Pictures of Vegas pt. 8

They fell onto the bed, their limbs tangled together. Jonathan gasped when he felt something hard rub against his leg. He reached down to feel if Michael was ready. He was. Jonathan pulled off shirt and unbuttoned Michael's top. He ran his tongue down the other man's hard chest. Michael hissed when Jonathan sucked on his nipples.

"Wait." Michael leaned back from the other man's mouth. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "I don't think I can do this."

Jonathan didn't argue with him. "Are you seeing someone else?"

"No. I was but not anymore." Michael turned to stare at him. "You and I could have a wonderful night, but tomorrow morning will be another day. You'll be home, and I'll still be here." He sighed. "I guess I'm too old for casual sex. I need something with emotion. Some kind of commitment."

Jonathan understood. He was tired of the occasional flings. The sex could be satisfying, but the day after always left him in a funk. He could have sex, but he wanted intimacy.

Michael sat up and ran his hand down Jonathan's stomach. "Don't get me wrong," he said. "I want you. I remember how good we were together. I just can't go there again."

Jonathan held onto Michael's hand. He resisted the urge to put his hand on his hard-on. "I want you, too. But I understand where you're coming from."

He walked Michael to the door. "What happened to us?"

Michael shrugged. "Your drinking, my jealousy, your ambitions, my dreams. It was a combination of things."

"Do you think we could ever have what we once had?" Jonathan really wanted to know the answer to that. He had thought about it often, but he could never come up with an answer.

"That depends," Michael said. "You just need to figure out what you want out of life. It's that simple." He turned to leave.

Jonathan grabbed his hand. "I want butterflies in my stomach. I want love. I want passion. I want to feel like I'm the most important person in the world. I want to make someone feel that way." He cupped Michael's chin in his hand. "I want to wake up in the morning next to someone who makes me happy."

Michael cleared his throat and stared at Jonathan's chest. "Am I that someone?"

"I've been looking for the right one for a long time. You were the only one who ever came close. I won't make you empty promises, but I want the chance to make this work."

Michael stepped close enough to kiss him. "Are you sure? Do you know what you want?"

Jonathan thought of the cheap flings, the young boytoys, and the series of one-night stands. He missed the late-night conversations, the trips to some obscure café, the quiet meals at home, the shared visions and dreams. He missed the butterflies in his stomach that came to life when Michael was near.

Jonathan put his arm around Michael's back. "I don’t believe in accidents. I don't believe in fate. Hell, I don't even believe in a soul mate. I just know that you found me tonight when I needed someone. I'm not letting you go this time."

Michael blushed. "Is that a promise?"

"It is now." Jonathan leaned forward for another kiss. He assumed that Amy would forgive him for skipping his flight. His editor might have a heart attack, but Jonathan would worry about that later. He stepped back, pulling Michael into the room and towards the bed. As they slipped between the cool sheets, Jonathan said, "We'll always have Vegas."

"Always is a long time."

Jonathan wrapped his arms around Michael's lean torso and pressed his mouth on his neck. "I'm counting on that."

END

Note: regularly blogging resumes late Monday. Happy Labor Day weekend!!

Pictures of Vegas pt. 7

"I really needed that," Jonathan said. A hot shower had eased the tension out of his neck and shoulders. His arm was still sore, but he'd be okay.

Michael sat primly on the bed with his hands in his lap. Like he promised, he called his room in the morning. Jonathan had invited him over for breakfast, but he felt anxious as soon as he opened the door. He had just rolled out of bed and showered while Michael waited.

As he pulled on a t-shirt, he noticed that faint pink glow on Michael's face. He's nervous, Jonathan thought. He covered his smile with a cough. He toweled his hair and sat in the chair next to the bed. He waited for Michael to say something, to ask him why he had left so abruptly.

Instead Michael smiled and asked, "Are you enjoying life?"

Jonathan had to think about that for a moment. "For the most part, yes. My career is going great, and I love what I do."

"I've been following your career. I was impressed with the spread you did for W Magazine."

He blushed. "So you saw that?"

Michael nodded. "Actually running into you wasn't an accident. I'm good friends with Greg Freedman." He studied his groomed nails. "He mentioned that you were coming in for a photo shoot."

"Ah, I see. I'm flattered that you would still want to see me. I mean, after all this time."

"I understood why you had to leave Vegas," he said. "But the way you left really hurt me. I had to wait for a long time to get over you."

"I'm sorry." Jonathan looked into his ex-lover's piercing blue eyes. "So are you over me?"

"Mostly." He grinned. "I was until I saw you. It was like nothing had changed." He stood up and walked towards the chair. "I've missed you."

Jonathan closed his eyes as Michael bent towards him. They kissed slowly, taking their time to taste each other. Their lips parted at the same time, and Jonathan took Michael's tongue deep into his mouth. He sucked his tongue with slow movements. He felt a hand on his thigh, and he moaned into Michael's mouth.

