The Mary's Boys Collection

by Brandon Witt

  A hurt look crossed Marlon’s face. “I haven’t been trying hard enough for you?”

  He ignored the question. It took effort not to laugh and to keep the intentionally sexy rasp in his voice. “I’m afraid I’m going to shoot and be done, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” He yanked lightly where he was bound with the fuzzy purple handcuffs. “What good do you think one little pair of these will do?” He reached down with his free hand and grabbed Marlon’s thick cock and squeezed hard.

  Marlon let out a hiss.

  Vahin released him and raised his hand to the cuffs. “I mean, once I shoot, it would be easy for me to reach up and hit the release, and then I’m off watching TV or something while you get blue balls.”

  Understanding dawned in Marlon’s expression, and he scoffed. “You’re never satisfied.”

  “Maybe if you were someone else, these cute little cuffs would work.” Vahin ran his hand across Marlon’s muscled chest and then smacked his left pec, hard. “But my boyfriend is a cop. Surely he doesn’t expect me to be satisfied with a Muppet tied to my wrist.”

  “Oh for fuck—” Marlon swung his leg over Vahin so he no longer straddled him and got off the bed.

  Vahin watched Marlon’s superb naked body as he walked through the bedroom door and disappeared around the corner. There was a small clanging of metal, and he was back, dick still hard, pointing skyward and bobbing back and forth with each step he took.

  He held the official handcuffs out toward Vahin. “Will these work?”

  God yes! He shrugged with his free shoulder. “Put them on me, and then I won’t have a choice, will I?”

  Marlon moved up on the bed, crawled onto Vahin until his massive thighs were under Vahin’s armpits and his cock was inches from Vahin’s face. “What do you want me to do once I’ve got these on you?”

  In his fantasy, Marlon would ride Vahin’s cock to orgasm and then get off and fuck Vahin himself. However, even hotter than that would be letting Marlon do anything he wanted, as many times as he wanted.

  Vahin flashed an innocent look up at Marlon. “I don’t know, Officer. I’ll be at your mercy. I guess I’ll have to let you do whatever you want.”

  Marlon studied Vahin for a second, and then his expression changed. He gripped Vahin’s free arm and lifted it toward the headboard. With his other hand, he forced his erection into Vahin’s mouth. “How about we start with you not making so much noise.”

  Vahin’s eyes rolled back in his head with pleasure as Marlon’s pubes pushed against his face while the cold metal encircled his wrist and then closed tight.

  There were no more worries over ruining his life or Mary’s, no triggering sensation of the handcuffs being anything more than a fun time with his man. It was only lust, passion, and love.

  He peered up, captured by the sight of Marlon’s muscled body as he rocked into Vahin’s mouth.

  Marlon glanced down, their gazes met, and his grin grew wicked.

  Yeah. Lust and love. What could be better?

  Mascara & Bandages

  CHAPTER ONE

  Zachary Cooper

  A loud cheering shout outside the door made Zachary flinch, causing the corner of the false eyelash to poke his eye instead of adhering to his eyelid. With a hiss, he pulled the lash away and slammed his eye shut.

  Dammit, he hated false eyelashes. Nearly everything else about drag had become second nature. Blending the foundation and rouge. Gluing down and covering up his natural eyebrows, then drawing on new ones. Contouring to round out the already less-than-rugged jawline. Even the waxing, plucking, and tweezing didn’t cause more than a wince every now and then. But the damned false eyelashes. Things weren’t supposed to get that close to a person’s eyes. The liner was bad enough, but stiff lashes jabbed and left behind a glue residue that stung the rest of the night, no matter what he did. He couldn’t even wear contacts, which was why his father had paid for corrective eye surgery for him more than ten years ago with money they didn’t have. Or maybe that was more due to his mom dying a few months before and his father needing to feel like he could fix something.

  Leaning toward the mirror, Zachary forced his eyes open. Sure enough, his right eye was already watering and bloodshot, which made the light green of his iris stand out like a beacon. If ManDonna was here, she’d tilt his head back and tend to his eye without smudging a speck of makeup. Not him; he’d have to redo the entire eye, and he still wouldn’t get it all cleaned out well enough.

