Soft,
pink lips kissed his own as strong hands tangled in his hair. His head tilted
back as those lips moved down his neck, sucking and licking the skin there. He
felt a solid thigh push between his legs, his eyes pierced by the icy blue ones
suspended above him. He gasped at the feel of…
“Justin!” His bed was kicked, shocking Justin out of his dream. His eyes
opened wide as he saw his uncle above him, foot ready to kick not only the bed
again, but him as well.
“I’m up,” he said, scurrying out of the bed and around his uncle to the
door. He grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom to dress. He looked at
himself in the mirror, the dream still fresh in his mind. It had been about the
man he’d seen at the club two days ago, the dangerously handsome man with the
hard eyes and soft mouth. Justin splashed water on his face to help him wake up.
The dream didn’t bother him, really. He’d always been different.
“Special,” his ma had said. “Sensitive,” was his Pa’s word.
“Homosexual,” was the description he’d found in the medical journals in
the library. So it wasn’t because he’d dreamed of a man, but because it had
been that particular man, a man who both excited and frightened Justin. His
uncle beat on the door, calling for Justin to hurry or they’d be late for work.
“JC.”
Lance walked to the table in the club where his boss was working. Papers were
strewn all over the place, but Lance knew better than to start straighten the
mess. JC had his own system of working, and a messy table was part of it.
JC looked up at his assistant. “What’s up, Lance?” He nearly laughed when
Lance’s gaze avoided the messy table, and resisted the urge to push a pile
onto the floor just to aggravate the younger man even more.
“You wanted to know when the next linen delivery was coming,” Lance reminded
him. “It’s here now.”
A smile crept over JC’s face. “And is it the same delivery service?”
“Yes.” Lance walked from the table. “He’s in the storeroom.”
JC shook his head. Lance missed nothing, which was why he was so valuable to JC
in his business operations. He was a detail man, and kept the best set of books
in Chicago. JC rose from the table and walked in the direction of the storeroom.
Justin was busily putting the dirty linen in bags when he felt that tingle on
the back of his neck again. He’d been both dreading and hoping this would
happen. But this time, there wasn’t the length of the club between them he saw
as he turned toward the door.
He was everything Justin had remembered. Justin’s heart skipped a beat as he
walked into the little room toward him. He watched as the man cocked his head at
Justin quizzically and grasped one of Justin’s hands, the linen he was holding
dropping to the floor.
“Why are such talented hands picking up dirty linen?” the man asked.
“It’s my job,” Justin answered.
“You can’t like doing it,” the man scoffed.
“I don’t have a choice.”
Icy blue eyes trapped Justin’s. “Don’t you?” His hand was released.
“I’m Josh Chasez.” He held out his hand for Justin to shake. “People
call me JC. I own The Deuces.”
Justin felt a tingle of electricity when he shook the proffered hand. “Justin
Timberlake.”
“Justin.” JC rolled the name around on his tongue. “Why are you in
Chicago, Justin?”
“My uncle lives here.”
“Your uncle.” JC’s eyes narrowed. “The man you work with?” Justin
nodded. “Why do you live with your uncle?”
“I had nowhere else to go,” Justin explained. “After my parents died, and
I lost our farm, I...”
A smile split JC’s face. “A farm boy.” JC walked around Justin to the
stand between the shelves of the storeroom, leaning against a shelf. Justin
followed his movements, his back to the door. “Tell me, Farm Boy…where did
you learn to play like that?”
Justin shrugged. “It’s something I’ve always done…I just sit at the
piano and the music comes out.”
“You’re immensely talented, Justin,” JC said, lifting a tentative hand
towards Justin’s face, and smiled when he didn’t flinch or pull away. JC’s
fingers pulled at one of the soft curls framing Justin’s face. “You’re
also adorable, did you know that?”
Justin felt a blush creep into his cheeks and his eyes dropped. He felt a hand
under his chin, forcing his head up. His eyes locked again with JC’s.
Justin watched with fascination as the fire left JC’s eyes and was replaced by
anger. The hand holding his chin moved fast, catching the meaty fist coming
towards Justin’s head. JC spun around Justin, keeping his hold on his
uncle’s arm the entire time, finally pushing his uncle against the wall with
his arm held painfully behind him.
“You will not touch him again, do you understand?” JC’s voice was soft but
menacing.
“I’ll do as I please, you bastard.” His uncle yelped as JC twisted his arm
more. “The boy’s soft…I’m trying to make a man out of him!”
JC’s eyes traveled up and down Justin. “He looks like a man to me already.”
JC shoved the other man out the door. JC and Justin followed out into the
hallway.
His uncle looked at Justin, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Let’s go, boy.”
Justin made to follow, but was stopped by JC’s arm across his chest. “You
don’t have to go with him.”
“Boy, I’m not going to tell you again,” his uncle yelled.
“Justin.” JC turned to him. “You can stay here…work for me.”
“Yah, you know what kind of work he means?” His uncle asked, ignoring JC’s
look of warning. “It’ll be something illegal, my boy. He’s a bootlegger.
Think your mama be proud of you then?” he said cruelly.
“Will it?” Justin asked JC, who shook his head.
“I want you to play your music here.”
“Music!” His uncle scoffed. “Another pansy! He wants to get in your pants,
boy…he sees how pretty you are! He’s one of those…”
His uncle was prevented from continuing by the arm that suddenly appeared around
his throat. Lonnie looked over at JC. “You want me to throw this trash out,
boss?” the bodyguard asked.
“Justin?” JC asked. “It’s up to you.”
Justin thought of his choice. Go with his uncle and suffer abuse and degradation,
and live in a world without music. Or take the opportunity to play, to indulge
in his music all he wanted. He looked at the man beside him. And maybe, if he
was lucky, be with him, he thought. A smile as bright as sunshine split his face
as he took a step closer to JC.
“I’ll stay.”