High Society

With the next day full of sun and unseasonably warm, the boys had all agreed that breakfast would be spent on the back porch. Casey was delighted at the idea, as he hadn’t ventured out onto the large porch, which overlooked the back lot where customers parked. An apartment building sat past that, with plenty of their own porches. The tenants were also enjoying their morning outside; there was the smell of tobacco, toast and something sweet--fruit, perhaps--coming from the area. But nothing could compare when the kitchen ladies arrived with the boys’ breakfast, being buttery scones with jam, fresh fruit and sausage links.



After some idle chatter passed, Henry looked to Casey and cocked an eyebrow. “So… your night was pretty interesting, eh?”



It’d been bound to come up; Casey blushed. “Yea, yea…”



Hearty chuckles filled the air, and of course, Danny joined in. “Thomas makes ridiculous complaints from time-to-time, but last night took the cake. I guess you’ll have to settle with being the complete bottoms,” he said.



“Like half of us ain’t that to begin with,” Zeke now intervened. He gave Danny a look. “And he’s complained about you, too.”



“Not like with Casey here! Anyway, when do you rush to someone’s defense?” Danny asked. He looked between them and made a sly grin. “’Got somethin’ goin’ on?”



Zeke rolled his eyes as he took a large bite of his scone. After swallowing, he sat back and lit a cigarette. “Nothing’s going on, you dolt. Maybe I’m just giving shit back to you. I like doing that.”



“Humph. Right,” Danny said.



“Seriously, though--don’t worry about it,” Jamie told Casey, his smile soft and reassuring. “You got plenty of guys wanting a weepy lil’ boy last night. Stephen’s always rolled his eyes when Thomas gets feisty, so it’s not a problem for you.”



“Still embarrassing, though,” Casey replied.



The subject shifted to ‘Who do you think’s coming tonight?’, which Casey was thankful for. He finished his breakfast then turned to Noah, signing, ‘Sleep good?’



‘Very. It wasn’t busy for me last night,’ Noah replied. ‘I was fine with that!’



Before Casey could converse further, Stephen arrived, carrying his own plate of sausage and scones. “Good morning, boys,” he said.



“Morning,” they all replied at once.



“You finish up here, then have free time in the parlor. We made good money last night, compared with most Mondays,” he said. As everyone hummed in agreement, Stephen then turned to Casey. “If you’re finished already, Casey, I’d like to meet with you alone for a moment or two…?”



Casey swallowed, nervousness filling him. He didn’t doubt that he’d get a small talking-to, concerning last night’s ‘event’. He sneaked a glance to the others, who all wore secret smiles. “Of course,” he said.



Stephen smiled and waved towards the entrance. Casey left his empty plate behind and followed Stephen down the hall and into his office. Once they were inside, Stephen went to shut the door, but left it open a crack. He smiled at Casey and went to his desk. “Don’t worry, there’s no bad news or anything,” he said. He took up an envelope and turned back to Casey. “You have a letter.”



A letter? No family or old friends knew he was here. “Who… is it from?”



Though the smile stayed on Stephen’s face, it had sobered. “Cal. I almost didn’t allow it. I’ve had customers grow heavily attached to specific boys before, and it doesn’t go over well for the most part. But he’s assured me that you’re simply his favorite, and wanted to give you a quick note before he comes tonight. Again, he’s reserved you, and promised that he’d be here just as the doors open.”



“Oh,” Casey said as he took the envelope from Stephen. He could barely contain his excitement; not only was he Cal’s favorite, but he’d delivered a letter? It was almost too much. He made sure to keep his smile small to not give his elation away. “Well, thank you.”



“You’re welcome. Just…” Stephen took a deep breath, crossed his arms and leaned on his desk. “It is very easy to get wrapped up in what feels like ‘romance’. Cal’s the romantic type, and well--it can lead to many things, things I’d not appreciate going on. Be careful. All right?”



“I will. Thanks again, Stephen.”



“Off with you now. Enjoy the day,” he said.



