A Slice of Life - 17. Chapter 16 - Three, Two, One

Dinner with Xavier was an informative affair. Jasper enjoyed listening to Xavier talk about all the things that he missed while they had gone their separate ways. From the brief moments when their hands or legs touched to the excitement in Xavier’s eyes as he gushed about his new inspirations and projects, Jasper knew he could listen to him talk all evening.

“I suppose that this is your stop,” Jasper teased as he pulled up to Xavier’s car; the pair opted to ride together for dinner. Jasper walked Xavier to his car, despite being a few feet away, he was not ready for the evening to end.

“Such a gentlemen, making sure that I arrived home safely,” Xavier laughed. Jasper smiled; unsure of what to do next, he pulled Xavier in for a brief hug. “I enjoyed tonight – thank you Jasper.” Xavier said as he held Jasper tightly not letting him pull away as quickly as he intended. He kissed Jasper on the cheek resulting in a light blush appearing on both of their faces.

“It was truly my pleasure. Just a few more days until the launch, so I will see you this weekend.” Jasper stated as he walked to his car unaware that Xavier’s eyes were locked intently on him until he reached his car with a smile etched across his face.

*** 

“The test came back negative,” Kyle yelled into his phone.

“Tell me again why you felt the need for a full round of blood tests,” Jessica asked. She had been busy putting together a highlight reel for Charity to be included at the launch.

“That night when I ended up in the hospital, I awakened after another of my benders in bed with one of the waiters from the launch preview, and well putting the pieces together, I realized that we slept together, and we were not safe,” Kyle whispered ashamed.

Jessica gathered her thoughts before speaking; she knew that Kyle was being very open with her and anything that appeared judgmental would cause him to shut down. He appeared to take judgmental criticism only from Xavier to her knowledge. “All that matters is that you are ok, and you cannot change the past, but you can make smarter decisions moving forward.”

“Thanks Jess, you do not know how much that means to me, now, on to more important matters.”

*** 

The venue was brimming with activity as guests made their entrance. All eyes were on alert at the faintest hint of the main attraction, but they were unable to nail down Xavier’s exact location.

“Are you sure that you do not want to step down from running your company and just model full time,” Charity teased, catching Xavier walking through the back entrance. She figured that Xavier would put up more of a fuss, but over the past few days, he seemed – different.

“I am quite happy at my desk; I will have you know. However, times like this call for a little extra panache. and I have no problem leading by example,” he winked at Charity as he tied his hair up.

“Wow,” Cheryl stopped dead in her tracks as she walked seeing Xavier for the first time that evening. “You look stunning; I would go so far as to say that you are almost glowing. If you did not get laid, I am sure that will change before sunrise tomorrow.”

“Hush you,” he smiled before clearing his throat and addressing the rest of the models entering. “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude. Without all of you, tonight would not be possible. I know that I have a reputation as a perfectionist but that is only because I can see what each of you have to offer. With that said, I will be out there on stage with you tonight, together, we will usher in the new era of Galant Industries.” Xavier smiled as the group cheered and hollered. He knew that he could be hard on his employees, but the results spoke for themselves.

*** 

Charity and Jessica walked on stage; both looked stunning in gold and black gowns as they strutted down the runway. “Welcome esteemed guests to a night you will not forget. I know that everyone is anxious to start the show, so allow us to introduce the champion himself.”

The room went dark, and the music began to gradually increase in intensity. The spotlight illuminated revealing Kyle draped in an all-black throw over as he waited for his moment. With a boom of lights and smoke, he revealed a red and white outfit tailor made to his athletic body, showing off every angle of his exceptional physique. The crowd went wild as he walked almost seductively back and forth across the stage. He removed his jacket and tie exposing the mesh top beneath as he moved and flexed his body to the music. Kyle was in heaven as he soaked in the energy and attention causing him to jump down into the crowd of onlookers watching the show.

Jessica shook her head in amusement. They gave the champ free reign provided that he upheld some sense of decorum; however, she need not worry as Kyle was strictly business knowing what was at stake. As Kyle completed his tour around the room, the rest of the models began to come and go. Jasper sat with potential clients and vendors as he turned up the charm easily securing several promises for talent deals and more.

The models lined up on stage one final time when the music suddenly stopped, and the fervor of the crowd ceased. Xavier appeared at the end of the runway, flanked by his models, his face hidden behind a gold mask. The tails of his coat fluttered behind him; with each step, he would undo a button down his shirt. He removed his mask and untied his hair smiling at the crowd, with his excitement in full swing, he took Kyle’s hand, who was standing at the end as an impromptu dance break began.

“Ladies and gentlemen, that was our show, but the party is just starting. Get up out of your chairs and onto your feet, enjoy yourselves, dance the night away,” Xavier sang into a mic as Kyle spun him around. The two continued to dance enjoying the presence of each other and for once just living in the moment. “You still have two left feet when you dance with me; you are definitely a solo act,” Xavier giggled.

“May I cut in,” Jasper asked tapping Kyle on the shoulder. Kyle turned and smiled at Jasper before taking him by surprise by releasing Xavier and snaking an arm around Jasper. “Well, I suppose I cannot pass up a dance with the champ.”

“You look good Jasper. You always took great care of yourself,” Kyle stated as they danced among the crowd. Jasper gave Kyle a side eye look. “Do not look at me like that; I am not hitting on you. We both know that ship was never going to sail as we had our reasons many years ago, but I am glad that we remained friends even when I would go off the deep end. Jasper smiled as they swayed to the music; occasionally, they would catch a glance of Xavier dancing among his guests. “Say how you feel, I think that we all see how you still look at him, well maybe not all of us,” Kyle laughed nodding toward Xavier.

*** 

Xavier leaned against a table to catch his breath as he sipped on his drink as he once again expressed his appreciation to Charity for a stellar event. Come Monday morning, he knew that they had to hit the ground running, but for now, he was enjoying letting his hair down both metaphorically and literally. Charity looked over his shoulder and smiled as Jasper approached.

“I hope you have enough energy for one last spin,” Jasper said as he held out his hand to Xavier and bowed. Xavier spun and giggled at the man in front of him; he responded with a mock curtsy and took Jasper’s hand. Jasper looked down at the man in his arms as they moved to the beat. Both were unaware that they were becoming the center of attention.

Jasper has not been this happy since high school when he first met Xavier. He felt very relaxed yet tense as he did not want to get too ahead of himself. He feared that like in high school, he would fumble and make another costly mistake and push Xavier away forever.

With chemical inducements, Xavier’s inhibitions have been mostly striped. His shield was cracking, and he began to allow himself to feel love again. Despite cracking, he thought to himself that he should maintain the shield at least for a little while as if expecting disappointment yet again.

The song ended to a round of applauses when Jasper spun Xavier one last time for the crowd before bringing him back to Charity. “This was your night; you were amazing. Charity my dear, I leave him in your capable hands,” Xavier again giggled as Jasper handed him off to Charity – the evening’s events and alcohol in full effect.