Page 15 of Drink Up, Darling
Beautiful. What the hell am I…
“What?” Athens tipped his head to the side, and Dariel immediately realised how awkward he’d made things.His arousal filled the room like smoke.
Athens played into it, parting his legs ever so slightly wider and leaning back. Their eyes met and neither of them looked away.
“I erm…”
“You think he’s pretending this is his home?” Athens asked the question very calmly, as though the past minute had not happened, but his posture did not change, and his eyes were still glued to Dariel. He wobbled his knee a little.A tease.
Dariel snapped his gaze back to the window, his face was definitely a shade he really didn’t want anyone to see, and his trousers grew tighter around his crotch.
Jesus Christ, Dariel. Stop this. You know how desperate you look right now? Pull yourself together, lad.
“Oh, this is his home, definitely.” Athens had somehow managed to glide silently over to Dariel’s side and planted an elbow on his shoulder, Dariel being perfect height for an arm rest. His body seized up as the pair of them looked straight outside.
“I don’t think we’re here for the reason he gave though.”
How is he staying calm? He knows exactly what he’s just done, how can he be so casual and move on like…
“And I think we might find out soon.”
Then Athens’ presence vanished, and Dariel watched the reflection of the other man leave the room. A choking weight leaving Dariel’s shoulders.
“Hey, hey, wait, what do you mean by that?” Dariel finally broke out of themomentas Athens’ statements lingered in his brain, and he darted out of the room after him. He was aware of his raised voice as he found himself back on the landing, slamming his hand over his mouth abruptly, as if it would have made a difference.
Athens was back at the other door, resting on one knee as he stuck a hair pin through the keyhole, and rattled the handle again. Dariel came up to his side, themomentgone.
Athens didn’t look up from his focus as he spoke. “I just meant he’s being too ‘nicey nicey’, and he hasn’t really given us a lot of information to make us trust him. I mean, look…” Athens tutted, not giving up with the clearly locked door. Dariel wasn’t quite sure what he was hoping to achieve.
“The email he sent us. It was out of the blue, and too good to be true. We both think that. Yet we both needed the money, so we said yes, withoutreallythinking about it. He told neither of us we’d both be here at the same time, he sent all of his staff away for the week—that’s if they even work for him anymore—and then he lets us have a look around his home butnotthe upstairs, which he wants to hide from us for some reason. We’re all strangers here, but he’s brought us together on purpose.” A sigh. “All I meant was, we need to pay close attention at dinner, and ask him as many questions as we can. If it turns out he’s secretly a homophobic serial killer who wants to rid the world of attractive queers, then we kill him first, and go to the papers with our story.”
Dariel just blinked. Athens noted his silence and flicked his head up to him, a smirk forming on his pretty face.
He is pretty. Oh, John. You are allowed to think that.
“What? Sorry, did I assume wrong? Or was it the murder part you didn’t like, cos we can try ulterior methods if push comes to shove…”
“You think I’m attractive?”
Athens stood to full height, inches away from Dariel, heat radiating from his skin. Dariel drank him in, his black trousers shaping his slim legs, the smooth skin stretched over his visible collar bones poking up from the buckles, and belts, and…
“Of course I do, darling. I’m a long-time admirer, as you already know.” Then Athens’ face dropped as Dariel stayed frozen in place, his mind a million miles away from focusing on what his face might be showing.
“Have I made things weird?” Athens asked, stepping back slightly. “I do have a tendency to be a bit full on.”
“I just…”
‘Oh, the shadows. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Dariel. I didn’t mean to make things weird. I should have known not to…’Athens stepped back quite far, almost as if he was suddenlyscared.
Dariel couldn’tfeelthe shadows this time. Maybe they weren’t even there…Maybe he’s read between the lines I didn’t even know I’d given him.
“I’m gonna look down the hall to see if…” Athens’ throat bobbed, eyes filled with shame. Dariel cut him off by reaching out and grabbing his wrist, holding him in place.
“No,” he said, confidently. “You don’t have to stop.”
Athens’ brows knit together, tension lifting a notch. “What?”
“I find you attractive too.”
