Because Dylan's Gone
No hate mail, PLEASE!!! I love our two fave boys, and YES I know both Marco and Alex are both gay, but bear with me on this one, kai? I promise I'll put them both back when I'm done with 'em!
It was his voice on the phone that did it.
After weeks and weeks of calling Dylan and not getting an answer, after weeks and weeks of missing his messages while at school or working for my father to pay off the $600 bucks I'd stolen from him to gamble with; after weeks and weeks of halfheartedly trying to regain my friends' trust when my mind was really on the lack of email in my inbox--after all of that, someone finally picked up when I called for what must've been the millionth time that day.
But it wasn't Dylan who picked up the phone.
I knew immediately something was up just by the way he answered the phone, this guy. Sure, Dylan's in this hockey team. Sure, he has roommates; they have parties, friends over. So the phone can be answered by anyone at any given time. I know this. But it was the voice. That "Hello?" was too silky, too low and sultry and chills-up-your-spine deep to have come from a casual visitor. Anyone who's had sex more than twice just knows what that voice sounds like, right? So I ask if Dylan's there, lump already in my throat. Heart already starting to fray. A pregnant pause; a muffled "Baby, wake up! Phone. Are you here?"...then Dylan's sleepy voice asking who it was. Silky Voice lost much of his satiated tone as he whispered back that it sounded like some upset kid. Then--add insult to injury!--Dylan groaning that it must be Marco, again, and he was going back to sleep, tell him something. Tell him something? The cheating bastart couldn't even get out of bed to give me a half-assed lie?? Sexy voice came back on the line, all business now as he informed me that he looked around, asked the other guys, and Dylan had stepped out for a moment; no one knew when he'd be back but the message would get passed alone. I wanted to scream at him, ask him if he knew Dylan had a boyfriend and that he was breaking up a happy home, but I didn't. Happy? I'd been miserable from the moment Dylan had left, and he couldn't have been much happier, seeing as he never contacted me and now had found someone else.
The operator asking me if I'd like to make another call informed me that I needed to hang up the phone, which I'd been cradling to my chest as though it needed comfort. I was the one who needed comfort. Today was my one day off. What could I do? Spinner was out. Our relationship had been on rocky ground ever since he'd allowed me to be aressted. Of course, I was in the wrong for gambling in the shop in the first place, but still...my pride was more than stung, and, besides, a record doesn't exactly shine on a job application. Anyway, even if we were still talking, tonight Spinner was taking Jimmy to some self defense class, both having really gotten serious about the shop and the possibility of getting robbed during store hours when the alarm would be off. Paige was out with Jesse--Not even going to comment on that--and Ellie, usually my near-constant companion, was out listening to some gloomy girl band I hadn't been in the mood to listen to. Well, I was in the mood now, but I didn't feel like hunting her down. Back home? Hell no. I could just see it, Mama pushing food on me like I was a refugee while Papa did his usual preaching. He'd come to terms with my confession that Dylan was my boyfriend; had come to accept a little more that I was gay, but that was about it. It's not like I could go to him for relationship advice.
Damn. I lay my head on the back of the couch, thinking of things I could do to occupy my time, block the ache in my heart and keep the tears at bay. Then I jumped up, suddenly having a major need for air. Without thinking, I grabbed my wallet and keys, took a light jacket from the coatrack near the door, and I was out. I had no idea where I was going, but my feet did their job anyway while my mind swirled. Was this just a walk, or did I have a destination in mind? Where would be a good place to go to drown my sorrorws? I wasn't hungry, so the usual food joints were out. A club? I didn't feel like hitting the gay bars; I wasn't into picking anyone up and didn't want to anyone come on to me. Just thinking about the scene depressed me. "Regular" clubs made me nervous if I wasn't with my friends. Not sure why. Gambling was definately out. I'd promised Mama and Papa, and I'd promised myself. Nothing good there...I was brought out of my reverie by the sounds of one of my favorite songs. Looking up, I noticed I was standing in front of Zanzibar. Where Alex works A bubble of laughter welled up in me before I could stop it. Alex was cool and all, but I just couldn't see her dancing. A wild thought came to me then. I'd go in. Have a few drinks, check out Alex's show. Maybe even get her to give me a lapdance as a practical joke. Alex would go for that. She's got a wicked sense of humors, and of course she knows she wouldn't have to worry about me groping or leering at her, we have a couple of laughs and be silly, and she gets paid in the process. Why not?