by Jerry Cole
“You live here?” he wandered through the entrance way and then took a right into the reading room. It was a small room, but richly decorated. “Here!”
“Did you see me pick the lock?” Sherman wandered in after Bradley, but he was already darting toward the main bathroom and ogling the hot tub.
“You have a hot tub?!”
“Never seen one before?” Sherman called out jokingly. Before he could reach Bradley though, he’d made his way into the living room which was, in Sherman’s opinion, the best room in the house.
“This view!” Bradley exclaimed. The living room had a wrap-around window in place of a wall; the view was of the city skyline less than a block away. When the sun set later, it would light the room up orange and give it the appearance of being on fire.
“Not bad, hey.” Sherman waltzed in behind Bradley and wrapped his arms around his waist. This time though, he proceeded to kiss his boyfriend on the neck. “Feel free to get used to it.”
Bradley moaned as Sherman worked his wet lips up the side of his neck and then started to nibble on his earlobe. “I think I might.”
“I might even let you crash here a couple of nights a week... if you’re good to me.”
“How lucky.” Bradley had his head tilted to the side now, his eyes closed as he relished in Sherman’s kisses.
“You will be.” He had forgotten how good Bradley tasted. He had forgotten how good Bradley felt. He had forgotten the way that Bradley’s entire body shook when he became turned on.
As he continued to kiss and nibble at Bradley’s neck and earlobe, he slipped his hands further around and made for Bradley’s belt buckle. It came undone a moment later. He was about to slip his hand inside his pants too, when Bradley stopped him.
“Do we have time?” It was said in a low growl; Sherman could feel his breath trace across his lips.
“Do we care?” Sherman responded. As he did, he pulled his hand free from Bradley’s grip and tried to dive inside his pants again. This time, Bradley didn’t stop him.
He was hard already, and Sherman gripped his thick cock with one hand and gave it a squeeze. “Christ,” he moaned. His body relaxed and he leaned back, allowing easier access for Sherman to start stroking. “Don’t ever stop.”
“Don’t worry, babe.” With his spare hand, Sherman helped Bradley shuffle out of his pants. “I won’t.”
The sex was... well, it was about as good as Sherman remembered it being, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. He’d spent the past two months building it up in his head, trying to reconstruct what it had been like in Bali all those times. And where he had worried that maybe he’d gone a little too far and built it up too much, he soon realized that he had not. Not one little bit.
He and Bradley made love all afternoon, using the living room as their parlor. For hours it was just them, locked away in that room without a care in the world. No phones. No emails. No nothing. It wasn’t until the sun began to set, when the room began to glow a dull orange, that Sherman realized what time it was.
“Woops!” he yelped and jumped to his feet. “We’ve got to hurry.”
“How come?” Bradley was laying on the rug, completely naked, cock flaccid and laying to the side across his thigh. It had already gotten a workout today and could use the rest.
“Dinner reservations, my sweet.”
“Oooooo, where?” Bradley sat up excitedly.
“Fire Door,” Sherman explained. “There’s usually a six month wait, but I made a few calls.”
“That... that sounds expensive.”
“It is.” Sherman wasn’t paying attention. He had since gotten his phone out and unlocked it with the intent of checking the reservation time. The moment he opened his emails though, he was flooded with hundreds that read ‘Urgent!’
“Babe.” Bradley got to his feet and wrapped himself around Sherman. “I don’t want you paying for everything while I’m - I live here now. I can afford to cover myself.”
“I know, I know,” Sherman waved him down. He wasn’t even half paying attention now. He was scrolling through his emails, becoming more distressed by the second. “But tonight isn’t — it’s different. Your first night in, I want to spoil you, all right. Surely, that’s Okay?” He gave him the puppy dog eyes.
“I guess...” Bradley didn’t look convinced.
“Can we talk about this later? Dinner is in an hour and we both have to get ready – you first,” he ordered. He then pointed toward the bathroom. “Go shower. Now!”
Bradley didn’t argue; he hopped up and hurried toward the shower. On the way, he blew Sherman a kiss, and a second later the bathroom door closed and the sound of water running greeted his ears.
Alone now, Sherman got about doing what he should have done before picking Bradley up... answering those damn emails!
There was a problem. A big problem. A problem that didn’t really have an answer, which was why Sherman hadn’t bothered with any responses as of yet. Covid-19, that pesky little virus that was hanging around at the end of the year and threatening to disrupt the tourism industry, was no longer just a pesky little virus. Since November, it had morphed into a full-blown pandemic with unimaginable consequences.
People all across the globe were getting sick in record numbers. The spread rate was three times that of the common flu, and the death rate was apparently just as bad! Some countries were acting in the extreme, shutting down boarders and locking their citizens inside. Others were taking a cautious approach and waiting to see if it was as bad as some scientists were claiming.
Australia was in the middle somewhere. But as it stood, things got worse by the day and this went double for the tourism industry.
There was a very real chance that international travel might be cancelled for good. Some were saying it would just be weeks. Others were guessing months. No one knew for sure, which only made it all that much worse.
