He’d previously dated people and ended relationships. But those didn’t hurt the way he knew in his heart it would hurt if Aiden were to take him in and then later, turn him loose. He would be devastated. Because with Aiden, he wanted to belong to him in a way that he’d never experienced with any of the others he’d been involved with.
“Aiden took a chance, hoping that you wouldn’t turn out like the others who—for whatever reason—couldn’t or wouldn’t submit. Right now, he’s pretending as if he’s not surprised how things ended, and that he’s not bothered. But I know he’s hurting.”
At that, Mike snapped his head up to look at his icy friend. “He’s hurting?”
The swirling snow dissipated. “Yeah, he is,” Frost quietly said.
“Oh.” He didn’t like the thought of Aiden out there hurting, just as he was.
“Listen, Z. I’m not here to tell you what to do. But I hope you’ll consider whether what you had going with Aiden is worth fighting for before you both toss away something that had the potential to be really good.”
∞ ∞ ∞
After Frost left, Mike thought about what they’d said. He didn’t have any immediate solutions to heal the rift between him and Aiden. And he didn’t know what Aiden’s feelings on their breakup were, other than Frost’s assertion that he was hurting. But he did know that he missed seeing his pretty, raven-haired lover.
He was about to do something foolish. What he was planning was ill-advised. That didn’t stop him from grabbing his keys and walking out the door. Twenty minutes later, he drove onto the Flirtatious Fox’s parking lot.
The cold wind at his back pushed him forward, quickening his steps to the Fox’s entrance. At the door, the bouncer raised an eyebrow when she saw him.
“You’re not here to cause trouble, are you?”
She obviously knew that he and Aiden were on the outs.
Mike shook his head. “Scouts honor I’m not. I only want to watch the performances.”
The bouncer was of equal height to Mike and she stared straight into his eyes for a long moment. Mike calmly held her gaze, hoping that she wouldn’t deny him entrance. Finally, she nodded, but gave him a warning.
“If I catch even a hint of a problem from you, I’ll boot your ass out and you won’t be allowed back ever.”
“Understood.”
She stepped aside and Mike opened the door. Inside, the club was as much of a feast for the eyes as the first time he’d seen it. Unfortunately, tonight the bright, rich colors mocked the dull glumness of his mood. He choose a spot at one of the smaller side bars, in the corner, where most of the light didn’t reach. In the dark, he ordered a drink and settled down on a stool to watch the stage.
Mike sat through two acts, a dancer who had the crowd eating out of her hand with each layer of ruffles she removed and a set of male twins that performed a double ariel hoop routine full of dramatic stunts. And then, the DJ announced Glimmer.
“And now, patrons of The Flirtatious Fox. The act you’ve all been thirsting for. Please welcome to the stage the titillating, tantalizing, and always tempting...Glimmer!”
Mike straightened on his stool, his eyes locked on the man strolling onto the stage. The costume was new, one he hadn’t seen before. Aiden wore black liquid latex leggings, cut as if they were chaps. He had on a thong beneath the chaps, which left the plump curves of his ass on full display. A harness adorned with green rhinestones that sparkled beneath the stage lights caged his chest. Black gloves covered his hands and he’d tied a triangle of lace around the lower half of his face like an old-time cattle rustler’s bandana. His hair was pulled back from his face, half of it up into a tight bun, the rest falling down his back.
Mike’s chest ached as he drank in the sight of his former lover. Aiden was beautiful. He wanted to go up on the stage and tell him how gorgeous he was. Thankfully, he had the presence of mind to know that a move like that would definitely have the bouncer throwing him out. So, he sat there, drink glass clutched tightly in his hand as he watched Aiden dance.
This routine was different from the first time Mike had watched Aiden on stage. Tonight, every move was slow and sensual, coaxing the eye to follow the lines of Aiden’s body as he glided and spun across the stage. Aiden caressed the pole as if it were his lover, touch delicate and light before he grasped it to flip and spin. When his feet touched the floor again, he reached out to the crowd, almost as if in supplication. When no one grasped his hand, he gracefully sank to the stage. On his knees, Aiden pulled the tie free and the rest of his hair cascaded down around his shoulders in thick black waves. He rolled across the stage, getting tangled in his long hair, sometimes touching himself, others reaching out to the whistling and cheering crowd.
Aiden rose back to his knees, body swaying side to side, hands ghosting over his thighs. As the song built to its finish, Aiden reached out one last time, expression filled with longing. And then the dance was over. Aiden kneeled with his head bowed, hair swinging forward to hide his face while dollar bills and gold confetti rained down all around him.
In awe of the performance, Mike clapped along with everyone else. But when Aiden left the stage, Mike wondered, did the dance have meaning? Was Aiden hurting too as Frost had said? Or was he projecting something onto Aiden’s dance that didn’t exist in order to make himself feel better? Mike didn’t know and he wasn’t going to ask either. Coming here tonight was bad enough. He wouldn’t up the creepy spurned lover ante by seeking Aiden out face to face at his place of work. If he wanted to talk to him, he would call and speak to him in a time and place where Aiden felt comfortable telling him no if he wanted to.
Knowing that Aiden usually worked the floor after performing, Mike realized it was time for him to go. Raising his hand to get the bartender’s attention, he reached for his wallet, ready to pay his tab and leave. Before the bartender noticed him however, a dancer showed up at his elbow. He had a buzzed haircut that showed off his big, long-lashed brown eyes, and full lips slicked with glittery pink lipstick.
“Hey, there big guy. You all alone tonight?”
“I am. Just came in to have a few drinks.”
“Great, I’m thirsty too.”
The dancer waved a hand and the bartender immediately appeared in front of them.
“Slippery Nipple for me and refill whatever he’s having.”
