A Night with no Stars - 14. Stranger Danger

It had been three weeks. Three fucking weeks and not a word from Aleks. In theory Maks knew that last message was a goodbye. It wasn't that he'd expected to hear from him again, but... his absence in Maks's life was so striking it showed exactly how perfectly he'd managed to fit in it during that... moment, really. Aleks had been a part of his life for barely a moment and he'd dominated it like no one before him. And if Maks thought that with time he'd be able to just forget about him then he would have to think again. Three weeks wasn't nearly enough, because it wasn't like Aleks dissolved into thin air. He was still out there doing something, only Maks now didn't know where and what it was. He didn't know if he was safe and had no way of finding out, which made him even more unnerved. Whatever he was doing, it definitely wasn't moving on. It felt more like he'd reached a deadlock.

There were times when he'd got close to calling. He'd take his phone out and stare at his name on the screen for long minutes. But he'd given up every time. He wouldn't even know what to tell him. It was Aleks's decision to cut ties. If he didn't care enough to keep him in his life, no matter in what capacity, then maybe all that Maks was to him was some guy who caught his eye, but it didn't work out and now was long-forgotten. That would make Maks look like some lovesick idiot. He wasn't even sure what he actually had to offer. He just wanted him to be around , but it obviously wasn't enough for Aleks. And things were improving with Ewelina lately so he just thought that it was better for everyone involved to leave it buried. So he did, but he wished he hadn't.

She'd been trying, that was evident. She'd been over a lot lately, insisting they do all the ordinary things like watching movies and cooking together. She decided that from now on they weren't supposed to have any secrets from each other, so now she was asking outright why he was depressed, because she believed that her cheating was the reason for his suffering and she was doing everything in her power to make them talk about it. She thought it was her fault and Maks had no way to correct that notion. So he blamed work.

Finally he managed to get to the second interview and voila, the job was his. Apparently both the degree from Cambridge and being his father's son opened a lot of doors. He didn't even care about the blatant nepotism, he woke up every morning wanting to scream at the mere thought of getting up and going back to that hell. He actually hated it, which had a bright side, because if there was anything Ewelina understood perfectly, it was feeling miserable at work. It gave him a perfect excuse that she couldn't argue with, all she could do was smile sympathetically and drop the subject.

So he kept existing, wondering what Aleks was doing while his life was going nowhere. When he was sitting at his desk at work, staring dumbly at the computer screen, he liked to imagine Aleks calling him and saying that he missed him like crazy. Maks would storm out of the office, slamming the door, go straight to him and confess that he felt the same. Then they would spend the whole night making love and Maks would quit his job and go to the drama school and they would live happily ever after. He knew that vision was completely ludicrous, but he was so fed up with his own apathy that even the fantasies of taking any action were uplifting. But the days were passing and that vision was still safely locked up in a dream realm.

At least until one day he was sitting at his desk and Aleks actually called. But he definitely didn't say that he missed him like crazy.

***

Lately Aleks was leaving Partyka's club with a confident stride suggesting that he owned the place. Well, he hadn't moved up the chain all that much yet, but it definitely wasn't bad. He was getting used to all of it. He was getting used to dealing with people who could probably off him in a heartbeat if he dared to mess with them. He was getting used to watching his mouth and keeping himself in check. He was getting used to being somebody all of a sudden and that the rest of the world wasn't looking down on him anymore. It was easy to get used to things like that.

He put the sunglasses on. Partyka was in exceptionally good mood today and sent him off after not even an hour. Just a quick check to see if everything was up and running. It was, of course, and Partyka seemed pleased, even though usually he was pretty hard to please. Aleks had a feeling that his boss was starting not only to like him, because he seemed to like him from the beginning, but he was actually starting to value him. It was wildly satisfying. He wasn't sure what it was about that guy that made him swell with pride every time he looked kindly on him, and any words of praise gave him a feeling as if he was a king of the world. It probably made him a lapdog and was a little pathetic. But well, at least he was making money on it. And other benefits.

In a month or so he was supposed to meet up with people from the label to discuss... potential collaboration? He guessed so. It wasn't completely clear what they would be discussing, but it still sounded promising. He wasn't even sure he had enough material if it come down to recording anything more substantial than a demo, so he'd spent the last few weeks writing lyrics during every class. He was writing down everything that came to his mind and then throwing half of it into the trash, because he tried to write about matters of great importance and most of it ended up to be about Maks. And he wasn't going to get pegged as a cheesy faggot singing love songs. That would be suicide.

