Page 48 of Devoted
We were laughing and having fun on stage, so far from the professional shows that we usually have here, but that’s the beauty of this event. It’s an entertaining fundraiser for children in need, so no one cares if you misstep or get off beat for a moment. And with it being the week after Thanksgiving, everyone seems to be in good spirits as we move into the holiday season.
Capping my water bottle, I turn in my seat to take a look at the audience while the last performers set up. Tons of familiar faces fill my vision, and I even see Ezekiel and Harriett sitting in a booth off to the side. There are also some new faces in suits and ties, most likely Adler acquaintances who love giving huge donations at these events.
Past the audience, I see the burlesque dancers slinging drinks while Emma orders them around like a general. The idea of having them trade places with the staff is hilarious.
I spot my brothers among the dancers, both of them having lost their shirts already. It’s been nice seeing Thomas here more often, though I know it’s because money is a little tight with him and Rhett right now. T has been working his ass off athis medical residency and dancing at the club on the occasional night off he gets. And unfortunately, Rhett was just let go from his chef position due to the restaurant where he works coming under new ownership.
Alek sees me staring and waves the bottle in his hand, sending the clear alcohol splashing all over himself and the other dancers behind the bar. Emma smacks his arm so hard I almost thought it was the reason why the lights started dimming. But it’s just Seb getting the house lights down and introducing the last performance—Knight and Dom’s routine.
“One and all, let’s make some noise for these magic daddies. If we’re loud enough, maybe they’ll even show us their wands.” Seb’s suggestive words, and even more suggestive tone, have the audience screaming Knight and Dom’s names as a spotlight appears on the closed middle curtains of the stage.
Dom steps out with a flourish as a song with a heavy beat blasts over the speakers. The corset I fitted for him looks perfect, taking in his slim waist and showing off the majority of the smooth planes of his chest. The light blue beading in the corset works so well with the bronze skin peeking out of his billowy shirt. He’s a beautiful man, but all my attention—and my breath—is stolen when Knight steps out from behind the curtain.
Our makeup artist must have put something in his hair to make the curls stand out tonight, and I need to remember to thank her profusely. Knight’s corset, a different shape and setting, has beading work similar to Dom’s but in a muted sapphire blue to match his eyes. The shine of the beads reflects the shine in his eyes, and I can’t look away. He’s caught me in a spell within the depths of his ocean eyes.
“Hmm…” Dom’s voice is what pulls me away. “Audience, I’m not sure if you’re the lucky ones or ifI’mthe lucky one tonight,” he begins, expertly twirling a cane in his hand as he paces thestage. Knight sets up the table behind him, keeping his focus on the props.
“See, I’ve got a very good boy on stage with me today,” Dom pretends to whisper to us, hiding the side of his face from Knight as he says it. The audience whistles. Even from this far away, I can see Knight’s responding eye roll, and it makes me laugh.
“He’s been practicing so hard to give you all an amazing show, isn’t that so, Mr. Adler?” Dom looks over his shoulder as he asks. A middle finger is all he gets back.
“Audience, he’s been bending over backward, pulling things out of my…” The magician pauses, his hand reaching behind him. In a flash, he produces a top hat from behind his back. “Hat. Just like a good assistant should, andcarayhe just happens to have a good ass, too.” He flips the hat onto his head, pinching at the rim as he backs up to meet Knight in front of the table.
“Without further ado,mis amores, let’s get you squirming in your seats.”
He wasn’t fucking lying, seeing Knight on stage giving bicep flexes and little hip thrusts to the music in Dom’s routine has me sweating in the audience. Embarrassment never hits me because Benny is doing just as badly as I am, with Dom stripping down to nothing but his pants by the end of the routine.
The final trick starts with Knight retrieving Dom’s top hat from the start of the show, bending over theatrically and swaying his hips to give the audience a good distracting view as he finishes setting up the trick.
“Damn, Mr. Adler!” I shout, joining in the catcalls from the audience. I’ve loved tonight. It’s been a great distraction from the fleeting, doubtful thoughts I had about Knight and myself earlier. I must have been rattled from being caught, I think.
“For this last trick, a loud audience is a must! I want to measure how loud you can be for me.” Dom’s voice dropsseductively. “Can you be good and scream for Daddy?” He takes the top hat into his hands.
As the audience begins to yell, Dom starts pulling something out, but we can’t see it fully. “Ah, ah,” he chides. “That’s only the tip. Be louder if you want it all.”
The audience goes crazy, screaming and clapping even louder.
“There we go, listening so well.” He keeps pulling out more of the bright pink dildo. And more. And more. Holy shit, how big is that thing?
“Más!” Dom shouts, and we keep screaming.
It gets to the point where Dom isn’t tall enough to keep stretching the thing out of the hat, so with one arm, Knight hauls him onto his shoulder as all eight feet of this fucking double-sided dildo comes out of the hat.
“Anyone else need a cigarette after that trick?” Dom’s voice is husky. Finding Knight’s head, he grips his hair and makes him face the audience.
“Say good night, Mr. Adler.”
A little smile grows on Knight’s lips, getting bigger when he makes eye contact with me before skimming over the audience. “Good night, you assholes.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
KNIGHT
A pink glittery dildo. Thankfully, not eight feet long.
If you told me a few months ago that I not only performed on stage but did fairly well, given how new it is, I would have laughed in your face.
My grueling rehearsals with Domingo seemed to have paid off since I wasn’t booed off stage. Actually, my ears are still ringing from the audience’s cheering as I sit in Vivian’s living room, sipping a glass of wine.
