Page 48 of His Secret Santa
Holden trembled, a quiver in his throat. “At the party.” His voice shook. “I saw Lincoln with his shirt off. He had the same tattoo. Exactly the same.”
Jamie struggled to compute what he was saying as his mind rejected the obvious link. “Holden… what’re you saying?”
“The stripper from before,” Holden whispered, “I think… he was Lincoln.”
“What…?” Jamie stared at him incredulously. “How is that… possible? Lincoln Pratt? He’s our age—how could he have been the stripper? They wouldn’t hire a sixteen-year-old to strip.” He shook his head. “And besides—Lincoln Pratt? Gay? He’s never shown any gay tendencies. It doesn’t make sense. Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure,” Holden murmured. “I mean, it was the same tattoo, in the same spot. I-I didn’t get a close-up look at Lincoln’s tattoo, to see if the text was the same, but still—what are the odds that he and the stripper would have the same fucking tattoo in the same place?”
Jamie’s head was spinning. “Honestly? A strange coincidence makes more sense than Lincoln being the stripper. And if they are the same person—why would he do it? It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s gay… maybe he did it as a fuck you to his dad. I heard they don’t get along so well. He did just dance, right?”
Holden swallowed and looked away.
“Holden?” Jamie eyed him. “Or was I right to think you weren’t telling me everything?”
“You were right,” Holden whispered. “He didn’t just… strip for me. He…”
“What…?”
“He…” Holden slowly raised his eyes. “… blew me.”
“What?” Jamie nearly choked on his tongue and his voice dropped to a hiss. “He sucked you off?”
Holden nodded.
“And you didn’t tell me this because…?”
“I don’t know.” He met Jamie’s wide stare. “I’m serious, I don’t know why I didn’t tell you. I knew you’d be cool with it. Probably even… happy for me. But…” He shrugged. “I don’t know why I kept it to myself.”
Jamie rubbed his mouth. “More importantly… if the stripper is Lincoln… then that means Lincoln Pratt…” He breathed deeply, disbelief shocking his system. “… gave you a blow job.”
Even Holden didn’t seem able to wrap his mind around that—understandably so, all things considered.
“So… that would mean the birthday card and invite back to the club… was from Lincoln, too?”
“I-I can’t even comprehend this,” Holden whispered with a tremor. “I have to be mistaken. It can’t be him. He doesn’t even like me.”
“Maybe that’s all pretend.”
“What?”
“Him not liking you. Him acting like he doesn’t see you at school.” Jamie huffed. “If so, it’s a bunch of bullshit. He wants to get all hot with you inside these walls, then treat you like shit out there? No.” Jamie shook his head. “That shit don’t fly.” He started to reach for the VIP room door and Holden stopped him.
“What’re you doing?”
“I want to see if it’s him. If it is—we’re out of here. I take back my endorsement of you and the stripper hooking up.”
Holden sighed. “Thank you for having my back,” he murmured, “but… but I have to face him on my own.”
The look on Holden’s face broke Jamie’s heart—and made him wish, again, that he’d hit Lincoln a few more times in his rich, pretty smacker.
“I get it,” Jamie said quietly. “But don’t—do not—let him get away with this shit. Call his ass out then… kick him in the balls. Who the hell does he think he is? He doesn’t get to treat you like this and just walk away, unscathed. I’ll fucking scathe him.”
Holden touched his arm. “First, I need to know if it’s really him. If it is…” He sighed and shrugged. “I’ll deal with it. I won’t let him get away with it, I promise.”
Jamie nodded, seething inside. “Don’t you dare.”
Chapter 14