by David Horne
"You should have come to me." Jason sat down. He remembered Jenny. She was a beautiful woman, intelligent and too tall for a lady.
"I couldn’t… I was ashamed of myself for making the company go into debt."
"I am sorry for your loss," Jason begged.
"It’s nothing. Alice was released yesterday. She told us that Jenny had been killed weeks back. They buried her in the woods."
"Why am I just hearing this?"
"I came here looking for you several weeks back. But apparently you had traveled."
"I was away."
"Oh, that's it then."
"Yes. "
“What are the cops saying about this?” Jason asked.
“Her body will be recovered tomorrow and she will be given a proper burial. The cops are still investigating.”
Jason sat back. He didn't tell Shane that there were loopholes in his story. Why would the kidnappers kill Jenny when the ransom had been paid? Lastly, where were the cops when all this was happening?
Jason was too smart to ask his partner these questions. He would do his own investigation.
"So, how is the company going?" Shane asked.
He didn't look like a man mourning his sister's death. After all, he only just found out she was dead.
"I have decided to sell the company to our rivals, the R. Royce construction company."
"I’m so sorry man. Your money was used to start this company and eighty percent of the company's money is yours. Only you and I know that you’re the power behind our company and not us."
Jason smiled dangerously.
"How about you come tomorrow? As a partner. We’ll need your signature, which is why we delayed the selling in the first place. I want to get this over and done with."
"Me too"
A few hours later, Shane walked out of the building smiling. He pulled out his phone and called Alice.
"How did it go?" she asked him.
"As soon as I told him Jenny was gone, he got weak. I think we just fooled him."
"Good, big brother. You did well."
***
A week later, the company was sold. Jason was happy it was finally over. He vowed to get to the bottom of everything and had hired men to follow his partner.
The thing was, he wasn’t a happy man. He wondered why Fred had not bothered to call him. Twice, he tried to call Fred but the line wasn't going through.
Jason found himself wandering around the streets of New York. He had bought Fred’s entire album and listened to them. He could now sing all of his songs off hand.
"Fred...what is happening?"
He promised to visit New York a few weeks ago but Fred never made it. Jason couldn't think right. Although he wasn't nearly as rich as he used too, he still had enough money start over. He had sold his houses and left only one. Jason finally came to the conclusion that Fred was avoiding him.
He took a flight to Hawaii and lodge at the Richards. By evening, Jason dressed casually and took a taxi uptown. He was standing in front of Fred's penthouse within ten minutes.
"You have to carry through with this," Jason urged himself.
He took the elevator upstairs. By the time he was standing in front of Fred's room, Jason's heart was already racing. He rang the doorbell and waited. After about three tries, he turned and walked away. He was about to wave a taxi when a black Porsche halted and Fred got out of it. He didn't seem to see Jason. He went to the back of the car and retrieved a suitcase.
"Bye Benjamin," Fred cried.
Jason couldn't hold his excitement. He was so excited he thought he would burst with it. He braced and turned to see his lover.
"Hello, Fred," he greeted him with a grin.
Fred froze for just a second but he hastily collected himself and hid the expression on his face.
"Hello, Mr. Sawyer?" he answered back, deliberately becoming stiff and formal.
"Hey, I've got a lot of explaining to do," Jason said, hating himself.
Fred didn't want to create a scene so he took his suitcase and began walking toward his private elevator. Jason went with him and they were so quiet it was like they'd never seen each other before.
When Fred thought Jason wasn't looking, he turned and looked closely at him. Jason looked as devilishly handsome as ever. He wanted nothing more than to be in Jason's arms. As soon as they entered Fred's house, Jason turned to him.
"What do you want?"
"You weren't taking my call," Jason accused.
"Yes...I didn't want to."
"I know you’re angry with me for not telling you the truth about who I truly am."
"It doesn't matter, does it?"
"It does to me. I’m here to seek your forgiveness."
"I have forgiven you." Fred looked indifferent.
"How about we go on a week vacation?" Jason tried one more time.
"I’m leaving for Europe tomorrow."
"I can come with you if you want me to," Jason pleaded.
"Do you love me?" Fred asked.
He had to know. He didn't want to have his heart shattered again. Jason had once said he wanted them to be secret lovers and he was incapable of falling in love.
"Love? What's that?" Jason looked surprised.
"What do you feel for me, Jason?" Fred asked
"I don't know what I feel. All I know is that I never want to let you go. I want us to remain in each other's worlds."
"You still don’t have a place for love in your heart?" he asked again.
"No, love is for fools. You said so yourself," Jason reminded Fred.
Yes, Fred had said that before. After the betrayal from Maurice, he had sworn to never let any man have so much influence over him but then, he met Jason and everything changed.
Ben was right, all he needed was to meet the right person and he would know that love isn't for fools. He was head over heels in love with Jason but Fred was scared of being hurt.
"Yes, you’re right, love is for fools," he lied.
"How long will you be gone?" Jason asked him.
"I’ll be gone for a month." After a thought, Fred added, "What do you intend to do with your life now?"