Casey grinned and turned to the door. When he opened it, he caught Danny and Henry scooting down the hall with quick steps. It was obvious that they’d been standing at the door, snooping. Figuring that they planned on some good-natured ribbing, Casey chose to go upstairs and read the letter in private. He made it to his room without incident; he shut the door, flopped down on his bed and opened the envelope. The handwriting was neat and flowed gracefully along the page, making him smile.



Dearest Casey,



I cannot wait to see you tonight; I don’t mind telling you this, or even risking Stephen’s displeasure when it comes to my having a “favorite”. It shall be wonderful, getting to make love to your gorgeous body tonight, which oh, I plan to do…



I’ve got wonderful news to tell you, as well. Wonderful, wonderful news. Be ready for my arrival, sweet boy.



Yours truly,

Cal



The flutter in Casey’s heart was almost excruciating--excruciatingly wonderful, of course. It was difficult, heeding the warnings Stephen had given him. All he could imagine was Cal walking into the parlor, ready to take Casey in for the night. Perhaps he’d reserved more than an hour… Casey hoped for that, even if it broke the bank. He couldn’t help kissing the letter before he slipped it into his bag.



It was then that Zeke arrived. He sauntered in, smoking a cigarette with his eyes set dead-ahead at his bookshelf. “Hello there,” he said in a distracted voice.



“Hello,” Casey said. He went to stand and leave the room, but he stopped when Zeke finally set his gaze upon him.



“Getting love letters, are we?”



Casey pursed his lips. “What of it?”



“Mmhmm.” Zeke’s blank expression turned into one of amusement. “Cal’s such a fool. Just remember that. Anyone that would expect romance from a courtesan needs help.”



“If he’s willing to pay for romance… well, what’s so wrong with that?” Casey asked with defiance.



“Whatever. Expect some serious teasing downstairs. Everyone knows,” Zeke said. Casey ‘humphed’.



“That’s fine by me. I’d be willing to bet that they’re all jealous. Maybe even you.”



Zeke laughed out loud. He picked a book from his shelf and laid down upon his bed. “Oh, sure. Sure, Casey--I want a simpering, foolish man to want me for his own. I dream of it, every damned night.”



All Casey could do was shrug as he made his exit, leaving Zeke behind. Halfway down the stairs, he ran into Danny and Henry, who gave him wide grins.



“Casey and Caaal, sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N--”



“Oh, shut up,” Casey spat and continued down the stairs. ‘Jealous… that’s what they are,’ he thought with a small smile. Satisfaction swelled; let them talk and tease. He’d get to the parlor, get a drink and gush through signing with Noah. Perhaps he’d draw… it would offer some distraction if the taunting became too rough. He’d need his pencils and pad for that, however. With a small groan, he turned back to the stairs and climbed. When he reached the third floor, he heard loud noises, which seemed to be coming from his and Zeke’s room.



“OW! Stoppit!”



“Zeke, come on, we were just kidding around!”



“Like hell. I don’t need your goddamned money--”



“Leggo of me! OW!”



Casey frowned hard and quickened his steps. When he reached the doorway he looked in, finding Zeke, Danny and Henry in the room. Danny was currently in a headlock, Zeke’s arm braced tight around his neck and head. He had him on his knees and begging to be set free. “What--Zeke! What’s going on?”



Henry whirled around and blinked fast. “We were--just kidding around!”



“About what??”



“Tell ‘im,” Zeke told Danny.



Red-faced and spluttering, the boy made a mean look Casey’s way. “So-rry,” he said with a croak.



“About what?” Zeke said.



“Damn it, your LETTER. J-Jesus. Sorry for wanting to snoop.”



Casey narrowed his eyes. “You moron--let him go, Zeke. Get OUT of here!”



Zeke obeyed, and Danny slapped his hands down to keep from dropping onto his face. He stood up and dared a smile. “Geez…”



“Out!” Casey said with more force.



