THE GENTLEMEN'S CLUB Bryce Written by Lady Poetess egiggles at moose-mail.com /~bbp Please do not reproduce on any website without permission. This story has no resemblance to anyone dead or alive. ONE Mark Wesley Cotton - Wesley to his friends - looked down on the man sleeping beside him. He'd done it. He reached out absently and pushed aside a stray light sandy curl on Bryce Johnson's forehead. Bryce stirred, opened his eyes, and smiled at Wesley. "So, are you going to brag about fucking me to your friends now?" Wesley didn't flinch. "No," he said. "I won't let them make fun of you." "You took the trouble to seduce me to win a bet," Bryce pointed out. He sat up on the bed and studied the other man curiously. "How did you know about the bet?" Wesley asked. "I overheard a few of your friends sniggering about it a few days after we started going out. Why did I keep going out with you? You assume I'll be offended?" Bryce shrugged. "I want to know what it is like to sleep with someone with a reputation, someone like you. I want to be bad for once in my life, and you help me to do that. Thank you." "I don't understand," Wesley stammered. "Well, we've both had what we wanted. You've won, and I've had my own fun. I'm not angry, Wesley - it is the bet, and how you can wager my feelings and body for your own fun, that attracted me to you. I've been a good guy all my life, and just once, I'd like to know what it's like to be free and uninhibited. You showed me what it's like, Wesley, and it's glorious." Bryce smiled and touched Wesley's cheek, but Wesley flinched, unable to believe at what he was listening. "Come on, Wesley, don't be angry. You and I both know this is just fun and sex." "But..." Wesley shook his head, still unable to comprehend this situation. How could Bryce know of the wager, and more importantly, what would Bryce do now? Whatever Bryce would do, Wesley knew that he wouldn't like it. "We had fun, Bryce." Wait, that didn't sound right. He tried again. "I taught you to speed and smoke and drink," he said. "Yeah, like I said, fun stuff," Bryce said. "And we had sex tonight." "We fucked, yes." Bryce watched as Wesley winced at his use of the word. How odd - Wesley used the f word all the time. "You won't fuck me if you don't want me," Wesley pointed out. "I know guys like you. You wait until you meet the right guy, and then you give out." Bryce scratched his chin, puzzled. "And your point is?" he asked. "I'm your right guy," Wesley told him. "And you have feelings for me, that's why you let me fuck you tonight." Bryce laughed. He laughed until he ran out of breath, and then he playfully pushed at Wesley's shoulder. "Your ego is amazing, man. You want me to fall in love with you and then weep and flail around when you dump me?" he asked between chuckles. "You're funny, Wesley. Are you so cruel as to expect me to pine for you after this is over?" Wesley gave a wounded growl and grasped Bryce's shoulders with both his hands. "I'm serious, Bryce," he told the other man urgently. "I stopped thinking of this as a wager long ago. This is real, damn you. You and me." "Oh come on," Bryce just said, pushing Wesley's hands away. "Look, this is crazy. If you want to keep pretending, fine. But I'm ending this right here. We've had fun, it's been great, but I'm outta here." "You can't - " "Watch me." Bryce pulled on his jeans even as he jumped off the bed. Slinging his shirt over his shoulder, he evaded Wesley's grasping hand and walked out of reach. "Bye Wesley, it's been fun while it lasted." Bryce winked at Wesley's stunned face and shut the door, leaving Wesley alone. Something very heavy crashed against the door. Bryce jumped. Wesley was acting really strange tonight, and Bryce wondered if he should go back in and see what Wesley was up to. Then, remembering the wager and Wesley's reputation as a heartless love-'em-leave- 'em type, he decided to just walk on. It had been fun - he was honest to Wesley in that aspect. But after tonight, it was he could do to walk away with his heart still intact. Wesley's fucking him was a big mistake, because the man was devastating. Weren't men of Wesley's reputation supposed to be selfish lovers? Wesley was not selfish in the least. He had used his fingers to tease Bryce's ass pucker to relax in anticipation of the impending penetration, and Wesley's educated mouth and tongue had drawn incredible pleasures from Bryce's body, pleasures Bryce