Beautiful Days (Jason Of The Valley Book 5)

by Jason K. Melby

  "Your dad mentioned you came here sometimes and I thought I'd check the place out. I never knew it existed."

  "Now you know. Get out."

  "Are you still being like this?"

  "Yes, and I intend to keep being 'like this' until you get the message that I'm not interested."

  "I'd believe you if I didn't see that fiery lust in your eyes. I've seen it a million times before. You want me."

  "I don't want you."

  "Of course you do. Everyone wants me. I just walked into the place and I've already been given nine phone numbers. Including the two I got from the go-go boys. They want me and here I am offering myself up to you and you still say no."

  "Because you're screwing my father. As long as that's happening, this isn't."

  "So, if I stopped seeing your father, you'd be open?"

  "I don't have time for this. I have thirsty people waiting for me." Mike then pushed past Jeff and went straight to the bar. He ordered the drinks, but he could still feel Jeff's eyes on him from across the room. He couldn't deny there was an attraction, but that was natural. Jeff was physical perfection. He had the body and the face. He also possessed a certain natural charisma that couldn't be ignored. All his instincts screamed for him to give in to the temptation, but every time he considered it, the thought of Jeff and his father together popped up and all his desire turned to disgust. Mike turned as the bartender slid him the tray of shots and he saw that Jeff was gone. He let out a breath of relief and headed back out to the patio, but as he walked out, he saw Jeff at the table. He marched over and put the tray down, but all eyes were on him and Jeff.

  "Hey, Mike, I was just talking with your friends."

  "Please, don't."

  "They're great."

  "I know that. That's why they are my friends. How about you go and find some of your own?"

  "You mean there's no room here for one more?"

  "Not anymore." Matt called out as he approached. David stiffened a bit as he approached.

  "There you are!" Ken said. "You missed the whole show. Jason was actually good at talking to people for once."

  "Really? Wow. Shame to miss that."

  "Matt, you came just in time. Why don't you take a seat right here?" Mike asked as he forced Matt down at the table in order to take up the last space. He looked over at Jeff and he just smiled and retreated back into the bar.

  "Who was that?"

  "That was Jeff."

  "Him? That's the guy who's banging your dad?"

  "Please. Don't. Thinking of those two together makes me want to vomit out a lung. How about we just get this party train back on track. Shots!" Mike barked as he took one of the small glasses. Everyone else took one as well and they held them all up.

  "To tonight. An unqualified success!" They then all clinked and pounded down their shots.

  "So what took you so long getting here, Matt?" Cynthia asked.

  "I've been looking for a place. I'm getting kind of sick of living in a hotel room."

  "You were looking at apartments at this hour?"

  "An old friend of mine had a connection and they could only meet me at night. It was worth it. I think I may take it."

  "That's great! You'll be back home!" Cynthia squealed. Jason looked up at David and his face was just calm.

  "I think I'm going to try and drum up a few more sales. Might as well unload all of these books." Jason then got up and went back to his table.

  Jason sat down and while he had said he was going to try and sell more books, he found he was more interested in watching the scene play out. Matt seemed rather smug and satisfied by telling everyone he was going to be moving back, but David didn't seem as pleased. He smiled and went along with the general feeling, but Jason could see something else rolling around in the back of his head. He wanted to say something to cheer him up, but he wasn't sure if there was anything he could say, or do, to improve his mood.

  The night went on and Jeff kept putting himself up to Mike and Mike kept pushing him away. Cynthia was running high and seemed to keep growing more excitable and Ken just seemed to be glad not to be trapped at home with Adam and the dog. David was getting up and down a lot. It seemed as though he was bored and walking in and out of the bar seemed to be keeping him focused. Jason looked down and he had only one last book to sell. Mike walked up and leaned over the table.

  "About to pack it in?"

  "I was thinking that. I mean, I just have one last book and the crowd seems to be thinning out. David looks like he wants to go as well."

