“He’s not wrong. But eventually I realised Jared was right. I couldn’t keep a promise that was making me so unhappy. So, I quit my degree and now I’m studying to be an occupational therapist.” He smiled tenderly at Jared. “I want to help people like Jared find their strength and get back on their feet.”
“How did your dad take it when you switched your degree?”
Kyrone’s lips downturned. “I made him that promise when he was dying. I hope he’d respect my decision, even if he didn’t approve. My mum on the other hand…” He whistled. “She took a while to convince, but now she’s on board.” He ate the chip.
“I don’t thinkmymum would ever approve of me working in a gay club,” Callum admitted.
“But what doyouwant?” Jared asked.
Callum shrugged. “I just want someone to give me a chance.”
“Would your dad approve?” Kyrone asked. “You could tag team your mum.”
“My dad’s Andrew Black, so…no.”
Kyrone hissed in a breath. “Fuck.” He breathed out slowly. “You won’t know who that is, will you?” he asked Jared.
“Callum told me.”
“Does he know about—?”
“That I was in an accident, yes.” Jared smiled sadly as he looked at Callum. “I have amnesia. Everything before I woke up in hospital is gone.”
Callum widened his eyes. “Damn. I’m sorry.” He remembered what Jared had said about people treating him differently once they knew about his accident and made a silent promise to himself that he wouldn’t do that. “I don’t think your boss would want me anywhere near his club,” he said to Kyrone, changing the subject so he wouldn’t accidentally say something insensitive to Jared.
Kyrone took a large bite of his taco, his expression thoughtful as he chewed it slowly. “I’m guessing, as you’re sitting here with us, that you don’t share your parents’ views?”
“No.” Callum was as certain of that as he was that the earth was round. He could never share their bigoted point of view.
Kyrone grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth. “Then I’m not sure why Michael would have a problem with you. He’s a pretty great guy.” Kyrone grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth. “I can’t say for sure, but unless you talk to him you’ll never know. Do you want me to introduce you?”
Callum could only just force air through his lungs. He wasn’t used to people being so accepting of him. Then again, he hadn’t really given anyone much of a chance to get to know him recently. Asking Michael for a job wouldn’t be that big a deal, and all his mum really needed to know was that he had a job—ifMichael gave him one. He could tell her it was in a club; she didn’t have to knowwherehe was working. Guilt gnawed at him for even thinking about keeping the truth from her, but the first step towards getting his life back on track was getting a job. It didn’t matter to him where that was, why should it matter to her?
Decision made, he smiled at Kyrone. “That would be great.”
* * *
The Heaven and Hell Club sat at the edge of the city centre, on a stretch of road that seemed to contain nothing but pubs, clubs, and adult shops. Callum stood corrected, there was also a role-playing game shop. Kyrone led him in through a back door and into a corridor that smelt musty, like hundreds of sweaty guys had moved through it, or maybe a few sweaty guys lots of times.
“We’re allowed to come in early to practise on the poles,” Kyrone explained. “But there’s not normally many dancers here at this time.”
He knocked on a door and, when he received no answer, he tried the handle. It was locked.
“Michael’s not in his office.”
Next, they tried the dressing room, which smelled ten times worse than the corridor. There was one dancer inside, swinging around one of three poles. Callum watched, mesmerised. He was astounded that the slender young man had enough upper body strength to fling himself around the pole.
“Hey, Jag, is Michael around?” Kyrone asked.
The young man, Jag, hung upside down and stared at them. “He’s at the bar with Mac. They’re doing a stock take.” He smiled at Callum. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Callum didn’t have time to say anything more—not that he knew what to say—because Kyrone marched off down the corridor towards the door at the end.
He followed, jogging a little to catch up.
“Jag’s always here,” Kyrone told him. “He lives in the flat upstairs with Michael.”
Callum glanced back towards the changing room door. Jag looked a similar age to Jared, which meant he couldn’t be much older than Callum.
