The Light in Your Eyes

By Tinnean

Chapter 20

Author’s Note: According to AltaVista, 'Il mio amore più caro' translates to 'my dearest love'.

The limo was idling at the curb, and lounging against it was our chauffeur.

Granger looked like something out of a movie about high society – six feet tall, dressed in a snug, black chauffeur's uniform, patent leather boots that molded well-shaped calves, a billed cap shading quietly observant gray-green eyes.

At our approach, Granger snapped to attention and opened the passenger door.

"Shall I take that, sir?" She nodded toward the boxed cake in my hand. Her voice was husky, deep for a woman.

"No, that's okay, thank you."

"Very good, sir. To the Madison Arms now?"

"Yes, please." I turned my head to smile at my lover. "We’re going to be fashionably late."

"Cool. I always wanted to make an entrance."

Granger suddenly coughed. She appeared to have something in her throat. Wills raised an eyebrow, and she cleared her throat. Her face smoothed of all expression, she murmured, "Beg pardon, sir," waited until we entered the limo, then shut the door, walked around to the driver's side, and got in.

"She reminds me of you when you get that look on your face."

"What look?"

He really had no clue? I just grinned at him. "Where'd you find this company anyway, babe?" Acme Limousine Service – I didn't think I'd ever heard of it, and I'd ridden in about every limousine service in DC, Virginia, and Maryland. Not that I was about to tell my lover that.

"Someone at work recommended it." He exchanged a smile with the chauffeur through the rearview mirror.

"Ah." Should I be jealous? "Tell 'someone' I said thanks."

No, there was no reason for me to be. Granger had black hair, after all.

I pressed a button, raising the smoked glass partition that separated the driver's compartment from the passenger's.

I loved limousines.

This limo's amenities were surprisingly lavish. It contained a mini bar fully stocked with 50 ml bottles of vodka, gin, scotch, and whisky, as well as various liqueurs and splits of champagne, and a fridge that not only held cream and mixers for the drinks, but caviar and crème fraîche, smoked salmon, truffles, and foie gras. A small cabinet opened up to reveal packets of Petits Toasts and Carr's Table Water Crackers.

"The only thing that's missing are blinis." I opened the fridge, made some room, and slid the box inside. "Want some caviar, babe?"

"After the meal we just ate? I don't think so. And I'll be sure to notify the company that they're falling down on the job."

"Well, they'd need something to toast the blinis, and they might feel that's a bit much."

"You think?" He patted the seat beside him. "This baby opens into a bed. A toaster oven shouldn't be that much more of a demand."

"I guess not. How long will we have the limo?"

"It's ours for the night."

"Then after the ball… " I touched my tongue to my upper lip. "We could ride around and sample the goodies."

"Works for me." He shifted on the bench seat to face me, curling a leg under him and opening himself up to me. The material of his trousers stretched tight across his groin, making the bulge of his cock obvious. "All the goodies?"

"All of them." I rested a hand on his package, and he shivered. His eyes were hot, and he was breathing heavily. As he'd promised, he was hard under my hand, and if I made any move to take him here in the back seat of this limo, he wouldn't stop me. He'd look well-fucked when I got through with him, and the boys at the Ball would be aware of what we'd done.

He wasn't a trophy, though, and I had no intention of displaying him as such.

"Meanwhile… "

"Yes?"

I sighed. "Meanwhile, don't wrinkle your trousers." I removed my hand, very reluctantly. "The boys will think I don't know how to take care of you."

"And we wouldn't want that." He shifted around next to me until our thighs brushed against each other.

"No. You're more than a boy who'll be on my arm for the night." I studied the crease in my trousers. "Uh… Wills, would you tell me something?"

"That sounds serious. Sure I will, babe."

"Okay." I drew a breath. "How come you didn't act all thrilled when I… when I told you I loved you?"

"What? When was this?"

Oh, jesus, he didn't even remember? "When you blew me before we left for dinner."

"Oh. Then."

I smacked his shoulder. "Yes, then."