So he was writing furiously and then removing everything that might be considered gay. Was that fair? Absolutely not, but he needed a front to sell. That front was mostly what Partyka liked so much about him. Aleks always liked to put a spin on everything, so he thought he could as well put some spin on himself. He just wanted to make a good impression so much he might go a little over the top. But the goal was achieved, Partyka seemed amused and fond of all his adventures, mainly with the opposite gender, and Aleks did nothing to correct him. So he happily pretended to be straight and made it look as if he was writing about real interactions with women instead of imaginary interactions with men.

He was only human and there were only so many hours in a day, so between writing and being Partyka's errand boy (and he was delegating him to do anything, from overseeing money laundering through negotiating with club owners and bossing drug dealers around to picking up his shirts from the dry cleaner, which he did with a stony face, pretending that it wasn't beneath his dignity) he didn't have much time left to study. He tried to be in school when he was supposed to, but just attending without his mind present would not be enough to pass those fucking exams. And he knew he'd done mostly all right, but in all honesty he was starting to brick it. He wanted to be someone some day after all and not graduating was lame. Even gangsters who didn't graduate were lame. What's more, even rappers who didn't graduate were lame. But that wasn't even the worst. He knew that Kostek would kill him if he failed. He would just kill him and bury him in the woods and he could kiss his bright future goodbye. So he just wanted to get those fucking exams over with, but they were starting in two weeks and he was doing everything except for preparing, he was drifting around town, writing songs, laundering money and musing about Maks. It was such a hot period for him and he knew he would ace those exams if only he could choose when to do it. And now the time was running out and the ground was burning up under his feet and no one cared that he was too busy to worry about silly nonsense like graduating high school.

He was trying to push Maks to the back of his mind, but he kept stubbornly popping back up and it was all because of that last stupid message. 'Can we stay friends, because you're still very important to me.' He considered him important . It wasn't just some fling where you can fuck the guy or not and it's fine either way. Maks was important to him too. He just wanted to know how he was doing, whether he got a job and how he was holding up after finding out about his fiancée's cheating. That was why a few times he came close to texting, just to check in. But he knew that if they stayed in touch and Maks kept being... Maks, with all his endearing awkwardness, grumpiness and inadvertently sweet lines, then Aleks's chances of falling out of love with him would be nil. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop picturing the two of them together, constantly and obsessively, because that was the kind of person he was. When he wanted something, he devoted himself to it entirely. So he knew he would be willing to wait with his breath held for Maks to kiss him when he was drunk again, and then to continue breaking his heart. Because he didn't believe he had much more to offer but another wonderful night and another heartbreak.

So he didn't text and he considered it a smart move. He didn't have time for crushes anyway and couldn't let them distract him. And he had no intention of waiting for anyone. He was eighteen and had no patience at all, he wanted everything now .

He was close to the subway when his phone started to ring. He frowned, seeing the unknown number on the screen, because the last few weeks had made him even more paranoid than before, but eventually shook his head and picked up. “Hello?”

“Hi. Aleks?” a female voice asked. It sounded familiar, but Aleks couldn't put a face to it. “It's Ewelina. I'm not sure if you remember me. Maks's fiancée?”

He stopped dead in his tracks. All of a sudden simultaneous walking and trying to wrap his head around who was calling him seemed like too much multitasking. And why was that someone still introducing themselves as Maks's fiancée? Unless...

He cursed himself that in all his fantasies of hot nights and cute mornings he'd kept forgetting one pretty significant detail, which was that Maks was a moron. Of course that loser took her back, he was the most opportunistic, lazy, spineless wimp he'd ever met. Suddenly he felt like screaming in frustration, but maybe not with her on the line.

“Ewelina. Of course I remember. Hi.” How could he possibly forget, he thought sourly. “What's up?” He tried to sound friendly, but there was so much poison in this innocent question that it surprised even him. It seemed that she was doing great, considering she was screwing around with God knows who for God knows how long behind her fiance's back and he was still willing to marry her. It was so fucking typical that she'd won despite being a slut and he lost, even though he would give Maks the world if he asked, just because he had a dick. Of course it would make perfect sense if only Maks was straight, but he wasn't. Aleks didn't believe he was one-time gay either. He couldn't see him sharing that little detail with Ewelina, they seemed to like leaving random cheating unsaid. Well, every couple had their quirks, apparently this was theirs.

