Bermuda Heat

by P. A. Brown

  He raised his wine. “Here’s to you, son. May there always be a wind at your back.”

  BeRMudA heAt 39

  Chris hastily grabbed his glass and saluted the table. “To peace,” he said, earning a bemused look from David, who reluctantly followed suit.

  “Peace,” he said, not once looking at his mother. “And smooth sailing.” Then he set his untouched wine down and turned toward his stepfather. “Have you been out on the lake much this year? How’s the fishing?”

  “Excellent. I’ve brought home a few good trout feasts for your mother. She always did know how to prepare a fish to bring out the best in it. If you and Chris are here long enough maybe we can go out some morning. The fish bite best early—”

  “Sorry, Dad,” Chris could hear him stumble over the word.

  “But we have to leave the morning after next.”

  “Back home so soon? You just got here.”

  “No, we’ve booked a flight to Bermuda.”

  Chris was watching David’s mother when David said this.

  He’d give this to the old broad, she didn’t flinch. She paled, but rallied quickly.

  “A pleasant place for a vacation. Your grandmother honeymooned there sixty years ago. Of course it was a much more genteel place than it is today.”

  Chris didn’t need to ask who had told her that. David’s grandmother oozed upper class snobbery so thick the table stewed in it. Chris swore if she wasn’t such a blue-blood, her lip would have curled in derision at her daughter’s comment. He imagined not much could measure up to this pair’s expectations.

  He tried to think of what it must have been like for David to grow up in this cold house and felt a surge of pride that he had come out of it so honorable and strong. Not to mention with his balls intact. He nearly giggled at the thought of saying that out loud. He had no doubt he could wipe that smugness off the bitch’s face. Not that anyone, least of all David, would appreciate it.

  Both of them were happy to follow Graham outside to the deck overlooking the lake while the two women insisted on 40 P.A. Brown

  clearing the table. Chris noticed that this time no one, including Graham, volunteered to help. Out on the broad expanse of water a fifty-foot sailboat caught the stiff evening breeze. Somewhere on the far side of the lake a loon called. A second one answered.

  Chris and David dragged a pair of Adirondack chairs side by side, facing the tiny shingle beach at the foot of the hill that ran down to the water.

  The sun slid behind a bank of clouds. Shadow infused the deck. The temperature dropped a degree or two. Chris had stripped off his tie the minute they were outside. David did the same. After a few minutes he took off his jacket too.

  “Coffee?” Graham asked. “Or another beer?”

  They both took the beer. David’s mother was conspicuous by her absence. Graham fussed with a clay chiminea until he had a brisk fire going. Chris could feel the heat envelope the deck and he stretched out his legs to capture the warmth. Beside him, David did the same.

  Dusk deepened and with it came the mosquitoes. Graham passed around insect spray, and tossed some pinion wood in the chiminea. “Natural bug repellent,” he said, stirring up the fire with a stick of pinion wood. Soon the whole deck smelled like a fresh-cut Christmas tree. All along the opposite shore lights were springing up. The blinking lights of a plane drifted by overhead, too far up to hear. The quiet seemed almost eerie after the continuous noise of L.A. No sirens, no barking dogs or random gunshots. Silence.

  Graham seemed determined to ignore the awkwardness that had settled over them.

  “Bermuda, eh? Any particular reason, or is it really just a vacation?” Graham asked quietly.

  “Can’t really say right now.” David shifted uneasily. He ran his fingers through his thick hair. “Maybe later we can talk…”

  “David,” Graham said, then changed his mind. He sighed.

  “Your mother really does love you, you know. She’s just never been able to show it and I know that bothers her.”

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  From what he could see nothing bothered David’s mother, but Chris kept his thoughts to himself. This was David’s fight, not his.

  “Like I said, we’ll talk later.”

  Graham nodded, clearly unhappy. “You know I’m always here for you, don’t you, son?”

  “Yeah, I do, Dad. And thanks. That means a lot.”

