It all started quite ordinarily enough, at a record signing in New York City. Duran Duran was scheduled at the store for a few hours, promoting their latest album, and as usual, there was a crowd of screaming teenybopper girls and a line that practically wrapped around the block. Nick Rhodes sat in his seat, and dutifully signed autographs, smiled at compliments sent his way, put up with pecks on the cheek, shook hands, and made small talk. This scene was nothing new to him, and as he performed these tasks, his mind went on automatic pilot, somewhat. Same old, same old…until a soft masculine voice addressed him and jarred him back into focus. He looked up, into warm brown eyes that peered out from under wispy dark brown bangs, belonging to a handsome young man that looked about his age, if not a little older, and who was clad in well fitting jeans and a plain black T-shirt. Nick blinked, gazing up at him. "I’m sorry." he replied, slightly flustered. "Er..what did you say?"
The young man grinned back at him, handing Nick his copy of Rio to sign. "I said, I really liked this album. My Own Way is my favourite song!"

"Oh, er…thanks!" Nick grinned back, taking the record from him, in order to sign it. "It’s one of mine too. I like really the American sound we put into it. It’s very…disco." The man grinned. "It works well! You did a good job with it!"

"Thanks.." Nick grinned again, pausing to sign the record before looking back up at him. "What’s your name?"

"Gary. Gary Henders." Gary put out a hand, and Nick shook it obligingly before signing the record, ‘To Gary, Thanks for the compliments! Nick Rhodes’ and handing it back to him. Gary glanced at what Nick had written and his handsome features broke into a smile as he looked back at the musician appreciatively. "Thanks, Nick." He then glanced behind him. "I’d better get going. Looks like some of those girls are going to start a riot if they don’t get to meet you soon!" Nick chuckled. "I wouldn’t be surprised, the way some of them carry on."

"Well, see ya around then!" Gary turned to go. "Thanks again!"

"Right then! Goodbye!" Nick sighed as Gary left, watching his retreating figure. "He could be a model," Nick thought suddenly. Gary was tall, but not too tall. Probably around 5’9" or so. His tan complexion showed off slightly rugged yet delicate facial features, and a slightly muscular build. His dark hair was short, and well kept, though his bangs hung in his deep brown eyes in wisps. Nick took all this in, but had no more time to mull any of it over, as an overexcited teenage girl bounced over to him squealing, and he was dragged back into his responsibilities as a teen idol once more.

That evening Nick found himself alone in his hotel room with nothing to do. The record signing had lasted another hour, and after that he and the band were escorted into a waiting limo and driven to an interview and photo shoot with Tiger Beat magazine, and then dinner at one of the nearby restaurants. After that, it was back to the hotel, and after letting himself into his room and kicking back for a short moment, changing into some black loose-fitting trousers, black shoes, and a white T-shirt with a pop art design on the front, Nick discovered just how bored he was. He looked outside and sighed. He had to get out and, well..do something. It was a gorgeous April evening out, and the sky was clear. Not the kind of evening he wanted to spend cooped up.

Suddenly, he had an idea, and without further hesitation, he put on his jacket, and grabbed his hotel key and some other necessities. He then left the room and made his way down to the hotel bar where he ran into one of his managers, who was sitting at one of the tables with a drink. Michael looked up, and smiled to the young musician. "Hullo, Nick! Care to sit down?"

"Sure," Nick replied, settling himself across the table. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you anyway!"

"Oh? What about?"

Nick sighed. "I’ve got to get out of this hotel and do something! I’m bored! You know the city better than I do. Can you think of any nightclubs or anything nearby that I can go to?"

"In New York? Can’t think of a single one!" Michael joked, and then he thought for a moment. "Most places around here are a bit dodgy when it comes to the under 21 crowd, because of the publicity they get. And even if your 21^st birthday is only a couple of months away, that’s not going to matter." Nick looked disappointed at this and he sighed. His manager regarded him for a moment and then spoke up. "Though there is a small place in the Village that allows people as young as 18. It’s not very well known, so you wouldn’t have to worry about eager fans or the press or anything."

Nick’s face lit up. "That’s great!" he exclaimed. Michael waved his hand at him slightly. "Hold on Nick. I don’t know if this is really your kind of place. It caters to the underground crowd, and well…it’s a little unusual."

