Ric quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. They walked in amiable silence until they hit their dressing rooms.
“Well, since I’m not meeting up with my boyfriend,” Ric said, “I’m going to take a power nap. Tell Blayne I said hi. And if you two decide to have sex in the shower, keep it down.”
Ethan was about to respond, but Ric opened the door to his dressing room and darted inside, leaving Ethan’s jaw still open as he tried to find a retort. Ethan opened the door and went inside his dressing room. He walked over to the vanity slash desk and grabbed his charging cell phone. There was a single text.
Have fun tonight. Tell Blayne I send my love. Wish I could be there.
Stephanie
Stephanie Anne Mitchell was Ethan’s best friend. And after she’d lost all her possessions in an explosion the previous month, Ethan had done everything in his power to help her get her life back together. He’d hired her the best lawyer he could find to help her navigate the insurance process. The insurance company claimed that the explosion was an act of terrorism. Since her policy didn’t explicitly cover terrorism, they tried to deny her claim. Her lawyer argued that since her coverage provided protection against property and personal belongings being damaged because of explosions, fires and smoke, her policy did indeed cover what happened to Stephanie.
For his part, Ethan had been putting her up in an old mansion turned into a bed-and-breakfast in the Garden District until everything could be straightened out. He typed out his response.
Thanks. Excited to have Blayne see the concert. I still can’t believe he’s never been to a real concert.
E
With the single text sent, he stripped out of his sweaty rehearsal clothes and headed into the shower. Ethan let the warm water flow from the spout sticking out of the tiled wall.
He’d spent a lot of time in dressing room showers over the past several years. This one wasn’t the largest, but it wasn’t the smallest.The showerhead would hit Blayne mid-chest.The mental image of Blayne’s chest caused Ethan to smile. He loved to lay his head on Blayne’s chest and wrap his arm around his torso as they drifted off to sleep. The sound of Blayne’s heartbeat was his personal white noise machine. Ethan absently started stroking himself, remembering the amazing sex they’d had the night before. He imagined what it would be like for Blayne to spin him around and have sex with him in the shower. Ethan hadn’t taken Blayne yet, but the thought of it caused him to moan slightly.
“Mr. Bond?” a voice yelled over the shower, bringing Ethan out of his bliss.
“Yes? I’m kind of busy, Lucas.”In more ways than one.Lucas was barely out of college, but he was already keeping track of Ethan’s life better than Ethan ever had.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your shower, but I needed to review your revised schedule with you.”
“Okay.”
Lucas began rattling off everything Ethan had to do before and after the concert. Ethan only half-listened to the guy deliver his itinerary in clipped, almost military precision. He finished rinsing the soap from his body before stepping out of the shower. There was a stack of towels on a shelf near the shower, so he reached over, grabbed the top one and started drying his hair. He didn’t want it too dry because the stylist team would be by to fix his hair and apply his makeup. Thankfully, the makeup would be applied after the meet-and-greet, before he went on stage. He wasn’t exactly that white, but the stage lights would drown out his facial features if he had none on.
With his hair and body dry, he wrapped a towel around his waist and returned to his dressing room. Lucas was still talking and hadn’t even noticed Ethan, so he cleared his throat.
“Oh,” Lucas said, his eyes leaving his tablet long enough to glance at Ethan. Lucas’ eyes grew three sizes, and his jaw practically hit the ground. Ethan wanted to laugh but kept a straight face, opting to lean against the doorframe to the bathroom. Lucas gulped and tried to keep a neutral face, which caused Ethan to smile at the young man. “Well, umm…I…uhh.”
“You should probably leave now.”
“Yes, exactly.” Lucas spun on his heels and headed to the door. “And uhh…Mr. Bond, your guests have arrived. I’ll bring Mr. Dickenson back to your dressing room in about ten minutes. They’re still being given a tour of the facility.”
Lucas left the room. Ethan imagined Lucas leaning on the other side of the door, fanning himself. Ethan didn’t consider himself vain, but he knew he was hot. You don’t succeed in the world of boy bands if you aren’t attractive. As much as he hated to admit it, half the band’s success was that they were all crazy photogenic. The cameras loved them. Ethan had a love-hate relationship with the cameras.
He slipped the towel from his hips and hung it on the bathroom door handle. Standing stark naked, he lifted his hands over his head and stretched. He walked over to the dressing room door and locked it before heading to his suitcase. He pulled out a pair of Alessandro Cattaneo boxer briefs. They were a black square cut that provided enough support for his goods without being bulky. Ethan unrolled his yoga mat and set about doing a simple warm-up routine. He started in the lotus position, closed his eyes and focused on breathing for a few minutes. He then ran through a basic yoga sequence that stretched all his major muscle groups. His goal wasn’t to exercise, just to limber up for the night’s performance.
He was just finishing the routine when there was a knock at his door, as someone tried the doorknob and found it locked. “Just a second,” Ethan yelled as he stood and walked over. “Who is it?”
“It’s Lucas. I have Mr. Dickenson with me.”
Ethan unlocked the door, opened it and poked his head around the corner. Blayne stood behind Lucas, dressed in the outfit Ethan had picked out for him the night before. He said nothing. He just reached out, grabbed the front of Blayne’s T-shirt and pulled him into the dressing room.
“You have twenty—”
The door shut behind Blayne as Ethan pinned his boyfriend against the closed door, and they aggressively kissed. Pulling away, he said, “God, I’ve missed you.”
Blayne stood there, looking down at Ethan, and smiled. “Well, I’ve missed you, too.” Blayne reached up, put one hand on Ethan’s chest and pushed him away slightly. “And while I’d love nothing more than to rip those boxers off your body and have my way with you, you have fans that are amassing in the green room.”
“You’re no fun,” Ethan replied, putting on his best puppy-dog eyes.
“Down, boy,” Blayne said. “Get ready. Like Lucas said, you have a few minutes before the stylists barge through that door.”
