Former JAG officer Will Garrett took a job as a lawyer with the Outer Spiral Trading Company for one reason only. To keep his ex out of jail. The case is over, his ex is free -- and engaged to someone else. So, Will’s seeing out the final months of his contract as legal counsel for a sports team of Modern Gladiators on a Company sponsored tour of the Deneb sector. After that he must decide if he’s going to go home and become the corporate lawyer his parents always wanted him to be. Even though that prospect is what made him join the military as a JAG officer in the first place.
Fight fans love Jimmy Campbell, mighty Highland warrior, the captain and champion of promoter Lenny Sheridan’s Team Spartacus. But Jimmy is really James De Villiers, half-Scottish, half-South African, ex-soldier. He’s only in this gladiator game for the money. He’s already older than most of the team, carrying a nagging shoulder injury, and tired of hiding his sexuality because Lenny thinks it will damage his image. One more season of this, then he’s gone. Though he said that last year too ...
Will and James get together, thinking only of killing time in bed during the dull trips between tour stops. But as they grow closer and Will makes friends with the gladiators, trouble starts with team manager Lenny, who wants Will and James to split, to preserve the champion’s secret. When the gladiators are involved in a crisis on a space station orbiting a xenophobic alien world, they become the focus of all the media in the Deneb sector. James is forced to decide if keeping his secret and his career is more important to him than acknowledging his relationship with Will, whatever that costs him.
The night after was a party too -- though not so rowdy an affair. On OSTC ships it was traditional for the passengers to dine with the captain and officers the first night out of port. On this trip that apparently only meant the team and their top entourage, since Will didn’t see the many roadies and support staff at the dinner. He got to tag along, though, and it was worth it. The gladiators were without exception striking and in many cases beautiful, even in more conventional evening wear rather than their arena costumes.
Campbell -- or, not Campbell apparently -- James then, still looked stunning in a suit, his shoulders broad enough you could lay a table for two on them. Still plenty of neck, though. A broad-shouldered man could be kind of deficient in the neck department, which Will didn’t like so much.
But what caught Will’s eye was not so much how good James looked, but rather the fact he had sneakily switched a couple of the place cards on the tables. Will had been due to sit at the table hosted by the first officer. James had switched out a card from the captain’s table and put Will’s name next to his.
Interesting. And encouraging.
So when the cocktails and mingling part ended and everyone took their seats, Will found himself at James’s right. On his other side sat Reylene, still the women’s champion, despite losing the fight Will had watched. It was all a matter of how many bouts you won, according to their rules, which Will had amused himself by perusing earlier. Reylene had won several more fights than any of her rivals. She wore a dress of fiery orange silk and sequins. With high heels the already tall woman towered over most people at the table barring James. She was smart and witty, and Will found himself talking to her more than to the rather taciturn James. When he did talk to James, he noticed James’s accent was all over the place. He’d been trying hard the night before when chatting to Will, but it had started to slip even then. The same was happening tonight. It veered from strong Glaswegian to a soft burr more suitable for reading poetry aloud than threatening doom and destruction on opponents. It amused Will. He wondered which accent came out in bed.
When the meal ended, the party adjourned to the officers’ wardroom to mingle and drink coffee and spirits. Will deliberately wandered over to the viewport alone, sipping a brandy, and watched the stars for a while. In a few minutes, as he expected, James appeared at his shoulder. He held a glass, but it looked as if he only had ice water in it.
“Hi,” Will said quietly. There was something here for sure. He’d sensed it last night in the lounge. He’d felt it tonight at the dinner. James’s leg had brushed his a little too often for mere chance, even from a guy who took up so much space. But he’d read up about the team during the day, and according to all the gossip columns James Campbell might be dating Reylene Queen. They appeared at plenty of public events together.
But he’d seen no evidence of them being a couple at dinner tonight. They had the easy banter of friends. Nothing more.
“So what is your real name if it’s not Campbell?” Will asked. He could probably have found out easily enough, but he didn’t want to pry. Or rather, he did want to, but he hadn’t.
“Confidentially?”
“I’m a lawyer. That’s almost the same as a priest.”
James snorted. “Right. My name’s De Villiers. James De Villiers.”
“So Jimmy Campbell ...”
“Is for the arena and the press.”
“What’s wrong with De Villiers? What is that, Dutch?”
“South African. That’s where my dad is from. But Lenny said James De Villiers sounds like a diamond merchant, not a warrior.”
Will chuckled. “He has a point.”
“I don’t mind. Once I’m done with all this I’ll be happy to leave it all behind me. A fake name helps with that.”
This intrigued Will. Done with all this made it sound as if he didn’t enjoy it. He wanted to talk with James a lot more. He wasn’t the meathead Will had expected. But they had a long trip ahead, and there’d be plenty of time for talking. Will wanted something else tonight. Wanted to follow up on that vibe he felt talking to James. He glanced around to make sure nobody was in earshot, spoke barely loud enough for James to hear.
“Do you want to come back to my cabin for a while?”
James didn’t react. He went on looking out of the viewport at the stars. For a second Will worried he’d misjudged and was about to get a rejection and a possible punch in the face. But then James spoke so quietly Will had to strain to hear.
“You go ahead. I’ll meet you there in five minutes.”
