Dance (24 page)

Fenix.

Jared
hadn’t been able to get him to pick up the phone ever since that weird
conversation a week ago, but true to her word, Cathleen had called him back and
assured him Fenix was fine. She had hinted at some huge development in his life
but hadn’t wanted to say more.

Jared
had been satisfied with the little information she had managed to give him. He
was happy Fenix was doing fine and that phone call had been an exception, not
the rule.

Jared’s
finger hovered over the email and he pressed ‘open’ just as Simon McAllister,
the infamous chief executive of Queen Victoria, walked on the stage and grabbed
everyone’s attention.

“Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you for coming on such a short notice. I do apologise for disrupting your
weekend, but what I have to say is time sensitive.”

The
hall went so still and quiet that Jared was certain people were collectively
holding their breaths. Simon McAllister had that effect on people – when he
talked, you listened.

“As
you all know,
Underground
is going on
tour overseas in three weeks. We’ve been in talks with a couple of other shows
over the past month, but we haven’t been able to reach a satisfactory, for both
sides, agreement.”

There
was suddenly a buzz like a live current through the entire hall – what did this
mean? Surely, they had something else lined up? People started whispering among
themselves, slightly panicked that Queen Victoria had no main feature signed up
yet.

“Please,
let me finish,” Mr McAllister said. The crowd calmed down. “I’m sorry if I gave
you the wrong impression. The news I have is actually very good. None of you
are losing your jobs, on the contrary. We might have to hire extra staff
because we’re expecting a sold out season ahead.”

There
was a collective gasp and an intake of breath as everyone prepared for the
news. Jared rolled his eyes – no wonder that guy’s been the chief executive of
London’s most famous theatre for a decade. He knew how to work a crowd and keep
the suspense till the very last second.

“I
asked you all here today because tomorrow the papers are going to print what
I’m about to tell you, but I wanted to give you the wonderful news personally.”
He paused for effect and Jared heard Adam groan impatiently beside him.
Loudly.
Mr McAllister must have heard him too because he
gave him a stern look before continuing: “I won’t stall any longer, I can see
Mr Fischer is getting impatient, and as we all know that is very hard to
achieve.” Everyone laughed and Adam flipped them off, frowning. “Ladies and
gentlemen, I’m happy to officially announce that
Poison
is coming back to Queen Victoria in three weeks.”

The
crowd erupted in claps, whistles, and cheers all at the same time.
 
Jared’s ears started ringing.

Poison
is coming back to Queen Victoria.

Fenix
was coming back.
         

Wait!
Maybe that was what the email was about? Maybe Fenix knew Jared would find out
today and wanted to tell him that he wasn’t coming back? Surely he’d never
leave Broadway, especially after winning a Tony? He could pick and choose any
show he wanted – maybe he signed with another musical, and that was why
Poison
was being thrown back to London?

Jared
needed to read that email.

He
picked up his phone again, glancing around to make sure everyone was busy
talking and congratulating Simon McAllister to care about what Jared was doing.
He slid his finger down the screen and unlocked the phone. It took him straight
to the already opened email.

“I can’t fucking
believe this,”
Adam grumbled beside him, startling him.

Jared
needed to find a quiet corner and read this damn email before he strangled
someone, even if it was his best friend. “Aren’t you
gonna
say something?” Adam asked, moving to stand up. Jared jumped out of his seat
and hurried towards his dressing room. “Jared! What the hell, man?” Adam called
after him, but he didn't stop.

Quiet place.
Alone.
Now.

Jared
swung the dressing room door so hard it banged on the wall behind it. Not caring,
he slammed it shut and turned the lock. Sitting on the sofa, Jared unlocked his
phone again with trembling fingers and started reading.

Jared,

I hope you’ll read
this. And I hope you haven’t already heard.

Poison
is coming back to Queen Victoria. And I’m
coming back with it.

I didn’t call you on
the phone because I want to talk to you in person. I don't know if you’d want
to talk to me after all this time, but I hope you would.

Give me a chance, please.

Love,

Fen

Jared
started shaking. His breath was coming out in uneven gasps. Sweat popped out on
his forehead, and he felt like he was going to pass out. The walls seemed to
start moving towards him and were going to crush him any second now.

 
“Jared!” Adam’s voice boomed outside the door,
followed by loud banging a second later. “What the hell is the matter with
you?”

 
“Get lost, Adam. I need a minute.”

“The
fuck I will! Unlock the door or I’m taking it down and dragging you out.
Your choice.”

He
totally would.

Jared
sighed and opened the door, letting in a very furious Adam. He left his phone
on the coffee table and went into the bathroom, splashing his face with cold
water. The man staring back from his reflexion in the mirror looked scary. His
usually wild, shiny, dark hair was limp and dripping wet at the front; his eyes
were frantic, and his skin was flushed, as if he’d run five miles.

 
“
Love,
Fen
? You’ve got to be kidding me! What a useless, arrogant, stupid piece of
shit!” Adam raged when Jared walked out of the bathroom. His fingers were
clutching Jared’s phone so hard he thought it’d snap in half. Thank God he’d
backed up all his contacts and information after the last ‘accident’. “We have
to go, mate.
Right now.
Go pack your stuff and we’re
leaving this evening.”

“What?
Are you mental? I’m not going anywhere!” And for a second Jared thought
he
was the crazy one.

