Carrick

Los Angeles, city of angels… more like devils, if you ask me. Temptation around every corner, just waiting to drag you down. Money, drugs, sex… you can get almost anything you want with just a word to the right people. Alex Greenwald was definitely one of those people. Granted, I wasn’t some naive farmboy just off the Greyhound, but LA was still a whole other world compared to what I’d known. And Alex was all too willing to show me the way.

He was a decent enough friend, even if he was an arrogant prick most of the time. We hooked up a few times; it never meant anything, and I was fine with that. He seemed to think I was gonna fall head over heels for him or something, and made it pretty clear I was not much more than a piece of tail for him. As if I’d really wanna get tangled up with a narcissistic coke-head like him anyway. But he was good for a laugh, and he always threw the best parties.

It was a Saturday night, and I’d had a rough week, when Alex shot me a text. He was throwing a get-together at his house, and I just had to be there. He probably just wanted to show off his latest twink; I’d known him for a couple years now, and he went through a new boy-toy every few months. I honestly felt bad for the poor saps who fell for his lines… in every sense. That was one thing Alex had tried to push on me, but I’d heard too many horror stories to want to mess with it. I was fine with being a stoner; I didn’t need to add junkie to my resume.

When I got to his house, the place was packed wall-to-wall. I grabbed a beer from the kitchen and started making the rounds; I didn’t recognize too many people, but at least the music was good. As I wandered through the crowd, I heard Alex’s familiar laugh mixing with those around him. I found him lounging on a couch off to one side, surrounded by people staring at him like he was the second coming. I rolled my eyes and leaned against the wall, just watching him. It was kind of fascinating, really, the way people were just drawn to him.

One guy in particular was hanging on his every word. I figured that was the flavor of the month, especially the way he blushed when Alex whispered something in his ear. He wasn’t bad looking; dirty blond hair, long enough to be mistaken for a chick from the right angle, eyes blue enough to stand out from across the room and a smile just a little too sweet given his present company. That sweet little smile turned into a sweet little pout at whatever Alex said next, though, and he got up and walked away. Alex caught my eye and waved me over; I really didn’t want to get roped into his drama, but I had to at least say hi.

“Hey man, you made it.” Alex patted the seat next to him; I figured it was safer to keep some distance, so I perched on the arm of the couch instead.

“Hey. So who’s the new blood?” I asked, nodding in the direction blondie had gone.

“Taylor friggin Hanson. Can you believe it?” Alex laughed and shook his head. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. “Hanson? The three brothers from Oklahoma that all looked like chicks?”

“Right… they had that one song a few years ago, bop something… Wait. That’s Taylor?” Once it came back to me, I remembered seeing them singing and dancing around on MTV; they’d just been kids back then, but I guess it’d been longer than I thought. Honestly their music hadn’t been bad; a little too bubblegum pop for my taste, but it was clear they had talent.

“Yup. All grown up…” Alex stared off for a second, grinning. “And definitely not a chick.”

As if I’d needed confirmation how well he knew Taylor… “Corrupting another one, Alex?”

“Who, me?” He gave me his best innocent smile, which might’ve worked if I didn’t know him. “Nah, we’re just having some fun.”

“Right. You sure he know’s it’s just fun?” I thought about the way Taylor had been looking at him, and I wasn’t so sure. Alex ignored my question though, turning to wave at someone. I didn’t bother waiting for him, instead getting up and heading off to get a fresh drink. I felt bad for the kid… guy? I didn’t know how old he was, but he looked pretty young. Odds were he had no clue what he was getting himself into, though.

The night wore on, and I wasn’t in the best of moods. I thought about taking off, but this was still better than sitting alone in my apartment. I looked around, wondering if it was worth sticking around, when I saw a pair of blue eyes watching me. I cocked an eyebrow as Taylor walked over; there was a sway in his steps that made me really question Alex’s ‘not a chick’ statement.

“Hey,” he said, leaning against the wall next to me. “You’re Carrick, right?”

“The one and only. Taylor, right?”

“You can call me Tay.” He smiled at me, and it wasn’t quite as sweet as before. I looked him over and figured he was probably a little drunk, if nothing else. “Alex told me I should say hi.”

