Under The Hill Ch 02

"How do other people tell this story?" the boy said. "I'm going to tell you in the order I remembered things. I really can't promise it's going to make any sense. The only thing that matters to me now is I'm going to see her again. Maybe not like I wanted to but..."

He got up and walked across the little cubicle. It was part of a huge old warehouse space that must have cost four or five thousand a month, but it had been divided into tiny boxes smaller than a solitary confinement cell in a maximum-security prison. He said he'd been here eight months, but that made him the third-most senior resident of the loft.

He fell back onto the little foam pallet he was sleeping on and his unbuttoned shirt fell open. He had a thin, smooth torso, but I don't think he was trying to show off. He was really geeky, with little round glasses and his hair everywhere. But there was something diminished about him that I couldn't put my finger on.

He was twisting around strangely in place. He closed his eyes and sucked in his breath a bit.

The best interviewing technique in the world is to shut up and listen.

Mike's Story

I guess I'll start when I was about to get off work. Someone, Tricia I think was her name, it seems so long ago, asked me what I was doing that night and I said I was going to a party with my girlfriend. I was so happy, I remember that. I didn't notice that everyone was looking at me kind of funny.

This guy named Steve said, "You have a girlfriend?"

"What? Yeah. Cyel? We've been going out six months?"

I was kind of annoyed. I guess I never stand out wherever I am. People just look right over me, I don't know. So I'm not like Steve, bragging about every girl I fuck. I had Cyel. That was all I ever wanted.

But Steve wouldn't shut up.

"Wait a minute, just a week ago you were complaining about..."

Someone else jumped in then, I don't remember who.

"So you're over Amari?"

"Amari?" I said. "Yeah. I mean that was..."

It was a long time ago. I could barely remember.

"It doesn't matter," said Tricia quickly. "I'm happy for you, Mike! You deserve it, you really do. You're a sweet guy. And I think she's been good for you. You've been working out, right?"

I could tell Steve didn't believe me. He thought I was the kind of loser who would make up a girlfriend. Which made it even better when Cyel came by the office to meet me.

So of course I introduced her around. I could tell people couldn't believe I was dating this girl. How do I describe her? She just floated when she moved. She was so long, so soft, her hair just floated around her, and so did her dress. She was wearing something soft and flowery that day; it wasn't too short but it was like you could almost see through it to everything. And she had those buckle boots some women wear, and the combination, you'd just have to see it.

I'll admit I was feeling pretty good when I left the office and all the way home on the train. Of course I knew I was getting major validation from showing off such a hot girlfriend, and I knew what my shrink would say about that. But I told myself is it so bad to just enjoy it a little when things are going good?

Telling the story now it sounds like I had everything that happened coming. But maybe it would have been the same no matter what I did.

She kissed me for a long time just inside our front door. I tried to move us toward the bedroom but she pulled away.

"Not now, Mike," she said. "I have to get ready for the party. So do you!"

"Why can't I just wear my clothes from work?" I asked her. "I even have a tie on!"

"Don't be stupid," she said. "You don't wear boring work clothes to a party. Especially not this one. I have just the outfit for you."

Before I could say anything else she closed herself in our bedroom. We didn't have a very big place, so that didn't leave me much room. I sat in the kitchen and looked through a cycling magazine of mine that had been sitting on the counter for a few weeks, without really seeing anything.

But she said to get ready. A shower seemed over the top, so I went into the bathroom, took my shirt off, washed under my arms and shaved.

Someone knocked on the front door. Cyel called out from the bedroom.

"Oh, that's Rob! Mike will you let him in?"

I stepped out of the bathroom, but then stopped.

"Who's Rob?" I asked her.

"He's taking us to the party, silly!" she answered. "My old friend? You never remember anything I tell you!"

I felt so bad about not remembering we were going with someone that I went right to the door and opened it.

Rob was short but somehow he just took up the whole doorway. As soon as I saw him I took three steps back and left the door open. He smelled like engine oil and the patches on the leather sleeves of his jacket brushed either side of the door as he entered. He smiled in a way that I didn't like, but it took me a second to figure out why.

He was actually leering at me. It's something I'd never experienced before; I mean I'm sure gay guys have checked me out but I think they learn to be subtle. Now I know why women don't like it.

"Sorry," I said, remembering I was still shirtless. "I should put on my..."