"Hey!" He rubbed his shoulder, but there was a slight smile on his lips. I hadn't smacked him that hard. "I thought that was the hot sex talking."

"What?"

"Well, y'know, guys always say that when they've had a climax that blows the top of their head off."

"Not very modest, are you?" I glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice.

He blew on his fingernails and dusted them on his shoulder.

"And you would know this how? Did… did you ever say that to Michael?"

"No." His expression became sad, as it always did when he spoke of his friend. "And Michael never said it to me."

Which proved what I'd thought from the first moment I'd heard of Michael. He was a fool.

On the other hand, was I much better?

"Wills, I never … never say I… " I couldn't meet his eyes and turned my head to look out the window. Holiday lights still decorated the streets and would probably continue to do so for another week or so. "I do, you know."

Could he hear my softly spoken words? I could barely hear them.

"Teodore."

My head whipped around. Wills called me 'Theo' or 'babe.' Only my family… I caught my breath. Idiot! I castigated myself as the light dawned. He is your family!

"Il mio amore più caro." Where had he learned to speak Italian? And then I remembered – his grandparents. He tipped my face up and caught a tear on his index finger. "I do know. You don't have to say it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you how much it means to me to hear that. I should have, and I promise, next time, I will."

"I'm being such a girl about this."

"Well, yeah. You are… Hey!" I'd smacked him once more. He laughed and pulled me into his arms. "I love you, babe." And then he whispered, so low that I nearly didn't hear him, "I love you enough for the two of us." He brushed his lips along the side of my neck, then let me go and changed the subject. "I've never been in the ballroom of the Madison Arms before. Well, I've never been in the Madison Arms before, period."

"There are three different ballrooms, the Elizabeth Monroe, the Abigail Adams, and the Dolley Madison. Le Roi booked the Dolley Madison Room this year. Very classy. I think you'll enjoy yourself." I just hoped he didn't enjoy himself too much. The boys had been attracted to him like bees to honey when he'd been dressed as the Lone Ranger at Halloween. Now in this Armani tux, they'd all want to get their hands on him.

"I've had my share of girlfriends, babe, but guys were never attracted to me."

I realized I must have spoken aloud. "But what about Michael?" He'd been the one who'd taught Wills to suck cock. He'd also been the one who made Wills self-conscious about being vocal in bed. It was a good thing Michael was already dead. For both those reasons, I would gladly have cut off his dick and shoved it down his throat.

Wills gave me that sweet smile and touched my ear, where the garnet and diamond heart he'd given me sparkled. "It always surprised me that you were."

"What?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm so… so thankful that you made the first move. I'd still be alone if you hadn't, if I hadn't met you."

"Ah, babe. No, you wouldn't. Some lucky guy would have taken one look at you, realized what was hidden beneath those suits I can't talk you out of wearing, and swept you off your feet."

"I'm glad you think so."

"But you don't."

"No. Theo, I was twenty-six years old. I hadn't had a relationship since my junior year in college… "

"Oh, never tell me you hadn't had sex since then!"

"Well, no, but I said relationship. Even the sex, though – it was just getting my rocks off. It didn't matter to me if I never saw the woman again."

"But you made sure she came."

"Of course. That's only good manners." He didn't seem to realize how considerate and gentlemanly that was. So few… so very few of my johns had worried about whether I'd had a good time. He glanced at me. "And you know I wanted to see you afterward."

"Yeah." After spending the night in bed with me, he'd told me he wanted to take me to dinner. And then he'd run six blocks in order to keep our first date.

Well, I wouldn't make a big deal of it, but I was selfish enough to glad that no other man had gotten his cock into Wills. I liked to think that it was I who brought out the animal in my lover, but I was the realist of all the boys, and I wasn't going to start lying to myself at this point. Any man who knew what he was doing with his cock could have turned Wills on to his inner gay. And now that he knew what a cock up his ass felt like… What could I give him that another man couldn't?

"Hey, we're here." Wills was completely unaware of where my thoughts had gone.

Why had my thoughts gone in this direction?

