25. Rhys

25

RHYS

I stared at the red doors of the dark, nondescript building, the appearance of it at odds with what we'd find inside. Next to me, Cal stood antsy and discomfited. I reached for his hand and had to pry it away from his leg like it was his silent protest at being there. He eyed the bright poster advertising Elysium's “What A Drag (Queen) Night” in front of us, his annoyance radiating palpably.

“I can't believe you dragged me here,” he muttered.

“Was that pun intended?” I snorted.

“Bite me, Sweetness,” he retorted, but I could see the hint of a smile breaking through. It was terrible of me, but his obvious unease was highly amusing.

“You're crazy uncomfortable right now, aren't you?” I probed.

“Yep.”

“Thinking of bolting?”

“It's an option currently being considered.”

“Would you stay for a Scooby snack?” I teased, biting my lip at the glare on his gorgeous face.

“Only if that snack is hanging between your legs.”

“What about a blowjob?”

The side eye he shot me exposed his interest in my offer, but he continued to grumble under his breath.

“I'm open to negotiations… ”

“How about a 69?” I suggested mischievously.

“Intriguing, but I think you can do better than that,” he replied nonchalantly. My mind flew to the package that had been delivered to my apartment earlier that day that was now tucked safely in my overnight bag back at Cal’s place. The ideas I had in mind were deliciously scintillating.

“What if I add in a special toy I ordered for us that just so happened to arrive today?” I asked innocently.

Cal narrowed his eyes at me for a second, thinking it over. “Throw in a ride on my cock until you scream and you've got a deal, Sweetness.”

Heat flooded my cheeks and my cock stirred below. I pecked a quick kiss to his lips, smiling at him victoriously. “I love how you negotiate.”

“There you guys are! Sorry we're late, but it takes work to look this flawless!” a female voice called out.

I spun to my right, catching sight of Fin and his friend Aly from the haunted house hurrying down the sidewalk toward us. Fin looked stunning in his bright blue crop top and skin tight black pants, his smoky eyeliner making his teal eyes pop. Aly was in a fitted gray dress that had cutouts running down the sides, her makeup done expertly with her pink hair in a high ponytail that swung behind her. Even being gay I recognized she looked hot.

“Umm, speak for yourself. I was ready a full thirty minutes before you, you high maintenance hyena” Fin teased her, earning him a smack on the shoulder.

“Excuse you, but you can't rush perfection. Hi Rhys! It's so good to see you again!” Aly chirped, flashing me a bright smile. “Is this the infamous boyfriend?”

“It's good to see you too! And yep, this is Cal. Thanks for inviting us to tag along by the way,” I smiled back. “How did you even get tickets to this thing?”

“One of my dance instructors performs here and he gave me a handful of tickets for tonight. His stage name is Lady Poppy Cox and you'll just love him! Didn't you say you had a couple other people coming too?”

“I invited a couple of my friends since his roommate was busy tonight. I hope that's okay,” Cal chimed in .

“Oh of course! The more, the merrier! They better hurry though, the doors are about to open.”

Just as the words left her mouth, Cal was barreled into by a muscular body and a flash of auburn hair. I forced myself to relax and not react to Griffin being here because I wanted to give him a chance for Cal's sake. He had apologized back on New Year's after all, but I'd be lying if I said his hands on Cal didn't make me twitch violently.

“What's cracking, Hawk? Hey Rhys, how you doing?” Griffin asked, his smile tentative but not forced.

“I'm good, Griffin,” I responded politely. “Glad you and Kenji could make it.”

“Thanks for the invite,” Kenji replied, hands in his pockets and nodding at me.

“We wouldn't miss it. So what's the plan for tonight anyway? What's—does that say drag queen? Hold up, that dude's in a dress over there,” Griffin squawked, looking around like he just noticed where he was. Cal snorted a laugh, pulling Griffin's arm off his shoulder where it hung.

“I thought it'd be more entertaining if you walked into this blind. I just love being right,” he chortled. Kenji's eyebrows only arched in curiosity while Griffin was still looking around in bewilderment.

“Do you have a problem with drag queens? If you're gonna be all prudish about it, you don't have to come in. We'll all just silently judge you while you're out here alone and we're having a blast inside,” Fin piped up, fluttering his lashes obnoxiously at Griffin with an innocent smile.

Griffin's attention caught on Fin and I could have sworn he looked redder all of a sudden. “I don't have a problem! It just threw me for a second, but I'm all good now. Everything's chill. I’m down for the dude dresses. Plus if I don't go in with y'all, I'll be denied the pleasure of your company, cutie,” he countered, aiming a charming smirk at Fin. I noticed that Fin seemed flustered by the comment, but he quickly schooled his features.

“If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting with me, straight boy,” Fin retorted, angling his face up at Griffin since he only came up to his shoulder.

