Dyna's Place

Christmas story, sort of

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:36:05 GMT

Well, after trying and failing twice to post this story, (the script disappeared each time I hit the Live Journal cut) I'm going to leave a link to ff.net should you care to read it. Don't know if it's me or the site that's having the problem, but it's too late for me fool with it any longer. Merry Christmas! May the holiday find you happy and surrounded by loved ones. Link to Double Trouble: URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5596557/1/

Pretender 8

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:39:04 GMT

Here's the next chapter. I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season. This is my first night home in two weeks, and I'm hoping things will settle down from now until Christmas. I've got a couple of small gifts to buy, cookies to bake and all the presents to wrap this weekend, which might prove difficult since my husband wants to celebrate his birthday on Saturday. The plan is for the entire family to go out for pizza before meeting up at an indoor race track, where I understand the mini race cars we'll be driving go up to 45 miles per hour. We're a competitive lot, so it ought to be interesting to see who wins.

I'm working on a Christmas story and hoping it will be finished within the next 10 days.

TBC
The Pretender - chapter 8By Thursday both of Duo’s wishes seemed to have come true: the workplace had almost returned to normal and Mr. Yuy hadn’t found the need to drop in again to consult with Charise. Having been reassured by her new lawyer that he had everything in hand regarding the Huffington lawsuit, Charise returned to her drawing boards and the swirl of activity that surrounded her creative process helped the work day hours to pass more quickly. He ran a couple of personal errands for her that morning, scheduled any necessary appointments and generally held everything together so the designers creative juices could flow without distracting interruptions.
He left his office a half hour later than he should have, barely making it to his weekly appointment with Quatre. He wasn’t looking forward to the scheduled half-hour visit, especially since the blond would have been informed of his breakthrough by Trowa, meaning there would be a battery of questions he’d have to answer. An uneasy feeling churned in the pit of his stomach when he thought about it. He was worried that Quatre might react to his news much like Trowa had and criticize him for how he’d gone about having sex for the first time.
It turned out that he didn’t have to wait long in the empty waiting room before the door he’d walked though many, many times before opened and Quatre’s four thirty appointment stepped out of his inner office. Irritatingly enough, the middle-aged woman wearing a fitted, dark green business suit, was all smiles, as if Quatre had just helped her find the fountain of youth. How come he never felt like that after one of their sessions? He stood as his shrink bade the woman a polite goodbye and stepped back to let Duo pass by him to enter the room the braided man termed the chamber of doom and gloom.
"It’s good to see you, Duo," Quatre said, closing the door behind him. As usual, he motioned for him to take one of the two leather chairs, slightly facing each other with a small, round, mahogany table set between them.
Quatre was in his late twenties and nearly equal in height and weight as Duo, five foot seven and on the slender side. He had straight blond hair that he wore fashionably long and clothes that look liked they’d come off of a model in Esquire magazine. He was attractive, in a cute boyish way, but more than anything it was Quatre’s smile that won people over. Smiling seemed to come easy to the blond therapist, and honestly, it often brightened a room, like sunshine radiating warmth and happiness. Duo figured that the blond’s smile factored into why he was such a sought after therapist. From his own experience, he knew the gift of Quatre’s smile at the end of a session, no matter how horrific it might have been, was enough to make him feel that there were a few things right in the world.
He took his usual seat, to the right of the small table, knowing Quatre preferred the other. And while the blond took his seat he asked a few polite questions concerning his health and work. With the mundane pleasantries completed, the blond therapist formally opened their session by getting to the heart of the matter. "Trowa tells me you’ve had sex with someone. Would you like to tell me about it?"
He watched the blond pick up his notepad and pen from off the table, signaling the man was now armed and ready for whatever happened during the next half hour. Duo cleared his throat and said, "I’m pretty sure he’s told you all you need to know."
"But I’d like to hear it from you. Where did this happen?"
Duo rolled his eyes, knowing Trowa probably repeated every word he’d uttered. "On my working vacation at Charise’s ranch." He told Quatre about the horseback ride with Hilde and how on their approach to the House on the Hill he’d spotted an attractive cowboy sitting on the fence. From the massage to the hot tub, he pretty much laid the whole scene out for the other man, and all the while the furious scratching of the pen on the tablet of paper never let up as Quatre took notes. For some reason that little bit of noise was seriously pissing him off.
"I was imagining what it would be like to work in a place like that," he continued, "when Mr. Gorgeous cowboy showed up, undressed himself and joined me in the hot tub. At first, I thought he was a figment of my imagination, a part of the fantasy I had running in my head, and then one thing led to another and we had sex. End of story."
The pen scratching abruptly stopped and Quatre looked up with one eyebrow lifted in what looked like disbelief. "I think you must be leaving something out, Duo. Considering your issues it’s hard for me to believe that you met a complete stranger at a whore house and you gave him what you’ve never been able to give to anyone else. If you had consulted with me beforehand, or even hinted in our last session about your intentions, I would have advised you to wait. I don’t think you were ready for such a drastic step."
Duo’s ire immediately shot up. "What do you mean you don’t think I was ready? I’ve been coming to you for two years with my problems, Quatre. How long did you think it was going to take?"
Remaining an appearance of calm, the blond man replied. "I only meant that you made this decision rather suddenly, and went from one extreme to the other; namely, your inability to have sex to having sex with a complete stranger. What I’m concerned about is that you chose to have your first sexual experience with someone you didn’t know nor have any vested interest in other than the fact that he was ‘gorgeous’. That action is opposite of the type of relationship you’ve spoken of in our sessions. We also talked about exercising caution when selecting a partner and building a foundation of trust with him before engaging in any physical activity."
Duo’s hands closed into fists. With pent-up feelings of resentment towards the man who was now questioning his motives and decision to have sex, coupled with the lingering anxiety from his confrontation with Mr. Yuy two days before, it really wasn’t going to take much more to push him over the edge. "You think I made this decision off the cuff?" Duo asked between clenched teeth, and as he continued his voice rose in volume. "Dammit, Quatre, I’m twenty-five years old, what the hell is so sudden about that? Huh? And yeah, you and I have talked about my being cautious, and just every other subject under the moon as well. I’m all talked out, Quatre. I’m sick to death from talking about my fears and hang-ups, my aunt and everyone who’s ever hurt me. We’ve talked and talked and nothing ever got better!"
"Healing takes time and patience," Quatre said, his tone of voice seeming to prove that he had plenty of both.
"And I’m sick of waiting." Jumping from his seat, Duo began pacing. His agitation was such that he felt like he might burst if he didn’t let some of his pent up anger out. "And since we seemed to be at a stand still in these sessions and I hadn’t been making any progress, I went to someone else about my problems. In the few months I’ve been seeing her, she’s helped me more than the years I’ve spent talking to you. I have her to thank for my finally getting laid, not you or the thousands of dollars I’ve handed over to you." He wasn’t sure why he’d let that bit of information about Dorothy come out, but it felt good to speak the truth and seeing the look of shock and a hint of hurt in the big blue eyes didn’t feel so bad either.
Barely maintaining the appearance of calm, Quatre asked, "Who is this person, Duo? I hope you picked a certified therapist."
He didn’t doubt the blond would object to the other professional he’d been seeing, still, he blurted out her name. "Dorothy Catalonia. I’m sure you’ve heard of her? She certainly seems to know you." The shocked expression on Quatre’s face told him he had at least heard of the woman and had formed a negative opinion of her.
His therapist gasped, "Duo... how did you find out about Ms. Catalonia? She’s hardly the person I would recommend for someone as traumatized as you are. Is she even credentialed?"
"Funny, she asked the same about you when I told her about your stealing Trowa," Duo snapped back, then plowed on despite the gasp he heard from the other man. "And yes, she’s a legitimate therapist all right, with as many framed certificates on her wall as you have on yours. I ran into an old friend of mine who told me about her. His current lover had been raised in a conservative religion and carried a load of guilt about not only having sex with a man, but out of marriage as well. Apparently, his hangups were similar to my own. Knowing about my problems and that I was still trying to overcome them, he recommended Dorothy. She may be a bit unorthodox in her methods, but she’s helped me get past my sexual barriers more than any of the tripe you’ve handed me." Oh, he was really on a roll now and a look of shock flashed across the blond’s face before he composed himself again.
"There’s no need to be mean and spiteful, Duo."
The braided man’s conscience told him not to engage in a tit for tat argument with the man, but he couldn’t help it. For the first time since Trowa had left him he was being honest about his feelings, and letting out all the emotions he’d bottled up in order to "be nice" felt damn good. "I think I have every right to be mean and spiteful. How many thousands of dollars have I paid you hoping you’d help me and accepting your reassurances that I was making progress? Yet instead of helping me so that I could be intimate with Trowa, you stole him from me. Don’t I have the right to be pissed off about that? Do you know what it feels like to see you two all lovey-dovey knowing that it should be me in Trowa’s arms, and that it would be me if I’d just had sex with him."
"Duo!" Quatre stood, his voice sounding as shell-shocked as he looked. All color had drained from the blond’s face and it looked like he was having a hard time breathing. "You said you were all right with Trowa and I being together. You were the one who came to me, begging me to take you back as a patient."
"Yeah, well I lied!" Duo yelled back with enough vehemence that the blond took a step back, his blue eyes wide with alarm. "Do you have any idea how much you two hurt me? I trusted Trowa, enough to tell him about my problem and to ask him to be patient with me while I worked on fixing my problems. I arranged for him to meet with you so you could assure him that I would get better with continued therapy. I trusted you as my therapist, told you my deepest, darkest secrets, my hopes and dreams. And what did you do? You stole my boyfriend right out from under my nose. It was easy wasn’t it? You let him fuck you when I wasn’t capable of doing it, so congratulations, man, you win the award for the most unethical therapist of the century." His voice had risen enough that surely anyone waiting in the next room, hell, the whole floor, must have heard him.
Still looking stunned, Quatre stammered, "But... if you... if you felt that way, why didn’t you say something? Why did you ask me to be your therapist again? Why did you say you were okay with our relationship? You even agreed to have dinner with us every Friday."
Duo’s eyes narrowed on the man he’d resented for far too long. He knew he should try to control this surge of anger, but he just couldn’t help letting go of everything he’d been bottling up for nearly a year. "You mean the weekly torture night? That’s how I’ve referred to it, if you didn’t know. Did you really think it was pleasant for me, seeing you and Trowa together, knowing how you’d taken him away from me? Your cuddling up together on your sofa, whispering endearments and passing suggestive innuendos that weren’t very subtle wasn’t cute to me, it’s damn hurtful. It feels like you’ve been rubbing your relationship with Trowa in my face, flaunting that you have what I crave, and all because I couldn’t put out. Now, with Dorothy’s help, I can, and you dare to question me about the how and why of it? What’s your angle this time, Quatre? Let’s see, can I make poor, pitiful Duo feel worse about himself, make him question and regret something that might just keep him from being alone all his life?" Duo’s eyes narrowed. "As far as I’m concerned you’re a lousy therapist, and an even worse friend. We’re done, Quatre. You’re no longer my therapist and, frankly, you never were much of a friend."
With righteous indignation spurring him on, Duo stormed to the door. He ignored the few sputtering noises coming from the blond as he threw open the door and was met by the wide-eyed stares of two men in the waiting room, obviously a couple. "Watch yourselves," Duo warned as a last parting shot, "Winner steals boyfriends."
He made it to the hallway and nearly to the elevator before Quatre’s anxious voice called out to him. "Duo, wait!" He ignored the voice as well as the sound of running footsteps behind him. The hand that gripped his arm pulled him to a full stop. He whipped himself around to face the other man.
Quatre’s eyes were pleading as he said, "Please, Duo. You’re upset. Let’s talk this out. I know you didn’t mean what you said but there’s obviously some truth in it, and I can see you’re hurt and upset. For the sake of our friendship, for your friendship with Trowa, come back to the office and let’s talk this out."
Duo glared down at the restraining hand until Quatre let go and stepped back. Narrowed eyes, sparking with anger, leveled on the blond’s face. "I told you that I’m sick to death of talking. I’ve told you more truths in the last five minutes than you’ve gotten out of me in over two years of therapy. You were right, suggesting that we terminate our professional relationship after Trowa left me. If I hadn’t been so desperate about not being alone, believing all the tripe you’d fed me about my getting better, I might have been man enough to pound you into the ground for what you did to me. Goodbye, Quatre."
Turning on his heel, he left the stricken looking blond standing in the middle of the hallway. Instead of waiting for the elevator, Duo dashed through the door leading to the stairwell and climbed down fifteen flights of stairs in order to burn off some of the anger that was still simmering beneath his skin. Damn, but that felt good, he thought with a triumphant grin. He should have done that a long time ago.
Feeling energized, he walked briskly home. It was only a little over a mile from downtown, but the exercise helped him to calm down. By the time he stepped into his apartment, his anger had begun to fade and guilt had begun to seep in. "I’ve nothing to feel guilty about," he said out loud, trying to keep hold of that energizing anger.
Of course the red light on his phone was blinking, indicating he had a message waiting. Actually, there were three messages waiting for him, and he knew without a doubt who had left them. Hitting the button, Quatre’s not so steady voice said his name, but that was as far as he got before Duo deleted the message, unheard. The next voice was Trowa’s. "Duo, what the hell..." That message shared the same fate as the first. "Duo, honey, this is your Aunt Helen. Will you please call me when you get home from work? I’ll talk to you later." His aunt always had the worst timing.
He ignored the last message in favor of the kitchen. After scouring the refrigerator and cupboards, he decided he wasn’t really hungry. Taking out a bowl, a box of cereal and milk, he ate a single bowl of granola without tasting or enjoying it as his argument with Quatre went round and round in his head. He couldn’t regret getting all that anger off his chest, but was it really Quatre’s fault that he’d held onto his resentment for so long? Hadn’t he reassured both he and Trowa that bygones were bygones? He rinsed out his bowl and put it and his spoon into the dishwasher, where it joined at least ten others. Seeing that he had enough to justify turning on the machine, he poured the liquid detergent into the dispensing cup, closed the front and started the wonderfully quiet dishwasher.
Deciding to keep himself busy and not think about his earlier confrontation, he busied himself by changing into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, gathered up his laundry, performed general clean up, and then sat in front of the television. He sighed deeply, suddenly feeling weary. His eyes scanned his apartment. Everything in it had been selected with care. The decor was a mix between contemporary and modern, blending with African artifacts set about the room on table tops and wall hangings. The combination was appealing to the eye, comfortable and, unfortunately, he had no one to share it with. Closing his eyes and laying his head against the back of the soft leather sofa, he fought against the familiar wave of loneliness that had risen within him once again. He was sick to death of being alone. Was he so terrible that he couldn’t find anyone to share his life with? After his fight with Quatre, he was beginning to think that maybe he was.
The sudden ringing of his phone made him jump. He waited until the machine picked up, and got up from his comfortable position when he heard his aunt’s voice.
"Hi, Aunt Helen," he said without any enthusiasm and cutting into her message.
"Did you just get home, dear?"
"Only long enough to change out of my work clothes," he answered, taking the phone back with him to the sofa. He flopped down on it and readied himself for a lengthy conversation. His aunt was lonely, and he understood how terrible that could feel. He listened to her complaints about her health, her visits to the doctor and of the high cost of prescriptions. He was brought up to date on the lives of her friends, including their health and their boasting or disbelief at their offsprings’ behavior. He often wondered what his aunt had to say about him to her ancient friends during their bi-weekly lunch get-together.
After forty five minutes of the mostly one-sided conversation, they ventured into the usual questions. "Are you dating anyone, Duo? I just don’t understand why a good looking man such as yourself can’t find a decent woman to settle down with. I’d love to be a great aunt one day. You know that Diedra’s daughter is graduating from law school. She lives in the city and, if you’d like, I could ask for her number and the two of you could get acquainted."
As usual, Duo put her off, knowing she didn’t want to face the fact that he was gay. Apparently, there was no getting through to her. He’d been trying since he’d come out to her while in college. "I’m sure she’s a nice person with a great career ahead of her, but I’m not interested, Aunt Helen, and you know perfectly well why."
"I just can’t believe that you would prefer men to women." Her voice had a belligerent edge to it. "Don’t you want to have a family? Have children to carry on your name? It’s not natural, men having sex with other men. It’s wrong. I just don’t know what I did wrong. I honestly tried my best to raise you to live a good life, but you seem determined to live in an unwholesome manner. I’m sure your working for that designer is part of the problem. I know what they say about the fashion industry. It’s as bad as ballet dancers. Gay, all of them, or so I’m told. There are jobs opening up at the factory in town that makes medical equipment, you know, pace makers and artificial knees and hip joints. I’m sure that you could get a job there and be around people who won’t encourage this idea you have of being gay."
This was how every conversation they had ended. His aunt truly didn’t understand how he could have "turned" gay after all her lectures against it - the very lectures that were responsible for his relationship hang-ups. Quatre had urged him to cut off all ties with the woman, stating that one phone call from her negated whatever progress they’d made. But he couldn’t do it, even though it was often a strain not to. She was his only family, and he was hers. He might not be the heterosexual man she wanted him to be, but he owed her, and if he was nothing else. he was grateful for all that his aunt had done for him. Still, that didn’t mean these weekly conversations with her had to be one sided.
"I’ve told you, Aunt Helen, I’m gay because I was born this way. I know it isn’t a trait in your family and I can’t explain it, but I’m gay. That’s why I won’t meet any of the women you try to set me up with. But your heart can rest at ease knowing I’m not in any relationship. Your almost daily lectures during high school have all but ruined me for a normal relationship."
"Normal? What’s so normal about wanting to have sex with a man?" she snapped back.
It was the tone more than her words that set him off. "It’s not just about sex. I want to be in a life-long relationship with someone. To come home at night knowing there’s someone waiting for me, someone who’s happy to hear about my day and to share my life with. Why did you do it, Aunt Helen? All those lectures about the evils of homosexuality, how sodomy or even letting another man touch me was base and defiling. You drilled it into me day after day until I can’t get your voice out of my head." And then out of his mouth came what he really felt but hadn’t had the nerve to say until that moment. "You knew, didn’t you? Somehow you knew I was gay, probably even before I did."
There was a long pause, and that was answer enough for him. "You tried to change me, didn’t you? With your daily lectures about how wrong it was to gay. Do you have any idea, Aunt Helen, how much you messed me up? I haven’t had a true relationship with anyone because your voice keeps resounding in my head with your homophobic lectures and putdowns. I’ve been through years of therapy trying to drown out your voice. Why?" There was pain in his voice and tears of frustration welling up in his eyes as he asked that question.
After a moment, his aunt replied, her voice soft and almost contrite. "I only did what I felt was best. I had my reasons, Duo. God knows I did. But I am sorry if I’ve caused you pain. I can hear it in your voice, dear, but I truly believe that the gay lifestyle is a difficult one, and I would do anything to spare you the hurt and humiliation it will ultimately bring you."
Wiping the wetness from his eyes, he refused to let even one teardrop escape. Taking a deep breath helped him to calm down a bit. "I’d like to know those reasons, auntie. Who hurt you so badly, or influenced you enough that you would brainwash me against what should be a natural behavior for me? Was it Uncle Hank?" The two had separated when he was fourteen and less than six months after his cousin, their only child, had died. He recalled one night in particular when he’d heard a lot of angry yelling coming from their bedroom. Well, there had been a lot of that going on behind their closed door before, but not as loud or uncaring that he was hearing them as it had been that night. He awoke the next morning to find his uncle gone from the house as well as their lives. More than a couple of times he found his aunt crying in front of the television, no matter what program was on, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had caused their marriage to breakup.
"I’d rather not talk about Hank," she answered solemnly.
"Well, I never want to have the conversations we have about my sexual preference, either, but we do anyway. So now, finally, we are going to talk about this because I deserve to know. Did Uncle Hank do something that made you decide to poison my mind?"
A choked sigh came from the other end of the line. "All right, dear. I’ll tell you what you want to know, but not now and not on the phone. I’ll tell you the next time you come home, and I’ll apologize again and again if you insist, but I swear to you I only had your welfare in mind."
"Thanksgiving, then," he decided. It was still a little over a month away, and would no doubt be the first opportunity he’d have to leave the city and return to the place he’d once called home.
"All right," his aunt agreed. "Thanksgiving."
Their conversation stalled at that point, and neither of them made any further attempts to drag it out.
Going to his bathroom, Duo readied himself for bed. It was still a bit early still but he was feeling exhausted from the trying day. Taking out a bottle of prescription pills, he checked to make sure it was the Ambien that Quatre had prescribed to help him sleep. Seeing the name Dr. Quatre Winner neatly printed on the label added to the load of guilt he was beginning to feel. Now that he was calm and more rational, he felt guilty for lashing out at his former friend, especially in front of a couple of his clients. However, he couldn’t entirely regret their fight nor their disassociation. He opened and tapped the bottle until one pill dropped into his open palm, then popped it into his mouth, knowing from experience that it would bring him a long, dreamless night of sleep, something he needed in order to deal with all the stress in his life. As he quickly prepared for bed, he could only hope that the next day would prove to be better than the one now ending.