The two boys chuckled and scurried out. Casey could hear them buzzing with discussion, catching bits and pieces of it; ‘ridiculous’, ‘don’t need to see it anyway, we know what he’s up to’. Casey slammed the door and turned on his heels. “They didn’t see it, did they?” he asked.



“No. They tried offering me a dollar to let ‘em have a snoop-around,” Zeke replied. “Idiots.”



“Okay…” Casey took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Realizing that Zeke had saved him from generous heaps of embarrassment, he smiled. “Thanks--for stopping them. That was really nice of you.”



Zeke shook his head and returned to lying on the bed with his book. “Sometimes Danny really, really fucking annoys me. He knows the kind of trouble he can get in, pulling that shit.”



Even if the young man wanted to downplay his heroic actions, Casey wasn’t willing to let it go. He went over to his bed, reached underneath it and drew out his bag. After grabbing his art supplies, he stared at his money satchel. He glanced to Zeke then drew out a dollar bill. “Here,” he said, holding the money out to him.



“Oh, for god’s sake. I don’t need that.”



Smiling, Casey placed the bill on Zeke’s bookshelf. “For being nice,” he said, then walked out without another word.





~*~





Casey lifted the pad for Noah to see what he’d gotten done so far. Noah peered at it and made an expression of approval.



‘Nice! Looks just like me.’



‘Thanks,’ Casey replied, then returned to drawing. It was nice, getting to have a human subject; he didn’t do profiles often, but Noah was interesting to draw, from the cleft in his chin to his bright, brown eyes. He sat back and allowed Casey to keep working, when suddenly, Casey heard voices coming from the hall. It was only four-thirty… there shouldn’t have been customers coming by. When he looked to the doorway, he saw two men walking down the hall; they slowed their steps to look into the parlor. Casey noticed their snide, knowing smiles and turned away. Noah was looking up as well, apprehension in his face. Casey left the drawing behind to sign, ‘Who are those men?’



Noah took a deep breath and began signing back. ‘Don’t say anything--they own the block.’



‘Own? How so?’



As if everyone there could suddenly understand what they were saying, Noah made a quick look around. The boys were too busy playing cards to pay them any mind, so he continued. ‘Gang. Mafia, I think. Since I can lip-read, I know what they’ve said to Stephen. Working-relationship, could say.’



This new information made Casey pale. Mafia? That spelled danger, plain and simple. ‘Isn’t that dangerous?’ he asked.



‘Wouldn’t worry. It’s pleasant enough. They give protection, ties with cops, all that.’ Noah sighed loudly and bit his lip. ‘No one here knows. A boy who’d worked here last year once tried sneaking around the office to find out. Got in trouble for it.’



Casey nodded slowly. As much as he respected Stephen, he was nervous, even scared. ‘Should I worry?’ he asked next.



Noah smiled a little. ‘No. It’s OK.’



‘OK,’ Casey replied, then turned back to his artwork. No one else seemed to care what was going on, who those men were--Casey tried doing the same, while appreciating Noah’s being a well of information. There was something to it, his being deaf, that allowed him to have an edge.





~*~





Pure joy filled Casey as he felt hands come from behind him to go over his eyes. “Guess who?”



Cal. Casey smiled wide and pushed back against the man. “Mmm… hello, Cal,” he said.



“Can’t fool you.” Cal let go and allowed Casey to turn around to face him. He placed a small kiss on the boy’s cheek. “It’s so nice to be back.”



“It’s so nice to have you,” Casey replied. “I, um… got your letter.”



“Ah. Good… I was hoping Stephen wouldn’t mind your having it,” Cal said. While petting Casey’s hair, he leaned in and widened his grin. “I’m not going to wait. Stephen’s paid… upstairs. Now.”



Cal’s impatience was more than welcome, as Casey wasn’t willing to put off being with the man any longer. He let Cal take his arm, putting his hand upon it to lead him out. It didn’t matter that everyone watched them go. ‘Jealous, jealous, jealous,’ Casey thought with a giggle.



“Is something funny, sweetheart?” Cal asked with a note of mischief.



