Gianni Di Alberto was not a nice guy. Luke had decided this from the moment their hands had shook that first meeting… Luke's first day at Grimaldi Shipping, Los Angeles. He was that typical, shady type of person that Damian had hired into the organisation… to do his dirty work. Luke had spent much of his time in the helm ridding the Oakdale branch of just the Gianni sort. Now he guessed it was time to do the same in LA. HIS Grimaldi Shipping would be run as a legitimate company!
It hadn't gone unnoticed by Luke the complete looks of dislike, resentment and disdain Gianni would fire at him, whenever he thought Luke's back was turned. But Luke was used to this! When he had first joined his father's company in Oakdale it had taken him more than a year to fully gain the respect of his legitimate work colleagues. People thought he had it easy when in reality he had to work twice as hard, so as not to be perceived as just the boss's son with the silver spoon. He wanted them to respect him for the job he did, not because of his bloodline.
So of course those colleagues in the business who were not legitimate were immediately and politely asked to leave their employment or in some cases were paid to walk. Luke hated having to deal with all the illegal dealings his father had been involved with… but really he had no choice. If he wanted to clean up the company he would have to get his hands dirty sometimes. But any illegal activity he dug up he would immediately report to Margo Hughes at the police department, and she was grateful to him for it.
Luke hadn't told Noah… he hadn't wanted to worry him… especially in his current state with the whole Oliver fiasco… but he knew somebody was watching him… following him. He hadn't seen anybody, but he just felt it. He knew it almost by instinct…
...
His mommy hated him. He knew this. She told him every day what a stupid, rude and ugly boy he was… he was a pain… and she wished he was dead. But he never thought she hated Ray too…
His shorts were wet as he sat in the puddle that had splashed from the bucket during the frenzy. It was starting to get dark but he couldn't stop crying… She said he couldn't go inside until he stopped crying. He was scared she would hit him again so he tried to stop, but he couldn't forget about Ray.
Groping forward he stretched out his hands so that they came into contact with the stiff, cold and wet fur of his dog. His bottom lip trembled and he lay his head on the dog's body, trying to forget… trying to forget the image of her holding Ray's head in the bucket of water.
...
"So where exactly are you taking me?" asked Luke.
"Some place special…"
They walked hand in hand down Santa Monica Boulevard after both finding themselves with a rare afternoon off work. As always the street was bustling with roadside shows and they ambled past a balloon artist who handed Luke a flower making him blush, to Noah's absolute amusement.
"Not funny!" Luke pouted, before handing the plastic sculpture to a little girl in a striped pink dress, who grinned with glee at the sight of it and ran off to show her parents.
"Well you are kind of cute Luke… I can't really blame him."
Further down the road a lone guitarist sat cross legged on a bench singing "Vincent" by Don McLean in a crisp and clear voice that caught their attention, and Luke slipped his arm around Noah's waist while they stood listening to him. Once the song ended they clapped along with a few other people and threw five dollars in the upturned hat.
"Oliver!" A mother called to her son and Luke felt the instant tension as Noah's hand squeezed harder into his. He looked up concerned and watched as Noah closed his eyes, shook his head, and then slowly began to relax again until eventually he turned to Luke with a smile. Luke smiled back and they continued their walk down the long street.
The panic attacks were becoming fewer and fewer and Noah seemed to have found various methods to calm himself out of them. As painful as it had been to discover the cause of Noah's nightmares and his feelings of anxiousness, it had also been the best thing for him. Small events and objects could still jolt his memory and send him flying back to that night in Oliver's apartment, but he was slowly learning how to bring himself back out of them. And Luke was proud of him. He was proud of the way Noah had handled the entire affair and he admired him for his strength.
To Luke's surprise Noah's destination seemed to be headed away from the main activity as he quickly cut right down a small avenue slightly hidden away. It was beautifully palm tree lined and gave them some respite from the hot Californian sun.
"We're here!" Noah announced as he stopped in front of a stately white Moorish-style building with a tiled courtyard and fountain outside. The large arch stretching over the sides of the building in a half moon pronounced the place as a classical movie theatre.
"It's an old movie house!"
"Yip! In top shape too! They play some revivals and art films but mostly they just stick to the classics. Come on!" Noah eagerly pulled Luke inside where he was immediately struck by the musty smell and the worn crushed burgundy walls.
