Bringing Home Danny (41 page)

“
Good idea.”
 

*****

Ricky was home alone when the phone rang.

“
Ricky, is that you? Don't hang up. Just hear me out. Please.”
 

Ricky froze at the sound of his voice. His heart was beating as fast as the day he ran from campus. Finally able to speak, his words rushed out. “Brendan, you shouldn't be calling me here.”

“
Then where can I speak to you? I know you saw me the other day. If you had only stopped to talk to me, I wouldn't be calling you.”
 

“
We don't have anything to say to each other.”
 

“
I know I hurt you, but I've changed. I changed for you. I stopped juicing. It was making me crazy. I want to be able to make things up to you.”
 

“
I'm sorry. It's too late.”
 

“
Do you have any idea how much you're hurting me?”
 

Click.

Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring…Ricky stared at the phone, listening to it’s insistent ring. Unable to take it anymore, he picked it up. “Brendan, you have to stop calling here. If Mitch or Antonio find out...”
 

 “
Then meet with me somewhere. Give me a chance to apologize.”
 

“
I accept your apology, now let me be.”
 

When Ricky hung up the phone again he was shaking. It was on the tip of his tongue all night to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to burden anyone, particularly after all the grief he unintentionally caused by creating a rift in their relationship with Danny. He was also worried that if they found out Brendan was back in town, they would do something that could end with someone being arrested, or worse. Ricky was not in the frame of mind to be able to handle the guilt. Despite how things ended with Brendan, he did not want to see him hurt.

Unfortunately, Brendan had unresolved feelings about the end of their relationship, and was not going to be deterred that easily. Ricky had been the only thing on his mind since he left. He was a constant obsessive thought raging through his head - from the time he got up in the morning to the moment he fell asleep at night. Even in sleep, Brendan could not escape tormented thoughts of reuniting with him. If he could only have a few minutes with the boy of his dreams, he was sure he could convince Ricky that they were meant to be together.

Brendan waited outside Ricky’s current residence until he was sure Mitch and Antonio had left for the day.
It’s now or never
, he thought, as he made his way up the stairs to the townhouse. He wrapped continuously for several minutes, pumping himself up. Brendan was just about to give up when a slouchy, yet fetching, young man opened the door.
 

“
Is Ricky here?”
 

“
No.”
 

“
Is this the correct address?”
 

“
Yeah. What do you want?” Danny asked curtly.
 

“
I was in the area, and was hoping to see him before I leave.”
 

“
Who are you?”
 

“
A friend of his from back home. Who are you if you don't mind me asking?”
 

“
Dan,” he answered, with annoyance clear in his voice.
 

“
Nice to meet you, Dan.” Brendan held out his hand. “I don't remember Ricky mentioning that he was living with a hot little number that matches your description?”
 

“
Figures,” Danny said, refusing to shake his hand.
 

Brendan ignored the slight. Pressing his snubbed hand against the doorframe he took a quick scan inside the house. “He must be keeping you a secret.”

“
No, I'm not a secret. I'm just a houseguest.”
 

“
Another houseguest? How many are staying here exactly?”
 

“
I'm the only one. The rest live here.”
 

“
I thought Ricky was only staying temporarily.”
 

“
Not since he started sleeping with everyone.”
 

“
Really?” Brendan asked, masking his hostility.
That explains why he was not eager to meet with me.
 

“
Really,” Danny answered, tired of the conversation.
 

“
What about you?”
 

“
What about me?”
 

“
Why aren't you sleeping with them?”
 

“
I'm not their type.”
 

“
Really?” Brendan questioned, with flattering disbelief.
 

“
Really. Look, is there anything else you want?”
 

“
That depends. Are you free?”
 

Danny cocked his head and considered it. The man appeared about TJ's age, maybe a little older. He was definitely attractive. Big, too, and built. If only there wasn't something about him that put Danny off. He was too intense, too persistent. Danny had a hard time imagining that he could be a friend of Ricky's.

“
I'm kinda seeing someone.”
 

“
I won't be leaving for a few weeks. Maybe I'll see you around.”
 

“
Yeah, maybe.”
 

*****

Danny was feeling increasingly out of place at home. He phoned Ethan because he needed to get away. He wasn't really interested in him as a boyfriend, he was just a means to an end – an escape – a ride out. It didn’t matter that the men trusted him, or that he was attractive and kind, because Danny's heart was already taken. Bored with the usual places, Danny begged Ethan to bring him to a new club on the Upper East Side.

“
Expect to get a lot of attention in this place,” Ethan cautioned. He slipped his finger through the belt loop of Danny's pants and walked with him possessively to the bar.
 

“
Why?”
 

“
This place specializes in little twinks like you.”
 

“
A what?”
 

“
Man, you really are naive.”
 

“
I told you, I don't get out much.”
 

“
How much experience did you say you had with men?”
 

“
I live with four of them,” he said evasively.
 

“
True. They’re smokin' hot, too,” Ethan ribbed, wanting to make him jealous this
time.
 

“
They're all right. Are we going to play or not?” Danny asked, walking up to the pool table.
 

“
Sure, we can play if you want. Let me explain a few things first.”
 

