MAY 2006
At the gallery, Justin Taylor was waiting for the art curator to come out with his check. He dug his hands into his jeans pockets, and stared and admired various other art pieces on the wall.
Then, somebody was standing behind him and spoke.
"I heard you are good..."
Justin turned and saw Callum standing there with a stupid grin on his face, "Yeah...so I'm told"
Callum looked about the gallery, "Do you think one day you will famous?"
Justin laughed, "Yeah...like so many an artist...when i'm dead"
Callum nodded and looked at him carefully watching his reactions, "When I was talking to your friend the other night...and SHE told me you were gonna be here by the way...she said that you used to do art-work for a comic book"
Justin's grin widened, "Yeah...but we all need to grow up...I'm focusing on the more serious now"
Callum shook his head and both of them looked about them and not at eachother until Callum turned around and faced him head on, "Do you want to come out with me?"
Justin tried not to look at him as he pulled on his shirtsleeves, "Where too?"
"Anywhere of your choosing..."
Before Justin could answer, the curator came down the polished steps and was heading right towards him with a piece of paper in his grasp.
"Here we go Mr Taylor...payment as promised...LESS the fee of having it displayed here might I add..."
Justin took the check and scrutinized it, "how much!"
"The piece was up for several weeks"
Justin tried to look grateful for the peanuts amount he received, "That's just well...great...thank you"
The curator could detect a little bit of sarcasim in the boy's tone of voice, "Yeas, well...you know where to come if you've got something else..."
Callum watched the curator go and turned back to Justin, "the check sucks huh?"
Justin shook his head and was already heading towards the exit, "I could earn more on a months tips at the bar, believe me"
Callum followed him out the doors, and once they were outside in the brilliant New york sunshine, he said, "Look...you still could celebrate...you made a sell? Or...you can come out and use it as an excuse to commiserate"
Callum was now sporting a cool pair of sunshades.
Justin looked at him and folded the check in his back pocket, "why not...meet you at Zzens around 9"
"It's a date"
Justin shook his head and walked down the steps to the street as Callum deliberately admired his tight little ass.
QAF
Justin made it to the club on time. Callum was already there and waiting up at the bar. A bottle of beer was waiting.
"love the vest, blondie", said Callum.
Justin shrugged, "You know how it is, I just threw this on"
The music was loud and upbeat. Callum was already working up a sweat and raffled Justin's hair, "Your hair is so enticingly touchable"
Justin shook his head.
They both stood at the bar watching the club revel in the mood, "So... you're are with someone?"
Justin was quick, "yeah, I'm standing here with you"
Callum shook his head, "You know what I mean"
Justin didn't look at him as he spoke, "Yeah...he's back home in Pittsburgh"
Callum moved closer to him, Justin could smell his aftershave...he smells like Brian.
"That's good"
Justin frowned at him, "for who?"
Callum broke into a pleasing smile, "For me..."
Justin was trapped in the gaze, but he shook his head, "You know how it is...I told you...one fuck and that's it"
Callum shrugged at him, and then dug down deep into the pocket of his tight leather trousers and pulled out a couple of white looking tablets.
"You tried speed?"
Justin saw the tablets in the palm of Callum's hand, "Not that..."
Callum laughed at him, "You really need to loosen up"
Justin was adament, "I just stick with the beers thanks...and anyway I can't make it too late, I'm kinda tired"
Callum took the advantage, "all the more for you to take this...it'll give you a real booster...and a nice buzz"
Brian's voice was in his head, if you're ever offered drugs make sure they're fucking safe to take...
"Are they safe?"
Callum popped one his mouth. Justin took the other one from his palm and then put it into his mouth...and swallowed.
QAF
Justin had the headache from hell. He lifted his head from the pillow not really remembering much from the night before.
Did he fuck on a subway train?
Justin knew he had been fucked because he could feel it. He grabbed his towel and grabbed a hot shower.
The running water over him made him feel a whole lot better. He held his face up to the stream of water and then lathered up and cleaned himself over.
He dropped the soap. He reached down, but he couldn't get grip of it. He managed to grab hold, but it feel from his grasp.
Fuck.
He looked at his hand and balled his fingers into a tight fist, he then splayed his fingers outward and then reached for the soap with his other hand.
QAF
Central Park was hot, hot, hot and that was just the guys. Justin strolled beside Lisa sporting a pair of dark sunshades to see off his hangover.
"and you took them?"
Justin was on the defensive, "Yeah...I was tired and he said that it'll give me a boost and it did...I danced all night"
"And then?"
Justin tried to think.
Their was a flash of an image in his mind of him in a subway car and Callum's hot breathe landing on the back of his neck.
"I think we fucked"
Lisa's eyes bolted, "you THINK?"
Justin walked ahead of her, "it's all a blur...with the drink and the drugs"
Lisa caught up with him, "I think Callum is a creep"
Justin swung around, "why do you? Why be so judgemental...just because he gave me speed, it doesn't make him a creep"
"I'm not talking about that, Justin, I talking about you and him fucking...you said it's all a blur...how do you know it was safe? How do you know if you said yes"
Justin paused, but skirted around it, "I wouldn't have said no"
"I still think he's a creep"
Justin was mad, "at least he's here! More than Brian makes the effort to...at least he's giving me some attention...Brian's always..."
"Working?"
Justin lifted his shades, "...yeah and the rest...oh I don't know...just lately I've been thinking differently"
Lisa sat on the grass and Justin knelt down.
"differently how?"
Justin shrugged, "maybe it's because he's..."
"always working?"
"...old"
He felt strangle for saying it. For always he and Brian would laugh and joke about their age gap...it was a good humored source of banter between them. But now, it just felt not funny to think about.
Lisa leaned up and gave an honest opinion, "What do you expect? He's 35, you are 23...you are just starting your career, he is already working his...you're here in New York...he's back home in Pittsburgh...you and him are at different stages in your life"
Justin averted his eyes away from her and looked towards the ice-cream seller.
"Want an ice-cream?"
Lisa had to smile as Justin leaped up to go buy them, knowing it was his not so subtle hint that the topic of conversation was over.
XXx