Chapter 2
Antonio Mazinar leaned back a little in his chair, studying Scott silently but intently. “I’m surprised,” he mused thoughtfully, “That the judge didn’t take one look at you and just throw your case out altogether. You do not look like a drug dealer in any way, shape, or form. In fact, you’re pretty harmless-looking. Although I suppose that it’s the harmless-looking ones who often turn out to be the worst kinds of criminals, because they can get away with a great deal because of how innocent they appear to be. Still…” he sighed and shook his head. “I’ve often wondered how many innocent people are incarcerated in this country. Mistakes are all too common, and sometimes people are railroaded simply because they look like the kind of person who would commit a crime. If the American criminal justice system weren’t so eager to dump people in jail and throw away the key…it’s a decidedly expensive habit, as well. Especially jailing people for taking drugs. Just think of all the money they could save by putting those people in drug rehab programs instead. Ahh, I’m sorry, Scott. Here you are so worried and scared, and I’m climbing on my soap box. I’m afraid that this is a very personal pet peeve of mine.”
“No, that’s okay,” he said in a trembling voice. “I can’t say that I’m very happy about America being this jail-happy either, not now anyway.”
“Yes, of course.” Antonio’s dark eyes were sympathetic. “But I promise you, Scott, that I’ll do everything I can to make your stay here as pleasant as possible. Not that it will ever be a picnic or a walk in the park, but at least I can keep it from becoming a nightmare for you.”
He swallowed heavily. “Thanks. I’m terrified…I mean, looking the way I do…” he waved a hand at himself, his eyes wide. “I’m never regretted being…well…sort of pretty more than I do right at this moment…”
Antonio sighed. “Yes. There are many animals locked up in this prison. But if I put you under my protection, no one else will dare to touch you. They know what could happen to them,” he said ominously.
Scott shivered at something dark and cold in his tone. “Umm…okay,” he whispered.
Antonio leaned forward in his chair. “Don’t be scared, Scott,” he said more gently. “I won’t do anything to you. You have my word on that. Come now, buck up. It won’t be so bad, you’ll see. Let’s talk about something else, shall we? Tell me about your life outside of these walls.” his coaxing tone of voice helped Scott to answer, and he began to tell Antonio about his former job as a receptionist, his family, and his friends(many but not all of whom had deserted him when he’d been convicted of drug possession). Antonio listened quietly and only commented once in awhile. When he finally ran out of words, he felt a bit better .having someone to talk to about his ordeal was really helping. It was too bad that this was the same man who he had to seduce and betray if only he could…
A sharp, piercing sound made him jump, and the cell door slid open. “Dinner time,” Antonio told him, rising to his feet. “Stay just behind me, Scott, and you’ll be fine.”
He was glad to follow along behind Antonio as the other man stepped out of his cell and stood still in the corridor beyond. All of the other prisoners in this cell block were doing the same thing, and the guards had them form up into two lines to walk to the cafeteria to eat dinner. He walked behind Antonio out of the cell block and down another corridor to the big cafeteria with its metal tables and hard benches. Antonio picked up an empty tray and glanced over his shoulder at Scott, motioning for him to do the same. He grabbed a tray, feeling his breathing start to hitch as a very large black man standing nearby leered openly at him. His fingers closed so tightly on the edges of the tray that they turned white from blood loss.
Antonio seemed to have caught all of this, and he turned a cold look on the other prisoner. The big black man took a step back, and to his shock Scott realized that he was nervous. He only glanced briefly at Scott once more, before turning away and hurrying off. Awed, Scott followed Antonio down the line to receive what seemed to be beef stew, broccoli, a dinner roll, and a pudding cup. All that he could think about was how Antonio seemed to have sent that huge man running, and he wondered just why the other prisoner had seemed so terrified of Antonio. It wasn’t as though his cell mate was that large or imposing himself…he just didn’t get it, though he was relieved that it appeared that Antonio would be able to keep his word about making sure that Scott was safe from the other prisoners.
They chose a table, and he sat down next to Antonio. He opened the iced tea that he’d chosen for his drink, sipping at it a little as Antonio picked up a spoon and began to eat his beef stew. He was surprised that no one else sat at the table with them, though the cafeteria was crowded. And he saw the gazes of a few of them slide over Antonio and then away, as though they were all afraid to meet his eyes. Scott was puzzled. He glanced at his companion, wondering just what there was about Antonio that seemed to frighten these hardened men so much. He just couldn’t see it.
