Chapter Twelve

Finley

F inley's heart raced as they joined the evening traffic, and for the first time in two years, he imagined his life beyond the day-by-day survival. A trip on a bike with Kage, a lazy Saturday in front of the telly wrapped under one blanket, slow kisses and intense sex. Could it be his life one day? Would Kage even want that?

Guilt churned in Finley's gut at the happy thoughts when memories of what had happened on this date two years ago were fresh in his mind. The first of October marked the horrible day he'd lost contact with Max, only to find out hours later that he would never hear from his son again. Amidst the cacophony of people and events in Finley's life, he hadn't noticed when the gloomy thoughts of joining his son had crumbled to dust. He was mourning but he was also alive.

All too soon they reached the club's back entrance. Kage pulled the bike up in the gated staff car park and switched off the engine. Finley's hands were still around Kage's waist, and he felt Kage's own hands slide over to cover them. The touch of Kage's leather gloves over his cold hands sent a shiver through Finley. How would they feel on his cock? He imagined Kage's long, gloved fingers sliding deep into his ass. Fuck, the ride and the closeness made him horny, and he wished Kage would bend him over the bike now and have his way with him.

Kage's rules aside, they shouldn't be late for the show. He stood up and Kage followed, wincing as he put a hand on his hip.

"You alright?" Finley asked.

"Yes, my head suffered no injuries. But my hair is another matter." Kage smirked and accepted the helmet from Finley. "I'll meet you at the entrance to the theatre."

They went their separate ways to change into their clubwear, and soon, Finley had his chest harness on and leathers tucked into boots. He'd grown to love the clothes so much, he felt naked without the harness. He'd also been looking into getting a leather vest and a jockstrap like the one Kage had made him wear for their scene.

Tonight's Drag Lip Sync show took place in the Theatre, named for its layout with an elevated stage. The crimson curtains still hung closed, indicating he was on time.

"I'll get us drinks." Kage's voice in his ear sent shivers through him, and he wanted to lean into Kage's hand on his lower back, the bare skin there tingling at the contact.

Finley turned his head, putting his face an inch from Kage's. The man didn't back away. His black shirt was open at the collar, showing only a hint of his necklace, and his leathers disappeared into polished harness boots.

"It's my turn, remember? What do you want?"

"Two fingers..." Kage's eyes were on Finley's lips as he said it… "of Shōchū. Thanks."

Fucking hell, just take me right here.

Finley pulled himself away and headed for the bar manned by Bobby and Julie for the night, and stood in the queue. Spotting him, Bobby took his order and winked, returning to the rest of the customers.

A mountain of a man with the sweetest smile approached him. A crimson and red leather harness adorned his wide chest, and his thick thighs popped out of latex shorts that looked tiny on him. The club patrons who'd complimented Finley on his burly body and muscle mass should see this guy.

He wasn't in the headspace for flirting, and in this club, the wedding ring on the man's finger didn't mean exclusivity. Finley spotted the steel purple cuff, the same as Finley's, suggesting he was not here to play.

Despite his huge stature, the man had the kindest expression on his face as he ordered a set of drinks. "I love your tattoos," he said, eyeing Finley's chest. "I'm Brendan."

"Thanks. Finley."

"Are you Kage's sub?"

I wish. "What? No. What made you say that?" Finley released a short laugh that proved why he'd never joined the theatre at school.

"Shit, I'm sorry. The way he looked at you before you came here." He blushed, poking at the coaster at the bar. "I'm just saying that I've seen that expression before, but never on him." Brendan twisted the ring on his finger. "We can be blind to how the other person sees us and sometimes we need to take the first step. Believe me, I know. I thought I was flirting with Hugh and giving him subtle hints for a year, but he never noticed. I've been learning to speak out since then, because I almost ruined my shot with him."

That explained his quite random piece of advice to a stranger.

"But it all worked out in the end?" Finley gestured to the ring.

"Yes, but that's because we took a chance on each other." Brendan clapped Finley on the shoulder hard enough to dislocate it, then blushed as he looked somewhere behind Finley.

"Are you meddling?" A slim man in a bright pink waistcoat and hair the same colour slapped Brendan's asscheek. "I swear, you're spending too much time with my auntie." The guy turned to Finley. "I'm Hugh." He shook Finley's hand.

"My fiance," Brendan added with the most adorable grin on his face.

Hugh kissed Brendan's cheek. "Where are you sitting?" he asked Finley.