"You're just fine how you are," he said, and threw his motorcycle jacket onto one of the chairs at the kitchen table before he sat in a different one.

We only had two chairs. It's not like we had a lot of dinner parties. I looked at the chair with his jacket, and stayed on my feet.

He said, "Since you're up, you might as well get me a beer."

I apologized and told him we didn't have any, wondering why I was feeling bad that I didn't have a beer for this guy I didn't even know.

"Oh, I'm sure you do. Just look in the fridge."

How the hell did he know? And who the hell was he anyway? I was going to give him a piece of my mind. Then I met his eyes. I turned to the refrigerator. The cold air on my chest reminded me I still didn't have my shirt on.

There was exactly one beer. Something European, I guess; the bottle was brown and thick and the label was entirely in some language I don't know. It had one of those ceramic lever-opening tops like the old Grolsch bottles used to have.

I just stared at it for a few breaths. Cyel had went out and bought a beer - and not a cheap one, from the look of it - for this guy that she claimed she told me was coming. And she hadn't gotten one for me.

I reminded myself that Rob was a guest. We had one beer. So I opened it and put it in front of him. And stood there, because there was nowhere to sit. He took a long drink and stared at me. I decided to go put on my shirt. I could change again when Cyel came out. Before I could go, Rob started talking again.

"You're not usually her type," he said.

I just wanted to get dressed. But he looked like he was waiting for an answer. What was I supposed to say? So I asked him what her type usually was.

"Guys who are, you know, tougher. No offense."

I just stood there with my mouth open. I could feel blood in my face. He didn't seem to notice. I turned away and opened the bathroom door.

My shirt wasn't in there. I'd thrown it across the back of the toilet seat. I kept staring like it would appear again. All my other clothes were in the bedroom where Cyel must be trying on every single outfit she'd ever worn.

He asked me if there was a problem. I said no, of course.

He said, "You should have some beer too."

"That was the only one," I said, my back still to him.

"I poured you some," he said, and I heard him scoot something across the table.

It wasn't the kind of glass you drink beer from. And it definitely wasn't any glass that had ever been in my house. It looked like something you'd get a cocktail in at a super-fancy hotel bar, twisty like a stream of smoke, what looked like real gold on the bottom and glass on top but you couldn't tell where it went from one to the other. I knew for a fact we owned two proper wine glasses, one pint glass and a few assorted cheap glass and plastic cups from Ikea.

I picked up the cup and brought it to my lips.

"Take it easy with that," he said. "This isn't just any beer. And that's not just any cup."

Did he think I was eleven? Even if this was one of those high-alcohol barleywines or something, a cup this size couldn't hold enough to give me a buzz. And obviously this fancy-schmancy cup wasn't one of mine, but what difference did that make? If you drink the same booze out of a million dollar Ming vase or a cracked mason jar, it makes you just as drunk.

I drained the whole glass. He raised his eyebrows, and chuckled.

"Rooobbbeeeeee!" said Cyel, coming into the room and jumping into his lap.

In spite of how he'd been looking at me, I could tell as soon as her arm were around him he wasn't gay. Or at least not just gay. They stayed just on the side of what could be interpreted as a friendly hug, but obviously Rob was a little more than just an old friend.

This night wasn't working out the way I'd planned.

I tried to put the cup down, and missed the table entirely. Things slowed down as I realized this insanely fancy cup that must have cost more than all our furniture was going to smash all over the floor.

But it didn't. Rob had caught it, somehow without dislodging my girlfriend from his lap. He laughed and tossed it in the air in a flip, then put it in his jacket somewhere.

"Mike, silly, be careful!" Cyel said, and stroked my cheek. "Rob, did you let him-"

I cut her off.

"I'm fine!"

Then I grabbed the side of the table. Things weren't staying straight. Cyel floored her eyes.

"Mike, you need to change. Go I our room and take your clothes off."

So I did, making sure to close the door first. Not that it helped. I was by the dresser looking for what she wanted me to wear when both Cyel and Rob walked in.

"Sweetheart," she said, "I told you to take all your clothes off."

"I did!" I said, but she just pat me on the cheek.

"All of them, silly. Underwear, too."

When I didn't respond quickly enough, she grabbed my boxer briefs and slid them off then turned to Rob.