“Oh… no,” Casey said. He leaned in and put his lips to Cal’s ear as they made their way upstairs. “I think they’re all jealous about the attentions you’ve been paying to me.”



“Ahh… as well they should be,” Cal replied. His hand ran over Casey’s backside in gentle swoops. “You ARE the cutest, most adorable one here.”



“Am I?”



“By far, darling.”



The compliments were getting to Casey’s head; he welcomed the pride he felt. There’d simply never been a time that he’d been courted like this. To have such a strong, good-looking man like Cal wanting him so badly--bliss. Sheer bliss.



Once in the room, Cal wasted no time shutting the door and grabbing Casey to take him into a smooth, hot kiss. As always, Casey melted under the man’s prowess. “Mmm…” he hummed. When they broke away, he relished the man’s tongue, emerging to lick his lower lip. “You’re my favorite too, you know,” Casey admitted.



“Oh?”



“Mmhmm,” Casey said. He then remembered the contents of the letter and smiled. “What’s your good news?”



Cal made a wicked smile; before he went to reply, he began undoing the buttons of Casey’s shirt. The boy allowed himself to be undressed, cool air perking his nipples as Cal began speaking. “I’ve been nervous all this time, doing this--because of my wife.” Cal bent down to kiss Casey’s exposed shoulder. “But I don’t need to worry anymore.”



“O-Oh?” Casey said.



“Mmm… it turns out that she hasn’t been faithful herself,” Cal said. He bent back to remove Casey’s shirt, then began undoing his slacks. “I found her just yesterday, in bed with another man.”



“Oh. My, that’s…” Casey said.



“Good. Very good,” Cal finished for him. The pants were dropped to Casey’s ankles; Cal grabbed him up, walked over to the bed and placed him upon it. “Not only are we going to divorce, but because of her infidelity, she gets nothing. Not one red cent. I’m not just free to do as I please… I have no ties, come next week. Lawyers have been contacted, things are in motion--a free man. That’s me.”



As much as the idea of divorce was usually unpleasant, Casey felt light with glee. “No more guilt, then.”



“There never was. Never. How could I feel guilt, getting what I’ve always wanted?” Cal asked while climbing over Casey and trailing a finger from his chin to his navel. “She and her miserable new ‘beau’… and the best part hasn’t even been brought up.”



Casey grinned, stretched his arms above his head and pulled his legs out from under Cal to wrap them around his waist. The man’s groan was beautiful music to him. “What could be ‘the best’ with everything you’ve told me already?”



Cal chuckled and bent down to kiss Casey’s neck. “The young man she’s chosen over me? A miserable little starving artist, living in a run-down, rat-infested apartment.”



The way he spoke… Casey stilled and stared at the ceiling. Cal’s touching now felt like pinpricks instead of sweet caresses. “Oh.”



“Imagine that--giving up on her rich husband for someone like that. Amazing, isn’t it?”



“Yes. Amazing.”



“Mmm… free to do as I please…”



Casey’s mouth felt dry and his face hurt from the tension building up in his body. Tears now welled in his eyes; he had to hide it, no matter how sickened he felt. Starving artist… rat-infested apartment… miserable. A hard swallow rolled down his throat and he tried coughing it away; it felt and sounded more like a choke. Cal finally noticed Casey’s demeanor and he bent away to give him a pensive look. “Casey? What’s wrong?”



“Nothing. Nothing, it’s all right.”



“No, something’s wrong. Please tell me.”



“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Casey said in a tone that would make anyone concerned. Cal left him entirely, sitting on his heels and frowning.



“I’m not going to do anything until you tell me what’s wrong,” he said.



Sudden anger filled Casey; he wanted to know, did he? “You shouldn’t really revel in your new ’discovery’. She could’ve caught you doing the same thing, only much worse,” Casey coldly replied. Cal stared at him, obviously confused as he went on. “Perhaps she was tired of being alone while you were secretly coming here. Perhaps this ‘starving artist’ gave her something she wanted, something she couldn’t get from you.”



