“Yes, he has a meeting arranged. Let us inside. I have a membership as well. Jean-Paul Dubois.”
The bouncer grunted as if he recognized my name. “Yeah, Vic figured you’d be coming in with him. It’s fine. He told us when we started our shift tonight.” The bald man nodded at the other man working outside with him, who was talking to someone at the head of the line of waiting people, and jerked a thumb at the door. “Head in. Vic’s probably by the bar.”
Max unwound his scarf, and I put a hand between his shoulders and lightly urged him forward through the doors and out of the weather. The lighting overhead had the soft purplish glow of sunset and was brighter than usual, possibly because nothing was happening yet on the main stage directly across from the door. Two smaller stages on either side of the room were also empty. The walls were black and lacked décor, so as not to take away attention from the entertainers when they worked, or at least that’s what I’d decided. Maybe Vic was just lazy. To my left the high-gloss black bar ran the length of the room. People were already packed on stools like sardines.
The round tables in front of the main stage were already getting full as well, and nearby a man straddled his stool calling to someone across the room. The roar of voices and low buzz of dance music in the background slammed into me and had my head pounding in almost no time at all. Colognes clashed and leather soap tinged the air. I shivered and led Max to a spot near an open table. I said nothing as I took his coat and scarf from him because he was busy trying to gawk at everything all at once. I attempted not to look like I was in a rush while I went and found the small area near the front that they kept for outerwear during the winter, then hung his belongings on a rack.
By the time I got back to Max, Vic was already standing in front of him, holding Max’s hand like they’d just shaken. Vic still hadn’t let go. Right now, I hated him. He towered over Max, his short blond hair gleaming in the odd glow of the lighting. The aura created around Vic made him seem like some bizarre kink angel, with his tight black leather pants and a matching black shirt that clung to his defined chest. He said something quiet to Max that had him nodding. I wanted to go over and physically remove Vic’s hand from Max’s body, but only smiled as I approached.
“I see you’ve found each other already.”
Max frowned slightly at Vic, and I was both pleased and uncomfortable with that.
Vic glanced at me, and I could tell by the smug fucking grin he wore that he thought Max was bangable, and why shouldn’t he? “Thanks for introducing us, Jean-Paul. If you want to go enjoy yourself tonight, I’ll make sure Max gets home in the morning.” He grinned with a shiny, Christmas-morning happiness, and I didn’t like that he was asking me and not Max if the arrangements were okay. Hell, he wasn’t evenaskingme anything; he was informing me of what was going to happen, and that rankled.
“Max? Are you okay with what Vic suggested?”
Vic raised his eyebrows but turned his attention to Max as well, who flushed. Max nodded and his eyes widened. I hadn’t considered that I wouldn’t be taking him home with me when I left, and apparently neither had he. My heart squeezed. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell Vic that wasn’t fucking okay, but instead I said, “I’ll stick around for a while.”
Max relaxed a little, and Vic rubbed his thumb over the back of Max’s hand. I tried not to stare at the grip Vic had on Max, and when I turned my gaze back to Vic’s face, there was a far-too-amused gleam in his eyes. I didn’t want to be interesting enough for him to laugh at. This was about Max. I needed to fade into the background.
“Let me show you around,” Vic said.
Max shot a fast look my way, and with a sigh I moved in and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “If you’re uncomfortable or scared or just don’t want to do something with Vic, come find me. He can’t make you do anything.” The cologne he wore tickled my nose, and I brushed my fingertips to his.
“All right,” Max said.
Backing off, I stood there and watched them move away toward a table, but Vic said something to Max and then left him standing awkwardly in the spot as he came back to me. I was immediately fucking irritated because Max was already getting some interested looks from the people around him.
“You okay there, Jean-Paul?” Vic asked. His wide, handsome smile was the kind that was difficult to be angry with, though I was having no problem accomplishing it anyway.
“Perfect. Go slow with him. I mean it.”
Vic frowned and flipped down one of the clasps on my waistcoat. He stared at the silver closure too long and embarrassment puffed up my cheeks with a breath. I never went anywhere with my clothing even slightly askew. “I know what I’m doing,” he said.
Chuckling, I took a step back from him. “Of course. I know you do. Why do you think you were on the short list of people I called?” I gave him the brightest smile I could muster. “Have fun.” I eyed an open seat at the bar and went toward it as Vic frowned at me and then turned back to Max.
The bar was even busier than I’d noticed while I was holding on to Max, and as I sat down on a leather-topped stool, I took in the crowd. It seemed like perhaps tonight was some sort of roleplay theme. People circulated through the tables dressed in maid uniforms, and at first I’d thought they were women, but one of the maids sported a mustache and winked at me as they strolled by with a tray of shots. Clearly some of the maids were drag performers. There was a butler carrying drinks in one corner of the room, and I spotted another one closer to me handing out beers. Normally I would have loved a night like this and been happy I’d finally forced myself out to a club, but I kept shooting glances back at Max and Vic where they were sitting at a table together.
Max was half a heartbeat away from bolting for the exit, his back too stiff and shoulders hunched forward, but Vic was leaning close and no doubt soothing him. He said something, and Max smiled.
Their easy back-and-forth had me gritting my teeth again. Fucking hell, but I wanted Max to hate Vic as much as he disliked nearly everyone else, and that was selfish.
“Hello, pervs and pervettes” came over the sound system. Everyone glanced toward the DJ booth near the main stage and there were claps and hoots. From where I was sitting, I couldn’t see the man speaking, but he had a dreamy deep voice. “Our hoooot show will start in an hour. Tonight’s theme is heroes. Who doesn’t have a soft spot, or maybe a hard one, for doctors, soldiers, and firefighters? Show some love for men in uniform!”
More good-natured catcalls erupted in the crowd, and a solid smattering of applause swelled, even though the stage still stood empty. A pink spotlight blazed to life and illuminated a silver pole that would have a warm body on it before long. Max glanced around wildly, and Vic leaned forward to clasp his wrist with one hand. My own hands curled into fists and I made myself relax.
Then I saw Shannon Dawson and sighed as he looked right at me and began to weave his way through the crowd in my direction. I’d forgotten how much of a lug he was and winced as he got closer and I had to tilt my head way back to look up at him. I sat straighter and crossed my legs, kicking them out in front of me to make sure he couldn’t crowd close.
“What’ll you have?” the bartender called, surprising me. I turned to the solid man in black leather shorts. Hoops through his nipples twinkled in the odd light. He had an okay face and dark hair, but I was less than interested.
“Glenfiddich.”
“We only have the twenty-one-year-old right now.” He rubbed his fingers together to show he thought it was expensive.
“Do it. I don’t get out much.”
By the time I glanced back out at the crowd, Shannon was at my side, and had the kind of funny smile that let me know he was probably pissed at me. He never honestly looked happy because his face was too severe for that. I wouldn’t have expected anything different because I had jerked him around, but it was unfortunate he was out tonight.
