by Alan Wild
Oliver was pissed off because he had to wash the nasty jizz off his sheets. He was embarrassed standing there with his boner in Ray's hand.
With as much force as he could muster, Oliver had pushed Ray hard and yelled, "Get the fuck off of me." Ray stood back up and said, "Relax, fruity queen. I'll find someone who will want to tackle that monster. Hell, I will have the homos lining up to take turns." Once that was dealt with, Oliver pulled his pants up and stormed in on his so-called best friend, "What the actual fuck Shelly, what is fucking wrong with your bed?" Shelly wasn't in the mood for his drama, and she told him so after she threatened to cut off his nuts if he told her boyfriend. Oliver lost two friends that day. After that incident, he barely spoke to Shelly for the rest of the year. They both moved on after graduation. Ray just fucked off like Oliver wanted him to, without another word.
Now, Ray was standing in front of him again with a cute little man-child who introduced himself as Detective Nathan Slone. Detective Slone had a sweet, kind face who looked like he was only 13 years old. Oliver thought, “One would say it was a kind face, the kind of face he'd like to sit on, but he just looked so young.” Oliver felt like a dirty old man, even though he was only 35 years old. Detective Slone had that soft roundness to him, but it was clear that he was not chubby at all. Compared to Ray's Rugged scruffy face and 6'1" muscular linebacker frame, Detective Slone looked like a little 5'8" twinkie snack.
Ray walked in, shook his hand, and said, "Ollie, nice to see you again. You sure have filled out. So, what brings you into this fucking mess? Did you kill me?" It was no surprise that he pissed off Oliver within the first five seconds of the reunion. Oliver said, "Read your fucking reports like a good little bitch, and you wouldn't have to ask stupid questions." Ray walked over to him, smiled, and opened his arms. "God Ollie, I've missed you. Now, hug me." Oliver hugged Ray back even though he was still pissed. Ray patted Oliver's back, pulled away, and said, "Look, Ollie, your friend is in deep shit. This is serious. Who goes away and comes home to find dead bodies everywhere in their home without having something to do with it?"
Ray said that he did read all the reports, and he would like a copy of all of Oliver's video footage. Oliver told Ray that he happened to be a private investigator and had the best surveillance and security system installed. "Everything is hard-wired, and the cameras have backup batteries. The footage is uploaded to cloud storage as well as stored on a hard drive. I bought the biggest storage package possible, and it will store all my feeds for up to a year," he said. Detective Slone asked if any of the cameras pointed in the direction of Mr. Blain's house. Oliver started to blush and admitted that the first time he saw Noah across the street, he had an instant crush. He pointed the camera's in the direction of Noah's house so that he could watch when he came out of his house, and Oliver could conveniently go outside at the same time and run into him. Oliver said, "It only worked a few times, and then I forgot about the cameras because he stopped leaving his house." Ray smiled, shook his head, and said, "For once, being a horn ball finally paid off and saved your ass." Oliver responded by giving him the finger along with his most dazzling smile. Ray said, "I am going to leave you in the hands of the fine Detective Slone, and he will collect your statement along with the information needed to access your video feeds."
As Ray walked out, he looked back and asked, "Do you want to go grab a beer and catch up sometime?" Oliver was not one to hold a grudge for too long, so he agreed. Ray handed Oliver his card and left to speak with Noah. Detective Slone said, "So, you and Ray go back a spell?" Oliver told him that they went to the same high school and college together. "We both went for degrees in criminal justice and had the same friends," Oliver said. Detective Slone had a massive grin on his face and asked if Oliver had any dirt on Sergeant' Hard-ass'. As tempting as it was to give away all of the shit that Ray pulled through the years, he figured that it was just best not to ruin the man's reputation or career, so he declined.
As Oliver looked at his child-like face, filled with disappointment, he said, "Detective Slone, what do you need from me?" He said, "Oh, just call me Nate. Any friend of Ray's is a friend of mine." Oliver grinned and gave an inside chuckle because it felt like a kid brother trying to suck up to the big brother's friend. Once he had provided the information needed to access the security and surveillance system, Oliver asked Nate if he could let him know when he finished downloading all the footage he needed so Oliver could change the password. He reminded Nate that he now had access to all feeds in his home, and Oliver had a bad habit of dancing naked to Dolly Parton. He would hate for the feeds to be uploaded to Twitter or go viral on YouTube. Nate had a look of wicked excitement and joy. He assured Oliver that he would let him know after he reviewed all footage.
