“David?”
He wandered through the house looking for the man who claimed to be his husband. He walked into the kitchen. Seeing a note pinned to the refrigerator. He pulled it off and read it.
‘Honey, I’ll be home to make sure you take your medication about 1pm Have a good morning.
Love David.’
He screwed it up dropping it into the bin and pulled open the chrome fridge to get himself a drink before padding softly back to the living room and curling up in the big over stuffed chair that looked out over the grounds. He didn’t feel right, this wasn’t his life he was sure of it. He tried to remember but JC was just a distant memory, he was Jason now, he had to be Jason if he wanted to stay out of the asylum. He watched as a family of birds splashed and frolicked in the grey stone birdbath just outside the window. He looked at the grandfather clock, 11.30pm his eyes drifted closed as boredom gave way to sleep.
*****
Justin unclipped his seatbelt and reclined his seat back. He had argued and fought against this trip to London, he should be back in New York, looking for JC not promoting his stupid album. He pulled out his wallet and pulled out a picture of JC wearing an old baseball cap and a reflective jacket, it was quite old at least five years, but he was looking directly at the camera his bright blue eyes sparkling a stupid grin on his face. At the bottom of the picture you could just see the white teddy bear Justin had bought him, the teddy that still sat on JC’s bed. He opened his flight bag and took out a plain brown envelope and pulled free the pile of papers from the detective they had hired. He had next to nothing; it was if JC had just seized to exist. The detective had spent four weeks tracking down the magician only to have it come to nothing. He couldn’t wait for the plane to land, he needed to phone Lance he was having a meeting with the man today maybe some new information would come to light. Justin rubbed at his eyes, his mind wandering, who ever had JC had to be holding him somewhere. Was he being abused? Kept chained in a dark basement somewhere? And why the fuck hadn’t they received a ransom demand? Too many questions and no fucking answers.
He couldn’t help but remember how JC had tried to wriggle out of going up on that stage, he had made him, pushed him out of his seat and cheered as his new boyfriend had let himself be chained, damn he had even made a lurid suggestion to him causing him to blush. Why did they wait so long before going looking for him? The blond checked his watch, shit he wouldn’t be landing for another five hours, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep and not dream of JC alone and frightened.
*****
“Honey I’m home.”
Jason jumped as his husbands voice rang out through the silent house. He leaped out of the chair and hopped nervously from foot to foot as the man came into sight.
“You been sleeping all morning Jason?”
“Yeah.” Jason dropped his head down focusing on his bare toes. “I … I couldn’t find any shoes.”
David embraced him kissing his cheek, “Doesn’t matter you’re not going out.”
“Well I thought I might go into town and buy some jeans, I think I may have lost weight cus none of them really fit me very well.”
“You’re not allowed out of the house Jace.”
“But David there’s nothing to do! No TV, no radio, I’m lonely.”
David lifted Jason’s chin and pecked his lips “You could do some chores, the place is a mess you know.”
The thin man looked round at the spotless room. “But it’s clean!”
Anger flashed briefly in the older mans brown eyes then he smiled, his lips stretching into a thin line. “Are you arguing with me baby?”
Jason felt suddenly very vulnerable and small. “No” he mumbled, “I’ll clean this afternoon, I will.”
He received another chaste kiss on his forehead. “Good boy, now honey lets get your medication.” David opened his briefcase and took out the bottle of pills tipping two into his hand. “Open wide.”
Jason looked at the innocent looking tablets. “I thought it was just one.” he said shakily.
“Doctor Gerald increased the dosage. Now sweetie don’t make me ask you to open up again.”
The younger man reluctantly accepted the medication into his mouth and dutifully swallowed with a gulp of juice. “Now baby you can get me some lunch and I’ll tell you about my day so far. He led Jason by his hand into the kitchen. “It will be just like old times.”