Tay bolted up in bed, covered in sweat. The window next to the bed was dimly illuminated in an off blue light. He reached out and tugged the curtain to the side and saw the moon. Bolting up in bed he glanced around and saw the clock by the bedside table; it read eight o'clock in the evening. He blinked his eyes rubbed his forehead.

"Fuck," he whispered again as he looked at the clock again.

"Damn it," he barked as he grabbed his cell phone from his bag.

The phone rang, finally just as he was about to hang up Daphne picked up.

"Hey," she almost whispered.

"Where are you?" Tay yawned.

"We're still out. We dropped by. Zac needed to use the bathroom and we were just down the street so," she paused.

"You all were here," Tay asked in shock.

"He waited in the car, but Zac is in on it now, he's totally up for helping," she smiled.

Taylor sighed a breath of relief and laid back.

"So, um, how are you and him?" Tay started.

"Back together," he heard her beaming.

"That's great," Tay exclaimed without a large amount of enthusiasm.

"You ok?"

"I'm ready to see him," Tay almost whispered.

"Yeah, well he's in a perfect mood right now, and he hasn't smoked all day, so I think he'd really be receptive," she replied cutting herself off suddenly.

"Daph," Tay asked sitting up slightly.

"Yeah, hold on," she covered the mouth piece.

Tay heard her speaking to someone, and then she returned.

"Meet us," she started.

"Times Square, in front of MTV," Tay exclaimed before she could name a place.

"Um," she paused.

"Just walk around a lot, I'll see you, I've got everything all planned," Tay exclaimed getting up.

"Alright," she replied. "I'm hanging up now," she laughed.

"Ok, I'll be there in about an hour," he said as he hung up, cutting her off from asking how he'd get there.

After shuffling around her place for a few moments he came across her acoustic guitar.

"Hello you," he grinned as he strummed it a few times.

"Perfect, and," he paused. "A hat," he smiled pulling it out of his bag.

"Alright," he sighed standing outside her front door.

"Here we go," he whispered as he clutched her guitar to his chest and went down to the sidewalk and hailed a cab.

"Yeah?"

"Fifteen Fifteen Broadway," Tay exclaimed as he fished a wad of cash out of his pocket.

"Can you break a few bills into singles and some change?" Tay asked.

*          *          *          *          *

"Come on," Daph smiled pulling Will and Zac by the hands.

"Where now?" Will groaned.

"What's the matter?!"

"My feet hurt. I don't know about yours but," Will paused.

Zac glanced at Daphne and saw her looking to him for help.

"Come on don't be a pussy, where too Daphy?" he smiled.

"Times Square baby," she grinned pulling them down the street.

"We're walking," Will groaned.

"It's just a few blocks down, why not?" she smiled wrapping her arms around Zac.

Daphne knew that she had time to kill; they still had half an hour and she knew a cab from where they were would get them there in less than five minutes.

Zac paused at a hot dog stand.

"Dude, that's the fourth one tonight," Will frowned holding his stomach.

"They're good shut up," he growled with a smile.

Will stepped away from the stand and glanced around. Off to his right the sound of a harmonica caught his attention as he watched couples walking down the sidewalk. An old gray haired homeless man stood off to the side playing, a cup on the pavement in front of him. He recognized the tune as he walked up. 'Mr. Bo-Jangles,' played very well from the harmonica. After stepping a few feet closer he smiled and watched as the old man paid him no attention. It wasn't until he got a bit closer that he realized both of his eyes were clouded over in a thick white film. He stepped back quietly and stared, feeling a lump form in his throat.

There, standing before him was a man who could not see. To most people that wasn't too unreal. But Will was touched, a man without sight in a world like this. Playing his harmonica, in the hopes that someone could spare him some change. A tear welled up in his eyes as he watched the man, who appeared to almost be in his own world. A world, Will imagined, while filled with darkness must have been replaced by some of the most fantastic imaginary visions. Where the light of the sun was felt instead of seen. Where the arrival of rain and stormy weather was more of a sensory stimulation and less of a downer on the daily schedule.

