by Willa Okati
“Oh, come on!” David elbowed backward. “I didn’t figure you for the superstitious type.” He turned to look at Jory. “Are you serious?”
Jory looked serious. “No.” He moved in to kiss David’s temple, then ruffled his fingers through the longish hairs curling down over his neck. “Go on, babe. Even if there’s a boggart in there, I think we can take him. You and me, together. We’re a team, right?” He reached for David’s hand and pressed down on it. “Open the trunk.”
David examined Jory’s face for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. He still wasn’t sure what was going on behind those hazel eyes, but he had to trust that what he’d found with Jory was good. This just happened to be a speed bump in the road. They’d get past it.
He lowered the key to the polished lock on the trunk. “It might not work,” he offered. Jory made a noncommittal noise. All the same, his grip tightened as David carefully inserted the key.
It fit.
Taking a deep breath, David turned the thing ... then whooped with delighted laughter as the tumblers clicked. He pumped one fist in the air. “It worked! How cool is that, Jory?”
Despite his previous reluctance, Jory was leaning in. He stared intently at the turned key. “I changed my mind,” he said abruptly. But before David had time to react, he held up his hand. “Open it up. I do want to see what’s in there.”
David shifted uneasily, passing his weight from knee to knee. “You’re sure?”
“As I ever am, of anything.” Jory kissed the edge of David’s cheekbone. His eyelashes tickled. “Butterfly kisses,” he said softly. “Go on, David. Open Sesame.”
David gripped the sides of the trunk lid. “Here goes nothing,” he joked, lifting carefully. Old wood and metal creaked in protest, but it came open, sure enough. And inside? A wealth of riches. He stared in reverence, hardly daring to touch.
“Wow,” he breathed. “Look at all of this!”
Jory angled for a better view. He reached inside. “It’s a whole soldier’s kit,” he said, sounding awed. He made a face. “Phew. Smells like I was right about that mildew.”
David was still too caught up in the trunk’s contents to worry about the odor. He gazed at them with the love of the true collector and reached in with his big hands, knowing that at times like these he could be wonderfully deft. “Wood compartments,” he said with reverence. “I think this tray lifts out.”
“What all is in there?”
“Sundries, looks like. That was probably a needle -- all corroded now. And thread. A whole bobbin of it.” David handled the items respectfully, not taking them out of their boxes. “Oh, wow, look. A pair of stripes. Lieutenant’s, I think. This guy must have been going to sew them on.”
“Except he didn’t,” Jory said softly. “I wonder what stopped him? A bullet, maybe?”
David frowned, looking at Jory, who gave a shrug, looking uncomfortable.
“I’m just saying. This is why I never tried to open it. This is part of a real person’s past, not just something to go through and be all excited about. Everything in there meant something to a soldier a long time ago.”
David nodded slowly. “I get what you mean. Why didn’t you just say?”
“It sounded girly.” Jory rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t help wondering what that soldier would think about strangers going through his things. It might make him uncomfortable, if a piece of him was still around.”
“Like a ghost?”
“Or something.”
David stroked his thumb along the tray’s edges. “We can stop now, if you want,” he said quietly. “Leave all this to rest.”
Jory hesitated. “You do what you want,” he said at last. “I can’t stop you. The trunk is your property now.”
David didn’t like the way that sounded. “Listen.” He gave Jory a light shake. “What’s mine is yours, understand? Maybe I bought this from you, but it was yours all your life. If it means that much to you, I’ll shut the lid and leave the past to take care of itself.”
“Yeah.” Jory gave him a half-fond, half-annoyed look. “And you, the soul of antiquities, would be going insane every spare second you had, wondering.” He shivered. “Just pick a couple of things to look at. Then close the trunk.”
David examined his lover. “You’re sure?” When Jory nodded, a strange sadness in his eyes, David bowed his head in agreement. He could sort of understand Jory’s point. Even though he spent his time among the relics of times gone past, examining bric-a-brac that had been precious to someone once upon a time, even sold it on a day-to-day basis, he could see why Jory wouldn’t want anyone stirring up the dust of his family’s past. It was good of him to let David have a peek.