Cal looked stunned. “Why… are you so angry? I’ve done nothing--nothing you haven’t gone along with. You’ve enjoyed my company while knowing what was going on in my life. Forgive me for saying that you’ve got nothing to be angry about.”



Sniffing hard, Casey turned onto his stomach. “Then fuck me. Go on. Fuck me. That’s what you’re here for.”



“No. Absolutely not.”



Casey felt Cal’s weight leave the bed; he watched the man take up his shoes and put them on. “Maybe you should be careful when calling a starving artist ‘miserable’. After all, do you think I came here because I was wealthy like you?”



“What?” Cal said. He turned back to Casey and blinked furiously. “What do you mean?”



“Where does this man live? He may have been my neighbor. I, too, dealt with a few rats in my two room, dirty apartment. One even gnawed at my canvases, ruining two paintings I was going to sell,” Casey finally divulged enough to make Cal go pale.



“Oh… Casey…”



“So go ahead and fuck me. Get your money’s worth,” Casey snapped. He turned onto his stomach again and buried his face in his arms. “DO it.”



“Casey… sweet boy, I didn’t…” Cal trailed off. He slid over and sat next to Casey’s chest and shoulders. Casey felt a hand fall just under his neck and begin rubbing his skin. “That was awful of me. Simply awful. I didn’t know.”



“Now you do.”



“And I feel disgraced for it--I’m disgusted with myself. Casey, please.” The man reached under Casey’s chin and moved his head to face him. “I wasn’t speaking of this to make you--oh, I don’t know. I didn’t know. Please… please forgive me. I would never want to hurt you, make you feel so terribly. I should have known better--assumed that your situation could have been just as bad.”



The sight of the man with his wet eyes full of regret softened Casey. He looked down at the bed and sighed shakily. “I’m not ashamed that I’ve had to come here… though I know it is a shameful thing,” Casey said. “But I didn’t have a choice. It was either this or die in an alley.”



Cal’s lower lip trembled. He then lowered down to lie along Casey’s naked body; Casey was turned onto his side and Cal moved in even closer. “No. I’m glad you chose this… no, not just because I’ve been able to be with you; the thought of you--no,” Cal said. “If you couldn’t already tell, you’re very special to me. I’d do anything to keep you safe.”



Casey looked into Cal’s eyes. The man was being sincere in his apologies, his regret, what he was saying now… the frustration and anger began sliding away entirely. “Thank you,” he finally replied. “That means a lot.”



“If I could… I’d even bring you home, give you a real life--”



“Cal,” Casey said. A small puff of chuckles escaped his chest and he shook his head. “You shouldn’t say such things.”



“But I mean them.”



He did; Casey felt it in waves. “You’re a sweet man.”



“Does that mean you forgive me?”



“Mmm… yes,” Casey said. “Just please, be careful with what you say.”



“I will, darling.” Cal propped his head up with his hand. “Perhaps… I’d like to be here with you. Just be here with you. I’d get just as much pleasure, getting to talk… getting to actually KNOW you.”



“Oh, really, now,” Casey said. He chuckled and opened his legs to put one over Cal’s hip. “How about we have some pleasure, then have some pillow-talk?”



Cal chuckled as well. “I suppose we could… I have much to make up for.”





~*~





Even though the man Casey was pleasuring was clumsy and unskilled, his head was reeling with a dizzy kind of happiness, the after-effects of his time with Cal still with him. With Joseph’s head between his legs, licking with a strange fervor, Casey closed his eyes and pictured a different life…



Cal had a garden, one he enjoyed tending to. He lived in the Hamptons, a foreign land to Casey who’d never experienced the rich life. There’d been a vacation to Maui, where the man had first discovered his true, honest sexual tastes. “But he was nothing like you,” he’d said of the Polynesian boy he’d been with. All Casey could imagine was being on a beach, drinking a fragrant, fruity drink and watching the waves roll in. When he’d expressed jealousy concerning Cal’s vacation, Cal had shrugged and run a hand over Casey’s nipples. “I’d love to take you there. Someday, perhaps.”