They ate mostly in silence, although when Scott had finished his dinner roll he was surprised when Antonio held out his. “I don’t care for bread,” he told Scott gravely. “If you want it it’s yours.”
“Uhh, thanks,” he said, taking the roll. Their fingers brushed together, and he was startled to feel a shock of electricity jolt through him. He almost dropped the roll as his heartbeat and breathing picked up suddenly. If Antonio felt it as well, he didn’t show it. He merely smiled slightly at Scott and resumed eating his own dinner. Slowly he took a bite of the roll, to have something to do other than think about his reaction to Antonio touching him. Hew should be glad that he was attracted to the man that he had to sleep with, but he wasn’t. Not entirely, anyway. Before he’d felt that jolt, he could have divorced himself completely during whatever sex acts that they might engage in together. And he didn’t want to feel anything, because that would make it just that much harder to betray Antonio if it came to that…
After they’d eaten, the guards escorted them back to their cell. Scott had to go to the bathroom, but he looked in horror at the open toilet just sitting there at the back of the cell. Catching his expression, Antonio turned his back elaborately. “I won’t look, Scott,” he soothed. “It’s all right.”
He pulled his orange jumpsuit down hurriedly and sat on the toilet seat, wanting to bury his face in his hands. This was so awful! And it could only get worse, since there were communal showers as well…no dignity, no privacy, nothing…he let loose a small moan, but he knew that he had to get used to this no matter how much he didn’t want to. He was stuck here in this place for three years or until he could get Antonio to talk, whichever came first. He still wasn’t used to it after over a month at the country jail where he’d been until he was tried and sentenced, but he had to try harder now. Because he had no hope now that Randy would show up and save him, or that he would be found innocent of the crime that he hadn’t committed. He had to adjust to his surroundings, because there was no alternative. None whatsoever.
When he was done, he flushed the toilet. Antoniou turned around at the sound, looking him over. “I’ll give you as much privacy as I can, Scott,” he said quietly, “If you’ll do the same for me. We must continue to behave as civilized men, even in this hell hole. I for one do not want to revert to the level of a base animal, just because I’m behind bars in a cage.”
“Yeah,” he said, clearing his throat. “So…what do we do now?” he asked uncertainly.
“Usually I’d read until lights out,” Antonio told him, “But we can talk instead.”
“Okay. Umm…you have an accent. Are you from some other country originally or something?” Scott asked tentatively.
Antonio nodded as he sat down in his chair and indicated that Scott should sit on his bunk again.
“That’s correct. My parents are from Spain. We moved here when I was eight years old, and we all became citizens of this country. But I still retain some of the accent, try as I might to get rid of it,” he said with as self-deprecating smile.
“No, I like it!” Scott blurted out, then felt himself turning red.
Antonio’s smile widened a little. “Do you? I’m glad. Since we’re fated to spend more than a year together in this cell, it’s nice to know that you like my accent,” he commented.
Scott looked down and way from those penetrating black eyes, knowing that he should be more flirtatious but unable to maintain any kind of seductive front. He’d never been a practiced seducer out in the real world, either. But then, he’d never had to be before this. His looks had been enough to bring guys flocking to his side. He despaired that they’d be enough to make Antonio interested in him, but what could he do? He couldn’t pretend to be something that he wasn’t.
If he could have seen the expression in those black eyes at that moment, some of his despair would have lifted. But Antonio looked away before Scott got over his sudden bout of reticent shyness, and presented only his profile by the time that Scott glanced up again. “Do you like to read, Scott?” he asked. “I can get you any kind of reading material that you’d like.”
“Oh. Yeah. I like thrillers and mysteries, and also…umm…romances,” Scott said, turning a bit red again.
Antonio’s lips twitched. “I’m sure that I can procure romances for you,” he said, his voice slightly teasing. “What kind would you like? Harlequin, historical, straight, gay? What’s your pleasure?”
Something about the way that he said the word ‘pleasure’ made Scott feel rather over-warm. “Anything’s good,” he replied hurriedly. “I like gay romances the most, just because I’m gay and it’s nice to read about people like me falling in love. But straight romances are almost as good. Is it…okay that I’m gay?” he asked tentatively.
“It’s perfectly fine,” Antonio replied equinimically. “And I’ll make sure to get you all kinds of romances. I wouldn’t want you to do without…love,” there was some subtle nuance in his voice that made Scott’s body feel rather tight, and if Antonio hadn’t changed the subject just then he didn’t know how he might have reacted.
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