Part 14
I hadn't spent a long time in the club, yet my ears were ringing already. As I sipped on a can of Coke, my eyes seldom wandered from Justin and Paul on the dancefloor. Aah, yes, he was still as gorgeous as always, albeit dripping with sweat. Ever since we'd met, i'd always known Paul to be a true party boy, and often looked on as he stepped onto the nearest dancefloor and let himself go. His sweat-soaked shirt stuck to his chest and his shoulder-length tresses flung loosely with every shake of his head, moving his body in his almost painfully sexy way. Men and women watched him as though being seduced. Justin looked away sometimes, allowing the music to take control, but otherwise his eyes remained fixed on Paul, drinking in every detail and movement of his body. Paul literally became the life of the party as the surrounding ravers worked off his energy and enthusiasm.
I observed Rich and found delight in his discomfort. Although he was confident in the solidity of his relationship with Paul, he couldn't quite mask the disapproval of Justin dancing so recklessly close to the man he loved. His distrust wasn't for Paul, but for Justin, and he carefully watched him for any indication of an alternate intention. Though the way in which Justin danced with Paul left little to decipher.
After a while the DJ mixed into Black Box's "Fantasy". A few dancers felt the need for refreshment and vacated the dancefloor, leaving Paul and Justin a little more room. I saw Justin shout something in Paul's ear and begin to make his way towards the men's room, mopping his forehead with his shirt. Paul spotted Rich standing nearby and smiled, wiggling a finger to summon him. The 'come hither' seductive eyebrow manoeuvre he gave Rich made my legs to weak, and I longed to step into Rich's shoes. Paul had never looked at me in that way, except in jest during Allstars routines. Even during the time that we'd been together, I never once saw it, not in the genuine way he was looking at Rich. Jealousy flared in my body once again - the feeling was becoming so familiar. It never got easier, but it gave me the drive that I needed every time.
When Rich stepped onto the dancefloor, Paul wrapped his arms around Rich's waist and pulled him closer, moving their bodies together in time with the song, with his lips teasingly brushing against those of his boyfriend. Rich immediately let himself go and danced equally as suggestively, much to the growing crowd's delight. Observers cheered and egged them on, mimicking the movements of these two mysterious men whose dancing was more likely to be seen behind closed doors. The room was starting to resemble an orgy, and I couldn't help smiling at the sight. The way Paul and Rich were influencing those around them without intending to was a marvel. Seeing these boys in love made the crowd want to share the same sort of closeness and intimacy with their own partners.
"There's no need for these machines, peeps, these blokes are cookin' up their own steam here!" the DJ laughed into his microphone. The crowded roared simultaneously in response, briefly breaking Paul and Rich out of their spell. They looked around at the legion of people voicing their encouragement and laughed, pulling each-other in for a hug.
I turned my back to them and stubbed out my cigarette into an ashtray, with more force than i'd intended. The cigarette crumbled beneath my fingers. A nearby boozer, whose age I estimated to be in the late 50's, sneered his disapproval. I heard the crowd cheer again but didn't turn around. I didn't want to see any more.
'That should be me with Paul,' I thought bitterly.
I felt a warm, sweaty hand clap down on my shoulder.
"For someone who's meant to be laying low, you're not doing a good job of hiding yourself," Justin said, sliding into a chair beside me. I offered him a cigarette, which he politely refused.
"So. Enlighten me." I lit the fourth cigarette of the evening. Since the divorce, I was smoking like a steam train, and it was a difficult habit to break.
Justin sighed and leaned closer. "To be honest, Tim, you're sort of wasting your energy on Paul. There's no way he's going to willingly leave Rich, he loves him too much."
"When I want your fucking opinion, i'll ask for it," I snapped, blowing smoke into Justin's face. "Now just stick to the facts, okay?"
Justin dropped a crumpled piece of paper on the table. "They're living together in an apartment on the outskirts. That's their phone number and address there. Paul works casual at a clothing store downtown, and Rich is playing with CD-ROMs-"
"Excuse me? Jonathan had better not have gone back on our little 'agreement'!"
"No, no, he's at another place. Your plan didn't work quite as well as you'd intended."
"Oh, you're so observant," I sarcastically remarked. "What else have you got?"
Justin paused, trying to choose his words carefully. Finally he decided to give it to me straight and disclosed, "Tim, they're engaged."
Cigarette smoke briefly trapped itself in my throat. I coughed and sputtered it clear and repeated, "They're engaged?"