It was getting out-of-hand, and Casey knew it. Wanting something like this, someone like Cal, all on his own--Casey couldn’t depend on that. He was here for a reason, he was being taken care of and he enjoyed this new life, being a courtesan.



“Like that?”



Joseph’s voice interrupted Casey’s reverie; perhaps Joseph thought the smile on Casey’s face was for him and the ‘pleasure’ he was trying so desperately to give him. “Yes… oh yes,” Casey lied. The man returned to Casey’s cock, humming with approval.



After it was over, Casey collected himself and went back to the main parlor. Most of the boys had been taken upstairs by other clients; the only one milling about the room with the leftover men was Jose, with Zeke sitting at the bar. He was pleased to see Cal sitting there as well, chatting idly with Zeke. The man hadn’t taken anyone else upstairs or to the fuck-parlor. If Casey was the reason for that… his cheeks heated up as he went over to greet them. Zeke noticed him first.



“Busy night for you, huh?” he said.



“I suppose. You?”



“Pfft. One,” Zeke replied.



“Hello, sweetheart,” Cal said. “I’m going to be leaving soon; I wanted to wait to say goodbye.”



“Ah,” Casey said. He realized why Cal was waiting; was he jealous of Casey and his needing to spend time with others? He secretly hoped so. “The night is almost over, anyway--and the customers have dwindled.”



“Yes. I suppose you’ll be retiring soon, as well,” Cal said.



“How was Joseph?”



Zeke’s question made Casey go still. He looked to the young man and shrugged. “He was… all right,” he replied.



“He’s not half-bad. How about the guy before him--he was new,” Zeke said.



“Oh, Zachary? He was nice,” Casey said. This line of questioning made him feel uncomfortable, being that Cal was sitting barely two feet away.



“Just ‘nice’? Hah, I heard you squealing from in here.” Zeke smiled and winked, then went on sipping his drink. “Lemmee guess… rimming?”



“Zeke, good god…” Casey said, nervous and wishing this discussion to be over. He turned to Cal and smiled sweetly. “I suppose I should thank you for that discovery, Cal. It IS a favorite of mine.”



“Mmm,” Cal hummed, his expression easing into a small grin. “I know what you like, sweetheart.”



“You do, you do.”



“Are you gonna wash up? I can smell Joseph from here,” Zeke said. His voice was full of distaste; Casey had to frown.



“Um… all right then, see you upstairs,” he said. He moved to Cal and kissed his cheek. “Tomorrow, maybe?”



“Oh, probably not. As I told you… I need to set things in motion,” Cal replied, winking. “But I’ll call on you Thursday.”



“Good. I’ll be waiting,” Casey said, and with that, he shot one last dark look Zeke’s way and left the parlor. He came upon Stephen, who was chatting with a few men. “I’m going to shower, then… do you want me to come back?”



“No, Casey--you’re fine for the night,” Stephen said. “Have a good sleep.”



Casey nodded and went up the stairs, feeling the men’s eyes on him as he went.





~*~





When Casey returned to the bedroom after his shower, he found Zeke on his bed--reading, once again. “Do you ever take your nose out of a book to breathe?” Casey asked.



“Me and Jamie share books. This one’s a good one,” Zeke said without lifting his eyes from the page he read.



“Hmm. Good for you.”



“Mmm.” Zeke finally looked away to give Casey an inquiring gaze. “You’re getting too wrapped up, just like I warned you about.”



“Huh?” Casey said.



“Cal.”



“Ah, yes. I was going to ask you about your strange behavior back at the bar. I guess you’re giving him reminders of what I’m doing here, as if he doesn’t know,” Casey coldly replied as he sat on his bed.



“It doesn’t seem like he does. He wouldn’t shut up about you,” Zeke said. He slammed the book shut, tossed it to the side and lit a cigarette. “He asked me about your art, what you drew, what have you. He REALLY got pathetic when he started asking what your favorite foods were. Ridiculous.”



“Hmm… he does like me.”



“And he shouldn’t. Not like that.”



