Sparkle

by Jerry Cole

  “Sparkle”

  M/M Gay Romance

  Passions Book 2

  Jerry Cole

  © 2017

  Jerry Cole

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is intended for Adults (ages 18+) only. The contents may be offensive to some readers. It may contain graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations. May contain scenes of unprotected sex. Please do not read this book if you are offended by content as mentioned above or if you are under the age of 18.

  Please educate yourself on safe sex practices before making potentially life-changing decisions about sex in real life. If you’re not sure where to start, see here: http://www.jerrycoleauthor.com/safe-sex-resources/.

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner & are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images & are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.

  Edition v1.02 (2017.09.01)

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  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Authors Note

  Books by Jerry Cole

  Chapter One

  “How in the hell did you talk me into this?” Sparkle looked at the faux Greco-Roman facade of the windowless building with skepticism. The large edifice had no visible marquee to announce its purpose. Except for the graying plaster busts of naked men perched on each side of the entrance, there was little to distinguish the legendary bathhouse from all the other buildings on the street.

  The gentrified block boasted largely refurbished loft spaces, office buildings, and boutiques, renting the bottom floor of the huge buildings with their pillars and columns.

  “Bitch, stop complaining and just get inside,” said Maze, pushing the diva through the door and following him in.

  Today was one of the few days off that both men shared. When Maze called with plans to take him out and catch up, Sparkle jumped at the chance. It had been weeks since he had seen anybody not connected to his most recent show. Even Jerrod, his lifelong bestie, had scarcely seen him. He didn’t complain, though. It was better to be busy than to be unemployed.

  “Maze, this is not my scene. I’m not looking forward to sitting in a pool of old-man ball sweat,” Sparkle argued.

  “It’s not like that. Just give it a chance and relax. Think of it as a spa day, only naked,” Maze insisted, tugging his friend along behind him as he checked them both in at the front desk and escorted Sparkle into the locker room.

  “Just put everything in the locker, put the key around your wrist and go,” Maze said, handing Sparkle the standard issue white towel provided by the facility. Sparkle stared at the offering, repulsed by what might be hidden in its fluffy depths.

  “Oh hell no,” he said sharply.

  “Look, this place is clean. A lot cleaner than backstage at any club you have ever played. I wouldn’t take you to some cum-filled dive. You are a diva, and I’m a star. Trust me,” Maze said, rolling his eyes at Sparkle’s skepticism.

  Taking a deep breath, Sparkle accepted the towel and began to disrobe. Sweeping his hair up into a ponytail, Sparkle wrapped the thick white towel around his waist and waited for Maze. Taking careful stock of his surroundings, he began to feel less suspicious. Everything was immaculate; even the air smelled faintly of disinfectant and potpourri. It was nothing like the bathhouses he had heard so much about from older cast members and choreographers. Wandering through the premises, he didn’t see any dark corners or dimly lit narrow hallways. The luxurious facility seemed like a legitimate day spa complete with a cafe and juice bar.

  The general dress code seemed to be a white fluffy towel or nothing, with a fair number of patrons choosing the latter option. Sparkle grinned. There was nothing wrong with a little nudity. He was tempted to try it himself.

  “Oh no, Miss Thang, I am not ready for that,” Maze objected, reading the mischievous look on Sparkle’s face and accurately surmising his intentions.

  “This was your idea,” Sparkle grumbled.

  “Yes, to take my friend to enjoy a day at the bathhouse where I spend an arm and a leg for membership every month. Not to watch you strut around naked, tallywacker swaying in the breeze as you flirt your ass off.” Maze ran his hands through his fire engine-red hair and slid a pair of aviator glasses in place as they passed under the atrium.

  “What’s wrong with my ass?” Sparkle grabbed both firm round cheeks and twisted around for a quick booty check.

  “Nothing! I just don’t want to see your dick!” Maze’s voice reverberated off the marble columns.

  “Well, you are in the wrong place for that, brother,” came a gruff reply from an unidentifiable source, followed by a round of chuckles from everyone present.

  Sparkle chuckled at Maze’s outburst.

  “You sure know how to show your friend a good time,” he teased, throwing a chummy arm around the veteran stage actor as they walked, fluffy white towels tucked securely around their waists.

  “Okay, so what you need to know here is upstairs are the private rooms. Don’t go in unless you are looking for action. Sex in the pool and Jacuzzis is strictly forbidden. The wet saunas are orgy central. The dry ones are fine. And if you are here for the sex and not for the fabulous spa treatments then put your key around your ankle. Left for top, right for bottom. Don’t ask me; I don’t know why.”