Pretender 7

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:35:14 GMT

So sorry. I forgot until now to post this on lj. It's been a very, very busy weekend. If you didn't catch this part at FF.net, here is the seventh part of The Pretender.

The PretenderTBC
Part 7
Duo returned to his office feeling out of sorts from his less than successful racquetball game with Trowa. He noticed straight away that Charise’s office door was shut. He double checked her docket for the afternoon, confirming there was nothing scheduled until one thirty. Tapping his pen on the desktop, he wondered what she was doing and if maybe she needed something. Charise hadn’t said anything about leaving the office or meeting with any of the staff before he’d left for the gym. Well, he’d just wait for her to summon him, having enough work already without volunteering to do more. With that decided he turned his attention to the stack of work on his desk that he needed to get through before going home that evening.
"Duo?" The intercom on his desk came to life ten minutes later. "Are you back?"
Hitting the button, he answered. "Yes, I’m here."
"Mr. Yuy was able to meet with me earlier than his scheduled appointment this afternoon, and we’ve both missed lunch. Could you order us each a turkey sandwich from the deli across the street? You know how I like mine and Mr. Yuy likes his with everything, minus mayonnaise."
"Anything to drink?"
There was a pause before Charise replied. "Bottled water for both of us, please. Thank you, dear."
"I’ll be back soon."
So Mr. Yuy had finally shown up, and before his scheduled appointment at four that afternoon. He wouldn’t be surprised if Charise, being as upset as she was by the lawsuit, had called her lawyer’s office and demanded to see the associate newly assigned to her case as soon as he was free. With the outrageous amount of money she paid for retaining that prestigious law firm, it only seemed right that when Charise said jump, the new lawyer would hit his head on the ceiling trying to make her happy.
He made a quick call to the deli Charise liked to order from at least once a week. From past experience he knew that by the time he walked to the small business, his order would be ready to go. All the better for him returning to the office with her food. The hungrier she got, the more Charise’s temperament waned. Feeling a bit hungry himself, he added a chef salad to the order.
Fetching the lunches took a little over fifteen minutes. He quickly crossed his office and set the chef salad on his desk then carried the rest of the order to the closed door of Charise’s office and knocked before turning the door knob and easing it open. Entering her office, Duo found Charise sitting behind her desk and focused on the papers in her hands. Her new lawyer sat in one of the wingback chairs facing her, dressed in a black suit that was probably appropriate court attire, his face hidden as he bent over in a stack of papers in his hands. Duo really couldn’t see much, but he thought the dark mussed hair was really attractive, though he was curious about what the man’s face looked like.
Not wanting to interrupt, he quietly made his way to the desk and emptied the contents of the bags, unfolding the paper wrappers to expose the sandwiches and setting the water bottles out. Finishing that task, he decided to satisfy his curiosity by glancing at the lawyer, and the moment he did his world crumbled around him and he experienced the greatest shock of his life. Gasping, he and stumbled back, stunned by seeing someone he never thought he’d meet again. The cowboy from The Light on the Hill. The small sound that had escaped him caught the lawyer’s attention and man looked up with a mix of both irritation and curiosity visible on his face. The moment their eyes met and the dark blue eyes widened with recognition. "Laredo?"
Holy shit! That was all that came to his mind, other than, This is bad, really bad. He quickly glanced at Charise for her reaction, just in time to see her gaze go from Mr. Yuy to him, her face expressing her curiosity.
"I think you have me c..c.. confused with someone else," Duo stammered, unable to think of anything else to say. "Eh...excuse me." He turned and literally ran from the room. Bypassing his own desk, he made a bee-line for the men’s room down the hall and locked himself in one of the stalls. Thank God the room was empty. He checked to make sure the seat was down and clean before he sat on its edge and buried his head in his hands, feeling utterly mortified. How the hell did Tex come to be Charise’s new lawyer? It was pretty damn clear that the man of his dreams wasn’t a prostitute employed at The Light on the Hill.
Oh hell, he was beginning to hyperventilate. He concentrated for several moments on catching his breath. It wouldn’t do his reputation any good to be found gasping for breath in a bathroom stall, or worse, passed out on the floor from lack of oxygen. What were the odds that he and Tex would ever meet again, and under these circumstances? Double shit. Yes, that seemed to perfectly sum up the situation.
Thankfully, no one came in to use the restroom while he was barricaded in the toilet and asking himself questions for which he had no answers. After his breathing rate returned to normal and he felt some of his panic lessening, he became more aware of the passage of time. There was no way he could hide in the bathroom all day, not with all the work he had on his desk. Besides, Charise would go ballistic if he wasn’t available when she needed him.
Resigned to having return to his desk, he reluctantly got up, opened the stall’s door and moved to the sink. He washed his hands out of habit and studied his reflection in the mirror. "What the hell are you going to do now?" he asked himself. With no answer coming, he sighed and shook his head. There was nothing to do now but face the music.
His feet felt like they were encased in cement as he trudged his way back to his office, not quite knowing what to expect when he got there. Thankfully, Charise’s door was still closed. No doubt she’d expect an explanation for the odd exchange between himself and her new lawyer, not to mentions his rather undignified exit. Playing that scene over in his head, Duo sat in his chair and lay his face on his desk, allowing the surface to cool his flushed face and burning ears. He really needed to calm down, refocus and get back to work. Taking a deep breath, he sat up and set his mind on doing just that.
Having lost his appetite, he picked distractedly at his salad and sipped his drink, worrying about what would happen when Charise’s door opened. Thankfully, a phone call came in from one of their fabric suppliers who insisted on speaking to Charise. Duo transferred the call, tossed what remained of his lunch into the garbage, then returned to his usual routine, which helped to put aside his worries.
Half an hour later, he jumped slightly when his boss’s door opened. Charise was speaking to the dark haired man as they left her office together. Quickly busying himself, Duo kept his eyes averted away from the two as they stood just outside her office door. As far as he could tell they were exchanging brief goodbyes. And then the room suddenly fell ominously silent. Looking up from beneath his eyelashes he could see someone in a dark suit standing in front of his desk. "Mr. Maxwell?"
Well, he couldn’t get away with pretending he hadn’t heard the man, seeing that he was standing right in front of him, so out of politeness Duo slowly raised his head and look at the lawyer from above the rim of his glasses. Yes, there stood the man who had dominated his dreams since he’d returned home from the working vacation. "Hello," he said, at a loss for words. The man was as gorgeous as he remembered. His eyes, so blue and surrounded by thick black eyelashes, made his stomach flutter.
Unexpectedly, Tex held his hand out. "I’m sorry if I startled you earlier. It’s nice to see you again."
Duo looked at the proffered hand for a moment, dumbfounded. The man was actually wanting to shake his hand. Unable to think of any other response, he placed his hand in the palm of the lawyer’s hand and they shook. "H...how are you?" He inwardly winced, thinking that he sounded like an insecure school boy instead of a grown man.
The handshake continued. "I’m good. I didn’t know you worked for Ms. DuFrame. She’s told me how invaluable you are as her assistant."
Duo glanced around the other man at the mention of his boss’s name. Sure enough, Charise was standing by her open door with a look on her face that told him she was slightly worried. He could only guess that look stemmed from his abrupt departure from her office. Seeing that he was all right, she made an excuse about getting back to work then disappeared into her office and closed the door, leaving the two men alone.
Two seconds after the click of the closing door sounded behind him, Tex’s pleasant smile had disappeared altogether. With their hands still clasped, the lawyer tightened his grip as he leaned over the desk and asked with a sneer, "How’s tricks, Laredo?" He then stepped back and pulled his hand away as if he’d touched something dirty. Duo could have crawled beneath his desk he was so embarrassed. Then a thought came to him that he wasn’t the only one who should feel embarrassed.
Forcing a smirk to form on his own lips, he replied, "I guess I could ask the same thing of you, Tex."
"Look," the lawyer began again in a matter-of-fact tone of voice while straightening his expensive tie. "I don’t know what game you’re playing or why, but I’m Ms. DuFrame’s lawyer, at least on the suit that’s been filed against her by Huffington. Considering your position as her assistant, I expect you to behave towards me in a business-like manner. Let’s just forget about the afternoon we met and treat each other like the strangers we are."
"I don’t need to be lectured by you as to how I should behave at work," Duo snapped back. Then collecting himself, he said in a more dignified manner, "But I agree, you treat me with the same respect you expect from me and we’ll ignore each other as much as possible."
Yuy nodded, signaling a detente of sorts had been reached. He then turned and strode out of his office. It wasn’t until he heard the ding of the elevator, signaling the man’s departure, that Duo let out the breath he’d been holding. That hadn’t gone as badly as it could have, but neither did it go well. The feeling of dread that sat in the pit of his stomach earlier now eased up. He now felt only slightly queezy.
"What was that all about?" Unaware that she’d come out of her office, Duo was started by the sound of Charise’s voice. "I gather the two of you have met before?"
"I’m afraid so," Duo answered, wondering how much he was going to tell his boss, a born meddler.
"Oh, I know," she said, her eyes alight with realization. "Mr. Yuy and several of his colleagues visited the ranch at the same time we were there. You met him then, didn’t you?"
"That’s right." Duo tried to sound unaffected by that not so inconsequential meeting. No need for his boss to know about his tryst with her lawyer.
"Duo, what’s wrong? Did you and Mr. Yuy not hit it off? Did he say anything to offend you?"
If he told Charise that her lawyer had done anything inappropriate, or even said something to upset him, it would cause her protective instincts to flare up and maybe lash out. He didn’t doubt that she would call the law firm and have a different lawyer representing her within the hour. He might feel uncomfortable with Mr. Yuy around, but there was no way he was going to do or say anything that might bring unwarranted repercussions against the man. It was his own fault for thinking that the cowboy he’d met was a prostitute, and that he’d basically bent over and let the man screw him. He reluctantly reminded himself that until he’d come face to face with Tex in the room with his boss, he’d been grateful to him for unknowingly helping him overcoming his problem.
"No, he didn’t offend me. He’s just really attractive and I guess I’m a bit tongue-tied around him."
Charise’s face lit with a smile and she winked at him. "He is hot, isn’t he? I don’t know if he swings your way or not, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him out of that suit, if you know what I mean." She waggled her eyebrows, teasing him. He didn’t want to tell her that the man in question probably wouldn’t be interested in getting naked with her or any other woman, especially if he had to explain how he had come by that kind of personal bit of information about someone he’d only met once. "Well, you saw him first," he said, hoping she let go of the subject soon.
"And he’s smart, too. Perry was right, there’s something very special about that man. He seems to have it all: good looks, an incredible body, an intelligent mind and a paycheck that could make even me happy. What’s not to like about that package, right?"
"Right." Duo cleared his throat and busied himself shuffling the papers on his desk into a neat stack. "So, are you ready for the meeting with Dan Salazar. He’s bringing the fabric samples you requested."
Diverted from the subject of Mr. Yuy, Charise turned her attention towards another topic of interest: the following year’s fall line of clothing and footwear. Duo could only hope that their regular work routine would soon return to normal and that Mr. Yuy would not have to visit the office often.

Pretender 6

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:29:37 GMT

Did anyone catch the History Channel's WWII in HD series? What a sobering reminder of the horrors of war. It was excellent and riviting. Never before seen film, capturing key moments of battle in Europe and the Pacific, made all the stories I'd heard about the war come to life. I hope mankind never experience anything like that again.

Here's the next chapter of The Pretender. Enjoy !

The Pretender
Chapter 6
Duo hibernated in his apartment the next day, still feeling the sting of humiliation resulting from the disaster at the Palomino Club the night before. He felt completely justified, however, in stopping Wufei from going further in his attempt to seduce him when the whole encounter began to feel wrong. He should have knocked the guy on his ass, but he couldn’t risk any negative backlash that might affect his job or reflect badly on DuFrame Designs.
His sour mood made the day seem endless, until about three that afternoon when he decided he had better call Dorothy and confess to her what had happened before she heard about it from anyone else. After all, he figured she must have some connections at the club, seeing that she had the means to acquire guest passes.
After telling the woman about his less than stellar visit to the Palomino, it really didn’t come as much of a surprise when Dorothy assured him he’d acted appropriately to Wufei’s less than welcomed advances, and that the old adage, ‘When in doubt, do without’ was more than apt for the situation. He felt marginally better after she reminded him that he hadn’t seen Wufei in a couple of years, and he wasn’t likely to run into him anytime soon. He could only hope he would be so lucky.
By the time Monday morning rolled around he was feeling a bit better and able to enter the workplace with a smile, ready to meet the challenges of the day. Yet instead of receiving the usual greetings of relief and celebration that followed the end of a successful show, the overall atmosphere at DuFrame Designs was ominously tense. A strange, foreboding silence hung in the air. Something was definitely wrong. He hurried to his office, bypassing the coffee room and his usual cappuccino fix.
Emily Harris, the stylish, forty-ish head of advertising, was nervously pacing in front of the closed door to Charise’s office. Despite her cheery winter white pantsuit, her face was pale and drawn and lined with worry. "What’s going on?" Duo asked, causing the thin brunet to jump in surprise. She’d seemed to have been so caught up in her thoughts that she’d failed to notice his entrance.
Emily turned and her eyes widened with relief. "Duo, thank goodness you’re here. Charise is beside herself and she’s been asking for you. You better go in armed."
"What’s happened, Emily?" he asked as he picked up his note pad and pen, then placed up his glasses on his and slid them to the end of his nose. He was now ready to go to work.
The woman continued to look troubled as she shook her head, her shoulder length hair sweeping her shoulders. "Harrison Huffington has accused Charise of stealing his designs. She was served with a Cease and Desist order this morning, stating that she can’t sell her designs from the show until the matter is settled in court. This could cost Charise her reputation and all of us our jobs," she added with growing alarm, her face looking even paler than before.
"You can’t for a minute believe that Charise would stoop to stealing anyone else’s designs, nor would she have the opportunity," he replied, upset that his co-worker could suggest that their boss would do such a thing. "I’m with her most of her waking hours, and believe me, we barely have time for lunch must less skulking around another designer’s drawing room."
Emily had the decency to look embarrassed by her momentary lapse of faith in Charise. "I know she wouldn’t steal from anyone, you’re right. It’s just that she was so upset this morning. It’s unsettling, seeing her so distressed."
Duo gave the woman a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Why don’t you go back to your office and try to figure out how to spin this with the press. After Charise has calmed down, I’m sure she’s going to want to consult with you about a response." He nodded his head towards Charise’s office. "I think I should get in there and see what I can do to help."
"Good luck," she said, and with apparent reluctance she turned and slowly left the room . Duo hoped Emily could pull herself together, and soon. The last thing Charise needed in a crisis situation was to have panicked employees underfoot.
Taking a deep breath before entering her office, Duo steeled himself for Charise at her manic worst. His prediction of her mood was confirmed the moment he inched the door open. His usually composed boss was in the middle of swearing a blue streak aimed at Harris Huffington. He cautiously slipped into the room and quickly shut the door behind him and waited to be noticed. He took pity on the older gentleman sitting in the red paisley wingback chair, the company’s lawyer. He was slightly surprised to see the nearly bald man was not dressed in his usual three piece suit, but in khaki trousers and a blue and white stripped golf shirt. The man had seen Duo enter the room and acknowledged him with a nod of his head, a move that stopped Charise in the middle of her tirade.
"Duo! There you are," she cried out, then rushed to close the distance between them. Grabbing his arm she exclaimed, "You’ll never believe what the scum bag Huffington is trying to pull." His boss was highly agitated and stressed beyond anything he’d seen before, a fact made evident by her raised voice as well as her uncharacteristic appearance. The white blouse she wore was only partially tucked into the waistband of her pink pencil skirt. Her normally coiffed hair was in utter disarray and, if he wasn’t mistaken, she’d forgotten to apply makeup to her left eye while the right one was fully loaded. It would be obvious to a stranger that the cool and composed business women was deeply shaken by the false charges made by another designer. "He’s accusing me of fraud, of larceny, can you believe it? It’s him, no doubt, who has stolen my designs only to turn around and accuse me of the worst, most atrocious broach of business ethics in our industry. He’s trying to ruin me with these scandalous charges."
"Now, now, my dear," the gentleman sitting chair interjected in a calming tone of voice, intended to soothe his client who was now pulling at the hair on the top of her head. "Things aren’t as bad as they seem. You have an excellent reputation in the fashion industry. I’m sure when the garments in question are compared to Huffington’s we’ll find they aren’t alike at all."
"Yes, that’s right!" Charise brightened considerably. "My designs are timeless, classically styled, and even if that turd managed to scribble out something even close to my designs, just by happenstance, my fabrics, not to attention the details of the garments, will no doubt prove my innocence."
"What would you like me to do?" Duo asked, anxious to help.
Mr. Perry Rhoads turned his attention to the handsome young man. "I need to have a photo of each article of clothing that was in the fashion show. I’ve asked Mr. Huffington’s lawyer for photos of the garments in question, hoping to settle this matter before it ends up in court." With a look of regret aimed at Charise he added, "I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep this from the media, though. If Mr. Huffington behaves as he has in the past, he’ll most likely call the press himself. He’s a bit of an attention hound."
"Damn the man," Charise said, combing her fingers through her hair, which was looking more and more Medusa-like from the mistreatment it had received that morning. "He’s a mediocre clothing designer to begin with. To stoop so low as to accuse me of copying his pathetic attempts to design is an unforgivable insult to me and a disgrace to our profession."
"Can I get you anything, Charise?" Duo asked again.
His boss shook her head in answer, but then turned to him with a new idea shining in her eyes. "I need coffee and a devil’s food doughnut with chocolate frosting," she declared. "And I needed them half an hour ago."
Duo nodded, silently hoping that if he couldn’t snag that particular doughnut in the break room he’d be able to find a bakery somewhere close by. Charise rarely indulged in food so high in carbohydrates. To ask for such a breakfast was more proof of her upset. "Mr. Rhodes? Can I get you something?"
"Nothing for me, thank you, Duo. After Huffington’s lawyer contacted me about his suit, I thought I should come and reassure Charise before I leave for my vacation later this morning that my firm is on top of this case. Our junior partner will be handling the case in my absence and should be calling here shortly."
"I think it’s highly unethical and insensitive of you to abandon me in my hour of need, Perry," Charise cut in, looking put out by the man’s ill timing.
"I assure you, Charise, I had this vacation planned eight months ago. My wife wants to visit Ireland, the home of her ancestors. She’s an avid genealogist, and if I were to cancel on her at the last moment, well, she’d never forgive either one of us."
"Fine. Go ahead and trot through old rotting graveyards and musty books filled with dates of your long-dead relatives. I’ll just be here struggling to keep my business afloat and my employees paid." Duo knew that Charise often employed tactics of guilt to get people to do what she wanted, but it appeared the wizened lawyer had seen it all before.
"You’ll be fine under Mr. Yuy’s care, my dear. I have full confidence in my associate to see you through this situation. He’s competent and smart beyond his years. Gaining his position as associate at twenty seven speaks highly of our expectations for him and of his abilities for winning cases."
"I’ve met the man, of course, and I’m sure he’s all you said, but he’s not you, Perry," Charise sulked.
Duo backed toward the door, saying, "If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be back as soon as I can find your chocolate doughnut with chocolate frosting."
"Don’t forget the coffee." Charise called out as she waved him off. As he closed the door behind him, Duo heard Mr. Rhodes try once again to comfort her with regards to his replacement.
For the rest of that day, as well as the next, Charise remained high strung and agitated, unable to work at her desk as a result of the lawsuit that had been filed against her. By noon on Tuesday Duo was more than happy to escape the office for his scheduled, weekly appointment with Trowa. He met his auburn-haired friend in the locker room of the fitness club, where they quickly changed into shorts and T-shirts and walked with their usual camaraderie to the racketball court that had been reserved for them every Tuesday at noon for the past two years. Duo couldn’t help but cast an appreciative look at his friend. Trowa was damn good looking. At six feet, Trowa was a good three inches taller than he was. His auburn hair was cut short in back and the sides, but there was a long fringe of hair that swooped over his forehead, the result of a cowlick that would never be tamed. His face was classically handsome, and his eyes an emerald green that Duo had always found beautiful.
"You didn’t call to tell us about your working trip," Trowa said out of the blue, as he waited for Duo to serve the ball.
"I haven’t had more than a spare moment to eat since I got back, what with the show and all," he explained, then grunted as he hit the ball and lined himself up to return whatever Trowa sent his way.
The game began as it usually did, being fast and furious, which was typical given that both men were competitive. After winning a third point, Duo found himself blurting out his latest news. "I got laid."
Trowa stopped in his tracks and looked incredulously at his friend. "When did this happen?"
"On my trip up north."
"I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone. You never said anything."
"I’m not. Seeing anyone, that is."
The incredulous expression changed to one of concern. "A casual fling? That doesn’t seem like you, Duo."
Duo shrugged. It wasn’t like him, but how could he explain to his former boyfriend that he’d had sex for the first time with a prostitute. "It was spontaneous and it just... happened."
Trowa’s racket lowered and his face was a picture of seriousness. "I find that hard to believe, considering your history."
He was starting to get seriously pissed-off at the other man. "It took me 25 years to finally let it happen, Trowa. I thought you’d be happy for me. Why is it so hard to believe that I finally got over my hang ups and experience something I never could before? I haven’t been paying Quatre for nothing these past two years, have I?"
Trowa stepped closer and put his hand on his shoulder. "It’s just that I know how deeply ingrained your aunt’s verbal poisoning went, Duo. I’m not unhappy that you’ve overcome your problem, it’s just that this seems so sudden, like a spontaneous act on your part and not a step up in a relationship with someone you care for. That’s what seems so unlike you. You’ve always said you wanted to be in a committed relationship. What’s changed?"
His feeling of irritation morphed into anger. Duo shrugged off the other man’s hand. "What’s changed?" he asked hotly. "Maybe the fact that I’m damn sick and tired of being alone, of being left for someone else who can have sex. Who cares about how I did it or with whom? What’s important is that finally, at 25 years old, I had sex for the first time and it was incredible. I thought you’d be happy for me."
The concern on Trowa’s face didn’t diminish as Duo hoped it would. In fact, it seemed to deepen. "Who was it, Duo?"
"None of your god-damn business." It was apparent their pleasant racketball game was over, and as far as Duo was concerned, so was this discussion. He turned and strode angrily towards the door, intending to leave.
"Duo, wait!" Trowa called out. Two steps before he reached the door, a hand firmly latched onto his forearm and held him in place. He turned with a scathing look directed at his friend. Trowa held up both and said, "Look, I’m sorry. But Quatre and I care about you. This is a big step in your life and I want to be supportive, but your being evasive isn’t helping me to do that. Please, tell me what happened."
Duo could tell that Trowa was being honest with him, but somehow his concern stung and he wasn’t sure why. "Look," he began with a weary sigh. He really didn’t want to tell his former boyfriend about Tex. "I met a drool-worthy guy, we connected and had great sex. That’s all there is to it. I’ve broken past the barriers that kept me from having a relationship with you and a dozen other guys that I’ve fallen for since I was sixteen. I’m grateful to the guy, but there is no relationship."
"It’s just seem so unlike you to have casual sex," Trowa said, still frowning. "I think you should talk to Quatre about this."
"I’ll see him on Thursday, for my usual appointment."
For the first time since he’d blurted out his news, a faint smile tugged at Trowa’s lips. Duo figured the man was relieved that he’d be seeing Quatre. There would be no doubt in Trowa’s mind that the blond would get to the bottom of his first sexual encounter. Duo wasn’t looking forward to that session. Quatre always wanted to talk a subject to death before they could move on to the next one. They’d probably hash over his first sexual encounter for two months. Just thinking about it was giving him a stomach ache.
"Good," Trowa said. "Are we still on for dinner on Friday?"
Duo had originally agreed to having dinner with the two lovebirds every Friday to show that he didn’t have any hard feelings about Trowa dumping him for Quatre. Many a time he’d dreaded the end of the work week because of it. Watching the other two men have the kind of relationship he could only fantasize about made him feel more lonely and depressed than if he’d spent the night alone in his apartment eating a T.V. dinner and bemoaning his lot in life.
"It all depends on Charise and if she’s not a neurotic mess from this lawsuit that’s been filed against her. I might have to make her dinner at her place if things go badly. The new lawyer from the law firm that has represented her over the years is due to show up this afternoon. He’s supposed to be something special, so I can only hope he can calm her down so that the rest of us aren’t walking around the office like it’s a mine field."
"Well, I wish you luck with that. Do you want to finish the game?"
Having returned to a more relaxed manner, Duo could tell that Trowa was over their spat. Why didn’t he feel that way? He scolded himself for acting like a woman, holding onto an argument or hurt feelings for much longer than he needed to. This is way it had between him and Trowa since their break up. They’d argue or disagree and as soon as it was over Trowa would be fine and ready to move on. He, on the other hand, would bury his hurt feelings and resentment, not really getting over his hurt feelings. He’d never really forgiven Trowa for his desertion. Leaving him for Quatre felt like a betrayal more than a cordial parting of ways, which was how Trowa described their breakup. Maybe he should have taken Quatre’s suggestion, that the three of them part ways professionally and personally, at least until he’d had time to come to terms with the change in their relationships. It was too late for that now, he thought. He’d played the forgiving jilted lover well, making the other two men believe that everything between them was good.
"No, I’m out of the mood," he answered Trowa’s question. "Guess I’ve just got too much on my mind. I’d better get back to Charise."
They walked back to the locker room, speaking casually of mundane and safe topics. Changing back into his suit, Duo stole another glance at Trowa as he too changed. Talk about drool-worthy. Trowa was ridiculously attractive, but without clothes he was simply drop-dead gorgeous. Sleek muscles beneath flawless skin, a flat stomach and long, lean legs. Jealousy stabbed at his heart. What was once offered to him, could have been his, now belonged to someone else.
Speeding up, he finished dressing before Trowa even had his socks and shoes back on. With a hasty goodbye, he turned to leave, pausing only when Trowa called out a reminder about his appointment with Quatre on Thursday. For some reason that small reminder soured Duo’s mood more than ever. He could only hope Charise was in a better mood that afternoon. He just wasn’t up for any more upsets.
TBC