“Never said I was straight,” Griffin winked. To his left, Kenji shook his head and Cal snickered under his breath.

“My apologies. The dude-bro ensemble and stench of fragile masculinity must have overwhelmed me,” Fin sassed with that sweet smile still in place. Griffin wasn't phased, his own smile growing.

“Well, there's nothing silent about your judgment. I can practically smell it,” he cheeked.

“Here I thought that was your Axe body spray. That went out of vogue about twenty years ago, gramps.”

“Alright, shove your sexual tension, you two! Let's go inside already,” Aly sounded off, steering Fin to the doors by his elbow, leaving the four of us to follow.

“You literally can't help yourself, can you, Griff?” Kenji complained, muttering something else in Japanese and knocking into him playfully.

“I think he's finally found someone immune to his charms. He might not survive it,” Cal joked as Griff bopped him on the back of the head.

“Shut up, fuckers. I'm not trying to charm anyone. He's not my type,” Griffin grumbled, but there was no hiding the flush staining his neck and face.

We got settled at a table to the right of the stage near the front, Aly's connection securing us the spot. We chatted and ordered drinks while waiting for the show to start, and finally the lights went down and the music cranked up. A tall, svelte man in a sequined silver dress stepped onto the stage to thunderous applause. Her perfect smile was pearly white against her smooth, dark skin. Her makeup was showy and extravagant, a diamond notched in her broad nose, her red wig flowing in giant curls over her shoulders while she blew kisses to the audience.

“Bienvenue and welcome, my beautiful ones! I am your hostess with the mostess, Madame Roxie Rouge. Tonight you are in for a delicious treat. We have big voices, big dicks, and even bigger tits waiting to dazzle your asses off with some of the best damn drag talent Austin has seen in years!” Her melodic tenor voice boomed across the room causing it to erupt in cheers and whistles that nearly ruptured my ear drums.

Madame Roxie shimmied and laughed, playing to the crowd like a pro. “I am loving this energy! I haven't been hooted at this much since my sparkling performance at San Quentin. Don't worry babies, a lot of you will also be gay for the stay while you're here too. Johnny Cash can't turn a man like I can, bitches! ”

Laughter echoed throughout the room, the atmosphere contagious and electric. Beside me, Cal was getting into the show too, slinging his arm around me and pulling me to his side. The gesture had my blood buzzing, intoxicated by the easy affection he showed me now. He sensed me watching him and flashed me a warm smile that made my heart palpitate.

The last two months had been incredible with him. His weekly practices and weekend games cut into a lot of our time together, but we found ways to make it work. The games had begun in early February, and he still went to all of them despite his suspension. I was proud of him for going to support his team even though I could tell it ate at him not to be on the field. Strangely enough, not much had changed from how we were before Christmas. We still hung out and talked daily, our banter and teasing as relentless as ever.

Only now Cal kissed me each hour, he touched me whenever I was within reach, and he looked at me like I was what he'd been waiting for his whole life. He'd rooted himself so deeply into my life and my heart that it was impossible to imagine a time he wasn't there. I leaned over to kiss him, the action intrinsic to how we were together. He pressed back, deepening it briefly before pulling away and squeezing my arm.

I focused back on the show and not my heartstopping boyfriend. The crowd was laughing at something else the hostess said before she calmed them with a flick of her manicured hand.

“Now, I know you didn't just come here to see me, although who could blame you? Let's get this evening started and meet some queens! Without further ado, please pull your hands out of your pants and put them together for the lovely and tantalizing Miss Regina Carina!”

A shorter, stout drag queen stepped from behind the curtain with a dramatic flare, her blond wig piled high on his head. Her feathery blue dress ruffled with each step she took and looked like something out of the twenties. Her makeup complimented her pale skin and was just as beautiful as Roxie’s. From the sides, a handful of big, muscled men in matching blue thongs danced out to surround her. Their strips of cloth did nothing to hide all their well-endowed…talent. Regina strutted to center stage, striking a pose as “Bad Romance” blared from the speakers. She started belting out the lyrics, her voice perfectly in tune and riling up the audience with her larger than life performance.

With a wave of the mic, she urged us all to join in on the chorus, the noise tremendous as the packed room warbled along with her. My friends and I cackled and bellowed along with everyone else, having more fun than I thought possible given our strange mixed group.

The next few performers were just as riveting and impressive, their song choices spanning decades and always crowd-pleasing. And each time, the same brawny quintet danced out with their matching underwear, which I didn’t mind in the slightest. Every now and then, I caught Fin and Griffin staring intently at each other, something in their gazes that was almost challenging. It didn't seem like anyone else at our table noticed, but there was no mistaking the weird tension between them.