  Graham’s half-smile was bittersweet. “So tell me, how’s the job going? You still working out of Northeast?”

  David nodded. Chris threw him a sharp look. No mention of quitting.

  “What about you, Chris? What are you up to these days?”

  “Business is good.” He toyed with the label of his beer. “I’ve picked up a few new clients and may have a line on a couple more. There’s always the heavy learning curve to keep up with new technologies. Sometimes I think I spend more time in classes than I do on the job. Thank God it’s a business expense.”

  “Building a business takes time, no matter what kind it is. And it never pays to fall behind in industry knowledge, especially in such a fast changing one.” Chris knew Graham had started out with a single pharmacy in Manchester and over time expanded it until now he owned a chain throughout New England. Chris would have loved to talk to him about growing his own business, but he knew David would have a kitten if he got too friendly.

  But over the evening things grew more relaxed. David started laughing at Graham’s gentle jabs. The rustle of water on the distant beach, the monotonous calls of the crickets and even the odd owl cry broke the night. Along the edges of the nearby forest, fireflies danced through the humid air.

  Before he knew it, it was eleven. As though on cue, David’s mother appeared in the door.

  “I’ve made up Christopher’s bed. There are fresh towels in both of your rooms. David can show you where the shower is.”

  Chris could feel the tension pour through David. Trying 42 P.A. Brown

  to forestall a blowup, he laid his hand on David’s arm, feeling his rigidity and whispered for his ears only. “It’s all right.” He glanced at Graham. “I think I’d like to turn in. It was a wonderful evening. Thank you for dinner and the beer.”

  He shot David a warning look. David subsided, though Chris could still feel his rage.

  Graham stood with them and after saying goodnight set about damping the fire.

  Chris followed David up the curved stairs, his jacket dangling over his shoulder. The first room was David’s. He paused in the doorway and took hold of Chris’s arm. Chris stepped into his embrace. “Let’s not make a big deal out of it,” he pleaded. “We aren’t going to be here more than a couple of days.”

  “Sure,” David said. His whole body was stiff now, his anger still vibrant. He ran his hands up Chris’s arms, gripping his shoulders through his silk shirt. “Now you know why I don’t come here. She’s impossible.”

  Chris stroked his lover’s rough face, lightly touching his mouth. “Where’s my room?”

  David pointed right. “Shower’s between our rooms, and there’s a shared dressing room.”

  “See you in the morning,” Chris said. He tilted his head up and felt David’s lips brush his.

  “’Night.” David’s voice was husky.

  It was the first night they’d spent apart since their wedding, outside of the times Chris had needed to travel for business. It felt weird knowing David was just through the bathroom and he couldn’t go to him.

  The sheets had been changed, but the room still had the faint, musty smell of unused space.

  He decided a shower could wait until morning. He stripped and folded his clothes, putting them back in his suitcase. Then he dug out his red silk pajamas and pulled them on. He usually slept nude, but that idea creeped him out, knowing that David’s family BeRMudA heAt 43

  was somewhere in the big house. Sliding between the combed cotton sheets he burrowed under the down comforter. The room was cool, despite the day’s hea
t. Tired from their long journey, he quickly found himself dozing.

  He barely heard the bathroom door open. Before he could roll over a weight settled on the bed beside him and a hand came up to rest on his shoulder. David was in the velour kimono robe Chris had bought for him just because he knew the color, a deep jade, would look sensational on him.

  “Did I startle you?”

  “David?”

  “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep. Doesn’t look like you had any problem.”

  Chris sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “What time is it?”

  “Just after twelve-thirty.”

  “Your parents—?”

  “Are in bed. Neither one of them stays up past the news.”

  David’s voice hardened. “I have no idea when Nanna goes to bed.”

  Chris didn’t comment. He figured it wasn’t his place and the last thing he wanted was to start an argument.

  Instead he asked, “What are you doing here?”

  David ran his hand under the sheet, stroking Chris’s chest through the silk, squeezing a nipple. “You have to ask?”

