Taetum's Muse

Chapter 12

Taetum's P.O.V.

Oh my god, I just saw Keelan in his silky black thong. I think he has tapped himself down, and I think his thong is a woman's, not that I have a problem with either. Man, he looks sex as fuck in his thong and floral button-up. I know I should not have checked out his body like I did, especially his crotch, but I had to given the opportunity.

Making my way to an empty dressing room, I shakily close the curtain behind me. I do feel bad for what happened, but I will admit that he has a beautiful, little body. I hope I have not screwed up the progress he and I have made in our friendship with what just happened. Exiting, I head toward Kerry for hair and makeup touch-up, and Keelan is already in the chair, and it seems that Kerry is almost finished. His furious blush has almost diminished until he makes eye contact with me.

"Okay, what happened between the two of you?" Kerry demands as he takes a step back from Keelan as he looks between the two of us with a slight frown.

"Um, I accidentally opened the curtain Keelan was behind, and I, uh, I saw him partially clothed," I admit with slightly pink cheeks.

"Wow," Kerry replies with a raised right eyebrow toward me. "Be more mindful of the curtains from now on."

Nodding at him in agreement, as Keelan's pink blush darkens to a pretty shade of deep red.

"Okay Keelan, I am done with you for now," Kerry states with a gentle pat on the right shoulder with a soft smile towards him.

"Thanks Kerry," he murmurs as he stands from the chair, walking past me with a shy smile as he makes his way over to Richard. Settling myself down onto the chair he just vacated, Kerry starts working his magic on touching up my hair and makeup as I watch Keelan and Richard speak.

After a couple of minutes, Keelan joins Emmett, and Richard sets to work, and I take my eyes off them when Kerry asks me a question.

"Yeah, I really like Keelan, like in the sense of having romantic feelings toward him," I answer with a shy smile.

Suddenly Emmett hollers out; "What the fuck, Richard! Why in the hell did you do that?"

Snapping my head over toward them, I see Keelan holding his right cheek with his right hand with wide eyes. Emmett is holding Richard up against the wall by the throat, and Emmett is absolutely pissed, and is breathing heavily as Richard claws at Emmett's hand. Emmett has Richard's feet dangling about a foot off the floor. Mr. Reed is instantly at their sides, and is calmly speaking to Emmett until he let's Richard drop to the floor in a crumpled pile, and inhaling in deep breaths of air.

"What happened?" Mr Reed demands of Emmett and Keelan, who looks like he is crying which breaks my heart.

Emmett quietly answers our boss' question, and I cannot hear what he is saying. Rachael takes Keelan of somewhere, probably the kitchen to get ice for his cheek. Mr Reed's face instantly turns crimson at Emmett's answer as he hollers out for security. A minute later, two of the burly security guards arrive, and escort Richard off.

"Kerry! Taetum! Can you please join me, please?" Mr Reed requests of us through gritted teeth.

We join him and Emmett, and it is obvious that is just as pissed as Emmett is which is understandable. I am pissed off, too, and it seems that Kerry is as well.

"Richard has been fired, and the police have been called by security, and charges will be placed against him when they arrive for striking Keelan," Mr Reed states angrily with furrowed brows, and my jaw drops in shock as does Kerry's. "I am sending everyone home now, except for myself, Keelan, Kenley, and Emmett. We will be speaking with the police."

"I will inform the others to leave," Kerry states, and Mr Reed agrees to this as Rachael and Keelan return.

Keelan will not look at anyone or anything other than the floor in front of him as he holds a towel with ice against his cheek with slumped shoulders. Emmett turns slightly toward Keelan to pull him into a tight hug that Keelan willingly accepts with his unbruised cheek lying against Emmett's chest with his free arm around Emmett's waist.

I want to beat the hell out of Richard for what he did to sweet Keelan. There is no reason for him to strike Keelan. I will wait in my car until Keelan exits the building to check on him because a text or call will not suffice. Walking off with Kerry and Rachael toward the entrance after I changed back into my clothing, and leaving the work clothes folded in a pile at Kerry's station. Kerry has informed everyone else to head home early.

An hour later, two police officers are leaving the building with Richard in handcuffs, and ten minutes after that, everyone else is exiting the building. Keelan no longer has the ice pack against his cheek, but he has dried tear tracks on his beautiful, yet splotchy face. Climbing out of my vehicle, I make my way over to them, and stop a foot away.

"May I speak with you for a moment, please, Keelan?" I ask gently of the smaller man.

Keelan briefly makes eye contact with me, and his beautiful blue eyes are red, puff, and slightly puffy as he nods silently. He walks over to me with his head slightly bowed down. Not wanting to make him feel like he has to look at me, I just pull him against my body to tightly hold him. I just want him to be held for a few minutes as he cries quietly against my chest as he tightly wraps his arms around my waist as his shoulders slightly shake.

"You are an amazing person, Keelan," I whisper to him before gently kissing the top of his head.

"Thanks Taetum," he sniffles softly as he takes a step back from me to furiously wipe at his face to clean off his face of the tears. "You are amazing, too."

He looks at me now, giving me a small, shaky smile that I return as I wipe away a tear that has just fallen from his left eye; "Can I call you tonight?"

"Sure, I would like that," he agrees with lightly pink tinted cheeks before joining the others inside of Mr Reed's vehicle with a tiny wave at me.