Categories > Celebrities > Savage Garden > Night and Day
Night and Day 1/20
"It's autumn in New York, that brings the promise of new love. Autumn in New York is often mingled with pain." Autumn in New York, Frank Sinatra
New York City, New York, October 1920
He came into the club, his tall frame soaked in rain water. He handed his coat and hat to the doorman and then stayed on the first step for a bit, seemingly nervous about being there. His emerald eyes swept over the couples dancing on the dance floor, the band, and then finally, the bar. He paused for a moment and then finally made his way to get a drink. "Hello, beautiful," the bartender grinned. "What can I get for you tonight?"
"Whiskey sour," the man replied. "You've got that tonight?"
"Of course we do," the bartender laughed. "We've got everything to fulfill your every desire. And when I say everything, gorgeous, I mean everything."
The tall man took his drink and drank it slowly, his eyes watching every single person in the room. "Cold night, eh?" a shorter man with jet black hair and shockingly blue eyes smiled at him.
"Yes."
"Okay, baby, what are you drinking? It looks like you need another one."
"Whiskey sour."
The man ordered and then stuck out his hand. "They call me Darren Hayes. What do they call you?" The tall man paused for a moment, his eyes becoming wide with fear and Darren laughed. "Baby, no one here is going to run home and tell whomever you're hiding from you were here. We're all hiding too, you know."
The tall man nodded and said with the Australian accent he had been trying to get rid of, "Daniel Jones."
"So what's your story, Daniel?" Darren asked, and Daniel realized the man was from England.
"My story?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah, you married? Got a girlfriend? Daddy's going to disown you if he finds out you like men? What's your story?"
"I haven't got one."
Darren laughed. "Bullshit. All of us here got a story. Myself, I'm married. Been married for six years."
"Your wife knows?"
"Of course she knows. We have a deal. I have all the men I want, and so does she. Works rather nicely as long as I'm home for all of the important social events we have to go to," Darren smiled. "Now I have a general policy about not revealing too much about myself if my companion isn't going to. So what's your story?"
Daniel shrugged. "I'm engaged."
"And she doesn't know?"
"No."
"So you come here to have a bit of fun while she's off with her lady friends planning the wedding and all that?"
"Sort of."
"You sure are quiet, Daniel," Darren grinned. "And I like you. You have a way about you. Quiet, but I bet you love to dominate in bed, don't you?"
Daniel shrugged. "Sometimes."
Darren didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at Daniel. "Do you like women, Daniel?"
"Sometimes."
"Do you like men?"
"Sometimes."
"Which more times?"
"Men."
Darren sighed. "Well, that's a blessing. Here I was thinking you might not actually be what I want, just came in from the rain, but you like men and you want a man, am I right?"
"Yes."
"You're just not very talkative are you? Do you want to dance?"
Daniel nodded. "I would like that very much, Mr. Hayes."
Darren threw his head back and laughed. "Be careful, Daniel. Mr Hayes was my father. I'm only thirty one."
They danced for a bit in silence, Daniel constantly looking around, never making eye contact with Darren. But after a few dances, he began to relax into the dark-haired man's arms, becoming comfortable. He had come to this bar tonight to have fun, to meet someone, not to worry. At that moment, he made a resolution to try. "Where in England are you from?" he asked, looking down into those amazing blue eyes.
Darren laughed. "Still obvious, is it? London. And where in Australia are you from?"
"Brisbane," Daniel answered, the little shock of pain shooting through him.
"And what are you doing in the States, Daniel? And how long have you been here?"
"I've been here for about a year now," Daniel replied. "I came here to marry."
"And I'm assuming the lovely lady has no idea your tastes run a little differently from what she wants?"
"None whatsoever," Daniel nodded.
"Well, let's talk about something a little happier then. Like how beautiful your eyes are. Did you know your eyes were beautiful, Danny boy?"
"No," Daniel answered.
"Well, they are. Wonderful green eyes, remind me of emeralds."
"Your eyes were the first thing I noticed about you," Daniel smiled. "They remind me of the ocean back home."
"Well, Danny, my dear boy, you can take a swim in me anytime you want, all right?" Darren grinned. "You have taken a swim before, haven't you?"
"Of course," Daniel stammered. "I've had gentlemen friends before."
