STANDING in the hallway outside Jesse’s apartment, Devon dropped his bags to the floor and knocked loudly. From inside came the thump-thump of heavy, pulsating music, and he frowned, thinking he could smell cannabis. A minute passed with no answer. Devon knocked again.
All the way there, he had drummed his fingers impatiently against his leg. The journey from the airport took forever, the driver cheerfully informing him that the traffic had been horrendous all day and he might as well sit back and relax. Which was easier said than done when he had called Jesse a dozen times since landing and he was still not picking up.
Added to which, every time Devon glanced out the window, there was another billboard with Jesse staring down, larger than life, giving the world his best mean and moody look. Devon had to admit the picture was a work of art. Jesse looked amazing and, overnight, had become the stuff of fantasy for women and men alike. Stopped at a red light, he’d watched a group of giggling schoolgirls stop by the billboard and snap Jesse’s picture on their phones.
Devon had swallowed a twinge of jealousy. Jesse was young, sexy, and beautiful. He would have to get used to other people finding Jesse as attractive as he did. It was a little late in the day to turn round now and tell Jesse he was opposed to him modelling when he was the one to encourage him in the first place. He had just not expected Jesse to be quite so big quite so soon.
The third time he knocked, the door finally opened. A skinny young man with a glossy mane of blond hair looked Devon up and down, an ugly scowl marring his handsome face.
“If you’ve come to complain, you can fuck off. The music’s not that loud.”
“It’s not about the music.” Devon sighed at his blank expression and raised his voice a notch. “I said, it’s not about the music. I’m looking for Jesse.”
The young man gave him an appraising look. “Are you his dad?”
“No,” Devon said shortly. “Is he here or not?”
“Oh, he’s here. Not sure he’s expecting company, though. Or should I say more company.” Blondie stepped back, beckoning him inside the flat. Pointing to a closed door off the hallway, he said, “He’s in there. Enter at your own risk.”
His words filled Devon with trepidation. Not just the words, but the fact Blondie was getting a kick out of watching him walk hesitantly toward the door. Slowly, he pushed it open and stepped into the room. Whatever he was expecting, it was nothing compared to the sight laid out before him. Stunned to the core, Devon stared for several moments before he could even figure out what belonged to whom in the writhing tangle of naked limbs.
There were four of them locked together on the bed. A brunette with the biggest breasts Devon had ever seen on such a dainty figure lay spread-eagled on the rumpled sheets while a tall, red-haired man lay on top of her and fucked her enthusiastically. Beside her, with one leg thrown over the hips of the redhead, a thin blond man sucked noisily on one of the brunette’s nipples. Jesse was buried deep inside the blond, head tipped back, knuckles white where they gripped skinny, fake-tanned hips. Devon knew him well enough to know he was close to coming.
He should turn away. Leave without Jesse ever knowing he was there. But his legs felt like stone and Devon doubted he could move if he tried. It wasn’t just Jesse that mesmerized him, it was all of them. It was the way they were fused, four bodies moving as one entity. If it weren’t for the fact his boyfriend was about to shoot his load inside a man who was about as far from him as he could get, Devon might even have considered it beautiful.
“Quite a sight, huh?” The blond man joined him in the doorway. “They’ve been at it for hours. Don’t know where they get their energy. Oh, wait.” He held up a small, clear bag of white powder and smirked. “Yes, I do.”
On the bed, the brunette opened her eyes and glared reproachfully at the interruption, showing no embarrassment at suddenly finding herself with an audience. Her glassy-eyed focus settled on Devon and she reached out a hand, tugging hard on Jesse’s hair to get his attention.
“Is that your dad, Jess?”
Jesse looked up, disorientated and confused. He smiled slightly and continued to thrust into the blond without faltering. “You’re back.”
“And now I’m leaving.”
“No, wait.” Jesse stretched out a hand. “Come over here and give me my birthday present.”
“Come on, sweetheart,” the red-haired man said. “The more the merrier. Right, guys?”
“I don’t know.” The brunette pouted sulkily. “He’s kind of old.”
“Goodbye, Jesse. Have a nice life.”
“Dev, wait.”
With difficulty, Jesse extracted himself from the blond man, who protested loudly. Jesse rolled from the bed and hit the floor with a resounding crash, his legs buckling beneath him. Devon watched in disgust as he tried, and failed, to pull himself upright. Bad enough he should walk in on Jesse mid-orgy, but for him to be too off his face on drugs to even stand? That was unforgivable.
Devon turned his back on Jesse’s helpless floundering and walked out of the room. Grabbing his bags from the hallway, he hurried down the stairs and out into the chill evening air. He walked briskly until he was a couple of streets away and sure Jesse hadn’t managed to get himself together enough to follow. Unsure what to do, he sat on a low stone wall and dropped his bags at his feet. Taking out his phone, he called the one person who’d always been there for him when he was at his worst. As soon as the call connected, Devon burst into hot, angry tears.
“Antonio? It’s Devon. Will you come and get me?”