"Lounge eight."

"That's us as well." Brendan wrapped an arm around Hugh and pulled him close. "So you're with Lucy's party, too. We have the best seats in the house."

Finley didn't turn at the sound of boots behind him, but he was certain who the gait belonged to.

"I see you met my coworker—friend." Kage said this in a casual tone, but Finley relished the way his hand rested possessively on his back. "I came over to see what was taking so long."

"We did. Now, take your friend to join us other couples." Hugh pulled Brendan close to him, even though he was half his body weight.

"There you go, lads." Tom slid a tray with their collective drinks on the bar and they each took one.

Finley bit his cheek and expected Kage to take his hand away, but instead, he led Finley towards their seats.

The large balcony lounge had sofas and armchairs rather than chairs. The theatre layout below and lush decor added a dramatic air to the place, but with comfortable modern seating.

Kage took the middle two-seater and pulled Finley down with him. Their thighs brushed and a giddy thrill travelled through Finley as the unmistakable vibe of a date surrounded them.

"Mat and Peyton can't make it today," Hugh said, slipping his phone back into the pocket of his waistcoat. "But they sent a treat parcel for the puppies."

"Aww." Brendan twisted the straw of his drink. "And you said four would be too many. Everyone loves them."

"Yes, but four is my limit," Hugh said, causing Brendan to pout.

By the look of utter adoration on Hugh's face, Finley was sure Brendan could pout his way through any argument and win in the end.

Two men holding hands took the other empty lounge on the balcony and Finley recognized Master E, Latif's younger brother. He and his husband Brian frequented the club, often demonstrating flogging and other forms of impact play together. Both lean-muscled and tall, they attracted crowds to their public scenes in droves.

Latif had introduced them to Finley a few weeks back, and it was nice to see them joining the audience. Master E's signature blue hair, styled in a fashionable swoop, added flair to his black leather attire, complete with knee-high boots. Brian wore the ever-present Sub collar on his neck made of steel beads, binding him to his Dom as much as the ring on his finger.

Finley had learnt a library worth of kink information since starting work at the club, be that from Kage, Latif, or through his own research. That info helped him be a part of the community that embraced him without question, and had given him a safe space to explore his sexuality the way he'd never had the opportunity to before.

Sitting close to Kage amongst people who were comfortable in their skin, and with who and how they loved, Finley's heart hurt for Max. His son would never know the ups and downs of adulthood, of discovering new things about himself in his thirties, but also simple things like having his own family, buying a house, or going out with friends after work. If Finley had moved to London or anywhere else years ago, Max would still be alive. But that hadn't been an option before. Don Murphy wouldn't let them go. They knew too much. At times, Finley questioned if landing a job at the Handcuffs hadn't been a plot to keep an eye on him via a club owned by a fellow Don and his wife. Either way, thanks to the drastic change, Finley was reaching for things he'd never known he wanted, like leather gear and…Kage.

Today of all days, Finley needed Kage to make him float, to clear his head of everything. He wasn't in a position to demand anything from Kage so he'd take their proximity or anything else Kage might offer.

"You alright?" Kage asked and squeezed Finley's thigh.

Fuck, his thoughts must have shown on his face. He offered Kage a small smile and took his hand.

"Yeah. I am now."

Kage frowned, but held his hand tighter.

An idea, a proposal of sorts, had been taking root in Finley's head, and Brendan's words at the bar convinced him to take a leap of faith. Tonight, after the time at the pub and now, with Kage's hand warm in his, he was ready to ask the Dom on a date.

A real date.

"Kage, can we talk alone after the show?"

"Of course. We can go now, if you want. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes." He relaxed into his seat. "Let's enjoy the show first."

"We'll go to my room after."

Finley nodded. "Thanks."

The curtains opened and Lucy stepped onto the stage dressed in a Jessica Rabbit crimson dress, welcoming the gathered. She had been organising the event since she'd joined the club and Finley had heard rave reviews from patrons about it.

"I need to record the show for mum." Master E pulled out his phone and pointed it at the stage.

"Send it to mine too," Brian said, but his eyes remained on stage. "They'll probably watch together during their spa day tomorrow." He chuckled, elbowing his brother.

"They're inseparable lately." Brendan sat back and threw his massive arms over the backrest of the sofa. "So now, we'd have to take dad out or organise something together. Maybe a movie evening. Latif can bring his fab nail kit."

