Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 85167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
He couldn’t put voice to the pain he still carried around with him. He didn’t want any reminders.
Except now, with Tam, he had the undeniable urge to share something of himself—something no one else had, something special.
“My family died when I was fourteen,” he said into the darkness. “Car accident.” Just that much and his heart felt like it was being torn in two as flashes of his childhood blinded him. He swallowed around the lump in his throat.
Another squeeze and a whispered, “That sucks.”
Driver’s grip on Tam’s hand tightened. “Yeah, big fat donkey balls of suck.”
“Sorry.”
Loss tightened his throat, so he closed his eyes and let Tam’s warmth chase the chill away. “In one moment, I lost everything I loved. My entire world changed.”
“I can’t imagine how horrible that must have been.”
Yes. It had been horrible and heartbreaking and scarring in so many ways. Ways he was still running from more than a decade later. As much as he wanted to give a piece of himself to Tam, he couldn’t say the worst of it. The things that kept him consumed with guilt and self-hatred when he allowed himself to be too relaxed. They were the reason he couldn’t stay in one place for long. He needed the distractions, the adventures. Otherwise he’d go mad.
With a cavalier lift of his shoulder, Driver pushed the memories away. “It was a long time ago, but every time I go home it feels like yesterday.”
“So you don’t go home.”
Driver exhaled. “Not as much as I should.”
“Memories are hard. Especially when even the good ones bring us pain.”
The tightness that had gripped Driver’s chest all afternoon eased a little. “Especially then.”
Tam understood. Maybe he could understand everything, if Driver gave him a chance.
But not tonight. Maybe not ever. Some dragons weren’t meant to be slain.
They were quiet for long moments, but it was a companionable silence. There was no pressure to fill it up with small talk or nonsensical babbling. Driver didn’t even feel the urge to crack a joke to break the tension because there was no tension. In his entire life, there wasn’t a single time he could remember sitting in the dark with another person and being completely content like he was now.
He didn’t remember ever feeling so satisfied to just be.
In this moment, in this place, in this life, he was totally at ease and peaceful.
Chapter Fifteen
The next afternoon, stiff from sleeping on the floor, Tam stepped into a popular gay club in Manhattan with the Sassy Boyz on his heels. They didn’t have an appointment, but they’d brought their music, and even if they had to dance on the street, someone would see them do their thing today.
He’d woken up in Driver’s embrace, full of hope and channeling the same tenacity as Alex from Flashdance.
Ready to make shit happen, whatever it took.
The only planning he’d done was to call ahead and make sure the manager would be in. There was no use showing up if the one who could hire them wasn’t around. As soon as they entered, a middle-aged woman approached.
“Are you my one thirty?” she asked.
Tam opened his mouth to deny it, but Ansel stepped up. “Yep, that’s us.” He stuck out his hand and she shook it.
“Thanks for being early.”
“Our pleasure.”
“Do you need anything before you start?”
“Nope, just point us to the stage.”
She did and then sat down. Ansel led them up the stairs and connected his phone to the Bluetooth speaker while the rest of them took their spots.
They’d only ever practiced this routine in Ansel and Fitch’s living room. He knew everyone was nervous because so was he. How many auditions had they done this past month? How many times had they been turned down before they’d even pressed play? And if this didn’t work out, what else could they do?
The first chords of Pixie Lott’s “All About Tonight” acted like a spark. This routine was playful and fun. It was about camaraderie and letting go. It started slow but as soon as the chorus kicked in, the joy really came through. There was some partnering, which added to the feeling of teamwork and partying. As a group, they moved together, hitting every beat and transition just as they’d practiced.
The Sassy Boyz were professionals and they knew it.
They were also damned good.
Tam watched the manager but she didn’t give anything away. It was a quick song, only about three minutes. And too soon they hit their final pose. Ansel crossed to retrieve the speaker and his phone and the rest of them waited. It seemed like five minutes before the manager spoke.
“You’re not Dancing Divas, are you?” She didn’t seem mad, but really, it was hard to tell with her tone being so flat. Nothing about her body language gave away anything.
“No, we’re sorry. We just wanted you to see us,” Tam said.