Page 4 of Conquest

“Cute,” Jesse said, wiping the fry’s salt off his shirt.

Brandon shoved the last bite of burger into his mouth. “Seriously though, everyone doubts themselves. Look at Evan Arden. You don’t think he was Mr. Confident his whole life before being discovered, do you?”

Jesse looked up at the mention of his favorite singer. When Evan Arden had entered the music world he was a force that couldn’t be stopped. His music had a rock edge, but more depth than a lot of performers. He never held back on using violins, horns, even full symphonies to give his songs a richer, deeper sound. The fast beats attracted young audiences, the depth of the music pulled in older audiences, and his voice captured everyone. He rode the charts at Number One, selling out concerts in the largest venues across the world. He learned most of what he knew about vocal control by singing along with Evan’s CDs, striving to match Evan’s voice note for note. He couldn’t imagine a vocalist that talented ever doubting himself.

“Okay, bad example,” Brandon said. “Evan can’t be touched. I Googled him the other day to see if there were any updates. Nothing. Just the same old crap on the fan-sites and forums with people gossiping about what’s happened to him. This one idiot posted Evan had died of a drug overdose in China, but I don’t believe it. You could tell when you saw him perform and in interviews he had too much pride in himself to get messed up like that.”

“But who knows what was going on in his life when he wasn’t smiling for the cameras.” Jesse sat silent for a moment. He shook his head slightly. “I don’t even want to think about him being dead. It would hurt too much if he were. His music has meant so much to me.”

“I know, but it does make you wonder. I mean, how the hell does someone so famous just vanish off the face of the earth for three and a half years?”

“Maybe making music didn’t mean that much to him.”

“That’s pretty shitty, to be gifted like that and take it for granted.” Brandon exhaled an exaggerated forlorn sigh. “But I guess I could forgive him if I ever met him.”

Jesse chuckled softly. “Yeah, I’m sure you could.”

He finished his food and pushed his plate to the edge of the table. Their waitress dropped off the check, and while Brandon headed to the register, Jesse went outside. He stretched his arms over his head and gazed up at the amber sun as it made its descent from the azure April sky.

Brandon tossed his arm around Jesse’s shoulders and steered him back toward his apartment. “You’ll feel better after we get to a club and you hit the dance floor. But if you disappear on me like you did the last time, I’m bringing Kenny when we go out from now on so he can help me keep an eye on you.”

“I’m pretty sure his kicking and screaming as you dragged him through the club doors would ruin both our chances at scoring, so you should probably rethink that idea.”

After Brandon, Kenny was the second person he came out to, and though Brandon said he’d known long before, Kenny had been clueless. Maybe with him and Kenny being seventeen at the time, Kenny hadn’t been ready to hear him discuss his first experience with another guy, Aaron, whose body of energy and muscle made him fully acknowledge what he needed to be happy and satisfied in life. Kenny seemed to accept it better now, but to spare him, he didn’t divulge the full details of what happened between him and other men when he and Brandon went out, and he would never ask Kenny to join them at the clubs.

“You really need to start desensitizing him a little more,” Brandon said. “What’re you going to do if one of these days you meet a guy you really like and you want to start a relationship? Oh, sorry. I forgot who I was talking to. Guy, girl, or blow-up doll, you’ve never spent a full night with any, so what am I talking about relationships for?”

“You’re not exactly Captain Monogamous, so I don’t know why you’re ragging on me.”

Brandon hushed his voice, concern edged his tone. “I know, but after the last time we went out and you vanished on me, I want to make sure you’re always being careful. When I didn’t know where you went, it freaked me out.”

“I don’t know why. It’s not like I ever go home with anyone. If I did, I’d have to call you and put my cell on speaker because it’d be so weird not having you at my hip.”

“I’m just trying to watch out for you.”

Jesse stopped and faced him. “And I appreciate it, but you know I’m always careful and you also know my limit.”

“For now. In the right situation with the right guy, that’ll change real quick.”

“And then I’ll be even more careful.”

A doubtful look crossed Brandon’s face.

Jesse ignored Brandon’s look and climbed the concrete stairs to Brandon’s building. He headed inside to the elevator, closed the rickety metal gate after Brandon entered, and hit the button for the fourth floor. The elevator creaked its way up, and they stepped out to Brandon’s apartment directly across the hall.

Brandon unlocked his door, and Jesse followed him into the studio apartment, his eyes falling on a large, serene sculpture of a meditating Buddha sitting in one corner. He walked across the living area to a small jolly Hotei statue atop the TV and rubbed the Japanese deity’s fat belly for good luck. On either side of the TV, two towers held fifty DVDs each, both full. In front of the towers sat two milk crates containing the overflow.

Jesse grabbed the remote and plopped down on the couch. “You collect movies like I collect CDs.”

Brandon’s voice echoed in the bathroom over the running water. “Comes with the trade. Gotta study the art, you know?”

“Yeah? So what’s up with all the anime?”

“Maybe I’ll try being a voice actor someday.”

“Or maybe you just like watching cartoons,” Jesse teased.

“Hey! Instead of sitting on your lazy ass, why don’t you fold my laundry on the bed?”