And then I realized – tomorrow was my birthday. Yeah, that had to be it. In less than six hours, I would be two years closer to the big 3-0, which was like sounding a death knell for a rentboy.

At least I wouldn't have to worry about that any more. I was no longer a rentboy.

Granger was a very competent driver, and in spite of the holiday traffic, she'd gotten us to the hotel in good time.

She opened the passenger door. "I'll be parked in the underground garage, sir."

"I'll send some refreshments to you."

"Thank you, sir. That's very kind. However, I've brought my own."

"Sorry." Wills flushed as if he'd been rebuked.

"Not a problem, sir." She glanced at me, then leaned forward and whispered something in his ear, and he nodded and relaxed. "Would you care to leave your overcoats here in the car?"

What the fuck was that about? Should I be jealous?

"Theo?"

"Huh? Oh, sure. No one hangs around the coatroom, anyway. We can go right on in."

"Okay. I'll call when we're ready to leave, Granger."

"Very good, sir. Enjoy yourselves."

"Thanks."

The doorman jumped forward and held the door for us. "Good evening, gentlemen. May I be the first at the Madison Arms to wish you a happy New Year?"

"Thank you. Happy New Year to you too."

We entered the hotel. The air was warm, redolent of holiday scents and men's aftershave and women's perfume, and filled with the muted sounds of conversation of the people milling around, waiting for their parties to arrive.

"The Dolley Madison Room is this way." We strolled through an indoor courtyard where Christmas trees and poinsettias were scattered around the periphery and a pianist sat at a grand piano and played holiday music, past the atrium with its benches and fountains, and down the corridor that led to the largest of the ballrooms.

Just outside the doorway was a podium, and I handed my invitation to the man who stood there, checking the names against the clipboard he carried.

"Ah. An alumnus." He made a notation on the page. "Have a very good evening, gentlemen." He turned his professional smile to the couple who were approaching, and Wills and I walked into the ballroom.

For this occasion, the draperies hanging from the windows were silver and blue.

A twink dressed in a pure white loincloth and a blue top hat, his sash saying 2003, represented the new year, while the man at his side wore a tunic that stopped just above his knees and carried a scythe. He was supposed to represent the old year, but he was probably in his early twenties at most, and the tunic was sheer. Anyone interested would be able to see he was in excellent shape and very well hung.

A live band was playing, and couples, smooth and elegant, were moving across the dance floor.

Fifty tables, each seating ten, were set with platters of cheese and crackers, Steuben crystal presentoirs filled with caviar, bowls piled high with fruits that were in and out of season.

"I love pineapple sprinkled with coconut," Wills murmured. "Too bad I have an allergic reaction to pineapple."

"Oh?"

"My throat gets all tight." He saw my expression. "It's not a big deal, babe."

"Yes, it is! I want you around for a very long time." And I'd make sure I never brought pineapple into the house again.

Waiters wove in and out of the tables, making sure champagne glasses remained filled, as well as the platters and bowls, and whisking away used plates and silverware.

"Let's say hello to Charlemagne, babe." Now that I had Wills, I felt I could afford to be gracious to the man I'd had a one night stand with all those years ago. "Then we can find our table and see who we've been put with."

"And then we can dance?"

"Sure, babe."

As we made our way around the perimeter of the dance floor, one of the escorts bumped into us.

"Sorry." It was Jay. He blinked, then stared at Wills. "You're new. I don't remember seeing you at any of the balls."

"We were at the Halloween party."

"Damn. I was a little wasted that night."

"A little?" I snorted.

He ignored me, intent on running his eyes over Wills in a way that stripped off my lover's clothes. "We can make up for lost time, though, doll baby. Why don't you ditch what's-his-face here and spend the evening with me? I'm very good." His voice was heavy with innuendo. "I can show you things, teach you things, make you feel things… "

"I've had it with you, Jay." My hands bunched into fists, and I took a step toward him. "I'm gonna… "

Wills' hand on my arm stopped me. "It's okay, babe." His eyes, cold and flat, looked over Jay in a way that made it obvious he wasn't impressed by what he saw. "You're Jay."