  “Spa treatments?” Sparkle looked at Maze with promise.

  “I said all of that and all you heard was ‘spa treatments?’”

  “It’s been a long time
since I have had a good deep tissue massage. Come on, didn’t you say you pay an astronomical amount to be a member here? Let’s not put your membership fees to waste,” Sparkle said.

  “But you are overlooking one thing, dear.”

  “And that is?”

  “I’m here for the sex,” Maze whispered, putting his key around his right ankle. “Massage rooms are downstairs.”

  “Ta-ta,” Sparkle called as Maze made his way to the juice bar and immediately attracted the attention of a ruddy-faced bear. Lucky bitch, Sparkle thought, as he made his way down the stairs. Maze never had a hard time finding what he liked. Sparkle on the other hand…

  While the atrium dominated the ground floor level, the lower level featured dozens of large tanks set into the walls full of exotic fish from all over the world. The relative quiet and soft blue light from the tanks created a soothing effect that Sparkle found hypnotic.

  “Ooh yes, I need to do this in my bedroom,” he said to himself.

  “Fish in the bedroom is a bad idea. It’s almost impossible to get any sleep,” said a smiling patron. Sparkle looked up at the man whose fluffy white towel seemed oddly inappropriate on his body. The friendly stranger smiled at Sparkle, revealing startlingly white teeth in a perfectly straight row and deep laugh lines around his eyes.

  “Well, I am always looking for ways to make my bedroom more comfortable,” Sparkle said, smiling back.

  “That sounds like you need to change the company, not the decor,” the stranger took a step closer to Sparkle, making him feel crowded, even though they were still several feet apart in an empty hallway. The stranger’s gaze roamed all over Sparkle’s nearly naked form, admiring him openly and letting the licentious intent behind his smile shine through his face.

  Sparkle stifled a shiver. The stranger’s gaze was so intense that it felt like a caress. Not one to be cornered by handsome, mostly naked strangers in dimly lit bathhouses, Sparkle licked his lips and took another step forward. Since he was at the rodeo, he might as well grab the bull by the horns.

  “The company is non-negotiable. I guess I will just have to make do with changing the curtains,” Sparkle said, their bodies close enough to feel every breath his pursuer took.

  “Then why are you here?”

  Sparkle lifted his wrist in front of him and shook the key slung around it.

  “I’m here for the deep tissue massage, of course,” he said sweetly, batting his eyelashes.

  The towering stranger tipped his head back and let out a deep, sonorous laugh that wrapped itself around Sparkle’s body like a warm blanket. It made him wish this was the sort of place where one could exchange names and phone numbers.

  “You are alright,” declared Mr. Sexy Smile, crossing his arms across the wide-muscled expanse of his chest. Sparkle followed the motion with his eyes and began to wonder if it was too late to move his key from his wrist to his ankle.

  “Excuse me, sir,” said a soft voice behind them. Sparkle decided that facing the newcomer was a better option than continuing to watch Mr. Sexy Smile

  “Oh my God, Sparkle Jones,” squealed the surprised attendant. “I’m such a big fan of all of your work. I have been to see your show like a million times. You are just amazing.”

  Sparkle was accustomed to being recognized by fans, although he was usually wearing underwear when it happened. Regardless, this was a situation he knew how to handle. He was back in his element and firmly in the driver’s seat.

  “Thank you so much for your support,” Sparkle said, smiling broadly and cocking his head to the side like a girl from a teen movie.

  “What are you doing here? Are you getting a membership? Wait until I tell my friends I met Sparkle Jones at work today. They are going to flip.”

  Sparkle’s smile faded. The last thing he needed was rumors flying around about his escapades in a local bathhouse. Even if he left right now, the rumor mill would manufacture a laundry list of depraved acts that he committed with dozens of patrons before flouncing out the front door. Whatever happened to the anonymity of bathhouse etiquette?

  “I don’t think you will be telling anybody anything. Not if you like working here,” grumbled Mr. Sexy Smile. The attendant’s eyes went wide with recognition. He quickly reigned in his excitement and got to the reason why he had interrupted them in the first place.

  “Oh, there is a phone call for you in the main office, Boss,” said the mortified attendant.

  Sparkle breathed a sigh of relief, happy to be able to escape the entire situation without needing to reach into his soul bag and put on his bitchy diva attitude. Despite being slightly skived out by what may or may not be happening in the steam rooms, he was beginning to warm up to this place. And if Mr. Sexy Smile was any indication of the kind of men that were on offer, he might be interested in membership for himself.

