Beat Artist : Chapter One : Set Up
The light shown in through cracks in the tan blinds. An almost stale air lingered. A boy, face down, stirred in the queen sized bed that was in the middle of the motel room. The streaks of light crossed his eye and he buried it into the pillow.
Another five minutes passed and the boy moved again. He lifted his head, flipped over, and sat up. Bewildered for a moment, he looked around and his eyes fell upon a man in bed next to him. He had short, brown hair, darker than his own, and a soft, handsome face. He wasn't too much older than the nineteen year old boy, perhaps twenty two or twenty three.
For a second, he caught himself staring at him tempted to poke him in the cheek, but quickly shook it out of his mind and got out of bed. The boy was naked from the night before it seemed, though much of it was a blur. Looking around once more, he spotted the reason for his morning amnesia. A line of ketamine residue and a few empty beer bottles. That also explained the slight hangover. He rubbed the back of his head slightly and looked at the bed once more before heading into the shower.
Inside, he rested his forehead against the shower wall, allowing the warm water to flow over his body. A sigh left his mouth. Standing straight up, he allowed the water from the shower head to pour over head. His golden brown hair clung against his face. He swiped his hand across to get it off.
With a nagging sense of urgency, out no where one might add, he turned the water off and wrapped a towel around his waist before returning to the room still a bit wet. Upon arrival he spotted the the man who had been asleep was sitting up in the bed, rubbing his head just as the boy had done a short time before. He wasn't sure how long the shower had been, but obviously enough time had passed.
"Ah...good morning." The man said as he spotted the boy with the towel wrapped around his waist.
"Morning." He said solemnly, not bothering with plesentries. Both their voices were low.
"I thought you had left already." the man said, a hint of embarassment disguised within his voice.
"No," stated the boy. "Just a shower." He pointed to the bathroom to emphasize his point. The boy moved from his spot in front of the bathroom to the middle of the room. Removing his towel, he dried his hair along with the rest of his body, caring not that the man's wandering eyes were running up and down his naked body.
The boy retrieved his clothes that were lying on the floor and gently put them back on. "Um..." The man began, but was quickly cut off when the boy stuck out his hand. "Ah...that's right..." A small sigh was heard as the man reached on to the night stand and retrieved his wallet. From it, he took out five twenties and placed them in the boy's hand. All the while, the man continued to keep 'himself' covered up. The boy placed the bills in his back pocket and began for the door.
"Um..." The man started. The boy stopped at the door.
"I know. Don't worry, there is a strict confedentiality. As they say, what happened here, stays here." The boy stated and turned to the door.
"No, that's not it. I...enjoyed myself." The man called out as the boy reached for the handle. He stopped in a jerk, his hand in midair. "I've never done anything like this before...but it wasn't a bad experience. It was, exhilerating." This statement dumbfounded the boy. As it was not often he heard complimets from the male clientale; it was usually the women. The boy looked at the man who was still in bed.
"...Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed." he said quickly. This wasn't what he wanted. Sure it was nice to hear nice things, but allowing himself to humanize people, was the last thing he wanted. If he climbed that slippery slope, there was a chance he could slip and fall. Feelings could not be had in his line of work. All that besides, feelings were not an issue. After all, he already had someone in mind. With everything in order, he opened the door.
"Maybe I'll see you again?" the man in bed said to the boy as he left.
"Perhaps..." was uttered from the boy's mouth as he shut the door behind him.
Outside, the boy leaned back on the wall next to the door. Another morning. He thought. He sighed. At least he was a change from things
as they usually were. He was so young. Maybe he's a college student. But why would he need some like me? The boy sighed. Somethings might be better off not known. Whatever.
He buried his hand Into his back pocket and pulled out a small baggy. It was empty. He held it up in front of his eyes, as if he need a better view of it to confirm what was clearly there. Damn... He stomped his foot. I guess I'll have to go see her.
And with that he was off into the streets of Mosaic City. A large metropolis that from above, it's layout reveals the beauty of a mosaic art piece.