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ChapterOne
“Night, Noel,” a figure in the sliver of light from the theater door said as he passed.
Noel West waved and then pulled his long coat closer around him as he stepped out into the wee hours of the morning, wisps of snow swirling around him. “Night, Frankie,” he told the security man at the door as he took his first steps down the passage at the side of the building. The wind picked up, and Noel tightened his scarf around his neck, glad for all the layers he was wearing.
“Hey,” a gruff voice said. “How about you come over here and suck my dick.”
Noel sighed. “Like that’s something I haven’t heard before.” He turned as a man stepped out of the shadows. He was middle-aged, short, and dumpy. His hard life was written all over his face, and he probably had enough alcohol in his system to pickle his liver for the next decade.
“Come on. I know you like cock, coming out of that place.”
“Yeah,” Noel snapped. “And I’m sure as big a pig as you are, you think your dick is going to taste like bacon.” He pulled back his lips to show his teeth. “How do you know I won’t bite that little cocktail wiener of yours?” He snapped his teeth, and the man took a step back. Noel drew himself up as tall as he could before walking a little faster to the main road and turning to the right.
“Are you okay?” another man asked. Noel didn’t want to stop. He was tired and just wanted to go back to his tiny apartment and go to sleep. “That guy didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Noel whirled around. “No. I’m fine.” He narrowed his gaze at the tall, broad man who stood about two feet from him. He was “climb him like a tree, lick him all over” gorgeous, even in the gray overcoat that must have cost as much as Noel made in a month. A stunning head of dark hair speckled with snow topped off a face that deserved to be carved in granite. “Thank you.”
“Can I give you a ride home?” the man asked.
Noel rolled his eyes. “Look, if you’re going to proposition me, try something original, okay? I’m tired….” Suddenly his mind began playing the Lili Von Shtüpp song fromBlazing Saddles, but he refused to smile. “And if you want to see my act, you can pay the admission like everyone else. I don’t do private shows.” He was so over guys thinking he was some sort of plaything. “And just so you know, I’m a person. I’m not some piece of meat because of what I do. And dancing on stage does not mean that the rest of my time is for sale. Okay? I’ve already had three Prince Charmings, a Tarzan, two guys take running dives at me, and a half a dozen fall-down drunks in the last three hours. I think my fellow man could just give me a break and let me go home… alone.”
He turned away and continued walking. The snow picked up, and what had been wisps floating lightly in the air turned into curtains of white that coated everything. He pushed his shoulders up and did his best to nestle into his coat as he walked as quickly as he could down the sidewalk. He only had four blocks to go to his building.
“Are you sure I can’t give you a ride?” a now-familiar voice said. Noel turned to say no, thank you, as the huge guy with eyes that sparkled in the light from above stood next to a limousine. Warmth poured out of it, and Noel was tempted. “I promise, I’m just offering a ride home with no strings attached.”
Noel reached into his pocket and wrapped his cold fingers around his can of pepper spray. Then he took a step toward the car, ducked down, and tucked inside the warm interior. For a second, he wondered if the cold had turned him completely stupid.
The man climbed in after him and closed the door. “Please… give Antoine your address.”
“Buffalo and Jefferson,” Noel said, not wanting to give his exact address, but it was the closest intersection. The car rolled forward. “Thank you,” Noel said, his hand still in his pocket. “This is just a ride home.”
“Of course,” the man said from next to him, having settled comfortably into his seat. “You know, you have a real mouth on you. Do you always wield it like a sword?” He smiled a perfect smile without any heat or menace behind it. Doing what Noel did for a living, he got to know the crazies, and this guy gave off none of those vibes. If he didn’t know better, Noel might have put him in the nice category, except those kind of people did not go around in limos and take exotic dancers home from work at two in the morning.
“It usually works, and it’s a lot less messy than the alternative.” The car turned and continued slowly down the narrow street. Noel recognized the area near his home, and as the car slowed, he let himself relax just a little.
“Here you are.”
Noel half expected the door not to open, but as he pulled the latch, it swung out, and he stepped back out into the wind and snow. “Thank you.” He flashed a smile because the man deserved it and then closed the door, stepped back, and walked across the street behind the limousine. It pulled forward and slipped away into the night, leaving him truly alone on the silent street. He scratched his head slightly, watching as the black car turned left at the corner and disappeared from sight. Maybe it was Christmas and the guy in the limo had been Stripper Claus—who knew? He hurried down the road to his building, used his key to unlock the outer door, and then stepped inside where it was warmer. He made sure the door was closed securely before quietly heading up the stairs to his back of the building apartment.
After releasing a large sigh, Noel unwrapped his scarf and then hung up his coat near the door so it could dry. He kicked off his shoes, unzipped the Harvard sweatshirt he had on underneath, and hung that up as well.
A soft meow sounded from the floor as Wiggles wound his way around his legs. Noel picked him up and carried him along into the kitchen. He gave the big tabby a little food and made himself half a sandwich before drinking a couple glasses of water. When they had both eaten, Noel showered quickly to get the smell of the theater off him before climbing into bed. Wiggles jumped up to claim his own spot at the crook of Noel’s knees as soon as he was settled.
Noel usually fell asleep easily, and tonight was no exception. His days and nights were long, so sleep came quickly. He didn’t usually dream, or at least he never remembered them in the morning, but this time he woke with the image of the stunning man who had given him a ride home. Wiggles blinked up at him with his big eyes.
All Noel could think was what the hell had he done. Getting into a car with a stranger had to be one of the stupidest things possible. Granted, the guy had taken him right home, but Jesus, he could have locked the doors and transported Noel to his sex dungeon or decided to reenact his own version ofHouse of Wax.
Wiggles jumped off the bed and meowed loudly. Noel got up as well, pulled on his robe, and padded barefoot to his tiny kitchen, where he fed the cat, then flopped down onto the sofa and turned on the television to see if the world had fallen apart.
“You what?”Dean asked the following evening. “You actually got in the car with him?” His usually pouty lips hung open in abject surprise. “You slut.”
“It was cold, and I was freezing. Besides, I don’t know. I got a vibe off him, and he was just being nice, and I was right. His limousine brought me home, and that was all there was to it.” Noel thought about sticking his tongue out, but in this place, that could get you into a ton of trouble, so he scrunched his face and shot Dean ocular daggers. “And you’re the slut and we all know it.”
“Amen to that,” Jesse echoed from where he was checking out the way his butt looked in the mirror before making sure everything in front was lying to its best advantage. “Does everything look right?”
“Except for that big pimple on your left cheek,” Dean said.
Jesse whirled around to look at his face as Dean smacked him on the ass. “Oh, do that again,” he crooned, shoving his backside close to Dean, who shook his head and went back to his preparations. Noel was just pleased their attention was elsewhere.