"My reputation precedes me, I see." He smirked archly, oblivious to that stare. If Wills ever looked at me the way he was looking at Jay, I'd want to curl up in a corner and die.

"I didn't recognize you without the werewolf mask on. You were trying to ram your tongue down My. Lover's. Throat."

"Big fucking whoop. It didn't mean anything. He's a whore, just like the rest of us."

Wills reacted so quickly I didn't even see him move.

"By dose! By dose!" Jay was sprawled on the floor, gingerly cupping his nose. It wasn't bleeding, but it was starting to swell.

"Did you hurt your hand, baby?" I took it and stroked his knuckles.

He flexed his fingers. "No, I'm good."

"I'll hab you trown out!"

"We don't think so." Two security men, a blond and a brunet, appeared out of nowhere. Because of all the important men here tonight, security was supplied not only by the hotel, but by Le Roi and the men themselves. I wondered who these two men worked for. They hoisted Jay back to his feet. One on either side of him, each had a hand on his elbow. "His majesty regrets you have to leave so early, Jay."

Ah. That answered that question.

"I don' hab to leab! I don' wanna leab!" Abruptly Jay gasped and turned pale, and a grimace of pain twisted his features.

"I think you do." The brunet's words were gentle. The two men nodded at us and frog-walked Jay out of the ballroom.

Wills stared after the security men. "Smooth move, pinching the nerve at his elbow," he murmured to himself. "I wish I'd brought some business cards with me. Maybe Granger has some?"

"That reminds me." I looked around, spotted Le Roi's table, and we started to walk toward it. "What was up with you and Granger?"

"What?"

"You apologized for telling her you'd send some refreshments."

"Oh, yeah. Apparently it's company policy that their drivers only eat what they've brought themselves. She could have gotten fired for accepting anything brought to her. Even by another driver working for the same company."

"That sounds like something one of the more paranoid alphabet agencies in DC would insist on." Wills stared at me, his eyebrow raised, and I shrugged. "Never mind. We'll get our obligatory chitchat with Chuck out of the way, and then we can… "

"Sweets, haven't I asked you to please not call me that?" Charlemagne's words were pained.

I bit back a grin. "Sorry." It wouldn't do to show I was pleased that I'd scored points off Le Roi.

Even though I was willing to forego hostilities, I'd never claimed to be an angel.

"I would think so. It's the least you could do after I had Jay thrown out."

"I don't know why he's still allowed to come to these affairs. He should have been banned months ago."

"Well, he'll be the next Le Roi's problem."

"Just as he was the year before, and the year before that?"

"I notice you didn't do anything about him."

I shrugged. "His habit was under control and he wasn't that bad back then."

"Right." He turned to Wills. "Well, well, well. Who have we here? Someone new, Sweets? Tsk. I'm surprised at you. You do seem to be going through them rather quickly." He turned his head, and his eyes bored into mine; he lowered his voice. "But then you had a tendency to do that, didn't you?"

Wills looked from me to Charlemagne and back, interested.

"Surely he's told you we have a… history?"

"You don't want to know, babe. It's a boring story. Very short. Very boring."

His expression told me he had every intention of worming out each embarrassing detail. Maybe if I told him it was too painful to talk about? No, because then he'd think I was carrying a torch for Charlemagne. Defeated, I nodded.

"A long time ago, Chuck and I spent one night together. Afterwards, I… " Charlemagne tensed and cast a surreptitious glance around. I could afford to cut him some slack, and I changed my words. "We realized it would never work out. Rentboys and happily ever after don't mix. So we parted." I didn't add 'amicably.' Anyone eavesdropping would have known that for the bald-faced lie it was.

"Ah." Wills turned back to Le Roi and offered his hand. "Well, I'm the one who'll be giving Theo his 'happily ever after.' I'm William Matheson."

The blond and the brunet had returned and taken up their place on either side of Charlemagne. The blond leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"You were at the Halloween Ball?"