wasn't sure until then existed. Wesley was rough in his urgent fucking, but he held Bryce tight in a muscular embrace, and he only came after Bryce had come at least twice. It was good. But when Wesley held him in his arms afterwards, not letting Bryce slip out of his embrace even when Bryce tried to, Bryce was in danger of being moved by Wesley's tenderness. Wesley's soft whispers of sweetest nothings and his comforting embrace all weave a deceptive illusion of caring, one that Bryce was in danger of believing if he didn't end this now and then. So he ended it. At least, he could walk away with his head held high, his heart only slightly dented, and with a memory of sex with a truly bad boy to remember and cherish always. Now he could return to being good Bryce Johnson, obedient son, loyal friend, and hardworking employee, with Wesley being his one secret rebellion safe in his heart to relive and cherish. The elevator doors closed on him just as Wesley dashed down the hallway. They missed each other, Wesley frantically pushing at the buttons before dashing down the stairs. Bryce was already driving his car out of the car park when Wesley burst through the doors of the basement car park staircase. Wesley swung his fist in a careless arc, in frustration, as he could only stand there and watch Bryce drive away. But this wasn't over yet, he vowed silently. He'd show Bryce that this wasn't just a wager. No, this was far from over. TWO "Hey, Wesley, so did you - ugh!" Jesse Bradford squeaked as Wesley lifted him and smashed him against the wall, Wesley's lower arm pressing against Jesse's throat. "There is no wager," Wesley snarled. "One more word and I will crush your throat." "Hey, cut that out!" Ryan Phillippe said as he tried to push them apart. Jesse only growled and swung his fist at Wesley, and Wesley, who was almost a professional football player until he hurt his knee, easily knocked Jesse onto the floor. "Stop it, you two," Ryan said again. "You suggested the wager in the first place," Jesse pointed out angrily. He rubbed tenderly at his bruised throat. "Fucking asshole, you made the wager and you boasted that you would fuck Bryce Johnson, remember? Ryan, you heard him, right? A thousand dollars that he would do it before the month was out." "I told you that was a fucked-up idea," Ryan told Wesley, standing between the man and Jesse to stop any further brawl. "What happened, Wesley?" "Nothing," Wesley said tersely. "I've changed the rules. There is no wager." "Russell saw Bryce driving away from your place," Jesse sneered. Wesley cursed, but Ryan held him back from choking the other man. "You say a word," Wesley began to say. Jesse gave a shout of laughter. "Ryan, by god, he's bit the big one!" "What?" Ryan threw Jesse a questioning glance. "Look at him! He fucked Bryce, alright, but he's not telling. He's a goner. The great Wesley Cotton has become the very person he mocks us for!" Jesse gave a loud hoot. "This is fucking rich!" Wesley growled and pushed Ryan out of the way as he pounced on the laughing Jesse. Ryan gave an angry exclamation as he hit his head hard against the floor, and he too pounced on Wesley. Pandemonium reigned. Wesley had his fist lifted high to bring it down on Jesse's face when he saw Bryce watching him - them - stunned. He hesitated, and Jesse's fist struck him. He collapsed onto the floor and looked up at Bryce's concerned face. "Hi," he said. "I can't believe you're brawling with your friends like kids in the schoolyard," Bryce commented as he gently pressed an ice pack on Wesley's bruised cheek. "But you did make that childish wager - what do I expect?" "Don't say that." Wesley spoke with some degree of difficulty, and his words came out in a slur. "I have to beat the shit out of Jesse because he's making fun of me." "Oh? How did he do that?" "He said that I'm in love with you. Maybe it's true. I don't care about the wager when I'm with you, Bryce. You make me feel so happy - don't laugh, please - when we are together, and remember when I kissed you the first night? It's the best kiss I've had, because I was laughing when I did that, and with you I sort of laugh more and it's always a nice, free kind of laugh, you know?" Bryce managed to find his voice. "Uh, Wesley, I'm... well, surprised." "I know you just want the sex." "Yeah. I think you're cute, but then again, everyone thinks you're cute." Despite his best judgment, Bryce had to