Live Fantasies

by A R Steele

  “I sure am,” said the first girl. “The guys here are so hot!”

  “The one on the stage is amazing,” said the second girl, gesturing at Owen.

  “No, the one over at that table is the best-looking,” said the third. She pointed at Jesse.

  Shade licked his lips silently. He would have to agree.

  “Not that there’s anything wrong with you,” the first girl said to Shade. “You look unbelievable. I love a man with a goatee. And then your smile, wow.”

  That made Shade smile even more. He’d never gotten so many compliments from women before he’d come here. He didn’t have trouble with them, but this had definitely been good for his ego. Girls here were more enthusiastic than anywhere else.

  “And what about you?” he said to the fourth girl, trying not to let the attention go to his head. “What do you think of the guys?”

  “Who, me?” the fourth girl said. “I’m actually a lesbian.” She giggled, and her friends laughed along with her.

  “Yeah, we dragged her along for the night,” the friend said. “Poor thing.”

  The lesbian played along with it, pretending to cry. “Poor me! All this male hotness is wasted here. It’s pretty funny that I’m here at all.”

  Shade laughed along, but his amusement was for a different reason. If they only knew!

  At the end of the night, the strippers gathered again in the main room. Pushing the tables together was much faster, and they took the same positions they’d taken the night before. Shade glanced over at Jesse, wondering what he had found out in his “research.”

  Even with every part of him covered, Jesse was disarmingly seductive. Jesse was the kind of guy who probably had a steady stream of women and men throwing themselves at him. His round face and clean-shaven jaw made him look young, but with his don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, Shade didn’t care. He could have used a little of that attitude, himself.

  As Shade leaned forward in his chair, Brentley greeted the group. “Hello, everyone. Before we start, Trenton, could you put out that cigarette?”

  Trenton sighed and stubbed out what he’d been smoking. Shade made a mental note of that. Maybe things really were about to change here.

  Clasping his hands together, Brentley went on. “So, what did you find out? Did you get a lot of customer feedback?”

  “Tons,” Lev said. “The ladies say they want more of me.”

  The other guys rolled their eyes. Lev was always slightly ridiculous, as well as extremely flamboyant. Still, Jesse liked the guy. They’d known each other from the gym, and Lev was the one who told Jesse to apply for this job.

  “I got some good information,” Cooper said. “It seemed that more people are here for fun rather than for sex. They want to be entertained.”

  “Yes, a lot of them are here for special occasions,” Owen put in. “Birthdays, bachelorette parties, and one was celebrating her new job.”

  “That’s good to know,” Trenton said. “Anything else?”

  “The girls liked the idea of different acts,” Jesse said. “I asked them about a few of the options, and that was one of their favorites.”

  Shade nodded, surprised that Jesse had gotten that far.

  “The ones I asked were surprised we aren’t doing it already,” Gabriel said. “It’d be easy to do, too. We’d just have to pick some ideas and come up with outfits. Maybe change up the routines a little.”

  “Okay,” Brentley said. “Is everyone in agreement?”

  Shade glanced around. Since everyone else was nodding, he nodded too. If they had all disagreed with that, he would have disagreed too.

  “So it’s decided,” Brentley said. “Why don’t you guys talk to each other and come up with some acts? Just make sure you don’t repeat any. Can we start doing it by Saturday?”

  “No way, we need more time than that,” Jesse said.

  Shade wondered what he was planning on. His cock jumped a little at the thought. He would have watched Jesse strip anything off his body. He didn’t have any preference for what it was, as long as the end result was the same.

  “Let’s say next Wednesday, then,” Brentley said. “That’ll give you a good week to prepare.”

  “Sounds good,” Ace said. “You guys want to come over? We can talk through some act ideas now.”

  “Sounds good,” Cooper said. The others agreed one by one.

  Shade hardly needed to go to a party to get inspiration.

  This new change was going to be simple for him. He was already playing a role.