Pretender 5

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:57:12 GMT

Santa Claus was in the mall today, two weeks before Thanksgiving! I did a double take to make sure I really saw him there. He had no visitors, but I think that's because no one expected him to show up so early. Like Santa, I got a head start on the holidays today by purchasing several gifts. And tomorrow we're putting up the fake trees because my husband said he needed to clear everything out of the garage for a project he's about to jump into. Oh, it will take a couple of weekends for me to check the lights and get the ornaments up, so my target date for both trees to be finished is Thanksgiving weekend. Maybe this time I'll actually be ahead of the holiday instead of rushing last minute to get everything done. It seems too early to be talking about Christmas, but it's only three pay checks away.

Oh, my daughter is very excited about New Moon coming out this week. She's had her ticket for the midnight show for over a month. I hope it's worth all the anticipation. With a bigger budget it looks like the movie follows the book pretty well, from what I've seen of the trailers. She mentioned the other day that she's read 37 books this year, which is absolutely amazing considering that she's struggled all through school with a reading disability. She'd never read ficiton until I gave her a copy of Twilight, and now she's a reading maniac. Her favorite books, though, are by Charlaine Harris. We've read them all.

Here's the next part of The Pretender. Enjoy!

The Pretender
Chapter 5
Saturday evening marked the end of L.A.’s fashion week, culminating with shows featuring the west coast’s top designers. The day had been frantic at times yet ended with a standing ovation and Charise taking a bow in front of an enthusiastic and, hopefully, buying audience. There were a few snags before the show, namely two wardrobe malfunctions, a missing suit, a model’s hair catastrophe, and a misplaced accessory. A constant at Charise’s side, Duo helped her to calm the models, correct the problems and sending the models wearing her garments onto the runway. He lost count of how many times he’d run to the coffee truck. And of course, a successful show was followed by a blowout after party. Celebrities, wealthy patrons as well as colleagues, personal friends of Charise’s, many of her peers in the fashion industry and the show’s models all joined together to congratulate the famous designer on her newest collection.
He finally managed to slip away from the party around ten p.m., feeling incredibly good about having helped pull off yet another successful show. Instead of going home to his apartment and hitting the sack, mostly because he was too wired up to sleep, Duo decided to burn off a little of that excess energy by making use of the tickets Dorothy had sent to him. He’d use one tonight and if he liked the Palomino or met someone interesting there, he’d save the second pass for another time. Since the passes were neatly tucked into his wallet and the club was conveniently located only a few blocks down from the posh hotel where Charise was holding her party, now seemed the perfect opportunity to check out the place out.
A brief glance into a store window confirmed that the sharp-looking suit he wore, one that Charise had designed specifically for him, fit his body to perfection. He looked good, if he did say so himself, and coupled with the night’s success he felt confident enough to venture into the gay club alone. He loosened his tie as he walked along the city street, nodding to those passing by who also looked to be enjoying a night on the town.
Much to his delight the club was situated in a nice section of town and the building appeared to have been recently remodeled. Unlike the clubs he’d visited as a teenager, with dim-lit windowless facades and a single door entry, the front of the Palomino was artfully illuminated, with a large front window and tall double doors framed in mahogany. The encased glass was frosted with images of horses running through water, giving privacy to the club’s patrons from curious pedestrians passing by. It was the classiest gay club Duo had ever seen. He could only guess how much the membership fees must be and knew it was probably more than he could afford.
With one hand in his pant’s pocket he tried his best to appear at ease as he strolled into the entrance foyer, where he was immediately greeted by a tall and handsome older man dressed in a suit almost as impressive as his own. The man’s head was completely shaved, but the dark brown eyebrows suggested what color his hair might have been in his younger years. The man politely welcomed him to the Palomino Club and asked for his membership card. Duo reached for his wallet and presented one of the two guest cards and received a brief nod from the greeter.
"Follow me, please," said the man before he promptly turned and walked down a small corridor, leaving Duo to follow. Stopping in front of the first door they came to, the tall man opened it for him and then stood to the side to allow Duo to pass through. "Enjoy," he said with a pleasant though not toothy grin. As he passed the man on his way though the door, Duo thought he could feel the man’s eyes following him. A quick glance confirmed the guy was staring at his ass. On second thought, it could be his shoes the man was openly ogling, which wasn’t surprising. After all, they were his favorite dress shoes and had been hand crafted in Italy. Which ever of the two had captured the doorman’s attention, Duo decided to take his appreciative stare as a compliment.
"I will, thanks," he replied over his shoulder, then promptly dismissed the man from his mind as the door closed behind him and he was left to survey the room before him. The walls, he noted, were covered by expensive embossed wallpaper, the color resembling a soft green patina and adorned only by bronze sconces, wood wainscoting and crown molding. Both masculine and stylish, he thought. The room itself was longer than it was wide and the bar along the far wall was a mixture of bronze metal and polished mahogany. He was pleased to note that the sconces gave off just enough light for him to easily view everyone in the room, most of which were men dressed in business suits. The hum of male voices combined with the soft jazz music playing in the background presented a pleasant atmosphere, giving him a hopeful feeling that he might actually enjoy himself tonight. The club’s ambiance helped ease some of the residual tension in his shoulders, and he was sure that after a drink he might begin to relax from the stressful day. Looking more closely now at the other men in the room, his confidence began to grow. He could handle businessmen, seeing as how he dealt with them five days of the week.
Moving more confidently now, he approached the bar and waved to get the attention of the attractive, muscular-looking bartender, who happened to be dressed just as nicely as the rest of the men in the bar. When the man answered his summons, Duo ordered a Manhattan. He didn’t want to chance getting tipsy around a bunch of strangers, so his plan for tonight was to slowly nurse one drink while checking out the bar’s patrons. During the next twenty minutes, several mature men, some even with graying hair, approached and initiated conversation with him, but he honestly wasn’t interested in older men. To his relief, they were quick to catch on to his disinterest and left him to his drink, no doubt continuing their hunt for someone else while the night was still young.
After a while a faint pulsing sound caught his attention, and Duo recognized it as the reverberations of a bass guitar. He looked for the source but was unable to pinpoint its location. He motioned for the waiter again and asked where the music was coming from.
"The dance floor is behind that door," the blond, strikingly handsome bartender replied, nodding towards the far end of the room. Sure enough, to the right of the bar he spotted a thin rectangular cut into the wall, a doorknob set in the rich brown wainscoting. Until it was pointed out to him, Duo hadn’t seen the door at all.
"Can I go in there on a guest pass?" He hoped he could because standing around the bar was not his idea of a great time. He never had liked the bar scene, and the last half hour brought back to mind the reason he felt that way.
"Of course," the bartender replied with a warm smile. "If you get past the front door, the entire club is at your disposal. There are billiards upstairs, a cigar room adjacent to it, as was well as a lounge and game room. We have a full service gym with saunas and showers."
"Sounds great," said Duo. Finishing off the last of his drink, he left the empty glass on the bar and walked towards the nearly invisible door, nodding and saying hello to those who made eye contact with him. After opening the door, he was surprised to find that it didn’t immediately lead to the dance area at all, but to a small corridor that led to yet another door, opposite from where he stood. The space appeared to be a sound buffer between the bar and dance area. With the music almost audible now, he crossed the short distance and pushed opened the matching door, finding himself in a slightly darker room that was alive with dance music. He was moderately surprised to find once again that, like the rest of the club, this room was different from what he’d expected. The dance clubs he’d visited before had been dark and overly loud with dance music and people trying to talk above it. The Palomino’s highly polished wooden dance floor was not overly populated, yet had enough people dancing to make the room feel anything but empty. The lights overhead were soft, illuminating but not glaringly so, unlike the wildly pulsing strobe lights that were the norm in other clubs. Along the walls were at least two dozen semi-circled booths, all facing the dance floor; to his right, a long bar with a line of stools, most of which were occupied.
At his entrance, quite a few heads turned his way. Being the center of attention was something Duo was used to, especially when he accompanied Charise, but he couldn’t really say he was comfortable with it, but then he would never be accused of trying to hide himself either. Having a braid the length of a yard stick and clothed daily in designer threads that were perfectly tailored to his body, pretty much make him a walking billboard advertising DuFrame Designs and garnered him a lot of attention. Confident that he looked his best tonight, he held his head high and strolled to the bar where he ordered a cherry cola, having already had his one alcoholic drink limit for the night. Over the tall, cold rim of the tumbler his eyes scanned the room to see if there was anything or anyone interesting.
His eyes, as always, searched out men who had dark hair, a physical trait he found appealing. He couldn’t explain his attraction to darker haired men, there was no real reason for that preference. Sure, he could appreciate the beauty of someone who was, say... blond or redheaded, but those shades just didn’t turn him on. Take Quatre, for instance. The man was a natural blond and good looking, too, but he never felt any sexual attraction to him. He guessed he just wasn’t drawn to men unless they had very dark hair. Trowa had been the one exception. His former boyfriend had glossy auburn colored hair, almost red in the sunlight.
"Duo Maxwell?" a hauntingly familiar voice called out from behind him, jolting him out of his thoughts of Trowa. Turning, he held back a groan as his eyes lit on the last person he’d hope to see. It was none other than his former boyfriend, Wufei Chang. Their brief relationship hadn’t ended well. No, not well at all.
"Hello, Wufei," he answered as politely as he could manage as the Chinese man closed the distance between them. As the ebony haired man stepped to his side, he couldn’t help but note the man was as handsome as ever but that his smile had retained that haughty slant that Duo had come to hate when they’d dated.
Unexpectedly, Wufei embraced him like a long lost lover, of which Duo technically had never been, and then he stepped back to say, "It’s good to see you, Duo. How have you been?"
Duo gave the man a closer look, trying to figure out what the other man was up to. Wufei was dressed in an expensively cut suit, dark gray by the looks of it with a matching satin shirt. It looked nice in contrast to his shoulder length, straight glossy black hair. His ice blue tie provided the only splash of color. The Chinese man looked even better than he had six years ago, and from what he’d heard, he was a successful stockbroker working for a prodigious financial group.
Feeling an arm slip around his shoulders, Duo was reminded of the reason why their fledgling relationship hadn’t lasted more than a couple of weeks; Wufei found the concept of fidelity hard to adhere to. Even though he and Duo never had sex, they had gotten close rather quickly. They had met while in college, seeing each other several nights a week; enjoying meals together, watching a movie or having a night on the town. Wufei had all the moves. He flirted like nobody’s business, kissed like sin, and courted like Casanova. Duo thought they had something good going on only to realize after a month of dating that Wufei had something better going on the side, several in fact. Though he’d never regretted the abrupt end of their relationship, Duo had thought about the Chinese man every now and then, though mostly about his delicious body. And from the way the man’s suit fit, it was easy to see Wufei had kept himself in top shape.
"I’m good, Wufei. Real good," Duo replied, smiling at the other man. "I’ve heard you’re working for some big shot financial group. If that suit you’re wearing is any indication, business is good."
The dark eyes sparkled with delight. "That it is, but I could say the same about you. I thought you were hot before, Duo, but seeing you in person after all this time, I have to say you’ve surpassed even my fondest memories. Can I buy you a drink, ask you to dance or just drag you home with me?"
"I’ve got a drink, thanks, but a dance might be nice."
Wufei took the drink out of his hand and set it on the bar, preparatory to leading him onto the dance floor. Even though the music was fast enough in tempo to dance separately, the Chinese man enfolded him into his arms, careful not to snag the long braid, and began a seductively slow dance.
"Up to your old games, Wufei?" Duo asked with a chuckle.
"I’d like to think I’ve learned a few new ones. Just say the word and I’ll be happy to share it all with you. I take it you’re here alone?"
"Yes."
"Seeing anyone seriously?"
"No," Duo answered with a shake of his head. "My last boyfriend dumped me for my shrink, so I’ve been a bit... cautious about dating again." He couldn’t help but wonder what Tex would say to that remark. He sure hadn’t been cautious in that hot tub, where they’d shared more than polite conversation. Thoughts of that day began to stir up the desire for a repeat performance. He studied Wufei again, thinking it would be nice to be naked and pressed up against the other man’s body, which even in college had been sculpted from years of perfecting several types of martial arts.
"Ouch!" the man said with an exaggerated wince. "He left you for your shrink? Shit, that had to hurt." The leaning forward to press his cheek against Duo’s, Wufei said into his hear, "Bet I could make you forget all about him." He heard Wufei breath in deeply, and then he said, "You smell positively delicious. Tell me, have you gotten over your... hangups?" There was a hint of anticipation in Wufei’s voice as he asked that question.
"Pretty much." Remembering Dorothy’s words of caution, Duo wasn’t one hundred percent confident that he was cured, but he was going to practice what Quatre termed positive mapping. Basically described, it entailed picturing a desired outcome in his mind and believing it could happen. Positive mapping had been part of his therapy for the past couple of months. Dorothy had a similar yet cruder way of saying the same thing. Perhaps applying that tactic now could help him enjoy a very satisfying tryst with his former boyfriend. If nothing else, Wufei was pleasing to the eye, experienced in bed, and he felt he could trust Wufei... well, maybe for one night. He couldn’t envision them going any further than that.
"How about you? Are you with anyone?"
"Not at the moment."
After a moment, the corners of Wufei’s lips turned up and his eyes took on a look of appreciation. "Damn, Duo, I’d forgotten about your incredible eyes. You can make a man hard by just staring into them." And to prove it, Wufei’s hands cupped his bottom and pressed their lower bodies together so that Duo could feel the undeniable evidence of his claim. "There’s a room in the back we could use. You know, to get reacquainted."
For some reason Wufei’s suggestion was like a bucket of cold water being thrown on him, cooling down any sexual reaction he’d been having towards Wufei. He took a mental step back to ask himself, Is this what I really want, to have sex in the back room of a club I’ve never been in before? What was he thinking? He hadn’t seen Wufei in years, and yet within five minutes the other man was propositioning him. What did that say about the man. A tiger can’t change his stripes, and Wufei would probably never stop being a player. Why would he want to be with the man, even for the evening? In the back of his head came the question, But isn’t this why you’ve come here in the first place? To have some fun, let loose and make up for lost time? The familiar tug of war that he’d dealt with for most of his life was back again. Sensing that Wufei was waiting for an answer, he swallowed with some difficulty before suggesting, "Why don’t we get reacquainted out here on the dance floor first, and then we’ll see."
One black eyebrow rose in question, but then slowly settled back down to align with its twin. "Very well," Wufei agreed, though it looked like he had just sucked on a very sour lemon. No, the man was not pleased at all. "Tell me, what are you doing now, job wise?"
"I’m the personal assistant to Charise DuFrame," he rushed to say, relieved to have a bit more time to settle the debate going on in his head. "We just finished L.A.’s fashion week and the show for her spring and summer fashions for next year took place this evening. Being that it was such a huge success, I thought I’d celebrate by coming here tonight."
"Are you a member of the club?" Wufei asked, loosening the hold that had kept their pelvises pressed together. "I don’t think I’ve seen you here before." It was becoming obvious that his interest in him was diminished by the mundane conversation.
"No. A friend of mine gave me a couple of passes to see if I’d be interested. This is my first visit."
A grin broke out on Wufei’s face. Duo wasn’t sure, but it had an almost predatory look to it. He began to think that maybe he was being looked at as fresh meat on the market. A glance around the room showed him that he and his dance partner were still being observed by the others. Even the eyes of those making out with their partners on the dance floor stole furtive glances their way. He suddenly felt exposed and very uncomfortable. He’d have to be careful to ease his way out of this situation or there was the possibility of an ugly scene in the making.
"Do you think we could sit and talk for a bit?"
Wufei pulled back, surprised by the request. "Ah... sure. Follow me." Taking Duo’s hand, he led the him to the side of the room to an empty, circular booth. After sitting down, Duo immediately felt better, no longer the center of attention.
"So, tell me more about your job and your life, Duo."
With the Chinese man giving him his full attention, Duo told him of his years after college. How he’d worked his way quickly from a minor role in Charise’s company to being her assistant, a demanding job that paid insanely well. While he spoke, Wufei’s fingers caressed the top of his hand, which was resting on the tabletop. Before long, his hand slid away and disappeared beneath the table and began to kneed his thigh, moving steadily closer to his crotch.
Duo’s pulse was racing by that time, but more from agitation than Wufei’s attempts to seduce him. Something about this whole situation bothered him. An uncomfortable feeling had been building with each passing moment, setting off alarms in his mind. He almost bit his tongue as he asked, "How about you, Wufei? Are you still working out every day?"
"Six days a week," Wufei answered before leaning over his to let his lips begin a teasing assault on Duo’s neck. "My stamina has always been good, but now it’s even better."
Of course the man was alluding to his sexual prowess, which served to put Duo off even more. As Wufei moved to capture his not-so-pliant lips, the braided man tried to examine his confusion. Wufei was definitely eager and willing, so why was he being so critical, finding fault with everything the other man said and did. Why was he so put off by the man? The kiss became even more demanding, and despite his reasons for being there that night, Duo instinctively jerked back when a sure hand slid over his clothed, barely interested member. "Don’t," was all he could manage to say in response to his sudden revulsion.
Wufei looked confused for a moment, then his dark eyes narrowed and where moments before they had been filled with desire, anger now flashed in the dark orbs. "What? Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind?" he snapped angrily. The look of anger quickly turned to condemnation. "I should have known you hadn’t changed. You were always a cock tease, Duo, looking like a wet dream come to life and as frigid as the North Pole. Take my advice and get a refund from that shrink of yours. He took more than your boyfriend, he took you to the bank, therapy wise." Wufei slid out of the booth and paused a moment to derisively add, "It’s no wonder your last boyfriend fell for someone else. A man’s cock would wither and dry up before you’re over your hang ups. God, you’re a pathetic tease."
With that parting comment, the Chinese man stalked off towards the bar where he would no doubt tell the others congregated there all about the cock tease. Mortified, Duo sat there for a moment, desperately struggling to gather his wits about him. After collecting what remained of his dignity, he slid out of the booth and walked with his head held up as high he could muster under the circumstances and headed towards the door. He forced himself to walk rather than run, fighting the desperate urge to get out of there as quickly as possible. His face was burning and he figured it must be crimson from the embarrassment he felt. Hailing a cab, he returned to his apartment, thinking to lock himself inside for as long as it took to get over this latest bout of humiliation.
TBC