"Top shape?" Luke asked, "Noah this place is a dump!"
"That's because you're seeing it though the eyes of a modern man!"
"I hate to break this to you Noah… but I am a modern man…" he smiled at the animation on Noah's face.
"Close your eyes…" and Noah hugged him in from behind before placing a hand over his eyes, swaying gently, "Now… it's 1968… you've just collected your rather dashing boyfriend (Luke snorted) from his stunning LA pad (a giggle that time), and you've arrived at THE premier movie theatre of the day! Okay?" Luke nodded, "Now when you open your eyes picture the place as though the past 40 years never happened! Ready?"
Luke nodded again, "Ready!"
"Now what do you see?" Asked Noah eagerly, removing his hand.
Turning around Luke grinned and said, "I see my rather dashing boyfriend!" And he pulled Noah into a sweet kiss.
The sweet kiss quickly turned into a scorching one and Noah had to push him back to say, "Okay yes, now that we've established that, stay focused and tell me what else you see…"
Luke smiled. He loved to make Noah impatient. "I see a beautiful interior…"
"Aha?"
"…with plush everything, a sweeping carpeted staircase and graceful lighting fixtures in a rainbow of subdued colours." He used his most posh voice.
"Ooh! You're good!" Noah quickly paid for two tickets and dragged Luke through the swinging doors and into the main heart of the theatre.
"And I see a crescent balcony with gilt edging. And fascinating murals are on all the walls."
"Murals? Really? What are they of?"
"Naked men…"
"YOU!" and Noah pushed him playfully as they laughed. "Where do you want to sit?"
"Up there of course!" Luke indicated the balcony.
"Perfect!" As they climbed the stairs Noah seemed to be headed right for the back.
"Are we actually going to be able to see anything from there?" asked Luke, looking back at the screen.
"Best seats in the house! Trust me!" Noah flashed him his most innocent smile but failed to extinguish Luke's suspicions.
Just as he thought, as soon as they were seated, the cinema lights dimmed and the old black and white movie reel spun on, he felt Noah's arm snake around his neck as the sneaky other hand crept it's way under his shirt to lie flat against the skin of his stomach. Simultaneously Noah's hot breath blew down his ear sending shivers up his spine and causing him to exhale loudly. "Ah… why do I get the feeling I'm being taken advantage of over here?"
Noah moved Luke's long hair back with this nose and bit the side of his neck mumbling, "Theatre's always empty on Wednesday afternoons…" He removed his hand from Luke's navel so that he could turn Luke's head in his direction and place a sensual kiss on Luke's mouth causing a small squeak to escape his lips. "That's why I always loved coming here… it was just me and the movie…"
"Mmm…and now?"
"Now it's just me…" kisses down his neck…
"Yes?"
"… and the movie…" hands on his skin…
"Aha?"
"… and a gorgeous blonde who drives me crazy…"
Despite being ridiculously turned on, Luke couldn't help but check the empty seats for people as Noah sank to the floor and began to undo the buttons on his jeans, staring up at him with intention.
"Noah… um… are you sure about this?" Just as he said the words he spotted the large shape of a broad back appear just below the balcony. It was too dark to see well but it was clear the figure was looking for someone.
Quickly Luke pulled at Noah's shoulders, breaking his concentration so that he looked up and, reading Luke's expression, followed his gaze to see the person himself. He whipped quickly back up into the chair while Luke buttoned up his jeans.
"Empty hey?" Luke whispered over at him…
Noah grinned and shrugged.
While Luke showed no outward sign of it, his eyes were glued on the figure. That same icy feeling spread through his veins…trepidation…
The man seemed to catch sight of them even in the bad light and then backed away, almost spookily, leaving Luke and Noah to wonder the entire length of the film, whether or not he was still down there.
...
"You better not still be snivelling child!" and she grabbed him by the ear to lift him up staring at him in the face, "I've got a customer in five minutes so you had better get a hold of yourself!"
The door bell rang and she turned to face the direction of the sound, "Shit, early! Come on!" She dragged him into the house and shoved him into her bedroom closet, his usual spot for moments like these. "If I hear just one sound from you tonight it will be the belt! Understood?"
He nodded and tried not to sniff as she closed the slatted door on him.
After a few minutes he heard the usual, "Come on in honey! Don't be shy! I think you'll understand that I must ask for the money up front?"