Nick nodded. "I’ll check it out anyway. At least it’ll give me something to do!"

"All right then," Michael replied and grabbed a napkin, where he scribbled down directions. "The club is called ‘Triangle’s’. These directions are the easiest way to get there. It’s not too far from St. Mark’s place. Just hail a taxi and read these off and you’ll be there in no time." Nick smiled happily as he took the napkin from Michael and got up from his seat. "Great! Thanks for your help!" He headed for the door and Michael called after him. "Just be careful!"

"I will," Nick called back, and then he was gone.

With the directions in hand, it didn’t take long for Nick to reach the nightclub. He quickly and eagerly paid the cover charge and was inside in no time flat. Nick grinned as he looked around him. The air pulsed with the steady rhythm the deejay had spinning, and the club was alive with neon lights, a fog machine, and lots of loud noise and colours. Nick happily took all of this in. This is exactly what he needed! Without further hesitation he quickly made his way over to the dance floor and began moving his slender body to the music.

A few numbers in, he started to get a bit winded, and went over to the bar, ordering a soda. As he waited for his drink, a familiar voice caught his attention. "Nick!" someone called out behind him. Nick looked around and his eyes lit up as he saw Gary excitedly approaching him. "Nick, man! What are you doing here? You’re the last person I’d expect to see!"

Nick pointed at Gary. "Gary, right? From the record signing?"

"Yeah! Man, it’s so good to see you here!" He hugged Nick who beamed and hugged back.

"Well..I was bored, and one of my managers told me about this club, and so I decided to check it out!" Nick shrugged a bit as he explained. Gary laughed. "Well, your manager has great taste! My friends and I come here all the time!"

"I can see why! I love the décor! And the deejay really has fabulous taste!" Nick paused as his drink was handed to him and he took a small sip. "Michael said that this nightclub may not be my kind of place. But he did say I wouldn’t be bothered with fans, much!" Nick chuckled as he spoke and Gary nodded a little.

"Well, even I’m a little surprised at seeing you here! Not too many celebrities come here. Besides…I didn’t think you were into places like this either…"

"What do you mean?"

"Look around you, kid! This is a gay nightclub!"

Nick started a little, and then took a closer look around him, noticing now the same-sex couples dancing, socializing, and in some cases, getting quite amorous with each other. He blushed a bit and smiled a tad nervously. "Well…what does it matter? It doesn’t make it any less of a good place!"

Gary noticed Nick’s slight apprehension and nodded to him. "Exactly. It’s no different from straight clubs. People act there just like we do here, with the only difference being what gender you kiss. Besides, being gay doesn’t mean acting like the stereotypes people like to label us with."

"Hiya, Garysweetie!" A high male voice sang out behind Nick, who was suddenly goosed. "Ooh! He’s cute!"

"What the..?!" Nick squawked, startled, and Gary sighed as another young man sauntered over to him. In some ways, he looked like Nick, as his light brown hair, though shorter, was styled in a similar fashion. He also wore a touch of make-up, but unlike Nick, his was more pronounced and a bit more colourful. He was taller, standing but an inch shorter than Gary was, and though his build was slender, it had a slight muscle tone, like the body of a dancer. He was wearing tight black trousers, and a flamboyant looking pink button-down blouse, which tied in the front near the waist. Gary shrugged and nodded his head in the newcomer’s direction. "Of course…you have your exceptions to the stereotype thing. Nick, meet Andie Stevenson. Andie, this is.."

"Nick….RHODES?" Andie interrupted Gary, getting a closer look at the musician, his blue eyes widening. "Omigod, I can’t believe you’re HERE! I LOVE Duran Duran! John Taylor’s got such a cute—"

"Hey Andie, cool down, will ya?" Gary broke in. "

"Nah, it’s alright.." Nick shrugged, smiling a little. "I’m used to it, though usually from overexcited teenage girls."

"Well then, you should feel right at home with Andie, here. He’s the next best thing!"

"Oh hush!" Andie pouted to Gary and then winked at Nick. "He should be one to talk. He’s got a picture of Simon Le Bon on his wall at his apartment!"

