PEG BOY (21 page)

When Santiago
looked out the window he saw that they had arrived at Belle’s Nugget. They
drove behind the building and parked in the alley. McIntyre reached into his
pocket and brought out a tin, dipping the long nail of his small finger to
scoop a brown powder. He brought it to one nostril and sniffed, then repeated
the procedure for Vincent. When he did the same for Santiago, the boy shied
away.

“What is
that,” Santiago asked.

 “Something to
make you happy,” McIntyre cooed.

“Take it.”
Vincent urged. “You’ll like it. It makes things seem funny.”

Santiago felt
a burning sensation as he snorted the powder into each nostril.

“Remember,” McIntyre
said as he alighted from the carriage. “Do only what I tell you. If anyone
makes a proposition, and they will..., tell them they must speak to me. Do well
on stage and there will be something special for each of you afterwards.”

McIntyre
entered the building and they passed through several corridors that wound and
changed direction like a maze. They climbed stairs until they stood before a
heavily bolted door.

“Is that it?”
Vincent asked McIntyre.

“That’s it,”
he answered.

“What was
that?” Santiago whispered to Vincent.

“A peg-house.”

“What is
that?” He had never heard the term before.

“Belle has a
peg-house, a place where men can have boys.”

“Why that
name?”

“Shhh...,”
Vincent silenced Santiago. “I will tell you later.”

McIntyre had
heard them. “That’s part of the reason we’re here. I’m going into that business
too.” He looked at Vincent, and winked. “But we need to get younger trade. Both
you and him could buy the boys I need. None of the others have what it takes.
What do you say?”

They had
climbed to the upper-most level. McIntyre stood, waiting for an answer.

“Are you serious?”

Vincent never
knew when to believe McIntyre because he never told the truth.

‘I am. That’s
why we are here tonight. Belle’s boys are all about as old as you two, and some
are older. The kind of place I want to open will have younger boys, not much older
than thirteen. There is a big demand for them and those who want them will pay
almost anything to satisfy their desires.

“Belle came
across a couple of kids that she doesn’t want to use because they’re too young.
But I might find work for them. She wants to look at my two top boys to see if
we can make a deal. But before she decides, she wants to see which of you her
customers would want the most.

“For
Christ-sake, McIntyre, you’re talking about selling us as though we were just
things! What if I don’t want to?”

“Shut up!” McIntyre
slapped Vincent across the mouth. “Just because you’re my top piece of ass
doesn’t give you the right to start telling me what to do. Remember who holds
the cards and where you would be if it were not for me.”

Vincent wiped
his mouth, looking to Santiago, and then away. He did wonder where he would be
if it had not been for McIntyre, who forced him to take on almost any client
and gave him little in monetary compensation. The thought of working for Belle
was one that did not displease him. He could be no worst off than being with McIntyre.
The only good thing about working for McIntyre was that there was always a
plentiful supply of drugs, and Vincent liked that.

McIntyre
pushed through two heavily padded doors that opened into a lavish parlor lit by
chandeliers, each throwing off a blaze of light that was reflected in numerous
mirrors that lined the red-velvet walls. Two roulette wheels and a blackjack
table were the attraction of all who were present. Comfortable stuffed chairs
and divans lined the walls and there were several large palms, whose leaves
fanned out to give the room an appearance of a small garden.

As they
crossed the room, Santiago saw his reflection in one of the mirrors. Looking
back at him was a boy of dark complexion, dressed in elaborate clothing that,
an hour ago, had seemed too outrageous. He saw how his thighs and buttocks were
caressed by the silk fabric, how the room’s light produced luster and shadows
as he walked. A white blouse, ruffled at the throat and cuffs set off his dark
skin so that he looked sensual. Santiago was amazed at his own image and
understood that McIntyre had intended him to be the showpiece of the evening.
As soon as the boys had entered the room all eyes had been upon him and Santiago
sensed Vincent’s resentment, having always been McIntyre’s favorite. But now it
seemed his status was being challenged.

“For now,
stick with me.” McIntyre motioned for them to follow as he circulated around
the room. Santiago saw a woman so colorfully dressed that he could not take his
eyes from her.

