"Momma taught me good home training, my Daddy taught me how to love my haters. My sister told me I should speak my mind, my man made me feel so God damn fine, I'm flawless!"
Seth's hands stilled in their task, holding the ends of his bow tie in each, smiling at his own reflection. He let the tie hang around his neck, venturing out into the entrance hall to investigate, finding Nikki singing into the mirror, playing with her hair and pouting fiercely.
"Will you be part of the entertainment tonight?" He asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.
"Honey, being in my company is a pleasure for anyone, that's entertainment enough," she winked, turning to face him and show off her floor length black dress that revealed more than a healthy amount of cleavage.
Seth had to admit that she looked good, she was a very beautiful woman.
"Where's this man of yours…?"
Nikki paused in her dancing, pinning him with an icy glare. "For your information, I don't need a man. I don't have time for any of the basic little boys running around this town. I'm willing to wait for someone who is worthy of me."
Seth couldn't fault her there. Nikki was indeed a catch. A man would really have to know himself in order to be with her. If he didn't, then she'd eat him alive.
"Fair point, fair point," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I just wondered if you were trying to tell me something with those lyrics. You've got a sister, it made me wonder if you have a man now too."
"Nah," she shrugged casually, returning to admiring her reflection. "I mean, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have somebody to snuggle with at night…"
"You're right, it wouldn't," he mused thoughtfully, toying with the ends of his tie.
"Thinking about somebody in particular, Seth…?"
"No," he responded sharply. "Are you, Nikki?"
"Not at all," she replied lightly, fixing the draping of her dress. "…Have you seen Dean around town?"
"Yeah, I have," he admitted. "He was sitting on the library steps Monday morning. I offered him a ride to work, but he said he took the day off."
"Good for him, he had a horrible weekend."
"I didn't really believe him, he seemed upset about something."
"Seth," she said, turning to face him again. "The poor guy lost his home, and then encountered our strange little world. He needs some time for himself."
"True…I offered him a job, too."
"Really? That's great! What did he say?"
"He said yes. You'll see him tonight."
"Tonight?" A frown marred her brow. "Where will he be tonight?"
"At the gala," Seth explained, as if the answer should have been obvious.
"You did what?!"
Seth blinked at her, completely taken aback by her outrage.
"I gave him a job," he repeated slowly.
"Yeah, as part of the wait staff," she spat out. "This is some Cinderella bullshit."
"What are you talking about? He needs money, so I gave him an opportunity to earn it."
"By picking up after rich assholes," she shot back. "Real kind of you, Seth."
"He didn't have to say yes," Seth replied, feeling defensive. "But he did. So he obviously doesn't have a problem with it."
"You can be so fucking clueless sometimes…" she muttered, picking up her clutch and sweeping out to the car.
"What did I do…?" Seth asked aloud, looking at the open door in bewilderment.
He had just been trying to help…
Dean listened carefully as his supervisor went through the running order for the night. He had spent the past few years working on construction sites, carrying out odd jobs, fixing things. Catering was new and unfamiliar territory for him. Luckily, he didn't have to make the food, he just had to carry it. It couldn't be that difficult…right?
He shifted slightly, tugging at the collar of his freshly starched shirt. The black dress pants and high-collared white shirt really weren't his style, but he didn't have much choice in the matter. The thought of getting back into his well-worn jeans and leather jacket at the end of the night was a comforting one. The event would only last a few hours. He would deliver the food to the tables, and blend in with the décor when his services weren't required. Simple.
One of the other guys had informed him that the wait staff got to eat any leftovers, so that was a plus. Rich people never ate too much at these events, or so Dean imagined. They sipped on expensive champagne, told jokes, and basked in all of their wealth and status. Who needed food to fill them, when they already had everything they could possibly want? It was ironic that the most wasteful people were those who had more than their fair share.
"Alright, if nobody has any questions, let's get things ready," the supervisor called out, gesturing in the direction of the banquet hall.
Dean followed the other staff out into the large space, and spent the next hour arranging sterling silver cutlery and white linen tablecloths. It occurred to him that one fork alone probably cost more than the contents of his backpack combined.
Guests began to stream in soon after, shrugging off their fur stoles and thick overcoats, happily accepting flutes of Veuve Clicquot. They kept him busy, requesting this and that, their suggestions made in either overly apologetic tones, or flat out orders. He wasn't sure which one he preferred.
Thanks to their encounter earlier that week, Dean was keen to avoid Seth, if at all possible. On the one hand, it was good that he had concrete confirmation of his status in Seth's life, but that didn't mean that he was eager to be given constant reminders of it. He knew he was just the help, and wanted to get on with his job before escaping with his paycheque at the earliest opportunity.
Despite his reluctance to see the other man, he couldn't stop his eyes from scanning the room whenever he went on another champagne run. He was curious to see Seth in his element, mingling with the other rich folks. How would he act? Whose company would he seek out?
