Harlan tried to break free one more time but they only held him with more force. They seemed to have sobered up fast. When Harlan seemed to realize he wasn't strong enough to take on all of them, he stopped trying to fight them and said, "Okay. I'm finished. You can go now." He glared at Treston and said, "But I want the money from you."
The way he glared made Treston wish he hadn't removed his dark glasses yet. Treston nodded and said, "I told you I'd make up the difference." He smiled at the young men and said, "You can let go of him now. It's okay."
Before they released Harlan, the guy with the darkest hair sent Treston a glance and asked, "Are you sure you're going to be okay with this asshole? You can come with us if you want. I feel funny leaving you here all alone."
Though unexpected, and about as far from the reality Treston knew as real life, this single gesture from the nice young man made his chest cave in. He smiled and said, "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself." They seemed to have mistaken him for a real woman and he wasn't sure why. He'd have to think about this later; maybe he should start lifting weights even more, and taking steroids like the other male strippers to build up his body.
The guy glared at Harlan and said, "Can I trust you not to hurt her when we leave? I hate guys like you who think they can treat a helpless woman that way." He smiled at Treston and said, "You know what I mean, honey. I know deep down you think of yourself as a woman and that's all that matters."
Harlan laughed. "But she's not a woman, asshole. She's not even a fucking tranny."
Treston pulled off the wig and shrugged. He spoke with his deepest voice. "I'm really not a woman."
This seemed to be too much reality for one night. When they saw Harlan without the long blond wig, it freaked them all out so much their jaws dropped. They released Harlan and practically ran for the door. Treston hated to shock them, but they'd known all along he wasn't a real woman so he didn't think he'd done anything wrong.
When they were gone, Treston tried to put his arms around Harlan and kiss him. But Harlan pushed him away and said, "Go take a fucking shower. You look like a goddamn freak standing there." Then he turned his back on Treston and went to the sofa to pick up the money he'd thrown on the floor. As Treston turned, Harlan sent him a backward glance and said, "And don't forget you're making this up. I want the rest of the money they owe me by tomorrow afternoon."
Treston smiled and said, "I can get it to you in the morning, sweetie. I'll go to the bank first thing." He didn't mind doing this because the money was going toward their future as a married couple, to pay off the credit card Harlan had maxed out. So what if Harlan had a few quirks and a bad temper? He didn't mean half of what he said. Treston continued to make these excuses all the way back to the bathroom. He told himself everything was going to be okay from now on because he'd finally found the right man with whom to spend the rest of his life.
But as he turned and caught a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror, with the wig in one hand, his own streaked blond hair plastered to his head, and the red lipstick smeared all over his chin, he got a sick feeling deep in his stomach that lasted until he finally fell asleep about three hours later. And he vowed to himself that night, with Harlan snoring beside him, he would do anything to make this relationship work.
Chapter Three
In the mornings, Harlan had a way of waking Treston up that seemed to follow a set pattern. Harlan would pull the covers back, push Treston onto his stomach, throw his leg over him, and climb on top of him. He didn't speak or give Treston a good morning kiss first. He would cover his dick with a condom, shove it into Treston, and ride him for two or three minutes. He always grunted when he came, and sometimes he repeated the word "fuck" a few times in a deep stage whisper. When he was finished, he would climb off Treston's back, remove the condom, and throw it on the floor beside the bed where Treston would have to pick it up and throw it away later. He also threw all his clothes on the floor all over the apartment, but Treston loved having a man to pick up after and he never complained.
Though Treston would have preferred to have these morning sessions last a little longer so he could join Harlan, he didn't complain. Treston figured if Harlan was this attracted to him, and he couldn't wait to mount him every single morning, he must have been doing something right. For Treston, turning down the man he loved in bed would have been unthinkable.
The morning after the three guys fucked Treston in the pink showgirl costume, Harlan seemed more than eager to climb up on Treston's back. Treston happened to be awake at the time, anticipating what was about to happen to him. He tried to turn over so Harlan could fuck him in a different position, but Harlan grabbed Treston's neck and said, "Stay where you are and don't move. Just lie there and shut the fuck up."