  "Fine, but you are not leaving this place with even a single book," Mike then reached into his pocket and pulled out some money and slapped it down onto the table. "I want my copy."

  "Save your money. I can get you a free copy."

  "No. You're my friend and I want to support you. I want to buy your last book for myself."

  "Fine. Ten bucks."

  "Five. Friend discount." Mike said as he slid a five over to Jason.

  "Fine. Here." Jason slid the last book over to Mike.

  "Not going to sign?"

  "I already did. Open it." Mike opened the book and saw some handwriting under the title.

  "You signed all of these beforehand, didn't you?"

  "So what if I did?"

  "Clever."

  "Can you help me fold up the table?"

  "Don't worry about it. I'll put this all away before I leave here. You just grab your boyfriend and get home."

  "Thanks. For the signing and everything."

  "Just remember me when you're looking for an agent."

  "I will." Jason said and then dashed into the bar. Mike went about folding up the table when suddenly a loud scream split the night. Matt leapt to his feet and ran into the bar where he saw Jason staring into the bathroom. He placed his hand on Jason's shoulder as he fell into tears.

  Part 2

  Chapter 29

  The Walk Of Shame 1

  The morning light filled Jason's eyes as he struggled to open them up. As his vision came into focus, he noticed he was not in familiar surroundings. Startled, he lifted his head up and as he did, pain washed over his whole body. He fell back upon the pillow of the bed he was resting on and he then became aware that he was naked under the sheets. Jason turned his head from right to left hoping something in the room would jog his memory as to what happened the night before, but it was all so alien to him.

  It was clear he was not in his own bedroom and he wasn't in the bedroom of anyone he knew. Very carefully he got up on his elbows and made up his mind that he had to figure out what he had done, but his thoughts were interrupted by yet another startling revelation. He heard the sound of a man snoring just inches away from him. Jason looked over to his right and saw the large, pillowy comforter that rested on the bed was crumpled up, blocking the view of his sleeping partner. Jason began to tremble. It had always been some kind of fantasy to wake up with a handsome stranger, but as it was happening, he was beginning to see the reality was vastly different from the fantasy.

  Jason reached over and gently pulled the comforter away hoping to get a better look but whoever it was had his back to him. He had brown hair and his back looked strong. It was clear it was not Matt, but in that moment Jason would have preferred that to be the case. The mystery man was deep under if his snoring was any indication. Jason lifted the sheets up a bit and saw that he was also naked. Jason's heart began to pound. He was still not remembering anything about the night before.

  Jason slid out of the bed and saw his clothes on the floor. He picked them up as fast and as quietly as he could manage and dressed in the same manner. He couldn't find his shoes so he crept out of the room and followed the hall to what he believed to be the living room. It was a nice apartment. It seemed rather large and it had hard wood floors. The paint on the walls was a little worn, but any imperfections were covered by artwork hung on the walls. Whoever lived there had several framed movie posters fixed to the walls with tasteful museum lighting o
ver each one.

  Jason walked into the next room where he saw a large, black futon couch set up by a large bay window that looked out onto the street outside. Jason saw his shoes a few feet away and he dove for them. He sat down to slip them on and as he did, he peered over his shoulder and while he couldn't see exactly which street he was on, he could tell he wasn't anywhere near home. He spun around and got a better look and he could tell he was somewhere in West Hollywood.

  "Morning, sweety cheeks." An unfamiliar voice said. Jason turned and saw his bed mate standing by the hall wearing only a sheer bed sheet draped over his shoulder. He had a thick, flabby build and his eyes were beady and seemed to reflect some kind of instability. He smiled at Jason with a sickening, leering smile that made Jason feel cheap and completely lost.

  "Morning."

  "Getting dressed already? I thought we could have breakfast; in bed."

  "Thanks, but I really should get going."

