by the attack, that he actually took a step back and stalled. He wanted to say something about being hot, but it got stuck in his throat when he remembered James had already told him Mike was just one of many pretty faces. “I— I can do shit,” he uttered.
“You can fix cars, probably.” James shook his head. “But you couldn’t secure a related job that would actually pay reasonable money. I worked my ass off after high school to get where I am. What did you do?”
Mike swallowed the bile rising in his throat. This was beyond unfair. “I wanted to do stuff,” he hissed. “You have no idea what I’ve been through! And I can fix cars. And other stuff as well.”
James took a step closer and spread his arms wide. “‘Stuff’? I wanted to do stuff too, but I had too much work to party all the time.”
“Oh, I bet you had no time to party at the university your parents paid for. You live in a fantasy world. It wasn’t like that for guys like me!” Mike took big breaths, feeling attacked in the most personal of ways. In a way someone like Vega could never reach him.
James wrapped his hands on his nape with a low chuckle. “I did not, and if I hadn’t made it, I would still be indebted. It’s all my work. What did you do? You’re not an idiot, so why aren’t you in a supervisory position somewhere? You’re what, twenty-seven?”
Mike felt the heat on his face and nervously played with a button on his new shirt. “I couldn’t do what I wanted. My family washed their hands of me the moment I came out. Nothing like yours! You have no idea what I’ve been through!” He raised his voice even though he hadn’t intended to. “I was homeless, I had no money, and nowhere to go. You must be so fucking happy with yourself. You get to pay Mike Miller to be ordered around all weekend. Fuck you.”
James frowned. “That’s right. For once, Mike Miller’s doing as I say, not the other way around. And I am enjoying myself.”
Mike clenched his fists in anger, but they had nowhere to go if he wanted to get his money on Sunday. He could feel the fingernails bite into his palms. “Here I am then,” he rasped out, trying not to scream and punch. “Your fucking entertainment. The idiot who made nothing of himself in life.”
James swallowed, keeping his eyes level. “We’re both tired. Let’s go to sleep.”
Mike curled his lip into a snarl. “You do what the fuck you want. I’ll go take a bath.” He turned around before his eyes started stinging too much. He’d never felt so humiliated in his life. The only thing still keeping him here was the promise of a sum of money that could help him start a new life. James was such a privileged fucker. None of Mike’s dreams ever had any chance to be fulfilled. It didn’t matter what he’d wanted to do after high school, he never had the money to try.
He walked into the bathroom as fast as possible and didn’t even turn the light on at first, looking into the mirror in the darkness that was only broken by a bit of light coming through a small window. He was taking deep, long breaths as the other Mike Miller gritted his teeth, fighting the stinging heat rising in his head and chest. It was only after several minutes that he hit the light switch, illuminating the walls covered by a golden mosaic. The bathroom was huge, with a bowl-like sink on the counter, a spacious shower stall, and behind it, a large bathtub in the corner.
Now that he was in here, he wished he’d taken the wine from his duffel bag. Then again, would drinking make him even more of a loser in James’s eyes? He took deep breaths as he opened the faucet. He wasn’t even sure what was worse, this day, or the day his brother found gay porn on his computer, and Mike decided to come clean about who he was. Bad fucking decision. He had thought it was a good time to come out, even when his father created a shitstorm and threw him out. Mike was too busy imagining all the gay sex he’d have in
“You can fix cars, probably.” James shook his head. “But you couldn’t secure a related job that would actually pay reasonable money. I worked my ass off after high school to get where I am. What did you do?”
Mike swallowed the bile rising in his throat. This was beyond unfair. “I wanted to do stuff,” he hissed. “You have no idea what I’ve been through! And I can fix cars. And other stuff as well.”
James took a step closer and spread his arms wide. “‘Stuff’? I wanted to do stuff too, but I had too much work to party all the time.”
“Oh, I bet you had no time to party at the university your parents paid for. You live in a fantasy world. It wasn’t like that for guys like me!” Mike took big breaths, feeling attacked in the most personal of ways. In a way someone like Vega could never reach him.
James wrapped his hands on his nape with a low chuckle. “I did not, and if I hadn’t made it, I would still be indebted. It’s all my work. What did you do? You’re not an idiot, so why aren’t you in a supervisory position somewhere? You’re what, twenty-seven?”
Mike felt the heat on his face and nervously played with a button on his new shirt. “I couldn’t do what I wanted. My family washed their hands of me the moment I came out. Nothing like yours! You have no idea what I’ve been through!” He raised his voice even though he hadn’t intended to. “I was homeless, I had no money, and nowhere to go. You must be so fucking happy with yourself. You get to pay Mike Miller to be ordered around all weekend. Fuck you.”
James frowned. “That’s right. For once, Mike Miller’s doing as I say, not the other way around. And I am enjoying myself.”
Mike clenched his fists in anger, but they had nowhere to go if he wanted to get his money on Sunday. He could feel the fingernails bite into his palms. “Here I am then,” he rasped out, trying not to scream and punch. “Your fucking entertainment. The idiot who made nothing of himself in life.”
James swallowed, keeping his eyes level. “We’re both tired. Let’s go to sleep.”
Mike curled his lip into a snarl. “You do what the fuck you want. I’ll go take a bath.” He turned around before his eyes started stinging too much. He’d never felt so humiliated in his life. The only thing still keeping him here was the promise of a sum of money that could help him start a new life. James was such a privileged fucker. None of Mike’s dreams ever had any chance to be fulfilled. It didn’t matter what he’d wanted to do after high school, he never had the money to try.
He walked into the bathroom as fast as possible and didn’t even turn the light on at first, looking into the mirror in the darkness that was only broken by a bit of light coming through a small window. He was taking deep, long breaths as the other Mike Miller gritted his teeth, fighting the stinging heat rising in his head and chest. It was only after several minutes that he hit the light switch, illuminating the walls covered by a golden mosaic. The bathroom was huge, with a bowl-like sink on the counter, a spacious shower stall, and behind it, a large bathtub in the corner.
Now that he was in here, he wished he’d taken the wine from his duffel bag. Then again, would drinking make him even more of a loser in James’s eyes? He took deep breaths as he opened the faucet. He wasn’t even sure what was worse, this day, or the day his brother found gay porn on his computer, and Mike decided to come clean about who he was. Bad fucking decision. He had thought it was a good time to come out, even when his father created a shitstorm and threw him out. Mike was too busy imagining all the gay sex he’d have in
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