“
What's there to know? There's a stick and some balls, and some holes you're supposed to knock them into.”
 

“
I'm not talking about
that
game,” he said, with a glint in his eye.
 

Danny picked up a cue stick and leaned over the pool table being suggestively flirtatious.

“
You keep putting that ass of yours on display, and someone is going to give you more attention then you can handle.”
 

Danny turned around with a full dimpled grin. “Okay, what are the rules to the game?”

“
In this place you are either a twinky looking for a bear, or a bear looking for a twinky.”
 

“
Uh, huh. So what are you?”
 

“
That depends. I'm tall and masculine, but I'm young and thin, so I could go either way.”
 

“
Oh, yeah? Lucky for you.”
 

Danny didn't really think that Ethan could pass as the tough and rugged type that made up half of the patrons in the place, but he didn't want to ruin his illusion.

“
Yes, it is,” Ethan said, with a serious façade.
 

“
I don't really like twinkies.”
 

“
That's because you are a twinky.”
 

“
Why do
I
have to be a twinky?” Danny complained.
 

“
Are you even listening? I suggest you stay close to me, that way you’ll be left alone until you know what you're doing.”
 

“
Oh, I know what I'm doing,” Danny said recklessly.
 

“
You think so? Because they eat little cream filled twinks like you as appetizers in here.”
 

“
I'm not that little,” Danny said, stretching up on his toes and taunting Ethan with a kiss. It was nice,
but the sparks he felt with his first kiss from TJ were left dormant.
 

“
You're killing me, kid. What do you say we go back to my place and you can prove it to me?”
 

“
Maybe another night.”
 

“
Right, we have to get you back before the clock strikes midnight, and your pumpkin turns into an angry grizzly bear.”
 

Danny turned his attention back to the pool table, and pretended that Mitch's warning was the reason for his reluctance to go home with Ethan. Even though he never played pool before, he picked it up pretty quickly. Not that it mattered. Danny wasn't interested in winning. He used the activity to dodge Ethan's passes, and to establish a rhythm of smacking balls and stealing glances at other men.

“
I love to watch the way you nail those balls,” came a gravelly voice that snuck up behind him.
 

Danny jerked his head up and missed his shot.

“
Mind if we play with you boys?”
 

Danny shrugged and said, “I'm still learning.”

“
Just for fun, no stakes.”
 

“
I don't know how fun it will be, neither of us are any good at it,” Ethan confessed.
 

“
No problem, David and I have been playing for a while. I'll take short stuff here, and you and David can team up.”
 

“
What do you think, Danny?”
 

Danny bit his lip, and peered up at the tall man wearing dog tags and a muscle tee shirt. The shirt was tucked snug in his pants accentuating his washboard abs. He was wearing tight jeans and a thick black belt. His arms were covered in tattoos, and his face was covered in day old stubble. His appearance exuded sexual energy.

He nodded his head to Danny and asked, “What do you say?”

“
Okay.” Danny blushed when it had become obvious he was checking him out.
 

Chuck stood behind Danny and positioned the stick for him. Goosebumps covered Danny’s arms when the imposing man began whispering in his ear. “There you go, take your time to get the angle just right, easy... relax... steady, and shoot straight."
 

It was hard to stay steady with the man breathing down his neck. Danny’s tongue slipped out the corner of his mouth to help him concentrate. He reached out across the table, and made his shot.
 

“
Thata' boy!” Chuck exclaimed, with a slap to Danny's backside, when the ball he was aiming for dropped in the corner pocket.
 

Danny flushed and became instantly aroused.

“
Let's see you make this other shot over here,” he said encouragingly. Chuck hovered over him then leaned in closer. Danny could feel Chuck's arousal pressed against him as he stroked his stick, and slid his hand up his arm. Danny blushed but remained focused. He knew he was in over his head, but he liked the attention he was getting, and the feel of the man caressing his arm. Danny shot and pocketed another ball. Proud of himself he stood up and smiled triumphantly. Chuck high fived him, and Danny took another swig of his beer. Realizing it was empty, Chuck handed him a cup he had filled from a pitcher. Danny took a sip, and the foam from the dark lager left a white mustache over his lip. Chuck wiped it off with his finger before sucking it clean.
 

“
Nice,” he said.
 

Danny stood unaware that his mouth was slightly opened. Chuck chuckled, and Danny snapped his mouth shut. He turned back around to the pool table to hide his red face. Chuck wasted no time in leaning back over Danny. This time he caressed his large hand down his back and over Danny's backside. Danny purposely sunk the eight ball.

“
Sorry,” he said.
 

“
Good game, guys,” Ethan said, as he took Danny's hand. “I should get you home.”
 

“
So soon?” Chuck asked.
 

“
I'm sure we'll be back,” Ethan reassured.  
 

Danny gave a quick wave as Ethan pulled him away.

Heading out towards the exit, Danny heard someone say, “Don't I know you from somewhere?”

It took him a moment to recognize it was the same man who came to his house the other day for Ricky. Before he had a chance to say anything, Ethan pushed him out the door.

“
Danny, why don't you move in with me?” Ethan asked, during the drive home. He was frustrated that he was once again rushing to get Danny back. “Then we wouldn't have to always be worrying about the time.”