  There was a soft knock at the door, and it opened without a pause. Cody leaned in, swiping a lock of dark hair from his eyes. “Hey, Vahin sent me over with your nightly birthday cake shot.” He stepped all the way in, paused, then shut the door, concern growing in his voice. “Are you okay? You’re crying.”

  Zachary reached for the drink. “No, I’m not. I just jabbed myself with a stupid eyelash.” After taking the shot glass from Cody, Zachary downed it in a gulp, not even savoring the sticky sweetness like he normally did. He wasn’t a big drinker, but ManDonna insisted they start each night off with a shot. She preferred Jäger or whiskey, both of which made Zachary want to throw up. By the fourth time, Vahin had come to the rescue and sent the birthday cake shot, which tasted like icing. It was heaven. He handed the glass back to Cody. “I might need a second of these tonight.”

  “Oh. Okay. I’ll go get one.” Cody started to turn, angling his shoulder to avoid hitting the dresses hanging in the narrow workspace, but Zachary reached out and grabbed his arm.

  “Actually, would you help me, please?” Zachary motioned to the vanity. “There’s a bottle of Visine in my makeup bag, the purple one. Would you do it for me? ManDonna normally does it. I can’t make myself put drops in.” He grimaced as some of the glue snagged his lashes again. “One second, let me try to clean this a little better first. And while I do that, would you please get another shot from Vahin? I thought I was kidding, but a second one is definitely called for.” He waved a hand at Cody while still looking in the mirror. “Oh, and would you let them know I’m going to be about fifteen minutes late but to put on some Demi, Gaga, or Britney. Something. ManDonna can go out there and work the crowd without any transition from sports to drag, but I can’t.”

  Less than five minutes later, Zachary was blinking almost normally again. He inspected himself in the mirror once more.

  “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 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 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.”

  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 small, 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 ManD
onna 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 could 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 too effeminate. Too gay.

  The same features that left him feeling inadequate as a man made Ariel Merman the queen she was. 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 “Dirrty” thumped from 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.

  Though she’d been nearly thirty minutes late, Ariel performed for over an hour, adding song after song to the show and working the entire restaurant into a frenzy. Hamburger Mary’s was three Victorian houses remolded into one restaurant, with different sections—the dining room, sports nook, trophy room, VIP chandelier area, and parlor. By the time Ariel was done, people from all over the restaurant had left their tables and crowded into the main dining room. She basked in their love of her, their applause and touches. The high from their energy burned away any buzz from the alcohol and left her tingling in near ecstasy. If only ManDonna were there to see it. She would’ve been proud.

  Normally after a show, Ariel went instantly back into the dressing room and Zachary emerged once more. However, taking a note from ManDonna, once the last song played and the clapping and hollers died down, Ariel headed the opposite way and took a seat at the bar.

  Nearly another half an hour passed before the steady stream of people coming to talk to her stopped. When she turned back to the bar, Vahin was waiting, dark and gorgeous, and with a drink in each hand.

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d want another birthday cake shot or a piña colada.” He sat them on the bar in front of her. “After that performance, I think you’ve earned both.”

  She laughed and took the shot glass. “I think you’re right. Thank you, sexy.” Ariel barely even noticed calling Vahin sexy—and while Vahin was more than sexy, it wasn’t something Zachary would ever say. Typically, even in drag, Ariel took a back seat when around the Mary’s gang. Apparently that wasn’t the case tonight, at least at the moment.

  She placed the empty glass back on the bar, and Vahin swept it away.

  “Want another?”

  “No. Dear Lord. I’ve never had three shots in one night before. I still need to walk home.”

  An arm crossed over Ariel’s shoulders and chest, giving her a squeeze, and a motherly voice spoke near her ear. “Go ahead and have another, sweetie. I’ve got a Black & Bleu Boy burger coming out, and I’ll drive you home. You worked hard enough out there that you’ve already burned off the alcohol and the calories.”

  “Thank you.” Ariel reached up and squeezed Pat’s arm before Pat released her. “Sorry that I went long tonight. Something came over me.”