Aghast

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:20:58 GMT

I was just watching the news and they showed a clip from Oprah's show today. Did anyone catch it? I was horrified by the story, which my daughter filled me in on since they discussed it at her work place a couple of weeks ago because it might be considered a Workmen's Comp case. The woman had her face and hands ripped off by her boss's 200 pound chimpanzee. My heart in my throat as I watched the news, and all I could think was, That poor, poor soul. I don't think I've ever seen anything as terrible as this before. I will never again feel sorry for myself or think my life is difficult. I think the image of her horribly disfigured face will haunt me for a long time.

gamesters

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:10:22 GMT

My sons were out picking up their pre-ordered Modern Warfare 2 game at midnight last night. When I got up at 5:30 a.m., both were playing the game. My older boy says the game is the best video game ever produced and that it beats any action movie he's ever seen. It took him five hours to get through the story and now they're both playing on-line. Can't say I'd take a day off of school and work to play a game, not to mention staying up all night. Guess that makes me an adult... one who needs sleep in order to function.

Pretender, 4

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:13:03 GMT

Here's the next part.

The Pretender

Chapter 4

Waking up the next morning, Duo had no idea which activity the day before had made sitting up so painful: horseback riding or having sex for the first time. He was pretty sure it was a combination of both. Feeling both stiff and sore, he took a couple of ibuprofen then dressed in black jeans and a white oxford shirt, deeming his clothing casual enough for Charise’s working-vacation dress standards. Despite his physical discomfort, Duo found himself smiling at his reflection in the bathroom mirror after brushing his teeth. For the life of him he couldn’t seem to keep the smile off his face.

He’d done it. He’d actually had sex.

He was finally liberated from the heavy mantle of fear and guilt his aunt had placed on him, trying to keep him from what she deemed a life of perversion. Of course he wasn’t entirely free from all feelings of guilt. He felt pretty bad about leaving Tex as he had, waiting for him in an upstairs bedroom, anticipating his company for the night. It couldn’t be helped, he consoled himself. He wasn’t anything like the forward, sexually indulgent person the handsome man believed him to be. He wasn’t Laredo. That persona, fueled by his vivid imagination, had served its purpose by helping him have sex with a virtual stranger. But Laredo was only a fantasy, and now with a full workday ahead of him, he had to be firmly anchored to reality. He had a great job, a cool apartment, a boss who depended on him and friends who cared. Leaving Tex like he had was probably the rudest, most cowardly thing he’d ever done, especially after what they’d done together, but Duo didn’t regret parting ways before the man learned of his deception.

Thinking about the day before another thought came to him. What would Charise think of him if she ever learned he’d had sex at the brothel up the hill from her ranch? No doubt her first reaction would be shock. After calming down, she’d scold him until his ears burned for acting so carelessly and being irresponsible, then she probably skewer him with the look of disappointment he hated being on the receiving end of.

His boss was, at times, his friend and confidant, and she knew something about his intimacy problems, so she might even be happy for him that he’d passed that enormous hurdle, but she definitely frowned on things she considered debasing. The woman made no secret about her views on pornography, prostitution or adultery. She was no Bible thumper, far from it, but she personally felt those things to be detrimental to healthy relationships. Charise would know about building a strong relationship, Duo figured. She’d been married once, and it was "A love match beyond compare", she’d say to anyone who cared to listen. Seven years ago, her "darling Harry", husband of twenty years, died in a scuba diving accident off the coast of Australia while they were on vacation together. Charise had been so devastated by his sudden death and the loss of her once-in-a-lifetime love, that for the first time in her life she couldn’t bring herself to care about anything. Following her doctor’s orders, she’d taken a year off work to mourn him and pull herself together. Duo felt like he knew Harry DuFrame, as Charise spoke often and fondly of the man, and always with tears filling her eyes.

Because she’d been lucky enough to have known true love, a good and loving relationship was what Charise wanted for him also, which is one of the reasons why she would be so upset about his having sex with a prostitute. A brothel was probably the last place she would have expected him to lose his virginity. She would definitely be disappointed in him if she learned the truth. That was why, no matter what, he couldn’t tell her about Tex, not how they met, what the man did for a living and definitely not what they’d done together.

Studying his reflection, he turned his head and looked at his face from all angles, wondering if he looked any different after having had great sex. He was pretty sure the blush that popped up on his cheeks every time he thought about being in the hot tub with the cowboy was a clear give away that something had changed. It wouldn’t do to have Charise or his co-workers question him about his flushed face, that might lead to other questions he wasn’t about to answer. The problem was, he couldn’t stop thinking of Tex and recreating in his mind the scene in the hot tub. The only solution was to keep his thoughts occupied with other things, like the busy day ahead of him. But damn, dismissing the cowboy might prove nearly impossible when the memory of those deep blue eyes and the teasing tilt of Tex’s lips was something he wasn’t quite ready to let go of .

--------------

Ten minutes before the morning meeting was scheduled to begin, Duo in his place, alone, in the conference room. He had just opened his laptop when a familiar voice called out to him from the doorway. "Duo!" Charise walked into the room where her design team met daily. "There you are. I didn’t see you at breakfast."

"Morning, Charise," he replied calmly, purposely keeping his eyes to the screen as it came to life. "I wasn’t hungry this morning."

"You should have been. You missed dinner last night. Was the horseback ride too much for you?"

Charise knew he hadn’t ridden before, so she must know that he was sore. But her concern was laced with a touch of teasing. Rather than tell her he’d been soaking his sore arse in the whirlpool bathtub all evening, dreaming of a dark haired cowboy, he stretched the truth. "I was feeling a bit achy, so I decided to take a long bath and watch some T.V. in my room. You more or less ordered me to relax and have some fun this week, and that’s exactly what I did last night."

"The horseback ride wasn’t relaxing?" she asked, moving to stand behind his chair.

"It was very nice, though a bit long for my first time in the saddle." That wasn’t the only "first" he’d experienced yesterday, he thought with a internal snicker.

"Well, I suppose you’ll be happy about getting back to your apartment tomorrow."

"I have to shop for the week and a mountain of laundry to do on Sunday," he admitted.

"All work and no play will make my Duo a very lonely boy," Charise said, concern in her voice as her hands came to rest on his shoulders and began massaging them.

"I can’t help it you are a tireless task master," he teased, then turned the tables on her. "When do you make time for anything other than business?"

The hands on his shoulders stopped moving as the older woman thought about the question. "I guess I don’t. I can’t remember the last time I had a date or went to the movies, at least one that wasn’t a premiere where my presence was deemed necessary for publicity. Do you happen to know of any straight, handsome, decent, older and self supporting men, Duo?" Charise then sighed deeply and added, "I’m beginning to think they’re a dying breed."

He grinned at her over his shoulder. "Not too picky, are you?"

"One has to be, when it come to matters of the heart." She smiled softly in return, though there was a wistful look in her eyes. He got the message that Charise was ready to move on, past her grief for her deceased husband. But there was still a part of her that held onto Harry, and probably always would.

"I’ll be on the lookout," Duo assured her, placing his hands over hers, which were still resting on his shoulders. "And you do the same for me, minus the straight requirement. I’m thinking that if we can find someone to occupy your evenings and weekends, the rest of us will get to work a regular 40-hour week." He was teasing, but not. His own social life was nearly non-existent due to the long hours spent at the office and then often spending part of his weekends helping Charise with some of her personal business or escorting her to fashion industry events. Hell, he was often so wiped out at the end of the day that it was a chore to fix dinner and a rare night when he watched T.V. What free time he had on the weekends, his body usually demanded he make up for his lack of sleep by taking long naps or sleeping half the day away.

"We’ve got a deal," Charise agreed with a feminine chuckle. Moving to the chair at the head of the table, she sat down and set her briefcase on the flat surface. It took a few moments for her to pull out the reports and files she needed that morning.

After laying them on top of the table, she glanced up at her assistant once again and thoughtfully studied him for a moment. A slow smile tilted the corner’s of her mouth as she observed, "You are absolutely glowing this morning, Duo. I think the fresh country air must agree with you. You have the look of someone who just got laid." But after Duo failed to respond to her teasing, her humor suddenly waned.

He was mortified. How did she know? What if everyone else could read him like his boss had? Damn, he wasn’t that obvious, was he?

Charise was quick to apologize, believing she’d offended him. "I’m so sorry, Duo. That was tactless of me. I..." She stopped short, sensing she was digging herself in deeper with every word uttered. "Anyway, what I meant to say was that you look more delicious than usual." She waited until he looked up and smiled, letting her know that all was forgiven, before she relaxed.

"Now, let’s hope that my highly paid staff has come up with some fantastic ideas for the Spring Fling." No more than ten seconds passed before said fortunate staff began to trickle into the room. After a brief greeting, they took their seats.

Duo stayed busily occupied for the remainder of his stay at the ranch, leaving him little time to think about Tex. On Saturday morning , in a rented limo, he returned to the small airport in Lake Tahoe, along with Charise and several favored employees, where they boarded DuFrame Design’s private plane and flew back to L.A. The other staff members would find their way home in the cars they’d driven up or one a commercial airliners, their tickets provided by Charise.

Unlocking the front door to his apartment, Duo stepped in carrying his three bags, relieved at being back in his own living space. From habit he re-locked the front door then took his luggage to the bedroom. He set everything down and removed his light jacket and stretched out his arms. Deciding to deal with unpacking later, he grabbed up his phone and speed dialed Dorothy. She’d given him her cell phone number in case he had needed of her while he was out of town.

She picked up just as he sat on his. "How was your trip?" she asked, without bothering to say hello. He knew she had caller id, but would it kill her to greet him properly?

Putting aside his slight irritation, he answered triumphantly, "I did it." With a smile on his face and phone in his hand, he flopped back onto the mattress.

There was a moment a silence followed as Dorothy digested what he’d said. "Define, exactly, what ‘it’ is."

"I had sex with another man."

He could imagine Dorothy smiling, her straight, pearly-white teeth exposed as she replied excitedly, "Tell me all about it. Was it good?"

Duo grinned back. Leave it to a sex therapist not to ask the who, what, where, when or why questions that he was sure to get from Quatre or anyone else he told of his newest achievement. "It was better than good. It was fantastic. I know you and everyone else told me it would be, but I really didn’t expect it to be so... fulfilling the first time."

"You didn’t panic?"

"No, but I felt like it a couple of times. I caught myself and used the escape technique you taught me, and it was hot." Now that he was talking about the incident, he found it hard to stop when he had such an eager and understanding listener. "You know I was going to Charise’s ranch, right? Well, she arranged for me to go on a horseback ride, and my guide took me to a big yellow house cut into a hillside called The House.."

"On the Hill." Dorothy finished for him and then laughed. "Oh, Duo. Don’t tell me you had your virginity taken in a whore house?"

Duo wondered why she was so amused. "Who said I was taken?"

Dorothy’s amusement continued as she asked, "What else have we been preparing you for? Isn’t that what you wanted?"

"I also want to experience being on top," he protested. He knew his former boyfriends, usually the strong, handsome and dominant type, had made no secret about how they wanted to take him. Since he always went for that kind of guy he should be willing to give them what they needed, or so he thought. But that didn’t mean he’d be content to be a bottom every time. If his first time having sex revealed anything about him, it was that he wasn’t adverse to being a bottom. His friends and therapists had told him most guys are either top or bottom, but he figured he wouldn’t know for certain what he preferred until he tried both.

"And now that you’ve taken this first step, you will. Tell me, who was this miracle man? A professional?"

"He was dressed like a cowboy." He could feel his face flushing at the mere mention of Tex.

"Ah, that’s perfect. You’ve always been partial towards men in tight jeans and chaps."

Without going into as much detail as she wanted, Duo told her what had happened between himself and Tex and was getting aroused describing that afternoon. He rubbed the swelling at the front of his pants as he finished telling her how the other man had held and kissed him afterwards. A lovely gesture, but unfortunately it was soured by his having fled the scene while Tex, ignorant of his departure, waited for him in his room upstairs.

"So, did he work there or not?" Dorothy asked, sounding confused.

"Honestly? I don’t know, but I assumed he did. He had a room up stairs, after all. Besides, this guy kissed exactly the way he looked. He was perfection personified."

"Then you got his services for free?"

Duo’s eyes widened. The thought that he’d stiffed the man who’d done so much for him had never even entered his mind, and he was horrified by his actions, even though his thoughtlessness had been unintended. "Shit," he answered, wide eyed. "I didn’t even think to pay."

Dorothy thought about that for a moment, then suggested, "You can always send them a cashier’s check, or an envelope of money, explaining your hasty retreat as embarrassment, not an intended slight."

Duo nodded distractedly, thinking about that. It was bad enough that he’d run off and left Tex waiting for him upstairs, but to leave without paying for services rendered was stealing from the man. Tex had to have felt cheated and insulted. He decided then and there to write a note of apology to Tex and send him five hundred dollars. Was that enough? He had no idea and no one to ask without a lot of explanations. Surely Dorothy wouldn’t know how much prostitutes from that particular establishment charged for a life-altering, half-hour quicky.

"So what are your plans?" Dorothy’s question cut into his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" His mind was still focused on sending money to Tex.

"Are you going to start dating again?"

"Oh," he blinked, not realizing they’d changed topics. "I guess that’s the next step, isn’t it?" he replied. "I just have to find the time to get out and meet someone. Now that I’ve gotten over my issues, I’m free to start looking for the man of my dreams."

Even though Dorothy wasn’t in the room, looking at him with that penetrating stare of hers, the one that made him squirm in his chair, the long pause from her end of the phone somehow made him feel like she was examining him under a microscope.

"I’m not so certain you should consider your "issues" to be over," she finally said, her tone thoughtful. "You’ve definitely made progress, but there is a latent reason for your phobia. That reason hasn’t gone away, as far as I know, but you have just successfully gotten around it. Dr. Winner, I hope, is helping you deal with that aspect of your mental health." After taking a deep breath, she added, "Now, as for moving forward, I would suggest that you begin putting your toes into the proverbial gay waters by going out next weekend. I’ve got a few connections and can get you into the Palomino Club. They have a higher class of clientele, mostly business professionals, who I’m confident will welcome you with open arms."

Duo suddenly became anxious at her suggestion of going into a gay club alone, especially the exclusive one Dorothy suggested. Of course he’d patronized them before, during his college years, but those nights didn’t hold the most pleasant memories. Too much had been expected of him by the guys he’d met in those loud and dark establishments. Even the few decent guys he’d given his cell phone number to had expected him to have sex with them after the first or second date. He’d disappointed quite a few hopefuls and earned the reputation as a cock tease when he couldn’t go any further than making out.

"I haven’t been to a club in years. Are you sure that’s the best place for me to go?"

"Absolutely. If it will make you feel better, I could meet you there. It’s not safe these days to go any where alone, especially in the city."

Duo frowned. "I don’t need you to hold my hand, Dorothy."

"I know that. I just thought you might feel more comfortable walking into a new place with someone."

"I don’t think walking into a gay club with a woman on my arm is going to help my cause," he replied.

"I could bring a date?"

"Then I’d look like I was in a threesome, and that’s definitely not the impression I want to give when looking for a date. I think I’m better off doing this by myself."

Dorothy thought about this a moment then sighed. "As long as you promise me that you’ll actually go to the club and stay for at least an hour. And don’t go alone. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you."

He wondered why the woman was so paranoid about his going out alone? Hell, he’d been on his own for nearly a year since Trowa’s departure, and nothing had happened to make him as exercise the kind of caution Dorothy was asking of him. Maybe something had happened to spur her concern. He really should take the time to watch the news, get caught up on currents, especially if we was going to start dating again. The problem was he was either at work on asleep when the evening news came on.

"I have to stay an hour, huh?" Duo pondered that for a moment, then nodded his head. "All right. I can do an hour."

"We’re making real progress here, Duo." The therapist sounded pleased. "I’m so proud of you. I have every confidence that you’re on the way to having the relationship you’ve been wanting for so long."

Duo grinned. "Hum... a hot and heavy romance."

"Maybe more than one, two or ten," Dorothy replied. "The possibilities are endless."

There was that churning in his stomach again. Something about the blonde’s insinuation that he could have a string of lovers just didn’t sit right. He initially began seeing Dorothy because he was sick of being alone and dumped for someone who had more to offer, physically, to a relationship. Frankly, he had been desperate to overcome his fears so that he could finally enjoy a full-fledged relationship with another man. He’d always been selective about who he let into his life, and had been cautious about who he confided in with regards to his intimacy problem. Those few had initially promised to be patient as he tried to work out his issues, but none of them had been able to wait long enough to enjoy the end result of his therapy.

Trowa had been the last to leave him. And though he’d told Quatre that he was over that defection, he really wasn’t. Since their breakup, he’d been afraid to let anyone else get close to him. His fear of rejection and of being abandoned had been earned the hard way, by a history of heartbreak and letdowns.

As his conversation with Dorothy drew to a close, Duo promised to look for the tickets she’d be sending to his apartment for the Palomino Club, and that he’d call her the morning after his visit to the club to report on his evening.

Work was frantic the next week. Duo’s day at the office began at 6 a.m., and lasted well after 9 p.m. He returned home, too tired to eat and with barely enough energy to throw off his clothes and fall into bed. He cancelled his appointment with Quatre and his weekly racketball game with Trowa with the legitimate excuse that he was just too busy to leave the office. With the winter fashion show taking place that weekend, he found very little time to dwell on Tex much less anything else regarding his sex life.

A note from Dorothy arrived by messenger on Thursday afternoon. It included two tickets to the trendy club she’d spoken of the weekend before. With so much on his mind, Duo had actually forgotten about it. He took a moment to study the invitations before placing them in his wallet; he had too much going on at the moment to even think about using them. It looked like his love life would have to take the back burner, at least until after the show on Saturday.