What this meant for DreamLine Travel was beyond comprehensible. If travel did end, even for only a few months, it could bankrupt the company and ruin everyone that worked for it... and that very much included Sherman So he tried not to think about it, and in his responses was as optimistic as possible. He told everyone to remain calm and give it a few more days. Surely, things would start to calm down...
With the sound of Bradley still showering in the background, and more and more emails coming through despite how many responses Sherman sent, he could feel himself getting stressed. There was only one thing he could do.
The last remnants of his cocaine were stuffed in a drawer in the reading room. Sherman hurried to find it... and then he racked the last two lines off the table. Fuck it felt good.
For a moment he just stood there, breathing in through his nostrils, tilting his head back and basking in the glorious feeling of cocaine streaming through his blood. There was nothing like it really and in those few seconds, nothing else mattered.
That was the last of it too. But this was a good thing. The last two months had gotten a little out of hand as far as the drug use had gone. He’d bought off Curly twice more, with both times being as awkward as the first.
But Bradley was here now, so Sherman was done. His love was all that Sherman needed... at least that was what he told himself. He had to.
“Finished!” Bradley called from the bathroom. “You better hurry up! We have a booking!” he then added jokingly.
Sherman wiped at his nose and then made sure to wipe up any remaining evidence of cocaine use. Bradley had no idea and he wanted to keep it this way. If everything went the way he hoped, Bradley would never have to find out.
Dinner that night was as perfect as Sherman had imagined it to be. The restaurant itself was a little hole-in-the-wall kind of spot that specialized in smoked meats and dark liquors; the room was shrouded in darkness, the music was somber, the atmosphere romantic, and the experience divine. They spoke and laughed and joked and flirted the night away.
Sherman had been picturing this entire day in his h
ead for weeks; from the pick-up to the apartment to the dinner. He had worried that like the sex, he had perhaps overplayed it, and created a vision that was impossible to match. But when the night came to an end, he was pleased to see that even his imagination couldn’t do the real thing justice. There was a slight argument when the bill came, as Sherman had to remind Bradley who was paying, but that was literally it. Everything else was... well, it was perfect.
And when the night was done, they retired back to Sherman’s apartment for more drinks, some desert and a lot more sex. He didn’t need cocaine, he didn’t care about the impending doom that was Covid-19. Instead, Sherman lived in the moment and relished how great it was to finally have Bradley here with him in Sydney.
They fell asleep in one another’s arms that night. Sherman was as happy as he’d ever been. Bradley felt at peace. The entire world seemed to stop spinning. Sherman, he knew, had never been happier. Surely, this feeling would go on forever?
Chapter Fifteen
“Say that again.” Bradley’s voice was steady and determined; it was steel and oak, hard and strong.
“What if I do?”
Bradley smirked, like he’d just remembered something funny from earlier. He gave his head a slight shake and then looked the ‘perp’ right in the eyes. “Do you see anyone else here – do you?! This isn't no good cop, bad cop. It’s only bad cop.”
“So?”
Bradley chuckled softly. “So? Say it again and I’ll put your head through the mirror. How’s that for a ‘so’?”
“You’re bluffing.”
Bradley’s smile was sly and cool. He had complete control of this situation and it showed. “Try me.”
“Cut!”
Hearing the word ‘cut’ shouted had Bradley taking a quick step back, giving his head a shake and then breaking into a wide smile; it felt like he hadn’t smiled in days. In order to channel that character, he’d had to descend to a place of darkness and hate and anger that wasn’t him. But that was acting.
“Well done.” The casting director clapped enthusiastically as she approached Bradley. “That was really something.”
“Thanks.” Bradley held his hand out to shake, and the casting director took it in her own. “That felt good – really good.”
“You did good,” she assured him. She gripped his single hand with both of her own as she shook it. “Very well done.”
Sitting across the room were three other people, watching the performance. One was the director, while the other two were producers. They hadn’t spoken a word since Bradley had walked into the small audition room, and even now they were silent. They had their heads together, whispering among one another. They were speaking about Bradley too and his performance. He would have given his left foot to know what they were saying.
“So, what now?” Bradley asked. The audition was over, and he was the last of the day. Already, the cameraman was shutting down his equipment and packing up.
“We’ll contact your agent and let them know what the next step is,” the casting director explained as she led him toward the door. “Should be in the next week, I’d say. I know they want to get this thing off the ground quick.”
At the door, Bradley was about to get the heck out of there before he did or said anything that might ruin his chances. But he had one more question he needed to ask. “Can I just... there’s one more thing.”
“Shoot.”
“Covid,” Bradley started cautiously. Some people hated speaking about Covid, especially in the film community. So, Bradley was always careful to bring it up. “What’s the... will it affect production? Assuming this whole lockdown thing —”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” she assured him pleasantly. “If it happens it happens. I know the network is giving this show 100% of its support so even if we have to halt production a little while... it will go ahead. I assure you of that.” She then gave him a pat on the arm as if to calm his nerves.
“Awesome,” Bradley smiled. That was a huge relief to hear. “Thanks.”
