Neighbors, Part 2: John and Jhett

John and Jhett

John rapped on the office door at "The Edge". He knocked again, but go no answer. As he turned to go, he almost slammed into a tall, black-clad figure coming down the hallway.

Lorenzo looked at the guy, admiring the man's wholesome good looks. 

"You've come for a job, I suppose?" asked the dancer, a small smile playing upon his lips. If this guy wants a job, I'll give him that and more, mused Lorenzo.

It didn't occur to John that this man was flirting with him, and truthfully, at that point, it didn't matter anyway. All John cared about was finding that dancer he'd seen earlier, and the sooner the better. He couldn't explain the sudden urgency he was feeling; he had to get to that guy right away.

"No, I don't want a job, but maybe you can help me anyway."

The smile remained on Lorenzo's face, visions of bedding John dancing in his head. "I'd love to help you any way I can," he offered suggestively, taking one step towards the other man. "Tell me what you need and it's yours."

"I was in here earlier with my friends, celebrating my birthday-"

"Happy birthday," purred Lorenzo.

"Um, yeah, thanks. Um, you see, I was in here earlier and there was this dancer onstage...he was slim, young, he had, um...red hair, I think? He was dressed in this almost middle-eastern-like costume..."

Lorenzo's flirtatious demeanor vanished when he realized who this man was talking about - Jhett! That little bitch had done it again! He had lost count of the many men who came to the offices every night, inquiring about the dancer with the "red hair". They all wanted Jhett! Hell, the whole fuckin' world wanted Jhett! Why was this man any exception?

John sensed the change in the other man immediately. He no longer looked friendly and inviting, but dangerous and angry instead.

"He's no longer with us. He quit tonight." Lorenzo shoved past John rather rudely and added snidely, " Too bad, so sad," slamming the office door in John's face. 

John was a bit taken-aback by the sudden change in the other man's demeanor, not to mention getting a door slammed in his face. He was about to knock on the office door to give that tall bastard a piece of his mind when he heard a sound. It was a muffled sound, almost inaudible, but it was there. 

Sniffling...it sounded like someone sniffling...which probably meant that someone was crying. Forgetting his real reason for being there, John started off down the hall to find the person who was obviously upset.

He came upon a room at the very end of the hall. There on the floor sat his mystery dancer, knees drawn up to his chest, his face in buried in his knees, his entire body racked with sobs. John's heart broke at the sight of the disheveled and miserable young man. Throwing caution to the wind, he found himself at the boy's side, cautiously placing a kind and gentle hand on his back. 

"Hey...are you all right?" John whispered softly, so as not to scare the sobbing young man.

Jhett hadn't even heard anyone enter the room. He looked up quickly to see who was there, tears streaming down his face. "Who the hell are you?"

John couldn't breathe. The red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained face didn't diminish the boy's looks in the least - he was beautiful! John felt himself falling in love more and more by the second. 

Jhett was a bit unnerved by the way John was staring at him, so he pulled away abruptly and stood up, repeating his question while wiping away the remains of his tear-fest.

"Who the hell are you? Can't you talk?"

John cleared his throat, not sure what to say.

"I, uh....my name is John," he offered weakly. 

"Well, John, if you're looking for the office, you passed it up. It's-"

"I know where it is. I already spoke to someone and got the door slammed in my face."

Jhett had to chuckle. "So, you met Lorenzo, huh? Ain't he charming?"

"He's a bastard. Once he realized that I wasn't here to see him, he got pretty nasty."

Jhett studied John for a moment. He was about six feet tall with chisled, all-American good looks. His brown hair was cropped short and his brown eyes were warm. He had a sense of safety and security about him and Jhett felt himself relaxing in this stranger's prescence.

Turning his attention back to gathering his meager belongings, Jhett replied, "Yeah, sounds like Lorenzo. So...why are you here? You often play Good Samaritan at three o' clock in the morning?"

"No, I...um...I came back to see you."

Jhett heard those words and felt rooted to the spot.

"You wanted to see me? Why? I've never met you."

"I know, but I was in here earlier with some friends. You danced and I've not been able to get you out of my head. I wanted to meet you." John paused before going on. Should he tell him that he not only wanted to meet him, but that he'd had felt the strongest urge that he had to come back? He decided to lay it all on the line. 
"I had this feeling, a really strong feeling that I just had to get back here. So, here I am, and now I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do."

"So...what? Are you saying you felt compelled to come here?"

"Well, yeah...I mean, I just had to meet you, and I ...when I saw you dance...I just...I can't express in words how you made me feel!"