Jason shrugged. "I don't know. For now, I’m trying to figure out how to live a simple life."
"Have you tried to look for your partner?"
"He appeared a few weeks ago. I seriously don't want to talk about him right now."
The two men stared at each other.
"What do you want to talk about?" Fred asked.
"I want to talk about us."
"There is no us. We agreed to be lovers for five days, after which, we go our separate ways. We did that already. What else do you want?" Fred asked him.
"I want more..."
"I can't give you that."
Jason nodded. He had never had to beg a man in his life. He walked out of the apartment and began walk away when he heard Fred's voice.
"How about I come with you to New York? My tour can wait. After all, I need a vacation."
Jason turned and ran back toward Fred. He was on him, kissing and hugging him.
"That would be great." Jason laughed.
"Yes... afterward, my parents have this cabin in the woods that no one is visiting this summer."
"Really?"
"My sister is vacationing in London. I have a spare key to the cabin."
"That sounds so very great."
Fred laughed and promised himself to make a fool of himself and confess his love for Jason.
Chapter Eleven
"Welcome to my abode," Jason told Fred with a grin.
"It’s beautiful," Fred exclaimed. The apartment was in the heart of town.
"Have you noticed that we have similar taste?" Jason asked him.
The furniture looked so much like Fred's penthouse.
"It’s really beautiful."
Jason prepared dinner of grilled chicken, stir-fried pasta with broccoli and carrots. They ate in silence.
"Have you tho
ught about what I told you?" Fred finally broke the silence.
"What?" Jason raised a brow
"How about you start your own business? Open a restaurant and start your own..."
"I'm not interested."
"Why ever not? You’re a good cook and I'm sure you’ll make an excellent chef."
"I’m not interested."
"What would you say if I sponsor you to go to a culinary school? You were a good businessman; I know you’ll be a great chef."
"You think so?" Jason beamed.
"I know so."
"Fred, I understand that you only want to help me, but the thing is, I don't need your help or anyone else's."
"Is that so?"
"Nothing, I just want to take my time. I’ll get back on my feet in no time."
Fred looked at Jason. A lot of people would have jumped at this opportunity. He thought of Maurice and realized that Maurice and Jason were two different people. Maurice cared for no one but himself. Apart from himself, he worshiped money and material things which were why he had been jumping from one lover to the other since he left him. Jason, on the other hand, was a hustler. Jason had worked hard for his money and had made his first million at the age of twenty-one. He was considered one of the richest men in America but then, things changed for him when his partner went into a bad business deal without telling him. He read from the papers that Jason had to sell some of his houses and personal properties to pay off the loan sharks even after the company was sold off, yet the money wasn't enough to pay off the loan and pay workers the outstanding money owed to them.
Jason was a man of honor and integrity, full of pride and hungry for success.
"What are friends for? You need help. I can help you."
"How would you help me?"
"I have money. A lot of people don’t know it, but I’m a very wealthy man. I make a lot of money from singing, on shows, concerts and being an ambassador for companies. Besides, my songs have sold millions of copies all over the world. If you want, we can buy back your company."
Jason took a sip of his wine. He wasn't interested in buying back his company anymore. He realized that he had lost interest in the business world. What was the use in returning to the cooperate world? To return, smile and dine with the same people that called themselves friends and had turned their backs on him when he needed them most?
No, he was tired. Jason wanted to start something else. He wasn't a complete pauper. He still had enough money to go through culinary school and start his own restaurant. He was just thirty-two and he didn't just want to be a chef, he wanted to venture into event planning and decor.
He was determined to get back on his feet without help, and to show those that had turned their backs on him that he was not just a businessman, he was an achiever.
"Jason, what are you thinking of?" Fred asked, looking strangely at him.
"Nothing important" He smiled.
"How about you think about my offer?"
"I have enough money to get me through culinary school. I don't need your help, Fred,” he said in a do not argue with me tone.
"Oh, that's great"
"Tell me about your childhood," Jason asked. He realized he knew little or nothing about Fred's childhood.
"What do you want to know?"
"Everything," he smiled.
"My mom and dad were high school sweethearts. They got married immediately after high school, against their parents’ wishes."
"Why was that?"
"Technically, my mom got pregnant at the age of eighteen. Her parents kicked her out of the house and she moved in with my dad who had graduated a year earlier. At that time, he was working in the library. His parents were so poor they couldn't afford to send him to college."
"That's too bad," Jason said out loud.
"Yea, but something happened. My mom stood by him and worked two jobs a day. Nine months later, I greeted the world. They were so happy. Although they were poor, they were really in love and happy."
"Wow...I'm jealous of them.”
"You should be. A few years later, Mom got pregnant again and my little sister, Elena greeted the world. Our parents couldn't provide all that we wanted, but then, they were the very best of parents.
After my mom had us, she encouraged Dad to go back to school. He did go back to night school and studied economics. By then, I was eight. I had the best voice in my class and my music teacher once whispered that if I keep it up, I would be a star. She wasn't wrong.
