Page 105 of Sass in the Grass

“The one?”

“That tamed Jovian.”

“Oh,” he said, laughing. “I don’t think I tamed him.”

“Well, you showed him he had a heart. Close enough. I’m gonna tell you, when he first asked me about doing this? I thought he was some pod person, some clone. I never in my life imagined Jovian would want to do this, let alone pull it off.”

“When he’s determined, well, you can see.”

“I do. I want to tell you, he swore me to secrecy, but I was gonna say something to my brother. I get Jovian didn’t want credit, but this is so big. There’s not a doubt he’s saving that camp now. The old owners have already committed to matching whatever’s made and, more than that, to make up any difference,in case it runs short of what you all need. So far, by what the bouncers have told me, we’re gonna make it and then some.”

That wasn’t just a relief, it was more pride for his boy. “I’m really happy about that. It’s a good thing, the camp.”

“It is. If it can help someone like Jovian, it shows what powers it has. True wanted me to keep you down here for a while. She’s starting off the show, a surprise for Jovian, and True figures you could show yourself at the same time. Jovian’s up there, making everyone nuts, picking at this and that, trying so hard to make everything perfect. True and Bernie, they wanted it to be perfect for him, too.”

“Just let me know when.”

“Not long now. I’ll give you the passcode for the VIP elevator and you can head up without waiting in line. Just push the button for the fourth floor.”

“Thanks. Do you know where Jovian will be?”

“He’s stationing himself in the back of the room, so he can nitpick anyone not doing what he wants them to.”

“Wonderful,” Cherokee said, laughing.

He drank his water while watching a man with three pups, all on leashes, kneeling on the ground by his feet as he spoke quietly with another man.

He saw lots of leather, lots of latex in the time he was at the table, including a lot of very pretty twinks sending flirting glances his way that, formerly, would have turned his head.

Well, Cherokee Dixon was off the market.

He went up in the elevator when he was supposed to, and he searched the crowd in the back of the room, in the back and center of two stages. It was standing room only on the floor and a loud buzz of hundreds of conversations made it hard to even think.

Cherokee didn’t mind, though. He was a man of instinct. When he saw Jovian, he smiled, especially seeing the stress onhis baby’s face. He was so worried, so driven to help the camp, that he was tense all the way through his body, so much so it was obvious just looking at him.

He made his way around the room, moving in front of one stage, keeping in the center of the crowd to keep Jovian from picking him out of the other faces. Jovian was checking his phone over and over, likely knowing the time was coming to start the shows.

Cherokee stopped ten feet from him, keeping himself hidden by the line that trailed from the bathroom, and he watched as the lights lowered, the crowd’s thunderous applause roaring through the room.

As the spotlights came on, pointed in the center of the stage, two people soon came into view. Two people he knew well, or at least, their alter egos.

They were dressed to the nines in blue and red, respectively, long flowing gowns, both with blond wigs, and fake diamonds all up and down their arms, hanging from their earlobes and thick necklaces around their necks.

“Hey, y’all! How are you?” Clitoris Starling said to the crowd, and they answered with a cheer that likely could be heard in Wyoming. Once it died enough for her to continue, Clit said, “I’m Clitoris Starling, and this is my partner in all things dark and naughty, Final Vaginal! Give this bitch some applause!”

Instead of watching the stage, Cherokee’s eyes were on Jovian. His jaw dropped hard, and his eyes were round, showing his utter shock.

“We wanted to come and thank our benefactors, because, well, my partner and I run the Pride Camp that you are all here to give a helping hand to! Come up on stage, Jovian Masseretti!”

Jovian didn’t move a muscle. He was too surprised to move, so Cherokee finally went to him, and leaned in to whisper, “Go up to the stage, baby boy.”

Jovian swung around, seeing him with even more shock.

“Hi. You’re not on the survival camping trip. I think you’re in trouble,” he said, then kissed him and in that moment, the spotlight turned to them, effectively ending the kiss.

“What are you doing here? I didn’t want you to know!”

“Well, your friend ratted you out and they’re all here, the entire camp. Get up there, hurry, and we’ll talk later.”

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