Free Heartsville 02 - Unscripted (Nico Jaye) by Heartsville Page A

stage with some prodding, Teddy emceed the opening games, which began with a game of Suck and Blow and concluded with his auctioning off a wiry lad wearing a pair of sequined shorts and rainbow suspenders.
    Once the virgins had been duly humiliated and returned to their seats, Teddy tossed his hair dramatically. “Well! Now that we’ve ensured all V-cards have been properly and thoroughly punched, I must ask… are you ready?”
    “Yeah!” the audience shouted.
    “Are you ready?” Teddy repeated louder.
    “Yeah!” “Ready!” “Bring it on!” they called out jubilantly.
    “I don’t know if you’re ready…,” Teddy teased.
    There were groans and good-natured jeering from the crowd.
    “I see you shiver with anticipation,” he said archly, stretching the word, and the audience laughed and whooped. Teddy grinned. “Without further ado, let the show begin!”
    The spotlight disappeared, and the chords of the piano opening began. Teddy took the side steps down as quickly as his heels would allow him.
    “Oh!”
    Carter waited at the base of the stairs, still in his trench coat and holding a gorgeous bouquet.
    Teddy bit his lip.
    Carter had come after all.
    “Should I go back up and introduce you?” Teddy whispered. At dinner they’d briefly talked about making Carter’s role at the Oasis public knowledge.
    Carter shook his head and leaned in to speak into Teddy’s ear. “C’mon, let’s talk outside.”
    They exited out of the side door as Usherette mourned the failures of Fay Wray and King Kong, and once again Teddy squinted into the brighter lights of the lobby before he turned to Carter.
    Carter’s mouth was curved in a small smile, and he offered Teddy the flowers. “For the star of the show.”
    Teddy smiled and reached for the colorful spray of red, orange, and gold. He buried his nose in it, catching a complex, spicy scent. “Wow, that smells amazing,” he said, lifting his head. “Thank you.”
    Tilting his head in acknowledgment, Carter watched him with a gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. “That’s quite a costume you have there.”
    “Oh, this?” Teddy said, striking a pose. “Just something I whipped up.”
    Someone snorted behind him. Teddy turned to find Gia, rolling her eyes.
    “Hey, Doc, do you mind keeping it down?” Gia tilted her head toward the theater, where the audience could be heard singing along to the opening number.
    Teddy glanced at the bouquet in his hands and looked up at Carter. “My outfit is sadly lacking in pockets, so I’m going to leave these in the office for later.”
    “I’ll come with you,” Carter said quickly. When Carter offered his arm, Teddy smiled gratefully and took it.
    “Are you sure you don’t want me to introduce you?” Teddy asked as they climbed the stairs together. “Maybe during intermission?”
    Carter shook his head and opened the office door for Teddy to enter. “No, it’s fine. There’ll be other opportunities.”
    Teddy’s heart warmed at that. It meant Carter was planning to be around for a while.
    Teddy moved into the office and set down the bouquet on his desk. Turning, he said, “Okay, well, if you change your mind….”
    Teddy trailed off and choked on the last of his words as Carter undid the belt of his trench coat.
    Bare chest. Muscles.
    A lot of them.
    Under his trench coat, Carter wore a pair of metallic gold boy shorts and little else. His naked skin was also turning a delicious shade of pink under Teddy’s wide-eyed stare.
    “I’m late because I wasn’t sure about coming,” Carter said gruffly. “Then I figured I’d show up as part of the Oasis with a crazy costume and everything, but now I’m having second thoughts about that. A lot of second thoughts.”
    Teddy swallowed past his amazement and approached Carter slowly. He slid his hands over Carter’s tight abs to behind his back and under the trench coat, feeling nothing but warm skin.
    “I’m speechless.”
    Carter huffed a short laugh,