Blue Light by Night

by Gerald Lopez

He wasn’t as tuckered out as me, but there was a look of concern on his face as he started opening his backpack. I put my hand firmly on his shoulder.

  “Is something wrong?” Alex said.

  “That’s what I was about to ask you. I don’t think what happened to you was a joke, Alex. You need to understand something. I told you this last night, but I’m not sure you really understood it because of all the craziness that had occurred. DeLonn wouldn’t have hurt a hair on your head without going through me first. And I would’ve fought him to my last dying breath to save you.”

  Alex didn’t say a word instead he looked up at me with those sad, imploring eyes, and it was too much for me. I kissed him with everything that was in me. Initially he tried to push me away but I knew he was just nervous so I held him tighter and closer until he was kissing me back passionately. Finally we forced ourselves to stop.

  “Hey, who’s the boss here?” Alex said.

  “You are,” I said.

  Alex went to his backpack, pulled out his camera, and then two bottled waters. He handed me one.

  “Time to get to work, c’mon,” Alex said, leading me by the hand to the shack.

  It was empty inside, just a ramshackle shack.

  “Am I really gonna be much of a help to you, Alex? I don’t look like a model as far as I know.”

  “I’m no fashion photographer, I like taking pictures of real people. Besides, I think you’re an incredibly handsome man. Your face is strong and chiseled and I’m sure your body matches.”

  “Oh stop, you’re gonna make me blush,” I laughed and did a silly pose. The li’l bastard actually snapped my picture.

  “Just relax and try to follow my instructions while I concentrate on taking your picture.”

  “Sure,” I said.

  “I need you to stand in the doorway stretching your arms and legs out against the door frame.”

  Alex backed away until he found just the right spot and began snapping my picture.

  “My clothes are kind of sweaty, so am I for that matter,” I said.

  “Can you crouch down now, please, with your hands flat down on the floor? Good, that’s perfect, Layton. Don’t worry about your clothes being soaked, you won’t be needing them for the next pictures. Now strip down as far as you’re comfortable.”

  “We’re not doing a porn shoot are we cause I might need a fluffer and you’re the only one around?”

  Alex laughed then spoke. “As tempting as that sounds, this isn’t a porn shoot. My work sells in art galleries, but I have to admit that I specialize in nudes. Does that bother you?”

  “You kept that part a secret until I signed on didn’t you.”

  “I thought military men, ex or otherwise, were like athletes. Not shy about their bodies.”

  I removed my flip-flops then stripped off my shorts, underwear, and tank-top. I was about ready to wipe the sweat off my chest with the tank but Alex stopped me.

  “Don’t wipe the sweat off yet, I like it. Do that first pose again… great, and crouch like last time and now that first pose again but with your back to me… oh yeah, that’s it. You’re a natural, so comfortable. Sit cross-legged inside. Perfect. Can you by any chance stand on your head against the back wall?”

  “Anything for you,” I said, before doing what he’d asked.

  He took a few more pics then stopped.

  “Take five, Layton,”

  “That last pose was kind of fun although my goods were in a strange position,” I said.

  “They looked beyond nice to me,” Alex said before picking up my shirt, walking to me and wiping the sweat off my chest and arms. “I want to take some pics on the dock.”

  “Aren’t we too public out there. I don’t want you getting in trouble, Alex.”

  “This part of the park is private remember. My grandfather used this shack to hold his fishing gear back when he fished from the dock. This all used to belong to my family until they donated it to the town.”

  “It’s kind of far from the other two properties.”

  “It was used to house some of the estate’s extra workers. To go back to your original question, only park workers come into this area and artists who’ve gotten permission beforehand. The workers are off and there are no scheduled artists for today.”

  “Except for you, artist man.”

  “Can you do a cartwheel by any chance, Layton?”

  I obliged him once again by exiting the shack and doing a cartwheel.

  “Again,” Alex said. “That’s awesome! Take a break and just lay down with your arms and legs spread out on the dock.

  I did so and then pretended to snore. Alex laughed. He was having fun and it made me glad.

  “Now get on your side and hug your knees like you were in the womb. Hold that pose for a minute or two.”

  I saw him go back to his pack and return with a collapsible tripod which he propped his camera on before he walked to me and lay by my side.

  “I’ve got the timer on. Wrap your arms around me and hold me tight.”

  I was more than happy to do what he asked. He took another picture of us like that before giving me a hand up. We walked back to where our food was and I started to put on my shorts but was stopped again.

  “We’re alone remember,” Alex said.

  We sat down close to one another with our legs hanging over the edge of the dock. The dock was too high for us to be able to put our feet in the water. The thought wasn’t appealing to me anyway, the water was dark and who knew what was beneath it.

  “Are you ready for lunch yet?”

  “No,” I said. “Besides, I don’t want the calories before the next photo shoot.”

  “Didn’t you get a box of sweets for us?”

  “Yes,” I said, “but don’t you still want to take pictures?”

  “I do but I’ll let you in on a secret models use. Right before they get their picture taken they do a bunch of crunches and it tightens up their stomachs.”

  “In that case hand over the goody box.”