“You know, we always end up together in our room at the end of the night, and you always lecture me--about anything. It’s really, really annoying,” Casey retorted.



Zeke eyed Casey a moment, looking to be pondering something. A full minute passed before he stood up and stretched. “C’mon. Let’s go to the kitchen and sneak some food,” he said.



“I’m not hungry.”



“Come on. Get off your ass and let’s go.”



“Oh… fine. Whatever.”



Zeke looked pleased as Casey relented and walked out of the room with him. “I think Helen left out tonight’s dessert… nothing like pecan pie squares.”



“Uh huh. Remind me why I’m going with you?” Casey sarcastically asked.



“Because, dessert. Plus you said we always ‘end up in the room’, where I lecture you. So I decided on a different setting,” Zeke replied. He turned his head to give Casey a broad, triumphant sort of grin. “See? I’m a nice guy.”



Casey glared at him the whole way down; he was tempted to turn around and head back to their room, but he could at least snatch a few squares before doing that. Once they reached the kitchen, Zeke went to the cupboards and searched. “Ah, here we are,” he said, bringing out a large plate of the leftover confections. Casey took quick steps over to it, grabbed two then headed back to the door.



“See you in the morning--”



“You’re not special, y’know.”



Zeke’s comment made Casey stop and turn back to face him. “What do you mean, ‘special’? I never said I was special.”



“Yea, you did. All that ‘everyone’s just jealous’ talk. Let me tell you about guys like Cal.” Zeke hopped up on one of the counters and took small bites of his square before going on. “There are LOADS of Johns that come through here, and about fifty-percent of them try to woo us. By ‘woo’, I mean lavish us in compliments, buy us things, tell us how wonderful we are. I’d be willing to bet money that Cal’s told you that he wishes you were his and his alone.”



While the man hadn’t said it quite like that, he’d said enough about ‘taking Casey home’. “A little. Harmless, in my opinion.”



“But you’re starting to take it seriously. I can tell. You need to get it through your head that you’re just another toy to him.”



“I… I am not!” Casey said in a splutter. He crossed his arms, feeling defiant. “Say what you will, but Cal actually cares about me. I’ve always been able to read people, to tell when they’re lying. The things he’s said? He’s MEANT them.”



“Okay, let’s say he does. Let’s say you’re the sun and the moon to him--that he honestly even loves you. Do you think he’s going to take you home… show you off to friends?”



“No, I don’t. I’m more realistic than that,” Casey replied. “Even if I wasn’t a whore, two men being together is completely unacceptable in society. We all have to lie, to go behind closed doors. We provide a service and that’s it.”



Zeke snapped his fingers, making Casey jump. “Exactly. Ex-act-ly, Casey. We give ‘em what they pay for then give a half-hearted kiss on their cheek when they go home to their wife and kids. Like when you went into the candy shop; you bought your sweets, thanked the clerk then came back here. You didn’t grab the person serving you, kiss them and start yelling about how much you loved them. Service--that’s all it was. So how is this any different?”



A derisive laugh escaped Casey’s chest. “How is it different? We’re not handing these men something from a shelf. Sex… it’s emotional. Men will get gooey-eyed and romantic from time to time,” Casey said. He stood straighter and raised his eyebrows. “And frankly, I happen to like it… love it, even.”



“You should talk to James sometime, about Clark. That moron’s come close to proposing to James, which James laughs about. He takes Clark’s gifts, money, whatever else, then gives him a rollicking good time in the sack, because that’s what he’s doing here,” Zeke said. “Don’t think that Stephen hasn’t noticed Cal’s ridiculous behavior, or that he’s perfectly fine with these goings-on. If he gets the slightest fucking hint that you two are up to something, you won’t be here anymore.”



Zeke was right, of course. He wouldn‘t admit it, more because he didn’t want to. He felt special with Cal, but he wouldn’t be confiding that in Zeke. Deciding to placate the young man, Casey nodded. “I’m not going to get ‘up to something’. This IS my job, and I’ll do it just fine. Now please, stop lecturing me. It’s driving me insane.”