  Chris was all too aware of David’s erection under the robe.

  He was instantly hard.

  “Are you sure? Your parents—”

  “Have no business telling me who to sleep with.” David leaned down to tease Chris’s mouth with his lips. “Or who to love. I missed you. I’m not used to sleeping alone.”

  “Me neither,” Chris whispered and threw aside the blankets.

  It didn’t take either of them more than five seconds to strip. He 44 P.A. Brown

  pulled David down. “Fuck me, David.”

  “Mmm, I was hoping you’d ask.”

  ChAPteR seven

  Saturday, 6:15am Valley Stream Road, Holderness, New Hampshire David slipped out of bed just as the eastern sky showed the first blush of dawn. There was no sense embarrassing Chris with the discovery that they had spent the night together. He grabbed a shower and dressed in fresh jeans and an LAPD T-shirt and headed down to the kitchen. Like every day he had known him, Graham was already there, a pot of coffee in a carafe on the kitchen bar, the thick hazelnut cream he favored beside his mug.

  David nodded a greeting and grabbed a mug out of the cupboard. He slid onto a bar stool beside his stepfather. He poured the coffee, tasting the hot brew. As usual it was excellent.

  “Sleep good?”

  David suppressed a grin, knowing what else they’d been doing. “Very well, thanks.”

  Graham spooned some sugar into another mug of coffee.

  “What are your plans for today? Going to do some sightseeing?

  The offer’s still open to take in some fishing.”

  Somehow the idea of three of them sitting in a small motor boat under the beating sun, waiting for some fish to strike, wasn’t appealing. He could only imagine what Chris would think about it. His husband’s idea of roughing it was a third-class hotel in Mazatlan. “Maybe. Depends on what Chris wants to do.” David sipped his coffee and took the plunge. “First I need to talk to Mom. We have a few things to discuss.”

  Graham’s eyebrow rose and David wasn’t surprised when he said, “Can I ask what?”

  “Sorry, it’s between Mom and me. Nothing personal.”

  Graham nodded, though David could tell he wasn’t happy.

  “Well, I’ll leave that to you. I’ve got to go into town and do some 46 P.A. Brown

  work in the office. Then your mother and I might put in a round of golf. She’s got quite a handicap now.” He smiled fondly. “Will you be back for supper?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know what we’ll be doing. I’ll let you know.”

  David knew damn well after his talk with his mother, they wouldn’t be hanging around for supper. The fallout would likely spoil all their appetites, not to mention their golf game.

  He wasn’t looking forward to this, but his mother had gone too far this time. David could have handled the truth, but he’d never been given the chance. He knew damn well his mother hadn’t operated alone, he suspected his grandmother had been involved up to her blue-blooded neck. Anything to avoid a scandal attached to the precious Willerton name.

  Chris entered the kitchen and immediately headed for the coffee. He used some of Graham’s flavored cream and his usual half spoonful of sugar. He stood behind David, not bothering to sit.

  Graham greeted him and after glancing at his watch, said,

  “Well, I have to run. Enjoy your day.” He rinsed his coffee cup out and slipped out of the room. For David the temperature rose several degrees.

  “What did he say to you?” Chris asked.

  “Nothing. Why?”

  “You’re upset.”

  “No, I’m not… Okay, maybe I am a bit. This whole thing just pisses me off.”

  Chris set his empty mug on the table, settled his hands on David’s shoulders and began massaging him. David could feel his tension slip away. Chris’s fingers dug into the tendons around his spine. He rolled his head back and sighed. “Oh yeah, that feels good…”

  A sound broke them apart. David’s grandmother stood in the kitchen doorway, A look of disgust on her face. David stood up, brushing Chris’s hands off his shoulders.

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  “Looking for something, Nanna?”

  Without a word she drew herself up to her full five-four height and crossed the room to the cupboard. She took two mugs and the carafe of coffee from the table, set them on a lacquered tray, and left the room. David stopped her.

