4. CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

Even as Dorsey stared at himself in the mirror, he grimaced. He hadn't cared what he'd looked like until Mercury said he'd join them at the casino. "I can't," he tried to tell Macon, even though he hated saying it since he was the friend who had designed the clothes.

"What?" Macon practically screeched as he prowled around Dorsey. "You look amazing."

He couldn't deny that, with his purple top and black skirt, his body was completely on display. But it was his purple eyeliner and incandescent eyeshadow, with a dark lip gloss, that made the entire outfit stand out. He hated to admit it, but Jesse, who suggested the color for him, was right. He looked good in purple.

Still, he might look good, but he was too nervous to go. What if Mercury didn't like that he wore make-up? "I can't," he blurted out.

It was as if Macon hadn't heard him as he shoved Dorsey outside and into Tyge's SUV. Tyge whistled. "Whoo hoo. You look hot. The single guys in Cedar Falls better be ready."

Dorsey ducked his head at the compliment. "Thank you," he barely managed to mumble.

"Awww, are you being shy right now?" Vail chuckled. "Trust me, Mercury is going to be knocked off his ass when he sees you."

"Right," Macon agreed as he got in the vehicle and kissed Tyge. "I mean, all of my clothes are perfect, but you are an amazing model."

Macon might have been a somewhat new friend, but he'd been one of those people who sort of forced his way into Dorsey's life. After three months, Macon had become more like a… brother? Was that even possible after only having known him for such a short time?

Yet, he knew it was.

Right?

Yes.

"Thanks," he told the one person he befriended after moving to Cedar Falls. "I think." Actually, he didn't like standing out. Dorsey had never been a fan of being noticed. Well, for his fudge, he had, but otherwise, he'd have preferred not to be noticed.

"Stop." Vail placed a hand on his arm. "I get you're nervous, but there's no reason to be. You are stunning."

"What if he doesn't like me wearing make-up?" Dorsey hated even asking the question. But he'd learned long ago that not everyone was comfortable with what he was wearing. His father had beat the hell out of him the first time he'd seen Dorsey wearing lip gloss. But it had been when his father had put him in the hospital after daring to wear pink that he'd learned to never show this side of himself.

He wasn't even certain why he'd admitted his secrets to Macon. It had only caused him pain in his life. His mother had accepted him as he was, but it hadn't been enough. After waking up in hospital with a broken leg, collar bone, and wrist, he'd never once let anyone see him as other than a strong black man.

"You are still a strong black man," Macon said from the front seat. "Makeup and a skirt don't change that."

Vail wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Makeup and clothes don't change any of that."

Had he really spoken his fears aloud? Based on Macon and Vail's comments, he had.

"I agree," the big native American Lakota said. "I have only met Mercury once, but he seemed likable enough."

He certainly hoped so. Just as they pulled into the casino's parking lot, he prayed that his friends were right.

They'd hardly stopped when his door was suddenly opened. "I told you purple was your color," Jesse exclaimed as he pulled Dorsey out of the SUV. "You are stunning," Jesse told him as he pulled Dorsey in for a hug. "Mercury is damn lucky to have found you."

"But he doesn't even know me yet." Fear coursed through him as he worried the blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty would be appalled when he saw the true Dorsey.

Jesse laughed even as he wrapped an arm around Dorsey's waist and led him into the casino. "Are you kidding me? He wasn't able to take his eyes off of you."

"Maybe, but I wasn't…" He waved a hand up and down his body to indicate what he was wearing and his makeup.

Jesse waved a dismissive hand at him. "Please. He's going to adore you."

If only Dorsey believed that.

"Sit with me at the blackjack table," Jesse insisted. "Yvonne, have you met Dorsey?" Jesse asked the blackjack dealer. "He's with me tonight." Then he slapped down two hundred dollars.

Next thing Dorsey knew, he had a stack of chips in front of him. "Now, I expect you to do me right this time, Yvonne," Jesse told the woman who rolled her eyes at Jesse.

"You know as well as I do, the cards are the cards. If you'd stop trying always to get twenty-one, you could win at some point." Yvonne smiled at Dorsey. "But it is nice to meet a new face. Piece of advice; do the exact opposite of Jesse, and you'll win."

Jesse scowled at her. "Hey. Not nice."

"Maybe not," she said. "But it is still the truth."

She placed two cards in front of each of them and a woman sitting there when they arrived. Turning over their cards, Dorsey wasn't entirely certain what to do. He wasn't a gambler. Like ever. But he did understand the basics. Still, he was dealt a seventeen. Not the best.

"Hit me," Jesse said, even though he had a nineteen. Dorsey was beginning to understand Yvonne's warning.

Three hands later, he could only shake his head at Jesse. Yvonne had a damn good point. It was as if Jesse tried to lose.

"You look delicious, sweetness."

The sound of Mercury's voice in his ear sent a shiver through Dorsey even as he whipped around in his seat until he came face to face with him. "You don't think it's…?" he just couldn't finish that thought.

