by Shawn Bailey
“I heard that,” Jonas said as he posed for the photographer.
Gerard and Luke had put the older Kerry in black this time, making his pale skin and brown eyes the focal point. His long blond hair draped over one of his shoulders. Adam sighed. Jonas was just too pretty to be a guy, and the photographer was spending an abnormally long time taking Jonas’s pictures.
“Should I be jealous?” Sean asked, watching his beau flirt with the photographer with big doe eyes, pouting lips, and sexy poses.
“I would be,” Adam said, chuckling. “The camera and the photographer just love him.”
“Let’s see if it’s so funny when it’s Frankie’s turn,” Sean said.
“Gerard is up next,” Luke said, standing by them and listening to their conversation.
The new drummer arrived looking like the epitome of college student with royal blue pants, a red shirt, and a sunny yellow sweater on top. He’d added a red belt and shoes to enhance the look. Gerard’s jet-black hair had been styled in a bob. And he seduced the camera with his blue eyes.
The photographer shifted his stance a couple of times, and Adam saw sweat beading up on the man’s forehead.
“Maybe next time we shouldn’t use a young photographer,” Sean whispered to them.
“I’m horny,” Luke announced. “That’s what Gerard looked like when I first saw him.”
Both Adam and Sean looked at him and giggled like a couple of kids.
A half hour later Frankie came into the room for his session. Gerard had dressed him in tight red leather pants and vest and no shirt. The black studded belt matched the thigh-high leather boots. Adam just stared.
“Can you say Dom’s plaything?” Sean teased.
Sweat began to bead on Adam’s forehead as the photographer posed Frankie on a motorcycle and then a chaise lounge, followed by having him straddling a chair.
“Smile for me, Frankie,” the photographer told his model. “You have the best lips I’ve ever seen on a guy in a long time.”
Instead of pouting as he usually did when someone told him to smile, Frankie puckered up his lips for a kiss. Luke dropped the folder in his hand, and poor Sean just moaned loudly.
“I think I need a cold shower,” Luke said after picking up his folder.
“I want every picture plus the negatives,” Adam said. “No one is going to be jerking off to that imagine.” He hit Sean on the arm. “You should know better than moan. Do you want Jonas to kill you?”
Sean shook his head quickly. “No. It was just a natural gay male reaction. His lips are nice.”
Luke agreed with him “And that little tease knows it.”
Adam had to agree, too. When did Frankie learn how to work the camera? He couldn’t even get him to smile for the first photographer he took him to.
Frankie struck another pose and gave the photographer a lot of eye play.
“Gerard has created a monster,” Luke said. “He knows that red and black are my favorite colors.”
“Why am I having fantasies of tying Frankie to a bed and beating his gorgeous buttocks with a riding crop?” Adam asked.
“It’s the color red,” Luke said. “It makes us guys think bad things.”
Gerard and Jonas returned to them dressed back in their normal street clothing.
“Ooh, doesn’t Frankie look good,” Gerard said. “He looks like a naughty little angel.”
“You’re truly evil, do you know that?” Adam said to Gerard.
“Yeah, I know. I figured he’d get a rise out of you guys.”
“I am so glad that Kalen is not here,” Jonas said. “Who knew Frankie could be so sexy.”
Adam coughed. “Yeah, who knew?”
Chapter Nineteen
Frankie slept all the way to Lafayette after they left the photography studio. They were all loaded in the Kerrys’ van, and Sean did the driving. It took about three hours to get there. It was located along the Vermilion River in southeast Louisiana. They were in the heart of Arcadia and surrounded by Cajun culture. Or as Gerard put it, they were in his neck of the woods. The Kerrys were scheduled to perform at the Cajun Dome.
Sean parked the van, and they all got out. One of the tour buses Tory had purchased for them pulled up and parked.
“I feel like a fish out of water,” Frankie said, wiping his eyes and yawning.
“At least you have a fiddle,” Luke said to him.