“All good,” she said, completely oblivious to his vehement internal monologue. “Listen, I know it might seem a little out of the blue, but I'm throwing a surprise birthday party for Maks.”

Aleks closed his eyes and pressed his lips to keep himself from blurting something rash, because it exceeded all levels of absurdity. Moments like this one were almost turning him into a believer. They couldn't possibly happen by chance, they had to be arranged by someone with a very sadistic sense of humor.

“Would you like to come? It's on Friday in two weeks, at the beginning of the long May weekend. Unless you have plans already,” she added casually.

Aleks was silent for a moment, wondering how to play it. “You know, I'm not sure. I have some plans, but it's nothing certain yet. Should I let you know or...?” he broke off questioningly, applauding himself for his composure. He didn't actually have any plans except for studying and probably doing something for Partyka, but whatever.

“You don't have to,” she assured him. “I'll send you a Facebook invite, all the details are gonna be there, so join the event, or don't and just come if you're free. Ok?” she said cheerfully.

Aleks forced a smile. “Sure. I'll do that.”

“Ok, don't let me keep you. If you need anything, just call me or massage me. Ciao!” she chirped and hung up.

Aleks put the phone away, frowning. Ciao? The fuck was that all about? Did Maks know she was going to do this? Right, it was supposed to be a surprise, besides if he knew, he would probably warn him. Where did she even get his number? Maks's phone? Was there anything incriminating still in that phone? If there was, she didn't seem to have found it, otherwise inviting him to the party probably wouldn't be her first reaction. But she still could find something. Aleks deleted his texts because he was paranoid, but did Maks? Shit.

He winced, taking a few more steps and sitting on the bench. It needed to be taken care of right away. Of course he could just tell her that he had something else to do and forget about the whole thing. But... there were too many holes in their story for them to keep it straight without consulting each other. With that thought he took a deep breath and put his phone back to his ear.

“Aleks?” a low, disbelieving voice asked before even the first ring ended. It looked like Maks had been sitting glued to the damn phone for the last three weeks, waiting for him to call and even though Aleks knew it wasn't very likely, he still melted a little bit. “Is everything ok?” he fretted.

Aleks smiled to himself. “Everything's fine,” he assured him smoothly. “Hi,” he added and heard Maks exhaling loudly.

“Wait, I'll get out of the office,” he whispered. “Ok, I'm back. Hi,” he said softly. Aleks felt his mind going blank, even though he had thoroughly planned what he was going to say. It's just that Maks always seemed so intent and dedicated, as if there was nothing more important in the whole world than this conversation and this 'hi', like there was no spat between them and they hadn't been giving each other the silent treatment for the last three weeks. Somehow just the sound of his voice was making Aleks feel like everything was going to be ok. He cleared his throat.

“Why is your fiancée inviting me to your birthday party?” he asked point-blank, trying to put as much irritation and disapproval into this question as he could. Only then he realized that he just ruined her surprise, but it wasn't his priority right now.

Maks seemed to be stunned speechless. “She did what?” he uttered finally.

Aleks smirked. “She called to invite me to a surprise birthday party she's throwing for you,” he repeated calmly.

Maks was silent for another moment before he barked a short, uncontrolled, a little hysterical laughter.

Aleks's smile broadened. “I do love your reaction, it means we have the same sick sense of humor. See, I told you we were a match made in heaven,” he blurted, then bit his tongue, cursing himself. “Ok, that probably wasn't appropriate under the circumstances.”

“Why not? It's the truth,” Maks objected.

Aleks's mouth opened in surprise.

“So, are you coming? To my birthday?” he asked tentatively.

Aleks shook his head. “You're kidding, right?” he scoffed, deciding to stay as curt as possible and not let Maks pull him into any flirting. “I just wanted to make sure that you were smart enough to delete our texts, considering that unless you gave your girlfriend my number, and I don't think you would, she's apparently digging through your phone.” he said explicitly.

Maks was silent for a moment, before he let out a not very eloquent 'erm'.

Aleks closed his eyes, rubbing his face and praying for patience. “Seriously? What do you keep them for, do you jerk off to them?” he teased.

Maks snickered, a little abashed. “What can I say, I'm a sentimental guy,” he said vaguely, neither confirming nor denying it.