“Fine. Just keep it in mind when he’s showering you with affection. He’s a client--nothing but.”



“Hello there, boys.”



Both of them turned to find Stephen standing in the doorway, an eyebrow cocked with a smile on his face. “Oh… hey, Stephen,” Zeke said.



“Sneaking pastries, are we?” he asked.



“A… little,” Casey coyly replied.



“Mmhmm. Off to bed now… and remember, Mr. Tyler.” Stephen grinned wider. “You’ve gotten into trouble for doing this before.”



“Yes, Sir,” Zeke said in a small voice.



Stephen stayed in the doorway and let them pass. Casey flicked a glance over his shoulder, seeing that the man was watching them carefully. When they reached the stairwell and were out of sight, Casey snorted with amusement. “You’d best not lecture me anymore, you thief.”



“Eh, shuddup,” Zeke said, then gave Casey a playful shove to the head.





~*~





The dream Casey had been in the middle of was wonderful, pleasant, involving Noah and himself running down the street; just running as fast as anything without losing their breath. But he was jolted violently from sleep in hearing a yelp, followed by random mumbling coming from Zeke’s side of the room. ‘God, he talks in his sleep,’ he thought with misery. He hadn’t noticed it before…



His eyes had closed and he’d almost reached dreamland once again, but yet another loud sound was made, louder than the last. Casey let his eyes stay open to wait for Zeke’s outbursts to pass, but he frowned when Zeke began making other noises--sad ones, including a few painful sounding sobs.



“N-Not…” Zeke said in a shaky but clear voice. “Stop. Shh… stop…”



“Zeke?”



“I… I…” Zeke stammered. Once again, Casey jumped when Zeke suddenly turned towards the wall, banging into it with his knees. Through the low light coming through the window, Casey could see him tremble. “Hurts…”



“Zeke, wake up,” Casey said, starting to feel panic in his veins. He sat up, pushed back the covers and stepped over to Zeke’s bed. “You’re dreaming.”



The boy didn’t respond. Small, barely-audible cries started up; Casey put a hand on his shoulder. “Zeke--” he went to say, but Zeke suddenly flattened against the wall as if trying to escape Casey.



“DON’T TOUCH ME! Don’t touch. Don’t touch.”



It was too strange, but Casey began realizing where it was coming from. “It’s me, Zeke. Casey,” he said, hoping to get past whatever was haunting Zeke. “You’re all right. You’re in our bedroom at Stephen’s. You’re all right.”



Zeke’s shaking all over began to subside, but his hands were quaking terribly. While he was staying in his tense position, not leaving the wall, his sobs died down and his head lolled forward. Casey was just about to try rubbing his back to relax him when there was a knock on the door. ‘Oh God,’ Casey thought. “He… Hello?”



Stephen emerged from the other side. He looked upon the scene with concern. “What’s going on?” he asked.



“I dunno. He’s talking in his sleep, getting upset.”



Nodding solemnly, Stephen stepped into the room and went over to the bed. Casey shuffled over to let the man sit close to Zeke. “Hey now… Zeke? It’s Stephen. Is everything all right?”



It was quiet for a moment. Zeke finally nodded a little. “Yea. Fine.”



“You know that you’re safe here. Remember the guards? They’re right downstairs.”



“I know. Lemmee sleep. L’be okay.”



Stephen gave Casey an apprehensive look; Casey nodded, trying to show that he knew what was going on. Seeming to get the message, Stephen nodded back and stood up. When he left and shut the door, Casey put his hand on Zeke’s back. “Nightmare?” he asked. Zeke nodded and turned over onto his stomach; Casey sighed. “I… can stay here, if you want.”



Zeke continued to stay silent. Seeing as he hadn’t said ‘no’, Casey eased onto the bed and kept on rubbing Zeke’s skin. Being so close, he noticed the fresh bruising on his back and shoulders.



Perhaps this wasn’t as ‘healthy’ as Zeke had tried saying it was.