"Andie, I’m gonna kick your ass!" Gary cried, blushing.

"Don’t you mean fondle?" Andie shot back, smirking. Nick burst out laughing.

"Looks like John’s and Simon’s dashing good looks have me outnumbered once more! They’re a hit with the fans and groupies too! I guess I’m just not sexy enough or something. Girls dream of tall, dark, and handsome…not short, pale, and arty.." Nick grinned a little bashfully and shrugged as he spoke.

"Oh sweetie, no.." Andie quickly took Nick’s hands in his and looked the keyboardist in the eyes with a fretful look in his own. "You’re exactly what girls want. You’re different, and the fact that you’re so small and baby faced makes you simply adorable as well as quite sexy."

Nick blushed. "Really..?"

"Absolutely," Andie smiled warmly down at Nick before giving him a brief hug. "In fact, I wouldn’t mind having you to myself for a little while to be honest…but you’re more attractive than you know and you have more than your share of girls who’d kill to be your lover." Andie winked as he spoke and Nick blushed modestly, looking down awkwardly. "Er…thank you!" he smiled a bit.

"Anytime, pretty Nicky.." Andie beamed, taking Nick’s hand and squeezing it before looking up suddenly, his eyes lighting up as a new song started blaring from the speakers. "Ooh! I LOVE this song! I HAVE to dance!" He started to run off towards the dance floor and then paused, turning around. "You two want to join me?"

"Thanks, but I think I’ll sit this one out.." Nick replied.

"Yeah. You go on, Andie…we’ll catch up!" Gary waved to Andie who nodded and waved back before disappearing into the crowd. Nick watched him go, and then turned to Gary, smiling a bit. "He was nice."

"Yeah. He has a real obnoxious streak in him, but overall, he’s a really nice guy. He didn’t make you uncomfortable, did he? He tends to come on a little strong at times.."

"No, not really. In fact, I was quite flattered!"

Gary smiled. "You should be! Andie speaks what’s on his mind, not what people want to hear."

Nick nodded a little in response, looking pleasantly pensive, as he mulled the conversation over in his head. Gary interrupted his thoughts by gently catching his arm, grinning. "So how about we hit the floor? I have yet to see ‘Pretty Nicky’ shake his groove thang!" Nick chuckled in response. "I think I can go for that!" he responded, following Gary out onto the dance floor, much to Andie’s delight as he caught up with them in no time.

The next hour or so was spent in a combination of dancing and recharging at the bar. Much to the delight and of Andie and even Gary, both of whom looked on appreciatively, Nick showed just what a good dancer he was as he moved to the music, getting into the spirit of things, and reflecting the adrenaline and electricity that flowed through him. He was free from the bindings that the lifestyle of the rich and famous came with. The nightclub was full of free spirits, and carefree attitudes, and he reveled in the atmosphere. The three of them stuck by each other for the most part, but as the night wore on, he and Gary got closer on the dance floor, though he had a few dances with Andie as well much to Andie’s delight.

As the night grew later, Nick began to feel a little worn out. As he found a seat on a stool by the edge of the dance floor, he saw Gary approach him.

"Hey…if you’re getting tired, we can take a little walk to cool down. It’s a nice night out there!"

Nick looked up at him. "I’d like that..but will we be all right? I mean, with me being who I am and all.. Will we be safe?"

"You’ll be okay. First off, I’m here. Anyone bothers us, and I’ll kick their ass. Besides, around this time of night the streets are deserted. And it’s a good neighbourhood overall." Gary smiled reassuringly down at Nick and patted him on the shoulder. "Trust me…we’ll be fine. I know the area real well."

Nick thought this over and finally nodded. "Okay then! Let’s go!" Gary grinned and the two of them headed towards the door, pausing briefly to say good bye to Andie, who was sorry to see Nick go. He hugged Nick tightly before sighing. "You take care sweetie, and remember what I said. You’re just as much of a boy toy as those other guys, and don’t you forget it!" He then put his hand on his hip, and looked critically at Gary. "You take good care of him, or you’ll answer to me!" Gary rolled his eyes and chuckled, patting Andie on the shoulder. "Don’t worry, we’ll be fine!"

"Call me first thing tomorrow and tell me all about it!"

