Paper Faces | Part Three
Part Three
At work on Monday, Jensen was exhausted. Friday had been the party, Saturday he’d gone on a date with that super cute librarian, Jared, and Sunday he’d been best man at Eva and Lucas’ wedding.
He should have taken Monday off. As it was, he’d gotten good news when he’d finally stumbled in around ten.
“The payroll system is working now!” Katie beamed. Jensen grunted a response, realized he probably sounded like a bastard and gave her a thumbs up before going into his office and shutting the door. Once inside he collapsed into his leather chair and turned on his laptop.
As usual, Katie popped her head into his office.
“You didn’t let me finish,” she said. “I’ve got bad news too. Barney finally kicked the bucket. Completely and totally.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Jensen said, lifting his head from his laptop screen.
“Barney. The dinosaur? Don’t you remember?”
Jensen honestly didn’t. His brow furrowed and he shrugged.
“You’re impossible,” Katie huffed. “Barney - that old POS printer right outside your door. We named it Barney, because it’s a dinosaur.”
“What happened?” Jensen wanted to know. He’d held onto that printer with a vengeance even though all the employees hated it. If it still worked, Jensen was keeping it. He’d probably spent more money than the thing was worth repairing it, but part of that was just to annoy the staff.
Sometimes, Jensen thought he was abnormally attached to the thing.
“The paper jam to end all paper jams,” Katie said. “It screeched like a banshee and then tried to reverse itself and then it started smoking. You’re lucky it didn’t burn down the office.”
“I’ll take a look at it in a bit. In the meantime, see if you can find one of those big scanner/copier/printers on Craigslist for cheap,” Jensen conceded. Katie grinned and if Jensen wasn’t mistaken, it sounded like she almost squealed a little.
“Are you serious?” she asked. “Like really, really serious?”
Jensen frowned at her and nodded. “Yes, I’m serious. Now go. And the printer’s name isn’t Barney! It’s Littlefoot!”
Katie giggled and shut the door. Really, the indignities Jensen had to suffer from his staff. I should fire them all, he thought as he smiled fondly.
Outside, he heard what he could only assume was the employee reaction to him finally, finally replacing their printer. Cheers and applause wafted through his closed office door. Really, Jensen wouldn’t be surprised if they started singing For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow the next time he came out of his office for a bathroom trip.
There was stuff he needed to do, but he couldn’t concentrate. He had a conference call with a potential client at noon, so he had about two hours to kill until then and he should probably have spent it double checking his talking points and presentation spreadsheet. Why then, as time clicked by noisily on his office clock was Jensen sitting in his office surfing YouTube and desperately searching for videos of the dancer that called himself “Masquerade”?
Really, Jensen knew he should let it go. The thing with Masquerade had been a fluke, even the dancer had said that he never did things like that - like taking a virtual stranger into a back alley and giving him the best head he’d had in, well, years. It had been amazing, but it had obviously been a one-time thing, especially the way the dancer had taken off after it happened and none of the other dancers would indulge his curiosity about Masquerade.
Jensen thought that was a bit silly. Masquerade was a dancer, not a damn superhero. Who the hell had a secret identity anyway? The leader of the troupe - the dancer named Genevieve - had tried to convince Jensen that the mystery was part of the fun.
Jensen just found the mystery annoying, but then he’d never been one for solving puzzles.
During the conference call, Jensen’s mind kept wandering back to Jared. Now, Jared was real. Jared was also adorably shy. Jensen wanted to learn what would make Jared come out of his shell. He was sweet, if not a little too submissive for Jensen’s taste. Even so, that kiss goodnight had been very, very nice. Jensen hadn’t meant to ask to come up to Jared’s apartment - he usually wasn’t that forward, but perhaps his own confidence had been bolstered by Masquerade’s attentions the night before.
Jensen’s mind kept going back and forth between the two men, and he honestly couldn’t say which one he’d rather pursue more, Masquerade or Jared. Jensen wasn’t a cheater, but there was no rule that said he couldn’t get to know both men a little better (if Masquerade would let him) and then make a decision from there.
Yes, that was what Jensen would do. Conference call finally over, Jensen set about figuring out when and where Dancers for Change would be performing again. It wasn’t stalking, Jensen told himself. He only wanted to see the dancer again and see if maybe, maybe there was a chance for more than just a back-alley blowjob. Also, seeing the man dance again definitely wouldn’t be a hardship. Well, perhaps in one way it would be a hardship, but that was neither here nor there. Jensen leaned over his desk, watching the YouTube videos again and thinking that a man who could move like that would be phenomenal in bed.
