Welcome to Blissville

by Walker, Aimee Nicole

  I’d spent plenty of time in small towns while helping investigators solve crimes, so I knew it was just a matter of time before I was able to squeeze some information out of the chatty waitress. I learned that Josh Roman was the owner of the salon. He wasn’t married but was involved in a serious relationship with a hunky detective on the Blissville Police Department.

  I asked Daniella for ideas on how I could get in the good graces of my new neighbor. She rattled off a brand of wine I’d never heard of and had to drive like twenty minutes to find. I went to his house later that evening with wine in my hand and a smile on my face. I rang the doorbell at the back of the house because I could tell they used it as their private entrance. Great, I sounded like a creepy stalker. Josh whipped open the door like he had been expecting someone. It was obvious by the frown on his face that I wasn’t the person Josh wanted to see.

  “Oh, it’s you,” he said flatly. Wow, my visit to his house wasn’t going according to plan.

  “Hello to you, too. I wanted to introduce myself formally,” I said, pushing the bottle of wine toward Josh with a pleasant smile on my face.

  “I don’t drink,” Josh said seriously. Had I misheard Daniella or was he deliberately lying? I wouldn’t want to play poker with the guy because he wasn’t giving anything away with his facial expression or tone of voice.

  “Oh.” My cheeks turned pink from either awkwardness or embarrassment. “Your boyfriend, perhaps?”

  “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Oh?” I was starting to sound like a broken record and question the credibility of my source.

  “That’s much too tame of a word for what Gabe is to me,” Josh said. “He’s more of a beer man, anyway. Thank you for thinking of us, though. Mrs. Hastings across the way loves that kind of wine. She’s the beige house with burgundy shutters.” Josh pointed to her house just in case his message wasn’t clear.

  “Uh, okay,” I said slowly. I knew I should retreat, but for some unknown reason, I couldn’t. “My name is Emory Jackson,” I said, extending my hand toward him.

  He scrutinized my hand like I had a contagious disease before he cautiously shook it. “Josh Roman,” he finally replied. “My boyfriend is Gabriel Wyatt. He’s a detective with the Blissville PD and has a big gun. Real big.” Did he think I was going to give the man a reason to shoot me? Wow, I’d really botched my first impression with the new neighbor.

  “Sunshine, are you touting my attributes to the pizza delivery guy again?” Detective Wyatt asked as he came down the stairs. Josh opened the door wider, and Gabe locked eyes on me. “Oh, hey, you’re the new guy who moved in next door,” Gabe said cheerfully. “Gabriel Wyatt.” At least Gabe had no problem shaking my hand.

  “Emory Jackson,” Josh said in an annoyed voice as he introduced me.

  “Look, Sunshine, he brought your favorite wine,” Gabe said, unknowingly betraying his boyfriend.

  I looked at Josh in confusion. Why would he lie to me about his wine preferences? It wasn’t like I had a right to call him on it, and what good would it do if I did? “Sunshine, huh?”

  “Yep,” Gabe said, proud of the name he’d given his boyfriend.

  “I just bet he’s a ball of fire,” I commented. My eyes widened when I realized how suggestive my statement sounded. “I-I didn’t mean sexually.”

  “Why the hell not?” Josh demanded. “You don’t think I can burn shit down?” I could tell Josh was working himself into a good fit. “I burn hotter than you could possibly handle.”

  “Take it easy there, Stud Muffin,” Gabe said good-naturedly. “He wasn’t insulting your sexual prowess. I think our new neighbor just meant you’re a feisty guy.”

  Josh pinned me with a death glare and said, “I am feisty. All the time and everywhere.”

  “I think I made the wrong impression here,” I told them. I pushed the bottle of wine toward Gabe, who graciously accepted my offering. “I’m hoping not to make an ass of myself the next time we run into each other.”

  “You’re fine,” Gabe assured me. “We’re all good.”