No matter how much he loved what he was wearing, the echoes of his father berating him for wearing "girls' clothes"–his father's words, not his–refused to leave him alone. His anxiety was high that Mercury wouldn't like it either, even if he had just paid Dorsey a compliment.

As if sensing what he'd been about to ask, Mercury pulled him up out of his chair and right into his arms. "I'm hoping you brought more of that lip gloss because it would be a shame to mess it up when I kiss you, sweetness."

Startled, he hadn't been prepared for Mercury to lean up and kiss him right in front of everyone. And it wasn't a quick peck on the lips. No. Mercury made kissing an art form as he took Dorsey's mouth with his own.

One hand threaded through his hair, holding him in place as Mercury licked along Dorsey's lips before dipping his tongue into his opened lips. Unable to stop himself, Dorsey moaned even as Mercury took his time mapping out every inch of his mouth as if memorizing it for future reference.

"Parker, give me back my phone," Jesse screeched. "They were right there, two-feet from me. Of course, I'm going to record it."

"Angel, we've talked about this, and you are not posting the couples in this town on the Cedar Falls website." Parker's tone was unyielding.

"No, you keep stopping me, but we didn't agree to any of it. Clearly, they don't care who watches them if they are doing it in the middle of the casino." Jesse sounded irritated, but Dorsey couldn't care one little bit if he was being recorded or not.

He might prefer not to have this kiss shared online, but so long as Mercury didn't stop, he just couldn't care less. Nor did it matter that he actually whimpered in dismay when their kiss ended.

"Sorry about that sweetness. But you taste so damn good I got carried away," Mercury told him, even as he continued to hold Dorsey close. "Would you like to continue playing blackjack? A chair opened up next to you that I could sit at."

"That would be nice. Although," his gaze shot over to Jesse, who was once more scowling at Yvonne. "Maybe we should play at another table. Jesse is really bad at this."

Mercury held up his arm for Dorsey to take. Damn, if his cheeks didn't heat up at the gesture. Most people assumed he'd be the one to take charge of a date because he was bigger than Mercury, but he had to admit, his heart was racing that his date seemed to know that wasn't who he was.

"How about a little roulette?" Mercury offered, most likely because there were only two people at it, which would hopefully offer them a chance to talk.

"How long have you lived in Cedar Falls?" Mercury asked after they placed their bets.

"Just a few months. I was living in Chicago, but no matter how many jobs I worked, it seemed like I could barely pay my bills." He shook his head slightly. "It had always been my dream to open my own store."

A hand was placed against his lower back, making Dorsey feel…cherished and cared for. It was a bit surreal to realize Mercury seemed to know what he wanted without being told.

"What about you?" Dorsey asked just as the ball settled on red–twelve. Neither of them had bet on that number.

"Six weeks. I worked at a law firm in Atlanta for a couple of years and got burned out by the long hours with no time for a life outside of work." They both placed another bet. "Don't get me wrong, thanks to Dion, who helped me out of a sticky situation ten years ago, I love being a lawyer. I just don't want it to be my whole life."

That was something Dorsey was beginning to understand. "Yeah, I hadn't exactly been prepared for the long hours that would be involved in running Tasty Balls all by myself. If it hadn't been for Macon and the other guys helping when they can, I'd never get out of the store except to sleep."

"Are you making enough money to hire someone to help out?" Mercury had bet on black and won. Gathering his chips in front of him, they each placed another bet.

This time, Dorsey went with red instead of a number. He may not win as much, but he wasn't looking to get rich. He was just having a good time. And damn, he was having a difficult time looking away from those mesmerizing blue eyes that seemed to see right into his soul.

"Yeah. Actually, it's doing really well. Better than I had imagined. I plan on asking Jesse if he knows of anyone looking to make a little extra money." Since he had to make the fudge in the mornings, he figured he might be able to hire someone in the evenings for a couple of hours and to close up. As it was, to go out to the casino, he'd had to close early.

That time, Dorsey won. Now, at least five more people had joined the table. That warm hand was once more on his lower back. "Would you like to head to the bar and have a drink so we can talk some more?" Mercury asked.

Nodding, they gathered their chips and headed to the far side of the room, where a bar was tucked along one wall. His heart fluttered when Mercury pulled his chair out for him. He was seriously hitting every item on Dorsey's wish list for a boyfriend.

His chills were getting chills. Then, to make it even better, Mercury turned his chair to face Dorsey. He was so going to fall for this man if he continued to be that sweet and attentive.

"So I have to ask," Mercury said after they ordered a drink. "Tasty Balls?"

He felt his cheeks heat up, Dorsey just hoped his blush didn't show. "When I got to Cedar Falls and saw the names of the other stores, I knew I had to come up with a name similar to everyone else's. I wanted to fit in, you know?"

He took a sip of the drink the bartender put in front of him. "Jesse and the others helped me come up with it."

"Well, your mouth tasted divine, so I have high hopes the rest of you will too." Fuck. He so wanted that to happen.