the Secret Life of Damien Carmichael

17. the College Party (part III)

Damien was nervous, though he had no idea why. It wasn't as though he hadn't attended hundreds of parties at this point since he was a small child no less. He knew how it worked in normal circumstances. You would go in, greet the host or hostess, ideally with some sort of gift in hand. Wine was always preferable. Then you would mingle with the rest of the guests at the party, enjoy a cocktail if available. It was all pretty standard stuff his mother had taught him by the age of four. But this was not a 'normal' party. At least not the sort of normal that Damien was accustomed to. For one thing, they were a few houses down from the party house and already they could hear music blasting from inside. For another, Damien got the distinct impression that this was not the sort of party that would be a catered affair in a grand ballroom as he was used to.

Oliver grinned, and for a brief moment, all of Damien's fears melted away.

"Come on babe," he said, taking Damien's hand as they made their way up the stoop and into the house.

The music was deafening, a cacophony of dancing bodies mixed with dancing lights and a pulsating, hypnotic beat. It was definitely not the sort of music or scene Damien was used to seeing upon entering a party.

He looked back at Carrie, who was trailing behind them before Oliver whisked him away towards the back of the house and presumably the kitchen. They had just entered a hallway beside the staircase when they were stopped suddenly by a tall and imposing man wearing a red tracksuit. He had dark skin and a black beard and looked like he could easily throw Damien down the length of the hallway. In any other circumstance that possibility might have been rather attractive to Damien, as it was, he half wondered if perhaps they weren't as invited as previously thought.

"Hey man," he said. Damien looked over at Oliver, who merely grinned, shaking the other man's hand and offering him an odd sort of half-hug with a shoulder pat. "Been a long time, how you been?" he asked.

"You know," Oliver replied. The man nodded, then turned towards Damien. "Who's your friend?"

Damien smiled half wondering how Oliver intended to introduce him, they had only just admitted to one another that they were boyfriends, and he wasn't sure he expected Oliver to out himself to, whoever this was.

To his surprise, however, Oliver wrapped his arm around Damien's shoulder, pulling him into his chest and said, "My boyfriend," without hesitation.

"Tight. Tight, well, glad you both could make it to my party. Drinks are in the kitchen, and have a good time," he said.

Oliver nodded, smiling back at the man. "We will," he said.

"Nice to meet you, Oli's boyfriend," he said, grasping Damien's hand to pull him in for the same sort of uncomfortable half hug and shoulder pat, then whispered in his ear. "Yo, you take care of my boy here, alright? Or we're gonna have a problem."

Damien swallowed and nodded, he did not normally consider himself someone who was afraid of anyone, but the serious look on the other man's face implied that he very much meant it. "Understood," he said.

The man nodded and made his way out into the living room.

"How do you know him exactly?" Damien asked. He was rather pleased to think that Oliver actually did have friends outside of Westlake. Protective friends too. Friends who would clearly do anything for Oliver.

Oliver merely grinned, "Relax babe, we're here to have fun."

"I'm not worried," Damien corrected him, as they made their way into the kitchen. "I can handle myself in otherwise uncharted territory, I was raised for this, I was just curious."