"Yes. We had to leave before the unmasking… "

"You're the Lone Ranger!"

"That was me."

"Sweetcheeks monopolized you at the last Ball." He ignored my growl and Wills' frown at the use of my professional name. "I trust you'll save a dance for me?"

"Sure. On the condition you stop calling Theo 'Sweetcheeks.'"

"Why? Does it bother you?"

"Let's just say I don't like it."

"Oh, very well, if you're going to be tiresome." I was surprised that Charlemagne backed down. He had a sharp tongue and liked nothing better than to cross swords with the unsuspecting. "Theo, take him away. I have better things to do than trade barbs with your boyfriend."

"Yeah, come on, Theo, take me away. They're playing our song." There was deviltry in Wills' eyes.

Charlemagne looked as if he'd bit into a lemon.

I waited until we were on the dance floor and began to groove. "'Cum on Feel the Noize'? Oh, babe, you are just too bad."

"But you love me anyway, right?" There was that happy grin on his face, and I reached across the small space that separated us and stroked his cheek.

"Yes, I do."

****

The band was taking a break, and so we went looking for our table. Charlemagne must have been pleased with me. It was a good deal closer to his table than the one at the Annual Escort Ball had been.

We removed our jackets, hanging them over the backs of our chairs, and sat down to sample the caviar.

"Eat up, babe," I told him. "I doubt the caviar in the limo will be able to match it."

Wills just smiled and took a bite of the cracker piled with pearl gray roe and crème fraîche.

I pointed out the various dignitaries and officials who were attending this ball, and he let out a low whistle.

"And they're not afraid they'll be outed?"

"No. They know we won't tell, and if word ever did get out, whoever spilt the beans would not only be banned, their life expectancy would be exceedingly short."

"I'm not surprised."

"You're not?"

"Countries would be thrown into chaos, governments could topple. People get testy when things like that happen."

"Babe, you don't want to talk politics tonight, do you?"

"No." He smiled into my eyes. "I'd much rather dance with you." The band had returned.

"All right!" I took his hand, and he followed me onto the dance floor.

We danced through a fast set, snagged a couple of glassed of champagne from a passing waiter, then danced some more, a Latin set this time – cha cha, Merengue, samba, and a tango that set the floor on fire. It ended with a flourish, Wills on one knee, plastered against me, a hand resting above my heart, the other on my thigh, and his cheek pressed against my hip. I felt his breath, hot and damp, through my trousers to the silver mesh briefs I wore, and his cock, hard and just as hot against my leg. I leaned toward him and cradled his head.

"How come I always get the woman's part?" he complained mildly.

I snickered, raised him to his feet, and stole a kiss. Another dance was starting, but I pulled him along after me.

"Hey! Where are we going?"

"I have to go to the men's room."

"And you need me to keep you company there?"

"Let's just say I need you."

There were a few men in the restroom, but it was nowhere as crowded as it would get as the evening wore on and the music and the champagne worked on libidos. The attendant, an older man, sat by the door, next to warm hand towels and mints and a basket filled with condoms. He smiled up at us, "Good evening, gentlemen," then went back to reading a James Patterson paperback.

There were a few free stalls, and I pushed Wills into one. I undid his trousers, crouched before him, and took his erect cock in my mouth. He locked his knees, jammed the heel of his hand into his mouth, and bit down to muffle his sighs and groans. He looked down at me looking up at him.

Wills was unable to be altogether silent though. When he came, his head jerked back and hit the wall of the stall.

I grinned as I licked him clean, tucked him away, and righted his clothing. He was a little unsteady on his feet, and I held him for a minute.

"Th… thanks. I mean it. That… that was… "

"My pleasure, Wills. Are you ready?"

"I'm… I'm good, babe."

I opened the door, and we went to the sinks.

The attendant, either having heard nothing, or pretending to have heard nothing, offered us a towel and a mint, and I tipped him before Wills could.

We returned to the ballroom and danced until we were both out of breath.

"I… I gotta take a… a break," I panted.

