Chapter Five

Roger stomped into my office with his usual stressed out purplish face while waving a stack of papers in the air.

“I could have used your help with these,” he snapped.

“I went to a funeral,” I said in a bland tone.

“It would be nice if people would coordinate their deaths with your work schedule,” he said as he eased himself onto the white leather sofa on the far side of my office and positioned his scuffed shoes on my glass top coffee table.

“That’s insensitive, even for you,” I said.

After a brief moment of reflection, he nodded and said, “I need to get away for a while.”

“This job will do it to you,” I added.

“You love your work,” he said with a grin.

“That doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful,” I retorted.

“We need better bosses.  I think we should start a petition for the current owners to sell to more amiable ones,” he growled.

His comment was so ludicrous that I laughed for the first time that day.  After studying me as if he was looking at a maniac, his face softened.  The purplish hue looked a little fleshier and he joined me in laughing over the ridiculousness of his statement.

“Laughter in the corporate offices of Playtronics?” Chris teased as she entered my office.  “I thought that was reserved for the lower positions.”

“Lower positions?” I said with raised brow.

“Aren’t we hoity-toity?” Roger teased back.

 “You know what I meant,” Chris said, undaunted.

I so admired the way very little got to my good friend.  If it wasn’t for her calm and reasonable way of looking at things, I questioned where I’d be sometimes. 

While I held the responsibility of coming up with new ideas for software, she was in charge of marketing the finished product.  Roger handled the production of said finished product after I’d designed it and Chris marketed it.  

We were the best of friends.   

“I can’t believe you went out of town without me,” he pouted.

“You wanted to attend a funeral?  How morbid of you, darling,” Chris said in a tone mimicking her favorite classics movie star, Mae West.

“I'll try anything once.  Twice, if I like it.  Three times to make sure,” Roger replied as he tried to imitate Mae West as well.

“Of all the fabulous Mae West quotes to pick from, you go with that?” Chris chuckled as she planted herself on the sofa next to him.

“It’s the best I could come up with on such short notice,” he shrugged.

I placed my elbows on my desk and held my face in the palms of my hands.

“Tough day, honey?” Roger asked.

“Every day’s a tough day,” I replied.

“Our little Gertie found herself a new man,” Chris teased.

“At a funeral?” Roger gasped.  “Gawd… how morbid!”

  “You’d change your tune if you saw him,” Chris said.

“Do tell,” Roger said eagerly as he stretched his slender arm along the back of the sofa and twisted his equally slender body to face her.

“He’s straight,” I said with my face still in my hands.

“How can you be so sure?” Roger asked.

“A girl knows these things,” Chris giggled as she tapped his knee.  “You know that and you know how she knows what she knows.”

“I do,” Roger sighed, “but one can hope.”

“What happened to you and Peter?” I asked as I pulled my face from my hands.  “The last I heard, you were head over heels in love.”

“That was before I learned that Peter swings both ways,” Roger said with a shudder.  “No thank you.”

“What did he try to do?” Chris asked enthusiastically.

“He wanted me to do a threesome with him and… are you ready?” Roger asked.  After a long silence to emphasize the effect of what he was about to say, he continued with, “his wife.”

“You’re joking,” Chris gasped.

“Yes,” Roger chortled.

“You’re a terrible friend,” I giggled.

“I know,” he replied as he stood to leave.

“Feeling better?” I asked as I watched him head for the door.

“That doesn’t excuse you two for leaving town without me.  I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive you,” he said.

“Are we getting together with you and Peter tonight?” I called out as he walked out the door.

He popped his head back through the door long enough to toss a kiss and say, “Of course.”

“Damn,” Chris cursed when she was sure that Roger was out of earshot, “I forgot about telling Roger that  I’d go tonight.  Tom’s first dress rehearsal is tonight and he expects me there.”

“He won’t forgive you if you don’t go,” I said.

“Which one?” Chris sighed.

“Sadly, both,” I sighed right back.

“What were we supposed to do with Roger and Pete tonight?” Chris asked, hopefully.

“Pete’s cooking his famous Mexican Madness.  Whatever that is,” I said.

“What time?” Chris asked.

“Seven, I think,” I said thoughtfully.

“What if I joined you for dinner and then we scooted over to the theater afterward?” she asked.

“You’ll miss some of the rehearsal,” I warned.

“Not enough to make a difference,” she assured me. “Plus, if I show up with a mini audience, any feathers I’ve ruffled with my tardiness will be smoothed over.”

“If it’s okay with Roger, it’s okay with me,” I shrugged as I returned my focus to my computer screen.   “I’ll be here for a while, so just let me know what’s happening.  I’ll probably come from here.  I doubt that I’ll have time to go home and change.”

“We won’t be doing anything that requires special attire,” Chris assured me.  “I won’t change either.”

