Page 85 of Changeling
“Because you haveeyes,” Sasha laughed, looking about the bustling club of mostly same-sex pairs. “I assumed you could tell. Besides, Cam mentioned Wade worked in a gay bar.”
“No, I’m pretty sure he didn’t.” Nathan was trying to stay calm. He knew it was ridiculous to suddenly feel so…exposed.
“Uh…well…actually he did,” chimed in Jim from Nathan’s other side. At least Jim looked a little guilty. “After we met upwith them inside the school again. Guess you were…distracted.” Jim stared at Nathan extra hard. Nathan had asked Jim to avoid mentioning the group of bullies with Leven to anyone else, mostly for the kid’s sake.
Suddenly, Sasha downed the rest of his beer and pushed what little was left of Nathan’s at Jim. “Why do you think I didn’t protest to staying?” He took both of Nathan’s hands and tugged. “I’ve been wanting to get you on the dance floor ever since we got out here.”
“What?” Nathan tried to pull his hands back but Sasha wasn’t letting go. “No way. Are you out of your freaking mind?”
“Nathan, it’s a gay bar,” Sasha said slowly. “No one’s going to care. Or notice. How often are we gonna get a chance like this?”
Preferably never again, Nathan thought.
“Here, we don’t have to pretend anything. We can just dance. It’s not like I’m asking for a slow dance to Barry White. It’s been pretty much rave music all night. Come on, Nate. For me?” Sasha’s voice deepened and he grinned at Nathan all toothy and sweet.
“This is not a new trend,” Nathan warned him. “You do not get to use that ‘look how cute and pretty I am’ face for at least a week. And the rest of you,” Nathan finished, looking at Cam, Jim, and Leven, “you’re coming with us.”
Of course the kid was all over this invitation. Cam just shrugged, nonplussed. But Jim nearly dropped his beer. “Uh…what?”
“Shake a leg, Jesse James,” Nathan commanded, grabbing Jim’s arm. “At least if you’re out there too maybe I won’t look so bad.”
“But…”
Nathan shoved Jim out onto the dance floor. “Move.”
The song changed to one Nathan recognized almost as soon as they were out on the floor, which seemed a bit serendipitous, butwhen Sasha slithered up behind Nathan and grabbed his hips, Nathan tensed. There were so many people.
Being an incubus, Cam didn’t have any qualms about who he danced with. And Leven—bless the kid—was being very friendly with Jim in an attempt to get the other Grier brother dancing and more relaxed. Jim looked pretty much petrified.
The sight helped calm Nathan’s nerves.
There were so many people…and none of them cared that Sasha was molded against Nathan’s back as they moved to the music. Nathan liked to dance. He wouldn’t be winning any awards for it, but it was fun. When no one was looking or when he was trying to get on Jim’s nerves, anyway. At least there was something easy about the way he and Sasha were moving. Their bodies rocked in synch with each other, Sasha’s hands held firm around Nathan’s waist and Nathan’s hands on Sasha’s hips. It was really kind of intimate and yet most of the other people around them were connected the same way.
Nathan laughed when he saw the frightened look on Jim’s face with how close Leven and Cam were dancing to him as they tried to get him to move in kind. Jim was being much slower to come out of his shell this time than he had been at the Gatehouse. He still managed to toss Nathan a knowing smirk, however, when their eyes met across the floor.
Tuning out the rest of the club’s din, Nathan sank back against Sasha.
“You see,” Sasha said beside his ear, “two guys dancing like this and the world still turns. The only eyes on you are mine, Nathan. And the ones from all the people checking you out.”
“What?”
Nathan’s eyes snapped open—he hadn’t even noticed when he closed them—but the only response he got was Sasha’s laughter. Nathan couldn’t help scanning the other nearby dancers for wandering eyes. The only ones he caught, however…wereLeven’s. They, surprisingly, were not checking him out. They were just watching. Longingly, yes, but for what Sasha and Nathan had, not who they were.
The thing that surprised and hurt Nathan the most though was when he caught the same look in Jim’s eyes, too. All of Nathan’s barbs about Jim needing to get laid suddenly settled like lead in his stomach. Jim shouldn’t envy him. Jim should never envyhim.
“Nathan?” Sasha questioned.
Nathan hadn’t realized he had stopped dancing. He turned around in Sasha’s hold, looking up into those concerned eyes, so blue and beautiful. Nathan was a lost cause. He was bound for death, or worse, servitude in the Veil with no way out in sight. He was the most selfish person he knew. He wasn’t even sure if he could protect Jim anymore, not from some unknowable future. But looking at Sasha, feeling and knowing that he was blessed enough to be thatloved…yeah, maybe Nathan would envy himself too.
Chapter 34
“Cabaretwasprobablymyfavorite,”Cam said as they entered the auditorium the next morning to check out the catwalk—where Andy had fallen from and died. The police had already cleared out, since it had been deemed an accident again. Nathan and Cam had volunteered to check out the site, while Sasha and Jim questioned their suspects.
“Who did Sasha play?” Nathan asked. “The Emcee?”
“Excuse you—Iwas the Emcee. Sasha played Cliff. That was our last show before the change.”
“So you were…what? Fifteen?” Nathan scoffed. “And most of the cast would have been younger—”
