by K. C. Wells
“Thank you,” he managed to get out, amid thunderous applause.
“Thank you for taking part.” Kirstin’s face glowed. “I thought you were awesome.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Chris announced loudly, quelling the noise, “our models will now get down off the stage, so if you want your picture taken with them, now’s your chance.” He nodded to the other models, who filed off the stage via the steps.
Kirstin smiled. “I’ll be in touch with the contract. Pleased to have you with us.” She followed the models off the stage.
Jase was buzzing. “I can’t believe I won. It must have been really close.”
“It was,” Chris told him. “But you definitely won. I am so proud of you.” To Jase’s surprise, Chris seized him in a tight hug, his cheek pressed against Jase’s.
God, that felt good.
When he released Jase, Chris grinned. “I don’t know about you, but I need a soda.”
Jase groaned. “God, yes. I need to sit down before I fall down. My legs are still shaking.”
Chris sighed. “And for the record? I think you were amazing, dealing with that woman. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did,” Jase countered. “I’m not going to hide. If I did that, then people like her win. And that’s not even an option.” He still couldn’t believe he’d found the nerve to speak out.
“Which is why you are a special man.” Chris gestured to the exit. “Let’s go get that drink.”
Jase nodded, silently crossing his fingers that he’d be able to negotiate the steps without falling on his ass.
I won. I freaking won.
Okay, so it wasn’t as heady as a part in a movie, but it meant work and exposure. Not to mention paying his bills.
Jase had a feeling this high would last a while.
Chapter Eight
CHRIS finished his soda. “Well, I need to go to my room and get a little work done if I’m going to watch the dancing tonight.” His eyes gleamed. “I can’t miss you dancing, now can I?”
Jase was trying not to think about that. When he’d received the email from Nicola, who put together the agenda for the con, asking if he could be one of the dancers, his first reaction was that it sounded like a lot of fun. He and three other models would dance on podiums, wearing jeans or shorts.
Now that he’d seen how many people attended the con, he was having second thoughts. Not to mention the fact that the other models were far more stunning than he was. Then he stopped himself. Hey, I just won, didn’t I?
There was nothing like a little success to banish doubts.
Chris got up. “Want to meet up for dinner?”
Jase nodded. Then a thought struck him. “What are you working on?”
“Oh, just some ideas I’ve been playing around with,” he said lightly. “Not sure if anything will come of it yet, so I’m conducting a little research.”
“Okay, this sounds intriguing.” What made it even more so was the flush that rose up Chris’s neck, staining his cheeks. Definitely intriguing.
“Plus, I have to make sure I’m ready for my panel tomorrow. Are you going to be there?”
“To hear you talk about cover photos? Sure.” Jase chuckled. “I can tell them all what a tyrant you are, contorting me into strange poses.”
Chris laughed. “Yeah, right. See you at dinner.” He gave Jase a flash of a smile before leaving the bar.
Jase watched him go. He’d gotten to know more about Chris during the past three days, and what he’d learned only spurred him on to learn more. He liked Chris’s sense of humor, his genuine warmth and compassion for others, and his obvious talent. What he’d never seen until this trip, however, was that Chris was a sensual person. Every new thing Jase learned about him only made him want Chris more.
“You look like you’re deep in thought.”
Jase jerked out of his reverie to find Victoria standing by his table, smiling at him, a glass in her hand. “Hey. Sorry, I didn’t know you were there.”
She chuckled. “Hardly surprising. You were on another planet, by the look of you.” Victoria peered in the direction Chris had taken. “Who was that, by the way?”
“My photographer, Chris Tyler.”
Her eyes lit up. “That was Chris? I’ll have to say hi to him when I get the chance. I love his photos.”
“He’s amazingly talented. I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for him.” He gestured to the empty seat beside him. “Do you want to join me?”
“I’d love to.” Victoria took a seat. “I think it’s great you two can balance work and a personal life. Though that explains why he takes such phenomenal photos of you. He’s obviously seeing you in a different light.” She let out a sigh. “I think that’s wonderful.”
For a moment Jase was lost for words. Then he found his voice. “You think we’re a couple?”
She nodded, but then her smile faltered. “Wait—you’re not? But I thought….”
“What gave you that idea?” Jase replayed his words in his head. He’d said nothing that could have given her that impression.
“I saw the way you looked at him as he was leaving. I thought it was adorable. You looked like you couldn’t bear to be parted from him.” Victoria paled. “Oh God. I’ve got this completely wrong, haven’t I? I’m so sorry.”
Jase didn’t know how to respond. What shocked him most was the nakedness of his feelings for Chris. If Victoria could see that much….
She regarded him closely. “Oh. Oh my. I’ve just worked it out.” Victoria lowered her voice. “He doesn’t know, does he? He doesn’t know how you feel about him.”
Jase gaped at her. “How? How can you glean all this from one glance?”
Victoria chuckled. “Sweetheart, what do I do for a living? I write romance. I write about the kind of looks you gave Chris. I see those looks in my head when I’m banging away at my keyboard.”