As Nate walked Oliver out to the waiting area, Ray came out of the room down the hall and called Oliver over. Jake said, "Ollie, your boy is freaking out." Oliver got into the room after knocking Jake out of the way and tried to get Noah focused on breathing. He just repeated all the tried and true methods that he used to calm Noah down the last two times, and they worked. Oliver thought, “Jake took the opening while Noah was in his weakest state to be a dick.” He reminded Oliver that he needed to continue with his questions. Oliver gave Jake the best "don't fuck with me" look he could conjure up, and he told Noah that he would stay while he finished his interview.
Oliver remained silent while Noah relived the death of his grandmother, betrayal of his family, and he was happy to find out that he had a little bit of a bitchy side to him. Oliver liked it a lot. He discovered that even though they may not be exactly alike, they had so much in common. He was excited to bolt out of this place so he could share the discovery of their similarities with Noah. Plus, he wanted to start their date already. Being the hopeless romantic as he was, Oliver had already sent a text message to the best florist in town. Flo's Floral had bailed him out of several binds, and he had a newfound appreciation for flowers. Flo happened to be the owner/florist and when Oliver moved back to Denver. He was staying at an old friend's house even though he should have just found a hotel. He spent several nights crying his eyes out over the failed relationship and his failed life. He felt stupid for keeping his friend up all damn night, so he decided to pull his big boy panties up, got a hotel room. Before leaving her house, he left her an envelope with $10000.00 in cash and a note reading. Thank you for last night, you were great."
Her boyfriend came over to surprise her, and he found the envelope with the money and Oliver's note. Let's just say he flew off the handle and called her a whore. He asked her how many times she had to work for that money because she wasn't that good in bed. Flo with Flo's Floral saved his ass. Oliver had sent her the biggest bouquet $500 could buy. He explained the situation, and Flo said, "Yeah, you better let me figure out the message on the card." Oliver's friend called him, and while all was forgiven, she made him come back and stay with her because it was his time to support her. She was grateful that her boyfriend was exposed for the piece of shit that he was.
While they wrapped this tedious interview up, Oliver ordered the bouquet and scheduled the delivery to his house. This time he chose the message on the card. The card would read, "I'm glad you asked me out on this date. Forever yours…Mr. Hunky."
On their way back to his house, Oliver explained how he knew Ray, and even though he did not know how well he performed his job, he did note that he must be good to be a Sergeant.
They made it home earlier than they had expected. Once the pair were in the house, Oliver tried to shake off the frustration with the traffic and the interviews. The man's body was on autopilot, and his mind was preoccupied with all the information he gathered from Nate about the body parts across the street. His shirt was too tight, and his pants were on his last nerve. He started to pull his clothes off, and they landed on the floor as he made his way to the refrigerator. Feeling the refreshing cold air hit his face and wash over his chest allowed his mind to calm down a little. He grabbe
d a bottle of water and started to chug. Oliver turned around to find Noah standing there with a look Oliver couldn't identify. Just looking at his face makes him smile. Oliver soon realized that he was only in his underwear and socks. Forgetting that he no longer lived alone, a laugh started to come out of his throat. He choked on the water and ended up spitting H2O all over Noah. He knew Noah had some quarks, and he was afraid he might be a germaphobe. So, feeling horrified, Oliver began to apologize profusely. He grabbed the kitchen towel and started to wipe him off. Oliver's crazy antics must have amused Noah because he began to laugh. Oliver couldn't help but join in because his laugh was euphoric. It was merely honest and divine. To his surprise, when the laughter died, Noah hugged Oliver tight.
They stayed there in the kitchen, hugging for a while. He didn't want to break the hug because Noah felt amazing against his bare skin. Oliver knew that if he let this hug continue, he was going to pop a boner. So, he pulled back and asked Noah if he was alright. Noah looked into his eyes and said, "I appreciate you and everything you have done for me. I've never had a friend like you, and I don't know how to explain how I feel, but for the first time in my life, I feel lucky. Thank you for that, Oliver."