  Pat chuckled. “Don’t be sorry about that. I wasn’t able to get the whole thing, but I recorded a good portion of it. We’ll put it on the website tonight. Between you and ManDonna, we’re going to get people from all over the place coming in just to see you two!” She leaned in once more and gave Ariel a quick kiss on the cheek before turning away. “I’ve got to get back to work. The kitchen is a bit backed up with all the orders coming in at once, and I’ve got a line going out on the front patio.” She turned back to Ariel. “Actually, I may not be able to drive you, but I’ll order you an Uber whenever you’re ready.”

  Ariel watched her go, and for the first time that evening, some of Zachary’s shadows crept back in. Pat’s touch and kindness tonight was a reminder of ManDonna’s constant care, the closest thing to a mother’s affection Zachary had experienced in twelve years. Her love was both a gift and a reminder of all that had been lost. Ariel raised a finger to wipe at her eyes but caught herself before she smeared her mascara or accidentally poked herself with a fingernail.

  “Hey, you all right?”

  Ariel turned to see Vahin watching her, concern etched over his face. She shook herself, trying to recapture the bliss she’d had moments before. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  He didn’t look like he believed her, but Vahin wasn’t one to push. With a nod, he turned away and began waiting on a guy a couple of seats down.

  Ariel closed her eyes, focusing on the pop music and attempting to force the joy she’d felt during the performance. Even as she sat there, she began to fade. Maybe if Cody and Darwin hadn’t already left for their movie, their distraction could’ve helped her last, but she had no hope at this point. Zachary was moving to the surface once more. The pain of losing his mother. The nights of he and his father sobbing together. The feeling of isolation after his father passed three years ago. The darkness of his bedroom, with only his cat, Mrs. Madrigal, to keep him company. All of it swept back through, washing Ariel away and leaving Zachary cold on the barstool. Just a skinny, femme man, wearing makeup and a dress.

  “Vahin!” Zachary called in his normal voice, then flinched. He didn’t have to adjust the tenor much at all to acquire Ariel’s sultrier tone, but it was enough of a difference that it pulled him up short.

  Vahin glanced over, excused himself from the person he’d been speaking to, and came back to Zachary. “You okay?”

  Zachary adjusted his tone before he spoke again. “Yeah. I’m fine. Sorry. I’m just done all of a sudden. I, ah… think I might have overdone it tonight or something. I need to get home and in bed. Will you please cancel the burger Pat ordered for me? I don’t want to go back into the kitchen.”

  “Of course, sweetie.” Vahin reached out, but Zachary pulled his hand away. Any c
ontact at all and he’d be unable to hold the tears back. Vahin narrowed his eyes. “You sure you’re okay? I can let Alex handle the bar for a bit. I’ll take you home, or we can go somewhere and talk.”

  Zachary’s throat constricted, and he had to take another moment before he spoke in Ariel’s cadence. “Thank you. I’m fine. Really. I have the Uber app. I’ll use it when I get my makeup off.” He slid off the barstool and walked away before Vahin could offer any more protest or kindness.

  He sagged against the back of the dressing room door as soon as it closed and felt a tear run down his cheek.

  No. No, no, no, no, no.

  It didn’t matter if he was alone now or not. He wasn’t going to lose it. He wasn’t going to cry. That wasn’t what Ariel did, and it wasn’t what Hamburger Mary’s was for. He could cry once he was back with Mrs. Madrigal.

  No.

  He wouldn’t cry, not even then. He was so sick of crying. If Ariel could be strong, so could he. Letting out a long breath, he straightened his shoulders, crossed the small space to the mirror, and began removing his wig. Once it was stored properly, he stripped out of the high heels and dress and took off the jewelry. Looking in the mirror, he peeled off the left false eyelash, then the right. The bloodshot redness was back, this time in both eyes. He started to pull out his makeup remover wipes, then thought better of it. He needed to get out of there. To move. Without another thought, he stuffed everything into his makeup bags and then hastily dressed in his jeans, glittery T-shirt, and rainbow Converse. He glanced at himself. Even with most of the makeup still intact, Ariel was nowhere to be seen. Just a gay guy wearing makeup. And not the “hot muscle boy who wore eyeliner to the club” gay boy. The skinny, femme fag. The one who fell under the “no fats, femmes, Asians, or blacks” designer label. He was only one of the four, but was also painfully aware that being any one of them was unacceptable.