Aleks grinned to himself. “Wipe it out,” he ordered firmly. “And be glad that your chick is not suspicious enough to be checking you. We also need to get our stories straight, I don't know if you want to tell her that we had a fall out or whatever, but let me know in case she calls again...”

“Or you could just... you know,” Maks started hopefully. “Come to my birthday,” he finished bravely.

Aleks kept himself from sighing out loud. Damn, he was stubborn. What was his deal? “Maks, your fiancée and all of your friends are going to be there,” he informed him slowly, as if he was talking to a child. “I don't think that you want to see me among them.”

“I've never not wanted to see you,” Maks said quietly.

Aleks felt the last remaining bit of his willpower leaving him. How was he even supposed to hold his ground against him? “Yeah,” he agreed unwittingly, then came back to his senses. “Delete the texts,” he repeated lamely, feeling as if he'd already lost. One fucking sentence and he was done.

“If I delete them will you send me new ones?” Maks asked cutely.

Aleks wasn't even pretending not to smile anymore. “I don't know, try texting me and maybe I'll reply,” he said cheekily, then shook his head. He was falling for his pretty words as if he learned nothing. It was truly pathetic.

“So... how are you doing?” Maks asked quietly after a short silence.

“I'm good,” Aleks shrugged without elaborating. “And you... got that job, huh?” he said, suddenly feeling awkward for some reason. “Is it fun?”

“No. It's a nightmare” Maks grumbled bluntly. “Thanks,” he scoffed sulkily when Aleks laughed out loud.

“And your fiancée is still your fiancée,” he remarked teasingly, not able to help himself from rubbing it in.

Maks winced. “Yeah,” he admitted reluctantly.

“Look at you, Mr. Right, all gracious and understanding,” Aleks taunted him.

“You know it's not...” Maks broke off, trying to find the appropriate words. “I won't find a better girl.”

“No, if you're looking for girls I'm sure she's the best there is,” Aleks agreed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. “So how are you dealing with all of it?” he asked with much more consideration.

“I don't,” Maks said simply. There was nothing funny about it, but Aleks still snorted. “I've been thinking about you. A lot.”

Aleks swallowed heavily. “Yeah? And what I am supposed to do about it?”

Maks was silent for a moment. “Can I see you?” he asked quietly.

“I don't know, can you?” Aleks deflected, stalling. “I thought we weren't on speaking terms.”

“Well, we're clearly speaking now,” Maks observed reasonably. “Besides, you're coming to my birthday.”

“I never said that,” Aleks objected for principle's sake, grinning.

“So how about right now?” Maks blurted.

Aleks frowned. “I thought you were at work.”

Apparently Maks hadn't thought of it. “So after work,” he suggested right away.

“Sorry. I've got plans already. It's a party night,” Aleks said casually.

“I can be wherever you are,” Maks insisted stubbornly.

Aleks scowled. “No, you can't,” he informed him ruthlessly. “It's a place for fags, so at your own estimation not for you.” Ha! Check.

“Oh? What do I need to do to get in?” Maks asked innocently.

Aleks already knew what was coming. “Make out with me,” he replied promptly in a flat voice anyway.

“Done,” Maks called triumphantly. Fuck. Checkmate. “But like... is that rule for me only or does it apply to everyone who wants to enter?” he asked with mock suspicion.

“Everyone,” Aleks assured him pointedly. “It's like a rite of passage.”

Maks started to shake with laughter on the other side of the phone. “If you think a gay club is going to hold me back from seeing you then you're wrong.”

“Aren't you brave,” Aleks muttered mockingly. “I would still prefer if you celebrated your heterosexuality somewhere else,” he added cuttingly.

“Do you really... not want to see me?” Maks asked, dropping his cocky attitude and now sounding hesitant.

Now that would be a blatant lie. “Maks, I...” Aleks broke off, trying to think on his feet. “Of course I want to see you,” he finally admitted in defeat. “I just... ok, maybe I'll come to your birthday or... whatever,” he said vaguely, trying to somehow meet him halfway, but not wanting to declare himself. He didn't know what else to say and didn't want to give Maks a chance to keep grilling him, so he hung up without waiting for an answer, because otherwise this conversation would go on forever.

He was so fucking easy it was disgraceful. Everything about Maks pulled him in so much he felt like a dog on a chain. Just a mongrel who was always chasing after someone.

His phone pinged again.

3:22 pm. From: Maks. Which club?