“Did he now…” I gave him a smirk. It wouldn’t be the first time Alex tried to set me up with someone, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.

“Mhm.”

“You don’t think he’ll get jealous?” I knew he wouldn’t, but I wanted to see what Taylor thought. He looked down, his smile falling away for just a moment.

“So what if he does?” Tay took a step closer and bit his lip; I could see why Alex liked him.

“Sounds like someone’s looking for trouble.”

“Is that what you are?” Taylor asked, licking his lips and looking me up and down. I wondered if he was this flirty all the time or if he was playing it up for my benefit.

“Depends on who’s asking,” I replied. If Tay was going to make a move, I wasn’t going to stop him, but he seemed to be too timid to actually do anything. It was cute, really. He bit his lip again, leaning his head against the wall and giving me a look I’m sure he thought was seductive. Not that it wasn’t, but it was obvious he was trying. Again, cute.

“Think I’m gonna step outside for a smoke.” Tay actually winked at me before turning and heading towards the porch. I just laughed and shook my head, but followed him anyway. It was a bad idea; there was no way this would end well. But there was something about him I liked… besides the view from behind, that is.

The porch was surprisingly empty when we stepped out; it was a little chilly, but not too bad. Tay leaned against the railing as he lit the cigarette already between his lips. He kept his eyes on me as I stood next to him, looking out at the cityscape below. I felt him nudge my leg with his, and looked over; he was giving me his sultry smile again, and I had to admit it looked good on him.

“So, you and Alex, huh?” The moment I said it his expression changed. There was a touch of hurt, just for a second, before he sighed and tried to shake it off.

“He’s… a friend.”

“He’s got a lot of friends…” I wasn’t trying to hurt his feelings really; I didn’t know why, but I felt like I wanted to warn him off before it was too late. But with the way he looked down, I had a feeling it already was.

“Maybe,” Tay said, taking another drag. “Maybe it’s time I made a few new friends.” He gave me a pointed look, and I chuckled.

“And you think I’m trouble…”

“You didn’t deny it…” He flicked the remainder of his cigarette off the porch.

“Nope,” I replied.

Rationally, I knew this was going down a very dangerous, messy road. Irrationally, however, Tay was looking better by the second, and if he didn’t do something soon, I wasn’t sure I’d be strong enough not to. I didn’t have to wait long, though. I saw the decision being made, a moment before Tay leaned in to kiss me.

It was a little timid, testing the waters; Tay pulled back and I saw a hint of vulnerability. I felt sorry for him again, for whatever pain he was so obviously going through. Maybe that was why I kissed him back, despite all my better judgement. Or maybe I really did want him. I wasn’t totally sure.

Either way, it didn’t take long for things to get heated. Somehow we got turned around, me pinning him against the railing. I could taste the rum on his breath, but I didn’t mind too much. Tay had a habit of making these little whimpers and breathy moans that were driving me crazy. If it wasn’t Alex’s party, his house, and his not-quite-boyfriend, that’d be one thing, but this was a whole other level of bad idea.

“Tay…”

“Yeah?” Taylor pulled back, biting at my bottom lip.

“Maybe we shouldn’t…”

“Right…” Tay nodded, and for a second I thought he understood… “You wanna go… somewhere?” He asked, biting his lip and smirking.

“No, I mean…” I took a breath and a step back. “I mean, maybe this,” I emphasized, motioning between us, “isn’t a great idea. At least not right now.”

Tay pouted, and I really didn’t want to hurt his feelings. But as the haze of lust faded and logic made a comeback, I was sure of my decision.

“Tay. It’s not…”

“It’s not me, it’s you?” he said, rolling his eyes.

“You’re drunk, Tay. And I wouldn’t know if it was you or the booze.” It wasn’t a total lie… even though I doubted he was that drunk, he was definitely far from sober. He seemed to buy it though, looking down and nodding.

“And what about when I’m not drunk?”

“When you’re not drunk… we’ll see,” I said.

I didn’t want to get his hopes up too much; I didn’t know him well enough to say whether I was interested or not. But he seemed sweet enough. I just hoped Alex didn’t break him too hard.