He reached up and pulled his sun glasses off of his head and reached into his wallet and pulled out a fifty dollar bill.

"Sir," Will whispered as he stepped closer.

The man paused in his music.

"Good evening," the man said in a deep old southern accent.

"I have two things for you," Will whispered knowing his voice would crack if he tried to speak with it.

"Thank you, sir," the man exclaimed as he held out his hand.

"First," Will said handing him his sun glasses.

"These are my sunglasses," the man tilted his head as Will placed them in his hand.

"I know that at one time you probably wore them, and for whatever reason you don't now is beside the point. I just want you to have some you can wear if you feel the need," Will finished.

The man remained quiet and slowly slid them into the pocket on his loose dingy plaid shirt.

"And this," Will exclaimed quietly.

"Is a fifty dollar bill," Will said placing the bill in his hand.

"Don't let anyone tell you it's not, here," Will exclaimed slowly tearing a half inch rip into the edge.

"That way you won't confuse it," Will exclaimed.

"Why?" the man asked quietly.

"Because, your harmonica made me feel good," Will swallowed hard.

The man smiled and thanked him, then put the harmonica up to his lips and began to play 'American Pie.'

"That was so sweet," Daphne exclaimed wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"You ok dude?" Zac asked as they continued down the street.

"Yeah. I normally don't even give away money but, the music, the way that man played his harmonica, you know he was blind right?" Will asked.

"No, I couldn't tell from where we were," Zac exclaimed turning back looking over his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's why I gave him the sunglasses and fifty dollars.

"Wow," Daph exclaimed.

They continued a bit further and made a left turn. As they came around the corner the bright neon lights and large illuminated Panasonic screen showered multicolored light all over.

"Wow," Zac grinned.

"Yeah I know, kinda like Lady Liberty, sort of still takes your breath away every time you see it," Will smiled.

They continued to walk for a bit when Daphne glanced over to the sidewalk up against the Viacom building. She pulled Zac by the arm and he glanced over and then they looked up at the TV screen.

"Hard to be a couch potato when there's no couch huh," Zac laughed.

Will smiled and stared up at the TV screen.

*          *          *          *          *

Tay saw them coming half a block away. His heart skipped a few beats as he slowly sat down, with his back against the building. He crossed his legs and took off his hat and placed it on the pavement in front of himself. After tossing a few bills and some quarters he pulled on his large flight sunglasses and shifted the guitar in his lap.

"It's now or never," Tay swallowed hard as he looked over across the sidewalk at the back of Daph, Zac and Will staring up at the TV sets.

He got his fingering and began to strum.

*          *          *          *          *

Will watched the news cast on the screen and glanced down into the street. He felt his skin prickle briefly as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Something felt very familiar. The loud rushing of the cars in the square, the smell of the exhaust, the laughter and voices of people on the sidewalks. He tilted his head, unaware that Daphne and Zac were both watching him. He strained to listen.

He sucked a bit of air into his lungs at first. He felt his stomach flip flop momentarily as he thought he heard the soft sound of a guitar strumming. He looked up and down Broadway, looking for a car with its windows down, perhaps a stereo was turned up.

Then he heard the voice of an angel.

"Goodbye four leaf clovers, hello gone awry. Don't cry the fight ain't over, unless you let it pass you by," the voice sang full of sorrow as Will felt tears welling up in his eyes. He stepped back from the curb and looked back in the direction they had walked.

"I'm looking for a song to sing and, I'm looking for a friend to borrow, I'm looking for my radio, so I might find a heart to follow, I've never been just longing for your lovin' I've never been just wearin' down to nothin' I've never been just lookin' for a reason, so that maybe you'd be thinkin' of me. You'd be thinkin' of me," the voice called softly.

Will slowly turned and looked up, now the music and the soft voice weren't the only things bringing tears to his eyes. His heart stung in pain as he saw that he was standing there, in that very spot looking up at the windows of the TRL studio. The same windows he faced that one dark stormy late afternoon when he had first been separated from Taylor that felt like so long ago.