To Be Continued...

Pictures of Vegas pt. 6

Jonathan blinked. It all happened so fast that he wasn't sure what was going. Legolas was holding his bloody nose and screaming for help. The stranger kicked him with a thick boot. Legolas ran down the hallway with lightning speed.

Jonathan looked up and recognized the sparkling blue eyes and gentle smile. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"Hello, Jonathan," Michael said. He looked the same as before, maybe a bit leaner around the chest and arms. The tan flattered his sandy-blonde hair and made his teeth appear whiter.

Jonathan broke eye contact first. He didn't know what Michael could be thinking. He probably thought Jonathan was just another middle-aged fool trolling for a young one-night stand. He wanted to explain, but he thought he would just appear foolish.

Michael hesitated and then hugged him. "It's good to see you again. I thought I recognized you at the bar, but I wasn't sure."

Jonathan blushed. "So you saw me at the bar?"

The other man smiled. "I'm afraid I've been stalking you for most of the night. I wanted to just come up and say hello, but I didn't know how. When I saw you walk out with that guy, I wanted to follow you to make sure you were okay." He shrugged. "You didn't look so good."

Jonathan stared at the ground. "I had a little too much to drink. I could have handled myself."

"I'm sure." Michael paused. "I see you're still drinking too much."
"Don't start this again. It's like we're back to square one."

Michael put up his hands. "Truce. I just wanted to say hello and see how you're doing. No more nagging, I promise."

"I'm sorry. I've had a long day." Jonathan ran his hand through his hair. He felt like he was covered with dirt and sweat. "Do you want to come in for a bit? If you don't have any other plans?"

"You look wasted. Maybe you should just call it a night."

"You're right," Jonathan mumbled. He couldn't hide the disappointment in his face.

"I'll check back with you in the morning."

"Sure."

Michael touched his forearm. "I promise. I'll be back in the morning. Sleep well."

Jonathan closed the door gently. How many years had it been since the last time he felt Michael's hand? It had been too long.

To Be Continued...

Pictures of Vegas pt. 5

"I'm sorry. I can't do this," Jonathan said. He hurried towards his hotel room, but Legolas followed.

Legolas was lean, but he was surprisingly strong. He grabbed Jonathan by the arm and spun him into the wall. He ground his pelvis into Jonathan's front. "Give me a chance, baby. I'll make you feel so good."

Jonathan recognized the thirst in the young man's eyes. It wasn't a thirst for sex. The young man had the jones for something else, probably drugs. Jonathan shook off his arms and said, "I don't pay to play. Get lost, man."

The grin turned into a snarl. "Sure, you have money. You're a photographer at that fancy-pants scandal rag." He grabbed the camera bag. "Let's see the goods, asshole. Don't be such a greedy fuck."

Jonathan avoided the knee coming towards his crotch. He swung to the left, and Legolas' fist hit the wall.

While the other man examined his bloody knuckles, Jonathan ran towards the elevators. His gut told him to stay and fight, but he was too drunk. He would rather run away like a coward than deal with some junkie hustler.

He heard footsteps behind him, and he veered away from the elevators. He tucked his camera bag under his arm like a football and ran as fast as he could. The footsteps didn't stop, and he pumped his arms more.

The shove caught him in the middle of the back, and he flew forward. He tried to protect his camera and rolled face-first on the floor. With all the commotion, he expected someone to come out of one of the rooms. The hallway remained silent except for their combined gasps and grunts.

Legolas grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up. Jonathan couldn't catch his breath, and his legs felt like marshmallows.

Legolas was barely sweating. "You've wasted a lot of my precious time, Mr. Man. I think I'm going to have to get some of it back." He twisted Jonathan's arm behind his back and pushed him towards the other hallway. He put his mouth next to Jonathan's ear. "Now you're going to show me a good time, whether you like it or not."

Jonathan was too tired to fight him. "Just take what you need and leave me alone. Why me?"

"Why not you?" He laughed at his own wit. They were in front of his room. "Give me your key."

Jonathan dug in his pocket, stalling for time. If he could get his other arm free, he would try to run towards the exit. He could scream for help, but he felt too humiliated. He didn't want to admit to being manhandled by this young, skinny man.

"Stop stalling, motherfucker. I'll put the hurt on you."

Footsteps passed them. Someone jostled Legolas. "Excuse me."

Legolas turned towards the passer-by. "Why don't you watch where the fuck you're going?" The fist cut off his next sentence, and he was down on the ground.

To Be Continued...

Pictures of Vegas pt. 4

The bartender grinned as he set down his drink. Jonathan smiled back. Usually he didn't go for the preppy, clean-cut type, but he was attracted to the man's big brown eyes. The bartender introduced himself as Marcus, an ex-minor league baseball player.