"So, what do you think?"

He grabbed my shoulder and spun me around casually. The room turned two or three more times than I did, and Rob held my shoulder to keep me up. I was a head taller, but he gripped me as casually as an adult holding a little child.

"When did you develop a taste for skinny boys?" he said.

"Asshole," she said. "You don't know what I like. I mean what about the theme?"

"Oh," he said. "Definitely glam."

"Of course!" she said. "You mean like this?"

I didn't know what was in that beer, but it was really messing with me. Time was kind of skipping. All of a sudden Rob was wearing a green velvet suit with a skinny tie. Cyel's carefully selected outfit was changed for a short A- frame in matching green with knee-high boots.

But it was my outfit they were looking at.

I looked down, then looked back up. There was no mirror in our room, so I walked in the bathroom to get a better look.

"I can't go out in this," I said.

Cyel came from behind me and spun me around. She ran her hand down the fishnet on the front if my chest, which was exposed by the front of my silk shirt, which had its highest button below my belly button.

"Come on," said Cyel. "Don't be a spoilsport!"

"I look like Gary Glitter got into Motley Crue's wardrobe!"

Rob grabbed my wrist, and pulled my hand away from my face.

"Careful, kid! You'll mess up your eyeshadow."

I felt the back of the downright pants.

"I don't have anywhere to put my wallet."

Cyel put her hands over mine.

"Well pockets would spoil the view of your adorable little ass, sweetie! Come on, let's go."

I must have lost another minute or two because next thing I knew I heard the roar of an engine downstairs outside.

"Let's go, baby," she said. "Rob had started his bike."

"Bike?" I said. "I thought we were going to take the train."

But she was already out the front door going down the stairs. So I ran after her. I was thinking about how only two people can ride on a motorcycle.

Well, he had a sidecar, so that explained that. Rob was in the driver's seat, but Cyel hadn't gotten on yet.

Rob patted the seat behind him.

"Hop on, cutie."

I approached nervously, thinking about riding wherever we were going with my arms around him. I got in the sidecar.

As soon as Cyel climbed onto the bike behind Rob I started to regret that choice. But before I could say anything we were on the road.

The party was in Manhattan somewhere. I wasn't paying much attention. I had my eye on Cyel with her arms around Rob and her crotch to his butt. It was in a huge residential skyscraper, maybe on the Upper East Side, in the eighty something floor. I know now it was Under the Hill, but they never called it that.

I guess you'll wasn't to know what Under the Hill looked like that night. I'll tell you later, but I didn't really look around at first. What I remember at first was a white semi-circular couch. People were sitting all around it, but they made room for the three of us in the middle.

A tray of drinks appeared in front of us, and Rob and Cyel both took a martini.

"Something for you sir?" said the girl holding the tray.

I started at her, and not because she was wearing next to nothing. She had a bodysuit that was made of loose fishnet, with a vinyl crotch that was a g-string in back. But my eyes were locked in her face. It was very familiar, but I couldn't think from where.

"Get yourself a drink, kiddo," said Rob. "You don't have to have a martini if you don't want. Have a nice Syrah or one of those craft brews you kids like these days."

As he spoke, the drinks in the tray changed in front of my eyes. I was starting to figure out this was no regular party.

So I took a nice scotch. I was hoping for Glenfiddich or something like that. But it was much, much better. The first sip warmed my whole torso.

A woman with banged earrings and piercings all over her face embraced Rob, then reached across him and I to hug Cyel.

"This one's adorable," she said, and ran a finger down my chest. "Is he a keeper?"

"I think he may be, Cherie" said Cyel. " What do you think, Michelle?"

The woman to the right of me, whose teeth were weirdly glittery, lit me up with a smile.

"I'm going to need a better view, Cyel."

Cyel put her hand behind my back.

"Go on, sweetie," she said, and pushed me up.

I stood in the middle of the semicircle. Someone whistled. It was a young man; he didn't look older than 19. I know now that doesn't mean anything with their kind. He could have been older than any of them. But I didn't know that then. I tried to sit down.

But Rob had pulled the girl who had been holding the serving tray between himself and Cyel. He had pulled her into a kiss. Cyel was absentmindedly running her hand down the server's legs.

"Isn't he cute, Aron?" she said to the teenage boy. "And he's crazy about me. Aren't you, sweetie?"