  “Before you get too busy, I’d like to see you and my mother this morning, if it’s not too much trouble.”

  “Young man—”

  “We can meet in here,” David said and turned his back on her. He met Chris’s alarmed looked. “You want to go antiquing later? Once my business here is…taken care of?”

  “Ah, sure. That would be nice.” Chris bit his lip. “David—”

  David reached up to clasp his hand. “It’ll be okay. Don’t worry about it.”

  Chris’s grin was shaky. “I know it will be.”

  David’s grandmother re-entered the kitchen moments later.

  His mother had joined her and looked thunderous. She wasn’t used to being summoned by anyone in her own home. She threw a poisonous look at their entwined hands.

  David ignored them while he turned to Chris. “Why don’t you go outside, hon. Take a walk down by the beach. There’s even a tree fort in the woods I built when I was a kid.”

  “Your father built that,” his mother snapped.

  David turned cold eyes on her. “Only he’s not my father, is he, Mother?”

  Chris slipped out of the house and David watched him briefly while he made his way down toward the waterfront.

  “We never hid the fact you were adopted by Graham. He loved you like a son.”

  “And my real father? Oh that’s right, he died. Vietnam, wasn’t it? The great war hero. Gee, if he’d been younger he could have been a Gulf War veteran. I’m sure there’s a lot more cachet in that. Vietnam always left such a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.”

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  His mother’s face grew pale, but she didn’t back down.

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “For God’s sake Mother, stop lying. My father hired a private investigator to find me. Of course this was only after he found out your stories about my death were convenient lies. He’s in Bermuda, but then you knew that, didn’t you? You must have been in a panic when I said we were booked to go there. You knew then, didn’t you?”

  “Anything I did, I did for your own good. He was a horrible man.”

  “A gold digger,” his grandmother added. “He tried to trap your mother into a marriage that would have ruined her. He was a hippy, a wastrel and a drug abuser. Is that what you want in a father? Graham was the kind of man who was there for you—”

  “Even though I wasn’t his? How noble.”

  “David Eric Laine. You kn
ow very well your father loves you.”

  He ignored her protests. “Where did you meet this hippy, mother? Somehow I can’t imagine one of them would dare to show his face around here.” David studied his grandmother’s face. He narrowed his eyes and swung back to face his mother.

  “It must have been one hell of a mistake.”

  “What do you mean? You can’t possibly know anything—”

  “I know you. You’re an uptight bitch who never gave in to a physical impulse in your life.”

  “You can’t talk to me like that!”

  His grandmother snipped, “Just because you rule your life with animal lust doesn’t mean civilized people do.”

  “Well I’m not the product of Immaculate Conception, even you can’t claim that,” David said.

  “Don’t blaspheme,” his mother said, but it sounded more like rote. She averted her eyes.

  The awkward silence was broken by a chilly voice that David BeRMudA heAt 49

  almost didn’t recognize. “Well, are you finally going to tell him, Barbara?”

  They all turned at Graham’s entrance. The easygoing man David had always known was gone.

  David’s mother didn’t seem happy at the interruption. Her mouth thinned and she didn’t look at anyone in the room.

  “Graham, I thought we’d agreed to let me talk to him.”

  “Except you won’t, will you?” Graham’s eyes flicked over his mother-in-law. “If the both of you had been honest from the beginning, none of this would have happened.”

  “We did it to protect—”

  “Who, Barbara? The way I see it, the only one you protected was yourself, and your mother.”

  “That’s hardly fair, Graham,” David’s grandmother said, drawing herself up in outrage.

  “How about we stop talking like I’m not in the room.” David felt his blood pressure rise. He clamped his mouth shut to keep from saying the words he wanted to let loose.

  Husband and wife stared at each other across the tiled floor.

  Finally Barbara spoke to David, “If you must know, I made a mistake when I was young and foolish and…and impetuous. I let my head be turned by a charming, but empty, man.”