  I looked at Josh for several awkward heartbeats. “No, but we will be in time,” I told them before I turned and walked down the steps of the back porch. “Nice shirt, by the way.” I don’t know how I was able to remain serious with that large blow dryer on the front of his T-shirt that read: Want a blow job?

  I laughed the entire way home, although I wasn’t sure why. I had moved to a town where I knew no one, the residents watched me with cautious eyes, and the one guy I felt I needed to befriend didn’t like me at all. I looked up to the sky and said, “I’m trying, River, but could you send me a sign?”

  The next morning, I set out for a run. It had once been a passion of mine, and I hoped to fall in love with it again. As I approached the coffee shop called The Brew, I saw that Josh was standing outside having a heated argument with a sleazy-looking little man.

  “Who do you think you are, you little fa…”

  “Is there a problem here?” I bitingly asked, cutting the man off before he could finish. “Josh, are you okay?”

  “We’re fine,” the sleazy jerk said, stepping back. “Thanks for clearing the air, Josh.”

  “Anytime you need me to straighten you out.”

  “Wow, that was intense,” I said once we were alone. “I’m sorry that I interrupted you, but I feared for that man’s safety if he let loose the word he was about to use.”

  “I wouldn’t have hit him no matter how badly I might’ve wanted to,” Josh told me.

  “I was thinking more along the lines of what your boyfriend would do to him,” I said, adding a rueful smile.

  “Yeah, there’s that,” Josh agreed.

  “Not that I don’t think you can handle yourself,” I amended quickly. “You were doing fine all on your own.”

  “I was, wasn’t I?” Josh asked. Before I could answer, he spoke again. “Listen, Buddy and I were on our way to your house.”

  “You were?”

  “Yes,” Josh answered, reaching into the bag and pulling out a bakery box. He held the box out to me and said, “A peace offering from me for being a jerk last night.”

  “I’m allergic.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Josh said, pulling the box back then realized by the smile on my face that I was playing him. “You don’t even know what’s inside.”

  “I know things,” I said jokingly, but the smile slid off my face when Josh stiffened. “Did you research my name, Josh?”

  “Asks the psychic,” he mumbled.

  “You did!” I blew out a frustrated breath. “Is that why you were bringing me a… treat? You either felt bad about what happened to me, or you’re afraid of what I might know. Which is it?” I didn’t know what I hated more: the pity I saw in everyone’s eyes when they learned about River or the fear when they discovered I was a psychic.

  Josh grimaced and said, “A little of both perhaps.”

  “That’s just great.” I threw my hands in the air and paced back and forth in front of him. “I don’t need your pity, Josh,” I said vehemently, never breaking stride.

  “What do you need, Emory? Why are you here?”

  I stopped pacing and turned to face him. Damn, I wish I could say something that would alleviate the fear we both felt. “I wish I knew, Josh. I wish I knew.” He had a confused look when I reached my hand toward him. “Can I have my treat now? I think I deserve it.”

  “Yeah, sure,” Josh said, pushing the box in my hand. “Regardless of the reasons, I am sorry for my behavior last night. Your presence unsettled me, and I lashed out like an immature brat.”

  His words meant a lot to me. I smiled and said, “Thank you. I accept your apology”—I held up the bakery box—“and your peace offering.”

  “Great,” Josh replied. “I guess we’ll see you around the neighborhood.”

  “I’ll see you next week at my hair appointment,” I told him.

  “That’s right,” Josh replied. An awkward sile
nce descended on us again, but it didn’t last for long. He cocked his head and raised a brow dramatically before he said, “I knew those weren’t natural highlights.”

  I laughed at his snarky attitude and headed into the coffee shop to get a hot beverage to go with my tasty treat. I realized that Josh Roman made me laugh twice in less than twelve hours. I thought my ability to laugh and smile had died with River, but Josh was able to snap me out of my misery. Maybe it was only temporary moments in time, but maybe those moments could build up to a peaceful existence for me. I still had no idea what the hell my purpose in Blissville was, but I decided to make the best of it. I’d start by eating the delicious cookies.