Rob's hand had drifted across the server's knee and was running up Cyel's leg. She didn't react at all, but her hand had risen to the server's crotch.

"Yes," I said.

I wanted to tell Rob to stop feeling up my girlfriend. But I was distracted by the server he was making out with. I knew I'd seen her somewhere before, and it was driving me crazy. She was at least partially of East Indian descent, but she had a Roman nose and high cheekbones. She wasn't thin like Cyel, but she was still beautiful. Her hips and breasts were full and her nipples were rigid from Cyel's and Rob's attention.

"What would you do for me, Mike?" said Cyel.

"I'd do anything," I said.

"I told you!" said Cyel. "He'd do anything. What should he do?"

"Turn around and give us a better view," said Aron.

"They want to see you better, Mike. You'll do that for them, won't you?"

Cyel had guided the serving girl's hand to Rob's crotch, and they were feeling around inside his fly together like treasure hunters.

"Um," I said, but a hand grabbed my ass and started me turning.

I turned slowly once, and then twice, like I was a wind-up machine. Hands were feeling me up the whole time. The first time I went all the way around Cyel and the serving girl had Rob's cock out and it was in their hands. The second time around they were on their knees licking it.

"You don't mind if I have a little fun, do you, Mike?" said Cyel.

The serving girl had five golden studs running up her ear, each with a small pearl inside. I had seen those studs before.

Seeing I hadn't answered, Cyel laughed.

"Oh, come on, Mike. You know who it is."

She slapped the serving girl on the ass.

"Get up and give him a better view."

The serving girl rose and put her feet on either side of Rob's legs. She lowered herself, and pushed the thong to one side. Her body was enjoying this, but there was a resignation in her brown eyes as she slid his cock inside her. Her mouth opened as he filled her, because his cock was enormous. Then she looked at me.

"I'm so sorry, Mike," she said.

"Amari?"

I said her name like a question even though it was obvious it was her. I hadn't seen her for a year. A year since she hadn't come home one night after six perfect months together. A year since she'd vanished from my life, from the world, so completely that even the police had interrogate me to make sure I didn't know anything.

Someone was pulling my pants down, but I didn't even react. I just stared at her as she rose and fell on Rob's cock.

"What happened, Amari?" I said.

Cyel whispered in my ear from behind; I don't know when she'd walked over by me.

"I saw her on the train on night. And she was just so perfect. I knew she was going home to someone, of course. I tried to resist the temptation to pick her up, I really did! But it was like seeing the ripest, plumpest fig on a tree. How could I not take her?"

Amari was weeping, even as she was moaning from fucking Rob. Every emotion is just bigger down there, I don't know how else to say it.

"You left me," I said.

"Yes," she said. "I'm so sorry. But don't you see how easy it is? Didn't you forget me?"

"I didn't!" I said. "I mean, not until..."

Some math wasn't adding up in my head.

"I talked about you every day for, I mean, Steve said just last week I was...I remembered you for a whole year. Until tonight!"

I looked over my shoulder at Cyel.

"I don't even know you."

That wasn't exactly true. Her cute little smirk still made me want to kiss her. I felt six months worth of affection between us.

And I'd only met her this morning.

"Oh, Mike, you have to forgive me! She talked about you so much, how could I resist picking up the matched set!"

"No, no," said Amari urgently between sighs. "I never told her to..."

"Oh, come on, Amari, you couldn't help it. You mortals are as transparent as cellophane. For example I can tell this cute little boy is wishing that it was his cock between your legs right now. Aren't you, Mike?"

I remembered how good she'd felt. How I'd known she was only mine. And now she was riding the cock of this...I didn't know what he was, but I was starting to figure out by then they weren't human.

"Come on, tell the truth," said Cyel, and pinched my nipple.

"Ow! Yes. Yes I do," I said. I'd been trying not to say it. I knew it shouldn't happen this way, in front of everyone. But I found I couldn't lie about what I wanted.

"No," said Amari. "No, Mike, you can still -"

Cyel waved her hand, and Amari's voice disappeared. She looked like she couldn't even breathe for ten seconds or so. When she could breath again she kept quiet, with a look of fear on her place.

Cyel was rubbing up against me. I realized I was wearing a male version of the g-string fishnet bodysuit Amari was wearing.