run his fingers across the wide expanse of Wesley's shoulders. "You're so handsome and masculine, how can I resist?" "But you think I suck," Wesley said miserably, although he closed his eyes and placed his cheek against Bryce's hand, a vulnerable gesture so at odds with the unrelenting masculine virility he seemed to project to the world. "You're a lousy boyfriend," Bryce said. "I know. I wish I haven't made the bet. If we have met under any other circumstances, will you be willing to give me a chance?" Wesley asked. How did a man like Wesley end up sounding so humbled and afraid? Bryce wished that he could lie and put Wesley's mind at ease, but he couldn't. "You're all wrong for me." "Then don't be my boyfriend," Wesley just said. "Use me, Bryce. If you want sex, then let me be the one to service you. Please, Bryce, I don't care what I am to you, just stay with me, please." His shaking fingers tightened around Bryce's shoulders. Bryce tried to remove Wesley's fingers from his shoulders, but Wesley just held on harder. "Wesley" he gasped. But Wesley only covered his mouth with his. THREE He was a goner the moment Wesley kissed him. Bryce's own desires burned in a white-hot conflagration, and he melted in Wesley's arms. He kissed the man back, his arms tightening around Wesley's muscular body, and he lifted them only to let Wesley pull the shirt off Bryce. In the urgency of their kisses, Bryce could only pushed his jeans and shorts down before clumsily straddling Wesley on the chair. Wesley had his trousers unfastened, his trousers and briefs pushed down the middle of his thighs, and he pulled off his T-shirt even as Bryce sat on him and positioned Wesley's throbbing erection against the vulnerable tight pucker. They both cried out simultaneously as the cock plunged deep into Bryce's ass. Wesley drowned in Bryce's hungry kiss as they both began rocking their hips to the mating rhythm, until the scorching climax took them both over the edge. In that moment, Bryce bit into Wesley's shoulder, drawing a little blood, and Wesley gripped Bryce's thighs hard, holding the man in place even as he gave a powerful upward thrust in his hips. His fluids jetted into Bryce's insides, and they never stopped kissing and tasting each other, their hands roving to learn all they could about each other's body, even as their desire flared anew. At the sound of the whistle, the swimmers dived into the pool. Wesley crossed his arms and watched from the audience's stand, trying to remain calm and cool, even as he wanted to cheer and yell for Bryce to win the race. He knew he made an odd pairing for Bryce Johnson, swim star for his university and a future electrical engineer. Wesley Cotton never knew a life outside football until his injuries prevented him from hitting it big, and he had drifted off into wine, men, and song until Bryce came along. He didn't know why or how, and he didn't care. All he cared about was that he wanted Bryce in his life, because with Bryce, his life seemed to have some meaning. Everything, from food to music to sex, seemed more exciting and new when he was sharing it with Bryce. Even arguing and later apologizing to Bryce seemed to have more meaning and reason. With this man, he wasn't so angry anymore. He shouted, not caring whether Bryce could see or hear him, in plain exuberance as Bryce hit the second place. It wasn't first place, true, but Wesley knew that Bryce wouldn't mind. That man was cool that way - Bryce was literally cool, a fellow that truly defined the term 'grace under fire'. On their first date, Wesley had expertly fanned Bryce's desire with subtle flirtations, touches and looks (Wesley was a pro in making people want him), but it frustrated him when Bryce just didn't respond like he should. Now, Wesley knew this side of Bryce - calm, controlled Bryce who was as cool as a cucumber - and he liked that. When he was close to losing his temper, Bryce was sensible and that cooled Wesley down a lot. Making his way to Bryce, who was being congratulated by his coach and teammates, Wesley watched appreciatively Bryce's lean swimmer build, his cock and butt neatly filling the pair of dark blue Speedos that was only half visible under the long white T-shirt Bryce had thrown on. Yet no one seemed to notice how gorgeous Bryce was, judging from how the people around Bryce had nothing but friendly overtures. Wesley would have had been trying his best to coax the man