Page 34 of Beyond the Darkness
“And something you’ll stick with?”
“Mmm.As long as I can.I’d like to branch out into other kinds of writing besides journalism.I’d love to do another book.I just haven’t latched onto a suitable subject yet.I’d even like to write a novel one day.How about you?Has your career panned out the way you wanted?”
Hudson laughed.“Fuck no.I mean, I’m doing all right now and love the opportunities I’ve been given to work on the stage, especially in Europe, but I can’t say my career has gone the way I envisaged.”
Luke shifted to look at him more directly.“How come?You had quite a few leading man parts in your twenties.Rom coms and such.Would you like to have continued that?”
Hudson squirmed slightly.“Those were not the happiest days of my career.Sure, I’d love to get those lead roles again in big budget movies, but not at the expense of my sanity.”He noticed the curious look on Luke’s face and continued.“To play those romantic leads, shit, even to play in those shitty horror films, I had to master two roles.The character in the movie and the role of straight leading man.”
“Oh,” Luke said.“I get it.”
“People say things have changed for the better, but they used to say that back then too.Sure, there are more openly queer actors working today, but how many of them are getting mainstream work, let alone playing straight leads?Maybe two.The rest are just as closeted as I had to be.”
“What made you decide to come out?”
“I didn’t decide at all.I was outed.And as soon as I was, the offers of work vanished.”He blew an imaginary puff of smoke.“Just like that.Overnight, I was nobody.”
“Shit,” Luke said.“I didn’t know it was so bad.To be honest, I’m more familiar with your theatre work than movies.Obviously, I remember you fromRed Hills Massacretoo.”
Hudson groaned.“Can we not talk about that shit again.Please.”
“Sorry.”
“It was a huge fucking hit.Number one at the American box office for two weeks, but I don’t want to be remembered as the dude who got chopped up with an axe by a killer in a baby mask.All while wearing a pair of underpants.”He sighed.“I wish I’d never accepted the damn part.Especially now.”
Luke squeezed his thigh.“Sorry, again.I shouldn’t have mentioned it.Let’s not spoil what’s been a bloody amazing night because of it.How about a nightcap?Something to calm the nerves.”
“That sounds perfect.”
Luke stood and stretched.His body looked extraordinary, seen from behind, with the doors open to the night in front of him.If Hudson was a director and shooting a movie right now, that was an image he’d use in the film and the trailer.Hell, it was good enough to put on the poster.Luke collected the empty glasses and headed to the kitchen.
Hudson inhaled the clean sea air and sank deeper in the sofa.The tension that had built over these last few days would probably never ease, but spending time with Luke this evening, enjoying his company and his beautiful house, had gone a long way towards making him feel better.
* * * *
Sunlight flooded the bedroom early the next morning.Hudson woke around five-thirty with Luke spooning into his back, his hard cock pressing against his ass.He rolled over into his arms and the sex that followed was spontaneous and passionate.Afterwards they fell into a light sleep, their arms around each other.
The peace was broken by a loud knocking at the front door.
“What?”Luke grumbled, pushing onto his elbows.
“What time is it?”Hudson asked, shielding his eyes against the light.
Luke checked his watch on the bedside table.“Seven-thirty.Who the hell does that on a Saturday morning?”
More heavy banging at the door.
“It sounds like someone is trying to break in,” Hudson said.
“I’ll break something when I find out who it is.”Luke swung his legs off the bed and stood.He pulled on last night’s shorts without underwear and lunged out of the room, still half asleep and unsteady.When the knocking came again, he yelled, “Hold on.I’m coming.”
It sounded to Hudson like someone was beating in the door with their fists.It gave him an instant bad feeling.He got out of bed and pulled on his own shorts, crossing to the window.
There was an unfamiliar car on the drive, parked at an awkward angle, as though the driver had just slewed in from the main road.Leaning forward, he could just make out the head and shoulders of a man at the door.He had a dark blond crew cut which was heavily receded at the front.Hudson didn’t recognise him.
Luke opened the door.
“Good fucking night, was it?”The man’s voice carried clearly up to the bedroom.He took a few steps backwards, bouncing from foot to foot.His face, all the way up into the hairline, was puce.