"Very, very good then," Darren took Daniel's hand. "You look like you could use a drink, come with me. Prohibition was the stupidest idea this country ever had. My experience is, if someone wants a drink, they'll get one. Now, Danny boy, what do you do for a living?"
"I play piano," Daniel replied, aching to replace the rather bad pianist that was playing.
"Do you? At night clubs?"
"No," Daniel shook his head. "Weddings, hotels, big banquets. Whatever."
"Well you dress and look awfully well for a poor struggling pianist."
"My fiancee is very well off."
"Ah, you stand to inherit quite a fortune from her father when you marry her."
"Yes."
The conversation lulled at that point until Darren reached up and stroked Daniel's face. "You came here for a reason, Daniel. I'm assuming in Australia they didn't have clubs like this, clubs for men like us. That's what is wonderful about America, Daniel. It changes so quickly and the things that are considered immoral in other countries are almost accepted here. Think about it, women's skirts are getting awfully short, the dancing is wonderful, and there are meeting places for men like us. Granted, we still have to hide, but at least we can meet people here. How did you find out about The Star, Daniel?"
"My ex lover," Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold cigarette case. "Ciggie?"
Darren stared at it for a minute. "No, thank you, I don't smoke. But you do."
"I've been smoking since I was twelve," Daniel replied. "It relaxes me."
"What did you come here for, Daniel? Sex or companionship?"
And at that moment, Daniel gripped Darren's face in his hand and put his lips to the other's man's, their tongues immediately entwining, both bodies automatically responding to the heated touch. They kissed until their lungs were begging for air and Daniel let go and took a drag of his cigarette.
"Jesus," Darren fell back against the bar. "That certainly answered my question. Well, Daniel, I like to be courted, I won't lie to you. I don't like to have sex on the first night, especially when it's someone I'm extremely interested in. So, since it is ten thirty, I'm assuming you have to get home to your pretty girl. Take this hotel room key and meet me there day after tomorrow. We'll talk and maybe do a little more of what you just showed me."
Daniel took the key and then kissed Darren again. "I'll see you then."
And then he grabbed his coat and hat and was gone into the rainy night, as Darren turned to the bartender. "Give me something strong. I do believe I've fallen in love."
TBC
"It's autumn in New York, that brings the promise of new love. Autumn in New York is often mingled with pain." Autumn in New York, Frank Sinatra
New York City, New York, October 1920
He came into the club, his tall frame soaked in rain water. He handed his coat and hat to the doorman and then stayed on the first step for a bit, seemingly nervous about being there. His emerald eyes swept over the couples dancing on the dance floor, the band, and then finally, the bar. He paused for a moment and then finally made his way to get a drink. "Hello, beautiful," the bartender grinned. "What can I get for you tonight?"
"Whiskey sour," the man replied. "You've got that tonight?"
"Of course we do," the bartender laughed. "We've got everything to fulfill your every desire. And when I say everything, gorgeous, I mean everything."
The tall man took his drink and drank it slowly, his eyes watching every single person in the room. "Cold night, eh?" a shorter man with jet black hair and shockingly blue eyes smiled at him.
"Yes."
"Okay, baby, what are you drinking? It looks like you need another one."
"Whiskey sour."
The man ordered and then stuck out his hand. "They call me Darren Hayes. What do they call you?" The tall man paused for a moment, his eyes becoming wide with fear and Darren laughed. "Baby, no one here is going to run home and tell whomever you're hiding from you were here. We're all hiding too, you know."
The tall man nodded and said with the Australian accent he had been trying to get rid of, "Daniel Jones."
"So what's your story, Daniel?" Darren asked, and Daniel realized the man was from England.
"My story?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah, you married? Got a girlfriend? Daddy's going to disown you if he finds out you like men? What's your story?"
"I haven't got one."
Darren laughed. "Bullshit. All of us here got a story. Myself, I'm married. Been married for six years."
"Your wife knows?"
"Of course she knows. We have a deal. I have all the men I want, and so does she. Works rather nicely as long as I'm home for all of the important social events we have to go to," Darren smiled. "Now I have a general policy about not revealing too much about myself if my companion isn't going to. So what's your story?"
Daniel shrugged. "I'm engaged."
"And she doesn't know?"
"No."
"So you come here to have a bit of fun while she's off with her lady friends planning the wedding and all that?"