Madame Roxie made her way back on stage after a couple more drag queens did their numbers. “Weren't these ladies fabulous? But I hope you all are ready for my favorite part of the evening. We are about to get turnt up and turned on with Elysium's amateur men's lap dance competition! I'm going to need some sexy volunteers from the audience please!”

The colorful lights flashed across the room as we all looked around, pausing on a couple of guys who shot their hands up in the air. After those two, Roxie looked around and pouted prettily.

“Oh come now gentlemen! Get on up here and shake what your mama gave ya! How about you, gorgeous?” Roxie's bold gaze landed on our table, her eyes pinned on Cal. I felt Cal stiffen next to me and I had to bite the inside of my cheek from busting a gut at his startled expression.

Our group shrieked and goaded him on, Kenji shoving him out of his chair quickly. Cal flashed me a nervous look before slowly making his way to the stage.

“There you go, baby. I promise I don't bite…that's for later,” Roxie teased, blowing him a kiss as we laughed along. “Do I have one more brave and studly participant willing to show us the goods?”

I knew instantly what Cal had planned when he aimed his wicked smirk back toward our table. He whispered in Roxie's ear, pointing to Griffin whose eyes practically popped out of his skull. He was shaking his head so hard it made my own neck hurt.

“Hell no! Don't do this to me, Hawk, you asshole motherfucker!” Griffin groused, Kenji and Aly cracking up beside him.

“Go on, straight boy. Put that pretty body to good use and show us what you got…or are you lacking balls as well as a fashion sense?” Fin quipped, leaning across the table with an impish grin. Griffin gave him a withering glare, jaw clenching as he reluctantly stood up and started toward the stage. He shoved Cal in the arm hard, but Cal just laughed and elbowed him in the ribs.

“Okay, ladies and hunkies, here are the rules. Our contestants each get two to three minutes to bump, grind and make you lose your mind! They can show as much skin as they want, so long as it's legal. Anything beyond that is for whoever is lucky enough to take these sexy bastards home! Contestants, pick a song, pick a lap, and let's dance !”

The first of the four contestants told the DJ their song choice, then he waltzed over to a girl at one of the tables, starting a slow body roll over her as the music started up. He danced and moved to the thumping beat of Ginuwine's “Pony”, which would have been a solid choice if he hadn't made it look so awkward. The crowd applauded as the second dancer talked to the DJ and then made his way to a curvy lady in the middle of the room.

He was a little smoother than the first, grinding along to The Weeknd as the lady blushed and tried to hide her face as he moved over her. I looked up to Cal on stage, his eyes meeting mine almost immediately, even in the dark. The awareness we had of each other was as powerful as it was consuming. I gave him an encouraging smile and he winked in return, warming me from the inside out.

Then it was his turn, the DJ queuing up his song. He gracefully hopped off the stage, sauntering over to me slowly. It took me a second to peg the sounds of “Bom Bidi Bom” and Nick Jonas’ crooning voice, but my mind whited out when Cal started moving seductively to the music. His body was toned and rippling under his shirt, each move he made looking smooth and practiced. His eyes stayed glued to mine, burning away everything around us with the heat he seared me with. When the bass kicked in, Cal teased at the hem of his shirt, drawing it up over his back and whipping it off in time with the beat.

He swung a leg over mine, straddling me while standing and rolling his body to the chorus. Cal grabbed my hands and moved them down his chest to the lyrics, and sparks pricked at my fingertips as they swept down his body. It was erotic and sensual, igniting my arousal instantly. I could barely concentrate on any one sensation, completely overwhelmed with how devastatingly sexy Cal was. I pulled in a stuttered breath as he moved off my lap for the second verse, slowly circling me as he continued to sway and roll with the sultry tones. I dug my nails into my palms, clenching every muscle tight to hold off the tingling of an impending orgasm.

No no, please God, not now. I cannot blow from a lap dance. I will literally perish in a ball of flame from humiliation if that happens. Think unsexy thoughts, think unsexy thoughts…gross feet, crying babies, smelly jockstraps, Cal in a jockstrap, Cal pulling off that jockstrap and bending over—NO! BAD! You stop it right now!

The spiral of my thoughts helped distract me just enough to stem the building release, but my erection was still dangerously hard while Cal spun around and put his back to me, dropping into my lap just enough to tease but barely touch. He was mesmerizing, all eyes watching him with rapt attention. You could sense the shift in the atmosphere, the air feeling heavy and lustful as Cal danced. Finally, the song faded out as Cal finished with one last immaculate body roll, landing on my lap and capturing my lips in a blistering kiss. The whoops and hollers from the crowd sounded fuzzy, blood pounding in my ears as Cal owned me with his sinful lips.

Too soon, he released me and I sucked down a lungful of oxygen. My head was swimming with Cal the only thing in perfect focus. My world began and ended with him, and I sat ensnared like I was completely attuned to his unique frequency.