"We could bring him here." Hugh said with a straight face, then burst into laughter. "Dress him properly and he'd have twinks falling over him yelling, ‘Pick me, Daddy!'"

"Shut up!" Brian threw a wad of napkins at his brother-in-law.

"Hey, you're behaving like a bunch of brats. We're here to watch the show." Kage glared, but his lip twitched in amusement.

The band of men grumbled and focused on the show. Four queens dressed as Spice Girls, complete with Geri's Union Jack mini-dress, took the stage by storm, and soon everyone was singing along to Wannabe .

The easy camaraderie among the guys let a comforting sense of belonging creep into Finley's chest. But the cherry on top was Kage's hand in his. Finley tested the waters and leaned in even closer, his shoulder touching Kage's.

He couldn't remember the last time he had spent quality time with a partner, simply holding each other in a public place, or even at home. It must have been with Maggie when they were in their late teens and watching the telly after fooling around. Later, their marriage had been mostly focused on Maggie's pregnancy and Alice.

After so many years thinking he was straight, then a bit curious, he was now snuggling to the warmth of a man. And not an ounce of hesitation or apprehension crossed his mind. Not in regards to gender at least. Hopefully, Kage felt similar.

He sighed with such relief he shocked himself at his reaction. Was he that touch-starved? At first, he'd thought it was his sexual awakening that roused the new excitement in him, then he'd assumed it was Kage himself, single-handedly slapping Finley into the I-want-dick-now headspace, but maybe, he was just sad and lonely…

The effortless way Kage had reached out for Finley, touched his back, and held his hand could be simply the Dom's vibe. He must be used to touching people. After all, he had them on his stage three times a week. Except during scenes he wore rubber gloves.

Wait.

Finley sat straighter. "Did you wear gloves during our session?" Finley raised his voice over the audience clapping.

Looking ahead, Kage took a sip of his drink. "No."

"Why?" Did you want to touch me? Finley's heart beat faster.

"No reason." Kage let go of Finley's hand, scratched his jaw and crossed his arms.

And his touch was gone. Fuck.

Like a pendulum, Kage's responses were hot one moment, and cold the next. Was he overthinking the chemistry with Kage? It was hard to contain his pout. He was a grown-ass man for fuck's sake. Finley sat back and surveyed the crowd.

Off duty or not, Finley's senses went full alert at a ruckus in the corner. He shot to his feet, ready to intervene. Thankfully, it was only a group of friends late for the show, or rather three men in leather dog masks led by Mistress Renata. They joined Sadie's table where she sat with her girlfriend, watching her ex-husband introduce the next performer.

Jagoda was making rounds behind the tables and lounges, supervising. Finley swore she had more tattoos each time he saw her.

"Hey lads, look! It's Lucy's personal Chris Hemsworth." Hugh waggled his eyebrows as Jared approached their lounge.

Brendan grumbled and pulled Hugh closer.

"I love when you're jealous." Hugh kissed Brendan's bearded cheek. The couple radiated chemistry with their tiny touches and hushed whispers. "I'll have to show you what you're so protective of later."

"Hey, all. Lucy told me to watch from here." Jared perched his muscled ass at the edge of a seat and leaned forward.

He gave off positive vibes and Finley couldn't help but think his return might be good for Latif's heart. "How did you and Latif meet?" Finley asked, and downed the rest of his whiskey.

"We were neighbours as kids, so we basically grew up together. Then he was my wingman for girls and I was his for anyone he fancied." Jared shrugged, glanced at Finley, then returned his gaze to the stage. His heart eyes for Lucy were clear as day. "I was there when he met Sadie." He straightened in his seat abruptly. "Oh, shit."

"What is it?"

"Lucy has a wardrobe malfunction." Jared stood up and leaned over the balcony, his body at full alert.

"What? She looks fine." Finley took in Lucy's flawless smile and perfect posture even in her ridiculously-high ruby red sparkly heels.

"No. I can tell. I gotta go help." He ran behind the sofas and down the stairs to stage left like his ass was on fire.

Finley resumed watching the next act. When a Madonna in a spiky white bra finished singing, Lucy sashayed out in a golden dress and an elaborate blond wig. She concluded the show and invited everyone on stage for a group bow. Finley stood up alongside the rest of the crowd to clap and cheer. He spotted Jared to the side of the stage, behind a curtain with his face flushed and his eyes glued to Lucy.

Maybe Finley didn't know much about love, but he recognised a smitten man when he saw one.