Chapter 41 – The Not So Distant Past

18 months ago….

“Hi!” The guy yelled over the thumping music at the bar. 

He had an energetic smile plastered across his face and sweat beading on his forehead.  The clothes he wore were plastered to his body.  Drenched in both his own sweat and what Duncan was sure was the sweat of other men.  Judging by the packed dance floor, he was certain it had to be an 80/20 ratio. Although which was which was a mystery to him. Maybe 50/50 was a better guess.

“Hi,” Duncan replied, before looking back to his drink.  Excited as he was to be in the club, he was also nervous.  A new city, a new scene, and new guys.  He didn’t know what to make of any of it.

“My name’s Elijah,” the guy smiled again, “What’s yours?!”  

Duncan hesitated, he wasn’t sure he was ready to put himself out there just yet, but well, what was the point of coming to a place like this if he wasn’t at least going to try? 

“Duncan!”  He yelled back, “Nice to meet you!”

Elijah smiled at him, even as he breathed heavily.  He rested against the bar, attempting to wave down a passing bartender.  “What brings you out tonight?! I don’t think I’ve seen you around?!”

“Yeah!”  Duncan yelled back, “ I just moved here recently from out of town.  Do you come here often?!”

“What?!” Elijah yelled back. “I can’t hear you?!”

“I said I just moved here!” Duncan raised his voice.

“You just got here?!” Elijah called back, still on the hunt for a bartender.

“No, I..” Duncan gave up, the music was just too loud. “It was nice to meet you!”  He smiled at Elijah, raising his glass with a forced smile before attempting to move off.

He didn’t get two paces before he felt a grip on his free hand.  He turned around to find Elijah holding his wrist.  A smile still plastered across his face.  He pulled on Duncan’s wrist, until his body pressed against Duncan’s own flesh.  He leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “Why don’t we go someplace quieter?”  He pulled back from Duncan to see his face looking for a confirmation of his request.

Duncan paused for a moment, ready with an excuse as to why he couldn’t, but one look into Elijah’s eyes and the eagerness and enthusiasm he saw there swayed his opinion.  He smiled and nodded his assent, knowing the music was too loud to give a verbal confirmation.  Elijah smiled.  He pushed the drink in Duncan’s hand towards his mouth, motioning for him to finish it. 

Oh what the hell, Duncan thought, he downed the last two sips of his drink and followed as the cute guy pulled him into the crowd and away from the bar…. 

12 months ago…

“What if she doesn’t like me?!”  Duncan cried out to the room at large, while he stared into the mirror.

“She’s going to love you!” Came back the response.

Duncan sighed.  Alternating between the two bow-ties in his hand.  “You always say things like that.” 

A hand appeared around Duncan’s neck holding a third option.  Showing it off before ultimately fastening it in place. 

“I do,” Elijah said. “And this time, I mean it. Like every time.”  He kissed Duncan on the cheek before scampering off.  

Duncan smiled.  Six months after meeting Elijah and the two had become inseparable.  He was hesitant to say it, but there was something there, he wasn’t certain, but maybe….

“My cousin is going to love you!”  Elijah boasted walking back into the room. “She can be a little intimidating, but listen you need a job, and she needs an assistant, a good one!  I may not know much, but I know you’re a perfect candidate for the job! Besides, my family has all sorts of connections in this city.  It’s a perfect way for you to tie into the community here, she knows everyone!”

“If that’s the case,” Duncan said, “Why don’t you just introduce me to all these so-called connections?” Duncan fiddled with the bowtie, unhappy with how it set.

“Because,” Elijah sailed up behind Duncan wrapping his arms around the man and fixing the bow-tie for him “I’m a bit of what you’d call a black sheep of the family. Never had much of an eye for business and not really interested in being the boss man. Too much work.” 

“Oh?” Duncan asked “And what are you interested in?”

Elijah looked into the mirror. Starting at Duncan as he held him.  A mischievous grin appeared across his face. 

“Well? Are you going to answer me?”  He smiled back at Elijah feeling silly.

“I,” Elijah said, “Am happy to let the man I love rub elbows with the movers and shakers, while I support him from the wings.” And with that Elijah winked at Duncan before sweeping away to attend to other chores around the apartment. 

Duncan was gobsmacked. “I…you…” He stumbled around for a response.

“Go! You’re going to be late!” Elijah called from the other room “My cousin does not suffer tardiness!”