  I stared at my reflection in the mirror and hardly recognized the face that looked back at me. The tan skin, dark hair, and blue eyes were the same, but the stress lines at the corner of my eyes and frown lines around my mouth were recent additions. I found it ironic too since my entire adult life had been one stressful event after the other—wars, black ops missions, and learning that my mother had lied to me for my entire life. I lived and breathed stress for so long that I couldn’t imagine living without it, yet it never took its toll on my face until recently.

  “I’m going to head out now.” Alexander stepped up beside me fully dressed. I looked down at his face still flushed from the pleasure I’d given him. He was too young for me, but I couldn’t resist those pouty lips and the sensual promise I saw in his eyes. I discovered that Alexander’s ass was as tight as he advertised in jeans that were more like a second skin, and his mouth had tighter suction than a vacuum cleaner. He was a temporary balm to my riotous mind, but I knew it was a mistake when I saw a hopeful gleam in his eye. I knew I was going to regret breaking my No Fraternizing With Club Employees rule.

  “Listen, Alexander,” I began…

  “… I know,” he said, interrupting me. “It was just a one-time thing. You don’t do relationships, especially with club employees. I get it.” His brown eyes darkened, and I knew he recalled the things we did together for the last few hours. “Technically, you fucked me more than once, but I understood what I was getting myself into with you. Thank you for a very memorable night—um, morning.”

  He was correct. I’d fucked him three times, and we both enjoyed every single second. I wasn’t sure if his words were designed to seduce me again, but I felt my body reacting to the memory of bending him over my desk, him riding me reverse cowboy style on the leather couch, and sucking me off in the shower. Alexander was a vocal, eager, and flexible lover, but I could find that anywhere and not worry about a fucking lawsuit—pun intended. I walked a fine line with him and knew it. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but I sure as hell didn’t want to encourage him either. I had already given him my rules before I freed his cock from his underwear, and I would give him the benefit of the doubt until he gave me a reason to believe otherwise.

  Therefore, I didn’t beat a dead horse or reiterate the thought he had interrupted. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  Alexander’s megawatt smile dimmed slightly but never faltered. I hoped it was a good sign that we could continue working together without awkwardness or attempts on his part to repeat our time together. “See you then.”

  I turned back and looked at my reflection again after he left. My face might’ve shown some wear and tear, but I had never had a problem getting some action. I just never imagined that there was a face identical to mine in the world. I couldn’t look at myself any longer without remembering my mother’s deathbed confession that I had a twin brother. At the time, I thought it was the morphine talking or her retelling a line from one of the many soap operas she had watched over the years. I even thought that perhaps all the alcohol and drugs she consumed over her lifetime had finally caught up to her until she told me about her box of secrets in the closet.

  She raised her arm as best she could in her weakened condition and pointed to her closet. “Top shelf… on the right… behind the box of clothes that I’m donating.” She struggled to catch her breath every few words and my heart pinched painfully in my chest because I knew the end of her life was near. I had always wanted a close relationship with my mother, and I knew it would never happen. Cancer would see to that.

  Julia Black was not an ideal mother by any stretch of the imagination, but she was all I had in the world. We had our share of ups and downs over the years, but I loved her. I resented and hated her at times when I was growing up because of her alcohol and drug addictions. She would get clean and sober for a stretch, and things would start looking good for our lives, but she always stumbled back to her addictions. As a kid, I thought she loved cheap vodka and pills more than she loved me. After high school, I joined the military and got as far away from her as I could.

  In between the ear-shattering explosions of war were moments of absolute stillness as you tried to anticipate your enemy’s next step. No one moved, you were afraid to breathe, and the only sound you heard was your pulse pounding inside your ears. That’s how I felt when I walked into her closet that day. I knew what I was about to find would change my life forever, and for a brief time, it was the absolute best thing that happened to me.

