Chapter 35
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
DILLON
Jamie
Can I have a sneak peek of you in your suit?
What do I get?
Jamie
....
Jamie
....
Fine
*photo*
Jamie
My man is hot!!!!! GTG see you later xoxoxo
See you at 7!
“ Y o, Cap, open up!” Vieck bellowed as he hammered on my door.
“Seriously?” I muttered under my breath as I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror, trying to tie my damn bowtie, but I just kept fucking it up. Why we had to dress up as confused-ass penguins for this thing was beyond me. All I wanted to do was watch Jamie look like a fucking god on that runway, but I’d gouge anyone’s eyes out who looked too long. That boy is mine.
“Dillon, you can’t tie it, can you?” Buchanan’s laugh grated on me as I stormed through my room and wrenched open the door they were all crowded around.
“Like you can do a fucking better job?”
B snorted and gestured to his perfectly tied bow tie and then at Vieck and McCormack who all wore manic grins. The smarmy fucktards. “What do you think, Cap?” They fist bumped and laughed at my expense as I ran a shaky hand through my hair.
“Fuck!” I had to walk away from the idiots, or I’d end up putting my fist in their faces as they filed into my room. Tonight wasn’t just a big night for my little crow, who was the star of Levi’s collection, but it was our first official night out as boyfriends. I didn’t want to keep him hidden in the shadows like some dirty little secret, but some fears were so deeply ingrained in you, that they were almost impossible to push past. I just hoped that in time, I could walk up to him without an ounce of fear in my blood and kiss him in public. But for now, I’d be tentatively hopeful.
“Hey, hey, come on, Cap. It’s all going to be fine,” Vieck said, leaning against the door jamb scrolling through his phone. “Buchanan will sort it for ya. He did ours, and we look shit hot!”
I rolled my eyes and clenched my jaw as my hands shook. “Dillon, it’s going to be fine.” B put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed. “We’ve got you, man. The three of us have your back no matter what.” I pulled a smile on my face and let out a relieved breath. It was scary to put my trust in other people. It was no problem on the field, but in real life, I’d been burned so many times I found it almost impossible.
“Thanks, guys. That means a lot.” I looked at each of them in turn. My throat felt tight, and my eyes stung as I came to realize I actually had some really good friends around me. I felt like shit for being such a cold bastard to them most of the time.
“That hurt to say, didn’t it, Cap.” McCormack snickered into a bottle of beer he pulled out of nowhere.
“Uh, yeah.” I closed my eyes as B ordered me to lift my head so he could finish fixing my bowtie.
“You know, it all makes sense now,” he added.
“What does?”
“Why you had it out for Goldilocks.” McCormack wiggled his eyebrows, and I glowered at him. “They do say love and hate are two sides of the same coin, after all.”
I sighed, my shoulders sagging. “I was an asshole.”
“You can say that again,” Vieck added, not looking up from his phone while B snorted in my face. Jerk. “So, you gonna tell us about your boy toy?”
“He’s not a fucking toy,” I growled. “Jamie’s it for me. Always has been, but I was just…”
“Terrified of the ramifications? Worried about how people would react? What might happen to you and the team?” Three pairs of eyes turned to Vieck who finally glanced up from his phone. “What?”
“Dude, that was deep.” McCormack looked at our friend like he’d never seen him before. I felt the same, but I guess everyone had layers—you just didn’t get to see under them most of the time.
With a deep sigh, Vieck pocketed his phone and crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, I know we all get sucked into upholding the heteronormative culture that gets pushed down our throats, but not all of us fit in it.”
“What are you saying, Jordan?” B asked softly.
“I’m bi, okay? I might tip more towards boobs, but I love a bit of dick too.” Vieck smirked, and the ambiguous tension that had been building in the room dissipated.