Duncan smiled before going to find Elijah in the other room.  “I think she can wait a bit longer don’t you?”  He tackled a laughing Elijah.  The two tumbled to the bed in each other’s arms.

Two month ago…

“You’re always late! And always working! I wish I’d never gotten you that job!” Elijah screamed

“Not all of us can be trust fund babies, living off the hard work of our families!” Duncan screamed back.

Duncan was tired, the two of them had been arguing non-stop for the past two hours.  This had become their routine these past several months. Avery had him working twelve-hour days in preparation for the coming gala.  He’d done everything from tracking down the vendors, to hand delivering invitations for his boss.  The work had been grueling, but it was going to pay off in spades.  Now if only he could Elijah to see that.

“How dare you! You know that’s not even close to being true!” Elijah rebutted.

Duncan sighed, this was not the first time they’d had this particular argument.  Over the past year, as their relationship had fermented into something serious, Duncan had come to learn a great deal about his new lover.  Far as he could tell, hate as he did to admit it, he didn’t think his statement was too far off.  In close to the year and half he’d known Elijah, he’d never known the man to work a day in his life.  At first it had been a thrill.  The two of them would go out partying till all hours of the morning.  Dancing and drinking the night away.  However, as Duncan’s career had taken off and Avery had come to rely on him more and more. Elijah had seemed to become resentful of Duncan’s blossoming success.  The topic had begun to drive a wedge between them where once it had seemed an impossibility to even consider.   

Again, Duncan sighed.  “Elijah,” he started “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean to offend you, but you know how important this is to me. I could really use your support.”

“It’s just a gala! My family throws these kinds of events all the time! You think they really care about you?! You’re just Avery’s lackey!”  Elijah screamed, uncaring or unaware of the pleading tone in Duncan’s voice.

Duncan was hurt.  He had hoped after all this time, Elijah would come to see reason, to support him.  He had thought they were in love.  He had just started imagining the two of them sharing a life.  Tonight however, the writing was on the wall.  The two of them were simply on different paths. 

Duncan sighed again, it was time.  “Elijah, I love you, but…”

“But what?!” Elijah snapped.

Duncan hung his head for a moment before looking up at the man he’d come to love.  “But I don’t think I can do this anymore.”  Tears formed in Duncan’s eyes. “I love you, but I think you and I want different things.”

“You’re leaving me?!” Elijah was aghast.

“I just can’t do this anymore Elijah!  This is important to me! I came to this city to get a new start! To find my footing! I need someone who will support me! I thought it would be you, but I, but I guess I was wrong.”  Duncan said the last part quietly.  As much as it needed to be done, the pain was almost unbearable.

Elijah looked at Duncan, staggering, as he did so.  “I got you that job! Me! I did that!  You want support, there’s your support! Without me you’d be nowhere!” 

“I know Elijah, and I’m grateful, but since then you’ve only seemed to grow resentful.  You only have negative things to say about Avery and the things I do.  I just hoped maybe…” Duncan shrugged in defeat.

“I GOT YOU THAT JOB! ME!” Elijah screamed.

Duncan let his hands drop.  The fight was over, he knew it, there was no use talking to the man when he was in this state.  “Goodbye Elijah.” Duncan turned and left the apartment, tears streaming freely down his face.  Maybe one day the two would cross paths again, but for now, it was best they went their separate ways.  

One month ago…

Duncan sat in the bar alone. It had been a month since he’d last seen Elijah.  He’d gotten a text from him a few days before.  Elijah had apologized for his wildly inappropriate behavior the night they had broken up.  Duncan had believed he was sincere, but he couldn’t bring himself to see Elijah.  The pain was still too fresh.

Elijah had invited him to Good World, on the out-skirts of town, where they’d first met.  A sort of neutral territory as it were, but Duncan couldn’t bring himself to go.  He’d regretted it the next day, wishing he’d gone.  As a way to make amends, he’d invited Elijah to grab a drink at a more local dive.  He never got a response, but he figured Elijah was probably just upset for being stood up.  

Regardless, he’d texted Elijah and given him the time and location, telling him he’d wait.  Duncan looked at his watch, it had been two hours since he’d gotten to the bar and no Elijah. He sighed, Elijah wasn’t coming.  It was probably for the best.  He signaled for the bartender to settle up his tab. 

“Is this seat taken?” A voice called from behind him.

He turned around to find a dark-haired man pulling out the seat beside him. 

“Hi,” The stranger said, “My name is Emerson.”