He climbed off me, plopping down in the seat next to me like nothing had happened. I was still shell-shocked by his performance when the raspy voice of Rihanna's “S&M” blared over the club. My attention snapped to Griffin who was playing to the crowd, trying to get them to clap along to the beat. To his credit, he had his own magnetism that drew people to him like Cal did though in a different way, and he had the audience eating out of his hand.

He flashed a bright smile, grinding his hips and doing some impressive moves as the song played. He then yanked off his shirt and pretended to wipe down his chest, the movement suggestive and hot. The crowd whistled, loving every second. Griffin then zeroed in on Fin who was sitting ramrod straight in his chair, his jaw hanging as he watched Griffin approach him. Griffin threw his shirt around Fin's neck, gripping both ends and using it to pull Fin close to him as he rolled his body perfectly. Fin's face was nearly buried in Griffin's abs until the shirt disappeared, Fin being pushed back in his seat as Griffin dropped on his lap.

The energy between them was thick and palpable, their eyes locked on one another intensely. Fin shook off his surprise, waggling his brows and biting his lip enticingly up at Griffin. He threw himself into the performance, scraping down Griffin's chest provocatively. Griffin pulled away, shaking his finger at Fin and instead throwing a leg over Aly's chair and grinding on her during the last seconds of the song. I cast a glance at Fin whose face was bright red, his eyes narrowed in displeasure at the scene next to him. I couldn't quite tell if it was out of annoyance or jealousy, but something told me my friend had succumbed to Griffin's charms whether he realized it or not.

The song finished to resounding applause while Madame Roxie took the stage again to declare a winner.

“Whew! That was too hot for words,” Roxie exclaimed, fanning herself dramatically. “What a satisfying finish, and I don't just mean my own…speaking of, does anyone have a cigarette? Anywho my beauties, let's move on to the good part and give it up for your favorite dancer! The loudest cheers will declare the winner of our amateur lap dance contest!”

Roxie made her way to each contestant, waving her hand over them in turn and eliciting cheers from the room. The first two contestants got roughly the same applause, but when she reached Cal, the noise amplified to absurd levels. Cal waved at the room with an embarrassed smile, and I planted a kiss on his heated cheek. However, when Roxie waved over Griffin’s head, the screeches and claps made me flinch in my seat, deafening in the confines of the building. Shock colored Griffin’s face, but quickly morphed into a wide smile as he stood and gave an exaggerated bow. We all laughed and cheered him on, except for Fin who was notably more subdued. He caught my concerned gaze, but plastered a smile on that I wasn’t buying. He shook his head at me subtly, so I decided to drop it…for now.

We soon exited the building into the humid Texas air, the slight breeze doing nothing to cool my sweaty skin. Kenji was giving Griffin crap for refusing to take off the plastic crown he got for winning, and we all cracked up when Fin snatched it off his head and took off running. Griffin cursed and shot off after him, but poor Fin hadn’t stood a chance against the solid Lacrosse player. Griffin snagged Fin around his waist, yanking him off the ground as Fin yelped in surprise. I couldn’t hear what Griffin whispered in Fin’s ear, but whatever it was had Fin relaxing in his hold and gnawing his bottom lip. I looked away, uncomfortable at the weirdly intimate moment going on between them. I’d probably get the play by play from Fin later, whether I wanted it or not.

“Did you enjoy the show, Sweetness?” Cal hummed in my ear. His sultry tone slid down my body like warm water, making me shiver in his grasp. His arm slid around my stomach, securing me to his chest where I could feel his heartbeat through my skin. “I believe you owe me a ride for holding up my end of our bargain. And I think there was also something about a special toy you had for us?”

“I think you were hearing things. I don’t recall saying that,” I panted out, my breathing turning shallow with need. Cal growled in my ear and ground his thickened cock against my crease. A desperate whimper escaped me, his inaudible chuckle vibrating through my back.

“Is that so? Well, how about I turn you into my personal toy for the night instead? I’ll tie you down and use your hot little body to get myself off. I’ll have you begging for release when I flood your sweet hole with my cum.”

I dropped my head back on his shoulder, chest thudding out an unsteady rhythm at the salacious picture he drew. “What if I had something else in mind?” I rasped.

Cal spun me around to face him, gripping the back of my neck to hold me still as he licked lightly around the outline of my lips. I tried chasing his lips for a kiss, but his grip kept me just out of reach as he continued his gentle assault. I was vaguely aware that I should have been embarrassed by our display out on the crowded street, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Not with the fire Cal was stoking in my body, spreading fast and hot until I was sure I’d combust. His lips finally covered mine, his tongue sweeping in to tease at my own.

In the next second, he tugged me back and gave me a devious smile that I felt down in my groin.

“Do you worst, Sweetness.”