TBC

Pretender 3

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:55:08 GMT

Happy Halloween, everyone. Here's the next part of The Pretender. I'm sorry if I haven't answered everyone's comments. It's just been one of those weeks where there's just no time to do anything extra. I'll try to do better in the coming week.

The Pretender

Part 3

Warning: For mature readers only, please! Sexual content

"Are you all right?" asked the blue-eyed handsome hunk sitting next to him in the hot tub. Duo’s breath was caught in his throat. He’d been startled by the cowboy, shocked, in fact, that he was actually sitting next to the man after having incorporated his image into a very vivid daydream; but that wasn’t the entire reason for his current speechless state. The bare chested god, sitting not more than one foot away and staring at his face with concern, was even more handsome than he’d imagined. He had dark brown, windblown hair and skin that was tan and flawless. The stubble on his jawline added to the stranger’s masculine appeal and fit in perfectly with his western-themed daydream. And his eyes, holy shit, they were the deepest blue, slightly slanted and heavily fringed by dark eyelashes. His nose was perfect in size and placement on his handsome face, and set above lips, while not too full, were smooth and moist and so very tempting.

"Who are you?" Duo, wide eyed, finally managed to choke out.

"Exchanging names at a place like this is rather taboo, isn’t it?" the cowboy asked in return, a teasing tilt to his lips.

"I gave you my name," Duo countered, his own smile feeling strained. He felt more than a little unnerved by the other man’s penetrating gaze.

"Well, Laredo, you can call me Tex." The tone in the cowboy’s voice as he said his made-up name indicated the other man knew he was using an alias. "Laredo and Tex, sounds like a good match, don’t you think?"

Duo grinned back. He had enjoyed pretending to be Laredo, and if the other man was going to go along with this fantasy, it might work to his advantage. This was exactly the type of opportunity he’d been waiting for. He could use his imagination, just as Dorothy had encouraged him to do, and finally get past the final stumbling blocks of his intimacy issues. He would imagine himself as Laredo, a professional prostitute, who had none of his own ridiculous hangs ups. When it came to sex, Laredo would know exactly what to do and how to do it. From the look on his face, Duo could tell the cowboy knew a thing or two himself about that subject.

"A match it is," he found himself saying, and this time he didn’t back away when the blue-eyed stranger moved forward and captured his mouth again, giving him a toe-curling kiss he wasn’t likely to ever forget.

In his head, he began a steady script to keep himself focused on the here and now and not on his own past. Laredo wouldn’t be afraid of kissing a stranger or of the unfamiliar hands mapping out his body. He quickly assimilated himself into the role of the experienced courtesan, letting his hands wander over and around the smooth, bronzed skin, feeling strong shoulders, a nicely sculpted chest, a flat stomach and an impressive show of male anatomy. His right hand circled around that stiff member, and almost instantly the voice of his aunt seeped into his thoughts, telling him that what he was planning on doing was wrong, disgusting and a perversion against nature. He immediately countered the voice, just as Dorothy had taught him, by telling himself that being kissed and held was good. It certainly felt good, and Laredo wanted Tex to just keep on doing what he was doing. Laredo was used to getting whatever he wanted, and at the moment he wanted Tex more than anything.

"There’s a room upstairs, want to go there now?" the stranger whispered against his mouth before his lips began a journey to his jaw and down his neck. Duo knew that if he stopped now he might not be able to dredge up the courage to go through with this again. Then it came to him; Tex was an upstairs employee. Damn, his kissing technique could certainly stand as proof of that profession because it was sheer perfection, and the hands roving his body certainly moved with confidence. At the moment he didn’t care who or what Tex was, prostitute or cowboy, it was what they were about to do that had him firmly pushing away all negative thoughts and doubts in order to cling to his fantasy, which was now an effective tool for overcoming what had previously been an insurmountable obstacle. Immersing himself further into the role of Laredo, he wondered what provocative answer the highly paid prostitute would give the cowboy. He found himself speaking the honest-to-god truth, "I can’t wait that long, Tex. I want you now."

With his eyes still closed from the heady kiss, Duo felt the cowboy disentangle himself and leave his side. Without the warm body to anchor him, the old familiar feeling of panic crept up on him. His eyes snapped open and he was instantly caught up by the sight of the naked, lean yet muscular body of the other man as he stepped out of the hot tub and went to his pants, folded on a nearby bench. Duo fleetingly wondered why he hadn’t heard Tex enter the secluded area. His boots should have made some noise on the cobbled path - unless he’d taken them off. He decided very quickly that it didn’t really matter how Tex came to be there, because at that moment every thought flew out of his head as the man turned around with a travel-size tube of lube and a condom in his hand, though that wasn’t what held his attention. No, he only had eyes for the magnificent appendage jutting out from the nest of dark hair. The sight of the stiff member filled him with both fear and anticipation. Forcing himself to look away from that part of his anatomy, his gaze moved up that glorious body and locked with the cowboy’s eyes. Deep blue pools of desire held his gaze as the man walked back to the hot tub and stepped down into the warm water again.

Tex proved to be a man of few words and a lot of action. After another round of hot and passionate kissing and fondling, Duo found himself lifted by strong arms, turned and carefully bent over the rim of the hot tub, exposing his entire backside. "I’m Laredo," he whispered to himself under his breath as he felt his old defenses rising up, urging him to scramble away from the man behind him and make a run for his clothes. No! He firmly resolved. I want this. I need this.

A slick finger teased and then invaded him, then worked at loosening the tight muscles. He relaxed as much as he was able, remembering Dorothy instructing him that preparation was essential. The thought came to him, How would a professional courtesan respond? He didn’t have a whole lot of experience in being wanton or with sex; well, none at all considering he’d never actually done it before. He’d always been too afraid of the end result. But if there was one thing he was good at, it was having a vivid imagination. With his upper body resting on the warm wooden deck, he placed his face on his hands, folded beneath his cheek and did his best to relax. The faint odor of horse was in the air, and the not too distant whinny and snort helped Duo slip back into a his fantasy, of a world he’d only ever read about in books.

Laredo would be tired, having newly arrived from his journey from San Francisco. He could imagine himself walking into the foyer, dressed in an impeccable black suit over a white shirt and a bright yet tasteful neck scarf, his hat held over his chest by one hand, his valise secured in the other. He would pause to take stock of the large house, and even though he’d just arrived from the big, worldly city, he would still be impressed by the entry to his new home and workplace. No doubt a few employees at the house would welcome him, though others would probably wish him to the devil.

Duo grunted as another finger intruded. "All right?" the cowboy asked, his voice gruffer now as his other hand settled on his hip and began to stroke the wet skin beneath his palm.

"Just don’t stop," he whispered. Duo knew that if Tex stopped now he might never get to this point again. As the stretching got to be a bit uncomfortable, he was glad he’d accepted the faux phallus from Dorothy. His assignment had been to lube and insert it twice a week, just to get used to the feel of something intruding into his body. It wasn’t the most pleasurable experience, but he had faithfully executed his assignment with the hope that he would one day be in the very position he found himself in now. A thought began to form in the back of his mind, telling him that this wasn’t right. He quickly squashed it. He wasn’t about to let any doubts he might have ruin this moment.

Warm lips brushed against his back, and a tongue slowly traveled up his spine. "Ready?" Duo could tell by the slick hardness tapping against his hip, that Tex was more than ready to begin.

How would Laredo respond? Ah, yes, he’d say something like... "Show me what you’ve got, cowboy." His voice came out sounding thick with..., well, he hoped Tex would interrupt it as being sexy instead of frightened.

The moment he’d dreamed of since puberty had arrived quite suddenly as Tex filled him all at once. He gasped at the new intrusion, fists clutching against the uncomfortable feeling. Tex was certainly bigger than his practice phallus, and although he couldn’t exactly say he was comfortable, it wasn’t all that bad either. Thankfully, the dark haired stranger paused long enough for him to adjust and gather his wits. Shaken out of his daydream by the reality of the situation, it took all Duo’s strength of will to keep from crawling up the edge of the hot tub and pulling himself off of the other man’s hard length. He forced himself to stay where he was, determined not to succumb to his aunt’s brainwashing, not now, when he’d gone farther than he ever had before.

And then the cowboy began to move. The first thing that came into Duo’s mind was how different it felt having the real thing inside of him instead of a rubber simulated one. Oh yes, now this was more like it. His body jerked and a moan sounded from deep within him as Tex hit that sweet spot that Dorothy and every guy he’d seriously dated had talked about. The cowboy purposely pressed against it again, causing another pleasure-filled moan to escape his lips.

Duo rapidly lost himself to the rising tide of pleasure that the other man was bringing out of his body. He’d wanted this for so long and now that he’d gotten past the uncomfortable feeling of intrusion, it felt indescribably wonderful. Working in tandem with the man behind him, he pushed back to meet the cowboy’s forward thrust. Good, so good, he thought, and the intense pleasure building inside of him was quickly becoming overwhelming. Not soon enough, a firm and blessedly talented hand slipped beneath him and sought to give him yet another kind of pleasure. After that, it was only a matter of minutes before he tumbled over the edge of completion and came with a long moan, his cum marking the edge of the hot tub.

Though his mind and body remained in a swirl of heady feelings, he was vaguely aware of the other man thrusting with abandon behind him. Suddenly, Tex stiffened and uttered a couple of incomprehensible words as he reached his climax as well. The man then collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily into his ear. Several moments passed before cowboy placed a brief kiss on his upturned cheek then began to slowly ease back, lifting his weight off of him and slipping out of his body with a hiss and a small gasp.

Unable to move yet, Duo remained bent over the edge of the hot tub, catching his breath. Then hands, strong yet gentle, carefully lifted him off the deck and ease his body back into the warm water. Two arms encircled his body, holding him comfortably against a warm and solid chest. "That was.... great," the dark haired cowboy said, still a bit breathless.

Duo could only nod his head in agreement, then choked out the words, "Thank you."

The deep chuckle next to his ear sounded sexy, and Duo wondered if this man was perfect not only in the looks department, but in everything else as well. He was a fantasy come true. He couldn’t help but wonder if this man who had him seeing stars a moment ago had perfected his love-making skills before or after becoming a prostitute. Well, that was certainly something he couldn’t ask. The arms holding his body shifted him again, and he was nothing short of putty in the cowboy’s hands. His new position found him sitting across the cowboy’s lap. He looked up, hoping to try to say something a little more intelligent, though before he could utter a word his mouth was captured again, kissed in such a way that any other form of communication was unthinkable.

This time the kiss was different. It was a slow and lazy kiss, and Duo found it just as wonderful as the more urgent kisses they’d shared earlier. He reciprocated in kind, grateful beyond words to this stranger for the gift he’d unknowingly given him. Duo felt wonderful, like a new man, one who had stepped away from a debilitating handicap and now had the ability to give what was necessary in a meaningful, long-term relationship.

When at last their lips parted, Duo looked up at the person who had just saved him from being a life-long virgin. His heart, already beating faster than normal, sped up from just gazing at the handsome face. Tex had to be the sexiest man he’d ever met.

Then the Adonis spoke. "I can get a key to one of the guest rooms on the third floor. How about we continue this up there? I’ll order dinner and we’ll spend the evening together, maybe even the night. Are you free?"

Duo blinked, forcing himself to remember that this wasn’t a dream. The guy holding him was a prostitute, and more than willing to perform... for a fee. Oh shit, it hit him just exactly what he had done. Not only had he finally had sex and enjoyed it, but he’d done so with a complete stranger, a prostitute. Sure, Tex had used protection, but that diminish the fact that his first time was a rather tawdry affair. Shit, a prostitute. What had he been thinking? Doing his best to tuck away the distaste he felt from his own behavior, he knew he had to get out of there... and fast. As much as it pained him to lie, he had to get rid of the other man so he could sneak out of there and meet Hilde.

"Ah, yeah..., that sounds like a plan," he answered after a lengthy pause. "I’ll just have to check with Jillian first."

Tex’s eyebrows drew down for a moment, making him look at bit concerned, but then he nodded. The next few moments felt awkward, so Duo took the initiative and suggested, "Why don’t you go upstairs and I’ll join you after I freshen up." He was rather surprised how smooth the words flowed out of his mouth, given that he felt like he’d been choking while trying to get the lie out.

The other man sighed, seeming disappointed, but then Tex agreed to his request. "All right. But don’t keep me waiting too long." Leaning over, the cowboy’s lips brushed his teasingly, almost making him regret having to leave. "Amazing," he whispered against his lip before he pulled back to add, "Ask at the front desk for the room number." And then Tex reached up his hand to hold his chin, studying his face. Then with a smile he added in a sultry voice, "I’m going to have my fill of you tonight, Laredo." Then the cowboy kissed him again, giving him a taste of what awaited him in the upstairs room.

Once again Duo found himself unable to resist the man’s kiss, but no sooner had he responded, it ended. Feeling disappointed and wanting more, he watched Tex climb unhurriedly out of the hot tub and stroll in all his naked glory across the deck to his clothing. The man leisurely toweled off his magnificent body, giving quite a show to his audience of one, then dressed with care, each movement sensual and deliberately provoking. Duo expected no less from a professional like Tex. Once dressed, the cowboy looked over his shoulder, winked at him and said, "Hurry."

Duo nodded. He would hurry all right. He was used to quickly obeying commands, seeing that Charise was a master at giving them. The moment the dark haired man disappeared down the garden path Duo rushed to get out of the water and quickly pull on the yellow robe he’d worn earlier. He waited a few moments, giving Tex enough time to exit the garden before he followed. Pushed by a desperate, almost panicked need to get the hell out of Dodge, so to speak, he tiptoed into the main building and retraced his steps to the spa, where he found his clothes neatly folded on the massage table. Once he was completely dressed and had his sunglasses back in place, he rushed though the house, careful to make sure that Tex wasn’t anywhere in sight, heading straight for the front desk. He paused, ducking out of sight after seeing the cowboy standing there, speaking to a brunet that definitely wasn’t Jillian. She handed him a key and assured him a meal would be sent up as soon as it was ready to be served, around five thirty. Duo checked his watch. It was only four o’clock. A lot could happen up in that room in an hour and a half, he thought. He shook his head. What was he thinking? He had to get the hell out of there.

He waited until Tex disappeared upstairs, then cautiously approached the desk himself. "Has Hilde come down yet?" he asked the pretty young brunet in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I saw her just a few minutes ago," the woman answered just as quietly, giving him a curious look. "She said she was going to get the horses ready."

With a brief word of thanks, Duo made for the front door. The only thing worse than lying, he figured, would be getting caught in the act. He resisted the urge to pull his damp braid out of the back of his shirt. Though it was uncomfortable having the thick rope of damp hair lying against his back, his braid was a sure giveaway to his identity should Tex take a look out of a window. Feeling embarrassed about what he’d just done and that he was ditching the man waiting for him upstairs, the last thing he wanted was to be recognized and have word of his tryst with a prostitute getting back to his boss or co-workers.

Hilde greeted him with a warm grin, though the heightened color on her cheeks showed that she was feeling embarrassed herself. Duo thought her romp upstairs with the mysterious Antonio seemed to have put an extra sparkle in her eyes. After they mounted their horses, well, because he was a bit sore he had to have a little help by way of a push before he managed it, they turned their horses and promptly began the journey to the path leading down the hillside.

Hilde pulled her horse up alongside his as they rode. "We probably shouldn’t tell anyone at the ranch about how we spent the last hour. Agreed?"

"Definitely," he replied, and the relief he felt at the agreement was mirrored in his guide’s pretty blue eyes.

When they reached the point where the trail would take them over the plateau’s edge, Duo glanced over his shoulder at the house behind them, silently thanking the stranger who had helped him over the last hurdle of becoming a man, a man who now had more options open to him. Naturally, he felt some regret that he would probably never see Tex again, which was really too bad since the overwhelming sexual attraction he felt towards the cowboy was more than what he’d ever experienced with any the men he’d dated, even Trowa. Had they met under different circumstances, he and Tex might have dated, shared something more than just a brief encounter in a hot tub.

He shook himself, unhappy that he had been day dreaming again. It was time to stop woolgathering and get back to reality, he scolded himself. The fact was, he and Tex lived in very different worlds. They were never going to see each other again. Exhaling a resigned sigh, he turned his attention back to the steeply sloping trail and gave his horse free rein to follow Hilde’s lead while he once again clung for dear life to the saddle horn.

During the hour and a half ride back to the ranch he envisioned the scene in the hot tub over and over again, wondering at his wantonness and feeling torn between being ashamed of his actions and elated by having finally conquered a fear that had held him hostage to loneliness for far too long. He had a feeling that his life was about to change, and that it was going to change for the better.

TBC

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:41:35 GMT

I shouldn't rush to get this out, but I've got some where to go tonight and I have to hurry. I can only hope I caught all the corrections. I had a great week in Seattle with my husband. What a wonderful city to visit. It's kind of a shock, though, to come from a place where the temperature was in the sixties to being back in the 80 degree range. Hope the coming week is kind to everyone. More Pretender next weekend.

The Pretender

Chapter 2

Hilde turned out to be a young woman in her early twenties, or so he guessed, with short black hair hidden almost completely beneath a brown, wide-brimmed cowboy hat. Her tanned skin was free of blemish other than a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her trim little nose which was set above a wide mischievous grin. Her small, boy-like body was clothed in faded blue jeans with a leather belt and a large silver belt buckle, a cotton floral print blouse with pearl snaps down the front and over the breast pockets, and worn cowboy boots. She talked faster than a friendly New York cab driver during rush hour as she saddled their horses, describing how the task was done, then proceeded to instruct him on how to mount the saddle and use the reins to turn, stop and back the enormous animal up. He didn’t quite understand her description of the different ways to kick a horse, getting the beast to move at different gaits and speed, so he resigned himself to learning that the hard way, by trail and error. Jazz, the buckskin horse that was his mount, appeared enormous and unfriendly from where he stood three feet away from the snorting, dirt pawing animal. With a nervousness he rarely experienced, he put his sneaker into the stirrup and pulled himself up into the saddle. Sitting on top of the behemoth a few minutes later didn’t help the city boy feel any better about this planned adventure.

Hilde, now seated on her own white and black Appaloosa, grabbed the reins from him and led his horse out of the corral then turned them toward a well-worn trail behind the barn. Duo quickly picked up yet another interesting fact about his horse; Jazz seemed to like one particular gait, trotting. He was pretty sure his teeth were going to be ruined after the severe jaw snapping jarring they experienced from the punishing up and down movement. Holding onto the saddle horn with a death grip, his horse continued to trot, threatening to unseat him at any moment before Hilde grabbed onto the harness, causing Jazz to slow to a walk. Duo’s hands were aching from the tight grip he’d had on the saddle horn, and they hadn’t even left the property yet. His feeling of doom fail to lift after noticing his guide seemed highly amused by his struggles as a novice horse rider.

He was enormously grateful when the horses finally slowed to a steady walking pace as they began to climb the inclining path that wove up the green hills. As he became more familiar with the feel of the animal beneath him, Duo relaxed and eventually began to enjoy the beauty of his surroundings.

Charise told him she’d owned this ranch for a little over five years and came to it whenever she could manage to get away from her hectic life. Duo had been here before, but only on working vacations such as this one. Never during those previous visits had he taken part in the many activities a modern ranch had to offer, he’d been too busy trying to carry out his tasks and prepare for the next day, an upcoming meeting, event or to circumvent an impending disaster. His position as Charise’s assistant was both coveted by other workers as well as a source of pity from them. Charise was a well-known perfectionist and task master. He’d caught her eye shortly after he’d started working at Duframe Designs, having been hired by one of her college recruiters. He’d happily accepted the initial job offer, knowing he’d be starting at the bottom, but with high hopes for climbing the corporate ladder as he proved his business acumen, skills and willingness to learn.

Initially, he’d been hired as an assistant to another assistant in wardrobe, and was placed in a busy workroom on the far end of the design floor, also known as the outer limits. Regardless of his lowly position, he’d been introduced to the company’s namesake on his second day on the job. He would never forget how the famous designer’s eyes widened at first sight of him, and a slow, Cheshire cat grin grew on her face. "Exquisite," she’d said approvingly, and he recalled how his ears had burned with embarrassment. He was aware that others found him attractive, but he’d always downplayed his appearance, finding, in most cases, his looks generally brought him more grief than good fortune.

His job, during the first month at Duframe Designs, consisted of menial tasks and fetching for the design team and their assistants. He gave each task his full attention and learned everything he could about the fashion world from the lower end of the business. At the six week mark, the assistant over him delivered a summons to Charise’s office. He’d set down the phone list he’d been calling from, made sure his shirt was tucked in properly before putting on his suit jacket, then went directly to her office, ignoring the curious eyes following him.