"Yes mom!"

Nick snickered at the conversation and waved to Andie once more as he and Gary headed for the door. They stepped outside into the cool night air and began their stroll, mainly covering the nearby side streets. Nick sighed dreamily as they walked, gazing up at the night sky. "It’s such a beautiful night. You can see stars and everything." Gary looked up as well and grinned. "Yeah. It’s perfect. I love nights like this!"

The two walked on in content silence. Finally Gary spoke up. "So, you seemed to have a good time tonight."

"Yeah, I did. It was nice to just let myself go and have some fun."

"I know what that’s like! It must be harder for you to kick back though, with all the commitments and being shuffled from city to city and all."

Nick shrugged. "It’s not as bad as you think. It’s worth it when you do all that work and see the results when you get a top 10 hit or have a record do really well. It’s great when you can look at something like that and think, ‘I did that!’"

"I can imagine. But you handle it well. With a lot of people, fame like that would go to their heads and change who they are. You seem pretty stable about it all."

"Thanks….it can get overwhelming though when you have fans mobbing you everywhere you go. But tonight I managed to get away from that for one evening and let it go."

Gary snickered. "True…unless you include encounters with people like Andie."

"Oh, he wasn’t so bad."

"Yeah, like I said, he’s a good guy. All joking aside though…you really made an impression on him. I think he likes you."

Nick snorted. "But it’s probably only because of who I am. You heard him! He was gushing about how much he liked Duran Duran and stuff!"

"He was surprised to see you yeah, and you guys are one of his favourite bands, but all that aside, I was watching him. Now, he’s a flirt by nature, and is attracted to almost anything male." Gary shook his head and chuckled slightly as he spoke, but then grew a tad serious. "But with you, he seemed more earnest than usual; like the way he was telling you about your appearance. That wasn’t a front. I’ve known Andie for years and I can tell that he really meant that."

"Really?" Nick looked at Gary a little surprised.

"Absolutely!" Gary looked back at Nick and studied him for a moment. "That doesn’t make you uneasy does it?"

Nick paused briefly before answering. "No, not really… I’ve just, um, never had another guy…you know…flirt with me like that before.." Gary nodded in response. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, I am! I mean, it’s different, but it didn’t bother me or anything. It was just a new experience, that’s all!"

Gary grinned. "That’s good. The whole gay thing unnerves a lot of people. It’s not an easy life to live, especially since the general public deems us as evil freaks of nature." He sighed. "But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world."

The two strolled a little further before finding a small park and sitting down on one of the benches.

"I’ve never met anyone that was gay before, though I’ve wondered about a few people," Nick spoke up. Gary smirked. "We’re everywhere, kid. It’s just that some are more open about it than others." Nick nodded and the two sat in silence for a few moments. Finally Gary turned to Nick.

"So…hypothetically…what would you do if say, a guy wanted to go a little further than just flirting?"

Nick reared back a little and blinked, not expecting this. "Huh?? Um..what do you mean?"

"You turned a lot of heads in there, especially with the way you were dancing. Andie wasn’t the only one keeping an eye on you. Quite a few of the guys in there were watching you as well." Gary smirked at the keyboardist as he spoke. Nick looked a little surprised. "Yeah?"

Gary nodded. "Yeah. Famous or not, you are cute, and you made an impression in there. Which is I guess why I asked you that question. I was just curious as to how you would handle the situation if you were faced with it." Nick nodded slowly, pondering what Gary said.

"Well...I honestly don’t know how I would react. I guess it would all depend on whether or not I really knew the person and how I felt about them…"

"And what if that person were someone like, say..myself?"

"What? Well..I…I dunno..I mean…um..I.." Nick floundered for something to say.

"I didn’t mean to scare you, Nick." Gary looked concerned. "It’s just that I’ve become a bit attracted to you as well. Andie’s not the only one who seems to have a crush on you, as I think I’ve gotten one myself." There, it was said. Now it was Gary’s turn to blush as he watched Nick, wondering how he would react. Nick was silent for a long time and then looked back at Gary.