And who needed a trunk when they had a lover to keep happy? David leaned over and kissed the tip of Jory’s nose.
Jory laughed, then sneezed. “Hey, not playing fair!”
“Gotcha.” David winked. It felt good to be giving Jory his way. Suited his nature. He liked to give, and he didn’t want to cause trouble or make waves. On the spur of the moment, he decided he’d give Jory the key after they’d locked this up. No temptation. The past could stay in the past, except for -- “Two things?”
“Two.” Jory was grinning now. “Off the top. Deal ’em straight.”
David gave the genuine-looking dress uniform he could see toward the bottom a wistful glance, then reached in and extracted an old, leather-bound book. It was remarkably intact, although the cover bore a dark stain. Blood? Mud? With a soldier, it could have been either.
“A journal,” he said, hushed. “Is this okay?”
Jory nodded. “What’s that underneath it? Make that your second thing.”
David was willing enough to give in. He reached in, grinning as he pulled the object out. “Spectacles! Old wire rims.” They were almost perfect, with just a bit of rust here and there. “Didn’t you say you needed a pair of these?” Playful, he unfolded the glasses and pushed them gently onto Jory’s face. He laughed to see the expression on Jory, first cross-eyed, then startled.
Jory blinked at him. “Wow,” he said after a moment. “I didn’t realize.”
“Realize what?”
“How handsome you are.” Jory turned so that he faced David completely. The glasses looked like a perfect fit, his eyes sparkling beneath. “There are these amber lights in your irises. I thought they were plain brown, but now I see the difference. You have tiger eyes. Anyone ever tell you that?”
Delighted fingers explored David’s face. “I didn’t realize things were so blurry. I can see so much of you now. The way the lamp reflects off your hair. Your smile -- yeah, keep on grinning.”
“They work?” David was amazed.
“As if they were made for me.” Jory adjusted the earpieces. “Although those could use a tune-up.” He touched David’s arm. “Can I keep them?”
David’s eyebrows drew together. “What about all of that leaving the past to the past?”
Jory looked guilty. “Well ... that was before I found the glasses. Okay, you got me. Christmas time, presents under the tree and everything.” Despite his words, he reached up and pulled the trunk lid shut. “But that’s all. You have the journal, I have the glasses. That’s all we need.”
David didn’t understand. His lover, so simple and straightforward at first, was turning into a mystery on him, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. “I don’t get you sometimes, Jory.”
The other man sighed. “I wish I could explain. Sometimes I don’t understand myself.”
The very thought hurt, but David had to know. “Are you hiding something from me?”
“David ...” Jory bit his lip, then rushed in to kiss David, throwing all his body weight behind the move, knocking David down onto his hip.
“Don’t,” Jory said into David’s neck. “Just don’t, okay? Let me love you. That’s all we need. Just us and love. Please?” He stroked David’s cock. “Let me in.”
David struggled. “Don’t!” he exclaime
d, panic automatically setting in. “Get off me!”
Jory froze, uncomprehending at first. “Oh, God. Tommy tackled you like I just did, didn’t he?” He stumbled away from David and landed on his ass. “I am so sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“Don’t.” David scrambled to his feet, breathing heavily. His heart felt like it was going to race right out of his chest. He wrapped his arms around his middle as his stomach began to ache. “Never do that again, Jory. Not if you care about me even a little.”
Jory stared up with a stricken look. “Never,” he promised. “Honest. I won’t.” He picked himself off the floor and reached for David. When David flinched back, he made a face as if he were kicking himself repeatedly. “I’m sorry,” he repeated quietly.
They stood in silence for a long moment. Part of David ached to reach out and touch Jory, to reassure him that everything was okay. The man meant more to him than almost anything on earth. No, not exactly. No one and nothing else measured up. But to be brought down like Jory had done him ... so strong that it seemed like he couldn’t fight back ... David couldn’t handle it. He hugged himself tightly.