Jonathan didn't trust ex-jocks, but he enjoyed the innocuous flirting. Marcus was a little too young for him, maybe the same age as Peter and Julian.

You have to stop trolling for the young ones, he said to himself. He was tired of the games and the temporary attachments. For the first time in a long time, he realized that he was lonely. He could have any man he wanted, but he still felt alone.

He planned to stop at two drinks. That turned into four, and then more. Around midnight the bar was packed, and Jonathan held onto his stool for balance. He divided his attention between Marcus and a young hustler with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail. Jonathan thought he looked like Legolas from the Lord of the Rings movies.

Too much vodka and too little food was a dangerous combination. Jonathan held onto to his camera bag with both hands. There were too many bodies around him, and he need to protect his expensive goods.

He nodded at Marcus who was busy with the blender. "I'm calling it a night," he said.

Marcus seemed disappointed, but he merely nodded back. The bar was reaching its peak hour, and all the bartenders had their hands full. Jonathan thought about slipping him his card, but he decided: why bother? After tonight, he probably wouldn't return to Vegas for a while, if ever.

Jonathan stumbled away from the crowd with Legolas following him. He walked faster, but the young man held on to his elbow. The guy was barely twenty, but he seemed harmless. Jonathan let him walk with him to his hotel.

In the elevator, Legolas became touchy-feely with his hands wandering below Jonathan's belt. He squirmed away from the young man's persistent fingers. "I'm exhausted and would like to call it a night."

Legolas grinned. "No problem. I don't mind staying indoors." He pressed his mouth hard against Jonathan's lips. The young man pried his lips open with his hot tongue.

Jonathan grabbed onto the wall for support. The other man tasted of mint and rum, and his tongue felt warm inside his mouth. He leaned into the kiss until the door opened.

To Be Continued next Monday...

Pictures of Vegas pt. 3

Jonathan prepared himself for the heat, but it was worse than he expected. His clothes clung to his lean frame, and his head cooked under the relentless sun. When he was growing up in Vegas, the heat never bothered. After spending the last few years in Huntington Beach, he couldn't handle hot weather anymore. If the temperature rose above 85, he felt completely exhausted.

Amy was already waiting for him at the Paris hotel. She was an ambitious, young writer with a handful of celebrity profiles under her belt. Jonathan admired her tenacious spirit and enjoyed working with her.

"So are we still doing an outside shoot? We might have to wait until the sun goes down."

She grinned, showing off her Hollywood smile. "I can't handle heat either. I was able to convince Mr. Freedman to have the interview inside the hotel."

"Thank goodness," Jonathan said. He didn't know all the details, but he knew that Gregory Freedman was the new executive chef in the Paris hotel. At age 28, he was already a rising star on the culinary scene. Jonathan didn't really care about the details. He just needed to know which angle flattered Mr. Freedman.

The interview went longer than scheduled. Jonathan thought that the young chef thought a bit too highly of himself, but he seemed polite enough. Jonathan took shots from various angles and waited for Amy to wrap up the interview.

After saying their goodbyes, Amy grabbed Jonathan's arm. "You're going to get mad at me. Greg just asked me out to dinner."

"Greg?" Jonathan raised his eyebrows. "Oh, so now you're buddy-buddy." He sighed. "I'm used to eating alone. You two have fun without me."

"Are you sure? Maybe you could join us?"

"Amy, honey. I'm joking. Who am I to stand in the way of young romance?"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Who said anything about romance? I'm in lust." She tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. "How do I look?"

"Professional but fabulous," he said. "I'll catch you at the airport."

"Thanks for understanding." She kissed him on the cheek.

He smiled as he watched the new energy in her walk. He missed that kind of giddiness. It had been a while since anyone put a bounce in his steps. At age 35, he was done with romance. He didn't think he would ever fall in love again.

Jonathan walked around the massive lobby. He thought about taking a few snapshots, but he didn't find any inspiration. Everything looked too gaudy, too overdone. He stopped by the famous ceiling, an optical illusion that tricked you into seeing a night skyline. Jonathan felt dizzy after staring at it too long.

He stopped at one of the bars. He would just have a few drinks and call it a night. He nodded at the attractive, young bartender. "Ketel One and tonic, please."

To Be Continued...

Pictures of Vegas pt. 2

Jonathan thought about the last time he had been in Vegas. It had started as a work trip but it turned into something more.

"Some people will have Paris, but we'll always have Las Vegas." Deep laughter punctuated every sentence.

Jonathan grinned like it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. He didn't like public displays of affection, but he let his companion hold his hand. They stumbled down the strip, pausing now and then to exchange a drunken kiss.

Michael paused in front of the Paris hotel. "I hate this one. The skyline ceiling inside creeps me out. It really messes with your perspective."