“You did good, today,” the casting director said again. She then led him through the door and indicated across the room to the exit. “I’m sure you’ll be hearing from us.”
Bradley left that audition with a kick to his step. Indeed, if it wouldn’t have looked so odd, he might have danced on down the street and all the way home. He had nailed it! And not just nailed it, but fucking killed it! He knew he had in the moment, and the words of affirmation afterwards only confirmed the fact. Bradley didn’t want to get too ahead of himself here... but he was pretty sure he’d just booked himself his first ever lead role in a TV show.
The move to Sydney was a good idea, and there was almost no denying that now.
On the job front, the original reason for the move, dividends were already being made. It had only been three weeks and already Bradley had booked more consistent work than he ever had in Melbourne. Most of this work was just commercials, but there were a few TV auditions in there too. The majority had been duds, roles that just weren’t suited to Bradley... with the noticeable exception of the one he’d just had.
It had come from nowhere too. Just this morning, Bradley had woken up wondering what his next audition was going to be, and when. With Covid on the rise and the threat of nationwide lockdowns looming, he assumed it might be a few months now. Surely, all production would be shutting down for a couple of months or longer? Turns out that wasn’t the case.
His agent called him at 9:17am. He had gotten a last-minute call-up for an audition happening at 11am. The show was called 'Firing Day' and it was about a cop who uses his last day on the force –- after being fired for assault and battery against a suspect – to hunt down a serial killer in the midst of a killing spree. As the cop has nothing to lose, he’s willing to bend the law, and break it, if it means stopping the killer before it’s too late.
Bradley’s audition was for the role of the cop, one that he knew he was perfect for. He’d only had an hour or so to prepare for the audition, but it didn’t matter. The moment he read the part, he knew it was for him and that confidence came through in the reading.
So, work was going well. And so was his relationship with Sherman, the other reason he made the move to Sydney. For three weeks now the two men had lived in the same city, going from ‘long distance’ to ‘up close and personal,’ and truly, even if Bradley hadn’t managed to get the work he had hoped, he still would have been grateful for the move.
They spent nearly every day together in some form or another. During the week, when Sherman had work, Bradley would spend the days either auditioning or training or going to classes. But then every night without fail he was at Sherman’s, treating the apartment like it was his own. And on weekends too, he was with Sherman from Friday night through to Monday morning.
And it wasn’t just like he was crashing there either. Half his clothes were at Sherman’s place now; in the cupboards and wardrobes too, where Sherman had made space for them. It had been Sherman’s suggestion that he move his clothes in, seeing as he was there so often anyhow. The only caveat, and this was Bradley’s demand, was that some clothes remain at his own apartment in a sort of symbolic gesture to his independence. It was dumb, but it was something that he needed.
Even now, Bradley was only stopping off at his house to change out of his clothes and grab a few things before heading to Sherman’s. Sherman was at work at the moment and would be for another six hours, but that didn’t matter. Bradley had the keys to Sherman’s apartment, Sherman wanted him there anyhow, and the apartment was nicer than Bradley’s. So why not spend more time there?
Oh... and he also really liked Sherman too. So that helped.
Bradley was in a good mood when he arrived at Sherman’s apartment. Better than a good mood! Seriously, he felt like he could fly. It was because of this good mood that he decided today he was going to clean Sherman’s apartment and make dinner for the two.
Yes, Bradley was going to cook and clea
n. A lot had changed for Bradley in the last few months, more than just moving cities and getting actual work. Living by himself in Melbourne had forced him to learn the basics of survival, which he had now mastered. In fact, he actually enjoyed cooking, as hard as he found it to believe. He had a few dishes under his belt and was always looking to add to them. Also, with Sherman being such a useless cook and with the maid having to be let go because of Covid, it gave Bradley even more chances to expand his repertoire.
Bradley never got the chance to start cooking, or cleaning for that matter. No sooner had he opened the apartment door could he hear Sherman rustling around inside. His boyfriend, his partner, the love of his life, was home early.
“Sherman?!” Bradley called out as he walked inside.
“Shit.” Bradley heard a quick shuffling and the hasty closing of a cupboard drawer. It was coming from the reading room.
“Where are you?!” Bradley called, even though he knew exactly where he was.
“The kitchen!” Bradley could hear Sherman hurry from the reading room and into the kitchen.
Bradley rolled his eyes while taking a few calming breaths. He knew exactly what Sherman had been doing in the reading room, and it sure as heck wasn’t reading...
Cocaine. Sherman’s addiction had been getting worse and worse over the past few weeks. At first, he had hidden it reasonably well, and had only done it every so often anyhow, usually when they were drunk. But that was then and this is now. In the middle of the day? In the middle of the week? Bradley didn’t begrudge him his little addiction... he just really, really hoped that Sherman hadn’t come home for that reason alone. That would have been a bridge too far.
But Bradley’s mood was too good today to risk ruining it with a fight. So, when he walked into the kitchen to find Sherman pretending to be looking through the fridge for food – while his leg literally shook from the adrenaline – he decided to ignore it and pretend he knew nothing.