“It’s a violin, dude,” Frankie argued.
Gerard ran into a couple of his friends while they were unloading their instruments. Well, not exactly ran into them. Adam learned that Gerard had telephoned his friends about his arrival and told them where to meet him. He introduced the two young men.
“Gents, these are my friends Henry and Jean-Sebastian. We grew up together right here in Lafayette. And these are my band mates Jonas and Frankie, and our managers Sean, Luke, and Adam.
Everyone shook hands.
“You’re really going to perform today, Gerard?” the one named Jean-Sebastian asked. He was a tall blond with a lot of muscle. He wore a Kiss me I’m Cajun cap. He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a tight-fitting shirt to show off his chest.
“Oui, Jean-Sebastian. We’re scheduled guests for the concert.”
“Your maman told me that you’re studying fashion design. Please tell me it ain’t so,” the one named Henry said.
Henry was shorter than Jean-Sebastian, but a little taller than Gerard. He, too, wore a cap, but a brown one without lettering. He dressed in blue jeans and a brown and tan plaid shirt.
“I’m afraid so, Henry. I’m the fashion coordinator for our group as well as play the drums.”
Adam bet neither of Gerard friends knew that he kissed boys. Yet Jean-Sebastian was checking Gerard out like he was a side of beef.
“I thought you were going to come back here and work at the water plant with us,” Henry said.
“Heck no. I want to play the drums.”
“Well you need to drive over to see your family after the concert,” Jean-Sebastian told Gerard.
Adam saw hell no written all over Gerard’s face. From what he had learned from Luke, Gerard was from a pretty strict family who didn’t really take it well when he came out of the closet to them.
Gerard handed them some tickets. “This is for the show. Try not lose them or sell them,” he said to his friends.
“We have to go in and find the promoter,” Adam said to them. “It was nice meeting you guys.”
Everyone shook hands again, and Jean-Sebastian and Henry left to go get in line.
Their security and roadies climbed off the bus and helped unload the instruments for the rest of the Kerry’s backup band.
Adam found the promoter and everyone sat in the green room and watched the concert until it was time for the Kerrys to perform.
The makeup artist Tory had hired for them worked on the brothers and Gerard while they were in the dressing room.
It was dark by the time the Kerrys took to the stage dressed in denim pants, vests, white T-shirts and boots. Gerard knew just how to outfit them to get the audience to take notice. The crowd went wild over those beautiful boys as they rocked the Cajun Dome with the new songs Gerard had forced them to learn.
“You have to give the people what they want,” Gerard had explained when both Jonas and Frankie complained about learning Cajun music.
Adam bet the two spoiled brothers won’t complain anymore about changing their routine.
Adam got everyone and all the instruments back in the van and the bus. He got their pay for the event and hauled ass back to New Orleans.
Gerard got dropped off at Luke’s place, and Adam decided to camp out with his sweetie for the night because he was too damn tired to drive back to his place. They did manage to stop to pick up Kalen before they went home. The youngest Kerry did wake up as Adam carried him inside.
“Adam!” Kalen said excitedly.
“Hey, sport.”
Frankie walked up next to Ada
m.
“Hey, Frankie,” Kalen said.
Adam noticed how clearly Kalen spoke. He felt bad for having to take him out of nursery school since he’d been learning so much there. The nanny would have to continue teaching Kalen while they were on the road, and Adam had purchased some preschool tapes to play in the DVD player while they traveled on the bus.
Kalen went back to sleep once they got him inside.
Jonas took him and put him in bed.
“Do you guys want something to eat?” Frankie asked. “There’s some Shrimp Creole or I can make some sandwiches.”
“Sandwiches,” everyone agreed.
Frankie disappeared into the kitchen.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Jonas announced. He went in the other direction.
“Maybe I’ll join him,” Sean said. “He might need me to help wash his hair.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Adam said. “Try not to wake up Kalen.” Adam walked into the kitchen to join Frankie.
