomorrow"
Justin waved back as the yellow cab pulled away into the traffic. He turned and looked up to his building across the street, a siren whined in the distance.
He crossed the street and walked up the fire escape steps two at a time.
When he got in, he had a message on his land-line voicemail. He pressed play as he sat down and tore off his sweaty T-Shirt.
"This is a message for Justin Taylor...could you please call the Hanston gallery on 45th our number is 555 33 6052 and ask for Terrence Lee...I think I have a buyer for you..."
Justin was open mouthed and beaming a smile.
QAF
Justin was bouncing his way up the street with Lisa in tow, "I can't believe they agreed to display it, let alone you getting a buyer for it"
"Isn't it great?"
Lisa laughed and hugged him in mid walk, "You deserve it...I must say on a critical note, that piece is not your best, but hey...it's a start"
Justin straightened his shirt, "Do I look okay?"
"You look like you always do...arty"
"I don't want to be arty, I want to be the creator of a masterpiece"
"Then arty it is", she laughed.
He grabbed her arms, "Hey we should go celebrate...It's saturday...Xanders has a drag night"
"I LOVE drag"
"I know...will Jamie let you come out?"
Lisa sucked in her cheeks, "Ohhhh I don't know...I might be pushing it"
"While I'm in there negotiating an amazing price for my work...you go call him and ask...no just TELL him!"
She laughed as he skipped up the steps of the gallery as she put her cell phone to her ear.
QAF
The music at Xanders nightclub was loud. Justin's tight T-shirt cut into him as he moved to the beat. He had sold a painting. It was his first and he felt proud of himself, like all these months in New York were at last worth it, as he worked in his little studio.
He worked up a thirst and went to the bar as the beat changed. Lisa was there talking to that guy. The dancing guy from the night before.
She pointed towards him as he approached, "Justin...this is Callum from last night"
Justin met his eyes, "Hi"
Callum broke into the widest of grins, "Way-hey, Hiya Blondie...buy you a beer?"
Justin nodded, "Nah, I can buy my own"
Lisa sucked her pink cocktail, "he's just got me a cocksucking cowboy"
Justin raised his eyebrows, "sounds interesting!"
"So'ha...I was gonna come over and chat you up last night...but...you looked kinda in a hurry"
"Yeah?"
Lisa turned, "Callum works out...he's just told me about this gym he's joined in east Village...I can't believe what goes on in there!"
Callum winked at him.
Justin blew out a laugh, "I can imagine"
The bartender served him his drink. Callum rested a hand over Justin's shoulder and leaned in, "Your friend tells me you're an artist"
Justin shook his head.
"Do you do nudes?"
Justin met his eyes...you could lose yourself in them, "It's not my style"
"Do you wanna do me?"
Lisa suddenly felt like a gooseberry, "Crikey guys look at the time! Jamie is gonna so kill me if I'm not back by 11...we've got Sunday lunch at his Moms"
Justin turned to her as the lights strobed their faces, "You gonna go NOW?"
Lisa smiled, "sure I am...You've done really well today...you should stay and celebrate some more...I'll call you"
She kissed him on the cheek and she was off into the dancing crowd fighting her way to the exit. Callum leaned on the bar, "So...just YOU and ME"
Justin relaxed, "look if you wanna go fuck we can fuck"
Callum laughed, "crikey, you're kinda forward"
"It's why you here, isn't it?"
Callum leaned in and was close to his face, "I was hoping for kinda MORE than that"
Justin shrugged, "suit yourself...but it's just a fuck up for grabs...I don't DO boyfriends"
Callum nodded and grinned, "Ohhh right...so you've got someone back home..."
Justin nodded as he looked to the dancing, "Yeah...we've got these kinda rules...I won't break them...nor will he"
Callum suddenly stroked Justin's cheek, "Rules are meant to be broken"
Justin was held by his gaze as he leaned in for a kiss...Justin pulled away and shook his head, "Look if you wanna fuck we fuck...anything else is not on offer"
Callum looked cheekily disappointed and leaned on the bar with his bottle of beer, "I can wait...I love to play the long game anyway"
Justin ran a hand through his blond hair and thumbed into the direction of the crowd, "I'm off to dance...coming?"
"I'll give it a month"
"For what?"
"before I kiss you"
And with that Callum downed his beer in one gulp and was off. Justin watched him go and turned to look away. Damn that guy was hot.
QAF
Justin walked out into the cool night air. The club was getting further away when his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and beamed a smile at the caller display.
Mr Kinney calling...
He put the phone to his ear and spoke, "Hi...I was just heading home"
"You been out and getting laid you dirty little shit", Brian said with wit in his tone.
"Yeah, I've been out celebrating"
"Celebrating? For what?"
There was excitment in his tone, "I've only gone and sold a painting...I mean it wasn't my best but somebody wants it on their wall"
"Good for you! Did you get what you wanted for it?"
Justin sighed as he strolled up the street, "Not bad...there wasn't as many zeros as I thought but hey, it's a start"
"and so you've been out and getting a celebratial fuck"
Justin laughed, "there was somebody...but he didn't want to play to the rules so I walked"
"Glad to hear you still playing by them"
Justin changed the subject, "Brian are you still coming up? Next weekend?"
There was a pause.
"Brian...?"
"Can't make it sunshine...I've gotta work...a really important client"
"Work huh?"
"Yeah...why? Do you honestly think I'm just using it as an excuse to go out and fuck"
"Well are you?"
"No...I've gotta work..."
Justin was now very disappointed, "Yeah whatever"
"I'm sorry"
"As I said...whatever..."
His cab pulled up.
"I've gotta go..."
"Justin stop being a little brat...you know how I feel"
"Yeah I do... NOTHING", Justin hung up and jumped in the cab.
"Where too?" asked the cab driver turning in his seat.
Justin looked at the display on his cell. He felt so gutted that Brian wasn't gonna show up at the weekend. Twice he had done it.
Well FUCK HIM.
"Hmmmm...I've changed my mind...the night is still too young to go home..."
And he jumped out and hurried off back towards the nightclub.
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Story Notes:
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.