Shadow of Self

By choice or by chance, life finds a former college foursome in the dynamic city of Dallas, Texas.

Daniel Self, former hero of his college football team, is handsome, smart, compassionate, and loved by many, but for very different reasons. He leaves one night, giving little information about his destination. Dunnelly Knight hides his feelings for Daniel, becoming a popular newscaster and partnering with a powerful and wealthy businessman in Dallas. A shy and tortured soul, Jamie Barnes is a night club performer with gender identity issues, making his twisted journey forward and giving himself to wealthy clients for money. He thinks of Daniel often, as he was the man who awakened him to what he wanted most.

When one of them is murdered, questions and accusations are raised, but few answers surface.

And then, Daniel returns.

Excerpt:

The MASQUERADE was the hottest show bar in Texas, and it was there that Jamie Barnes from Willow, Texas found his true calling. The drag shows were always followed by male strippers, and on weekends lines waited at the door for entry.

Jamie headed to the makeshift mirror and makeup table of the cramped dressing room behind the stage. “I thought it went well. I was feeling the love for that drag from New Orleans. She should come back again.”

“Yeah, the audience loved her, but what was with that arch of the back on her last song. I thought she might be trying to limbo under the rainbow,” Lauren, formerly Larry, cattily laughed.

“Don’t be bitter because the audience loved her,” Jamie snickered.

“Okay, I’m not trying to get into your business, but you’ve had the picture of that hunk in the football uniform stuck on your mirror since we’ve been with this club. Who is he? Is he some mystery man from your past?”

Jamie’s expression darkened. “Don’t go there, okay, his name is Daniel, and that’s all you need to know.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I’ll never bring it up again.”

* * *

Denton was a bit of a spoiled narcissist who went for what he wanted and felt entitled to have it. Dunnelly knew from the beginning that he and Denton had very different values. Dunnelly thrived on work and career as Denton went through the motions of working at an oil company downtown, a job snagged through connections of his father. Denton seemed to have all the free time and money he needed and he wanted Dunnelly to be part of it. It was a clash of values they both tried to work through, but the sex and passion was the glue that held them together.

“Okay Denton,” Dunnelly shouted into the open door of the den. “Do you think you could at least pick up after yourself?”

Denton looked up from the computer with the same glazed look in his eyes that was the giveaway that he had already had a few too many beers. “Whoa… go easy on me, handsome. I’ve had a long day myself,” he smiled with his usual sarcasm.

“Yeah, right, you worked four rather than three hours today? Denton, you know the cleaning service only comes in once a week, and they don’t seem to be doing a very good job. It was your idea to hire a cleaning service with handsome guys that clean in the nude, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask that they do the job they’re hired to do, with or without clothes! Could it be you who is getting all the service rather than the house?”

Denton followed behind Dunnelly as he turned to leave the room.