His thoughts returned once more to Jared. Jared was cute and sweet, the kind of good boy he could imagine taking home to meet his parents, the kind of guy he could imagine snuggling up with on the couch while they both ate popcorn and watched whatever was on TV. He could imagine a future with Jared - not so much with Masquerade. Then again, Jensen had a thing for being manhandled, and while Jared was definitely big enough to manhandle Jensen, he was probably too shy, too timid to do so. Masquerade wouldn’t hesitate. He’d pick Jensen up and throw him on the bed and ravish him like the women in those cheesy romance novels his mother liked to read. Really, Jensen could understand the appeal. There was nothing quite like being owned. Jensen could imagine Masquerade thoroughly dominating him, and Jensen needed to curtail his thought before he got a completely inappropriate workplace boner.
Ah ha! Dancers for Change was performing on Wednesday night in the Industrial District, raising money for RAINN - the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
Jensen was determined to be there.
This performance was in a much more professional venue than the one for Eva and Lucas’ bachelor party. At the door he had to pay fifteen dollars admission before he was allowed inside, where everyone was dressed much nicer than he was.
Perhaps he should have looked up the dress code. All the men were in suits and the woman were, if not in dresses, in slacks and nice shirts.
He felt a little awkward and went to find his seat while everyone was still mingling in the lobby of the theater. He sat there for about ten minutes, playing some inane iPhone game while he waited for the performance to start. Finally people started trickling in and finding their seats. Jensen found himself sitting next to an older gentleman with a full on Santa Claus beard who clearly did not approve of Jensen’s attire. Jensen put away his phone and leaned away from Angry Santa.
Finally the lights dimmed and Jensen applauded as the same emcee from the party he’d been at on Friday, a pale moon-faced girl with dark hair and a quick wit, came out from behind a curtain.
She gave a little speech about RAINN and how important the work they did was (and yeah, Jensen could get behind that) and asked that if anyone was feeling generous to leave a donation in the jars in the lobby. Jensen made up his mind to donate at least twenty bucks. Maybe more, if things went well with Masquerade. The thing was, though, Jensen didn’t come here with a plan. He figured he’d just show up and somehow be able to talk to the dancer, but he doubted that this was the kind of show where the dancers mingled with the guests after the performance was over.
Jensen had rather been banking on that, actually. Now he didn’t know how the hell he was going to be able to talk to Masquerade.
Jensen decided to settle in and just enjoy the show - the dancers were all exceptional, after all, and just when he thought that perhaps Masquerade wasn’t going to make an appearance he was announced by the emcee. Jensen sat up in his seat and waited for the performance to start.
Masquerade was dressed only slightly different than he had been on Friday. He still wore a mask, but this one was blue and silver where the one on Friday had been red and gold, and the scarf tied around his hair was blue as well. Jensen let his eyes roam unchecked over the dancer’s body, remembering all too well what those muscles and that mouth were capable of.
The music was slower, more sensuous, and Jensen may have been imagining things but the dance almost seemed sad. Masquerade’s movements were languid, almost lazy, like he was floating in water on a hot summer day. Jensen couldn’t take his eyes off of him.
“That’s just beautiful, isn’t it?” Angry Santa said as he leaned slightly toward Jensen. His eyes were on Masquerade, shining as if the man was overcome with emotion. Jensen felt a flare of possessiveness.
“Yeah, it’s nice,” Jensen murmured in response. Of course Masquerade had other fans. He was stunning, both his dancing and his physique. Angry Santa obviously didn’t think Jensen’s answer was sufficiently worshipful and he sighed heavily next to Jensen, settling further into his chair. Jensen imagined he was getting a hell of a side-eye from the man, but Jensen couldn’t be bothered to worry about it. Right now Masquerade was dancing, and that was what Jensen was here to see.
All too soon the dance was over and Masquerade took his bow before running off the stage. The emcee came out to introduce the next dancer and that was when Jensen came up with his brilliant plan to sneak backstage and talk to the dancer in the dressing room. Standing up, he politely pushed past Angry Santa and into the aisle, ducking through the door in the back by the stage into the performer area. Jensen felt extremely lucky they didn’t have a bouncer or security at the door. The last thing he needed was to be thrown out by some giant dude who went by “Bubba”.
Jensen found himself in a large room with areas sectioned off by dressing screens and three or four vanity areas up against the far wall. Costumes and accessories were draped over chairs and makeup sat open on the vanity counters.
“Jensen.”
Jensen turned quickly at the sound of his name, for one bizarre moment expecting to see Jared standing there. But no, of course it wasn’t, it was Masquerade standing a few paces away, his expression unreadable beneath the mask. Jensen let his eyes drift from Masquerade’s face down to his feet, which were bare, and Jensen realized, comparing Masquerade with Jared, that he really did have a type.
“Jensen, what are you doing here?” Masquerade asked. His voice sounded cold and unwelcoming.