  “If you will excuse me,” said Sexy Smile, passing by Sparkle, their bodies a little too close for comfort. Sparkle looked up into the older man’s laughing eyes and melted a little bit.

  Chapter Two

  Simon hung up the phone and turned to watch the patrons pass under his office window. This place was his playground, his personal harem, with the inhabitants paying for the privilege of entry. Whatever you were looking for, whether it was sex, or just a relaxing afternoon by the pool, you could find it here. Simon made sure of it.

  Things were different when he was a younger man making his way in the city. He came from an affluent family, which afforded him some forms of protection, but secrecy was the name of the game back then. Even with friends and ex-lovers dropping like flies around him from an unnamed disease, the code of silence and anonymity still held.

  Things were different now. Most of the old places where men like him, gay men with money and respectable family names, used to gather have almost disappeared. This bathhouse was the last of its kind in the city. Not just a dark, dank, hole in the wall, but a sprawling complex where, for a price, anybody could play, relax, or screw with no questions asked and no judgment passed.

  “Things are a little busy today,” he said to himself as he observed the flood of naked and semi-naked bodies.

  Even as he said it, his eye caught the fluid movement of one body in particular. Sparkle Jones. There were few men he could say were as pretty as the sassy visitor. He had the lean musculature of a dancer, doubly emphasized by his graceful demeanor and tendency to strut rather than walk. It was obvious Sparkle wasn’t paying any attention to the men around him. He seemed to be scanning the crowd for one face in particular. It was also obvious that he was attracting a lot of attention to himself.

  “He is probably used to it by now,” Simon said out loud, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the scene unfold.

  Having given up trying to find whoever he was looking for, Sparkle settled on a stop at the juice bar and a seat by the pool. It didn’t take long for somebody to jump at the opportunity to chat up the pretty diva. Sparkle deflected his advances with a smile and a few words.

  “Not bad, Sparkle Jones,” Simon said, impressed.

  Three more suitors fell by the wayside in quick succession. Each of them quickly and quietly rebuffed and discharged with a smile and a few words. Simon wasn’t sure if he should laugh at their foolishness or cry for their ruined egos. For his part, Sparkle remained nonplussed, flicking his ponytail to the side as he reclined in his seat.

  “Let’s show them how it’s done,” Simon said, grinning to himself.

  Simon left the safety of his office and strode confidently to where Sparkle was sitting.

  “Mind if I sit here?”

  “You’re the boss,” Sparkle said.

  Simon took his seat and turned to face the bored diva.

  “It seems like you and I both attract a lot of unwanted attention.”

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” Sparkle replied, taking another pull on his drink.

  “Well how about we give each other a break? Since I’m the boss, I will give you the grand t
our, and you can save me from having to talk to somebody I would rather avoid,” Simon said, looking slightly paranoid.

  Sparkle examined his face and narrowed his eyes. Simon struggled to keep a smile from creeping across his face. The young man was too cute; even his serious expressions were adorable.

  “Okay, the grand tour, and it better be grand,” Sparkle agreed, finishing off his drink and standing up. The sly minx made a great show of adjusting his towel, tucking it with a flourish that tantalized with the promise of naked flesh, but did not satisfy.

  “Ready when you are,” Sparkle said, with a sexy smile, that let Simon know that the younger man was on to his game.

  “I’m always ready,” Simon growled in a low and sexy tone, leaning in as he spoke so that only Sparkle could hear him. “But I think you know that, don’t you?”

  Simon ran the tip of his fingers down the length of Sparkle’s right arm, stopping at the locker key dangling from his wrist, briefly, before gripping Sparkle’s hand and leading him away from the pool and all of the prying eyes.

  Simon was as good as his word, showing Sparkle all of the amenities available and describing the services in detail. Sparkle listened attentively, wearing an expression Simon had only ever seen on women who were house hunting.

  Sparkle asked questions, seemingly caught up in Simon’s grand vision. Soon, Simon found himself explaining his hopes for expanding and opening a second location in a new city. Something smaller and more intimate. A secret hideaway of sorts. Sparkle was impressed by his ideas and even offered up a few of his own.

  The whole time, Simon never released Sparkle’s hand. Simon caught a few surprised looks from the regulars. He even found himself grinning, as the four men who struck out turned green with envy, as the pair toured the complex.

  Simon always considered himself a bit of a peacock, preferring to be a one-man show rather than part of a pair. But then again, how do you out-diva THE diva. And Sparkle was a certified diva. For the first time in his life, Simon had to admit that he liked the idea of having somebody on his arm. After all, what was the point in filling his roster with easy prey and willing sacrifices? The only thing better than one peacock was two.