He nodded apologetically. "For a week now, they say."
"Have they set a date yet?"
"Well, no, not yet."
"Find out the date when they decide on one," I instructed, poking a finger into his upper arm. "If I have anything to do with it, this ceremony will not go ahead." I drew deeply on my cigarette, narrowing my eyes. "In the meantime, explain that bloody Saturday Night Fever stunt you pulled out there!"
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled, giggling like a schoolboy, "He's good. He's got the moves, all right. I couldn't resist." He took a cigarette from my box on the table without asking. "I can see why you're so stuck on him. How can you not fall for that pretty piece of flesh?"
"Well, Justin, i'd advise you not to fall for him. You're supposed to be helping me break him and Rich apart." I snatched the cigarette from his fingers and squashed it into the ashtray. "Stay focused. Remember what I got you into this for."
Justin looked behind me and nudged my foot, raising his eyebrows. "Tim, time to piss off. They're coming this way."
I saw the shadows approaching on the floor and gathered my belongings, but Paul and Rich had already reached us. I kept my back turned and my head hung low, silently praying that they didn't recognise me. My cigarette dangled between my fingers close to the legs of my pants.
"Justin, there you are!" Paul said, standing right behind me. My heart thumped. "We were looking for you. Sorry, mate, but we have to go."
"Really? Do you have to? You haven't been here long!" Justin stood in front of me and obstructed their view of me, keeping me hidden.
"We have to work tomorrow," Rich replied, pulling his jacket over his shoulders. "We'd stay longer if we could."
"OK, well, it was good to see you. We'll have to do this again soon." Justin reached out and shook their hands. "Oh, and let me know when you finalise a date for the ceremony, too."
"Yeah, we'll do that." Paul paused. On the floor, I could see his shadow as he craned his neck to see my face. "Is this a friend of yours?"
My cigarette dropped from my fingers and onto my pant legs. I jumped up and slapped it away, leaving ash squashed onto my pants, all the while trying to keep my head turned from Paul and Rich's view. Justin swivelled his head to see me and gently pushed me away.
"Are you okay, Ben?" he asked. "Go to the men's room and clean yourself up."
Seeing an opportunity to escape, I patted his arm in gratitude and hurried towards the bathroom door, attempting to wipe the ash off my pants. I could faintly hear Justin bidding them farewell and explaining that his mate 'Ben' had turned up unexpectedly and was painfully shy. I mentally gave him credit for thinking on his toes the way he did.
Once safely inside the men's room, I moved towards the first sink I could see. The room was surprisingly empty. I turned the cold water on and splashed my face, my head throbbing as the music thumped faintly through the walls. Running my damp fingers through my hair, I reached for a roll of paper towels and ran it under the tap, then rubbed it onto my pant legs in an attempt to wipe the ash away.
While I was doing so, I heard the door creak open and Paul's voice shouting, "Talk to you later, Justin!" Panicking, I dove into a toilet stall behind me and locked the door in perfect timing as Paul and Rich entered the bathroom. I squinted through the small space in the stall door and watched them.
"Well, I think it's safe to say that we were a crowd favourite!" Rich laughed, bending over the sink. Paul tore a paper towel from the same roll that I had used and wiped the sweat from his face.
"Tell you what, after working at Dragoon all day today, it feels great to just let loose like that," Paul replied. He dropped the paper towel in the bin and slid an arm around Rich's shoulders. "So how did you enjoy your time? I hope you didn't get annoyed that I danced with Justin."
"No, no, I was fine with it. I don't want to stop you from having a good time."
'The lying sod,' I thought with some amusement. 'It was written all over his face. He didn't like it one bit. Now he knows how i've felt all this time, watching the man of my affections with someone else and knowing that it should've been me in that other person's place.'
Paul leant closer to speak in Rich's ear. "Well, I did. I had a great time. Especially when I was with you."
Rich smiled and their lips met in a languid kiss. I gritted my teeth and pressed my fingernails into the palms of my hands, fighting the urge to burst out of the stall and beat Rich senseless.
I sneered as Paul and Rich exited the bathroom. The silly fool, thinking that he and Paul had no problems to worry about, nothing to break the peace. Well, that would soon change, as soon as opportunity arose. I would make sure of that. Rich hadn't won yet. Until they had their ceremony, I had time to rock the boat. And I would rock it until it capsized. As long as I was around, they would not have their ceremony.
Part 15