His Secret Santa: A Phoenix Club novella

PROLOGUE: 2 YEARS EARLIER

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea." Holden slowed when they approached the club and spotted the bouncer outside, checking IDs and collecting the entrance fees. The man stood well over six feet and looked like a middle-weight bodybuilder. He wore a dark red jacket with white fleece lining, black jeans and boots, and a Santa cap on his head.

"Oh, I disagree." Jamie grinned, looking the bouncer up and down. "Try and tell me you don't want to sit on his lap." For a straight guy, Jamie Dayton reserved a healthy appreciation for good-looking gay men.

Holden couldn't argue—that was one Santa who could jingle his bells.

Holiday rock music boomed inside the club, blasting out the front doors whenever they opened. Holden still hesitated. "Are you sure we can get in?" He hugged his jacket tighter around him to ward off the bitter chill in the evening air.

"These are primo IDs," Jamie said. "They'll pass muster."

"Yeah, but can we pass for eighteen?" Holden wondered doubtfully. "He probably deals with kids all the time trying to con their way into the club."

"Won't know until we try." Jamie smacked his back. "We have to try. It's your sweet sixteen, baby. What kind of best friend would I be if I let this iconic birthday pass by without giving you the experience of a lifetime?"

Jamie meant well, but Holden didn't know if he was ready for this. He'd received plenty of lectures from adults in his life, warning him against these types of places. Adults who weren't trying to "un-gay" him yet remained a bit uncomfortable with his "chosen" lifestyle. They were sort of okay with him being gay—just not him living a flamboyant gay life. Visiting gay strip clubs fell into that category quite hard.

What really went on inside these clubs? Was it even safe for him and Jamie to be there? He didn't know. This was their first time sneaking into such a place.

Holden looked up at the large glowing sign over the entrance. The Phoenix Club. This was no seedy side-street joint. It looked very high-end. Which reinforced his doubt that they could con the bouncer with their fake IDs.

"This looks like a pretty fancy place," Holden mumbled. "It's probably full of rich guys. We'll stand out like sore thumbs."

"Older rich guys like 'em young." Jamie squinted. "Like you."

Holden swiped at him, laughing nervously. "I'm not here to hook up with some old dude. That's skeevy."

Jamie laughed. "What? You don't want to snag yourself a sugar daddy? Just kick back, live off his riches, and diddle him now and then to keep him hooked."

"Uh." Holden made a face. "That would be skeevy of me."

"Boys do it all the time. The old guys don't mind. What else are they gonna do with their millions? They have a hot boy to get their rocks off, and the boy gets to live a life of luxury. Win-win."

"Whatever." Holden chuckled. "Not for me. I want..." He exhaled slowly. What he wanted, he was never going to get.

"I know what you want." Jamie bumped his shoulder, a knowing smile on his face. "You want the quarterback."

"I do," Holden admitted. "But that'll never happen. Even if he was gay. I could never land someone like him. We've been in the same classes for two years and he doesn't even know I'm alive. And in some of those classes, I sit right next to him." He shook his head. "No, he's just a fantasy and that's all he'll ever be."

"So..." Jamie grinned. "... when you get inside..." He indicated the club. "... find a Santa, sit on his lap, and ask him for the quarterback." He scrunched his nose teasingly. "Christmas is a time for miracles."