"When all that I have found in reason, is reason just to not believe. When all that you are left is treason, its treason just to let it be. I'm looking for a song to sing and, I'm looking for a friend to borrow, I'm looking for my radio, so I might find a heart to follow, I've never been just longing for you lovin' I've never been just wearin' down to nothin' I've never been just lookin' for a reason, so that maybe you'd be think of," Taylor's voice seemed to mourn from the past so strongly Will could hear it with his own ears.

Then he looked down, as reality crashed against him so did the sound of Taylor's voice.

"These blue yonder dreams and second hand shoes, you so far gone that you live to loose and it's too late to go home all alone, you're the tar in that old cigar, and the worn out cable on a cable car and you too tired to admit you've got to choose," Will heard as his eyes blurred and cleared.

He stumbled back as he swore his mind was playing tricks on him. There sitting Indian style on the sidewalk, holding a guitar sat who he only believed could be Taylor. Strumming a guitar, singing to him. He blinked his eyes shut and shook his head, positive in a fleeting moment he'd sit up in bed and find it was all some strange dream.

Then, the blond boy, in the army green shirt, wearing the brown corduroy pants, sandals and sunglasses strumming on the guitar looked up at him, and lifted his sunglasses.

"I'm looking for a song to sing and, I'm looking for a friend to borrow, I'm looking for my radio, so I might find a heart to follow," he sang with such sadness as he slowly stood, never once breaking his eye contact, never once his fingers breaking the chords on the guitar.

"I've never been just longing for you lovin' I've never been just wearin' down to nothin'," he sang more quietly as he stepped closer to Will, now so close Will could see his rose touched, tear stained cheeks, his brilliant sparkling blue eyes tinged with red from crying. His soul pouring out of those eyes.

"I've never been just lookin' for a reason, so that maybe you'd be thinkin' of me, ooh ooh," he sang quietly as he finished the final strum of the guitar as it lowered to his side.

"You'd be thinkin' of me," his voice whispered as his mouth pressed to Will's.

The two of them kissed, deeply. The words most might have needed to explain their actions, to make up excuses for their errors and the mistakes perpetrated upon their love weren't necessary. Will felt his arms rise up and wrap around Taylor's body. Taylor's warm, solid body. No longer would he slowly vanish from within his embrace as he had so many nights in so many dreams.

The scent of Will's mouth, the feel of his mouth, the strength in his embrace overwhelmed Taylor. The feelings rushing through him registered in his brain, the happiness rushed through his being, every emotion he felt he had forgotten returned as if old friends from a long trip. Returning home to stay. Taylor felt his body trembling as tears began, again to pour from his closed eyes.

Will, upon feeling Taylor's body begin to quake pulled him closer and kissed him deeper. His tongue trailing into his mouth, his body electrified by the taste he remembered so well, but was sure he had forgotten. His hands squeezed and massaged Taylor's back and neck as their mouths pressed and meshed together. Slowly opening his eyes, Will's heart skipped another beat as his fears of Taylor being a dream, vanished into the shadows. Taylor was here, in his arms, with him.

*          *          *          *          *

The four of them sat there at a street side café a few blocks down. Taylor staring into Will's eyes, Will into his. Zac and Daphne smiling at each other, all four feeling as if no time had passed and everything was as it had always been.

"You know it feels like nothing changed," Taylor said breaking the silence.

"It feels like it, but it has," Will chuckled as he nodded his head up and over to their left where the billboard with his ad on it stood.

"Well yeah," Tay smirked. "That's new," he smiled.

"So how've you been handling the sudden stardom?" Zac asked.

All three turned their heads towards him.

"I never really thought about it as stardom. I mean you guys are a different sort of celebrity than I am," he paused.

All three of them glanced at one another, and then back at him in confusion.

"You three are all famous because you have a talent, you sing, you perform," he explained. "Me, I guess," he winced. "I'm just pretty," he sighed.

"You're a hell of a lot more than pretty," Daph blurted.

"Seriously," Zac explained.

"You're pretty, yeah," Tay paused. "But it's your personality that makes you such a wonderful conversationalist; you're a real people person."

Will shrugged.