Dean didn't have to wait long for his curiosity to be sated. Seth walked in just after eight with Nikki on his arm. She looked beautiful, but Dean only had eyes for Seth. His glossy hair was tied back in a bun, allowing an unobstructed view of his gorgeous face. He looked devastatingly handsome in his tux. Like a Prince.
Dean continued to watch as they greeted people, sharing smiles, handshakes, and hugs. They were both so at ease, completely comfortable in the opulent surroundings. He could spend a hundred years at events like this and never feel at home.
It was at that moment that Seth glanced up and caught his eye, offering a smile. Dean nodded his acknowledgement, not wanting to fully engage with Seth. He would be polite and get on with his work. Seth would be a distraction, and likely had a very busy night ahead of him anyway. Neither of them would have time to talk. Good.
Seth frowned when Dean briskly nodded and turned away, hurrying to the back without another glance.
"I know that look," Nikki broke in, tilting her head to the side and sipping on her wine. "You just realised you're a jackass. What's rare is wonderful."
"Cut it out, Nikki," Seth said sharply, irritation evident in his features. "This isn't funny."
"It's funny how ignorant you can be," she shrugged. "Let me break it down for you. You like Dean. You really like Dean. You think about him and get a dreamy, wistful look in your eye. You're in denial right now, but I know what's up. Deep down, you do too. You thought you were doing him a favour, offering him a little money tonight, but you missed one vital point: Dean doesn't want to feel like a charity case. He doesn't want pity. I bet that he's survived to this point all by himself. If someone tries to get close to him, he'll naturally be suspicious. Offering him the opportunity to wait on others hand and foot was a dumb move, Seth. You couldn't have asked him out on a date instead…?"
Seth bristled, instantly defensive. "I didn't mean it like that! I know he's independent and thinks he can figure everything out on his own, that's why I didn't just outright throw money at him. I thought he'd feel better if he earned the money."
"Ahhhh, so you're not as slow as you look," she murmured, watching him with newfound sympathy. "You know, it wasn't a completely terrible idea when you frame it like that…but you seriously didn't see the Cinderella slant to the story?"
"What do you mean?"
"Seth, you're this hot, rich guy. Dean's a hot…not so rich guy. You swan into his life with your wealth and think you can solve every problem by throwing cash at it. Dean's incredibly aware of the economic imbalance between you two, I could tell by the way he acted at the house, he thinks he doesn't fit in. He didn't want to take your money, either. Then you want to whisk him off to a ball…but not as your date. You invited him to come and serve you and your friends…"
"They're not my friends…" He protested weakly, his eyes cast downward, his shoulders sagging slightly.
"Good, there's a lot of mean people here," Nikki commented. "Well, what's done is done. The question is – what are you going to do about it?"
"Talk to him." Seth's answer was instant, laced with a steely determination.
"Atta boy. Go get your man!"
Seth paused, turning back to her and arching an eyebrow. "He's not my man, Nikki. I'm just going to fix my mistake."
"Whatever you say, Seth," she smiled sweetly.
Seth frowned, striding away. He would deal with Nikki's misguided thinking later. Yes, he was attracted to Dean – intensely so – but it would never work out, for a number of reasons. Regardless, he wanted do right by him. A guy like Dean deserved a chance, and Seth intended to do whatever he could to help – starting with correcting his own idiocy.
His luck was in, with Dean reemerging from the kitchen just as Seth got to the swinging doors.
"Dean, hey," Seth called out, noticing the way the other man jumped.
Dean glanced over, slowing down so as to avoid dropping the expensive cargo that was balanced on his tray.
"Hi, Seth." His tone wasn't rude, but it wasn't overly friendly either…
Now that he had been made aware of his carelessness, Seth could understand Dean being distant. He intended to put a smile on Dean's face, even if he couldn't do it in a much more secluded setting, and in a much more thorough way…
"How are you doing?"
"Fine. How are you?"
Seth worked to hold back a wince.
Shit.
Nikki had been right. Dean's aloof reaction told Seth that he did see this situation in a less than flattering light.
Fuck.
"I'm doing good. Are they treating you okay tonight?"
Dean looked at him for a moment, not saying anything, his blue eyes examining Seth intently. "Yeah, they're nice."
Seth nodded, slightly unnerved by Dean's behaviour. Was this guilt he was feeling? He had never meant to make Dean feel uncomfortable, or any lesser than him. If anything, he thought Dean was better than he was. Purer.
"Listen, Dean, I-"
"Seth! Look who just arrived!"
They both looked over to find Mayor Helmsley walking toward them, throwing an arm around Seth's shoulders and pointing to the main entrance.
Dean's gaze followed the line of his forefinger, landing on a tall man in a dark suit. Man felt like an altogether inept description for his beauty. God was probably closer to the mark. His long black hair, perfectly bronze skin and light grey eyes were not of this earth.