Aleks smirked and shook his head before tossing the phone back into his pocket, standing up and slowly resuming walking. Let someone else do the chasing for a change.

***

Maks had two extremes, he was either completely lost in life, or he got fully task-orientated, there was nothing in between. When he got into operation mode, there was nothing in the whole world that would stand in his way. His goal for today was finding Aleks. Again. It was a bit concerning how much time he was spending playing the 'where is Aleks' game.

First hitch: there were plenty of gay clubs around this city. Maks knew some or had rather heard about them, because he'd never set foot in any of them. He'd never been in a gay club period, even in England. His friends had gone from time to time though. Now when he thought about it he wasn't sure whether he'd just never had an opportunity or had been anxious it would be too... weird. He knew he was probably over-analyzing it, because things he would once pin on his uneasiness, now seemed almost homophobic. Yeah, he would feel weird in a gay club. He would feel weird knowing that men might be looking at him with interest. Which was irrational, because Aleks was definitely interested and Maks didn't mind at all. Even more, he fucking loved it. He literally loved the way he looked at him, all hotly and intently, but he also loved... that he wanted him. It made him feel special and lucky. But that was Aleks and the mere thought of replacing him with any other guy made his skin crawl. So no, going to a gay club didn't sound particularly tempting.

But Aleks said his birthday and his birthday was in two fucking weeks. He couldn't wait that long. He was prepared to do whatever it took to get Aleks back. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with him once he got him back, but decided to figure it out later. For now all he knew was that he had this freaky, probably not very healthy instinct to... have him. He just needed Aleks around .

And yeah, he was back to square one, but he couldn't go on like that. Now that everything he suspected had always been locked up in him had come to the surface, it was actual agony. It had been three weeks and he hadn't got over anything, quite the opposite, he was starting to think about him more often, more compulsively, more fatuously, in riskier situations. He was scared all the time that he would just blurt his name randomly, or even worse, when he was having sex with Ewelina, because every once in a while they still had sex, and then he would be fucking doomed. When Aleks called and he heard it all in his voice, all this spite, doubt, apprehension, restlessness... it was the last straw, because Maks felt exactly the same. And they could pretend that they weren't still waiting, but Maks knew otherwise. Both of them had been left on standby, just waiting to continue this unfinished something they'd started.

He stood in front of the first club on his list and looked inside cautiously. An aging gentlemen at the door smirked in an understanding, knowing way that left Maks a bit affronted. He knew what he was thinking and wanted to tell him that he wasn't some closet case who came to a gay club for the first time to explore his sexuality. Well, he kind of was, but not really, he was looking for someone very specific and wasn't interested in exploring his sexuality with anyone else and definitely not in here . He still wisely shut up, paid for entrance and collected his welcome drink, which turned out to be a drop of vodka flooded with orange juice. The first thing he noticed inside was a high average age. It was mostly filled with balding men in their forties hitting on a few young, dressed to kill boys behind the bar who ignored them mercilessly. Suddenly he had no idea what he was even doing here and he immediately decided that it wasn't the kind of place Aleks would visit. Gay or not, he must have some standards. Maks rushed back out, regretting the money thrown down the drain. He stopped by the door and asked the older gentlemen where young people were going. The guy raised his eyebrow, leaned against the counter and said in low tone that he could take him wherever he wanted. Maks managed to keep his face straight and said that it wouldn't be necessary, he could find his own way. He was going to leave when the guy added that he should check Glam. He thanked him politely, even though the guy was still eyeing him in amusement, as if he was convinced that he would be back. Maks exhaled in relief when he got out of his sight, wanting to promise himself that never again, but unfortunately he couldn't.

He thought briefly of calling Aleks instead of haunting random gay clubs like a lunatic, but decided to only check this one more place and try if he didn't find him. He was just anxious that Aleks wouldn't tell him where he was because he would be mad and Maks couldn't wait for him to mentally prepare, he needed to see him now .

And he did. He recognized him just by they way he carried himself, but still couldn't be sure, because he had a hoodie pulled up and he was hunched with his hands deep inside his pockets. Some other guy approached him, taller and broader. He was hooded too, but he seemed kind of familiar as well. Maks figured why when the guy looked up to warily check his surroundings. It was the same baldy he'd met at the stadium with Kostek once. The one that growled at him and then glanced suspiciously when he was looking for Aleks. The same Aleks who just smiled at him, confirming his identity to Maks. A sick feeling twisted his stomach after seeing that smile meant for some other guy. He backed off, slipping behind the van parked in front of the club to stay out of sight.