It was too early in the day to start dinner, but Oliver wanted to check if he needed any additional ingredients. He asked Noah if he had any dietary restrictions and what his favorite foods were. Noah said he had no food issues at all, and he liked pretty much everything. His favorite food was seafood of any kind. He told Oliver how his mom used to celebrate Christmas Eve by making seafood stew with peel-and-eat shrimp as a starter. The look on his face told Oliver everything that he needed to know. Oliver knew that he had to go back to the grocery store and buy seafood. He loved to cook, and the thought of cooking for Noah had him excited to start cooking.
He made a shopping list of ingredients for dinner. Oliver gathered his clothes and headed for his room to put on shorts and a T-shirt. He yelled down to Noah, where he had resumed working on his laptop that he planned to go to the grocery store. After getting dressed, he grabbed his iPad and pulled up the commercial building listing again. He thought about asking Noah if he wanted to take a ride with him to look at the property. Oliver didn't want to take him away from work just because he was used to being a slacker.
"UGH…what to do?" He decided just to ask him to go with him.
Oliver padded down the stairs and made his way to the living room to find Noah. He opened his mouth to ask Noah to go with him, the doorbell rang. He was bringing up the surveillance app on his phone. He looked at the live feed, but the guy had his back towards the camera. Speaking on the phone to tell someone at the door that he was on my way just seemed too lazy. So, he made his way to the door. Once the door was open, Oliver could feel his mouth fall. Standing on his front porch was none other than Michael from Fox 31. As usual, his filter failed him, and the first thought in his head came out of his mouth. "Holy Mary, mother of god, you look even better in person!" Michael smiled and looked a little uncomfortable. He introduced himself as Michael from Fox 31 news and said that he had noticed Oliver had a security system with video and wanted to know if he would be willing to share it with the viewers. He also asked if he could interview Oliver about the activity happening across the street and if Oliver knew his neighbor, Noah Blain. As much as Oliver wanted to talk to this cute reporter, he decided to be professional and decline. The reporter said, "Do you have video footage of the night the murders took place?" Oliver let him know that DPD is reviewing his video, and it is part of the investigation. Oliver explained that he would love to talk to him about it, but he was not at liberty to discuss the details that he had passed on to the police. Oliver shocked that someone so cute and sweet could become so persistent. Oliver rubbed his hand over his face and said, "If you give me your card, you will be the first reporter I call because you're so damn cute.". As he closed the door, Michael was still talking. Oliver felt bad. He hated being rude.
He noticed Noah standing in the doorway between the living room and the foyer. Noah told him that he appreciates what he did. He had a look on his face that pulled at Oliver's heartstrings. Oliver asked him what was going on in his head. Noah looked like he was going to cry at the drop of a pin. Oliver walked over and placed his hand on Noah's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, talk to me, what's going on?" Noah told him that Sergeant Matthews thought that he was a drug dealer and that it was a drug deal gone wrong. He said, "Everyone will pass judgment on me even though they don't even know me. I'm worried because after this investigation is over, I might have to move out of Colorado. After all, my name and reputation will be reduced to dust."
Oliver pulled Noah into a side hug and reassured him, "I am here for you. I understand what it is like when you have to leave town. I promise we will figure this out." Oliver decided that he would do whatever he could to convince him to stay. Feeling the need to lighten the mood, Oliver asked Noah if he felt like getting out of the house for a bit.
Oliver's excitement, while they looked at the commercial property, was through the roof. He wasn't even sure if it was the excitement from looking at the building, visualizing the changes and styles of decor, or because he was sharing the experience with Noah. He decided that this would be the perfect location. He would talk to Jake about scheduling a private viewing. He needed to put in an offer pretty quickly because the Denver market was crazy, and properties sold out fast.
Once they were back in the SUV, he told Noah that their next stop was the grocery store. Oliver wanted the dinner to be a surprise, so he had to be careful. They entered the store, and Noah said he needed to get deodorant and shampoo. He said he wanted to replace the shampoo and soap he used at Oliver's house. Oliver said, "UMMM NO! when I bought the house, I was overly excited to have friends stay over, so I purchased everything by the case. I have cases of body wash in every scent you could imagine, and the same goes with lotion, bar soap, conditioner, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. There is a stockpile in my basement storage area."