I couldn’t help but laugh, and the guys wore matching smirks. “Guess I got myself into a shit situation when I didn’t need to. If I’d known…”
“You’d have had to talk to us then, Cap,” Vieck added as he snatched and drained McCormack’s beer before asking if he had another. McCormack wiggled his eyebrows and held a fresh bottle over his head, taunting Vieck, and the two started bickering.
“Done,” B said and smoothed down the shoulders of my jacket and gave me a small smile. “Tonight is gonna be fine. Trust in us and your boy. He’s going to look amazing. Levi is incredible at what he does. The real question is—can you keep it in your pants?”
“Fuck you,” I muttered, but it held no heat because he wasn’t wrong in the slightest. Jamie had described some of the outfits he was be walking in, and fuck me.
“It’s alright, I’ve got Kleenex,” McCormack joked, and Vieck slapped him over the head.
“Don’t be a dick. There’s some fine ass going to be up there tonight, trust me.” Vieck winked.
“Jesus. I’m surrounded by horny fuckers.” McCormack groaned and checked his watch. “We need to get going if we’re going to make the pre-show drinks.” He rubbed his hands together. “I’ve never been to a pre anything before. This is going to be so cool.”
“Child. You’re a damn man-child.” Buchanan laughed and motioned for us to get out of my room. “Let’s go. We’re taking my car, because I am not getting this suit wet for no one.”
We filed out of the building and jumped into B’s car. The wind and rain were picking up, and what should have been a quick drive took us nearly fifteen minutes. My nerves were eating away at me, and no amount of deep breathing was helping. My knee bounced erratically, my heart hammered a chaotic staccato rhythm against my ribs, and I had to keep rubbing my sweaty palms on my trousers. By the time we stepped onto the blacktop by the exhibition center, I was ready to puke.
A line had already formed on the white carpet they’d rolled out, and the windows looked like snowflakes were falling down them. The excitement level was palpable as we straightened our suits and headed in, flashing our passes to the guys on door. The outside display had nothing on the transformation that had taken place on the inside of the hall. The glass walls were draped with swathes of white fabric with twinkling lights behind them, giving off a muted glow. Small tables were littered around the edges of the space. People I didn’t recognize stood around them, having quiet conversations with drinks in their hands. But it was the ceiling that captivated my attention; it resembled a cloudy night sky with falling snowflakes. It looked so real you just wanted to touch it and capture one of the snowflakes in the palm of your hand.
“This is good shit,” McCormack said as we took in the freshly decorated space with awe. “I’m going to get some drinks.”
“See you when the show starts,” I said, but he was striding away, heading toward one of the waiters with a tray full of drinks like a man on a mission.
“Have you seen him yet?” Buchanan asked as he grabbed a drink for both of us from a passing waiter.
“No.” But as soon as the words left my mouth, the twinkling lights caught on golden curls, and my heart stopped. Jamie looked amazing in a simple white suit that hugged his body to perfection. As if he felt me looking at him, he stopped talking to whoever he was with and our eyes locked. Even from this distance, I could feel the appreciative heat in his gaze. A smile lifted the corners of my lips, and some of my nervous energy abated just from knowing where he was. Jesus, I was whipped. But he was so fucking worth it.
“Dillon? Dillon?” A hand waved in front of my face, breaking our connection. “Ah, I see you’ve found him. Shall we go see the star? Or should I say, snowflake.” My gaze snapped to B, my smile morphing into a sneer.
“Snowflake?”
B choked, spitting his drink all over the place before he covered his mouth. “Man, your face. It’s a winter wonderland. I thought snowflake was all kinds of fitting.”
I grunted in response, ignoring his laugh and somehow dodging his elbow too. “Who’s that prick who thinks he can touch what’s mine?” I said between clenched teeth. I fisted my hands to hide the violent fury pulsing down my arms.
The guy in question had Jamie backed against a wall in a semi-dark corner. His arm was braced next to Jamie’s head, like he was caging him in. Jamie’s eyes darted back and forth with increasing frequency as we weaved our way through the growing number of people gathering for the show. “Fuck this.”
