Round and Round

by Andrew Grey

  “No.”

  “Good. I asked around, and you have a ‘love ’em and leave ’em’ reputation. Now, I’m all for a man changing his ways. I know I did when I met Zach. But if you’re not planning to make some change, I suggest you back away now before Kevin gets hurt. There are plenty of us who would hate to see that happen.” Bull glanced to where a small group of men stood at the bar, looking in their direction.

  “Is this some kind of joke?”

  “No. We’re very much for real.” Bull smiled. “Just be good to him.” He pushed away from the table and joined the others, talking briefly, and then they all separated. Angus actually watched to make sure he wasn’t being surrounded. Damn…. He hadn’t expected that. Angus wasn’t sure if he should be pleased or scared. Bull was intimidating, and his demeanor suggested quite strongly that he could back up any threat he chose to make. That was more than a little frightening, and the guys Bull had been talking with up until a few minutes ago had that same menacing look. But what pleased him was that Kevin had such loyal and caring friends. They thought enough of him to look out for him. Yeah, threatening his boyfriends might be a little much, but they did it because they cared, just the way his friends had cared enough to give up their night out to come to his place and include Kevin in their fun. The evening hadn’t been at all what he’d expected, but Zach and the guys could have gone out and left Kevin on his own to recuperate. They hadn’t. They’d simply moved their fun to him. That told Angus a lot about the person he’d really come to care about.

  “What are you doing here?” Zach asked as he bounded up to the table carrying a drink tray. He pulled Angus out of his thoughts. “Can I get you anything?” Was the kid flirting?

  “A beer would be great. But I have to watch what I drink because I’m driving. Kevin asked me to meet him here, but he hasn’t shown up yet.” Angus watched Zach for a minute. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “I’m trying to earn some extra money so I can take Bull on a mini vacation. Harry said they needed a server because one of the guys got sick, so I’m filling in, and if I’m flirty I’ll get better tips.”

  “If you’re flirty, Bull is going to flatten anyone you flirt with, and that isn’t going to be good for business.”

  Zach stood up straight. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that.” He seemed thoughtful. “Maybe I can use that to my advantage. Tip me good or I’ll tell Bull on you.”

  Angus laughed. “Just be a good server and the tips will come. See, that happens when you actually bring the drinks rather than talking with the patrons.” Angus smiled, and Zach rolled his eyes and hurried over to the bar. Angus watched as his order was filled and Zach hurried back. He was something else, but definitely not as cute as Kevin. Angus paid for the beer and gave Zach a good tip.

  “A buck?” Zach whined with a smile.

  “For a single beer, yeah.”

  “Shit, this is going to be harder than I thought.”

  “How much are you hoping to make?”

  “I want to take Bull on a cruise. He needs to get away from here for a real vacation. This place wears on him after a while, and after the fire and all, he’s getting way too wound up. I guess it’s going to take longer than I thought.”

  “You could just help Bull pay for the cruise, and use the tip money for drinks and spending money while at sea,” Angus suggested. He tilted his head toward the next table, where several guys were looking around. “They seem thirsty.”

  Zach hurried away, and Angus saw Kevin come through the door. He was a sight for sore eyes. They had texted and called a few times, but this was the first he’d been able to see him since he’d returned to work. The tight jeans and gauzy shirt he wore left very little to the imagination. Kevin grinned when he saw him and came right over, plopping his tight little butt on the chair next to him. “Have you been here long?”

  “No.” Angus kissed Kevin hello, reminding himself that he was in a public place and that stripping Kevin down right at the table was probably not a good idea, even if parts of his anatomy were more than interested. When they broke apart, Kevin was breathing hard, and Angus worried he’d overdone it, but Kevin smiled and didn’t cough, so that was good.

  Angus signaled to Zach, who hurried over.

  “Playing cocktail waitress?” Kevin teased.

  Angus smiled. “He’s trying to earn some money for Bull, and unless you want to crowd up to the bar all night, be nice to the cocktail waiter.”

