"Such brazenness."
I turned to Collen, who was pursing his lips as he gazed across Charleston College's Sottile Theatre. We were sitting, side by side, on the aisle of the third row center, in the "official" section. The orchestra was tuning up for the Thursday, 22 May, opening of the premier run of the Rhiannon Gidden-composed opera,
Omar
, at the 2021 Spoleto Music Festival.
We were a strange pair, I knew, and I, at least, was drawing a lot of attention. Some there would recognize me. Others, who didn't, would be wondering what the hell I was doing at this event. Some didn't know I was a twenty-eight-year-old opera singer in New York as well as a classical music critique for
Ovation
magazine, here to cover this opera opening. My "date" and seatmate, Collen, was a mainstay here. He quite certain was recognized by more in Charleston, South Carolina, and at the annual Spoleto Festival than I was. He headed the public relations effort for the festival and thus was on the festival staff.
Other than that, ours was a noticeable Mutt and Jeff pairing. Collen was pushing forty and was short and dapper—slender and somewhat effeminate. He was a handsome devil, arresting flame-red hair and striking blue eyes and a perpetual "What can I do for you that will get you to do something for me?" smile. Contrasting him, I was tall and hulking, at six-foot-four, a former basketball star at Louisiana State University, originally from Jamaica, and milk-chocolate black, with dreadlocks. If only those looking at us knew what lurked below the surface of my tuxedo. If only they knew what Collen and I would be doing later tonight. I was here, as a guest performer and media reporter, because Collen and I had already met and bedded in New York.
"Brazenness because we have come together?" I asked. "I know we're in the South, but is a white man with a black man all that unacceptable here? Or is it a man with a man?"
"I think it's the dreadlocks," Collen said, with a saucy smile. But then he added, "No one knows we're here, sitting together, other than in an official Spoleto capacity. No, Devan, the brazenness is those two over there. One the other side of the theater. On the second row. René is looking back at us now."
"Ah, the young, dark, sensual young man? He's looked over at us several times. I wondered what he was doing in the official section. Do you mean because he is with that big black guy sitting beside him—like you and me sitting here? He's a handsome dude."
"There's that, of course."
"You're here with a big black bull, Collen. We're going to fuck later. What's more brazen about those two than us two? They may not even be together."
"Oh, they're together all right. The black stud is a male escort. His name's Jomo Davis."
"And you know this because?"
"You know why I would know that, Devan. And the two have come together. They are seen around a lot now. The brazen part is who René is and why he's not here with someone else."
"Someone else like who?" I asked.
"Gino Capilati."
"The Italian composer? One of the big daddies of this festival?" Capilati was the conductor emeritus of the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Florentino in Florence, Italy. He spent his summers here in Charleston working on the Spoleto Festival, which was originated by the composer Gian Carlo Menotti to parallel the annual music festival in Spoleto, Italy. His connection to Spoleto was to help preserve the Italian connection to the music festival.
"Yes, that's the scandal here. Capilati, who hasn't been seen yet in the leadup to this year's festival, impulsively adopted René late last winter as his son. Before that, they were a couple."
"This René looks very young—a sexy very young," I said. "Capilati must be ancient now."
"Yes, he's nearly eighty. There can't be anything sexual between the two anymore—but to adopt him? That's a scandal, even here. And for René to then be seen at music venues with a male escort—a black one to boot? The young man is twenty-five, and he's a gold digger despite his title and talent."
"He has a title? And what's his talent?"
"Yes, he's some hereditary Italian count with a long, distinguished name. René Tencredi Fallett di Barolo, if I remember correctly."
"If you remember correctly?" I laughed. "That's a big mouthful to be able to flip out so casually. You keep tabs on him, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. Capilati is a good friend of mine. I hate to see him taken advantage of like this—and so blatantly be cuckolded. To inherit what must be great riches from Gino, the young Italian has become just René Capilati and calls Gino 'Daddy.' When he's not fucking around with the male escort, Jomo Davis, that is. He does have musical talent. I'll grant him that. He played cello in Milan's Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali before Capilati coaxed him here to join the selection staff for the festival."
The lights were dimming and the orchestra was about to begin the overture. René was turning his face back again and looking across the theater at us—at me, I think. He smiled and nodded. I returned both. If he enjoyed the company of a black stud, maybe he'd enjoy mine. He was a beautiful young man and I was perpetually horny. I wondered if he knew who I was—what I liked—what I like doing to sweet pieces like him.
"I trust the black stud is a high-priced escort," I said.
Collen snorted. "He certainly charges me a lot."
"Then that's fine," I said. "Not too brazen. Not as brazen as this." My hand went to Collen's knee and then as the lights went full down just before the curtains opened, I briefly moved the hand to his crotch and squeezed. As I suspected, he was half hard. He drew in his breath and let out a little moan. He didn't draw away, though. He slouched forward in his seat and parted his legs more, giving me more of a handful of him at the crotch.