“Dillon, calm down. I’m sure it’s nothing,” B whispered in my ear. “Don’t go making a scene and fucking this up for him.” I glared at him, and he held his hands up in surrender. “What? You’re a possessive son of a bitch, aren’t you?” Unable to answer, I nodded as we finally broke through the crowd, only a few feet separating me and Jamie.
His wide eyes flicked up to mine just as the jackass trailed a finger down his cheek, making him freeze as the color drained from his face. The pained look in his features and the twitch at the corner of his left eye had me ready to smash the douchebag’s head in with my foot.
“Oh fuck, this isn’t good.” Buchanan’s voice sounded faint as the world around me faded away and narrowed down to the two figures in front of me. Blood whooshed in my ears, and my knuckles cracked.
“What’s going on here?” I growled and slipped my arm round Jamie’s waist, pulling him into me, and effectively moving him out of the douchebag’s reach. Bloodlust took over when my little crow looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, genuine fear swimming in their blue depths.
“D-Dillon…t-this is—” I silenced him with a kiss. My chest heaved as I tried to wrangle my emotions under control so I didn’t scare him, but as our lips touched, the frantic energy bleeding from him subsided as he melted into me. My tongue dipped into his mouth, and he moaned as it wrapped around his. The rage inside me quietened until the rude fucker cleared his throat. My eyes snapped open to see him glaring at me with his lip curled back in a sneer.
“I’ve got you, baby.” I placed a chaste kiss on his lips once, and then once more. “Let Taylor take you backstage, okay? I’ll be there in a minute. I just need to take out the trash.”
Wide glistening eyes stared into my soul. Fuck, I loved him. Jamie licked his lips, and a slight touch of color bloomed on his too pale cheeks. “Okay.” He placed a hand over my thundering heart. “Just be safe.”
The twat next to us scoffed, and I turned my ire on him. “Got it, baby.” I forced a congenial smile on my face, and Jamie rolled his eyes at me. “Go get ready. I can’t wait to see you in action.”
“Thanks!” He kissed my cheek and let Buchanan lead him through the crowd and away from this sad sack of shit.
“You!” My hand shot out and wrapped around his throat, pinning him to the wall. His fingers scraped against mine, trying to gain purchase. A malicious smile cut across my face as I allowed my jealousy and anger to consume me.
“Do you know who I am?” He whimpered like the pathetic limp dick he was.
“You could be Jesus for all I care. No one, and I mean fucking no one, lays a hand on my boyfriend without his permission.”
“He was begging for it, willing to do anything to get a contract with me. Levi invited me here tonight to check out the models. If you hurt me, he’ll know.”
I stepped into the jackass and pinned him against the wall, my nose brushing his. “Levi won’t give a fuck what I do to you when I tell him what you were doing to that sweet boy. Fuckers like you make me sick.”
“It’s the industry. Stuff like this happens all the time, and no one will care what you say.”
I snorted at his arrogance. “You think I care? We’re going to go have a chat somewhere a little more private. That’s what you like, isn’t it? Private places with little boys?” He made me sick. The dick must have been in his late forties, with his thinning hair and terrible teeth.
“You’re not really my type.” He squeaked as I yanked him off the wall and dragged him through the fire exit.
“Well, you’re not mine either, but tonight I’ll make an exception.” I spat at him as the door crashed open. The cold wet air hit me like a wall of ice, and the idiot fell over his feet and face-planted on the ground. I wrapped my hand in his hair and yanked his head back. “You touch him again, and this will look a lot like love,” I said and punched him hard enough to hear a crack. Warmth flowed over my hand, and I smirked.
“AHH,” he cried, scrambling to cup his hand over his face. But because of how he’d fallen, all he could do was whimper.
“Pathetic.” I dragged him by his hair and threw him against the solid brick wall. “When you wake up, you’re going to leave and never come back.”
“W-w-what?” He looked at me with dark bloodshot eyes that swirled with fear. Blood poured over his lips too fast to lick away. He shook in my hold and groaned as the scent of urine filled the air.