“Thanks,” I said with a grateful smile.

I loved my friends.  Not only had Chris held true to her word and not changed out of her work clothes, but Roger and Pete did the same.  We crowded around Roger’s small coffee table, sitting cross legged in our office attire, while we praised Pete for his culinary skills.  Although, to this day I couldn’t adequately describe the dish Pete called ‘Mexican Madness’, I’ll admit that it was tasty.

We arrived at the theater in time to catch the last act of Tom’s play.   I’d forgotten to ask what it was about, so it took me a while to understand the plot.  Between the colorful and creative costumes and the acting, I eventually discerned the plot was built around a vampire theme.

“That’s a rather bizarre theme for Tom,” I mused.  “He doesn’t usually go in for fantasy or paranormal stuff.  I expected it would be something more like Les Misérables or even Mama Mia.”

“Those are opposite sides of the spectrum,” Pete observed as he placed his hand on the small of my back and assisted me through a tight row of curtains that led to the back of the stage where the dressing rooms awaited.

“Still, they’re more Tom’s taste than a vampire tragedy,” I insisted.

“Don’t let him hear you,” Chris warned.  “He was hesitant to do the play to begin with.  His agent insisted that he do it if he wants more work.  Poor baby.”

“Who’s in charge of makeup?” I asked.  “That vampire looked splendidly real.  I’d like to get some tips for a game I’m working on.”

“You’re working on a game with vampires?” Chris said as she stopped short to look at me.

“Zombies, actually,” I admitted, “but the makeup concept is similar.  Sallow face, dark eyes, realistic blood, etc.”

 “I’ll find out,” Chris said as she led us further into the recesses of the theater.

“This place is creepy,” Roger complained as he warily observed his surroundings.

“I don’t understand how a makeup artist could help you with software design,” Pete said.

“Later,” Roger said as he grabbed Pete’s hand and pulled him along.  “I need your reassurance that something weird and creepy isn’t going to jump out at me.  Protect me, lover.”

“Always,” Pete cooed as he put his arm around Roger’s waist and moved in unison with him as they caught up with Chris.

I suddenly found myself very alone in a place that I agreed with Roger on.  It was super creepy with its dark recesses and shadowy lighting.  I rubbed at the goosebumps on my arms as I hurried to catch up with them.

“Hello there,” said a soft, male voice from the shadows.

I turned with a jolt at the sound of his greeting and found myself staring up at the face of a very tall vampire.  He hadn’t looked that imposing while on stage, but, close up, he was definitely big and scary. 

“I…,” I managed to squeak out.

“Did I frighten you?” the vampire said in a gentle and concerned tone.  “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t expect to see you, that’s all,” I lied.

“I’m still in costume,” he chuckled as he put his hand to his face.  “No wonder you reacted like that.  Did you pee your pants as well?”

“Almost,” I said with a smile.

His teasing comment accomplished what I assumed he set out to do, which was to lighten the mood.  I chuckled with relief while I waited for my heartbeat to return to normal.

 “I’m Joshua,” the vampire said as he put his hand to his chest and bowed low.

“Gertie,” I replied.

“It is good to make your acquaintance, Gertie,” he said.

It was then that I noticed that he had a slight accent.  Although, it wasn’t distinctive enough for me to place it.

 As I studied his face behind the thick layer of makeup, I realized that he was quite handsome. The twinkling in his eyes alerted me to the fact that he was aware of what I was doing.  Leave it to me to be obvious enough for him to read my thoughts as if I’d spoken them aloud.  Embarrassed, I told him that I was a friend of Tom’s and excused myself to go find him.

The theater proved to be a maze of drapes hung to create tight walkways leading here and there.  Before long, I found myself right back where I started.  I had no clue where my friends were and if I’d ever be able to find them.  Although not panicked, I was a little concerned.

“Did you find him?” came the same soft voice of the vampire who’d introduced himself as Joshua about a quarter hour earlier.

I turned to face him and stopped in my tracks.  He was no longer in costume and was even more handsome than I could have possibly imagined from what I was able to decipher beneath that thick layer of makeup.  Meeting two absolutely gorgeous men within the span of a few days was so against the odds.  I reminded myself that things like that just didn’t happen to me.  There had to be a catch. 

I remembered a time when I was out with Roger and we came across a group of gorgeous men.  When Roger openly flirted, I asked him how he knew that they were gay and he said, “Men that handsome are never heterosexual.”  That had to be it.  Joshua was gay.

Somehow, this new way of viewing the handsome actor standing before me calmed the nervousness that was trying to chip its way to the forefront. 

“I am so lost,” I smiled.  “I never did have much of a sense of direction.”

“Would you like an escort?” he asked as he offered his elbow.

I accepted it willingly.