Frankie had the French bread already toasted and lying open on some plates. He started piling on slices of roast beef, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and lots of hot gravy.
Jonas and Sean joined them as soon as Frankie placed the plates on the table along with chips. Frankie gave Adam and Sean beer. He and Jonas drank bottled water since they were now watching their diets. Adam checked out the size of the sandwiches and figured they might in fact gain a few pounds by eating them.
“I haven’t had a roast beef sandwich like this in years,” Adam said after he had polished off the first half of his food. “Maybe I should open up a restaurant in my hotel and let you be the cook.”
“No thanks,” Frankie said. “Business classes are enough for me.”
“How did you do on your test?”
“I got an A,” Frankie said.
“I’m so proud of you. Now my friends won’t tease me for loving you for your looks. I can brag that you have a brilliant mind, too.”
“Thanks,” Frankie said sarcastically. “You talk about me to your friends?”
“Hell yes,” Adam said. “I’m dating a hot young pop star. My friends are so envious.”
Frankie just shook his head and went back to eating.
“I got an A, too,” Jonas said.
Sean moved over and kissed Jonas on the cheek. “I knew you were smart under all that pretty.”
Jonas hit him on the arm while Adam and Frankie laughed at them.
Frankie cleaned the kitchen and then went to check on Kalen.
Sean and Jonas went up to Jonas’s room, while Adam went into to his room to shower. He snuck back into Frankie’s room afterward. Frankie had put on the radio, and the room was filled with some soul music.
Frankie had just come out of the shower.
Adam snatched him to the bed. “My turn to be on top.”
“Are you sure you know what to do?” Frankie asked as he rolled over onto his stomach and assumed the position on his knees.
“Where’s the lube?” Adam asked.
Frankie pointed to the nightstand. “Knock yourself out,” he said with an alluring smile.
Chapter Twenty
The Kerrys might not consider playing the New Orleans Superdome a big thing since they lived in the city, but to Adam it was a really big achievement for a young and virtually unknown group to perform there. The occasion was the first Deep South Music Extravaganza. There would be plenty of home-grown bands and musicians and plenty of popular headliners. This would be Jonas, Frankie, and Gerard’s chance to prove that they had what it took to command top billing in the near future. Right now the three of them were in the recording studio putting the finishing touches on their next CD. Their first one was really doing well and climbing the charts. Tory wanted to release this one as soon as the Kerrys came back from their first tour.
“Come on, you guys, and let’s make this a good one,” Elton, the music arranger, told the three young men.
They were about to perform the final cut on the CD, a ballad sung by Frankie.
By the time the last word came out of Frankie’s mouth, Adam knew the song would be the one to earn them a nomination for a Grammy. He could tell Tory thought so, too, by the tears in his eyes. Adam looked away, trying not to embarrass his old friend.
“That’s a wrap,” Elton said.
Tory had regained his composure. “That was excellent, gentlemen. Now go home and rest up for tonight’s performance. You have to be at the dome by five.”
The Kerrys packed up their things. Frankie and Jonas always took the violin and guitar with them instead of loading them on the bus with the rest of the equipment and instruments. Gerard unfortunately couldn’t do that because there wasn’t room in the van for his drums.
“Are you hungry?” Sean asked.
Everyone said yes.
“Don’t feed them anything too heavy,” Tory warned. “I don’t want anyone to get a stomachache before they perform.”
Adam agreed.
“Salads or sandwiches?” Sean asked.
“Sandwiches,” they all answered.
Sean drove them to one of the popular restaurants on Poydras to eat, and then afterward everyone went home to crash for a couple of hours.
Adam decided to go over and check on his hotel because he was meeting his managers on Monday to see which one of them he would leave in charge when he was on the road. His brother David had agreed to check in on the hotel when he wasn’t in court. David also promised to make sure payroll was done on time and be there if the manager had any issues.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the Kerrys perform tonight,” Linda, Adam’s secretary, said once he arrived at his office. “I can’t believe that the little dears have come this far. And all because you decided to give some homeless kids a room for the weekend.”
