Chapter 3 Kit
Kit
I didn’t make a habit of inviting people I’d just met to come home with me, but after spending several hours together, I felt comfortable with Devon.
More than that, I liked him. He was fascinating, not to mention smoking hot, and I really wanted to spend more time with him—some of that with our clothes off.
After we closed out the restaurant, I finally gathered my courage, choking out a proposition so awkward that he had to ask for clarification.
Once I managed to explain what I wanted, it turned out he was into it.
That was a huge relief. I’d been worried about making things weird between us and potentially ruining a new friendship.
When we reached the pink Victorian I shared with five other people, he looked up at it and said, “Oh wow, it’s so cute.”
I nodded in agreement. “I feel incredibly lucky to live here. I was actually homeless for a few months before this, until my friend Hal and my landladies took me in. He’s in Texas now because he fell in love with a cowboy, and I miss him.
But I’m also thrilled for him, because he’s really happy.
” Okay, Devon definitely didn’t need to know all of that.
I was nervous about the night ahead though, and that made me ramble.
He turned to me with a concerned expression. “Were you living in a homeless shelter, or…”
“I was secretly living in an art studio on my college campus. I could have gotten expelled if anyone had found out I was doing that, so I was always on edge. But it wasn’t nearly as stressful as living on the street would have been.”
When we went inside, I knew right away that everyone had already gone to bed, because the house was perfectly still. I also knew some of my housemates had gotten a jump-start on their holiday prep, because the heavenly smell of freshly baked pie lingered in the air.
As I led Devon up the stairs, I whispered, “Everyone’s asleep, so we have to be quiet.”
“Okay.”
Since I was still nervously rambling, I whispered, “I’m currently renting two rooms on the second floor.
One is my bedroom, and the other used to be Hal’s.
He gave me his sewing machine and a bunch of other stuff when he moved to Texas, so I decided to leave everything where it was and use that room as my studio.
I thought I’d be making a decent income from my custom designs by now.
That isn’t really happening though, so I’ll be combining my stuff into one room by the end of the year.
That way, I’ll save on rent, and my landladies can get another tenant in here. ”
We paused on the landing, and I gestured at the studio’s open door. “If you want, you can put your things in there.”
I followed him into the room and stuck the squirrel and Devon’s backpack on my worktable. After he piled the rest of his stuff in the corner, he turned to a work in progress on one of my dress forms. “This is incredible,” he said. “You’re really talented.”
The red, sequined gown was a mermaid style, its fitted shape flaring into a full ruffle at the knee.
It featured a plunging neckline and an elaborate, upright collar with long, red feathers radiating from it like a sunburst. “I sewed that, but I didn’t design it.
The drag queen who commissioned it knew exactly what she wanted and sketched it for me.
She’s wearing it in a holiday showcase next month. ”
“Well, you did a beautiful job on it.”
“Thanks.” It made me feel self-conscious when he wandered over to look at the sketches covering one wall. I said, “I’m going to freshen up a bit. See you in a minute,” and hurried to the bathroom.
After I brushed my teeth and tried to finger comb my messy hair, I went into my bedroom and took off my sweater, shoes, and socks. Then I paused and looked around, taking a few deep breaths to settle my nerves.
The room was on the small side, but to me it was a palace, especially after the insecurity that had come with being homeless.
I’d put a lot of effort into decorating it, starting with painting the walls a soft lavender and the secondhand furniture a crisp white.
Whenever I had a little extra money, I added something to the room.
I’d sewn pretty curtains, along with a duvet cover and cute, decorative pillows for my queen-size bed.
I’d also recovered an old beanbag, hung up some art prints, and found a yellow shag area rug on clearance.
The most recent addition was a small bench, which I’d found on the street, refinished, and placed beneath the window.
That had to be the last thing I brought in, because nothing else would fit in here.
Devon came into the room and shut the door behind him. Like me, he was barefoot and dressed in just a T-shirt and jeans. “This is the prettiest and coziest bedroom I’ve ever seen,” he said.
“I love it in here. It’s going to break my heart when I have to let it go.”