“That’s
Belle,” Vincent pointed. “She owns this place. She’s known all over San
Francisco.”

McIntyre
extended his hand to her and drew the two boys in.

“Belle, I
believe you’ve heard me talk of Vincent. I want you to meet one of my new
boys..., Santiago.” He pushed Santiago forward, almost into Belle’s bosom.
“Show yourself to the lady, boy! Turn around and let her have a good look.”

“I know how he
looks,” Belle winked at him as she spun him around to stare at his ass. “My...,
my..., you will certainly be noticed!

“Are these the
two who will perform tonight?” She looked at McIntyre hopefully.

“It should be
quite a show, Belle. You’re going to have a hard time deciding which of the two
you want.”

Belle let her
hand glide over Santiago’s silk-covered buttocks, marveling at the wonderful
shape.

“Let the
guests decide! Why don’t you boys go and have something to eat and drink while
Mr. McIntyre and I discuss business. I think there might be something you boys
can smoke to put you in the mood.”

McIntyre waved
them off as he took Belle’s arm and led her away.

“Don’t be too
far away,” he called. “And don’t eat too much..., nobody wants to watch pigs
fuck!”

Vincent cursed
McIntyre. The boys walked about the room, eyeing the tables laden with food.
They chose fruits and nuts and began to stuff their pockets until they realized
that the tight fitting clothing allowed little room for this sort of thing.
They took plates of food and cider and sat by a window as they ate, looking
down to the street below. Santiago saw the very corner where he and his father
had stood on that first day, watching the women who hung from the windows as
they called to men customers below. He recalled his father’s words of warning
about such women and wondered what Don Emilio would say now, seeing him in the
establishment of such a woman. Did his father know?

“Tell me..,”
he said as he chewed his devilled egg. “What was that door we passed where you
said Belle had a
pig
house. I do not understand why they call it a pig
house?”

Vincent began
to laugh. “Not
pig-house
, it is a peg-house..., PEG-HOUSE! There are
others of this kind in San Francisco but they are kept very secret. McIntyre
has only mentioned it to me once, and he swore he would not speak of it again.
It is because of what goes on there that they can be subject to much harassment
if it is known.”

“What goes
on?” Santiago could not imagine what could be so secretive.

“McIntyre
tells me that in these places, boys..., sometimes they are children who are
trained to become proficient in pleasing men who have desires for this kind of
boy. They are called peg-boys. A boy is prepared to service men by having his
anus enlarged with wooden pegs. Each peg of a specific size is inserted for a
length of time until the asshole adapts to it. Then a new one of larger
dimension is introduced. This makes it possible for the peg-house to have boys
who can service any man! Cock-size is fitted to the boy who can take it.”

Santiago
looked at Vincent in disbelief. “You mean they put...,” Vincent interrupted him
when he pointed out a man who had just entered.

“Look
there..., the one wearing the dark suite with a red flower in his lapel. That
is Mr. Bolen.”

Santiago saw a
man of middle age, tall and lean, who wore a short, well-trimmed beard.
Although Bolen was speaking to someone, Santiago noticed the man’s eyes on
them. The diamond buttons of his shirt sparkled as he moved and laughed. Bolen
nodded slightly and raised his hand in greeting.

“He will not
come to us immediately. He does not want McIntyre to see him paying particular
attention to me. Watch how he moves..., the man is a cat!”

Vincent had
said the words almost wistfully. Santiago understood that there was more
emotion involved in the relationship than Vincent was willing to admit.

Bolen headed
for the bar. Santiago saw what Vincent meant. Bolen had a way of walking that
reminded him of the mountain cats he had seen prowling in the hills. Each foot
moved forward, barely lifted of the floor, and his body glided in an almost
fluid motion. Bolen’s arms were long and the hands, large. When at the bar, he
turned and faced the boys, holding his drink out as though toasting them. The
look on Vincent’s face proved Santiago’s suspicion of Vincent’s depth of feeling
for the man as he stared at him, completely enraptured. Santiago was surprised
at the tenderness reflected in Vincent’s eyes.