Jase stared into his soda. “I’ve been attracted to him for the longest time, but this week…. It’s like I’ve seen him for the first time. I’ve gotten to know him much better, and that just makes things worse. Because now I really want him—I mean, I want to—”
“Relax,” Victoria said with a smile. “I know what you want. My question is, why aren’t you doing something to get it?” She shook her head. “Listen to me. You’d think I was talking to one of my girlfriends instead of someone I’d only just met.”
“Yet it feels right, doesn’t it? Like we’ve known each other for years?” Jase couldn’t explain the feeling either. He only knew he was comfortable with her.
“Yes,” she said triumphantly. “That’s it. You know how there are some people you just click with?” She leaned back in her seat. “So tell me, new BFF… why doesn’t Chris know how you feel about him?”
“Because I like things the way they are.”
She frowned. “No, you don’t. You want him. You said so. And there’s nothing wrong with that.” Her eyes widened. “Oh my God. He’s straight, isn’t he? I never thought of that. I just assumed—”
“He’s not straight,” Jase interjected. “But… I’m scared.”
Victoria regarded him with kind eyes. “Of what?”
“Screwing things up. Rejection.” Outcomes that Jase didn’t want to entertain.
She took a drink from her glass. “Okay, I get the rejection part. We’re all scared of that when we contemplate asking someone out. But there’s always the possibility that he might say yes, right? You’ll never know unless you ask.” Victoria’s brow furrowed. “I don’t get the screwing-it-up part, though.”
“What if we date and it doesn’t work out? What if it’s a disaster? This is someone I work with, remember? Right now we have a fantastic working relationship. I don’t want to risk that. I don’t want to find myself looking for another photographer, not when I’ve found one like him.” He sighed. “And this assumes he’d want to date me in the first place. Because it sounds really arrogant to assume that.”
; Victoria smiled. “Sweetheart, any gay man in his right mind would give anything to date you. You’re a beautiful man, you’re sensitive, you’re caring…. Who wouldn’t want someone like that?”
Jase laughed weakly. “You make it sound so simple.”
“That’s because it is simple,” she retorted, her eyes shining. “You’ve only made it complicated because you’ve allowed fear to get the better of you.” She took another drink, then set down her glass. “You have the perfect opportunity right under your nose. You’re both here, you’re spending a lot of time together…. Give him the chance to really see you, and not from behind a camera. The way you looked at him just now? Let him see that.” She tilted her head. “He lives in New York, doesn’t he? Same as you? What more could you ask for? He’s right there on your doorstep.”
“And if he says no?” Jase couldn’t bear that.
“He won’t say no,” Victoria stated emphatically. “The man who stared at you as you walked across that stage in your leather pants, boots, and open shirt is not going to say no. And no, I wasn’t imagining things, before you suggest it. I was surprised he managed to speak with his tongue almost reaching the stage.” She grinned. “You have no idea how hot you looked, do you? That guy in the unicorn onesie nailed it. You were Mr. Darcy rising from the lake, and every woman in that room knew it. Trust me—Chris knew it too.” She beamed at him. “Now all you have to do is get him to the point where he wants you as much as you want him.” Her eyes widened. “You’re dancing tonight, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Jase’s head was spinning. Victoria’s words were painting a picture that he wanted with all his heart and soul to be true.
“Is Chris coming too?” When he nodded, her smile broadened. “Perfect. Just make sure that when he’s near, you focus on him. Make your dancing as sexy and sultry as you like. Pull out all the stops.” She chuckled. “Oh God, this is so exciting. He won’t know what hit him.”
“Why are you doing this?” Jase wanted to know. “Why is it so important for this to work?”
Victoria sighed, and her smile faded. “My uncle Ken was gay. We only found out when he was in his sixties, just before he died. He lived his whole life afraid to come out. He never got to date a guy because he was too scared of what people—his family—would say. He never got his Happily Ever After. And everyone deserves a Happily Ever After. Including you.” Tears glistened in her eyes.
He gave her a hug. “It sounds like you loved him very much.”
“I did. I was just so sorry that he waited until it was too late to tell us he was gay. And when he did, he cried at how much love his family showed him. We all sat around his bed in the hospital, listening to him talk, and it was heartbreaking. I know you’re out—hell, you told a packed room!—so it’s not the same thing. But you’re letting your fears get in the way of your happiness. And it is yours—you just have to reach out and grab it.” Her eyes gleamed. “Grab him, too, while you’re at it.”
Jase laughed. “You and your plans. You’re making me rethink my wardrobe choices for tonight.” He was mentally going over what he’d brought with him.
“What have they said you can wear?”
“Jeans or shorts. We can go bare-chested.”
Victoria’s face was alight. “Have you got a pair of tight shorts? Not so tight that you can’t dance in them, and nothing as slutty as what that model wore this afternoon.” She shook her head. “His ass was virtually hanging out of them.”
Jase thought quickly. “I’ve got a pair of spandex shorts that come down to midthigh. In silver. Can’t think why I brought them, to be honest.”
Victoria rubbed her hands together. “That’s it! Wear those.”
Jase wasn’t so sure. “They’re very… tight. Put it this way, if I get turned on, everyone in the room will know about it.”