“I know you said you have to consolidate, but why wouldn’t you keep this room if it makes you happy?”
“Because the other room is bigger, and my sewing machine and all that other stuff would never fit in here. I may not have many clients, but I’m not ready to give up on my dream of being a designer.”
He nodded and took a step toward me, and my nervousness cranked up a few more notches. Without thinking about what I was doing, I scooped my teddy bear off the bed and hugged him to my chest.
Devon stopped walking, his voice gentle as he said, “If you’ve changed your mind about this, we don’t have to do anything.”
“No, I want to. I just need a minute.”
“Sure. You’re calling the shots, Kit.” He indicated the bear, probably because he knew I needed the distraction. “Who do we have here?”
I felt foolish, so instead of answering, I lowered my gaze and mumbled, “I was just moving him out of the way.” The fact that I was hugging him told a different story.
“I have a stuffed turtle that I’ve taken on all my travels. I got him when I was two.”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
I glanced up at Devon and said, “I’ve had this bear since I was five. He’s been one of the few constants in my life.”
“What’s his name?”
“It’s silly.”
“Mine is named Tata. That was the closest I could come to saying ‘turtle’ as a toddler. Somehow, the name stuck.”
“I named my bear Stiffie,” I admitted. “Again, I was five. His arms and legs were kind of stiff when I first got him.”
He grinned at that. “I love it. My stuffed animal’s name is slang for a boob, and yours is slang for an erection. I feel like they go together.”
That made me smile. After a moment, I murmured, “I’m sorry I’m so…”
“What?”
There were plenty of words to choose from—shy, awkward, anxious. But I went with, “Nervous.”
“It’s fine to be nervous. It’s also fine to change your mind and kick me out. I won’t be offended.”
When I looked into his eyes, I saw patience and understanding. It was obvious that he wasn’t the type of guy to push, or to try to talk me into anything. I murmured, “I definitely don’t want to kick you out,” as I set aside the bear and slowly closed the distance between us.
My heart was racing. It wasn’t like this was my first hookup ever, but it definitely wasn’t something I did often.
I liked Devon and felt like we’d built a bond tonight, but somehow, that only added to my nervousness. I stopped short and blurted, “Just to be clear, I don’t do relationships. This is a one-time thing, nothing more.”
“I’m not looking for a relationship, either. I’d never want to start something I couldn’t finish.” I’d almost forgotten about the psychic’s prediction until he said that.
I took another step forward and reached up to touch his face.
He hadn’t shaved in a day or two, so his jaw was rough with stubble.
I traced his sideburns, which were long enough to seem retro, and toyed with one of his tiny, silver hoop earrings.
On anyone else they would have simply been a fashion accessory, but they made Devon look a bit like a pirate.
He waited patiently while I explored, a spark of amusement in his eyes. Were they green or hazel? It was hard to tell in the soft light.
As I ran my fingertip along the curve of his lower lip, he whispered, “I’m all yours tonight, Kit.”
Those words ignited something in me. I stretched up, and he leaned down to meet me half-way.
When his lips brushed mine, my heart started racing even faster, and not because of my nerves.
I leaned into him and slid my hands down his back, and he grasped my waist with both hands and pulled me closer.
I parted my lips, and the kiss became something more—something hungry and demanding, in the best possible way.
Every part of me responded. I tugged at his T-shirt, and he helped me pull it over his head and toss it aside before doing the same with mine.
We fell onto the bed, fumbling with zippers and fabric while he kissed my neck, my shoulder, anyplace he could reach.
Once we were both naked, he paused to ask, “Can I—”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know what I’m about to say.”
“No, but I trust you.” I was surprised to hear myself say that, but it was true. Trust didn’t always come easily to me, but there was something about Devon that put me at ease.
With that, he knelt between my legs and started sucking my cock. My breath caught, and I mumbled, “That feels amazing.” He looked up at me with a sparkle in his eyes and slid his lips all the way down to my balls.
He was very good at what he was doing, so it only took a matter of minutes to send me over the edge. I came hard enough to make my toes curl. It was all I could do not to yell and wake the entire house.
