“Well, take your shot again if you want; there’s nothing going on with us.”
“Man, you stupid or something?” Antonio planted himself in front of Tyler, his brows twisted with confusion. “Marcus has it bad for you. No guy turns down a blowjob unless he’s really into someone else. Besides,” he said, popping another cherry in his mouth, “I seen the way he looks at you when you dance. That ain’t the sign of a guy who just wants to fuck you. I swear anytime another guy even looks at you he wants to rip his face off.” Brushing his hands, Antonio turned to go, then stopped. “Do this tonight. Dance all dirty for the crowd in front of Marcus, and watch his reaction. That’ll tell you everything you need to know about who he really wants.” He walked behind the bar and began to polish and stack the glasses.
Lost in thought, Tyler jumped almost a foot when someone tapped him on the shoulder. A familiar chuckle brought a smile to his face.
“Darius.” He hugged the big man, and it hit Tyler then how much he missed the people here. Having never had much of a family or home life himself, it took this absence for him to understand what he stood to lose if Marcus fired him.
“You look great, man. Are you back to dance tonight or just to hang out?”
Tyler picked up his gym bag that had his tiny dance shorts and the oil he rubbed on himself to catch the lights.
“Walk with me to the back? I need to warm up for later.”
“So youaredancing.” They reached the locker room, and Darius pushed open the door, allowing him to pass by. He set his bag down on the bench and began to untie his sneakers while Darius leaned against the row of lockers the employees used to hang their clothes in, and continued to chat. “I didn’t think Marcus would want you to.”
When Tyler finished, he straightened up and frowned, pushing the hair off his face.
“What does that mean?” He frowned, toed off his sneakers, and placed them in the locker. “Why would he have a say in what I do?”
Darius looked supremely uncomfortable. “Um, well, you two are together, so—”
Exasperated, Tyler lost his patience. “We’re not together. Damn, first Antonio, now you…” He shook his head and sat heavily on the bench. “I never intended to get involved with him.”
Darius slanted a glance at him. “But you did, didn’t you?”
“There’s a reason people call their private lives private,” said Tyler grumbling under his breath, unwilling to reveal too much even to himself. If he admitted what he suspected, there’d be no turning back, no recourse for the havoc coursing through his body every time he saw Marcus. Better that he keep it all at arm’s length and let this strange attraction between them wane, until Marcus, as he suspected, would grow tired and move on to a different man.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. We were thrown together by circumstance and convenience, nothing more nor less. Marcus can go back to his party boys, and I have my life to lead; I don’t see the two mixing. Besides, I moved out today.”
Darius joined him on the bench. “Why?” He handed him a bottle of water. “I thought you had everything taken care of living there.”
Tyler took the bottle only to have something to do with his hands. “Because I got tired of him treating me like a kept man. I don’t take handouts from people.”
“I doubt Marcus thought he was giving you a handout. He did it because…” Darius stopped a moment. “Honestly I’m not quite sure, because he’s never behaved like this. Marcus has always been a generous man, but with his money, not himself or his time.”
Tyler spun the dial of his lock around and around. “You know him better than I do.”
Darius snorted. “I doubt that.” He pierced Tyler with a dark, knowing gaze. “No one really knows Marcus; I’m not certain his best friends even do. But since you’ve been here he’s different, less restless. Like he’s found something.”
“Yeah,” said Tyler grimly. “Someone he thought he could keep like a toy. Soon he’d begin telling me what to do, how to act. He’s very persuasive; all his life all he’s had to do is smile andbam!—he gets what he wants.” Tyler pulled his sweatshirt over his head. “But I don’t need that bullshit; I don’t have time for it. Other people depend on me. My first priority is Lillie.”
“You know he hasn’t been with anyone else since you began working here. And it’s not for lack of others trying.”
“I don’t need to hear this.”
“If you’re asking me, I think you’re afraid because you see something happening and Marcus is the opposite of everything you thought you’d want. Life isn’t so black or white. Things aren’t always as they seem, and neither are people. Maybe you have to ask yourself why you’re so afraid of finding out the truth about your feelings for Marcus. What’s the worst that can happen if you give it a chance?” With a shake of his head, Darius pushed open the door and left.
Contemplating Darius’s words, Tyler remained on the bench in the locker room for a long time. When he left to begin practicing, he knew what he had to do.
Chapter Seventeen
‡
Dumbfounded at Tyler’soutburst, Marcus endeavored to save face with his friends by pretending none of it mattered. Through the rest of their brunch he joked with Nick, ignoring Julian’s pointed glances. He knew his friend wanted to talk about Tyler, but Marcus couldn’t deal with Julian’s well-meaning prying into his personal life.
Although he’d never admit it out loud, this past month had been somewhat of a revelation to him. Having Tyler and Lillie living with him brought a sense of peace and comfort to his life he hadn’t known was missing. He no longer needed to brush away the darkness with strangers; he finally had a home.
Tyler’s anger shocked him into introspection. Controlling the world around him, fitting it to his specifications was how he lived his life. Growing up, his wishes had never been considered, so the adult Marcus made certain never to let anyone rule him. He never thought he treated Tyler like a plaything.