  Three

  Jesse grabbed a beer out of Ace and Gabriel’s fridge and brought it over to the couch. He tipped the bottle back and took a long drink. After yet another late night, all of the guys needed to blow off some steam.

  “Where’s Lucas?” Cooper asked, leaning against the wall.

  “I invited him, but he already had plans with Elijah,” Gabriel said.

  Lucas had come out of his shell when he started dating Elijah, and had stayed out after Elijah left the club. He was a pretty decent guy. They made a nice couple, even if Jesse had been doubtful at first.

  Truth be told, Jesse had always thought he and Elijah got along well. He couldn’t count the number of times they’d stood outside smoking and bullshitting. Nothing had happened between them, but sometimes Jesse wondered why not.

  Shade sat down next to Jesse. “So, what’s everybody think about the new stuff happening at the club?” he asked, bright-eyed. He took off his bandana and ran his fingers through his brown hair, mussing it effortlessly.

  “Can’t hurt anything,” Jesse said. “I’m curious about what Trenton said about how he opened the club, though. He did it on a dare?”

  “And did you notice he looked at Austin when he said that?” Gabriel asked.

  Shade’s eyes darted between them. “Well, yeah. Trenton had been talking about opening a club for years, and Austin finally told him to shit or get off the pot. You guys didn’t know that?”

  Jesse’s face heated when Shade’s gaze landed on him. “No. I didn’t know those two went that far back.”

  “Went that far back?” Shade’s laughter pealed. “They’re brothers!”

  Now all the guys stared at him. Cooper was the only one nodding. “I never mentioned that, babe?” he said to Owen. “I know they don’t look much alike.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Jesse drawled. The club owner and the bouncer had roughly nothing in common. He still should have figured out they were related sooner. He’d been here a while longer than Shade, after all – although he didn’t ask nearly as many questions. “Which one’s older?”

  “Trenton’s a few years older,” Shade said. “Seems he used to babysit for Austin.”

  “Hell, I can’t even imagine him as a little kid.”

  Shade gave Jesse a shrug. “Anyway, the act thing. You guys like it?”

  “Could be helpful,” Ace said. “We just have to come up with costumes. But I guess that depends on what we pick for our acts.”

  “I know what you two should be,” Jesse said, gesturing to Ace and Gabriel. “Ace, you should be the devil, and Gabriel, you’re an angel.”

  They both had that kind of vibe to them. Jesse could picture Ace in some devil horns, shirtless with a forked tail coming down off his waist. And as for Gabriel, some white clothes and a fuzzy halo would be the only costume he’d need.

  “I like that idea,” Shade said, glancing over at Jesse.

  Jesse looked away as soon as their eyes met. He liked Shade in general.

  “What about Owen?” Cooper asked. “I’m thinking he should be something pretty fancy.”

  “What, like a vampire?” Lev asked.

  “Bro, a vampire?” Cooper said. “I meant more like something to riff off how that he’s working on his MBA.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good point. What if he dressed up as a businessman?”

  “Owen, what do you think?” Cooper asked, his arm around Owen’s waist.

&nbs
p; “That’s not a bad idea. I already have plenty of suits and a briefcase.”

  “That was an easy one,” Gabriel said. “What about Cooper, then?”

  “He needs to show off how he takes care of everybody,” Lev said. “Maybe he could be a firefighter.”

  Jesse could definitely see Cooper dressing up like that. And women went crazy over firefighters.

  Cooper nodded. “That would work. I’ll check some costume shops and find an outfit.”

  “All right, so we’ve got four. What about me?” Shade asked.

  “You?”

  None of the guys responded immediately. They all stared at Shade with their brows furrowed. From Jesse’s perspective, Shade was a bit of a mystery. He had no idea what type of persona he should take on.

  “Man, I can’t think of anything,” Gabriel said. “What would you want to be if you could choose?”

  “Yeah, why don’t you throw out some ideas and we’ll tell you if they’ll work?”

  “Well,” Shade started, looking uncertain, “I liked the idea of a businessman.”

  Owen shook his head fiercely. “Nope. Can’t have two businessmen. Find your own thing.”