“David,” Jory started. “How can I --”
“You can’t.” David shifted from foot to foot. It tore him apart to say it, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Maybe you should go.”
“Yeah.” Jory raked a hand through his curls. “Maybe I should.” He shook his head. “For good, or just for now?”
“Just for now.” David managed to reach out and touch Jory. “I’ll be all right. I trust you. It’s just ... hard.”
“Tell me how I can make it easier.”
“Give me some distance.” David felt himself getting too warm. “Maybe this is all too much too fast, Jory.”
“David, don’t say that. Please.”
“I’m not sure any more. I don’t get you. Things were so easy when we met. I should have known it wouldn’t last.”
“It can last. It will. All you have to do is trust me.”
David felt his lips twist with bitterness. “Yeah. That’s what Tommy said.”
“I’m not like him. I never will be. David, you have to believe me.”
“I know. It’s not in you. Just give me a few hours, okay?” David took a step back. Lifting his hand off Jory’s arm was an almost physical pain. He blinked hard. “I said I loved you. I meant it.”
“Don’t quit on me. I need you. Do you know what I’ve been through, waiting for the right one?”
“Probably the same thing as me.” David sighed. “You’ll meet me tonight? At the club?”
Jory stared. “You still want me to come?”
“I do. We’re still an ‘us,’ Jory. That hasn’t changed.”
“But ...?”
“I want to be alone until then. Okay?”
David watched Jory swallow roughly, then nod. He ached to comfort the man, but he just couldn’t make himself do it. Things would be okay soon. All he had to do was calm down. He’d be able to think then. Whatever was between him and Jory -- it had substance. It was real. Calm. He needed to breathe.
“I’ll let myself out,” Jory was saying, voice low. “I’ll meet you tonight, at the club. Look for me inside. I’ll go early, so you don’t have to face that place all by yourself.”
David half-laughed, surprising himself. “I’ll have eleven other guys with me.”
“Yeah, but how many of them are in love with you?” Jory’s mouth lifted in a sad smile. He blew David a kiss. “I’ll be by your side tonight. And ...” He took in a deep breath. “No more secrets after tonight.”
“So there are secrets.”
“Some. None I wanted to keep, I swear. Meet me at Amour Magique, and I’ll come clean about everything.” Jory met David’s eyes. “You’ll come find me?”
David nodded. He searched for words, but couldn’t find any. Jory looked like he wanted to touch David as badly as David wanted to be touched, but neither of them had the courage to cross the invisible barrier that suddenly lay between them.
“I’ll go,” Jory said. “See you tonight. I’ll be wearing -- this.” He gestured down at his rumpled T-shirt and jeans. “So you’ll recognize me.”
David ran his hands over his own red T-shirt. “And I’ll be the one in red,” he replied softly. “I’ll see you later, Jory. Go.”
And Jory went. David listened to his footsteps, then the soft sound of the door opening and closing. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, breathing slowly in and out.
What had he just done? What if he’d driven away the one good thing to happen to him in, well, his whole life? He had Sweet Rose, he had his job, and he’d had Jory. What if the past tense became a permanent thing?
The phone rang. David was tempted to ignore it, but it kept on ringing. The answering machine didn’t kick in. He stood still, trying to calm the sudden fit of shakes racking his body. Hard to do with a phone jangling at him.
Finally, on the umpteenth ring, he crossed to the bedside table and picked up the receiver. “David here.” At least his voice didn’t crack.
“David,” a familiar voice said, gentle, as if it were petting him. “I sensed you might need a friend about now. Am I wrong?”
“Liam.” David sat down on the edge of his bed. “How did you get my home number?”
“From Simon, of course. I am at his condo right now, preparing him for tonight.”
Bizarre images flashed through David’s mind. He covered his mouth to smother a laugh. Craziness. It was fitting, though. “Liam,” he said, steadily. “Can you keep a secret?”
