Finding Armando (Found At Last Book 2)

by Joe Cosentino

  Jamison stepped over me and sat in the hot tub. “My medical clearance doesn’t cover Pennsylvania, so I can’t find out anything about Armando’s medical records in the Navy. Besides, Armando may have moved to another state or country. He may not even be alive! And if we can find him, he may not want to see Asher.”

  Moving to the edge of the tub, I said, “I brought my laptop. I’ll do a little investigation. If I don’t find anything, I’d like to ask around about Armando—as we did with Giorgio.”

  “Theo, we have our jobs, the resort, our home, the adoption application. Do we really want to spend our time searching for Asher’s ex?”

  “It may not be an extensive search. The name Armando Caro sounds familiar to me.”

  “From where?”

  I slapped my palm against my forehead. “I wish I could remember.”

  “Assuming we somehow locate Armando and bring him here, there’s a strong chance he and Asher may discuss their past and come to blows. No pun intended.” Jamison ran a hand through his hair. Dribbles of water cascaded down to his square jaw. “And don’t forget my brother is coming for a visit.”

  “Good. We’ll have another Navy man to help us entertain Asher and Armando.”

  Jamison chuckled. “When Kendall’s on leave, my little brother leads the good life, including entertaining hot young guys.”

  “Kendall will behave, or we’ll ship him back to San Francisco. And hopefully it won’t take us long to find Armando. Then we’ll let nature take its course between Asher and Armando.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Come closer and I’ll explain it to you.” I joined Jamison in the tub. After we thrashed around giggling in the water, I asked him, “Do you mind if we try to find Armando for Asher?”

  “Yes, I mind. But I know you won’t let up. So I’ll eventually give in.”

  “You giving in?” I glanced down at his erection. “I like the sound of that.”

  Jamison snickered. “Are we going to have makeup sex now?”

  “Assuming you’ve become a chubby chaser.”

  Kissing my stomach, he said, “I’ll chase you—as long as I catch you.”

  As the bubbles caressed our bodies, Jamison placed his strong arms around me, and I reveled in his woodsy scent. I glanced out of the window over the tub and watched as shafts of crimson, magenta, and bittersweet in the sky morphed into sunglow before fading to darkness. Jamison and I shared a long, wet kiss. Then I kissed every inch of his face, blew into his ear, and nibbled on his earlobe. In response, he flung his head back, giving me license to kiss and lick his thick neck. I continued downward, spending time on each of his full pectoral muscles and all six ridges of his abs. Next, I placed my hands under the water to sit Jamison on the ledge. After my tongue tickled his navel, my lips tugged on his black pubic hair. I heard him cry out in bliss. Then I devoured one of his balls and then the other. Saving the prize for last, I ran the tip of my tongue down his long, thick shaft. When I arrived at his enormous mushroom head, I kissed it again and again, building up to licks and finally sucking him like a lollipop.

  Jamison rested his hands on the sides of my face and gently pulled me up toward him. Gazing at me with love and adoration filling his true-blue eyes, he said, “You mean everything to me.”

  “You’re my life and my afterlife.”

  Jamison switched positions with me. Coming to his knees, he massaged my thigh and calf muscles. Next, his index finger gently entered me, massaging my prostate. As his mouth devoured both of my balls at once, I shouted my delight. He finally took my throbbing erection inside his mouth, licking and slurping at the same time. As I ran my fingers through his thick locks, I moaned my pleasure.

  When I was just about ready to explode, Jamison rose, lifted me into his arms, and toweled us both off. Then he carried me into the bedroom, leaving tiny pools of water behind us. After resting me on the king-size oak four-poster, Jamison lay beside me, kissing me again and again as his fingers tugged at my chest hair. “I love you more each day, each hour, every minute.”

  “My heart is yours, always.”

  He turned me onto my side. After reaching into the night table and applying some lube, he pressed inside me gently but with determination, taking charge of what was his. I felt light-headed as I reached back and caressed his thigh muscles. As he whispered of his love, he kissed my neck again and again, ultimately sucking on it. With his thrusts continuing, Jamison grasped my dick and caressed it. Our eyes met as we both screamed our orgasms again and again.