Jonathan shrugged and lit a cigarette. "Let the tourists have their faux Paris. This is as close to the city that some of them will ever get."

"Sometimes you come across as a snob. You're not, but you act like one. Most of you creative types usually have that same arrogance."

Jonathan studied the dizzying crowd walking up and down the strip. So many people walking fast like they had somewhere to go. All the casinos had the same amenities, the same tired dealers, the same clubs with thumping bass and sweating singles. He thought about taking a few candids, but he imagined that all the shots would look the same. Boring.

"Earth to Jonathan. There you go again in a world of your own."

"Sorry." He grinned. He liked that Michael was almost as tall as he was. He liked to look into his big green eyes.

Michael leaned forward, pressing his lips against Jonathan's earlobe. "Did you bring your camera with you?"

"Of course." Jonathan felt naked without his equipment. Ever since he was a teenager, he carried a camera wherever he went. He was lucky to turn his passion into a decent freelance career.

"I need to update my portfolio soon." Michael licked his bottom lip. "Why don't we make a trade? Service for service?"

Jonathan stared at his moist lower lip. He fought the urge to suck it into his mouth. "Why don't we go back to the hotel and we can discuss a suitable arrangement?"

Jonathan wanted that night to last forever. Each kiss brought shivers down his spine. He could spend all night admiring Michael's firm muscles and hard thighs. He loved to play with his baby fine, brown hair.

He didn't tell Michael about his early morning flight. He couldn't do the tearful goodbye. He thought about leaving a note on the pillow, but he thought that was too melodramatic. With a last soft kiss on the cheek, he said goodbye to Michael and to Las Vegas.

To Be Continued...

Pictures of Vegas Pt. 1

[This is the first installment of a story I wrote last year. It is my first m/m story, and it has never been published before. I hope you enjoy it.]

Jonathan reached for his cigarette lighter but grabbed a handful of blond locks instead. He opened one eye and saw that his new companion from last night was still in his bed. Jonathan sighed. He missed the days when he could bed a pretty young man who would be gone by the morning. He hated having to kick someone out of his bed.

He stroked the fine, blond hair with one hand. He was so bad at remembering names. Was this one Peter? Or Julian? He remembered talking to a Peter the previous night, but everything was a blur after the seventh round of martinis.

Peter or Julian opened his eyes and smiled. He fluttered his long lashes at him. "Good morning, Jonathan."

Jonathan ran his thumb over his heart-shaped lips. "Good morning."

The blond yawned, stretching his long arms over his head. He arched his back like a cat and rolled to his side. The blanket barely draped his lithe frame, exposing one long thigh.

Jonathan smiled at the young man's boldness. If he had time, he could go for a second round. He glanced at the wall clock. He really needed to get some work done today.
The young man ran his fingertips over Jonathan's arm. "Do you want me to make you some breakfast?"

"I don't eat breakfast." He slid away from the friendly touch and walked towards the closet. Without turning around, he said, "I've got a ton of stuff to do today. Maybe I'll give you a call sometime."

"How about some coffee?"

"Help yourself. I need to shower and get going."

He chuckled. "I suppose that's my cue to get the hell out of here."

Jonathan shrugged. He hated scenes like this. He grabbed a fresh towel and headed for the bathroom.

Peter or Julian was already putting on his jeans. "I'll just grab my things and be out of your way."

"I'm sorry, but I've got a busy morning."

The other man shrugged. "You don't need to explain." Holding his shirt and jacket, he walked towards the front door with brisk steps. Without looking at Jonathan, he said, "Have a nice life, jerk."

Jonathan glanced around the living room to see if anything was out of place. The blond had only left with his clothes, but you could never be too careful. The word "jerk" echoed in his mind. He lost track of the times he'd been called that.

He shrugged. The young man would get over it. It probably wasn't the first time he went home with someone he met at the bar. Jonathan thought about the long lines in the young man's body. It was too bad that he remembered so little about that night.
When he went to the bathroom, he dug through the wastebasket. Relief made his knees buckle when he found the deflated condom. One less detail to worry about.

He heard a familiar voice in his head: when are you going to grow up? Do you think you can keep partying like a twenty-year-old? Wake up, or you'll just end up another thirty-something pervert trolling the clubs for cheap sex.

Another voice on his answering machine interrupted his thoughts. He recognized the husky voice of his magazine's editor. "Jonathan, there's been a change of plans. The July shoot will take place in Vegas. I'll have Cindy book your flight. See you then."

Jonathan groaned. An outside shoot in the blistering Vegas heat. He was not looking forward to this assignment. He could turn it down, but he'd have to kiss any future gigs goodbye.

He shook his head. He hadn't been back to Las Vegas in three years. He wondered if he would see any familiar faces there.

To Be Continued...