“You like him
very much, don’t you!”

“He is a good
man, but he is just a customer!” Vincent shrugged.

You do not lie
convincingly, Santiago thought.

“If he sees
you regularly and he is married, why does he come here?”

“Bolen has
known Belle for a long time. They are good friends. Sometimes I think he may
even use some of the boys downstairs, although he has always denied it. He told
me he helped her buy the property and set up this place. I think Bolen even had
an affair with her..., something he once said made me think that might have
happened.”

“If he is
married and has had an affair with Belle, how can he like boys?”

Santiago found
all of it too difficult to understand and he could not comprehend how someone
could have emotions channeled in so many directions.

“How the fuck
should I know! All I know is that he pays to fuck me, and that’s all I care
about!”

Vincent’s
anger took Santiago by surprise as he turned to look out the window, ignoring
Santiago as he stared at the street. Santiago said nothing, deciding it best to
leave the matter be. It was all too confusing and he knew he was treading on
dangerous ground. Santiago sat quietly, waiting for the storm on Vincent’s face
to subside.

Belle led McIntyre
into her office, pausing at the door to look back at the two boys. Then she
locked the door and asked McIntyre to sit. She sat on her divan, legs exposed
through the long slit in her dress. McIntyre looked at her.

“You’re using
the wrong bait if you’re trying to be fetching, Belle. I'm not one of your
genteel admires, half crazed to do your bidding just to have a chance to look
at those wonderful legs.”

“You’re no
gentleman at all, Sam.” Belle laughed as she rearranged herself. “You could at
least make a lady
think
she’s alluring! I suppose it would be different
if a twelve year old boy were sitting here with something other than his legs,
exposed?”

“You’ve always
been an expert at getting to the
meat
of the matter, Belle. But let’s
get serious..., little boys is what I came here to talk about.”

“And I want to
talk about that boy you brought..., Santiago, I want him!”

“What, you’ve
made your mind up so soon?”

“Yes. I want
him and I don’t want those two to go on, tonight.”

“You can’t
have Santiago. And why don’t you want them to give a show?”

“There’s
something special about that boy, and it isn’t often I see what I saw in him,
tonight. You want my two young ones, and I want him! He has great potential as
a wonderful money-maker. McIntyre, the way you treat your boys that one won’t
be any good at all in a year. You’ll have him used up! I want him. You owe me a
favor! Remember the Aliende affair?”

McIntyre felt
trapped. He did owe Belle a favor. She had interceded when the father of the
Aliende boy had asked the Alcalde to have McIntyre arrested. The Alcalde, the
acting governor, instead had the father sent back to Mexico. But this time
Belle was asking too much. He did not want to let Santiago go. His purpose had
been to give her Vincent, and he hoped through her observation of his
performance that she would have recognized his versatility and expertise. Now
Belle had flipped the tables on him.

“Belle, on
this I stand firm. You can’t have the boy yet. I need him for the business. As
you said, he’s a money-maker. I’ll give you the other one. He’s more the kind
of boy you’re looking for. He’s almost seventeen. In fact, I’ll throw in
Richard..., the one with the big, angled cock.”

“Sam, the only
thing Richard can do with that thing is avoid stepping on it! He has no
brains!”

“So who sucks
brain? With a cock like that..., who needs brains?”

McIntyre lit
his cigar.

“I’m telling
you, Belle, Richard brings them back begging for more! The lad is stupid, but
he’ll do anything. Surely those two are worth the price of two green-horns
still unbroken! By the way, tell me about the lads.”

“A prize
package for the right buyer,” Belle confided. “Twin brothers from Australia...,
cute little fuckers, too! I think they actually like doing it. I’ve watched
them. But you know how I feel about using boys that young! They were slated for
Louise Cerke’s house in New Orleans. You know how she treats her boys! I’ve
seen her boys, or what’s left of them. Hell you’re gentle, Sam, compared to
her. I just couldn’t bear the thought of Louise getting her hands on them. They
really are sweet children. Promise me you won’t do bad by them?