"I guess I'd feel differently if I were up there because of acting or singing or something, I mean it's not hard to find someone with my body, and my hair and that kind of thing," he carried on as all three of them rolled their eyes.

"I see nothing has changed," Tay chuckled.

"What?" Will asked turning his head.

"You still are the same person," Tay smiled.

Will stared at him, not exactly sure how to take the compliment.

"Meaning that you haven't let the success and treatment go to your head, you're still Will, you're not WILL," he smiled.

"Oh, heh, yeah," he smiled.

"So how about we all go back to my place and Zac and I cook a really great dinner for the four of us?" Daphne smiled standing up.

"Oh my god," A voice yelped.

All four of them turned.

"Shit this is a who's who," Rosie exclaimed as she walked up.

"Daphne Catanelli, Taylor and Zac Hanson, Will Quest," she laughed.

"And now Rosie," Tay smiled.

"Wow, what are all you guys doin' here?" she asked.

"Sort of a reunion," Daphne smiled.

"Well fuck me," Rosie laughed.

"Glad I dropped by, so what's the scoop?" she asked in a hushed voice as she squatted down next to the table.

"Well," Taylor explained looking down then back up at her.

"We're back together," he grinned.

"Same here," Daph smiled raising her hand above her and Zac.

"I knew you kids were gonna pull through," she smiled.

"Yeah, well it's not like it took a long enough time," Zac laughed.

"Well sometimes things gotta get worse before they can get better," Rosie replied standing.

"Say, I was just having some drinks, and I'm heading out to a really cool joint to get something to eat, you guys wanna tag along, I'm sure we can get a limo or a van, or something," she almost commanded as they all stood up.

"Well?" Daph asked turning to Zac.

"Sounds good to me," he grinned.

"How 'bout you babe?" Will asked Taylor.

"I go where you go," Tay beamed as he kissed him on the mouth.

"Looks like it's a yes," Will smiled as they all headed towards the curb.

*          *          *          *          *

"Shh," Daph giggled quietly as they came in from the back garden.

"They couldn't be asleep yet, what time is it?" Zac laughed as he tried to focus on his watch.

"Oh, yeah, ok well maybe they are," he smirked as he saw that it was nearly four in the morning.

The four of them had made it home around one thirty. After dinner with Rosie, cruising around Manhattan and going out to the piers they had decided to crash back at Daphne's place. For the past two and a half hours Daph and Zac had sat out in the garden talking and sipping warmed coffee liqueur.

"They took the spare," she snickered as they both stumbled into her bedroom.

"That's cool, I can take yours."

"Then where am I gonna sleep?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"In yours with me," Zac grinned playfully.

"Oh, ok," she smiled as she sat down on her bed.

*          *          *          *          *

Will opened his eyes slowly. He had been drifting in and out of sleep for the past hour. Each time as he had awakened his mind would begin to panic until each time he realized he was still deep within Taylor's embrace. The feel of his arms wrapped around him from behind. The light tickle of Taylor's breath against his neck and shoulder. They had snuggled there for what seemed like eternity, kissing and cuddling as the moon rose into the sky and up out of sight behind a set of skyscrapers.

He felt Taylor shift in his sleep. His arms squeezing him tightly as his nose pushed in behind Will's ear. His lips brushing softly against the side of Will's neck. The feeling was soothing, to finally have Taylor again, wrapped in his arms, the feel of his heart beating, the sound of his breath. Will closed his eyes; a tear squeezing from within his lids trickled down his cheek and disappeared into the pillow case.


On to Chapter Seventeen

Back to Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Index

Taylor Quest Home Page

A Love Incognito is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
This work may not be duplicated in any form – physical, electronic, audio, or otherwise – without the author's written permission.
All applicable copyright laws apply. All individuals depicted are fictional with any resemblance to real persons being purely coincidental.

Home Page | Authors | Christmas Stories | Stories by the Writer Suggested Reading | Suggested Viewing | Links Privacy Policy | Terms of Service Send a Comment All Site Content © 2003 - 2024 Tarheel Writer unless otherwise noted Layout © 2003 - 2024 Tarheel Writer