“It is one of the things I was born to do,” Liam replied soothingly. “If you have a story to share, it will rest safe with me. Locked in a box, with the key thrown away.”
David winced. Slowly, he began to lie down on the bed. “Do you have an hour or two?”
“I have as long as you need, David.”
For some reason, David trusted him. Enough to tell him the whole story, anyway.
“It’s like this,” he began, wrapping the phone cord around his fist. “When you gave me the ticket to that Fest, I met someone there ...”
Chapter Nine
“Liam,” David said, feeling incredibly tiny. He tried again, reaching out for the small man’s arm. “Liam, this place is unreal.”
Liam was beaming with pride. “Amour Magique is amazing, is it not?”
“More than amazing. The size alone ...” David released Liam, albeit carefully, and turned in a slow circle. On the edge of the dance floor, there was no ceiling for four stories ... at the very least. He thought he saw it up there somewhere, but it was hard to tell with the curling tendrils of vapor almost like smoke -- or clouds.
He squinted. Was that the moon? “Liam!”
“Hush now, hush.” Liam patted David’s back. “It is a bit much to take in all at once, I know. You have nothing to fear. That much I promise. Amour Magique is a benevolent sort of place.”
“You say that almost like it’s alive.” David shivered. “Is it?”
“In its way, perhaps.” Liam held up a hand to stave off David’s alarmed questions. “There is much you need to learn, and much you will have to choose whether to accept as fact or fiction. I can tell you this: if you embrace Amour Magique, it will clasp you back with warm and open arms. If you believe for a moment that buildings have emotions, this one likes you. It can tell you have a respect for old things and that you like to take care of them.”
David felt cold as he turned in another gradual revolution, taking in the vast dance floor of churning, undulating bodies, the rows of bars and balconies lining each level, and Bree, disappearing into the mosh pit. At least, he thought it was a mosh pit. He’d never actually seen one before, but it looked about right from the descriptions he’d heard. Bunches of men with piercings and tattoos and big heavy boots, all of them so unafraid.
“The building isn’t this big on the outside,” he said. “It looked like a warehouse, sure, but nowhere near this size
. And all these men -- there’s no way all of them could have fit. We’d be packed in like sardines, and there’s plenty of room to move. Even the Brothers could -- Liam! Where did they go?”
Liam shrugged slightly and smiled. “Here and there, David. Here and there. Each one has found something to amuse himself with inside the walls of Amour Magique. I chose to hold you back to ease you through the transition.”
“Kind of you,” David managed. He felt suddenly freezing in his red T-shirt. He stared up again, shaking his head. “It’s unreal, Liam. I don’t understand.”
“I know,” Liam soothed. “It is not easy. I could make it simpler for you. Would you like for me to smooth the way? A touch to the temples, like so.”
He reached up and feathered his fingers just against the side of David’s head, almost but not quite touching the skin. “You would forget everything you have seen, and Amour Magique, while it would be disappointed, would whisk you away to the place where you need to go.”
David shook his head, dumbfounded. “It can do that? It is alive, isn’t it?”
Liam looked at him with interest. “To my surprise, you do not seem quite so startled as I might have thought. Do you have more hidden depths, David? Things I should have seen?”
“Oh, there’s plenty of room in here for depths.” David poked at his waistline.
Liam batted his hand away. “Stop that. Now, if you would be so kind as to answer my question?”
David laughed bitterly. “No, I’m not all that shocked. I work in antiques, Liam. I’m used to things ‘speaking’ to me, if you know what I mean. I run my hands over something, say an old trunk, and I can feel the life in it. I know it’s seen a lot, and that it has a hundred stories to tell. All you have to do is get inside. If you’re allowed to.”
“I see.” Liam put his hand thoughtfully to his chin. “I am proud of you, David. The others? None of them have the nerve to face down Amour Magique like you yourself have done without a flinch. Once again you have been underestimated.”