  After cleaning up in the bathroom, we hurried back to bed and rested in each other’s arms. With the starlight filling the room, I rested my head on Jamison’s welcoming chest. He wrapped his legs around mine. I asked him, “What would I have done if I hadn’t met you?”

  “Thanks to Nolan, we’ll never have to find out.”

  We shared a good night kiss. As Jamison’s breathing became slower and heavier, I closed my eyes. After drifting off to sleep, I saw a vision of Nolan walking toward me. He smiled knowingly and said, “The child’s name is Nolan.”

  Chapter Three

  I WOKE alone in bed the next morning. Sunlight filled the room, causing me to search for Jamison with squinting eyes. Hearing water running from the bathroom, I stumbled out of bed and banged my toe on the periwinkle chaise. I finally reached Jamison, who was brushing his teeth. “Nolan spoke to me.”

  He spit into the bathroom sink. “You had a dream.”

  Sitting at the vanity, I said, “It seemed so real.”

  “Dreams often do.”

  I scratched at my bedhead. “Nolan said, ‘The child’s name is Nolan.’”

  “I’m sure Nolan would support our effort to adopt and name the baby after him.”

  Reliving the vision of Nolan, I said, “Then why didn’t he say that?”

  “It sounds like he did.”

  “Did he?” I couldn’t put my finger on what bothered me about Nolan’s comment.

  “It was your dream.” He kissed my forehead and left the bathroom.

  After we were both dressed in polo shirts and slacks, we went for a walk along the lake. Again I spotted Asher on the same rock, gazing out at the horizon. I motioned for Jamison to follow me over. “Hi, Asher.”

  He snapped out of his meditation and rose. “You caught me again.”

  “Everyone deserves a morning break,” Jamison said.

  “Is everything all right?” I asked.

  “Yes. Thanks to Phoenix. I’d have botched up the price quote of a convention rental if he hadn’t caught my error.”

  “Was the error in our favor?”

  Jamison’s jest didn’t seem to lighten Asher’s mood.

  I rested a hand on his forearm. “Were you thinking about Armando?”

  He sighed. “As they say, ‘there’s no fool like an old fool.’”

  Jamison asked, “Have you talked to anyone about this?”

  “Like a therapist?”

  Jamison nodded.

  Asher returned the nod. “She advised me to ‘live in the moment.’ Easier said than done.”

  “Would you like to have breakfast with us?”

  He smiled at me in appreciation. “I might as well. I can’t seem to get any work done.” After cringing, he added, “I probably shouldn’t have said that to my bosses.”

  “All I could hear was Theo’s stomach growling.”

  We made our way to the restaurant for breakfast. Jamison and Asher ate poached eggs on whole-wheat toast. My first instinct was to order the everything omelet, turkey sausage, and sweet potato fritters. Recalling Selah’s glance at dinner, I opted for Greek yogurt with two fruits—garnering a giggle from Jamison sitting next to me.

  When we were finished eating, I said to Asher, “After breakfast, I’m going to search social media for information about your Armando.”

  “I hope you don’t mind,” Jamison added.

  Asher swallowed his juice. “I don’t mind at all. I hope you have better lu
ck than I did.” Asher leaned back in his chair. “I fear the whereabouts of Armando Caro will forever remain a mystery.” He asked me, “Is it possible to love someone you haven’t seen in decades? Somebody who hurt you so deeply?”

  “Anything is possible in matters of the heart.” I leaned toward him. “I think people with open hearts love who we love regardless of how long we’ve known someone or even if their actions have harmed us.”

  “I think you’re right.” Asher glanced at his watch and stood. “Well, I’d better get back to the office before this someone with an open heart becomes someone without a job.” He squeezed my hand. “Thank you.”

  After Asher was gone, I said to Jamison, “Asher is clearly hurting. We need to find Armando for him.”

  “How about if first we share the news of your healthy breakfast choice with Selah? Let’s see if Grace is working this morning.”

