dressing room. “Oh fuck!” Tam hissed excitedly. “Do you know who that is?”
“No,” Justin replied. “Should I?”
“Justin, honestly.” Tam quickly removed his feathered ruff, and reached out to help Justin with his. “That’s Mark Malone. He’s a big name booker in burlesque, not to mention drop-dead gorgeous .”
Reaching up to help Tam with the feathers, Justin quirked a brow. “Are we burlesque?”
“We’re boylesque.”
“I thought we were cabaret?”
“Same difference, darling. It doesn’t fucking matter as long as it pays .”
“Uh, okay.” Justin finally removed his feathers and handed them off to Tam. The next song would be their ABBA medley and required the ruffles added to the costume. They had it down to about a five-minute changeover, if they were quick. Tonight, they had about fifteen minutes.
Tam must have sensed his mood. “What’s up? You’re brooding.”
“I-I’m just tired.”
“Mm hm.” Tam shot him a look but didn’t press. “If you don’t want to hang out afterwards, that’s cool. I’m more than happy to flirt my arse off with that devilishly handsome man if he’ll book us for more shows.”
Justin had to laugh. “All right. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That doesn’t leave a lot, darling.”
Rolling his eyes, Justin let the comment slide. Tam was right; he was brooding tonight. He had something— someone —weighing on his mind, and he knew he wouldn’t feel better until he’d addressed the issue.
J USTIN ’ S HEART beat wildly as he walked down the little street to Foxy’s. Why was he so nervous? For all he knew Yena wouldn’t even be working, and he was getting himself in a tizz for nothing.
This couldn’t be any more embarrassing.
He patted his jacket pocket, feeling the remote control there. Well, he might as well get it over with. Taking a deep breath, Justin approached the glass doors and opened them. It was only Monday evening and clearly not very busy. Only a few couples dotted around the cocktail bar. The music wasn’t as loud, playing something poppy and chilled.
Oh, god, he’s here.
Justin spotted Yena behind the bar, and his immediate reaction was to want to turn and flee. He told himself to buck up and go over there. A steadying breath, then another, and Justin walked as casually as he was able up to the bar. Yena saw him and held his gaze. And damn, Yena looked good, eyes all big and dark. The dark shirt he wore complimented his skin tone and made his brown curls look almost black. Justin felt like all the breath had been knocked out of him.
“Er, hey,” he said, planting himself in front of Yena and wondering what on earth he could say next. A glance down showed Yena had been chopping limes on the counter behind the bar. Justin chewed his lip, willing Yena to say something. An excruciating silence followed, and Yena turned away.
Panicking, Justin called out, “Yena, wait—”
But Yena only went to the nearby tills, and came back holding something in his hand. “I believe this is yours, Justin.” He waved the mobile phone.
“Oh!” Relief swamped him, and Justin dug in his pocket. “I’ve, umm… I took this by mistake, I think.” He pulled out the remote and offered it to Yena, who stared at it in surprise.
“Oh. Yeah, I wondered where that’d gone.” He looked up, catching Justin’s eye. His lips quirked in a half smile. “Smooth, Justin.”
A nervous laugh bubbled out of him. “Smooth is my middle name.”
They exchanged electronics. Justin noted his phone was off, and Yena muttered, “I had to switch it off, it wouldn’t stop beeping.”
“Sorry.” Justin winced. “I’m glad I didn’t lose it, though. I can’t afford a new one.”
“Well, no worries,” Yena said stiffly. He placed his returned remote behind the bar, and looked ready to continue chopping his limes. Justin hovered, and Yena paused with the knife, looking up at him. “Did you want a drink, or
“No,” Justin replied. “Should I?”
“Justin, honestly.” Tam quickly removed his feathered ruff, and reached out to help Justin with his. “That’s Mark Malone. He’s a big name booker in burlesque, not to mention drop-dead gorgeous .”
Reaching up to help Tam with the feathers, Justin quirked a brow. “Are we burlesque?”
“We’re boylesque.”
“I thought we were cabaret?”
“Same difference, darling. It doesn’t fucking matter as long as it pays .”
“Uh, okay.” Justin finally removed his feathers and handed them off to Tam. The next song would be their ABBA medley and required the ruffles added to the costume. They had it down to about a five-minute changeover, if they were quick. Tonight, they had about fifteen minutes.
Tam must have sensed his mood. “What’s up? You’re brooding.”
“I-I’m just tired.”
“Mm hm.” Tam shot him a look but didn’t press. “If you don’t want to hang out afterwards, that’s cool. I’m more than happy to flirt my arse off with that devilishly handsome man if he’ll book us for more shows.”
Justin had to laugh. “All right. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That doesn’t leave a lot, darling.”
Rolling his eyes, Justin let the comment slide. Tam was right; he was brooding tonight. He had something— someone —weighing on his mind, and he knew he wouldn’t feel better until he’d addressed the issue.
J USTIN ’ S HEART beat wildly as he walked down the little street to Foxy’s. Why was he so nervous? For all he knew Yena wouldn’t even be working, and he was getting himself in a tizz for nothing.
This couldn’t be any more embarrassing.
He patted his jacket pocket, feeling the remote control there. Well, he might as well get it over with. Taking a deep breath, Justin approached the glass doors and opened them. It was only Monday evening and clearly not very busy. Only a few couples dotted around the cocktail bar. The music wasn’t as loud, playing something poppy and chilled.
Oh, god, he’s here.
Justin spotted Yena behind the bar, and his immediate reaction was to want to turn and flee. He told himself to buck up and go over there. A steadying breath, then another, and Justin walked as casually as he was able up to the bar. Yena saw him and held his gaze. And damn, Yena looked good, eyes all big and dark. The dark shirt he wore complimented his skin tone and made his brown curls look almost black. Justin felt like all the breath had been knocked out of him.
“Er, hey,” he said, planting himself in front of Yena and wondering what on earth he could say next. A glance down showed Yena had been chopping limes on the counter behind the bar. Justin chewed his lip, willing Yena to say something. An excruciating silence followed, and Yena turned away.
Panicking, Justin called out, “Yena, wait—”
But Yena only went to the nearby tills, and came back holding something in his hand. “I believe this is yours, Justin.” He waved the mobile phone.
“Oh!” Relief swamped him, and Justin dug in his pocket. “I’ve, umm… I took this by mistake, I think.” He pulled out the remote and offered it to Yena, who stared at it in surprise.
“Oh. Yeah, I wondered where that’d gone.” He looked up, catching Justin’s eye. His lips quirked in a half smile. “Smooth, Justin.”
A nervous laugh bubbled out of him. “Smooth is my middle name.”
They exchanged electronics. Justin noted his phone was off, and Yena muttered, “I had to switch it off, it wouldn’t stop beeping.”
“Sorry.” Justin winced. “I’m glad I didn’t lose it, though. I can’t afford a new one.”
“Well, no worries,” Yena said stiffly. He placed his returned remote behind the bar, and looked ready to continue chopping his limes. Justin hovered, and Yena paused with the knife, looking up at him. “Did you want a drink, or
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