No one was more stunned than he when Charise offered him the job as executive assistant. By the way she’d appraised his appearance, her eyes moving from head to toe, he guessed that the designer had probably elevated him from his lowly place in wardrobe on account of his looks. Whatever her reason for choosing him above all others, he wasn’t about to turn down a prime job with a healthy increase in income. If his appearance got him through the door, he would prove to her that he was worth the opportunity she was giving him. With that as his goal, he quickly made himself indispensable to the famous designer, doing whatever he could to make her day run smoothly.

In time, not only did he prove himself adept at multitasking, but he’d also gained a friend and staunch ally. Charise treated him with the utmost respect, though she seemed to love dragging out of him each and every little tidbit of his personal life that she could. She had laughed and cried with him and even became protective of her "darling Duo", and sometimes, like today, tried to arrange his life for him. He generally tolerated her interference, knowing she did it for all the right reasons; she honestly cared about him.

He shifted in the saddle and winced. His backside and thighs were beginning to feel sore, unfamiliar with horseback riding. He had to admit a little pain was worth it, though, for the countryside was beautiful, the air refreshingly clear. Everything here was so different from his life in Los Angeles. As the horse continued to climb the winding hillside trail, he let his mind wander, imagining what it must have been like to be a cowboy in the eighteen hundreds, taming the wild west. He loved reading, especially stories about the old west, both autobiographical and fiction, but working for Charise during the past few years hadn’t allowed him the time to indulge in his favorite past time. Reading for pleasure definitely took a back seat when the need for sleep weighted him down.

It could have been the slow rocking movement caused by the horse’s steady climbing, as well as the unique view of the rugged mountain trail and enjoying the peace of the outdoors that allowed him to truly relax and indulge his active imagination by conjuring up stories he’d read as a teenager featuring cowboys, cattle ranches and the gold rush. He tried to imagine what his life would have been like had he lived then. He chuckled to himself, unable to imagine life as a gay cowboy. No doubt he wouldn’t have had a very happy life, living back in the days of the wild west, not from the stories he’d read. He stopped himself from following that particular train of thought, choosing to think more positive on such a beautiful day.

Shutting out all negative thoughts, he tried to imagine what it would have been like to be a cowboy or settler in the 1800's. A man living in the eighteen hundreds would have to be strong enough to ride a horse for hours on end, turn a field, fight attacking Indians or encroachers, maybe even a defend himself from a bear or mountain lion. He settled an image in his mind of a cowboy and suddenly found himself being terribly turned on by the idea of meeting one. He happened to be attracted to strong, take charge kind of guys.

Shaking his head, he reminded himself that fiction was not reality, and that the only cowboys he’d seen were in Texas, when he’d accompanied Trowa on a business trip. They’d gone to a bar to get a feel for the locals, and he had to admit that the rugged, good looking men he’d met- dressed in tight jeans, cowboy boots and western hats - were pretty hot.

He was brought out of his daydream of dancing with a tall, dark and handsome Texan when the horses reached the summit. Hilde stopped their mounts and let Duo take in the view. It was stunning. Rolling hills painted with yellow grass and wild flowers and dotted by patches of pine trees made up a greater part of the landscape that surrounded them, and he could see for miles and miles in every direction. "Fantastic," he whispered in awe. Looking behind him, his eyes traced the long path leading back to the Charise’s ranch, which now seemed so far away. Hilde assured him the ranch was only about three miles back, as the crow flies, though the horses had walked much further.

Over the top of the rolling hills and in the distance he could see a small city and thought about how nice it would be to live in such a bucolic setting. They dismounted, with a little difficulty on his part due to stiffness, and Hilde spread out a blanket and the two of them enjoyed a leisurely lunch consisting of a couple of sandwiches, fruit and soft drinks. While his companion re-packed what was left of their meal, prattling on about a movie she’d seen the week before, he took a moment to breathe in deeply and stretch his legs and back muscles while enjoying the smell of pine trees and clean air that he rarely experienced living in a large city. Then over his companion’s shoulder, he spotted something unusual half way down the next hill. Cut into the hillside there appeared to be a large ranch surrounded by lush greenery. In the center of the property sat a stately yellow house, one that looked plucked out of the Victorian age.

"What’s that?" He pointed towards the oddity set in the Sierra landscape.

Hilde followed his line of sight and a smile came to her lips as she saw what he was referring to. "Ah, that’s The Light On The Hill," she answered.

Duo lifted his sunglasses to get a better look at it. It appeared to be a ranch house, and a good sized one at that. "A religious retreat."

Hilde’s bark of laughter told him he’d guessed wrong. "A house of pleasure. Here, I’ll give you a boost up." She led him to his horses side and help him to remount.

Duo was still thinking about her description of the house. A house of pleasure could mean either a full-treatment spa or a whore house. From the rather salacious grin on his companion’s face, he guessed it was the latter. "Ever been to one?" she asked with a suggestive wiggle of her black eyebrows.

He blinked at her question. "Um... I’m gay."

She simple shrugged at his confession. "They cater to most sexual preferences. What do you say we drop by there on the way back, let the horses get a drink and rest our legs?"

Duo bit his lip, "I don’t know," he said worriedly, even as Hilde’s horse began to move forward. What was he to do but follow?

A good hour later Duo felt some of his hesitation for stopping at the house of ill repute slip away, mostly because he was warm, thirsty and had to take a piss - something he did not want to do with Hilde watching. As they continued on the dusty trail, Hilde spoke at great length about The Light On The Hill, which, she informed him, had been open for business since the turn of the century. She added that it was rated as a five-star brothel. Duo wondered if there really was such a rating, and who in hell judged such a thing?

According to his guide, the Light on the Hill was famous for attracting rich clientele from both near and far. She assured him the place would be nearly deserted this time of day, with the employees spending most of the daylight hours sleeping and preparing for the evening to come. They’d just stop, take a quick look around while stretching their legs before heading back down to Charise’s ranch.

As they drew closer, Duo could better appreciate the size of the ranch. The garden surrounding the house was enormous, with tall leafy trees, shrubs and flowers presenting the picture of an oasis in the middle of nowhere. The house itself was nestled in the center front of all the greenery. The structure itself was three stories tall, painted in a soft shade of yellow with white trim and shutters. Adding to the picturesque setting was a large wrap-around porch, including two old-fashioned swings and hanging baskets with cascading flowers, making the house fit perfectly with his idea of the old west. A well-cared for barn, painted in the same pale yellow, was set off to the far right of the house and added to the western charm, as did the white painted fence surrounding the property, containing both cattle and horses, which were presently grazing contentedly within its protective borders.

As they made their approach, Duo noticed a person sitting on the fence, not far from the barn. Most likely an employee, he thought. He couldn’t determine what the man was doing other than enjoying the warm afternoon, but even from a distance Duo thought the man looked picture perfect. The man was wearing faded blue jeans and a plaid, long-sleeved shirt that no doubt had pearl snaps down the front and over the pockets, similar to Hilde’s shirt. The man’s tan cowboy hat was tilted back slightly, showing a hint of dark hair beneath. He looked like someone who had stepped out of the past and into the present, a true cowboy. Duo’s pants tighten in response to his fantasy of being swept off his feet by a strong, capable, manly man.

It took everything in him to pull his eyes away from the vision before him, and just before he managed to do so the object of his fantasy turned his head and looked directly at him in return. Duo quickly looked forward, blushing with embarrassment at having been caught staring. But damn, that was one good-looking cowboy. Even with the closing distance that separated them, he could appreciate the tan skin, dark hair and a piercing gaze that seemed to look right through him. What would it be like to have a man like that? he asked himself, but then his inner voice scathingly reminded him that such a wish was next to impossible. Even if the cowboy was gay and interested him, he’d no doubt lose him as he had all the others he’d dated after they found out about his not-so-little problem.

Fantasize, that’s what Dorothy had encouraged him to do. The long-haired blond and unorthodox therapist was his latest and near desperate attempt to fix himself. When he came to believe that Quatre had gone as far as he possibly could, he’d pulled out a card he’d held onto for nearly a year and called the unconventional therapist. Being a sex therapist, Dorothy’s methods were focused on attacking his problem while Quatre was determined to dig deep into his past, find and treat the reason for his problem. He had his fingers crossed that between the two of them he’d be cured.

Dorothy had suggested he try a little role playing to teach him how to go about using a fantasy in order to have sex with someone. He was making progress, or that’s what he liked to believed. Dorothy told him just last week that he was ready, it was just a matter of time until he met the right person. He just had to loosen up and believe it was possible and that any discomfort he’d feel initially at penetration did not mean it was wrong, vile, disgusting or perverted, as his aunt had drilled into his head countless times during his teenage years.

Both Quatre and Dorothy had attributed his fear of intimacy as coming from his aunt, who had systematically poisoned his mind, crippling him from having sex with anyone of the same sex. His aunt had done so believing she was guiding him toward a heterosexual lifestyle. Even to this day she refused to believe that it wasn’t his choice to be gay; that he could change his tendencies if he chose to do so.

Funny, he thought, how both of his therapists had determined the cause of his "problem", and yet the two had never spoken with each other. He’d been seeing Quatre for nearly two years, including the months after Trowa had left him. Dorothy came recommended by an old flame, another great potential partner who couldn’t wait for him to get "fixed". He’d been seeing her on the sly without Quatre’s knowledge. She was unusual in her approach to his problem, probably unethical compared to Quatre’s standards, but most likely the one who was actually helping with his intimacy issues.

Fantasies were good, Duo thought, shifting his mind away from his problems. He was actually very good at using his imagination, pretending the world was better than it was, that his problems were less than they were. How else could he have gotten through all the breakups and heartbreaks he’d endured over the past seven years?

The horses stopped at the side of the impressively large house where there was a long post for wrapping the reins around, and a metal trough of water for the horses to drink from. He dismounted his horse and sighed with relief. Hilde snatched up the reins and tied them to the hitching post. Ignoring the few cars parked some distance away, it was easy to look at the place and picture being in the eighteen hundreds. Duo let his imagination run, conjuring up the story that he’d just arrived at the House on the Hill, having been hired by... the owner of the famous pleasure house. His reputation as a male courtesan had preceded him. Hilde was his contact, having met him at the ... train station. He smiled, thinking the story felt right and that he could imagine himself in such a place and time, regardless that he had limited experience in the sex department.

Thinking about his fantasy self, he wondered what a good name for a male prostitute back in the eighteen hundreds would be. Dan? Danny? No, not the right period. Hustace? Eww, no. Wade was too common, but what about... Laredo, as in Laredo, Texas? He recalled a song his eighth grade choral class had sung about a man dying on the streets of that town, calling out to people who passed by and telling them how he should be buried. Yeah, Laredo was a good name for a man of ... ill repute. Duo chuckled to himself, amused by the story forming in his head.

His amusement lasted only a moment, however, for as soon as he took a step away from his horse he found his legs had turned to rubber. He held himself against the horse, hands locked onto the saddle’s edge until Hilde came up to him and slung one of his arms over her shoulder. "Sorry," she apologized with a slightly contrite grin. "I guess we came a bit far for a beginner, but I have to tell you, Duo, you’re doing very well for your first time riding."

"Thanks," he mumbled between gritted teeth as he tried to make his bowed legs work. Damn, now he knew why cowboys wore chaps, to distract anyone from seeing how bowlegged they were.

Hilde led him slowly up the front porch steps and together they entered the house without knocking. Duo wondered why she didn’t knock, then presumed that perhaps customers didn’t have to knock at the door of a whore house. It must be like any business establishment where customers are always welcome.

Just like he would have imagined, the entry looked like it was from another era. The interior was elegant, with soft white and gold embossed wallpaper, Victorian chairs and settees upholstered in color rich fabric, and a massive crystal chandelier hanging above a lush pale green floral carpet. To the right of the lobby and adjacent to the magnificent staircase, sat a high-gloss, carved wood counter. Behind it stood a beautiful young blond woman dressed in a midriff-showing checkered blouse, a braid hanging over each shoulder, and a warm smile on her lips. "Hello, Hilde. It’s good to see you again."

"Hi, Jillian," the dark haired girl replied while continuing forward to the bar. "My friend and I were riding by and need to take a break. It’s his first time on a horse."

Jillian’s blue eyes shifted to Duo before they moved with apparent appreciation from his head down to his feet and back up again. "Are you sure you aren’t looking for a job, honey?" she asked him. "With your looks you could make us a fortune."

Duo laughed nervously. "I’ve already got a great job, but thanks," he replied feeling the heat of embarrassment on his cheeks.

The blond shook her head. "Our loss," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "What can I get you? Ibuprofen, a shot of whisky or perhaps a massage?"

"All three," he and Hilde answered at the same time, then laughed together, amused.

From under the counter Jillian pulled out a bottle of the promised pain reliever and a bottle of water and pushed both of them towards Duo. "First things first," she said.

The lid on the bottle broke as he twisted it, and he thought water had never tasted better as he took a long swig to chase the pills down his throat. He then proceeded to drink the contents of the entire bottle, trying to quench his thirst. He then remembered the second reason he had decided to visit this establishment. "Restroom?"

"This way," Jillian said, stepping around the counter to lead him down a hallway.

"Is Antonio up yet?" Duo looked to his companion as she asked the question in a casual manner, as if she were asking about a mutual acquaintance, but in her eyes he glimpsed a spark of excitement, maybe even lust.

"He’s always ‘up’ when it comes to you, Hilde," Jillian chuckled while taking Duo’s arm. "Why don’t you knock on his door and see if he’s presentable. We’ll square things up before you leave."

Hilde nodded, then looked apprehensively at him before returning to the waiting blonde. "I guess I really shouldn’t. Charise told me to take good care of Duo. I don’t feel right leaving him on his own in a place he’s never been before."

Duo felt his arm patted. "Let me take care of him. I’ll see to it he has his whisky and massage. He’ll be loosened up and ready to ride by the time you’re done riding Antonio."

Hilde’s eyes shot to Duo, and they blushed in unison at the other woman’s forthright and crude comment. "Are you okay with this, Duo? I mean, I really don’t know you at all, and if you’re not comfortable being here we’ll leave. I don’t want it to get back to Charise that you were forced into staying here when you didn’t want to."

Even though a part of him wanted to get the hell out of there, he could tell that Hilde did not want to leave. "No, it’s okay," he told her with a bit of reluctance. After all, she was his way back to civilization. "Besides, if you tried to get me back on that horse right now, you’d have a battle on your hands." And that was the truth. His butt and inner thigh muscles ached something terrible.

Hilde gave him a grateful smile, then turned to walk briskly toward the thick carpeted staircase and took them two at a time all the way to the top.

"And a gentleman, too." Duo turned his head at Jillian’s comment and met her smiling eyes. "Come on, handsome, I’ll show you the men’s room and then get you that drink."

Feeling much better after relieving his aching bladder, Duo enjoyed the whiskey Jillian provided him, and then much more slowly enjoyed another. He was feeling pretty damn relaxed by the time she led him to the massage room. As instructed, he undressed in a curtained booth, wrapped a small towel around his waist, then lay on the table and waited for the licensed masseuse to come in and take care of his aches and pains.

He easily drifted into his earlier fantasy, imagining he was Laredo, the sought after male prostitute, having newly arrived at his new workplace. The trip by coach, train and then horseback had been dusty and grueling, but the brothel’s management had promised to take good care of him, and proved it by hiring a trained masseuse from ‘Frisco to see to his every need.

He opened his eyes when the door opened and was pleasantly surprised when a petite and highly attractive Asian woman entered the room, dressed in a white silk kimono. She was a perfect fit for the role he’d cast her in: an immigrant from China, forced to work at the brothel in order to pay the debt her family owed to the railroad company when her brothers had been injured in carving a tunnel through the mountains.

Hands small but strong and very proficient moved across his back, over the taut muscles on his gluteus maximus and thighs. He moaned as she pushed hard, forcing the muscles to contract and then relax. She spoke not a word to him while she worked her magic, which allowed him to relax even further. There was more pleasure to be found in this place than just sex, he decided. He was on the edge of falling sleep when he realized that she had stopped. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to find the room was empty. He lay there for only a few more moments before his curiosity got the better of him and he eased himself up into a sitting position. Moving slowly, he returned to the changing room only to find his clothes were gone and a silk robe lay folded on the bench with a note with a printed map on it inviting him to enjoy the hot tubs to the rear of the garden. Hilde must be having one hell of a good time upstairs to be taking so long, he thought.

The robe was yellow, perfectly matching the color of the house. Must be a theme, he concluded. He was just glad that it covered him to just above his knees. Taking the printed invitation with him and hoping he wouldn’t meet anyone on his way there, he followed the map through the door down the hall and out into the enclosed garden to the back of the house. He blinked in surprise to find a series of paths leading away from the building, and by the height of the shrubs, the tops of tall foliage-covered trellises and shaded trees, the garden offered a lot of privacy from both the house and surrounding hillsides.

As directed, he took the path to the right which led him past many secluded benches of which he could only imagine were meant for an outdoor tryst. Just the thought of being that daring and open caused his heart to skip a beat. He kept walking, willing his growing erection away because he knew that silk spots easily and hides nothing.

He passed no one as he walked, but every once in a while he thought he heard footsteps. Probably a gardener. He wondered if even the gardeners at this place were attractive as the two women he’d met. He came to the place were the paths split, and from the map he could see that there were three different hot tubs. He took the one to the right, for no reason other than he felt more comfortable going in that direction. Centered in the midst of circling bushes, offering perfect protection from prying eyes, he found a wooden hot tub submerged into the ground. Glancing around, he made sure he was alone before disrobing and climbing down into the water was hot and making himself comfortable.

Placing his long braid on the deck, Duo laid his head back and thought this place was pretty close to perfect. His mind began to wander again, and he let go where it wanted because daydreaming was something he rarely indulged in since working for Charise. He loved his job, but it took all that he had to do it well, leaving little time, energy or inclination for daydreaming. His daydreams had once been the only way for him to escape his virulent teenage years. Living with Aunt Helen and her husband Hank had been good at first. He’d moved in with them when he was eleven, after his parents had been killed on their way home from the valley in a twenty car pile-up on Highway 5 that had been blamed on dense fog.

But when he turned twelve, things began to change, and for some reason he couldn’t remember why. His aunt and uncle began to argue a lot, mostly behind their closed bedroom door. There were large blank spots in his memory at that point, but that wasn’t surprising because he never did have a great long-term memory. Quatre thought his lack of memory meant he was hiding something, like the pain he felt at his parents’ death and the arguing between his aunt and uncle. A week after his thirteenth birthday, Uncle Hank left the house, and he never heard from the man again. He didn’t really recall the circumstances behind it, only that his aunt had been livid and refused to speak about what happened. Snippets of memory supplied the sound of his aunt crying in the room next to his own, which led him to believe Hank had cheated on his aunt and she had found out.

That had been the beginning of yet another dark time he’d had to get through, and he managed it the same way he’d dealt with the loss of his parents, by imagining himself as a transformer, a fire truck by day and a magnificent fighting robot anytime he was needed. His other favorite fantasy was being a genius space explorer, a kid among adults who often stopped to listen to his sage advice. That particular fantasy nearly flunked him out of his freshman year of high school. He’d had to train himself to only indulge in his daydreams when he was in his bed at night, using them as a tool to help him get to sleep.

Just after Hank left, his aunt changed into a different person, one with a new agenda. She lectured him, subtly at first, about how wrong the homosexual lifestyle was, that it was perverted. " If God had meant for men to have sex together, he’d have made a cleaner orifice than one designed for defecating," was something she’d said at least once a week. At first he was confused about her reasoning, and he wondered if his not wanting to cut his hair had led her to believe he was gay. Living most of his days in a fantasy world, as a coping mechanism from the loss of his parents, he really hadn’t thought about his sexual orientation. But by the time he hit fourteen, he realized he was attracted to other boys more than he was to girls. His aunt must have somehow sensed that about him, he thought in retrospect, for she stepped up in her efforts to convince him of the wrongness of being gay. Whether she intentionally meant to emotionally sabotage him from having an intimate relationship with another man or was merely trying to make him into a heterosexual with her "preaching", he honestly didn’t know. Either way, she’d succeeded in the first and not the later.

Oh to be like Laredo, he thought wistfully, or at least as uninhibited as the character he’d conjured up would be. He imagined himself in the role of a famous and pampered male prostitute in a western setting. It wasn’t that he envied the job of a prostitute, no not at all, but it sure provided a host of interesting fantasies. The cowboy he spied sitting on the fence as he’d approached the estate earlier came to mind as a perfect specimen for his imagination. What a man, he thought with longing. Closing his eyes, he imagined that cowboy moseying up to The House On the Hill and pausing at the front door to wipe the dust accumulated from the trail off his boots and hat before he entered. He’d saunter up to the counter and ask if it was true that a long-haired man from San Francisco had been brought into the house its newest employee. After hearing the extravagant cost spending time with such a rare specimen, the cowboy would pause a moment before reaching into his tight jeans to grab a fist full of cash, plenty enough for the entire night. Placing it on the counter, he smiled slowly asked for the "Do Not Disturb" sign.