"Sure. I could use another glass of champagne." Hair clung damply to Wills' forehead and the back of his neck, and his shirt clung to his torso, his nipples like dark shadows just visible through the Egyptian cotton.

He really would look good with a nipple ring. "Babe… "

"Yes, moon of my delight?"

One of the boys at our table overheard and sighed. "You lucky dog," he said enviously. "I wish I could get my johns to talk to me that way."

I smiled and patted his shoulder, but I could have burst with pride. This was my guy, not some john.

Wills, meanwhile, was oblivious. A waiter had come by with filled glasses, and he'd taken two. He selected a fresh peach from a bowl in the center of the table and sat down, sliding down onto his spine. I knew that under the table his legs would be sprawled apart, and I licked my lips, but the taste of his come had been replaced by the sharp bite of the mint.

"What are you planning?"

He grinned up at me through his lashes, picked up a paring knife, and sliced into the peach. It was plump and juicy, and the juice ran down his fingers. The first slice he dropped into my glass, the second into his, and the third he offered to me. I held his hand steady and licked his fingers, then bit into the slice. The juice dribbled down my chin.

Before I could try to catch the sweet drops, Wills was there. He wrapped his hand around my neck, urging me close to him, and licked them off.

Someone behind us cleared his throat. "I've been watching you. As one of my last official acts, could I persuade you to join us as an escort?" Charlemagne was standing there, a slight flush on his cheeks.

"Sorry, Theo," Wills apologized softly. "I forgot we weren't alone."

"He's not for sale." I squeezed the hand that he was just removing from my neck. "You wanted something, Charlemagne?"

"I've come to claim my dance."

Wills straightened in his chair, reached for a napkin to dry his hands, then rose to his feet. "It's almost midnight," he said, apropos of nothing.

I gave a slight nod. Before the clock struck twelve, I'd have him back in my arms, where he belonged.

The band was playing old standards that offered the perfect excuse to hold that someone special close, and the dance floor was packed, but the crowd parted to let Le Roi and the man he'd chosen as his dancing partner step onto the floor.

I overheard various comments as I approached the crowded area.

"Who's that with Le Roi?"

"He belongs to Sweetcheeks." I was pleased to hear that. They'd know not to poach.

"What happened to Michael?"

"Who? Oh, the archangel from Halloween? Beats me."

"I heard he was gone by the next morning."

"Poor Charlemagne." There was gloating in the commiseration. There were always two or three escorts in the running for Le Roi, and I recognized the speaker as one who had lost to Charlemagne. "That's the second time that's happened to him, isn't it?"

"In ten years? I'd say that wasn't bad." It was the brunet security man. The blond was beside him, intently scanning the crowd. Comments quickly faded.

I continued weaving through the couples. It wasn't difficult to find my lover and Le Roi. There was a space around them, and people were nodding and murmuring in approval.

They did make a striking couple: about the same height, Wills with his dark hair and eyes, but very fair skin, and Charlemagne with his deep auburn hair, blue eyes, and equally fair skin.

My mouth became grim. Charlemagne had his hand on Wills' ass. Wills was smiling at him, but I was close enough to see that his eyes were cold.

"I could be very good to you," Charlemagne was saying. "Whatever Sweet… " Wills stepped on his foot, just hard enough to get the point across. "That is to say, whatever Theo is giving you, I can give you more and better."

"I'm not interested. Now, take your hand off my ass Right. This. Instant. Or I will, and I'll break every one of your fingers while I'm at it." There was a hard quality to his words, but they were spoken quietly, and I doubted anyone else could hear them.

Charlemagne quickly moved his hand.

I tapped his shoulder. "Cutting in." I bared my teeth at him in a faux grin.

"Fine. Thank you for the dance."

"You're welcome."

It wasn't going to look good if Le Roi of all the rentboys didn't have a partner when the New Year was rung in. He'd probably have to settle for one of his own boys. I just felt so bad about that.

Charlemagne turned and started to walk away, but came to an abrupt halt. "Michael," he whispered.