out of those delicious trunks by now. Maybe that was why Bryce seemed so eager to be "bad". Wesley liked that, just as he liked how it was only he who could see what a gorgeous catch Bryce was. If there was no one fighting him for Bryce, that would be good. It would be so different from his parents' own marriage, where his mother would drive his jealous father out of his mind that he... well, Wesley was glad he didn't have to work too hard to keep Bryce to himself and only himself. "Hi," he said, standing at the doorway of the changing room. It was only he and Bryce now, the others having long left the place. "You're amazing." "Thanks," Bryce said as he stuffed his clothes into his bag. "I'm surprised you came, as I'm sure swimming isn't your thing, but thanks for coming." "I'm your boyfriend, Bryce, of course I'll come watch you," Wesley pointed out. He walked towards Bryce and pulled a small black felt box from his pocket. "No, Bryce, this is not a wedding ring. Open it, come on." Bryce hesitated, but he couldn't resist. He gasped when he saw the Rolex. "Wesley, I couldn't take this." "Why not?" Wesley asked. "Boyfriends give each other presents all the time, right?" "This is too expensive," Bryce said. "And serious," he added. "I thought we're taking this slowly." Wesley stepped close until his lips were only an inch away from Bryce's. "With you, I can't do slow, Bryce," he confessed. He placed his hand on Bryce's chest. "I can't breathe easily until you tell me you're mine, and even then I will probably spend every night watching you, me being scared out of my wits that I will lose you." Bryce gasped when Wesley slowly pulled the zipper of Bryce's jacket down, the other hand moving in to knead Bryce's bare flesh. As Wesley pushed Bryce's jacket off to kiss the slope of Bryce's shoulder, Bryce whispered that someone might come in and see them. "Let them see how much I love you, Bryce," Wesley just whispered between his increasingly urgent kisses. "Yes, I love you, Bryce. I love you so much." And Bryce, as his heart skipped, couldn't help but to believe him. FOUR "Your Bryce is a nice guy," Jesse Bradford said as he gave up trying to destroy a Led Zeppelin tune on his guitar to watch his friends bum around the back room of the club. "He's one of those strange, Zen-like guys, cool as ice. I just sat down with him and man, somehow I find myself just talking to him for an hour. He just listens and nods, and damn if I don't feel good afterwards. I think you should do the right thing and break it off with him." Wesley scowled and looked up from his cards. He was in a dark mood because everyone here knew that Bryce had blown him off tonight for his friends. Wesley hated the thought of Bryce enjoying himself with his own friends, not when Wesley himself was finding it harder and harder to even think straight when Bryce was not around him. "I agree," said Michael Owen. "I like him. You will only screw him up." "Yeah," Ryan Phillippe chimed in. "Mikey, not that card, man," he told his best friend as he looked over the other man's cards. Since Mikey was unable to master poker even after a year of trying, Ryan would openly flaunt the rules and guided the man in friendly games. "I don't think I should even consider you my friends anymore," Wesley growled. "And you have been losing your temper more times since you have fucked Bryce than in the entire time I know you," Jesse said, rubbing his now healed cheek deliberately. "That guy is not good for you. He's turning you into your father." Ryan and Mikey instinctively pushed their seats back so that they could flee the room as fast as they could if the need arose. Wesley had become so still and silent that even Jesse felt nervous. "I will never be like my father," Wesley's voice cut through the icy silence that has descended upon the room. "I will not shoot dead my own wife because I can't control my own jealousy." "Just be careful, man," Jesse said. "You're getting so angry so often nowadays, it's spooking me out." Wesley cursed and threw down his cards. He rubbed his face wearily with one hand even as he slammed his other fist onto the table and ground his knuckles hard, his hand trembling as if he was trying to control his feelings. Finally, Wesley just stood up and left the room without another word. The other three men looked at each other, and then breathed in relief in unison. Bryce was pleasantly surprised to see Wesley standing