“Better and better. And don’t worry. The lights won’t be that bright in there. I think it’s disco lighting tonight. You know, all strobes and glitter balls.”
“Can we not mention balls, please?” He snickered. “If I get into trouble, I’m blaming you.”
“Do it,” she replied with a grin. “I’ll tell them it was my idea. They won’t say a word after that, trust me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Victoria leaned in close. “Sweetheart, I’m one of the biggest sponsors of this shindig. Do you really think they’re going to complain?”
Jase laughed. “Wow. Talk about friends in high places. I had no idea my new BFF was so influential.” He relaxed into his chair. “Can we change the subject?”
She gave him a hard stare. “Yes, but that doesn’t change our plans. Okay?”
“Okay,” he said. Jase knew when he was licked.
“Now, let me get us some fresh drinks. Then you can tell me what you’ve been getting up to. The last time we chatted online, you were talking about an audition that was coming up. I want to hear all about it.” She signaled for a server.
Jase didn’t want to think about that. There had been no news from Juliet, and he’d resisted the urge to call her.
No news is good news was a pile of crap as far as Jase was concerned.
Chapter Nine
CHRIS closed his laptop, then glanced at his phone. Jase would be knocking on his door in about ten minutes, ready for dinner. Not that he had any clue what dinner would be. One of the sponsors was providing it, and the theme was the seventies. Apparently she’d written a popular romantic suspense series set in that era, and everyone was to show up in costume. The entertainment after dinner was to be a disco.
Chris had gone to a vintage clothing shop and come away with a pair of bell-bottom jeans and a tight-fitting black satin shirt with lace ruffles at the cuffs. He suspected the best outfits of the evening would be the women’s; there was so much to choose from in the way of fashion.
He stripped off his jeans and shirt and headed for the shower, aiming to make it quick. As he stood under the torrent of hot water, his thoughts went to Shane’s proposal.
How hard can it be to come up with a great pitch?
Chris had spent the last hour coming up with and then dismissing themes for an exhibition. It had to be something special, something… extraordinary to grab the guests’ attention, but so far? Zilch. He’d decided against landscapes because he couldn’t figure out a unique angle, and besides, he worked better with people. So maybe I should be thinking along those lines.
What he needed was inspiration.
His shower over, he had a quick rubdown with a towel before wrapping it around his waist. His hair only needed a brisk once-over with a towel to be virtually dry. As he reached for his outfit, a knock sounded at the door.
Smiling, Chris opened it. “You’re early,” he told Jase as he stepped into the room. He looked Jase up and down. “That’s what you’re dancing in?”
Jase rolled his eyes. “Of course. I always dance in jeans and a tie-dyed shirt.” He indicated the bag slung over his shoulder. “My dancing gear is in here.”
Chris bit his lip. “That’s a very small bag.”
Jase grinned. “It’s a very small costume.” His gaze drifted south before snapping up to meet Chris’s. “Nice look. You’ll get comments.”
“Asshole. Take a seat and I’ll be right with you.” Chris grabbed his jeans and shirt and headed for the bathroom. Then he thought better of it. He wasn’t some little kid, shy of being seen naked, was he? They were both grown men, for God’s sake. He placed the jeans on the bed, removed the towel, and slipped his arms into the silky smooth fabric that felt cool against his skin.
“Asshole?” Jase’s voice cracked, possibly with indignation. Chris had his back to Jase as he buttoned up the shirt. “I see. We’ve reached that stage of our relationship.”
Chris chuckled. “It was bound to come sooner or later.” He bent over to grab the jeans, then realized he wasn’t wearing underwear. A wave of boldness washed over him. Fuck it. He picked up the jeans and bent over to put them on, a
ware of the sudden change in Jase’s breathing.
Chris had never behaved in such a blatant manner. He knew exactly what he was doing, and the thought of Jase’s reaction made his heart beat faster. He pulled the jeans up over his hips, squirming into them. The seventies was the era of hip-hugging jeans that were hugely flared at the base.
Thank God some fashions died out.
He adjusted his dick, then pulled up the zipper before turning to face a very quiet Jase. “Well, what do you think?”
Jase bit his lip. “That depends on what you’re asking my opinion of.”
Chris cleared his throat. “The outfit, of course.”
“Oh, of course.” Jase smiled. “It’s very seventies.”
Chris rolled his eyes. “Well, there’s a surprise.” He ran his fingers through his hair, then greeted Jase with a smile. “Ready for dinner?”
The loud rumble of Jase’s stomach was answer enough.
JASE stared at the plate the server placed in front of him. “What’s this?”
Chris stared at him in surprise. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had quiche before.” The three readers who were at their table chuckled.
Jase wrinkled his nose. “What’s quiche?”
“It’s a pastry crust filled with eggs, cream, and a savory filling. You can have bits of ham or asparagus…. This one looks like quiche lorraine. Try it.”
Jase forked off a piece and ate it with obvious caution. Chris had already tried it, and the flavor was rich and delicious. “Well?” Chris demanded.
“This is great.” Jase glanced around the huge ballroom, which was full of circular tables, most of them filled. They’d found an empty table on the outer edge of the room and were soon joined by the others. Music played in the background, and Chris recognized it instantly.