Beauty and the Beast 2300 AD 3 · Stranger in Moscow

Even their closest friends want them separated.

With Troy still incarcerated in the Falcone prison, Stavros plans the perfect wedding. A marriage that will give him and Troy rights they never had before.

Meanwhile, three men watch a video recording of the two lovers planning their future life. Haydan Pettigrew (warden of Falcone prison) listened deep in thought. Nicolai (Bolshoi director) trembled with rage. His beloved Stavros married to this American monster? Not if he could help it. And Fabian (Stavros' devious friend) realized that his perfect plan needed revamping in order to save his friend from what would surely be an unhappy situation. While the three men plot their future strategies. Only one of them was actually planning a wedding.

Excerpt

Stavros hated Mondays, but weekends always made for fascinating entries into his diary. The rest of the world had switched to electronic blogs centuries ago but Stavros felt pen and paper freed him creatively without intimidation. Electronic blogs were forever, for everyone. His antique book and handmade paper was a one of a kind for his eyes only. He trusted his diary as he trusted no one else. When he entered the final sentence of the current entry, he signed off with a flourish and locked the leather bound diary, and placed it aside under his pillow. He reached for his electronic tablet and switched it on. As the network connected, forceful headlines flashed across the screen and ignited his anger.

Stavros tossed the tablet across the room as he sat upright in bed upsetting his breakfast tray. The disturbance brought the suite’s renter, and Stavros’ friend Fabian, rushing through the French doors into the bedroom. He was anxious to tend to whatever problem existed, for it would not do to have his divo upset so close to the dates of his performances at the Bolshoi.

When Fabian entered the room he was greeted by a very handsome but dissolved Opera divo. Stavros was near hysterics. Fabian sat beside him on the bed and allowed the music star to rest his head against his shoulder.

“Good Gracious man, what in the world is going on? You’ve upset your breakfast tray.” Fabian had been kind enough to allow Stavros to stay in his hotel suite during his performances at the Bolshoi. He had also included the services of his man servant Mario who was being run ragged by Stavros’ many demands. But like everyone who encountered him, Stavros had won him over with his beauty and childlike innocence.

“It’s all over the damned Internet!” Stavros whined. When he announced his upcoming marriage to the press, he hadn’t thought any of it through, only the part that directly involved him and his career. He looked forward to his picture being broadcast all over the world. He foolishly didn’t think he would be sharing it with the equally famous Troy Akiro, corporate killer for hire. He was the man Stavros announced as his fiancé.

“What is? What’s all over the Internet” Sometime even his best friend Fabian was amazed at how naive and often self centered his friend was. He was entirely at a loss as to why being the biggest news in entertainment today came as a surprise to Stavros, who was the biggest legend of his time when it came to music. Although Stavros loved Troy, the thought of marrying him had come about only as an opportunistic means to an end. It was not his wish to tie himself to a man he could only make love to on supervised visits. He was a passionate man and cock once a month would not satisfy him.

“Oh that. It’s old news honey. On the plus side, the publicity has sent your ticket sales through the roof.” Fabian couldn’t have been happier at the result of the two men’s impetuous thoughts.