“Let's get out of here, I hate this dump,” the guy muttered. Wincent, if Maks remembered correctly. They started walking and Maks couldn't see any other way than to follow them. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that now he'd found Aleks he needed to keep track of him, because if he lost him then that would be it. He really hoped this Wincent guy would cooperate and just go away.

“What are you talking about? It's a perfectly decent club,” Aleks objected, disgruntled. “Why are shabby, deserted closes better than cultured darkrooms?”

“Cultured,” Wincent repeated mockingly. “There are people there,” he emphasized crankily.

Aleks laughed. “That's the whole point, that people there can't harass you for being in a gay club, because they're also in a gay club,” Aleks grinned cheekily, then grabbed his arm and dragged him to the left. They disappeared in the open gate that led to a backyard of one of the townhouses. Maks stopped abruptly. In theory he knew what they were going there for, they were just talking about it, but in reality he hadn't fully realized it up until now. He had no wish to watch, but his masochistic tendencies made him glance from behind the wall. Damn, it couldn't be a dead end after all, because they were gone. He cursed, because he'd barely found Aleks and he'd already lost sight of him. This damn kid was really bringing out the worst in him. The old Maks didn't follow people and invade their privacy. He simply didn't care enough to do that. This guy, who took a few more steps, entering someone's premises and feeling like a complete stalker, definitely wasn't the old Maks. It was the new Maks, who had no idea what to expect from himself anymore.

Normally his first instinct would be to scold them, because it was a public place for God's sake. People lived here. But new Maks just stared, motionless, as this fucking giant tried to eat Aleks's face, because that couldn't be called kissing. He was holding his head in both his big hands, pulling it up and it looked ridiculous, because Aleks had everything smaller, even his mouth seemed too small to fit this guy's huge tongue. He was standing on his toes and could still barely reach him, and Aleks wasn't that short, he was a good five foot seven if you counted his crazy hair. That guy was just enormous .

He stared and he wasn't sure how it made him feel. It wasn't disgusting, but it wasn't really sexy either. It couldn't be, because that Wincent guy definitely wasn't the sexiest thing he'd seen. Aleks was very sexy though and it was weird, watching him from third-person perspective, draped around someone else. Maks wanted to look away, but he couldn't, it was like watching a car crash. They were like a car crash, like something that wasn't supposed to be happening, like Aleks's mouth just wasn't the right place for this guy's tongue. Suddenly he wished that Aleks would bite it off.

One of Wincent's hands roamed down and tightened on Aleks's skinny ass. It was so big he easily managed to cup both his butt cheeks. That's when it suddenly hit Maks that these two guys were totally doing it, and not like him and Aleks, that they've got a little carried away once and made out on the couch. No, they were definitely fucking, or he suspected that the hulk was fucking Aleks, because he really couldn't picture it the other way around. It was clear from the way they touched each other, there was so much certainty, familiarity and ease in it. It got Maks reluctantly fascinated, because how was it possible that someone so filled with testosterone as this Wincent guy looked so content kissing another man? It almost made it fit him against all odds.

Jesus, now he was getting into voyeurism, as if he didn't have enough confusing urges lately. Aleks and his guy broke off their embrace and something was whispered, but Maks couldn't hear. He closed his eyes right after Aleks dropped to his knees and Wincent grabbed his hair, pressed his face against his crotch and laughed, muttering something that sounded like 'fucking exhibitionist' under his breath. Maks leaned against the cold wall, trying to erase that picture from his brain and holding back from charging in there and separating them. He really had no right to blame Aleks on sleeping with someone else (not that they were sleeping together, they'd done it once and then hadn't spoken to each other for three weeks, in theory there was nothing between then, least of all any commitment), because he was sleeping with someone else too (fuck, Ewelina!). Also, if it came to blows, he wouldn't stand a chance against that thug and wasn't all that sure that Aleks would be on his side. Yeah, not really a good time to throw a jealous fit. Aleks would be pissed and he didn't want him to be even more pissed than he already was. He also didn't want him fucking that guy, he wanted Aleks to fuck him . Sure, it would be really satisfying to go there and rip this guy to pieces, but he needed to stay calm. Stay calm, erase this memory and retreat unnoticed.

He could always throw a jealous fit later. Hopefully it would end with some kind of truce between the two of them. And with any luck, in his bed.