"Sort of."
"You sure are quiet, Daniel," Darren grinned. "And I like you. You have a way about you. Quiet, but I bet you love to dominate in bed, don't you?"
Daniel shrugged. "Sometimes."
Darren didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at Daniel. "Do you like women, Daniel?"
"Sometimes."
"Do you like men?"
"Sometimes."
"Which more times?"
"Men."
Darren sighed. "Well, that's a blessing. Here I was thinking you might not actually be what I want, just came in from the rain, but you like men and you want a man, am I right?"
"Yes."
"You're just not very talkative are you? Do you want to dance?"
Daniel nodded. "I would like that very much, Mr. Hayes."
Darren threw his head back and laughed. "Be careful, Daniel. Mr Hayes was my father. I'm only thirty one."
They danced for a bit in silence, Daniel constantly looking around, never making eye contact with Darren. But after a few dances, he began to relax into the dark-haired man's arms, becoming comfortable. He had come to this bar tonight to have fun, to meet someone, not to worry. At that moment, he made a resolution to try. "Where in England are you from?" he asked, looking down into those amazing blue eyes.
Darren laughed. "Still obvious, is it? London. And where in Australia are you from?"
"Brisbane," Daniel answered, the little shock of pain shooting through him.
"And what are you doing in the States, Daniel? And how long have you been here?"
"I've been here for about a year now," Daniel replied. "I came here to marry."
"And I'm assuming the lovely lady has no idea your tastes run a little differently from what she wants?"
"None whatsoever," Daniel nodded.
"Well, let's talk about something a little happier then. Like how beautiful your eyes are. Did you know your eyes were beautiful, Danny boy?"
"No," Daniel answered.
"Well, they are. Wonderful green eyes, remind me of emeralds."
"Your eyes were the first thing I noticed about you," Daniel smiled. "They remind me of the ocean back home."
"Well, Danny, my dear boy, you can take a swim in me anytime you want, all right?" Darren grinned. "You have taken a swim before, haven't you?"
"Of course," Daniel stammered. "I've had gentlemen friends before."
"Very, very good then," Darren took Daniel's hand. "You look like you could use a drink, come with me. Prohibition was the stupidest idea this country ever had. My experience is, if someone wants a drink, they'll get one. Now, Danny boy, what do you do for a living?"
"I play piano," Daniel replied, aching to replace the rather bad pianist that was playing.
"Do you? At night clubs?"
"No," Daniel shook his head. "Weddings, hotels, big banquets. Whatever."
"Well you dress and look awfully well for a poor struggling pianist."
"My fiancee is very well off."
"Ah, you stand to inherit quite a fortune from her father when you marry her."
"Yes."
The conversation lulled at that point until Darren reached up and stroked Daniel's face. "You came here for a reason, Daniel. I'm assuming in Australia they didn't have clubs like this, clubs for men like us. That's what is wonderful about America, Daniel. It changes so quickly and the things that are considered immoral in other countries are almost accepted here. Think about it, women's skirts are getting awfully short, the dancing is wonderful, and there are meeting places for men like us. Granted, we still have to hide, but at least we can meet people here. How did you find out about The Star, Daniel?"
"My ex lover," Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold cigarette case. "Ciggie?"
Darren stared at it for a minute. "No, thank you, I don't smoke. But you do."
"I've been smoking since I was twelve," Daniel replied. "It relaxes me."
"What did you come here for, Daniel? Sex or companionship?"
And at that moment, Daniel gripped Darren's face in his hand and put his lips to the other's man's, their tongues immediately entwining, both bodies automatically responding to the heated touch. They kissed until their lungs were begging for air and Daniel let go and took a drag of his cigarette.
"Jesus," Darren fell back against the bar. "That certainly answered my question. Well, Daniel, I like to be courted, I won't lie to you. I don't like to have sex on the first night, especially when it's someone I'm extremely interested in. So, since it is ten thirty, I'm assuming you have to get home to your pretty girl. Take this hotel room key and meet me there day after tomorrow. We'll talk and maybe do a little more of what you just showed me."
Daniel took the key and then kissed Darren again. "I'll see you then."
And then he grabbed his coat and hat and was gone into the rainy night, as Darren turned to the bartender. "Give me something strong. I do believe I've fallen in love."
TBC
Sign up to rate and review this story