“What the fuck?” I looked down in horror at his pants. “You sick fuck! Remember what I said?” He nodded. “Goodnight.” I punched him in the temple so hard he blacked out instantly and fell to the ground in a heap. He wouldn’t be getting up and time soon.
“Shit.” I was a mess. My knuckles were split and covered in blood. The door slammed into the wall as someone stepped out. “Fuck.” I clenched my fists, feeling the burn of the split skin and whirled on whoever was coming for me with a snarl on my face.
“Chill, Cap,” Vieck said as McCormack stepped up beside him. “We thought you might need some help cleaning up and taking the trash out.”
Vieck smiled and passed me a wet cloth to wipe myself down with. The cool water stung my knuckles but was definitely welcome as I cleared that fucker’s blood off me.
“What d’you want us to do with him?” McCormack asked as he kicked the lump of man flesh to see if it would move.
“Don’t care. Just get rid of it and this.” I handed him the cloth which he stuck in a bag.
“We got you, Cap,” Veck said, pulling keys from his pocket. “We’ll get rid of him. Enjoy the show. I’m sorry we’ll miss it though.”
“You should stay,” I muttered halfheartedly, desperate to get back in there and check on Jamie.
“Don’t.” Vieck held up his hand. “This is far more important.”
“Exactly. We’ve got him. Go support your boy.” McCormack grunted as he lifted the sack of shit off the ground. “Vieck, bring the car around, and Cap, fuck off!” He smiled as he moved into the shadows away from any prying eyes that might come our way.
I hurried back inside and slipped into my seat next to Buchanan just in time to see the dancers and Ava, one of Jamie’s best friends, disappear behind the curtain looking like winter fairies. The lighting dropped to a muted glow as the runaway cleared. I sighed as the tension in my muscles ebbed away, and I flexed and my aching fingers. I couldn’t wait to see my man up there. I loved him so much. Now I’ve finally gotten him, I’ll never, ever let him go.
“All sorted?”
“Yup. Was he okay?”
Buchanan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I think so? He seemed shaken, but Levi nabbed him as soon as we got through the curtain and pulled him into makeup. So hopefully, he’ll be too distracted to think about it at all until after the show, and then you’ll be there.”
“Okay, that’s good. I hope. I’m glad I haven’t missed anything.” I gave B a tentative smile, even though I couldn’t shake the feeling that tonight wasn’t done with throwing us into the line of fire.
“Nah, the good stuff is about to start.”
A voice boomed through the room as they announced the winter wonderland showcase and the order of the designers that would be presenting their lines. The lights lifted and a dry icy smog floated over the base of the runway, setting the scene. According to Jamie, we had some of the best seats in the house, right at the end of the runway. Music started to play as a silhouetted figure broke through the curtains and took to the stage. Applause rang out as Jamie’s figure cut through the smog, and my world narrowed down to him. Always. Only. Him.
“Fuck,” I groaned and scrubbed my hand down my face as my eyes roved all over Jamie’s body.
“He looks good.”
I narrowed my eyes at B, and he smiled right back. “Fucking dick,” I muttered, but my attention was captivated by Jamie as he walked down the runway like he owned the place. His golden curls took on an icy edge to fit the theme, and his face glittered like it was covered in a million crystals. His pale-blue eyes looked luminous under the lights, but it was the fact that they were locked on me that heated the blood in my veins and had me adjusting my hard dick before he’d made it halfway. My eyes dragged down his body to the sheer net shirt draped over his torso. Long sleeves encased his arms right down to his fingertips and draped around his neck. The small pearl and crystal detail that covered it reminded me of freshly fallen snow glittering in the sun.
“Wow,” Buchanan said as Jamie stopped in front of us and winked. When a whoop rang out behind us, a fucking epic blush stained his cheeks.
“Mine!” I ignored B as I watched my little crow’s ass sway in his fitted white pants as he sashayed back up the runway.