  I can’t look at myself anymore without recalling the way my brother’s eyes widened when he opened the door and discovered me on his front porch. Nate Turner was as shocked to learn about me as I was when I’d found out about him. We didn’t hit it off right away. Nate was justifiably skeptical about the wild story I wove for him, but DNA tests didn’t lie. I finally had the bond I craved with another human being, and it was ripped away from me seven months later. All I saw when I looked at myself was sadness and loneliness that no amount of fucking a stranger could replace.

  “Damn, I get all maudlin when I get tired,” I said to my reflection with a sneering smile. Sleep beckoned me, so I started towel drying my head as I walked into my office where I’d left my clothes.

  “Mr. Silver,” a firm voice said.

  I jerked to a stop and lowered the towel from my head but made no attempt to cover my naked body. Hell, he’d seen it already, or one that was identical to it anyway. The sexy police detective aiming his gun at me was the one I blamed for my brother’s death.

  “Well, this is a surprise, Detective Wyatt.”

  “You know who I am?”

  “Of course, I know who you are. You’re the man who rejected my brother when he turned to you for help,” I said bitterly. “Do you mind putting your gun away?”

  “Do you mind putting yours away?” Detective Wyatt’s partner asked when he entered the room.

  I chuckled as I wrapped the towel around my waist and knotted it while both men lowered their weapons. “Does my nudity offend your sensibilities, Detective Dorchester?” I asked him.

  “How do you know my name?” Dorchester asked me. “Better yet, why don’t you explain to us how we don’t know about you? I find it odd that you’ve made no attempt to get involved and assist us with the investigation to find your brother’s killer. Does that sound odd to you, Gabe?” Dorchester asked his partner.

  “I’d move heaven and earth if it were my brother,” Detective Wyatt replied. There was a reverent tone in his voice that had me wondering if this case touched a personal note for reasons I didn’t yet know. That didn’t mean I was going to let him railroad me for something I didn’t do. I wasn’t your everyday schmuck who didn’t know better.

  “And you think that makes me look guilty?” I asked. “Put yourself in my shoes and see how you’d feel. My brother, identical twin to be exact, is killed after reaching out to the good detective here,” I gestured to Detective Wyatt, “two times and the Cincinnati Police Department once. Can you maybe see how I don’t have any faith in you to catch whoever harassed and killed Nate?”

  Detective Wyatt took a deep breath. “Put yourself in our shoes, Mr. Silver,” he said, mimicking the words I had used. “We had a man who claimed he was threatened but wouldn’t cooperate when we tried to help him through legal c
hannels. What exactly could we have done differently?”

  “More than what you did.” I started to shake with anger. “I know all about the new task force, which is too little too late in my opinion, and those who are on it. I’m staying vigilant even when those who should are not.”

  I sounded like some sitcom vigilante, but I did have the means and know-how to track down and punish the man responsible for Nate’s death. I was a heartbeat away from carrying out my threat. The only thing that stood in my way was my desire to be a better man, one that would make my brother proud.

  “Mr. Silver, you weren’t so vigilant when you left the back door unlocked,” Detective Wyatt said accusingly.

  “Ah, that’s how you got in,” I said. “I guess I need to have a longer chat with Alexander—well, perhaps an actual chat that includes words and not body language next time. Don’t be too mad at him, Detectives, because I promise he wasn’t capable of much thought when he left.”

  I whipped the towel off my waist and dropped it to the floor before reaching for my clothes on the desk chair. “If you want to talk to me, then you can do it in the presence of my attorney. It’s the same one Nate used, so your task force should be familiar with him.” I took my time pulling my underwear up my legs.

  “Rick Spizer?” Detective Dorchester asked calmly. He either wasn’t offended by a nude man or he liked them really well. I couldn’t get a read on him.

  “The one and only.”

  “That’s great news,” Detective Wyatt said. “We have an appointment with him at noon so why don’t you join him at the precinct? This is your moment to step up and prove that you want to help catch the man who killed your brother, as you claim.”

  I didn’t like his condescending attitude or the implication that I don’t want to find Nate’s killer. “You won’t bait me, Detective. I don’t owe you a fucking thing,” I replied hotly, “but I will be there at noon.”