higher and said, “To Cody and Joey, may all their future endeavors be prosperous.” Cody’s eyes widened. He looked at Roy and said, “You knew about the producers
and you never said anything.” Then he said to Lance, “And this is why you kept insisting
I do the show tonight.”
Roy smiled. “I didn’t want to freak you out. Lance and I both decided it was
better to let you and Joey perform naturally, without knowing how much was involved in
that one performance.”
Lance said to Cody, “I wanted you to have fun, without being stressed. And it’s
not every day that two clients of mine have this kind of an opportunity on the same
night.”
Cody tilted his head and said, “This is all for real. You’re not joking about it.
There really were record producers there tonight and they really liked us.”
Lance nodded; his expression hardened. “It’s for real. I’m an agent. It’s my job.
I’d never joke about something like this.”
Cody raised his eyebrows and gave Joey a look. He smiled and exposed his upper
gums. He jumped up from his seat and shouted, “They liked us, Joey. They really liked
us!” Then he threw his arms around Roy, kissed him, and said, “I wonder what Radcliff
Benson will have to say when he hears about this. I got a record deal on the same day he
had me fired from a Broadway show for being better than he was.”
“Don’t even mention Radcliff’s name,” Roy said, hugging his lover. “He’s
insignificant now. The best thing that ever happened to you was getting fired from that
show.”
“I’ll say,” Cody shouted, taking a long, hard swallow of vodka. “I’ll pay that old
queen back some day. I swear I will.” Anderson, Joey’s porn-star-material boyfriend, lifted his glass and said, “Joey,
this is wonderful. We’re going to Hollywood.” Then he put his arms around Joey’s wide
shoulders and kissed him on the mouth. When he spoke, his soft, breathy voice trailed off
at the end of sentences as if he were in the middle of a sex scene.
Joey rubbed his eyes and laughed. “I’m in shock. All these years, working so hard,
and it happens this fast. Wait until I tell my sister, Harriet. She should have come out
with us.” Unlike Cody, Joey didn’t jump up and shout. He seemed reserved, shying away
from attention. “What kind of TV show do they want me to do?” he asked Lance.
“I’ll explain the details later,” Lance said. “But trust me. You’re perfect for this.
It’s all about the music.”
Rush smiled and lifted his glass, “Congratulations, guys. This is wonderful news.
I hope I get a chance to work with both of you as clients in the future.”
Lance sat down in his seat and put his arm across the back of Rush’s chair, as if
he were claiming his territory. He looked into Rush’s eyes and said, “You’ll definitely be
working with them. I have a feeling you’re going to be around for a long time.”
* * * *
When it was time to leave, Joey and Anderson shared a taxi with Cody and Roy.
They sat three in the back, and Anderson put his arm around Joey’s shoulders and sat
down on his lap. They were slightly drunk, still in shock about the news, and talking
about the future with stars in their eyes. Joey had his hand on Anderson’s ass and
Anderson was smiling. When Cody asked if Rush wanted them to make room for him,
Lance stepped forward and said, “We’ll take another taxi. I’ll make sure Rush gets home
safely.” Cody smiled at Rush and said, “I see.” He seemed to know that Lance wanted to
be alone with Rush, and he was teasing Rush about it.
Rush straightened his back and said, “Maybe I should just go with them.
Tomorrow is a working day and I have to get up early.” It was almost one o’clock in the
morning and he had to be up by seven.
Lance didn’t respond. He said goodnight to Cody and the others, shut the taxi
door, and said, “You’re not working a regular nine-to-five job anymore. Tonight was
business. The rules are different now. Welcome to show business.”
Rush smiled and gave him a coy look. “But I didn’t know it was business. I
thought I was just going out with a friend to see a nightclub act and have fun.”
The taxi pulled away from the curb and Lance put his palm on Rush’s back.
“That’s just a silly technicality,” he said. “I should know. I’m your boss. I promise you
won’t get into trouble if you’re a few minutes late in the morning.”
The weather was warmer than usual for that time of year, so Lance suggested they
walk through SoHo for a while. Rush agreed; he wanted to get to know Lance better.
Though they’d only just met, he felt as if he’d met him before.
They walked slowly, lingering in front of expensive shops and tony boutiques.
When they passed a men’s clothing store with a trendy name, Rush looked into the front
window and stared at a mannequin wearing tight leather pants with a two-inch zipper. He
smiled and said, “Now that I’m in New York, I’m thinking about changing my image a
little. I’m always so conservative. I’d like to have a few pairs of pants like that. I dress
like I’m still in small New England town.” Lance lifted his eyebrows and said, “Absolutely not. Don’t change a thing about
yourself. Your simple, easy look is what’s most appealing about you. You don’t need
outrageous, trendy clothes. Things like that are for average men who can’t get attention
any other way. All you need is a white T-shirt and a pair of old jeans to look wonderful.”
Rush stared into the window and smiled. No one had ever paid him a nicer
compliment, and no one had ever spoken to him with a silkier voice. He could see
Lance’s reflection in the glass. Lance was staring at the back of his neck, biting his
bottom lip. Rush wanted to lean back and rest against his strong chest. He assumed there
must have been a ten-year age difference between them. But he didn’t want to ask,
because age didn’t really matter to him.
On the next block, they passed a small bookstore and Rush smiled at the window.
There was a book on display all by itself, with two attractive young men wearing white
suits on the cover. The men were standing before an altar, staring into each other’s eyes,
exchanging wedding vows. There were two intertwined gold wedding bands at the top of
the book cover. The title of the book was
The Glass Ceiling.