  "What's the rush? It's a lovely morning and maybe after we eat, we can work off our meal." He padded over to Jason and tried to wrap his arm around him, but Jason slipped away.

  "I really do need to go."

  "Seriously? You're going to be a tease like last night?"

  "Last night?"

  "Yeah. You came into the bar,"

  "What bar?"

  "You know what bar. You were there."

  "I don't remember. What bar?"

  "Trunks."

  "What was I doing at Trunks?"

  "How the Hell should I know? All I do know is you came up to me, asked for a drink and then after I got it, we made out until you begged me to take you back to my place. Which I did."

  "We made out?"

  "Yes, and I must say, you are one Hell of a kisser."

  "And we came back here?"

  "As quick as I could drive."

  "You drove? Then where's my car?"

  "I have no idea. I saw you come up to the bar in a cab. You didn't look like you were in any state to drive anyway." Jason felt his stomach lurch as the stranger continued to explain the events of the previous night. His headache was growing stronger and his vision was getting blurry.

  "What did we do last night when we got here?"

  "Well, we made out some more. You did a little strip tease for me."

  "My clothes were in the bedroom."

  "Uh, yeah, you were stripping me. That was what made it so much more fun."

  "Okay. So we went into the bedroom. Then what?"

  "Then you got naked and we were about to get down to it, but you passed out."

  "I did?"

  "Yeah. I tried to wake you up, but you were like a corpse. I was hoping we could make up for what we missed out on this morning."

  "Oh," Jason said feeing awkward. He looked at the man before him and couldn't imagine why he would have gravitated to him. There was something dirty and unattractive about him in the light of day, but Jason could only assume in whatever state he had been in, he must have looked good for some reason. "I'm not really feeling up for anything like that right now. I think I'm kind of hungover."

  "I have a great cure for that." The man said as he dropped the sheet and slid up to Jason.

  "Really, man. I feel like I'm going to puke."

  "I'm willing to try anything once," Jason felt a pull in his stomach and saliva filled his mouth. He ran toward the hall and at the end he saw what looked like a bathroom. He dashed in and fell before the toilet and heaved like he had never heaved before. When he was done, his throat was on fire and his head was pounding. "Well," Jason looked up and saw his host standing above him. "Now that we have that out of the way; why don't we get back to the bedroom?" Jason looked up and saw the smirk on the man's face and it just made him want to throw up all over again.

  "May I use your phone?"

  "What for?"

  "I need to call a friend to pick me up."

  "You can use the phone after we're done."

  "I just threw up everything I've had to eat in the past week and you still want to have sex?"

  "I take what I can get."

  "Well, you're not getting this. I don't feel up for anything, much less sex with you."

  "Hey!" The man barked. "You came to me! You wanted to come here!"

  "And now I want to leave!"

  "Fine! Then go!"

  "Where's your phone?"

  "Forget the phone! Just get the Hell out! Now!"

  Jason picked himself up and pushed past his angered host and made his way back to the living room and he saw the door to his left. He opened it up and as he stepped through, it was slammed shut.

  Jason walked out to the street and tried to appraise his situation. He had his wallet and keys, but not his phone. It felt like it was still rather early. He looked up the street and he could see cars speeding back and forth a few blocks up. He started up toward the activity hoping he'd be able to find some help.

  He started up the street and it seemed it was then that everyone was getting up and walking out to greet the day. It looked as though most of the people on the block were gay. Most of the guys he saw set off his gaydar and a few of the women as well. Most of them just ignored him as he expected them to, but a few seemed to catch him with their eyes and he could feel their judgment. He realized that for all they knew he was just a random stranger walking down the street, but given the reputation of the neighborhood, it was also just as likely that they knew he was making his walk of shame. He looked down and while no one would know he was still wearing his clothes from the other day, but given how wrinkled they were, it was a safe bet that they knew. He then caught his reflection in the rearview mirror of a car that was parked nearby. It was only a momentary glance, but it was enough to see there was something wrong with his hair. He ran over to the mirror and stooped down to get a better look and he saw right away that a large tuft of hair was jutting out from the side of his head and the rest of his hair was looking rather unruly as well. Obvious bed head. He tried to comb out his hair with his fingers but it was no use. After repeated attempts, he decided it was a losing battle and decided to face the world as he was.