  He handed me the box of goodies. Hans had outdone himself. There were two apple turnovers on top with cookies underneath. I took out a turnover, turned to Alex and gave him a bite of it. He had apple on the side of his mouth and I took it off by kissing him. He took the goody box back and put it behind us then looked at me with a confused look in his eyes. I put my arm around him and he lay his head on my shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, Layton, so sorry. You can put your clothes on if you want. I shouldn’t be so unprofessional.”

  “Shh, shh, what’re you talking about, babe? You may be a real photographer, but I’m not really a model. Hell, I’m not even being much of a detective right now. I really just wanted to spend time with you.”

  Alex looked at me with a mixture of surprise and happiness.

  “And by the way,” I said, “I’m fine being nude out here with you. However, I am wondering what you have in store for me.”

  “Just wait and see,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye.

  Chapter 13

  Orleans Bound

  The ringing of my cell phone made me jump and I reached for my shorts to get it. The voice on the other end was that of Miss Lucy.

  “Boy, I heard you’re coming to New Orleans. Why don’t you put a move on it and make your way here ASAP. Drop Mr. Kennedy off at his New Orleans apartment and then come to the address I’m about to give you.”

  “Hang on a sec, I need to get something to write with.”

  I looked at Alex and he retrieved a pen and pad from his backpack then handed them to me.

  “Ok, go ahead, Miss Lucy,” I said.

  She gave me an address which I wrote down.

  “It’s gonna take us a while to get ready,” I said, still on the phone. “How much trouble are you in?” I held the phone between my chin and shoulder and started getting dressed.

  “Me, none,” she said. “But your friends Jimmy and Francisco were followed down. I thought we helped Francisco lo
se their tail but I think they’ve shown up here with friends.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as possible. Keep them out in public where there’s a crowd and hopefully nobody will start anything in front of witnesses.”

  “That’s what I’m doing and will keep on doing, just get over here.”

  She hung up and I saw Alex had gathered everything and was ready to leave.

  “We need to haul ass out of here, babe,” I said. “Looks like we’ll be going to New Orleans earlier than you’d planned on. My friends Jimmy and Frankie need help. Sorry, and I promise to make this modeling session up to you.”

  We quickly rode back to my motel and were in my room where I grabbed a duffle bag and threw it on the bed.

  “What’ll I need there, Alex?”

  “Shorts and T-shirts during the day, jeans for night and now probably. Are we gonna be able to stay like planned?”

  “Probably. I won’t know for sure until we’re there and I can assess the situation.”

  “Then you’ll need your suit, a nice shirt, and dress shoes. While you pack, I’ll get the bikes and bring them in here. It’ll save time. I can pack quickly once you get me home.”

  * * * *

  In no time we were on the road to New Orleans. I had changed into jeans and a black T-shirt but Alex had stayed in the same clothes to save time.

  “What do you think you’ll find when we get to New Orleans?” Alex said as he opened our boxed bakery lunch.

  “Probably a bunch of thugs sent to rough up Jimmy and Frankie. Hopefully no blue lights.”

  “Thugs sent by someone from Shelby, right?”

  “Looks that way,” I said.

  He handed me half of a roast beef sandwich on sourdough bread and I took a big bite of it.

  “I heard about you and Jimmy, Layton.”

  I swallowed before replying. “Jimmy’s a good man with a great ass. We had our fun and it was nice. He helped get me back on my feet or in the saddle I should say. It’d been a while since I was with anyone. Now I feel ready for something more.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.” I watched him munching on his sandwich. “Jimmy was just a one time thing. He’s with an Italian hunk right now and—”

  “And you’re with me.”

  I finished my sandwich half and reached inside the box in Alex’s lap for the other half. “I was gonna say that Jimmy and I are over romantically, but I like what you just said more.”

  I put my sandwich half on my knee and held Alex’s hand.

  “I’m still you’re boss,” he said. “The day isn’t over yet.”

  “No, it’s not. But, Alex, I need to take you someplace safe while I deal with things.”

  “Do you think you’ll need my help first, Layton?”

  “No. I need you someplace safe so I’m not distracted worrying about you.” I picked up my sandwich half and started eating again.

  “I understand. My family has an apartment I use when I’m in New Orleans. I’ll be safe there. Tomorrow we can go to the gallery.”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing your work.”

  “I’ll treat you to dinner somewhere special tomorrow night,” Alex said. “Hopefully things will be settled by then.”

  “Sounds good,” I finished my sandwich, kissed his hand, and smiled at him. Things felt good despite the fact that I was on my way to stop a possible problem.

  “You seem a thousand miles away, Layton. Are you planning what you’ll do when you get to where Jimmy and Frankie are staying?”

  “No. There’s no real way to plan for the unknown. My training will kick in when needed. I was thinking about us and how I want no secrets between us.”

  Alex squirmed in his seat.

  “Do you trust me, Layton?”

  “Yes. But I do have a question about your sisters and how they acted when I first met them. Are they usually so… flirtatious for lack of a better word. Or was it all an act for my sake. Throw Monique into that mix as well.”

  “Have you ever been to the south before, Layton?”

  “No, but what does that have to do with anything?”