Rush sighed and said, “I’m
not very political and I’ve never been an activist about anything, but it’s nice to see books
like that in the front windows of bookshops, on display for the entire world to see. I think
I’m going to come back and buy that book this week.”
Lance placed his palm on Rush’s back and said, “I’m not political either, but it is
nice to see. Guys like us have come a long way.”
“Have you ever thought about getting married?” Rush asked. His voice was soft
and light. He wasn’t probing for information. It was just a general question. “I’m afraid not,” Lance said. “I’m like being single. I’m very happy with my life,
and I know what I want. I don’t see myself ever settling down with one man like those
guys on the cover of that book.”
Rush smiled. “You’re lucky. I wish I could be as certain about my life as you are
about yours. I don’t have the slightest clue what I want or where I want to be.”
Lance lowered his hand and rested it on Rush’s hip. He pulled Rush into his side
and asked, “Is there someone else back in New England?”
Rush smiled and stepped away from the window. He started walking again.
“There was someone up until recently. But for some reason I can’t begin to explain, it
just didn’t feel right. It should have. But it didn’t.”
Lance walked up to his side and said, “I know we’ve only just met. But I can’t say
I’m disappointed to hear that.”
When they reached the next block, Lance pointed to a renovated warehouse.
“There’s where I live,” he said. “I have this huge loft with an oversized fireplace in the
master bedroom.”
Rush laughed and said, “You’re a sneak. You’ve been leading us toward your
place since we left the bar. I thought you were walking me
home
.”
Lance smiled. “I was, to
my
home.” Then he put his arm around Rush and
whispered, “Come on, let’s go inside. I’ve never met anyone who makes me feel the way
you do. And I swear that’s not just a lame line. I know it sounds like one, but it’s not,
seriously. If you knew me, you’d know I’d never take a new employee home with me this
way, especially the first night I met him. But you’re different. I knew that the moment I
saw you sitting at the table in the nightclub. I have a good eye—it’s part of my job.” Normally, Rush would never go home with a man he’d just met. It wasn’t in his
character. He preferred getting to know someone first; romance and compatibility were
the most important things to him in any relationship, and sex came second. And it didn’t
have to be romance with shooting stars and explosive fireworks. He didn’t need
expensive jewelry or designer clothes. It only had to be something simple, like checking
the tires on his car, or knowing what his favorite color was, or remembering the foods he
liked to eat.
But Rush couldn’t deny there was something different about Lance. So when
Lance started walking toward the warehouse where he lived, Rush allowed him to lead
the way. They crossed the street in silence; Lance’s arm was around his waist the entire
time. Rush focused on remaining calm, but he could feel his heart thumping in his ears.
By the time they reached the old-fashioned freight elevator inside the warehouse, Rush’s
full erection was bursting in his pants.
Lance pushed a button to get to the top floor. Rush glanced between Lance’s legs
to see if he was just as excited. When Lance lifted his arm and his jacket rode up, Rush
saw that the front of his pants was extended and the head of his erection was pointing up
toward the waistband.
Rush took a bold step forward and reached down between Lance’s legs. He’d
never in his life done anything with this much audacity to a virtual stranger. He pressed
his palm into Lance’s crotch and said, “It looks like you’ve just pitched a tent in your
pants.” After he said that, he was sorry. It was just as lame as what Lance had said to him.
But Lance didn’t seem to notice. While Rush fondled his erection and the elevator
jerked upward, Lance turned toward Rush and looked into his eyes. He stared for a moment without speaking, then reached for the control panel on the elevator and pressed
the stop button. The elevator came to a sudden halt between the second and third floors. It
jerked up and down fast and Rush fell into Lance’s arms. While his cheek was pressed to
Lance’s chest, Rush said, “Someone might catch us. This could be dangerous.”
“I don’t care,” Lance whispered, running his hands down the back of Rush’s pants.
He was breathing so fast he had difficulty speaking. “I want you now. Right here. I don’t
want to wait.” Then he reached down with both hands, unfastened Rush’s pants, and
pulled them down to his knees. When his hands went up again and he grabbed Rush’s ass,
he moaned and said, “You’re body is so hard and yet your skin is so soft.”
They could have fooled around just like that for a few minutes, with Rush’s pants
down around his knees and Lance grabbing his ass. But Rush had moved to New York so
he could experience new things, and he wanted this to be something neither one of them
would ever forget. Rush had never had sex in an elevator, especially not a freight elevator
with a metal gate and a see-through grated floor. So he took a few steps back and pulled
off his shoes and socks. Then he slipped out of his pants and removed his jacket and shirt.
The grated floor was cold against his bare feet. Lance unzipped his own pants and pulled
out his erection, staring at Rush’s naked body, wetting his lips with the tip of his tongue.
When Rush smiled, Lance lunged forward and held Rush in his arms. It happened
so fast Lance’s erection poked Rush in the groin. But Rush didn’t complain and he didn’t
step back. Lance was breathing too heavily and he was holding him too tightly. Lance
grabbed Rush’s ass and bit his neck at the same time. Rush spread his legs wider while
Lance’s hot tongue went up his neck, across the side of his face, and landed inside his mouth. Rush closed his eyes and leaned back. He clutched Lance’s shoulders for support,
with Lance’s lips pressed to his lips and Lance’s tongue deep inside his mouth.
A few seconds later, Lance stopped kissing him and whispered, “I have a condom
in my pocket. It’s pre-lubed.” His chest was heaving, his fingers were probing Rush’s