"Your gun," a girl looking just like Jillian would demand of him, and with reluctance, the cowboy would undo the belt of his holster and then hand it and his gun over to the girl with a warning not to let anyone touch it.

"Mind if I join you?" The deep voice fit right into his plot, imagining himself bathing in one of the upper elegant rooms, in an old fashion bathing tub filled with bubbles that hid what lay beneath the water.

"Suit yourself," Loredo answered with a lazy drawl and a crooked smile.

The water surrounding him rose against his skin as the cowboy entered the hot tub. "You’re new here, aren’t you?"

"Just arrived from ‘frisco," he answered in a lazy drawl, belying the racing of his heart.

"What’s your name?"

Duo couldn’t help but smile as he replied, "Laredo." What a cool name, he thought to himself.

"As in Laredo, Texas?"

"That’s right."

There was a moment’s pause, and Duo could imagine that the cowboy was staring at him, trying to see what lay beneath all the bubbling water. His imagination was so good that he could almost feel the man’s breath against his neck as he heard the voice, now thick with lust whisper, "Beautiful."

He about jumped out of his skin when he felt warm, wet lips fix themselves onto his own. "What the hell?" he shouted, jumping back. He blinked, shocked speechless at finding the man of his daydreams, the cowboy who had been sitting on the fence earlier, looking at him as if he’d lost his mind. Oh God, maybe he had.

TBC

The Pretender, part 1

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:46:31 GMT

It's been almost forever since I posted here. *worries* I hope I can remember how to do this.   Life has been pretty busy for me, and right now I'm gettng ready to jump on a plane with my husband to spend a week in Seattle. Yup, the rest of the family is staying home this time. I've never been to Seattle, but I wish our timing was better, seeing as how the forecast calls for rain and showers during the entire week we're there. Despite the weather, I'm excited about my week away from work and family obligations, plus an overnight visit to Victoria, B.C., and seeing the famous Buschst gardens there.

I've got several things to do in the next three hours, so I better post this and get moving.

Here's a new story. This one is AU, GW, 1x2 and filled with all kinds of angst and get-together goodness. I hope to get as much of this posted before the first of the year, because my proofreader is having her first baby then, and some of us know how exhausting that can be.    Until next weekend, happy reading.

Disclaimer: Once again, I don’t own these GW characters and make not even a dime from spending hours writing about them.

The Pretender

Dyna Dee

Warnings: AU, yaoi 1x2, 3x4, and various past relationship

Chapter 1

Fingers flying across the keys of a laptop produce a constant tapping sound that is familiar yet unobtrusive beneath the voices conversing in the long, narrow room. Charise DuFrame stands at the head of the table, confident, decisive and dominating the conversation as she assigns her talented staff a variety of tasks to be completed during the next business quarter. A top designer, savvy business woman and fashion mogul, Charise is respected and admired in both the fashion and business worlds. Her designs are worn by celebrities, politicians and their spouses as well as any person willing to part with large sums of money to purchase her clothing, eye wear, jewelry, hosiery and shoes, all of which she’s created and proudly fixed her first name to.

Pausing to adjust his glasses from where they’d slipped, her assistant missed only a beat before he continued to catch as much of the conversation as humanly possible. To his relief, Charise paused for a breath and then another as she straightened the papers in front of her before looking up at the assemblage.

"All right, I think that’s it for today. To reiterate, Duo, would you please read everyone’s assignment back to us, beginning from Lisa’s press release for the next show."

He nodded, scrolled his notes up the page and began to read off each name and the task their esteemed boss had entrusted to them. Coming to the end of the list, he looked back to Charise and paused for further instructions. Today the middle aged woman had dressed down from her normal office attire, wearing a pale pink knit jersey workout suit that contrasted nicely with her white hair. Beneath the jacket, zipped halfway down, she wore a matching pink, soft green and white paisley T-shirt. Casual dress for a casual work week, or that’s what Charise called this out-of-the-office adventure at her western-style ranch nestled in the Sierras between Reno and Tahoe. Though the mode of dress was definitely more casual than usual, the workload during their four days at the ranch had been nearly as intense as it was in the city. The selected staff members happily complied with Charise’s dress-down order, happy enough to be out of their daily business apparel. Duo wondered if the others had to do what he had, scrambling around at the last minute to find some outrageously priced casual clothing that looked classy yet comfortable and, hopefully, earning a nod of approval from their employer if each smart outfit worn during the week had been designed by Charise.

Giving her aide a please smile, Charise said, "Thank you, Duo." Then to the rest of the group seated at the table she asked, "Any questions?" As the designer sat down in her chair, she fielded the few questions her staffed, clarifying their tasks. Taking a moment, Duo considered his boss for a moment. Charise was slight of build, almost too thin, with pure white hair that was always lightly curled and heavily hair sprayed into place. She scanned the room with shrewd blue eyes that were used to eking out the slightest details, always looking for flaws or improvements. A smile tipped the corners of her pink lipstick coated lips when it appeared there were no more questions and the meeting was over.

Rising from her chair again commanded the attention from everyone in the room. Then taking a deep breath she began to bring the morning meeting to an end. "All right then, I guess that’s all we need to cover today. I expect each of you to take some time this afternoon to outline a course of what course of action you plan on taking for completion your project. I want to have a rough draft of that on my desk when we meet tomorrow at ten.

"On another note," she said, her eyes sweeping across the table to take everyone in, "let me remind you that we only have two days left here at the ranch and I would like each of you to go home sporting a bit of a healthy tan, proof that you’ve gotten out of doors at least a couple of times during our stay here. Those back at the main office won’t be jealous of our little working vacation unless there’s at least a bit of proof that there was some fun involved." A trickle of obligatory laughter followed, though any lack of enthusiasm could be attributed to each individual in the room contemplating their new assignment. Charise meant well, Duo knew, but he doubted any one of her executive staff would go out for a swim or play horseshoes until they came up with an outlined strategy to present to her the next morning. "Now go and have lunch," she ordered with a grin. "Don’t forget the barbeque tonight, I expect to see everyone in attendance as I’ve arranged a little entertainment for after dinner that I’m sure you’ll enjoy."

Duo continued typing for only a moment or two after the designer resumed her chair. Several of the others in the room came to the front of the table to speak with her, confirming one thing or another, so Duo spent that time checking over his notes, searching for any glaring mistakes.

Noticing the room had suddenly become quiet, and the young man who served as the powerful woman’s assistant looked up from the screen of his laptop to see everyone had emptied out of the room and that Charise was staring at him with a look of contemplation.

"Really, Duo, what am I going to do with you? You’re pale as a ghost and I swear you’ve lost weight again."

"I’m just a little tired," he answered, pushing his long, cinnamon-colored plait of hair over his shoulder. "I’ll be fine after a rest."

She continued to study him, trying to determine if the young man who’d become her right hand was truly all right. "Are you still seeing that son-of-a-bitch therapist?"

"You mean Quatre?" he asked, frowning at his boss’s favorite name for his shrink.

"I’m talking about the man stealer."

Rather than get into the old argument that began moments after he’d tearfully blurted out that his last boyfriend had left him for his therapist, he simply answered, "Yeah, I’m still seeing him."

The older woman’s expression let him know just how much she disapproved of his decision to continue seeing Quatre Winner, two months after Trowa announced his reason for breaking up with him. Duo really couldn’t blame Charise, though; he’d been a mess for several weeks after his boyfriend had dumped him in a very civilized, polite and apologetic manner. He had honestly thought Trowa, a kind, patient and compassionate man with looks to kill and a body to drool over, was going to be the one to help him overcome his insecurities. His defection, understandable really, led Duo to truly believe that he was doomed to spend the rest of his life alone, an emotional eunuch. He had been making notable progress with Quatre before that unfortunate night when Trowa had announced his defection. The reason Trowa had left him? Love. His boyfriend had fallen in love with Quatre Winner and had been seeing him on the sly. Oh, nothing torrid, just casual lunches and an occasional drink after work, time enough to get to know each other and fall head over heels in love.

The two had been waiting for him at his apartment that Friday night after work. He’d come home hoping to spend some quality time with Trowa only to find his lover was not alone. He stood in the living room with his arm draped possessively over the therapist’s shoulders. "We have something to tell you," Trowa announced gravely, looking nervous but determined as he delivered the blow. Then with shamed eyes cast down, the man Duo had pinned so many hopes on stated softly that he never meant to hurt him, but there had been so many issues in their relationship, so many hurdles to cross that he no longer believed he could wait until Duo was better. Both Trowa and Quatre briefly expressed terrible remorse that their happiness was hurting someone they both cared about, but they felt it was right to tell him, not wanting to be dishonest with him about their feelings for each other or their relationship. In shock, Duo muttered that he understood and even thanked them for their honesty, but inwardly he knew it was his own fault his boyfriend had turned to another.

He tried to take it like a man, so he sucked it up and wished them well, but inside he bawled like a lost and lonely child, abandoned yet again because of his inability to be intimate with a man.

The door shut behind the two men not ten minutes after Duo had walked into his apartment, and the braided man crumbled to the floor and wept his broken heart out, desperately afraid of never being able to love or trust anyone again.

It had taken two months of grieving and suffering from the terrible ache in his heart caused by betrayal and loss before he could go to work dry eyed. Working so closely with Charise, it didn’t take more than five minutes for her to figure out that something was terribly wrong, and two minutes after that she’d managed to weasel the whole pitiful story out of him. Fearful for his mental state, she urged him to see another therapist. He finally agreed, but managed to put it off for another couple of months, allowing himself time to overcome his despondency on his own, but the extra time hadn’t improved his mental state.

Seeking out another therapist while being depressed seemed too arduous a task to undertake, so he went the easiest route by calling Quatre. The man, after all, was familiar with him, aware of his past and hangups. Those were some of the reasons he’d used in talking the reluctant therapist into working with him again. With Quatre’s agreement to see him again as his patient, Duo buried his hurt and resentment as much as possible and concentrated on getting over his depression and fear of being intimate with another man.

Charise’s disapproving voice brought him quickly out of his reverie. "It’s not healthy or sane for you to seek help from someone who stole your boyfriend out from under your nose."

He shook his head. "It’s as much my fault as it is theirs. No sense cutting off my nose to spite my face."

The woman’s perfectly reconstructed nose wrinkled slightly with distaste. "I’ve always hated that expression."

"It fits, unfortunately."

Placing her hand on top of his head, she gently stroked his hair, most of it pulled into a braid at the back of his neck. "But is he really helping you, Duo?"

"I think so, but it’s hard to tell. We’ve examined the reasons why I have my particular problem, namely my aunt, and Quat’s given me a couple of exercises designed to help me get over the mental roadblocks I keep putting up whenever anyone tries to get intimate with me." He sighed suddenly. "Let me tell you, it sucks to be a twenty-four-year-old virgin."

"I can’t even imagine," the woman said with a roll of her eyes and a guilty smile, which made Duo laugh.

"What does he say about your aunt?"

The mention of the woman, by title and not her name, caused a clouded expression to darken the handsome face. "He wants me to cut all ties with her, thinking she’s toxic to my well being, but I just can’t. She’s the only living relative I have left. How can I not speak to her?"

"Would you keep a viper next to your heart, dear?"

Duo closed his eyes. He’d had this same argument with Quatre at his office, and again with Trowa over dinner one night. His aunt was the main reason for his problems, or at least that had been Quatre’s reasoning, too. But for all her faults he still loved her, despite her having ruined him from ever having a normal relationship with another man. Her warnings, spoken gently and with concern at first, had gradually turned into daily lectures and adamant pleading, especially after she divorced her husband. It was as if she were taking her anger at her husband out on him. Her never-ending lectures had done exactly what she had intended; they had come between himself and any man he’d tried to have sex with, even those he’d developed a relationship with, including Trowa and Wufei. Both men, as well as all the others he’d dated, seriously or not, had eventually considered him a lost cause and had left him to move on to more fulfilling relationships, always promising to remain his friend, though no one but Trowa had really made any attempt to do so.

Eight months had passed since Trowa announced that he’d fallen in love with his therapist, and it still hurt knowing he’d lost another good man because he panicked whenever they’d tried becoming more physically intimate. It was more than a little embarrassing that Charise knew so much about his problems and his past. The woman just had a way of getting information out of him.

"You don’t want to talk about this any more, do you?" his boss asked.

"No," he confessed quietly

Charise sighed with defeat. "All right, I’ll let this go on one condition."

Duo saved the page of notes that he’d been typing and closed his laptop, working on automatic as he asked, "Condition?"

"I want you to have some fun while we’re here. We’re in the country, for heaven’s sake, and you’ve kept yourself cooped up in the lodge since our arrival.

"I’ve been out a couple of times," he protested.

Charise shook her head. "No, I mean out for a couple of hours. Today." Duo was about to protest that there were calls to be made, arrangements to set up and invitations to Charise’s preview of her Spring line to be sent out when the designer cut him off. "In fact," she continued, "I’ve made arrangement for you to go horseback riding with Hilde. She lives here year round, one of the property’s caretakers, and she knows every inch of the property. A couple of hours straddling a big sweaty horse ought to make you feel like a new man." A naughty grin accompanied that last sentence.

Duo rolled his eyes at her attempt to make a joke. "I don’t know how to ride a horse."

"What better time to learn?" she asked with a chuckle. "I want you to go up to your room, change into your pair of Jon DePaul jeans, the ones that hug that gorgeous ass of yours so delightfully, then meet Hilde in the stables. She’ll have a lunch prepared for the both of you to share on the trail." While speaking, Charise leaned forward and picked his laptop up from the table, basically telling the young man she wanted him to be on his way. Duo stood, as expected, reclaimed the laptop from her hands and stepped back just before she began to push him towards the conference room door. "Fun, my beautiful, irreplaceable Duo, is just what the doctor ordered. I’ll see you tonight."

After receiving her kiss on his cheek, he set off for his room imagining himself falling off a bucking horse and screaming for all he was worth while holding onto the reins for dear life. He was definitely not looking forward to this forced outing.

TBC

Chia Obama

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:53:53 GMT

I don't watch T.V. very much, so I'd never seen this commercial before. This is a real forehead slapper, a head shaker and an I can't believe it commercial. *sighs and chuckles* The commercial sounds respectful, but how respectful can a chia pet be? Sheesh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCiTAJi1yRk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fzonersports%2Ecom%2F%3Fp%3D3974&feature=player_embedded

Lies finale

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:08:25 GMT

I'm back from my vacation. Aruba isn't much to look at, but the water, sky and weather, not to mention the condo, were all fantastic. The family spent many hours basking in the sun on the seashore as well as in the lazy river (the condo's version of a pool), which was wonderful. My daughter and I floated on inner tubes while reading Charline Harris books. This time we're plowing through the Aurora Teagarden series. Came home with a nice tan, great memories, and kinky hair (from the humidity). If it wasn't for the long plane rides each way, I'd say this was one of our best family vacations.

The last chapter of Lies has been posted on ff.net. Here's the link to the finale. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4347517/49/Lies_Between_Friends_and_Lovers

And so another story concludes. I've only got a few stories left in my files, and my writing time has greatly diminished. I honestly don't know if I'll be be writing fan ficiton much longer, but I'll post what I have and wait and see if any further inspiration hits me.

Thanks for reading along with this one. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe summer. The worst thing about taking vacation in June is that summer has just begun and I've used up all my vacation days. But hey, I'm pretty excited that I've already harvested several zucchini and summer squash from my garden and my tomatoes are beginning to turn red. Ah, the simple pleasures of everyday life. Have a good summer everyone!

Lies

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:30:56 GMT

I've been very remiss in posting Lies chapters here. Life has just been rather frantic lately. And to top it off, I chose to take an on-line course instead of a local class for the speeding ticket I got in February. The course was labeled simple, fun and fast. It's none of those. It's drawn out, and boring, boring boring. I have thirty-eight days to finish and get the certificate turned into the city. With vacation beginning this Saturday, I'm not sure I'm going to make the deadline. I've been on the stupid site for hours and haven't even finished chapter two. (There are five altogether.) Next time I'll take the local class.

I'm off to work. Here's the link to Lies. If you haven't read since my last update here on lj, you'll start with 47 and continue to 50. Thanks for reading along.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4347517/48/Lies_Between_Friends_and_Lovers

rec fic

Wed, 06 May 2009 01:04:00 GMT

I came across a GW fan fic story I thought I'd recommend. I'm certainly enjoying it and hope you will too. Prerequisite, by Gloria B. Here's the link if you didn't catch this one and you're looking for something to read. *sighs* I'm always looking for something to read, on and off the computer. I've mentioned it before, but I can't help saying that I love Charlaine Harris' books, especially Sookie Stackhouse. Each book in the series gets better and better. And then there's the Harper Connelly series, which also grows on you, and now I'm into the Aurora Teagarden murder mysteries. So far so good with that one also. I really like Harris' style of writing as well as her characters. They're believable yet quirky.
Here's the link.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4946517/5/Prerequisite

Oh, I also updated Lies a couple of days ago on ff.net. Chapters 45-46. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4347517/44/Lies_Between_Friends_and_Lovers
Enjoy!

Best Friends

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:09:40 GMT

I was going through an almost abandoned email account when I came across something a friend sent me... four months ago. Being an animal lover, I loved this clip. It's old, new wise, but it's too sweet not to share. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBtFTF2ii7U

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:03:05 GMT

Why do weekends always fly by so quickly? At least I found time to shop for summer clothes Saturday, seeing that the temperature here is 25 degrees above normal. It's going to be over 90 tomorrow, and it's only April! What is summer going to be like... with water restrictions? I don't want to think about it. Oh, and I shopped for the dreaded swimsuit and actually found one that looks half decent, though I can't seem to find cover ups. Still, no matter what the suit looks like, I'll look frumpy next to my daughter who is 5'8 and a size 2. She looks wonderful in swimsuits. I think I'll look for sarongs next weekend. Here's the latest updates for Lies - Between Friends and Lovers, chapters 43 - 44.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4347517/42/Lies_Between_Friends_and_Lovers

random thoughts, Lies

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 05:09:51 GMT

While four police cars are parked outside my house, lights flashing and the backs of those cars filling up fast with people, I'm sitting in my family room enjoying Jim Gaffigan. We DVR'd his special on Comedy Central last week. He's funny and one of the few comics I can watch with my kids. I guess I should be concerned about what's going on, out front but I'm too tired tonight to care about much of anything.

Hum.. feeling rather ADD also. Questions like, does time seem to be moving fast? Where did March go? keep running though my head. How's that for being random?

Oh, watched a cool youtube video about the next exciting technology inventions. Here's a link if you're interested. Imagine, having so much information on hand. You can make a cell phone call on the palm of your hand, take pictures simply by framing your fingers into a rectangle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUdDhWfpqxg

My kids are peering out the front window with the living room lights off. Looks like 7 people are being either questioned or arrested and the police have been searching the ground for shell casings. Looks like a drvie by shooting. Mexican gangs are on the rise around here. My daughter just told me one of the boys the officers are talking to is 12 years old. *_*

The high point of my day was buying the book From Dead to Worse, the latest int he Sookie Stackhouse series. My daughter downloads them onto her ipod and she can't wait for me to read this book so we can discuss it. I love it when there's something we can enjoy together. I do the same with my son, read books along with him. Yeah, I read a lot, and all of it for fun.

I posted the latest chapter of lies on ff.net today. Here's the link to chapter 40 and I've added two more chapters since the last time I posted here. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4347517/39/Lies_Between_Friends_and_Lovers

Wow, I'm chatty tonight. I blame it on a bladder-buster diet Coke and a large piece of cake. So much for the diet. Nine weeks until vacation and counting and I dread having to shop for a bathing suit. I don't think you can go to Aruba without one.

Have a good weekend everyone

Lies - 39

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:34:42 GMT

Lies Between Friends and Lovers

Dyna Dee

Chapter 39

Wufei spent the remainder of the weekend safely ensconced within the Winner/Barton home. Much of that time was spent in the company of his friends, but he also spent several hours in his room meditating, settling within him the last few conflicting concerns that remained from having taken a giant step away from the law to join the marauders and their clandestine humanitarian effort. When at last he opened his eyes and rose from carpeted floor, he had reached a place of contentment, knowing he’d made the right decision, regardless of what the consequences might be.

Monday, before the artificial lights of the morning cycle began to glow, he and Trowa covertly left L4 and returned to the satellite with fresh food for Howard and the other two men, enough to last several days. They were warily greeted by those satellite-bound men who, judging by their expressions, were gravely worried about their future. Howard, at least, relaxed somewhat after being reassured all was well and that Wufei had joined them. The other two men looked doubtful. After eating breakfast together, he and Trowa immediately set out in the stealth shuttle with the rented ultra shuttle in tow. Piloting in a pre-determined, roundabout way, designed to avoid the regular travel lanes, they selected a relatively safe spot and ditched the small, slightly tampered with ship just outside regular travel lanes before making their way back to the resource satellite once more.

