Vodka & Handcuffs

by Brandon Witt

  “I don’t know what’s in that stuff, and I’m sure it can’t be good for you, but it’s a lifesaver. Almost all the red is gone.” He glanced back at Cody, feeling like he was acting like a diva by asking for so many favors. “I know you’ve got tables waiting, but may I steal you for another minute? If you can get my eyelash on, I’ll owe you forever. I can just see stabbing myself and starting this whole thing over.”

  Cody swiped at his bangs again and looked nervous. “Uhm, sure. I can try. And, I’m not working, so it’s okay. Darwin and I came here to have dinner and to watch you. We’re going to a late movie later.”

  That made him feel more like a diva, and not the good kind. “You’re here on a date? That’s even worse. I’m sorry, sweetie. Get back out there to your man.”

  Cody let out one of his gentle, self-conscious laughs. “Darwin’s fine. He’s probably gossiping with Pat or something. And besides, we’ve been together almost a year. I think our relationship can handle a few minutes on our own during a date without crumbling.”

  Zachary reached out and squeezed Cody’s hand, love washing over him. He’d only known Cody a bit longer than Darwin, but he couldn’t help but see himself in Cody. They were both smaller, timid, and a bit effeminate. Well, Cody was a bit effeminate. Zachary was more than a bit. “I’m so happy for you, Cody. I really think Darwin is the one for you. Like the One.”

  A flush spread over Cody’s cheeks. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure of that too.” He fumbled with his hands, then reached for the lash that had been abandoned on the vanity. “Here, let’s do this.” He pulled at the feathery black strip, but it stayed right where it was.

  “Shit.” Zachary was glad ManDonna couldn’t see him right now. His drag mother would never let this go. Stabbing himself in the eye and gluing the lash to the tabletop. Then another thought caused him to groan. “I don’t have a replacement for that one. The others in my bag don’t match. We’ll have to do them both.”

  “Oh, no. That doubles the chances that I’ll glue your eyes shut or something.”

  Zachary laughed. “No, you won’t. Putting them on someone else is easy. I just hate doing it to myself.”

  “Want a third shot?”

  The thought was tempting. He was always nervous performing on his own. Not like he used to be, but still. However, he was already feeling the effects of the first two. A third, and who knew what he’d do on stage. Becoming Ariel Merman made him more a flirt than he would ever be in real life. A third shot might make her give some poor straight guy in the restaurant a lap dance, a real one, while his wife sat across the table. “Um, no. Another drink might cause havoc.”

  EACH TIME she stepped onto the performance area of Hamburger Mary’s, Ariel Merman took more and more control of Zachary. Despite the eyelash debacle and the late start, the night’s performance was no different than normal. Though it may have been aided by the second birthday cake shot.

  Actually, no, that wasn’t right. Ariel didn’t take control of Zachary. She set him free.

  With his slim build and soft features, even at twenty-seven, Zachary looked more like a boy than a man. He was about as far from the cliché gay ideal as he could be, though he fit the twink stereotype perfectly. But even then, the guys who were into twinks found him to be too effeminate. Too gay.

  The same features that left him feeling inadequate as a man made Ariel Merman the queen she was. In full drag, there wasn’t one person who would guess Zachary was beneath the makeup, padding, dress, and long blonde wig. Though new to the scene, Ariel had already become known as one of the fishiest drag queens in Denver.

  Each time she performed, her confidence grew, as did her daring. She was beautiful and perfect. And everything Zachary was not. Within the distance of applying the finishing touches in front of a mirror, exiting the dressing room, and entering the bright, colorful dining room of Mary’s to the cheers and catcalls of the crowd, Ariel’s light chased away each of Zachary’s shadows. Hardly any darkness of insecurity remained. Each step and hand gesture was effortlessly fluid and full of grace. Not an ounce of loneliness cut through her as she basked in the applause and laughter. She was witty, sexy, and aggressive. She wiped away Zachary’s timidity. She lacked his past and current hurts, worries, and fears. And while she was there, even the loss of Zachary’s parents couldn’t cut through. She was new, shiny, and blemish-free.

  The first beats of the old-school Christina song, “Dirty,” thumped through the speakers, and Ariel made her way through the tables, mouthing the words, seducing every man and woman with her green eyes, running silver-coated nails over bulging muscles and potbellies alike. Allowing Zachary to be free and to breathe.

  More from Brandon Witt

  A Mary’s Boys Novella

  Darwin Michaels is living his dreams in the Mile High City. While Denver offers the perfect job, scrumptious dining, and whirlwind dating options, Darwin is losing hope he’ll find the right man to spark his interest for more than a one-night stand—until he sets eyes on Cody Russell.

  Cody has just accomplished his life’s goal—get the hell out of Kansas. In one fell swoop, he lands a job at Hamburger Mary’s and gets a newfound family and the chance to be with other gay people! All that’s missing is someone special. But when Darwin shows his interest, Cody is sure it’s too good to be true. After all, what can Darwin possibly see in the high school dropout serving him nachos?