“Yeah, I’m so glad I did. I don’t know what would have happened to them if I hadn’t.”
“Are they excited?” Linda asked.
“Yes, but they’re trying to appear brave in front of me. Even though they performed at the Cajun Dome, there’s nothing like a New Orleans audience. All of their friends will be there tonight.” That would include Myron, whom Adam hadn’t seen since the night of the fair when the younger man tried to lure Frankie off to be with him. Jonas had insisted that he be there since the two of them were still good friends. In the end Adam had relented since Jonas never really asked for anything before.
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Mr. Washington called earlier. He wanted you to call him back.”
Nico? Why was he calling after what he’d pulled the last time he came to the hotel? Adam was tempted to dial his ex-boyfriend to see what he wanted but thought better of it. He’d almost lost Frankie the last time, and he’d be damned if he’d go through that again. Nico could just wait. “Any other messages?”
“Yes, your mother called to wish you and Frankie good luck, and she said she’d see you tomorrow.”
The promoters of the Extravaganza were hosting a party in one of the dome’s ballrooms after the concert for the entertainers and their friends. There would be a lot of news media there, and the Kerrys could use the exposure. The call from his mother he would return. Adam entered his office, turned on the light, and sat down at his desk. The red light on his phone was blinking continuously which meant he had messages. Adam pressed the button. The first call was from Nico.
“I’m sorry for messing with you and Frankie. I wish you all the happiness in the world, and I hope the Kerrys area a smashing success tonight at the dome. I hope to see you there.” The message ended.
Not if I see you first. Adam deleted the message. After listening to the rest of the messages, Adam returned the calls, including the one to his mother. Adam left the hotel once all the issues that had come up had been resolved, stopped at the cleaners to pick up his suits, and then stopped at the stylist to get his hair done. Since Nico’s little stunt, Adam had stopped going to the man to get his hair styled. Finally he went home and set the
alarm for 3:00 p.m. Adam crawled into his bed and took a much-needed nap.
* * * *
Frankie’s cell phone rang at exactly 3:01 p.m. “Hello?” It was Adam. “I’m up. How do you know I was sleeping? Yes, I slept for a little while.” He sat up in the bed. “I better see if Jonas and Sean are up. Kalen should be home soon, and I want to spend some time with him before we drop him off at Amanda’s.” Frankie felt bad. It seemed like lately Kalen had been going from daycare to babysitter every day and not spending enough quality time with him and Jonas. He made a mental note to remedy that. He didn’t want his younger brother to feel neglected and forget him and Jonas. “I’ll see you at the dome.” He got off the phone with Adam and went into the kitchen. Later he found a note from Jonas telling him that he and Sean had gone off and taken Kalen with them to get some ice cream. Frankie decided to get his shower and shampoo his hair before Jonas got back and hogged all the hot water. He loved his older brother dearly, but Jonas was truly a diva when it came to his looks and his body. And Sean just spoiled Jonas to death. Frankie hoped that Jonas had been taking his medication so he wouldn’t have trouble breathing on stage tonight.
Frankie heard the front door open and close just as he got into the shower. Jonas could look after Kalen just a little bit longer until Frankie showered and dressed. After showering, Frankie finally went to play with Kalen.
“Frankie!” Kalen said excitedly when he spotted Frankie. He didn’t have a speck of ice cream on him anywhere, which meant Jonas had cleaned him up.
“Hey, baby bro.”
Kalen walked over to him and slapped him some skin.
“I taught him that,” Sean bragged. “Hugging is for girls.”
Frankie didn’t care what Sean said. He scooped Kalen up, hugged him, and planted a big old sloppy kiss on his younger brother’s cheek.
Kalen squealed with delight. “Frankie smells good.”
“I just took a shower,” Frankie said. He sniffed Kalen. “You smell good, too. Did Jonas give you a bath?”