By Tuesday evening Wufei found himself on the cloaked shuttle once again, but his time he was on his way back to Earth, accompanied by Howard and his crew, minus Trowa. The two burly men, obviously the muscle of the operation, remained nameless, mainly because they refused to acknowledge or speak to the newest member of their crew. He couldn’t blame them for being cautious, seeing that he was a Preventer and had basically threatened their freedom only a few days ago. The purpose for this trip planet side, or so he had been told, was to perform routine maintenance on the ship and to refuel it. Howard also mentioned restocking the supplies they’d need to last the next couple of weeks.

Riding in the small passenger section of El Diablo with a stubbornly silent traveling companion who ignored him completely, Wufei had little to do for several hours but look out the port window. The stealth system remained engaged after their entry into Earth’s atmosphere, which caused a distorted the view of the planet below. Though he could pick out blurred splotches of blue and brown, he couldn’t determine with any accuracy what part of the planet they were flying over.

Wufei didn’t like being kept in the dark, yet he understood the reason for his not being told everything. He was being tested. After all, he was a turncoat, and no one in their right mind would trust a traitor until they had proved beyond a doubt they could indeed be trusted. Well, he’d prove to them somehow, someway, that he was worthy of their trust.

With a sigh he turned this thoughts to another matter that had been dominating his thoughts. He’d been AWOL from Preventers radar for over three days now, and no doubt word of his disappearance had reached Une, Heero and anyone else who might be interested. The discovery of the ultra shuttle he’d rented on L4, currently drifting several hundred kilometers from L1, would confirm their fears that something untoward had happened to him. No doubt Preventers would act immediately and begin an investigation into his sudden and mysterious disappearance.

If he wasn’t mistaken, the case of his disappearance would be assigned to Heero, adding yet one more mystery for his friend and co-worker to solve. He regretted adding yet another burden to his sometimes partner, but hopefully Heero wouldn’t be weighted down by his absence for too long. For some reason, unbeknownst to him, Quatre and Trowa both believed the blockade around L2 would be lifted within the next few weeks. Though they refused to give their reasons for why they believed that would happen. It seemed unlikely to him because the blockade had been in place for several years. What would it take to lift the restrictions on L2 in the foreseeable future? He wasn’t sure, but he did believe in what they were doing and trusted his friends... with his life. He was committed to working alongside Howard and Trowa to supply the colony with water, food and other essentials until either the blockade was removed or they were caught. He could only hope for a better outcome than the latter of those two endings.

In the eyes of the law what they were doing was wrong, despite their good intentions and the people they were saving. Director Une was under a great deal of pressure by colonial governments because the marauders had been operating for several years now without a single arrest. Lately, she had grown even more anxious to catch the marauders and try them in a court of law as thieves and hijackers. The sentence, if they were indeed caught and convicted, would be stiff, possibly even life in jail, regardless of the fact that they were on a mission of mercy. He had no wish to spend the rest of his life in prison nor to send his friends there either. To avoid that end, he would follow Quatre’s plans and hope for the best.

Shortly after departing the satellite, Howard came back from the cockpit to give him a detailed description of their operations - information he’d already gleaned from the statements given by hijacked crews. He’d gone over those reports more times than he could count. Howard decided to quiz him, asking him how he would react to various scenarios, with the other ship’s crew or mechanical failures. The older man seemed pleased by his responses. His answers were based on his knowledge of their main objectives: to get the goods needed off the waylaid ships, pay for them and leave without anyone getting hurt. The last point was paramount to their operation. While aiding L2 was their main purpose, not harming anyone in the process was deemed to be just as important.

It was dark when the shuttle touched down on a long runway in the middle of what appeared to be nowhere. Howard proved to be as good a pilot as he was a mechanical engineer when only the slightest bump of the tires on the tarmac was felt when the ship touched down. It was the most polished landing Wufei had ever experienced on a shuttle. He recalled Heero telling him that Duo could land any flying vessel smoother than anyone he’d ever known. Wufei wondered if perhaps Howard had been the one to teach the former Deathscythe pilot how to fly.

The moment the stealth shuttle came to a complete stop, the cockpit door slid open and Howard popped out. Within moments he’d opened the shuttle’s outer hatch and ushered Wufei through it. The two brawny crewmen followed close behind. The taller of the two had impressively large shoulders, a swarthy complexion and a dark heavy eyebrows that hovered over distrustful eyes that seemed constantly in motion. The second man was shorter by a few inches, however his brawn lacked nothing when compared to his counterpart. He wore his brown hair closely cut to his scalp, which accentuated his broad face and the long ragged scar down his left cheek. Howard glanced over his shoulder and frowned at the two, which Wufei could only interrupt was a silent reprimand for their stubborn refusal to speak to their newest crew member. Howard abruptly stopped their descent down the ramp to introduce the silent two as Buck and Stu and explained that they were the muscle of the operation, in charge of loading and unloading the cargo they appropriated from the ships they stopped.

With the stiff introductions made, the four continued to the end of the ramp and they were back to business. Back on solid ground, Wufei followed Howard’s instructions to stand off to the side while he and his men set about preparing the ship for their return to space. Actually, he was quite happy to do as Howard asked because it felt incredibly good to stretch his back and legs after being shuttlebound for several days.

He watched as the three competently performed the maintenance on the shuttle, with the help of several men who came out of the dark nowhere to help. Their sudden, surprising appearance was aided by their dark clothing and the masks that covered the entire head, most likely to keep their identities from him. Several large crates were transferred to the cargo area with practiced efficiency, and a fresh supply of food and water were carried on board for the crews’ use. Forty-five minutes later, the maintenance was complete and the ground crew waved them off and the four men re-entered the shuttle to begin preparations for take off.

Howard and Buck retreated into the cockpit, leaving Wufei standing in the small passenger cabin while the last crew member entered behind them. The man named Stu immediately turned and began to secure the hatch. Wufei took the seat he’d been assigned to when they’d left the satellite and, after having finished with his task, Stu strapped himself into the seat next to him. Once the shuttle began to taxi to the top of the runway, Stu tuned to look across the short distance that separated them to address the Wufei for the first time.

"Preventer, huh?"

Wufei turned to the man, surprised that he was finally speaking to him. "Yes."

"I don’t trust you." Going by the look on the man’s face, that was a true statement.

"Quatre and Trowa do."

"And that’s the only reason why you’re sittin’ there and not doing the dead man’s float out in space."

Wufei studied the man, trying to judge whether or not he would have to defend himself. Stu dismissed that concern when he continued. "Howard said he’d given you the basics of what we do, but I’m gonna tell ya again. We have approximately four hours until we catch up with the target. It’s comin’ from a satellite that’s used as a warehouse for goods sent from Earth to L3. We’ll be in stealth mode for the entire trip and when we get in range, several warning shots will be fired to get the Eclipse’s attention. Buck will issue a prerecorded warning and state our intentions to board the shuttle. They have the choice of opening the cargo hatch or we’ll use a lazer to cut through the door, leaving a patch that will be expensive to repair. So far, no one has refused to open the door and let us in."

Wufei nodded that he understood and Stu continued. "We carry only stun guns, and though it’s better not to have to use them, we set them off at any sign of provocation. Some guys just can’t help trying to be a hero when there’s no need. Howard does all the talking while Buck and I haul out the goods we need form their cargo hold, and you’re our backup. Buck and I can watch each other’s backs; so we’re depending on you to watch Howard’s. I don’t have to tell you what will happen if he gets hurt, do I?" The threat in the man’s brown eyes spoke clearly of the mayhem he intended if that unfortunate event came about.

"I understand."

"Buck and I have done this enough times that we can be in and out of there with the goods in twenty minutes, tops. The whole operation takes roughly forty minutes from the time we fire over their bow, barring any arguing by the captain and crew. The bag full of money usually shuts them up fast enough.

"Once we have the cargo transferred to our ship, you’ll be the last to leave, again watching our backs. The moment we sever the connecting tube linking the two ships, we’re out of there and on our way to L2. After dropping our cargo, you can return to L4 or stay at the satellite with me, Buck and Howard until our next assignment."

"I suppose it depends on where Heero Yuy is," Wufei said thoughtfully.

Stu nodded his head, and there was a look of apprehension on his face as he said, "I’ve heard about him."

"I suspect he’ll be the one assigned to find out what happened to me. If he uses Quatre and Trowa’s home as a base, that will be the last place I should go."

"Then I guess you’ll be staying with us and we’re gonna to get to know each other real well over the next couple of weeks." The grin on Stu’s face was less than reassuring.

"Yes, I guess we will."

_______________

Wufei had heard the term beginner’s luck before, but he wondered in his case if it shouldn’t have been beginner’s bad luck.

They reached the Eclipse on schedule and everything was going as planned, up to the point of entering the freighter, which they did dressed all in black and with ski masks covering their heads almost completely to keep them from being identified. To his displeasure Howard was presented with someone other than the captain, as requested before boarding. The ship’s first mate and several other grim looking crew members stood before them, looking defiant and ready to start a fight.

"I will deal only with your captain," Howard said in an intentionally gruff and commanding voice, his stun gun ready to fire.

"So what are you gonna do about it, leave?" The sarcastically delivered question came from the front man, apparently assigned to be the ship’s spokesman. Being a surly, slightly paunchy middle-aged man with stringy brown hair and untrimmed beard, Wufei hadn’t been impressed, and he guess Howard wasn’t either when he immediately raised the nozzle of his stun rifle and blasted the man into unconsciousness. The four men behind the downed man didn’t look like they appreciated Howard’s response. Arguing ensued, which ended with the combative men joining their first mate, stunned unconscious on the ships cold deck.

Using the intercom, Howard demanded the captain’s presence. He waited close to two minutes before another man appeared, by himself, as originally requested. One look at the five men on the floor and the newcomer’s face clearly displayed his fury. The man, just smaller than Wufei’s height, was dressed like the rest of the crew, in a faded green flight suit. The only difference being the well-worn cap with the dingy white letters spelling out Captain, just above the bill.

Not trusting the cap to identify the man, Howard asked, "You’re the captain of this ship?"

With a shock of white hair and a thin-lipped scowl that looked permanently etched on his craggy face, the man was as unapproachable as could be when answered with a growl, "That’s right."

"Why didn’t you come as requested, instead of sending your men?"

"It was their idea."

Howard paused to considered that for a moment. While it was feasible that the crew was only trying to protect their captain, Wufei wondered what else this man’s crew had up their sleeves.

"We need a portion of your cargo, for which we will compensate you in credits."

"What if we don’t want to go along with this?" the man replied with a sneer of disgust.

"Then we take what we want and you’ll get nothing."

"Like hell you will!" the captain shouted. It was either his volume or the words he spouted that triggered an immediate reaction from his crew. One heartbeat after spouting his challenge, a dozen men burst out from doorways lining the metal corridor, armed and ready to defend their cargo and captain.

Reacting immediately, Wufei pulled Howard behind the solid door of the open hatch, just as the first bullet pinged above them. "These idiots are going to compromise the ship’s integrity," he hissed in anger while the older man in front of him began to fire his stun gun.

The next few minutes were filled with the sounds of weapons firing and stun rifles igniting. Wufei decided that if anyone was going to survive the stupidity of these men, recklessly shooting bullets inside a space craft, he needed to do something and quickly. When there came a brief pause in the firing, he threw himself forward, towards the nearest man. In less than three leaps he’d successfully tackled the ship’s captain to the floor, knocking the gun out the cursing man’s hand at the same time. Though the ship’s captain was older, he was in excellent physical condition and eager to fight, hand to hand. He soon learned, however, that he was no match for the dark-eyed marauder.

In the end, the combative crew, or rather all of those in the vicinity, lay at their feet, immobile. The task made easier once their captain had been captured and used as a hostage. In order to secure the ship and make sure no more mishaps occurred, Stu and Buck made a quick search of the ship to round up the rest of the crew. The three they found joined the rest of the Eclipse’s crew, unconscious by way of the stun guns. Wufei was left to stand guard over the bodies on the deck while Howard rushed off with Buck and Stu to take what they needed from the cargo hold.

Alert to every sound and movement around him, Wufei waited impatiently for the three marauders to return. Seldom had he know time to go any slower. Fifteen long, torturous minutes later his teammates returned. Their approach was surprising quiet, even with a large shipping container that had been secured by anti-gravity braces, which helped Stu and Buck move the bulky box forward almost effortlessly into the connecting tube to El Diablo.

"We found what we needed, but we’re running a bit behind schedule," Howard stated grimly. "I’m going to check out their cockpit to see if they managed to get off any messages before we blocked their signals. I doubt it, but I want to be on the safe side." He then turned and quickly disappeared down the ship’s corridor.

Quicker than he thought possible, Buck and Stu came running out of the connecter tube, each carrying a grav brace under their arms. They disappeared in the direction of the cargo hold once again and, thankfully, returned five minutes later with yet another large container. And so the process continued for three additional trips to and from the cargo hold.

Howard returned with a nod of satisfaction that told Wufei no message had been transmitted successfully. After giving him a pat on the shoulder, the older man disappeared into their own ship, most likely to tighten down the newly acquired cargo.

After the fourth crate disappeared through the hatch, Stu announced over his shoulder, "Last one. Just give us a minute to secure this in the hold and then we’re out of here."

Wufei remained at his post though he was anxious to leave. This obviously was not the routine Howard was used to. Never, in all the reports he’d read, had a crew aggressively fought back before.

"You okay?"

Wufei turned as Howard came out of the hatch and watched as the older man began picking up the discarded weapons lying on the floor. "No use leaving these things lying around. It’s obvious these guys like to cause trouble." Then, when it appeared he had picked up every last one, the older man straightened and looked at Wufei with a smile. "What do you say to us getting out of here?"

Wufei couldn’t shake the feeling that they were forgetting something. Something was missing from the pattern the marauders usually followed. And then it came to him what it was. "You’re not leaving the credits?"

The older man shook his head. "I warned the man."

"Then this would be stealing. That could be used against you in a court of law."

Rolling his eyes, the older man said, "That’s the least of my worries." Then with a sigh he added, "But you’re right. I’ll be right back." And then Howard disappeared back into their ship.

Wufei sighed, letting out some of his pent up tension. Thus far the marauders had prided themselves on paying for what they’d taken, maybe escaping the worst of the theft charges if they were caught. Of course, hijacking was still the worst of all charges that would be leveled against them and the sentence for that, if convicted, was something he didn’t want to dwell on.

Howard returned and threw a heavy, nondescript canvas bag on the floor, next to the unmoving captain’s body. "Let’s get going."

Wufei turned to lead the way back into their ship when out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a movement. He paused to investigate, and at that very moment the first mate raised his head off the floor and his whipped his hand out from beneath him to point a familiar object at Howard. Damn, Howard had missed the gun that might have been on the or beneath the man’s body.

"Move!" He shouted while throwing himself in front of Howard, and in that instant the report of a gun firing filled the air. Searing pain burst through his upper arm, knocking him off balance. The low hum and pfft of a nearby stun gun sounded to his right as he fell against Howard’s chest. The older man’s arms wrapped tightly around him to an effort to keep him from falling to the floor.

"Let’s get the hell out of here!" Howard ordered. Even as Wufei struggled to get his feet to work under him, he was dragged out of the Eclipse and back into El Diablo. Once they were within their ship he was eased down onto the floor and only then did the supporting arms let go.

"Dammit. It wasn’t supposed to go down like this!" Howard said, roughly pulling off the mask covering his head. His expression seemed to be torn between anger and worry as his hands began to roam the injured man’s body, looking for additional wounds.

"Just my arm," Wufei grunted. "Take off this mask."

Still frowning, Howard pulled off the face mask then unzipped the black flight suit. Without pausing he ripped off the bloody t-shirt beneath it then gently eased Wufei onto his side. "No exit wound. Looks like we’re going to have to do some digging to get that out."

Knowing that all gunshot wounds had to be reported to the authorities, Wufei knew that he couldn’t go to a hospital or doctor. He looked up to meet the older man’s eyes. "Have you done this before?"

Howard offered him a slight smile. "Many times, unfortunately."

With a defeated sigh, the Chinese man resigned himself to the coming procedure. "You’ve got antibiotics, right?"

"Wouldn’t leave Earth without them." The man was much too cheerful, Wufei groused.

After the connecting tube was retracted, the shuttle door was closed and secured by Buck. "You okay to take us out of here?" Howard asked over his shoulder.

The tall man moved towards them, his stun rifle in hand and his eyes focused on Wufei’s injured arm.

Wufei’s attention turned from what Howard was doing to address Buck. "Thanks for stopping him from taking a second shot."

"No thanks necessary," the tall man replied just before pulling the cap off his head. "That shot was aimed at Howard’s heart. If you hadn’t moved to block him..." His voice trailed off. The idea of what had almost happened seemed too difficult for the man to continue. Clearing his throat, he said. "You’re one of us now."

Wufei looked to Howard for his reaction. The older man simply smiled at him, then glanced back to the other man. "Get us out of here, Buck. Have Stu bring the first aid kit. I’m going to need him to help me dig a bullet out our newest crew member’s arm."

Evidently, his actions had won the other men over. Wufei was now, apparently, officially, a marauder.

TBC

Lies Between Friends and Lovers, 35-38

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:41:20 GMT

Here's the link to the last couple of chapters of Lies, beginning with chapter 35.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4347517/34/Lies_Between_Friends_and_Lovers

Just watched a news blip on T.V. this a.m. where a guy bought a tank of gas and was notified a short while later by this credit card company that he'd been charged 82 billion dollars for it. Holy crap! I think I'd have a heart attack if that happened to me, even knowing it was a computer mistake.

Weekend report

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:37:56 GMT

Well, I didn't get flowers or chocolate or even a card, but I still had a fantastic Valentine's day. My husband took me out to lunch and then we drove down to San Fran to see Wicked. I don't have words to describe how wonderful it was. I went without knowing much about the plot or any of the music, but in the end it didn't matter becauseI loved the entire three hours. The staging was great and the talent of the cast proved to be worth the hefty price of the tickets. I think Wicked is now one of my all-time favorite musicals, next to to Les Miserables.    We then drove home and bought In-and-Out Burgers for the family, making it a day without cooking and dishes. That's like having whipped cream and a cherry on top of everything else.

I've been somewhat absent on lj lately, working overtime a lot , going to rugby tournaments on the weekends with my son and dealing with different family health issues.  (Frankly, I fail to see the fun of getting beat up every Saturday and then hurting for the next couple of days, but somehow Taylor likes playing the rough and tumble game.) And now my dogs have kennel cough. I'm not sure how they got it, since they only leave our yard on a leash. My poor Ping, who is ten, maybe eleven years old, is really suffering with the nasty cough.   The good news is that it's raining here. With the threat of mandatory water rationing looming over our heads if we don't get rain, everyone here in N. California is thrilled to have a wet and rainy forecast.

So, with luck, I'm going to try and find some time for writing in the coming week, which I honsetly haven't done in several weeks. I posted a couple of chapter of Lies on ff.net, I'll post the link sometime today.

Lies 32-34

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:53:12 GMT

Here's the link to chapters 32-34 of Lies - Between Friends and Lovers. Enjoy! Um.. there should probably be a warning posted at this point, this story is intended for mature readers only. Yaoi content.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4347517/32/Lies_Between_Friends_and_Lovers

Lies Between Friends and Lovers 28-31

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 07:32:51 GMT

Here's the link to chapters 28 - 31.

http://www.fanfiction.net/secure/story/story_preview.php?storyid=4347517&chapter=29/

After thinking about it for a week or two, I've decided to link the rest of this story to my updates on fanficiton.net. I've also decided to turn off the comment option here on lj until the end of the story. After all is said and done, if you like this story or not, you'll still have your say, eventually. If you can't wait that long, if there's something posted that really bugs you or urges you to speak out, feel free to use the review option on ff.net, or you can always send me a message through lj.

The Host

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:19:45 GMT

My daughter had a idea on how I could use my Borders' gift certificate, which I received as a Christmas gift. It seems Stephanie Myers has a new book out, a sci-fi story for adults this time. I checked it out and it looks interesting. So if you're looking for something to read tonight, here's a link to the site for a brief summary of the story and another to an excerpt from the book. Any one read anything good lately? I'm coming to the end of the Terry Goodkind books and I"m on the hunt for the next good read.

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/thehost.html

Blue Christmas

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:23:43 GMT

Almost forgot. Here's the link to my Christmas story, just posted. Thanks to Snow for reading it over, and if I missed any typos, blame it on the rush to get this out before the holidays are over. Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4738396/1/