at the exit of the dance hall. He said an easy goodbye to his friends, telling them to head off to the diner without him, before walking a little too eagerly to Wesley. He paused, however, when he saw Wesley's face. "I want to punch them all. Your friends, I mean," Wesley said in a dead monotone as he nonetheless pulled Bryce into his embrace. "I'm so jealous of everyone who even looks at you, I'm going fucking out of my mind, Bryce. What shall I do, love? I'm scared of this anger in me, because did I tell you that my father's still serving time for killing my mother? He was always suspecting her of cheating on him, because she was so beautiful and perfect, how could anyone resist, right? One day he found out that she was sneaking out in the afternoons while he was at work, and he lost it and shot her and the man she was meeting dead. As it turned out, the joke was on him. He was her dancing instructor, and she was learning to dance so that she and my father could dance during their twentieth anniversary party." "Jesus, Wesley," Bryce could only say. "I'm so sorry." "I don't want to be like him, Bryce, but all these emotions in me... oh fuck, I'm so scared, Bryce, because I will never hurt you, you know that, right? But what happens when I just lose it one day?" Wesley cried. "Like father, like son, right?" "I don't believe that. You can change, Wesley." "I beat up Jesse once because of you. And tonight, when they said that you were too good for me, I could have killed them all right there, because I was so mad, Bryce. How can you trust me, Bryce, when I can't even trust myself?" "Are you saying that I shouldn't see you anymore?" Bryce asked quietly. Wesley's arms only tightened around the other man; his body panicking already at just that very thought. "No," he said. "I don't know," he amended himself weakly. "What shall I do?" he finally asked Bryce helplessly. "Maybe I can start by telling you that I like you, Wesley, a lot. Maybe if you will quit your promiscuous ways, I'd like you even better." "No more other people, Bryce. It's been only you since I met you," Wesley declared fiercely. "I know my word doesn't mean much at this point, but it's just you now, Bryce, now and always." Bryce just smiled. "You're a charming man, Wesley, and you are also turning out to be a man after my own heart." "You mean?" Wesley looked at Bryce hopefully. "I'm falling in love with you? Sure. I thought a man of your experience can tell that by now." Bryce rested his left cheek on Wesley's chest and listen to the tattoo of the man's heartbeat. "I'm giving you my trust, Wesley, because I love you. It's up to you to keep it or abuse it. Do you trust me to love you back, Wesley, or do you believe that your love is so all-consuming that I will never be able to love you back as much?" Wesley had no ready answer to that question, and he wouldn't lie to reassure Bryce. "I love you," he said - that was all he was certain of. "And I have issues," he added. "I'll see a shrink, Bryce." "Well, since we have already said the grand three big words, do you think you can relax now, Wesley?" Bryce asked gently. "You always want to rush us into some grand scheme of yours, and you get frustrated when I can't catch up with you. Sometimes it's not that I don't care, Wesley, it's that I can't be as fast as you." "It won't be easy, Bryce," Wesley told him. "You're... well, ice, and I'm like fire. We don't make sense together. But I don't want us to make sense. You know what I'm saying?" "Yeah, I do. And I never expect this to be easy, Wesley." He inhaled Wesley's scent, loving the man's unique fragrance. Bryce finally eased himself away from Wesley, and smiled at the man. "My place is nearer from here than yours." "Let's go," Wesley agreed, and taking Bryce's hand in his, they walked down the street. The lights shone down on them, as if they were illuminating their walk down the stage of life. Wesley looked at the man beside him then up at the skies, not certain what he was looking for, before settling back to Bryce's face. He didn't know whether he would be able to make Bryce as happy as Bryce deserved to be or where they would be a year or ten years down the road, but for them, he'd do his best to believe. To believe and to do his best and hardest to make sure that this story went from its ignoble start into a happily ever after. After all, sometimes that was all one could do in this damned fucked-up life.