“You
can’t be here when he comes back!” Adam yelled, spreading his hands and still
holding Jared’s phone. Jared grabbed it and put it in his pocket. The hassle of
getting another phone seemed like too much work right now.

“I
can and I will. This is my city, my theatre, and my career. I’m not going to
run away like some coward just because Fenix is coming back.”

“You’re
going to forgive him, aren’t you? Take him back.” It wasn’t a question. Adam
was looking at Jared with burning fury, like he was ready to throw Jared over
his shoulder and spirit him away, somewhere the evil sorcerer would never find
them.

“There’s
nothing to forgive, Adam. What happened was as much my fault as it was his,”
Jared said and watched Adam's face twist into an ugly, angry scowl.

“What?”
he growled. “Are you even serious right now? He dumped you, walked out of your
life without a moment’s hesitation!
And for what?
Fame?
Money?
His
dream
?”

“And
I stayed here! I could have gone with him. But I didn't. I chose my career, my
life here over him. I was hurt and angry when he left, but I can’t deny that we
both could have made different choices.”

Some
of Adam's rage leaked out of his body when he absorbed what Jared said. They
had never talked about this before, and Adam, being fiercely protective of
Jared, had assumed it had been all Fenix’s fault. Jared knew that, and he
hadn't tried to talk to him about it to change his mind simply because it had
hurt too much to even say the words. And it hadn't really mattered until now,
had it? Jared hadn't imagined that Fenix would ever come back.

Adam
started pacing around, mulling over his next words. Jared sighed and dropped on
the sofa.

“So
you are taking him back?
Just like that?”
Adam finally
said,
his tone calmer.

“No.
I...” Jared began but didn't know what to say. Up until fifteen minutes ago he
didn’t even know Fenix was coming back. He needed some time to think what he
was actually going to do when he did come back. They were going to see each
other every day, it was inevitable. Jared’s body ran cold with the thought that
he’d see Fenix every day without being able to touch him, hold him,
feel
his skin...

“Yes,
you are,” Adam stated and sat down next to Jared. “He has this hold on you,
this
pull
that you haven’t been able
to shake even when you’ve been apart for two years. When he gets here, he’ll
get you back,” Adam said with certainty. “But before you welcome him in your
life again, answer me this: are you going to survive it when he leaves again?”

Jared
felt like Adam stabbed him with a knife right through the heart. He put his
palm over his chest and rubbed, trying to soothe the pain away so that he can
breathe properly.

No,
he wasn’t going to survive if Fenix left again. That much he knew for sure.

Chapter twenty five

Jared

The moment
Jared walked into the theatre, he knew something was different. Off.

The
last few days he’d been agonizing over Fenix’s return, going back and forth
between fear, joy, and panic. He didn't know exactly when Fenix was going to
arrive in London. He’d almost called him a few times because the wait was
killing him. Jared knew he was stressed and in a bad mood, snapping at everyone
and throwing temper tantrums like a five year old, but he couldn't help it.

Adam
had suggested, numerous times, that they cut and run, as fast and as far away
from here as possible.

“You’d
really do that for me? Drop everything and run away with me?”

“Of course.
How can you
even ask me that, you bastard! I’d do anything for you and you fucking know
it.”

Yes,
Adam had the incredible ability of making you feel loved while insulting you in
the same sentence.

As
he walked through the foyer of Queen Victoria, not really seeing anyone, Jared
thought for a brief moment how much easier it would have been if he and Adam
had managed to fall in love with each other, to develop a romantic relationship
that would have been satisfying for both of them.

“You’re
too much alike,” Fenix used to joke. “You both are impulsive, stubborn, hot
headed brutes. While the visual of you two having sex is hot, you’d never work
as a couple. You need someone you can boss around. Like me.”

“Ha!
Look
who’s
trying to be funny and not succeeding! I’ve
never managed to make you do anything you didn't want to do!”

“Make
me do something I really want to do then,” Fenix said as he climbed in Jared’s
lap and started kissing his neck, sucking at his Adam’s apple as he reached it.
“Like suck your
cock until you scream
.” Fenix moved
his sinful lips over Jared’s ear and moaned seductively. “And then maybe, just
maybe, I’ll let you come.” Jared threw his head back on the sofa and licked his
lips in anticipation.

“Jared!”
Adam’s shout right next to his ear brought him back to the present.
“The fuck?
I called you like five times! What the hell are
you doing spacing out in the middle of the foyer?”

“You
really need to stop screaming in my face,” Jared said and headed for the
dressing rooms.

“Stop
acting like you have a learning disability and I might,” Adam grumbled as he
followed him.

Jared
laughed despite himself and opened his dressing room’s door to find Fenix just
as he was peeling off his sweaty t-shirt. Fenix startled as the door jerked
open and dropped the t-shirt on the floor, remaining only in his black, tight
leggings. The sight of that toned, muscular,
familiar
body displayed in front of him sent Jared in a whirlwind
of memories.

Fenix
leaning back, riding him, supporting himself with his arms extended behind him,
as his erect, leaking cock bounced up and down, and all the strong, lean
muscles on his stomach, thighs, and shoulders flexed with the effort.

Fenix
in their bed, looking at him under his blond bangs, his sleepy blue eyes barely
open, and his lips turned down in a grimace because of the early morning wake
up call.

Fenix
whispering ‘I love you’ before he fell asleep on Jared’s chest.

Fenix dancing on stage as if his body was boneless.
His singing voice filling the hollow theatre and trying to
burst out because the hall wasn’t big enough to contain it.