One of the Beautiful People

Chapter Four

 Paul absolutely could not stop thinking about John. It wasn’t just what had happened to him the previous day that delighted him so much; he just couldn’t stop thinking about John in general. John was so handsome, admiring, and he cared for Paul in a way no one had ever cared for him before. Paul loved the feeling of being loved by someone like John, as it was different from his admiring customers. This was real love, something Paul had never felt.

  As he got ready for work the following evening, Paul was a little nervous. He felt almost as if he were cheating, dancing for others besides his precious John. He considered John his now, and he figured, John must probably consider Paul his as well. Therefore, it would be quite rude to go behind his back and dance for others. But it wasn’t going behind his back now, was it? It was work, and Paul needed the money. Hell, he met John through his work. Why should he stop just because he and John had connected?

  He wiped the sweat from his forehead, cringing at the feeling of being nervous. It was ridiculous, getting this scared over something so small. John was just another human being, and there was no need to get all worked up over him. Paul knew that he and John had had an odd sort of connection the day before, but still, he didn’t really care that he was dancing for others. He knew he should feel bad, but nothing really hit him. He shrugged off what little doubt he had and walked over to his closet.

  Opening it wide, Paul’s eyes scanned the closet for something flashy to wear tonight. He wanted to look his best, even though he didn’t really have anyone to impress. The only one he would even consider looking good for was John, and he knew John wouldn’t want to be one of his customers anymore. Paul continued looking for an outfit to wear, settling on a tight-fitting pair of trousers and a sparkly black jacket. Wearing all black made his customers afraid, and allowed them to fear him, wanthim. Paul absolutely loved feeling wanted, even if it was by someone he considered not-so-decent. Who cares if he and John had had a connection? By now, Paul didn’t care anymore. Work was more important than any lover he could have.

  Paul added some light eyeliner, defining his features and making sure he looked his best. He gelled his hair up like usual, smiling at himself in the mirror for a brief moment before deciding it was time to go into the lobby. It must have been only about eight at night, but Paul figured that it would be nice to get out there early. He was feeling raunchy that particular evening, and he wanted to dance as much as possible.

  It was only a matter of time before Paul found his first customer, a young lad from just outside Liverpool. At a first glance, he wasn’t attractive, but after some time (and a few shots) Paul decided that he was worth a dance. He walked up to the now-handsome man, winking and smiling his most seductive smile. “Dance?” he asked, leaning over the man and allowing his fingers to trace his shoulder gently.

  “Yes,” the man nodded, and Paul took him by the hand, leading him to the back room. As he guided this stranger to his room, his stomach twisted into knots. The feelings of regret were coming back again, and in no time, Paul realized all over again that this was wrong. He was John’s, and John was his. Doing this would be cheating.

  But it was too late, and the man was paying ahead of time. Paul took the money without even thinking, stuffing it into his underwear underneath his trousers. He slowly unzipped his jacket to about halfway, allowing the man to catch a slight glimpse at his nicely-toned chest yet still keeping the mystery of what lay underneath.

  The man smiled in delight, resting against the seated cushions Paul had aligned against the wall. He began unzipping his jacket completely, taking it off and throwing it to the floor. The man licked his lips, his eyes growing slightly wider as he soaked in the sight of the flawless dancer before him. He was having the time of his life watching Paul approach him. But Paul couldn’t help feeling regret, wanting to at least get to know this man before dancing for him.