Page 34 of Light Up
Corey kept reading. TheSolas SuasChristmas event was, apparently,theevent of the year to whichthe famous, the infamous, the ordinary, the extraordinary and the downright weirdhad been invited. There was a list of guests and he chuckled when he read the names. Blast McCrow—the trigger-happy gamekeeper who dressed as a cowboy. His wife, Eve Stropper, who ran the post office and knew everything about everybody. Mystic Margarita—village psychic and alcoholic who rarely got a reading right and had upset a few locals with her predictions. Her husband, Jim Houdini—gravedigger, philanderer and vampire. Miss Terry, a newly arrived extraterrestrial. The more Corey read, the more he chuckled.
Then he reached the last two names. Lord Sade Dominus—local dignitary, racehorse owner and ex-convict. His servant, True Brand—also an ex-convict who would do whatever his master commanded.
Servant and master? The words had been picked deliberately. Corey didn’t bother reading the rest of the set up. He turned to sheet B. He was sure he’d be True Brand. Oh, no, he wasn’t. He was Sade. But then… He looked across at Tal, who was engrossed in the book. The title was something likeNapoleon and Grouchy.
Corey kept reading.
It was rumoured in the village that Sade had an unusual relationship with True involving an alternative lifestyle. True liked to be marked and Dominus liked to mark him. Corey shivered.How?No detail on that. But True would turn up to the Solas Suas event with marks not inflicted by his master. Corey’s mouth went dry.What the fuck?Were they making fun of d/s relationships? He wouldn’t stand for that. Though that was easy to say, less easy to do anything about. But then, they were making fun of everyone with the names they’d been given. Including the alien.
Maybe he was taking this too seriously. It was supposed to be a fun evening with everyone pretending to be something they weren’t. But would Tal join in or not?
~~~
As Corey read the contents of his envelope, Tal had been hyper-aware of his reaction, particularly the way his chuckling abruptly ceased. He wondered why. Tal had no interest in a murder mystery party or in making a snow sculpture or taking part in a bloody talent show, or any of the rest. He felt as if all the capacity for fun had been sucked out of him a year ago, but he could almost feel Louis ramming his elbow into his ribs, tellinghim not to be so dismissive, to pull the stick out of his arse and at least try to enjoy himself.
But he wouldn’t enjoy himself.
How do you know? It’s not going to fucking kill you to be sociable.
Tal sucked in his cheeks.
Take a risk. Be different!
He was already different.
You know what I mean.
But when you’re already different, why would you want to stand out even more?
Get over yourself.You have a chance to try something new,withsomeone new before he gives up on you in disgust.
But…
No buts. Corey likes you. Christ knows why, you sulky git. Now get with the programme and have fucking fun. Maybe you’ll have fun fucking as well. Seize the bloody day. Stop looking for what you won’t find and start living again. Maybe you don’t even want what you think you’re looking for.
But he’s young.
You aren’t that old!
Tal went over to get his envelope, then started to read.
All he had to do was spot the liar. Was Digby Bones, the archaeologist, telling the truth about his neolithic find in the local area? What was going on in those regular late night meetings between Philip T. Cat, the local vet, and Blast McCrow, the cowboy gamekeeper? Chess tuition, as claimed, or something else?Oh God.Though Tal found himself smiling at the names.
Right until he read the last two. Lord Sade Dominus—local dignitary, racehorse owner, recently released from jail. His servant, True Brand—also a former prisoner who was devotedto his master and would do anything for him.The shiver that whispered through him was not one he’d felt for a long while.
Obviously, it was a coincidence. No one here knew what he liked. So it was just chance. He’d most likely find he’d been given the role of Jim Houdini or Dick Bottomley, head of the local council who’d been taking bribes over planning issues.
He wasn’t. Oh. He set the envelope aside. Which character was Corey? Tal was reluctant to ask.
“I signed us up to do a snow sculpture,” Corey said. “If you don’t want to, I’ll do it on my own.”
“I’ll help.” He was rewarded by Corey’s wide smile.Oh God.He loved to see Corey smile, except it made him look even younger, which made Tal feel even more torn. Yet his dick still thickened. It had no sense. He wasn’t sure he did either. The longer he spent with Corey, the more he liked him.
“You don’t think it’s too childish?” Corey asked.
Tal opened his mouth to say yes and shut it again.
“Maybe it is, but anyone can have fun in the snow. Even old people like you.”