"After school, my father got a job as a school teacher. He managed to build a family cabin and made sure he paid our bills. After high school, I began working and attending evening school. I moved out of my parents’ home."
"What did you study?" Jason was curious.
"I studied theater and performing arts. Then, I realized that I had a passion for music. I met Maurice at school."
Jason observed the change in tone once Maurice's name was called.
"Tell me about him."
"He was my first love. I had just dropped out of college and singing in night clubs. At that time, I was a nobody."
"I'm all ears."
"To me, life revolved around him. I loved him, took him home to see my parents. They took an immediate dislike of him."
"Why is that?" Jason wanted to know.
"My dad said he was materialistic. He saw right through his black and selfish heart but I was adamant. To me, Maurice was so perfect he wouldn't hurt a fly."
"What happened?"
"I continued dating him. We had fun together until I told him it was time to make our relationship known. All hell broke loose. He got so angry he almost went mad."
"Why was he angry?"
"He made it clear he was only dating me for something to do. He couldn't bear to be seen hanging around an unsuccessful man like me. He wanted to be rich and famous and I was just an ordinary singer in night clubs."
"Oh..."
Yes. I begged him to stay, and that night before he walked out on me, he had told me that I was a loser."
Jason chuckled.
"My life was never the same without him. I stopped singing and turned to drinking. To my dad, I was lost, but my mom never gave up on me. She kept praying to God to help heal me. That was when I met Ben. He heard me sing one night at a club and told me how very talented I was.
"What does it matter? I had asked him.”
"If you’ll let me, I’ll make you a star."
"I don't believe you."
"Why not?" he asked.
"I sat down and told him about Maurice. Just then, Maurice walked in with a new, rich boy toy. Ben saw the way my body began to shake."
"Is that your Maurice? he asked me."
"Yes, that's him. The same man who walked out on me a month ago."
Benjamin became instantly angry.
"Why are you angry with me?" I asked him.
"Why shouldn't I be angry with you? Look at him; he’s here because he knew you would be here. He’s here to show off his new lover and make you feel bad. Why don't you prove him wrong?"
"How would I do that?" I asked, looking baffled.
"I like you and I know a good voice and talent when I see one. Let me help you."
"No," I told him.
Before he left, he left his card for me and told me to give him a call when I changed my mind. I saw nothing wrong in that. I shoved the card into my pocket and went back to my small apartment."
"Wow!" Jason was surprised. "What made you change your mind?"
Fred chuckled. "One evening, I was going through my closet and saw that Maurice still left some of his things. There was an album, a basketball shirt and a pair of sneakers. I sat down and cried like a baby."
"That was when I realized it was time I moved on with my life. I threw away anything that would remind him of him. I changed my apartment and got a new place. Then I made the greatest decision that changed my life. I called Benjamin.
Benjamin was happy I called. He set
up a meeting with me and I told him I already wrote a few songs. He was delighted. He encouraged me and coached me. Within a year, my first album was released and it was a success.
I was proud. From then on, I thought of nothing but being successful and becoming a star. After my second album was released, I was already popular. My parents were happy, I had made some money and Ben remained my closet friends. I bought a new house for my parents. It was really cool and two years after Maurice walked out on me to become famous, I was famous and he was still a nobody."
Jason was smiling. Fred was a true definition of a hardworking man who would rise up after every fall.
"I'm proud of you," Jason smiled.
By now, their food had gotten cold. They did the dishes and walked back to the room where they took their bath and lay down to sleep.
There was no need to make love. Being in each other's company was satisfaction enough and Fred slept like a newborn baby for the first time since he found out that Jason was not whom he thought he was.
"I never want to let you go," Jason revealed, kissing Fred on the brow.
Fred smiled sleepily and burrowed closer to Jason. He felt as if he was home.
A few minutes later, Jason heard Fred's even breathing and knew he must have fallen asleep. He smiled contentedly and played with Fred's hair.
"You've been hurt once. I don't ever want to hurt you," he whispered and fell asleep.
Chapter Twelve
Fred was dreaming. In his dream, Jason was kissing him all over his body. The feeling was heavenly and he never wanted him to stop.
"Ah..." he cried, breathing hard.
"Open your eyes." He heard Jason say and Fred snapped his eyes open.
"What the heck..." he began, his eyes were red with sleep and his lips seemed swollen from the kiss.
"You weren't dreaming, man," Jason said.
Jason was lying on him. He had succeeded in unbuttoning Fred's shirt.
"Jason..." he began but Jason immediately placed a finger on Fred's lips.
"Shhh..." he whispered to him.
"What are you doing?" he asked in a confused tone.
"This..." Jason proclaimed and wrapped his hands around Fred's cock."
Fred raised his hips and would have fallen off the bed if Jason had not been on him. With a grin, Jason brought his lips to Fred's right ear. He kissed and kissed every part he could reach. Fred was beside himself with ecstasy and just when he thought he was about to expire, Jason blew soft air into his ear that sent a surge of pleasure over his body. He let out a loud moan.