“I - uh,” Jensen stammered, cursing himself for not having at least some sort of speech ready. Masquerade closed the distance between them in a single step, invading Jensen’s personal space. Jensen found it hard to breathe and part of him wanted to take a step back.
“Well?” Masquerade prodded.
“I just - I just wanted to see you again. Talk to you. Maybe get your number?” Jensen was aware that he most likely sounded like an idiot.
Masquerade smiled, but it was close-mouthed and thin-lipped. “Look, Jensen, what happened that night - I shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t appropriate and-“
“And I don’t care,” Jensen interrupted. “You’d better not be apologizing. It was amazing and I just-“
Masquerade’s hands fisted in his shirt and hauled him close for a sudden, unexpected kiss, his mouth covering Jensen’s as he turned Jensen around. Once more Jensen found himself against a wall, and he was finding out that it really did kind of turn him on. Okay, more than kind of. A lot, if he were being honest.
Masquerade pressed tightly against him, still claiming his mouth and pressing inside with his tongue. Jensen could feel the dancer’s arousal pressing just above his groin.
“God, Jensen,” Masquerade breathed on a moan once the kiss ended. “You have to go. Stop following me around, okay? Please?”
Coming from anyone else a demand like that would make the guy sound like an asshole, but Masquerade just sounded desperate, like he couldn’t control himself around Jensen and dammit, that was just unfair. Masquerade obviously liked him.
“I don’t understand,” Jensen said, pushing Masquerade away. “Look, maybe you’re having a big gay freak out, I don’t know, but if you need time to figure it out - I get that, man. I really do.”
“It’s not a big gay freak out,” Masquerade muttered, stepping away from Jensen. “You should go. Please go.”
“Alright, I’m leaving,” Jensen said, feeling irrationally angry. He strode over to one of the vanities and rifled through feathers and glitter until he found a stray scrap of paper and a pen. Biting his lower lip to keep his emotions under control, he wrote down his phone number and handed it to the dancer. “If you ever figure out what the hell is going on with you, give me a call, okay?”
Masquerade took the bit of paper and looked at it as if it were about to bite him, but Jensen just breezed past the dancer and left the venue.
He didn’t get it. If Masquerade liked him, really liked him - which, come on, a blowjob and a kiss kind of indicated that yes, he liked him - then what was his deal? Why was he running hot and cold with Jensen?
Maybe he had a boyfriend. Maybe he was married. A scowl darkened Jensen’s features as drove home. Perhaps Jensen should stick with the sweet, shy boy he’d taken out Saturday night.
The thought of Jared erased the frown from Jensen’s features and he eased up on the gas pedal, suddenly aware that he was speeding. He glanced around at the traffic surrounding him, suddenly paranoid about police and was relieved when no sirens started up behind him.
Jared, yes. Jared was hot, available and completely adorable. Jared had dimples when he smiled and his eyes literally twinkled when he laughed. Twinkling eyes was a concept Jensen had been sure was a construct of modern fiction, but no, Jared’s eyes definitely twinkled.
Jared was a safe bet. Jensen made up his mind to call Jared as soon as he arrived home and ask him on a second date.
“Hello?” Jared’s voice came out a little breathless when he answered the phone.
“Hi, Jared? It’s Jensen,” Jensen said as he flopped down on his comfortable suede couch.
“Uh, yeah, hi!” Jared said, sounding nervous. Jensen thought it was cute.
“So I was wondering if you wanted to go out again - maybe Friday night? I know a great little Thai restaurant downtown? Do you like Thai?” Jensen’s stomach rumbled loudly at the thought of food, and he remembered that he hadn’t eaten yet tonight. “Or, I don’t know, maybe you could pick the place this time?”
“I- I don’t know, Jensen,” Jared said. “I was thinking that - that maybe we-“
“Did you have a good time on Saturday?” Jensen wanted to know, a sinking feeling in his stomach. He really wasn’t sure he could handle rejection twice in one night.
“Oh, no, I had a great time!” Jared responded. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t. It’s just, I have a lot going on right now and-“
Jensen didn’t say anything. He let Jared’s words trail off into silence for a minute, hoping Jared would either say yes or give him a legitimate reason why they shouldn’t go on another date.
“Okay,” Jared said suddenly. “Yes, let’s go out on Friday. What time should I be ready?”
“Yes?” Jensen repeated, his tone a bit incredulous. “Okay! Yes.” Jensen was grinning now and he didn’t care if he sounded like an over-eager little boy. He was going out with Jared again, and Masquerade could go fuck himself.
Maybe.
They made arrangements to meet at Jared’s apartment after Jared got off work, and when he disconnected the phone, Jensen was still smiling.
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