  “All right,” Shade said, more hesitant than Jesse remembered seeing him before. “Maybe a bank robber?”

  “Not sexy,” Cooper said.

  “How about… how about…” He pursed his lips, the worry on his face somehow flattering to him. “A pirate?”

  “Wouldn’t they be kind of evil and dangerous?” Jesse asked.

  “I’m thinking more like the Johnny Depp kind of pirate,” Shade said with a chuckle. “Those are some great movies.”

  The husky sound went directly to Jesse’s groin. “Oh, yeah. I can see that.” Although Shade’s eyes were lighter, he had the actor’s brown hair and trimmed goatee. Jesse cleared his throat. “Why don’t you give us your best ‘arr, matey’?”

  Although Shade looked embarrassed to be put on the spot, he got up and straightened his back, putting in one hand on his hip. “Arr, matey!”

  The others applauded. “That works,” Jesse said. “You make a pretty decent pirate.”

  “I guess I should get a white shirt then,” Shade said. “And an eye patch. Maybe a toy parrot to sit on my shoulder. I already know what song I’m going to dance to – the Tiesto remix of He’s a Pirate from the Dead Man’s Chest soundtrack.”

  “Sounds sexy.”

  A little too sexy, actually. Jesse knew he’d get turned on at the sight of Shade in a half-unbuttoned, flowing white shirt that showed off his tanned chest. The eye patch wouldn’t take anything away from his sexiness, either. Shade would look delicious in anything that he wore. If only he was single.

  In general, Jesse had no problem hitting on whoever he liked. Working at the club had made him more confident than ever when it came to making his intentions known to either men or women. But there were lines that he just wouldn’t cross.

  He didn’t know how serious things were between Shade and his man, but they had been together since Shade had first come to the club. As soon as it ended, he would be on Shade in a millisecond… but not a moment earlier.

  Shade’s cheeks were slightly flushed as he sat down. “And what about Jesse?” he asked.

  “I’m thinking… basketball star?” Ace said.

  “Gangsta?”

  “Sex slave?”

  Jesse frowned at Owen and Gabriel’s simultaneous suggestions. “Shit, why do I have to be a basketball star or a gangsta or a sex slave? This is a race thing now?”

  “Seriously, guys,” Cooper said. “Let him be what he wants.”

  “It’s okay,” Lev said. “I’ll be the sex slave.”

  Jesse took a swig of his beer, which helped him calm down. These little things bothered him sometimes, reminding him that he was the only non-white guy in this group. He played it up for the customers, but when it was him and the guys, it did tend to make him feel left out. Different.

  “Can we talk about something other than work?” he asked. “Did you guys see the game after you got home last night?”

  “But there’s still a lot to talk about,” Shade said. “We have to pick a role for you to play.”

  “It’s okay, I can choose for myself.”

  “We want to help,” Shade said. “Everyone else has picked. You should think of something soon, before it’s too late.”

  “What do you think I should be?” Jesse asked. His tone was probably a little too flirtatious, and he was sitting a little too close to Shade.

  Shade looked back at him, his eyes slightly mischievous. “I would say, well… I don’t know. What about a bad boy?”

  Jesse laughed. “A bad boy?”

  “Yeah, sure. Look at your leather jacket and your whole, you know, attitude.”

  “But that’s just me. I’m not bad.” Jesse looked at the other guys, trying to see what they thought.

  “I like the idea,” Lev said. “You could pass for bad.”

  “Okay,” Jesse said with a shrug. “I won’t even have to change anything. I’ll just go up there and be myself.”

  The debate resolved, they spent the rest of the night talking about sports and things other than work, as Jesse had asked. When Jesse was ready to leave, Shade was right behind him. Jesse glanced at Shade as they got in the elevator. “Heading home too, S?”

  “Yes,” Shade said, fiddling with his phone. “It’s about that time. I’m pretty tired.”

