Page 17 of Footlights and Forever

The muscular thick-forearmed Italian-looking god regarded me with overt amusement and wonder as I rambled myself into something approaching hysterics.

“Okay, can we start over please?”

“Absolutely.” He nodded, his arms folding across his chest, making his muscles bulge obscenely. “Go ahead.”

“What I meant to say was,” I tried to remember words when I suddenly came to a realization, “hey, I wasn’t going to say anything! You scared me! What doyouwant?”

This earned me a laugh as he shook his head lightly. “Sorry sir, I just saw you carrying a lot of suits and you looked like you might be struggling, so I just thought you might need some help.”

How insulting!“What, you saw a skinny little weak nerd and thought that I couldn’t handle clothes and that you might have to save me?”

“Well, actually I saw you in the racks looking at clothes and thought you were really cute,” he said, non-plussed. “This was just an opportunity to come and talk to you.”

“What, me?” I looked around to make sure he wasn’t talking to a hot guy or girl behind me, because that had happened before.I’m never going back to that PF Chang’s again.

“Yeah, you.” His smile was so warm and affectionately. “Are you here by yourself?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but very much like a ventriloquist, the sound came from the large body suddenly behind me. “No he isn’t, he is here with me.” The ventriloquist sounded pissed.

“Sorry man.” The changing room attendant put his hands up in front of him. “I thought you were single.”

“I am!” I protested, turning around sharply to see a very agitated-looking Austin staring daggers at the very nice deity in front of me.

“Sorry, I’m confused.” He looked between me and Austin and gave us a brief nod. “I’ll give you gentleman a minute.” He wandered off back towards the men’s section and out of sight.

How fucking dare Austin do this? Yes, I completely understand that he didn’t want to label whatever we were to each other. I mean, we’d slept together in the same bed almost naked, and I’d seen him naked a couple of times now and we’d woken up in each other’s arms, but I’d never even kissed the guy. Now this unbelievable smoke show showed a bit of interest inme, and Austin basically pissed all over my back legs, what the actual fuck?

“How unprofessional!” He gritted his teeth. “What, he just thinks he can just come over here and flirt with whoever he wants? Who does he think he is?”

“I don’t know Austin,” I bit out, “I never even managed to get his name.”

Obviously not picking up my mood he continued, “I mean the gall, that he would just start hitting on you like you some available piece of meat. Like he can just have you, when he can’t because I….”

My heart stopped for a moment. “When you what?”

His gaze snapped to mine, a panicked look taking over his whole face, his body tensing like he was about to bolt. “I don’t know what I mean,” he quickly corrected himself. “Is that what you want?” he frowned, looking down towards his feet. “You want to go back and flirt with him?”

I absolutely hate that his kicked-puppy look works so effectively on me.“No, Austin,” I sighed, “I don’t want to flirt with him. I don’t want to flirt with anybody…” his frown line deepened, “else.”

And just like that the sun came back out and his smile overtook his face.

“Really?” he chewed at his bottom lip, a hopeful lilt to his tone.

“You’re ridiculous,” I smiled, snagging the clothes piles from the floor in front of me and walking into the dressing room.

Chapter 7

“If you like nerds, raise your hand. If you don't, raise your standards.” - Violet Haberdasher.

Dylan

“Hey Dancing Queen, I know you’re going for Bruce Wayne,” my sister’s dulcet tones came from behind me on the stairs as I looked at myself in the mirror, “but I think you look more like Alfred. Be careful in case they try to put a tray of canapes in your hands tonight.”

I didn’t think I looked too bad at all. If the Muscle Mary from the tux shop had seen me in this get-up, then I might have even gotten asked out on that date. I mean, I would have said no, because my stupid boy heart was all tied up with a certain football jock. I was such a sap.

I inspected myself in the mirror once more, my hair parted and combed to the left. I normally combed it to the right,Rebel right here. I fit this double-breasted black tux with black silk lapels and collar really well. I had on the pleated white dressshirt that Hailey said I had to wear, as it ‘hugged me in all the right and wrong places’.

A black bow tie sat crooked at my neck; I had tried to fix it for ten minutes before giving up and embracing the mess. I pulled open the front door, looking down the street to see if the cab I ordered half an hour ago was willing to deign us with its presence. The cold wind whistled between the branches of the black willow trees that crowded the sidewalk. When all I see was the tree-lined street with parked cars lining it, I pulled my head back in the house. Slightly annoyed, I decided to turn a bit of that irritation on the pain the ass behind me.

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