  We headed out of the restaurant and down the steps. When we reached the door to the employees’ entrance, Jamison yanked it open and we stepped inside. Chefs, sous-chefs, cleaners, waitstaff, and bus-staff raced around the multipurpose space like ants in a maze. Scanning the warehouse-like room, I found Grace nowhere in sight. Jamison and I ducked away from moving plates until we reached a short, round woman covered with a white apron. Since she appeared to be leaving for a break, I asked her, “Is Grace working this morning?”

  The woman rested a small hand on her ample hip. “Who wants to know?”

  “Theo Stratis.”

  “And Jamison Radames.”

  “The new owners!” She unleashed a warm smile and extended her hand. “I’m Millie, one of the chefs.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Millie.”

  After we shook hands, Millie offered me a dishcloth to wipe off the egg stains.

  I asked her, “Have you seen Grace?”

  A line creased her forehead. “Grace called in sick this morning. Luckily Duane was able to replace her again.”

  “I hope Grace is okay,” I said.

  Millie lifted her palms in the air. “I’ve been too busy to check on her.”

  Jamison took my arm. “Let’s visit Grace.”

  Millie nodded her approval. “Tell her I hope she feels better.”

  “We will.”

  “Selah will be happy to see you. She’s really taken with you two guys.”

  “Thanks, Millie!” I called out over my shoulder as we left the kitchen.

  After we reached the employees’ housing unit, I took two steps at a time to reach the third floor. Jamison was right behind me. When I knocked on the door, Selah opened it. Her face glowed like her yellow giraffe pajamas. “Hi, guys!”

  “Hi, Selah. Is your mom okay?”

  Selah answered softly, “She’s in bed.”

  Jamison asked, “Has she eaten breakfast?”

  Selah shook her head. “She doesn’t want any.”

  “Have you eaten?” I asked.

  Selah nodded. “Cereal with banana. And you?”

  I proudly relayed our breakfast choices.

  Selah seemed impressed until she heard my stomach growl.

  “Is there anything your mom needs?” Jamison asked.

  Selah shook her head.

  “Then we should leave and let her sleep.”

  Selah asked, “Can we hang out together later?”

  I smiled. “Don’t you have to take care of your mom?”

  Selah nodded in recollection.

  Jamison snapped his fingers. “There’s a magician performing in the theater tonight. If your mom is feeling better by then, would you like to go with us?”

  “Sure!” Her eyes lit up. “But shouldn’t our date start with dinner?”

  Jamison and I smiled.

  “If your mom’s okay, we’ll pick you up at six,” he said.

  She grinned. “My favorite flower is a rose.”

  “We’ll keep that in mind. And tell your mom Millie hopes she feels better.”

  I added, “And so do we.”

  “I will. See you at six.”

  Once we got back to the cabin, Jamison put on his sweats and left for a jog. Thinking about Asher Hillel, I sat at the oak desk in the living room and opened my laptop. I ignored all the email messages from salespeople. Searching through social media, I found six Armando Caros. None of them were the right age to be Asher’s Armando. I spotted a Caro Lumber Yard in Pennsylvania. I reached for my phone, again ignoring the messages from salespeople, and I tried the number. Unfortunately, the manager didn’t know Armando.

  My phone rang. The screen projected a familiar number from Poughkeepsie. “Hi, Mama.”

  “Now that you own a resort, you don’t take my calls?”

  I sighed. “I’m taking your call now.”

  “After I left three messages. Papou and Yaya could be dead in Greece!”

  “Are they?”

  “Of course not, but you’d never know, since you don’t return my calls.”

  “I’ve been getting lots of sales calls since we bought the resort.”

  “I’ll bet the salespeople know if their grandparents are alive or dead.”

  “How’s Papa?”

  He picked up an extension. “I’m balancing our checkbook.”

  “Incorrectly,” said Mama, the other retired accountant in the family. “I’ll fix it when he takes his nap.”

  “Theo, how’s the resort business? Are you in the black?”

  “Hi, Papa. Yes, thanks to our terrific managers. Why don’t you and Mama come for a visit? You’d like it here. There’s a beautiful lake with swimming and boating.”