Noah laughed at Oliver as he went to grab his deodorant. Meanwhile, Oliver ran to the seafood department and grabbed everything that he needed for 6 or 7 meals and then some. He filled the cart up with salmon, catfish, shrimp, tilapia, mussels, scallops, and crab legs. He ran to the bakery and picked up a few cakes, pies, brownies, and lemon bars so Noah would have a selection to choose from. Oliver made a mental note to figure out Noah's favorite dessert. Running through the store, he began looking for Noah. He saw that Noah had already checked out and was waiting for him. After everything was bagged and paid for, they loaded up the SUV.
Just as they were getting ready to jump in and drive off, a man in black jeans, black hoodie, and a black ball cap walked up and said, "Hey, Noah, think fast." Then the man tossed a box at Noah and ran off. With surprising agility, Noah made a diving motion and caught the box. Oliver asked, "Who was that? A friend?". Noah said, "I only have one friend, and you're it. I have no idea who that was." Oliver became concerned, and he asked Noah to hand him the box. He shook the box to get a feel for what was in it. He wasn't sure what it was, but one thing was for certain- Oliver was not going to take a chance. He placed the box on the ground, pulled out his smartphone, and dialed Sergeant Matthews. Oliver left a message: "Hey Ray, this is Oliver. Something weird just happened, and I don't like to take chances. We were at the grocery store, and a man tossed Noah a box and said, 'think fast.' I am calling you because I refuse to let him open it. With everything going on in his house, it could be a bomb or some kind of poison. Who knows what is in it? Call me." Oliver only had to wait for a few minutes before Ray called him back and told him that they were on the way. Ray said, "For god sake, Ollie, don't fucking move the box. Got it?" The line went dead, and Oliver knew that Ray hung up on him.
Chapter 6
Noah Blain
With his head spinning, thinking about the mess his life has become, Noah was trying to process everything that happened this afternoon. Smiling, he thought, "Oliver's excitement
over the commercial property is contagious. I can't remember the last time I was this happy. The man is driving me crazy. Oliver is everything in a man that I have ever dreamed of. He is a walking wet dream." Noah has always been attracted to tall men, but Oliver was 6'4" of pure joy. He made Noah want to do things that he would never do on his own. He wouldn't ever ask anyone out on a date, but this was Oliver. You know the saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink? Oliver led him to the water, and Noah guzzled it down with ease. With their text message exchange and the way, he smiled, Noah hoped that he was gay and reciprocated his feelings. Without ever really having dated, Noah was clueless around attractive men. He didn't know how to flirt or if they were flirting with him.
His sister once told him that he was hopelessly oblivious. Before he moved his mom to the assisted living facility, she had a home health nurse that made two extra visits while he was staying with her. NelDean was at my mom's when the nurse unexpectedly stopped by. Noah thought that he was interested in his mother's wellbeing, but his sister took the opportunity to rub his face in the fact that he was flirting with him. She kept pressurizing Noah to ask him out. When he refused to even think about it, she decided to get nasty with him. "Fine! Go back to Denver and live as a hermit in the shadows of our bitchy grandmother."
Noah could usually hold his own with NelDean. It is the other sister that he was afraid of. Nora had gotten along with him until he refused to move to Florida and be his mother's caretaker. Nora always seemed like a loose cannon. Nora and NelDean fought like crazy, and even though NelDean could take down a full-grown man in five seconds flat, she also understood that Nora held grudges, and if she didn't win the fight, she would win the battle. So, NelDean always gave in and let Nora win. Once Noah moved his mom to her new home, he got the hell out of there. NelDean ended up taking him to the airport. They stopped at a restaurant before his flight, and the waitress was very friendly. NelDean spoke up in front of the waitress and said, "She is not simply being nice, Noah! She is flirting with you!" She looked at the waitress and said, "My brother is oblivious and very gay." Then, she asked for another coke. Noah secretly hoped that the waitress spit in it.