  As they walked outside, Shade stood too close for comfort. Jesse wished he would take a step away. If he couldn’t have Shade, being this near him was torture. At least Jesse was only parked at the side of the road. This conversation wouldn’t have to last long.

  “Same,” Jesse said. “Some long-ass nights lately.”

  “Longer than usual?”

  They reached the car, and Jesse put his hand on the door handle. “No, same as always.” Jesse could have left at this point, but something kept him here.

  Shade looked up from his phone, and his expression made Jesse’s breath catch in his throat.

  “You said you live with your grandparents, right?”

  Jesse was impressed that he remembered that. He didn’t recall mentioning his living situation. “Yeah, and my parents.”

  Shade’s questions seemed to be offhand, but his tone was genuinely curious. “No siblings?”

  “None. You?”

  “I’ve got a sister back in Haberdee.”

  “Nice. You live with your boyfriend?” Jesse asked.

  Shade looked up sharply. “No, we haven’t moved in together yet.”

  “Cool,” Jesse said, wishing he had something more useful to say. He had hoped Shade would say they’d broken up. Of course, that was unrealistic. He should be a better person and not wish break-ups on others.

  “So, where is he? Why haven’t we met him yet?”

  “I’m sure you guys will meet him eventually. He just works a lot. I hardly get to see him myself.”

  “That sucks,” Jesse said, thinking the exact opposite. If Shade saw his man that little, maybe their relationship was weak. He felt guilty for even letting such thoughts cross his mind. “I hope you get to see him soon.”

  “Thanks.” Shade tossed his phone from one hand to the other, then slid it back into his pocket as Jesse watched.

  Jesse opened the door to his car, saying goodbye to Shade. As they parted ways, he stared after him. That guy was as good-looking as any guy he’d seen in his life. He had everything Jesse wanted in a man. The height, the body, and of course, the face. Shade’s light brown hair and goatee were intriguing. His tanned skin got Jesse excited, and thinking about it led him down the path of imagining him without any clothes.

  He opened the car door, jiggling it to get it to open. The Jeep was getting on in years, and it had already been well-loved by the time he had bought it. He looked over at Shade, who was gone, and then glanced at the ground, where a phone in a red case lay. Was that Shade’s phone? He picked i
t up. It definitely looked like the one Shade had just been holding.

  So Shade had forgotten his phone. Jesse touched it gingerly. “Yo, S!” he called after him. “Shade!”

  Shade was nowhere in sight. Even if Jesse were to drive around looking for him, he had little chance of finding him. It would be more efficient to find one of his contacts and ask them to get in touch with him.

  Jesse got in the car. He figured he would look for a number labelled “Mom” or “Home.” The phone was locked when he thumbed it open, though. He couldn’t get inside without a four-digit password.

  A text showed up, though. One that made Jesse stop and stare. On someone else’s phone, he wouldn’t have thought twice. Since it was on Shade’s, it seemed more like a clue.

  As he kicked the car into gear, he reread that text, still perplexed.

  I need an update ASAP.

  Four

  After a full day without his phone, Shade was just about ready to buy a new one. He’d been in denial all day, but it was past seven in the evening and he still couldn’t find it anywhere in his bedroom. His best guess was that it had fallen out of his pocket on the way home after the party. He’d been a tiny bit tipsy.

  Now that he had admitted the loss to himself, he switched his laptop on. Angling it on his tiny desk so the webcam pointed at his face, he opened up a video call to his boss. He half-expected her to not pick up. At this time of night, most people would have already left the office.

  Krista’s irritated face filled his screen a minute later. “Sheldon, what the hell?”

  “Hey, Krista.” It was strange to be called by his real name now. No one had called him Sheldon since the last time they’d spoken.

  “Don’t you ‘hey Krista’ me! I’ve been trying to reach you all day.”

  Although Krista was barely older than Shade, she often took on a motherly tone. Except she was the controlling, angry, toxic kind of mother. The sound of her voice alone made Shade want to reach for his package of Tums.

  “Sorry. I think I lost my phone last night. I’m going to get a new one ASAP.”