"It's been a while, huh?" Hunter remarked, nudging Seth and winking. "I bet he'll be glad to see you. Come on, let's get you two reacquainted."
Seth opened his mouth to protest, but felt himself being pulled along by the older man. He caught Dean watching them as he was dragged away, all the light in his eyes having been extinguished abruptly. Seth hated to see Dean looking so blank, bereft of any kind of life. It wasn't fucking right. He would fix this later. He would.
Dean took a great, shuddering breath. Although he had never had a claim on Seth, it still felt like some form of loss. Before that Adonis had walked into the hall, Dean had been able to cling to the fantasy of he and Seth getting together. No matter what reality told him, he always had dream Seth.
That dream had immediately flamed out at the sight of Seth's gorgeous boyfriend. Of course he had a gorgeous boyfriend. Seth deserved to be with someone on the same level, somebody who looked like that guy. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene as Hunter and Seth approached the new arrival.
Hunter shook the dark-haired man's hands rigorously, all smiles and backslapping. Seth was a little more reserved, he probably didn't want a big display of public affection. Or maybe he liked that sort of thing. Dean really didn't know Seth at all.
The man pulled Seth in close, hugging him tightly. Their heads remained together, even after they pulled back from the hug, murmuring to one another, sharing a secret smile.
Dean rubbed his tummy, feeling a strange ache there. This hurt more than it should. They looked so perfect, two beautiful men enjoying each other's company. And yet, his gut twisted at the sight.
"Dean, take your drinks over to that group," his supervisor said, appearing at his elbow and nodding over toward the men. "Those three are big players, it's our job to keep them happy."
"Yeah, sure," he replied, clearing his throat and running a trembling hand through his hair.
He was suddenly very conscious of his appearance, tugging his shirt straight as he approached them. He hadn't been too concerned when Seth startled him, being fully committed to the role of servant for the evening, knowing his place in Seth's world. But then he'd talked to him, and been taken in by those big brown eyes again, and dared to hope…
That hope was shattered now, lying in a million little pieces inside his chest, stabbing at his insides as he moved.
"Would, uh, would you gentlemen like a drink?" He asked quietly, wanting to hand over the beverages and slink away without any fuss.
Nobody responded. Hunter was checking his phone, while Seth and his boyfriend were clearly engrossed in one another.
"Would you gentlemen like a drink?" He repeated, louder this time.
Seth turned around, surprised to find him standing there. And Dean couldn't blame him. He wouldn't want anybody interrupting an intimate moment with his boyfriend either…if he had a boyfriend.
Dean held out the tray, dumbstruck, trying to convey the message with his eyes. God, he felt fucking stupid. Being confronted with the reality and perfection of Seth's boyfriend and relationship hurt like hell. And here he was, trembling in front of them both, a homeless mess ruining their time together.
"Who is this kid?" Hunter asked, looking Dean up and down. "Why's he shaking? Is it so hard to find good help these days?"
"Hunter," Seth warned, narrowing his eyes at the other man.
"What, Seth? I'm just saying. We've got to keep up appearances. Surely you and Roman know what good help looks like, and that this kid just doesn't cut it."
"Hunter, stop," Seth said forcefully.
Sensing the tension between the two men, the third man, Roman, stepped in between them and snagged two glasses from the tray.
"Thanks, man," he said to Dean, smiling and revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. "You're doing a great job tonight."
Dean nodded stiffly and hurriedly turned around, almost bumping into an elderly couple as he made his escape.
"Shit, I'm sorry," he apologised, his cheeks burning with shame.
The truth of the matter was that he didn't belong here.
Not in this room.
Not in Seth's life.
Not in this town.
In that moment, he decided it was time to finally take a fucking hint, cut his losses and leave.
"Did you have to be so rude, Hunter?" Seth demanded, his anger rising as Dean retreated like a puppy that had just been kicked.
"What? I was just pointing out the obvious. We don't need any duds around here."
"He's not a dud," Seth ground out. "In fact, he's pretty damn great. Your attitude is the only thing that's letting us down right now. How about you focus on fixing it, instead of making others feel like shit?"
"Seth, I-"
"Save it," Seth snapped. "I'm not interested in hearing your excuses."
He stalked off, pissed that he had screwed up so badly this evening. This wasn't how he had envisioned it going. He was supposed to apologise to Dean, explain himself, and make everything better. Instead, things had somehow become even more fucked up.
Dean didn't deserve any of this shit. He deserved the very best.
The time for game playing was now officially over.
Dean would get exactly what he deserved.
Seth would make sure of it.
A/N: If you leave a review, I'll love you forever. If you don't…these two will NEVER bone ;-)
I love reviews, they give me the motivation to write when I really don't have a lot of time to do so.
I'm meeting Ambrollins later this month, eek! May they never find out that I write fanfiction about them. Amen.