"Wow…" he said softly. "I don’t know what to say, really. Um.." he took a deep breath. "You stuck in my mind as well. I don’t know why…. But I remember thinking after you left this afternoon that you would make a good model and well...I also remember thinking.." He looked into Gary’s face and swallowed nervously. "I remember thinking about what nice eyes you had.."

"All the better to see you with my dear," Gary quipped, causing nervous chuckles from both of them. He then studied Nick a little more before moving closer to him and gently running his fingers through the musician’s feathery bangs. Before either of them knew what was happening, Nick and Gary found each other’s lips as they were drawn into an embrace. Nick closed his eyes and relaxed as he felt Gary part his lips with his tongue and slip inside his mouth, licking and darting. Nick moaned a little and pressed heatedly into the kiss, holding Gary a little tighter and noting the rising heat in his groin. Gary ran his hand up and down Nick’s back, his hand pausing to massage the base of Nick’s spine before coming back up to his shoulder blades. He felt Nick shiver delightedly under his touch and hold him a bit tighter in response.

After a few moments the two broke the kiss and stared at each other, Nick looking somewhat dazed. Gary smiled a bit. "That was nice…" Nick nodded in agreement.

"Y-Yeah," he said breathlessly, before biting his lip. Gary looked at him, furrowing his eyebrows in concern. "You okay?"

Nick nodded again. "Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just…never kissed another man before."

"How was it?"

"Not much different from kissing a woman actually, only…I don’t know how to explain this…but kissing you just felt a lot more…natural to me."

Gary smiled and drew Nick into a hug. "Glad I could show you something new," he whispered into Nick’s ear.

The two sat on the bench for a few more moments before Nick sighed and looked at his watch. "2 am. I’d better be getting back to the hotel."

Gary sighed reluctantly and nodded as the two got up and started back towards the club. "Do you have a ride back?"

"Actually, I was just thinking of taking a taxi."

"Nah, don’t bother." Gary grinned. "My car is parked about a block away from Triangle’s. I’ll give you a lift back to your hotel. Where are you staying?"

"Would you believe the Waldorf Astoria?"

Gary whistled. "Man, you’re living it up, aren’tcha?"

"Yeah, kinda…" Nick shrugged, smirking. "Comes with the territory I guess."

"Well, either way, it seems easy enough to get to. I know where it is."

"Thank you," Nick beamed up at him. Gary just smiled back and put his arm around his new friend as they walked in content silence back to his car.

"So how long are you staying here in New York?" Gary asked as they drove to the hotel.

"A couple of weeks. We have a few interviews and photo shoots scheduled and a concert next week. Nothing really pressing though."

"Cool," Gary responded as they pulled up to the curb in front of the hotel. "Well, here we are."

Nick nodded before hugging Gary once more. "I had a great time tonight. And thanks for the ride…"

"Anytime, Nick," Gary responded. He then took out a pen and scribbled down his name and number on a small piece of paper, before handing it to the keyboardist. "Here...keep in touch okay? Maybe we can get together before you have to leave or something..." Nick took the paper and sighed, getting out of the car. "Thanks, I will…" Gary smiled at Nick, brushing his hand briefly over his cheek as he got out of the car. "Night, kid. You take care."

"You too! Thanks for everything!" Nick waved as Gary pulled the car out and waved back before driving away. The musician watched the car go and then sighed again, suddenly feeling somewhat alone. He then turned, declaring the night officially at an end, and went up to his room.

On the way to his room, Nick didn’t see anyone he knew from the band or crew, much to his relief. He’d had a pretty interesting and unusual evening and preferred to spend the rest of it alone, basking in the afterglow of the night’s events. Upon reaching his room, he undressed, and took a warm bath. Afterwards, he changed into a long T-shirt and climbed into bed, turning out the light as he did so.

Lying in the darkness, Nick pondered everything that went on. His feelings were mixed up inside and his mind kept wandering back to what happened in the park. He had kissed another guy...and enjoyed it! Was that normal for him? Did that mean he was gay? He had kissed and even made out with girls over the years, but there was always something missing where that was concerned, which hindered his enjoyment. He didn’t know what that something was, but tonight he found that with Gary that something was there and in full swing. And he loved every minute of it, and wanted more. Nick felt his eyelids grow drowsy as he processed all of this in his head and before long was sound asleep.
 

To Be Continued...