  “It’s just the way people are in the south. Women and even some men are flirty and friendly, nobody thinks much about it. It’s the way people are brought up here. Hospitality is king and most people will greet you with a smile and a wave. It’s not really an act.”

  “Hmm, but how does a newbie to the area respond to all that. Flirt back or what?”

  “You did fine with my sisters and Monique. Some harmless flirting or compliments to them won’t hurt. Wait a minute. You don’t think that they were trying to seduce you or… or that I’m trying to—oh God, it does kind of look like I’ve been trying to seduce you, doesn’t it?”

  I kissed his hand again. “This feels too natural. Of course you did have me naked on a dock. But you were very professional.” I laughed and rubbed the back of his neck with my hand. “I tell you what, Alex, let’s do something crazy and be totally honest with one another about everything. We have a while on the road, let’s use it to get to know each other better.”

  “You mean like play a game of twenty questions?”

  “Exactly,” I said. “I’ve always had the best conversations while going somewhere in the car.”

  “I already asked about Jimmy, except for one thing.”

  “We played safe,” I said. “I used a condom.”

  “I see you’re a mind reader as well as a detective. There is something else. I’ve been remembering bits and pieces of what happened with DeLonn and I was remembering you and him specifically.”

  “What specifically?”

  “You and he messing around with one another. I know you did it to prove to him that you were on his side, but I remember it and you were erect. How could you be erect knowing what he was going to do to me?”

  “Our bodies can respond to things no matter what and I just let my body react. I’m attracted to you so it wasn’t that difficult when you were in the room. As humans our bodies tend to react to touch. It doesn’t mean I enjoyed it, because I didn’t.”

  I looked his way for a second. Something was still bothering him.

  “Sorry. I believe you, Layton, I think I was just… just—”

  “You say that you’re sorry too much when you don’t need to, Alex. We’re being honest so spit out what’s on your mind.”

  “I suppose I’m accusing you of something I was guilty of last night. I remember telling the two of you to kiss and wanting to join in. I remember being turned on by it all even though my life was in danger.”

  His head hung low and I rubbed the back of his neck once more.

  “You’re kind of a tortured soul, aren’t you, Alex? You know that the oil DeLonn used altered your state of mind a great deal. You weren’t conscious of the threat on your life. All you knew was that there were two naked men next to you, at least one of whom you might be attracted to. Don’t worry about it all, there’s nothing for you to feel guilty about.”

  “But I wanted both of you.”

  “I tell you what, on our fifth anniversary if you’re still interested, we’ll hire a masseur and live out the threesome fantasy. That is if I think you can handle it without being jealous, and I’m not sure you can.”

  “Could you handle seeing me with someone else?”

  “No. Especially when we haven’t been together yet. But it seems like we’re already starting to set rules as if we were together.”

  “Um… what did happen between you and your ex, Layton?”

  I took a sip of my Coke before I explained my story to him.

  “If your ex is a farmer, he must be buff and good looking,” Alex said before taking a drink of his soda.

  “He has a nice hard body with more muscle than me. It’s easier to work the farm when you’re in shape. My nephew has an equally nice body. They make a handsome couple. Oh and I did get checked at the clinic since I didn’t know who else my ex might’ve been screwing. I got
a clean bill of health for future reference.”

  “I swear I’m clean and disease free too, for future reference. Getting back on topic, you must’ve been really shocked to find your ex and nephew in your bed.”

  “I guess it left me wondering what I did wrong.”

  “What makes you think it was your fault?”

  “When a couple breaks up it’s usually both partner’s faults which means I must’ve done something wrong. I only wish I knew what it was. It’s the not knowing that drives me nuts.”

  “Did you love him?”

  “We were together for ten years. He worked my family’s farm. That’s a big thing that he and my nephew have in common; they love the farm. I thought my ex and I had enough of a friendship where at least we could talk.”

  “You didn’t really answer my question, you know.”

  “I know. He and I were friends, good friends and we had good sex. Did I love him? At the time I convinced myself that I did, but my heart never skipped a beat. I didn’t feel giddy inside or overwhelmed like—”

  “Like what?”

  “Like when I first saw you, Alex. This, what I feel for you is very new to me. It scares me because it’s happening so quickly. And to be honest I’m not sure I’m over what happened with my ex. It surprised me and hurt me to have people I trusted that much betray me.”

  “I’m sure it did hurt and I’m sorry it happened but if it hadn’t happened then maybe we wouldn’t have met. And I’m glad we met, my hero boy,” Alex said.

  I smiled. “I don’t want to be your hero, I just want to be yours completely and for you to be mine. Can I share something with you? It’s kind of hard to say.”

  “Go ahead, Layton. You can tell me anything.”

  “When I saw my ex and my nephew together in that bed there was something else that bothered me. It wasn’t just that they were naked and had finished having sex. The way they looked at each other… the looks in their eyes. They were—shit I don’t know what the looks they gave each other were. It just popped into my mind because of the way—”

  “The way we look at each other.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “It wasn’t just a fling for them, was it?”

  “Doesn’t sound like it. Layton, what if your nephew and your ex are the loves of each other’s lives? How would you feel about that?”