  “I can barely get into the tub, never mind a lake.”

  I assumed a gym was out of the question. “There’s tennis.”

  “Watching the ball go back and forth on TV gives me vertigo.”

  “And yoga.”

  Mama was back. “I tried that once at our YMCA. When the instructor asked us to go into table pose, I reached into my bag to set up moussaka for lunch. The instructor referred me to the cooking class down the hall.”

  Papa added, “It’s not possible for us to leave Poughkeepsie with Papou and Yaya being sick.”

  Papou and Yaya had been sick ever since I could remember. “We have phone and internet service here at the resort.”

  “What if we had to fly to Greece?” Papa asked.

  “There’s an airport too.”

  “It takes two hours longer to fly to Greece from Pennsylvania.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “We checked every state just in case.”

  Mama asked, “Theo, how is the food at your resort?”

  “It’s terrific. We’ve befriended one of the sous-chefs and her daughter. The little girl, Selah, has taken a liking to us.”

  “What’s not to like? You are both fine boys from good families.”

  Papa added, “But Jamison’s parents are a little stiff.”

  “That’s because they were pediatricians,” Mama offered.

  I couldn’t resist. “Pediatricians are stiff?”

  “Of course. It comes from yanking out all those babies with forceps.”

  I explained, “Jamison’s parents didn’t deliver babies; they were doctors for babies.”

  “Regardless, they’re stiff. At your wedding—”

  “Which cost us a fortune,” Papa said.

  “Jamison and I paid for the hall and the food.” I added, “His parents bought the flowers.”

  “I booked the band,” my sister said from yet another extension.

  “Hi, Ari.”

  “Hi, bro.”

  Mama was determined. “We had to fly the relatives over from Greece.”

  Dad added, “It nearly bankrupted us. Now can I tell my story about Jamison’s parents?”

  I relented.

  “At your wedding, when we danced the kalamatiano, I yanked the scarf off Julia’s neck to wave it in the air. Our cousins placed Jabari in a chair and lifted him in the air. Julia and Jabari di
dn’t seem too happy about it.”

  “I don’t blame them.”

  “It’s tradition.”

  “Not their tradition.”

  Mama said, “Jamison’s sister, brother-in-law, and their two kids joined right in. His parents are stiff, believe me.”

  “They’re terrific people.” I moved to the window seat, willing energy from the stoic mountains. “Please don’t say anything negative to Jamison about his parents.”

  Mama groaned. “Would we do that?”

  “Yes. Speaking of families, Jamison’s brother, Kendall, is coming to visit us.”

  Mama gasped. “Is he the loose boy?”

  I chuckled. “You make him sound like a screw.”

  “Bad choice of words,” Ari said.

  Papa chimed in: “At the wedding, Jamison found his brother with two of the waiters and the cake under the sweethearts’ table. As Kendall pulled up his trousers and wiped whipped cream off his face, he said to Jamison in his own defense, ‘It’s called a sweethearts’ table, isn’t it?’” He snickered.

  I explained, “Kendall is in the Navy. He’s a cute young guy who likes to party when he’s on leave.”

  “He should grow up and get married,” Mama said.

  Papa added, “If it can happen to Ari, it can happen to anyone.”

  “I heard that,” Ari said.

  I asked, “How’s my sister the detective?”

  “Stubborn,” Mama said. “She won’t go on maternity leave.”

  “I’m only three months pregnant!”

  Ari asked me, “How’s your gorgeous husband the medical director?”

  “As gorgeous as your husband the detective, who, by the way, is aptly named Adonis.”

  “Don’t tell him that. He’ll get a big head, which he already has.” Ari laughed wickedly.

  “And she never complains about it.” Adonis guffawed.

  “Hi, Adonis.”

  “Hey, bro-in-law.” Adonis asked me, “How’s your chic resort?”

  I asked, “You want to come for a visit?”

  “After the baby is born.”

  Papa said to Adonis, “The managers there are doing a good job.”

  I was getting dizzy from the rotating family members. “Asher and Phoenix have become our friends. They’re great guys. We just had breakfast with Asher. I feel bad for him.”