  As Darwin falls in love, Cody struggles to realize his worth. When his past threatens the fragile life he is building, Cody spirals into a moment of dark desperation. But Darwin is determined to show Cody that love and family and home are there for him… will Cody accept what is offered?

  Kevin Bivanti’s dream is to open a wedding dress shop, a place with the stunning gowns to make every bride-to-be feel adored. At thirty-eight, he quits a successful advertising career to buy an old brownstone in a trendy Boston neighborhood and to make his dream a reality. When one of his cosigners drops out, fate intervenes, ushering in Casper James, who hopes to open his own bakery. With Casper willing to take the risk, their ambitions meld into a wedding dress and wedding cake boutique.

  Extensive renovations to the brownstone, an affair with his ex-husband, family drama with his mothers, and the anxiety of significant life changes push Kevin to the brink of a nervous breakdown. In the midst of stress and uncertainty, Casper becomes more than a business partner, a mutual attraction that adds another layer of intensity and risk.

  With their dreams on the verge of reality, Kevin and Casper must find the courage to face the stress of managing their attraction, the gamble of a new business venture, and the resurgence of Kevin’s personal demons.

  Happily ever after has no map, but sometimes fate sends a guiding light.

  Gabe Rice, a seasonal ranger at the Rocky Mountain National Park, can’t seem to get his life on the right trail. He loves the rugged beauty of the land, and there is no place he would rather live than the mountain community of Estes Park. But after six years, Gabe is beginning to wonder if he’ll ever get a full-time position or find love. When Gabe sees Luis—and hears his gorgeous singing—he’s compelled to meet him.

  Luis Martinez, the new owner of a hotel and steak ride business in Estes, left California and a career as a therapist for a fresh start in Colorado. But even the beauty of the mountains can’t help him forget the past or move forward. Unprepared for his strong attraction to Gabe, Luis is ready to run and hide from emotions he never thought he’d have again.

  Suddenly the path ahead opens to a future that looks brighter for both of them, if they can find the courage to walk forward—together.

  Randall Morgan, youngest son of one of Seattle’s wealthiest families, rejected his family’s money to live free of their control and pursue his career as a photographer. To make ends meet, Randall does erotic photography and massage—a secret he keeps from his family so he can remain a part of his young niece’s life. But the price of that relationship is high, and Randall is once more sli
pping under his family’s thumb.

  Noah Carroll is the spokesperson for the Seattle Humane Society, and the city holds a special place in his heart. When fate intervenes during a pet adoption, Noah finds himself face-to-face with his first love—Randall.

  While Noah and Randall are not the teenagers they once were, the flame of a first kiss long ago draws them together. Their romance is beginning to grow, but someone is out to destroy Randall and expose all he keeps hidden.

  When secrets and rumors thrust Randall into the public eye, his relationship with Noah isn’t the only thing that comes under threat.

  More than a decade after leaving Colorado to attend college and escape his past, Isaiah Greene moves back and builds a life in Denver as a special education teacher. When he meets Ben Woods, the mentor of one of his students, the attraction is immediate. The revelations that they’ve both suffered traumatic childhoods form a bond between them.

  Raised by an abusive grandmother, Ben is a recovering addict who has made a family with his construction worker boss, Hershel, and Hershel’s husband, Daniel—drag queen ManDonna. Adding Isaiah to his life gives Ben a glimpse of a future he’d never dreamed possible for himself.

  Both Isaiah and Ben are survivors, but when guilt drives a wedge between them, the past threatens to end their relationship.

  Ben and Isaiah embark on journeys of self-discovery. Though their path will be difficult at times, humor and love find a way to bring light to the darkness.

  BRANDON WITT’s outlook on life is greatly impacted by his first eighteen years of growing up gay in a small town in the Ozarks, as well as fifteen years as a counselor and special education teacher for students with severe emotional disabilities. Add to that his obsession with corgis and mermaids, then factor in an unhealthy love affair with cheeseburgers, and you realize that with all those issues, he’s got plenty to write about…

  Website: www.brandonwitt.com

  Author Facebook page: www.facebook.com/brandon.witt.author

  Twitter: @wittauthor

  YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCO5cFqYKyNyDCxExAonFPRA

  By Brandon Witt

  Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce

  Grand Adventure (Dreamspinner Anthology)

  The Imperfection of Swans

  Mapping the Forest

  Shifting Silver

  Son of Money

  Teddy Bears

  Then the Stars Fall

  Under a Sky of Ash

  MARY’S BOYS

  Nachos & Hash

  Vodka & Handcuffs

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Vodka & Handcuffs

  © 2017 Brandon Witt.

  Cover Art

  © 2017 AngstyG.

  www.angstyg.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  Header Art

  © 2017 Catherine Dair.

  Author Photograph

  © 2017 Stephen Schoen.

  Pat Mackley Photo

  © 2017 Pat Mackley

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-63533-433-3

  Published April 2017

  v. 1.0

  Printed in the United States of America