I found it interesting that, when I placed my arm though his, there was the faintest hint of that same erotic electric sensation that I felt coming from Marc. Two men whose looks exceeded the range of good looking in one week and both of them exuding a type of erotic energy.  What were the odds?

Whether I’d let out all of my pent-up frustrations in my little love trysts with my dream love in my sleep or with his doppelganger at the lodge so that the pull just wasn’t as strong with Joshua, I didn’t know.  All I knew was that I was at least able to be myself around him and that was nice.   When we finally found Tom’s dressing room, I introduced him to Chris, Roger, and Pete.  Tom seemed a little taken aback when we invited Joshua to join us for a few drinks, but said nothing to deter it.

We thought about going to Mickey’s Pub, but since Chris and I were still waiting for the results of our blood tests, we decided not to take the chance and headed for a small, nearby bar instead.

The evening passed far too quickly and, once again, I drank far too much; as did Chris.  Fortunately for Chris, she had Tom to escort her home.  Roger and Pete weren’t as affected by the alcohol like Chris and I were, but they still were affected enough to miss the fact that they said their goodbyes and left me alone in an unfamiliar bar with a perfect stranger. ‘Looking for Mr. Goodbar’, came to mind.

“I should probably leave too,” I said with a slight slur.

“So soon?” Joshua complained as he slid his chair closer to mine.  “I like you, Gertie.”

“Where are you from?” I asked, finally remembering his accent.

“Canada,” he replied, “but I’ve lived here for quite some time.”  After studying me with a cocked head and raised brow he asked, “How old are you?”

“I’ll be twenty-five in a week,” I said.  “How old are you?”

“I’ve got fifteen years on you,” he chuckled.

“I wouldn’t have guessed it,” I said, soberly.

What was it about these gorgeous guys showing up out of nowhere and not looking their ages?  First there was Marc, who didn’t look a day over thirty, but claimed to be forty-two, and now Joshua claimed to be forty when he could easily pass as thirty, if not younger.   I wanted to know their secret.

I agreed to let Joshua help me find a cab.  As he led me out of the dimly lit bar, I was surprised to see how deserted the streets were.  Queens - like the rest of New York City - never slept, but it sure looked like it was sleeping to me.  I pulled my cell phone out of my handbag and hit the button for the cab company that I’d programmed into my speed dial.

“Can you believe we meet again?” Came that oh so familiar voice of Jack Adams as he stepped out of the shadows to block our way. “Are you following me, Gertie?”

“In your dreams, Jackal,” I half hissed, half-slurred. “Kindly move away.”

“Who is this character?” Joshua asked with an annoyed chuckle.

“I’d say no one, but I’m beginning to think that he’s my stalker,” I sighed.

“He’s an ugly sort of fellow, isn’t he,” Joshua said as he slowly circled Jack.

“Get back, asshole,” Jack stammered as he followed Joshua with his eyes.  “I’m nobody to mess with.”

“Really?”  Joshua said with a smirk.  “Why is that?”

“I’m just not,” Jack hesitantly said.

It was interesting, amusing, and somehow very satisfying to see the bully of my childhood squirming under Joshua’s intensity. 

“Well… Jack, is it?” Joshua said with a genuine confidence and smugness that clearly came from deep inside of his core. “Why don’t we make a deal?  I won’t mess with you if you walk away right now.”

“Why am I the one who has to leave?  I have just as much right to be here as she does,” he protested.

“I’m really feeling tempted to mess with you, Jack,” Joshua said with a heavy heave of his chest.  “If you are still here by the time I count to five, I believe I’ll do just that.”

“Oh yeah?  What will you do?” Jack hissed.

“One…” Joshua began.

“Seriously?” Jack said with a raised voice.

“Two…” Joshua continued.

“Asshole!” Jack bellowed as he slipped back into the shadows of the night.

“That was too rich,” I laughed as I quickly hugged Joshua and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

Before I could pull away, he had his arms around me and was kissing me with a passion that equaled what I’d experienced with Marc, both in my dreams and at the lodge.  I found it amazing how different the kisses of these men were to those of the men that I’d dated up until that point.  Did you have to be as handsome as a GQ model in order to wield a super erotic kiss?   

My head spun and my toes curled while I reveled in the niceness of his embrace.  When he finally released my mouth, the cab was pulled up beside us.  His moist hot lips caressed my ears as he told me that he wanted to see me the following night. I readily nodded while he assisted me into the back seat of the cab.  Holding my hand to kiss it before he closed the door, he reaffirmed our date for the following evening.  When he released my hand, I could feel the card that he’d slipped into my palm.  It had his contact information on it.

As the cab pulled away, I turned for one last look at my handsome new friend.  I gasped with surprise when I saw him being approached by a tall, familiar looking figure that I could have sworn was Marc.