Afterwards, I fell back onto the mattress and tried to catch my breath. He kissed my stomach before stretching out beside me with a self-satisfied grin. When I could speak again, I told him, “You seem to think we’re done, but we’re not.”
He chuckled when I pushed him onto his back. That turned into a moan when I climbed between his legs, took his cock in my mouth, and showed him he wasn’t the only one with some skills.
He lasted about as long as I had before grabbing a pillow and shouting into it as he exploded down my throat. Now it was his turn to collapse in a heap, gasping for air while I stretched out beside him with a grin.
He whispered, “That was incredible.”
When he shivered a little, we shifted around and climbed under the covers.
I shut off the lamp, but I could still see Devon in the soft glow of a light-up snow globe on my nightstand.
He burrowed deeper under the duvet and took my hand as he murmured, “I feel so good right now, and so lucky to get to share a warm, comfy bed with such a beautiful guy.”
“You think I’m beautiful?”
His expression grew serious, and he said softly, “Of course I do. You’re breathtaking, Kit. Don’t you know that?”
I didn’t know what to say. I pulled the blanket up to my chin and waited for him to talk about something else. After a minute, he said, “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“I know why I’m not looking for a relationship, but why aren’t you?”
“The only relationship I ever had was terrible. He constantly tried to control me and did everything he could to destroy what little self-esteem I had. I guess that was his way of making sure I’d never have the guts to leave him. Since then, I haven’t really wanted to try again.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“It’s okay. I mean, it wasn’t, but I got out.
We were together when I lived in San Diego, and I knew it wasn’t enough just to break up with him.
I needed to put some distance between us, and that’s exactly what I did.
It was part of the reason I entered that competition for a scholarship to a school here in San Francisco. ”
Devon asked, “Did you ever see your ex again?”
“Once. He tracked me down at my school about a year after I moved here and tried to demand that we get back together.”
“What did you do?”
“I totally flipped out. I guess I had a lot of pent-up anger, because I started screaming at him and causing a huge scene. He must have realized he couldn’t control me anymore, because he left and I never heard from him again.
” I took a breath and shook off the bad memories before saying, “The good thing that came from all of this was finding out I’m much stronger than I thought I was. ”
“You’re a total badass.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“You are.” After a pause, he said, “I hope you don’t let your shitty ex put you off relationships forever, because you’re an amazing man, Kit, and you deserve all the love and happiness in the world.”
“I’m sure I’ll try again someday. And really, the past few years weren’t just about getting over my terrible relationship.
I had to concentrate on school, and now that I’ve graduated, I’ve been busy trying to launch my design business.
It’s taken most of my focus and energy, so my social life has been on the back burner. ”
“I get it.”
I wasn’t used to talking about myself that much, so I turned the conversation to him by asking, “Have you ever been in a serious relationship?”
“No, not really. When I was younger, I didn’t want to settle down, so I never dated anyone longer than a few weeks. Then, right about the time I started to think I might be ready for a relationship, I met that psychic and everything changed.”
There was wistfulness in his voice when he said that. Before, when he talked about the psychic’s prediction, he claimed to have made peace with it. Now it was clear that he felt a sense of loss for the things he thought he’d never have.
I said, as gently as I could, “You’ll have time for that, Devon—for meeting the right person and falling in love. I truly believe that.”
He murmured, “I wish I could believe it, too.”
Now it was his turn to change the subject. After a moment, he pulled up a smile and said, “Let’s talk about you becoming the preeminent designer to drag royalty. What do we need to do to launch your career into the stratosphere?”
“We?”
“Sure. I’d love to help in any way I can.”
We ended up talking late into the night.
This was a different Devon from the one I’d hung out with at the restaurant.
Before, he’d been animated and outgoing, charming not only me, but everyone he met.
It almost felt like he was putting on a show.
But now he was thoughtful and introspective, more about listening and being supportive than trying to entertain.
I liked both sides of him, his life of the party persona and his quiet, caring side. There was a lot more to discover too, but I already knew one thing for sure—Devon was someone I needed in my life.