"Of course." Came the gravelled reply and he cowered slightly. If he was scared of his mother he was even more scared of men. He had learnt over his short life to steer well clear!
He watched as they began to undress and he knew it was about to start so he squeezed his eyes shut and put his hands over his ears. He needed to pee but he would be in trouble if he wet himself. She really hated that. He held it and tried not to think about Ray's body in the yard.
...
Melanie had finally found the time to accept one of Noah's endless invitations to dinner and she and her husband Jake were just taking their seats at the dining table. With Noah working from home they hadn't seen each other in ages, although they had spoken often over the phone. She thought he looked good… happy… considering…
Luke arrived from the kitchen carrying a large pot of beef stew and he gingerly placed it in the centre of the table. As he did so his hand slipped off the cloth and he yelped as his little finger burned against the side. Noah immediately grabbed his hand to check it but, seeing no damage he smiled and kissed the little finger before allowing Luke to continue serving their guests. Melanie couldn't help but think how cute they were.
"Wow! Smells amazing!" said Jake genuinely.
"Sure does!" agreed Melanie, sniffing in the incredible aromas, "Noah mentioned you were quite the cook!"
Luke grinned, "He exaggerates! Believe me!"
"Well you just let us be the judges of that!" she smiled back at him.
Before joining them at the table Noah asked, "Would you two like a drink? We have everything really…"
"I'd love a Martini, if there's one going…" replied Melanie.
"Jake?"
"Oh, Jack Daniels will be fine, thanks Noah!"
"Coming right up!"
Luke and Noah kept a selection of drinks in a cabinet next to the dining table, mostly for times like these when they were entertaining. Luke had instructed Noah to keep this under lock and key… just in case. He didn't think he would ever make the mistake of relapsing again, but he thought it was always best to at least remove the temptation.
"So Noah?" Melanie began as he unlocked the cabinet, "When do you think we'll see you back at the studio? It's just not the same without you around, you know?"
But Noah was silent. Luke immediately felt the tension radiating off of him and when he turned in his direction he noticed that Noah had frozen in front of the cabinet, a hand on each of the wooden doors. He stared at something inside.
"Noah?" he said gently and, sensing the start of a panic attack, started to get up.
Suddenly and to the shock of all three at the table, Noah's hand shot into the cabinet, removed a vodka bottle and flung it across the room where it ruptured liquid and glass against the wall. Noah was wide eyed and breathing heavily, staring at the spot where the bottle had hit. Melanie's hands had gone to her mouth to stifle a cry and Jake sat back in his chair looking stunned.
Finally Noah looked slowly around at them, locked eyes with Luke and, chest still heaving up and down said, "Sorry." Then he turned and made his unsteady way down the passage.
Luke, Melanie and Jake sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes until Melanie asked, "It wasn't what I said, was it?"
Luke shook his head and found the strength so say, "He's still… sorry. Excuse me for a minute."
They nodded at him and he left to find Noah leaning over the sink in the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror. His blue eyes were pained. Sensing Luke there he said "Sometimes I wonder if it will ever stop!"
Luke said nothing, just walked over and held him until the shakes faded from his body.
After a few minutes Noah splashed some cold water on his face and they left, hand in hand, to try and salvage the evening with their friends.
...
It hadn't been easy finding them. He'd needed to stay clear at first, for fear the police might follow them. When he thought it was safe he'd returned to Noah's apartment and discovered it sold to new owners. Lately he had been staking out the studio but, for reasons he couldn't understand, Noah didn't seem to be attending work. He knew the boy well enough to know that this was totally out of character and he couldn't help but wonder at it.
Coming up short with these options he had focused his attention on Luke. Luke. That was all he had to go on… a name and a face. So of course he was surprised when his first search for online images immediately brought up the blonde's profile and even more surprised to discover that the kid owned an entire shipping conglomerate; ran a charitable foundation and had once been influential in the setting up of a top neurology wing at Oakdale Memorial Hospital.
He guessed that must have been where the two met… Oakdale.
Once he knew Luke's full name and place of business, he simply waited by the main entrance of the impressive blue glass building with views of the harbour. Eventually he was rewarded when he spotted the kid leaving the building, smiling widely as he chatted on his phone.
FINALLY!
Then all that remained was to follow Luke… and he led him directly to Noah…