  Jason finally made it to the main street and discovered he was on Santa Monica Boulevard. There were even more people walking about and most of them also gave him strange looks as they passed by. Jason turned and saw a small clothing store nearby and he ran in. It was a sparsely decorated shop and it looked that they sold mostly cutting edge club wear. They had an extensive array of G-strings and thongs hung up along the wall and the only employee present was a thin young man with unnaturally blonde hair. He had a well-toned physique which was easily seen through his sheer tank top. His head turned toward Jason and an ironic smirk formed across his lips.

  "Good morning. Can I help you?" He asked.

  "Do you have a phone?" Jason asked. The young man's smirk grew wider. It was clear Jason wasn't the first to wander into the store after a night of misguided passion.

  "Local call?"

  "Local enough. May I borrow it?"

  "Fine. Might as well. Dead in here." Jason ran over to the counter and the clerk slid the phone toward him. Jason picked up the receiver and looked down at the keypad. He was about to punch in a number when he realized he didn't know anyone's numbers. He reached for his wallet and opened it up. He had no cash and he wasn't totally sure how much he had on his debit card either. He then realized there was one number he knew by heart. He took a breath and punched in the number and held his breath as it rang. After what seemed like an eternity a voice answered.

  "Hi, Matt. It's me. I need some help."

  Chapter 30

  The Walk Of Shame 2

  Mike woke up with a start and as he let down his arm, he felt the smooth sensation of someone else in his bed. He thought for a moment and recalled that he had not gone home alone the night before. He looked over just as Jeff was waking up.

  "Morning." Jeff said with a satisfied smile.

  "Don't look so pleased with yourself."


  "Oh, come on. Don't ruin the moment. You fought me so much, but you liked it, didn't you?"

  "It was okay." Jeff pushed the sheets off, exposing his perfectly toned naked body, and flipped up onto his knees, pinning Mike down.

  "That was the best sex of your life and you know it."

  "It was up there."

  "Do you see what your father sees now?" Mike then pulled free from Jeff's grip and slid away.

  "Please! If you don't want to ruin the moment, don't bring that up now."

  "I don't see what the big deal is. Your father and I fuck and now you and I fuck. What's so weird about that?"

  "I guess I just never envisioned my father and me sharing a sex partner. It feels a little close to incest."

  "And the thought of a father and son getting it on doesn't turn you on in the least?" Mike got up off the bed and turned to Jeff and shot him a disgusted look.

  "No. No, it doesn't. You may be hot, but you are one twisted ticket."

  "So, what does this mean?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Are we friends now? Or more?"

  "I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I was thinking giving into you like I did last night. I mean, the whole thing with my Dad was creeping me out, but you are so damn hot. I guess I knew it was only a matter of time before I caved." Jeff then rolled off the bed and grabbed Mike from behind.

  "You just came to your senses. You need some water?"

  "No, I'm fine. Thanks."

  "Really?"

  "Yes."

  "No headache?"

  "I didn't have that much to drink. Honestly, after what happened with Jason, I lost most of my buzz." Mike then pulled away from Jeff's embrace.

  "So, you're totally fine? No hangover? Nothing?"

  "No. Would it make you feel better if I were sick?"

  "No, no. I just want to make sure you feel good."

  "Well, I feel fine."

  "Good. Now, how about I fix you some breakfast?"

  "You cook?"

  "Nothing fancy. Scrambled eggs, but if you like, you can eat them off my ass." Jeff then turned to display his shapely curves and despite the fact Mike hated to mix food and sex together, there was a part of him tempted to take his offer, but he thought better of it.