  “For the cruise?” Kevin asked, and Zach nodded. “God, that sounds like fun. Lying on the deck in the sun, a handsome cabana boy to rub lotion on my back and the pool boy to bring me drinks. That would be heaven.”

  “I don’t think it works that way,” Zach told him. “You have to bring your own cabana boy, so ask Angus if he’ll rub lotion on your back. And as for the pool boys, maybe Angus can do that too. I know I intend to have the biggest pool boy on the whole ship.” Zach looked over to where Bull stood near the office door, mouth hanging open a little. Angus wouldn’t have been surprised to see him drool.

  “Zach,” Angus said gently.

  “Oh yeah. I’ll be right back.”

  He hurried away and Angus turned his attention to Kevin. “I’d definitely be your cabana boy. I’d rub lotion on your back, and then maybe if no one was looking, slide my hand into your suit, cup your butt, and….”

  The sound of a chair scraping on the floor was like nails on a chalkboard through the little seductive dream he’d been trying to weave.

  “Hi, guys,” Jeremy said as he and Tristan sat down.

  “Your timing is amazing,” Kevin grumbled as he leaned against him slightly.

  “Sorry. We can come back if you’re getting busy,” Tristan teased.

  Kevin smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “Not at a table—that’s gross.” He giggled, and the others did too. The music had started, and once the others got drinks, courtesy of Zach, they headed out on the floor to dance. Angus and Kevin moved around to the back side of the table so they could watch.

  “How was work?” Kevin asked.

  “Tiring. Our friend doesn’t appear to have struck again.”

  “That’s good,” Kevin said.

  “I’m not sure if it is or not. I have a feeling that the longer he waits, the more spectacular the next one is going to be. Antonio is doing all he can, but there isn’t much of a trail, and the only one who has truly seen him is you. We can’t take the pictures we got to the media because they aren’t clear enough.”

  “But they go to the media with descriptions of people all the time.”

  “Yeah, they do. Mostly when they’re looking for witnesses to a specific event. That isn’t what we have, and there are a lot of people who match our description.”

  “I guess.” Kevin turned to him. “What I really want to know is who in the club saw him. The guy set a fire right here, and no one knows who he is or got a good look at him. There had to be people sitting or standing right next to him. The place was packed.”

  “That’s the point. He could hide in plain sight because no one was paying any attention to him. It’s how he got into your building, and I suspect it’s how he tried to get into your office. Only it didn’t work, though apparently he was pretty good at evading their cameras. We have a picture of a guy in jeans and a T-shirt, but nothing in detail of his face, just like all the others.”

  “Damn,” Kevin said. It was hard to hear him with the music. “I really wish I could dance. But I’m barely making it through the days on the phone at work. I keep water at my desk all the time, but I have to put people on hold to cough, and I’ve used the inhaler more than I like.”

  “You need to give your lungs a chance to rest.”

  “I need to work or I won’t be able to afford the place that your friend helped find for me. Oh, and you never told me that Janice was Mrs. Kranz. I nearly wet myself when I realized who I was talking to. She’s, like, the richest lady in town, and you had her help me find a p
lace to live.”

  “Janice is one of a kind, and as for the money, she put most of it into a foundation to help others. Did you meet her at the church?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s going to have to move, and she’s looking for a place.”

  “Why doesn’t she just buy one? She has lots of money.”

  “Janice wants the charity to be able to run on its own, and she’s been able to do that up until now. She once told me that if she kept putting her own money into it, then no one else would help, and once she was gone everything would die. It makes sense.”

  “I guess it does. There have to be a lot of places she could use.” Kevin paused like he was getting an idea. “Why not ask Bull if we can do a benefit here? She helped me, and I bet she’s helped others in the community. She certainly doesn’t discriminate, and there are a lot of gay people who end up homeless and in need.”

  “We can ask her and see what she thinks,” Angus said. He leaned closer, kissing Kevin gently. “You are a very special person.”

  “I’m just me.” Kevin grinned. “And who doesn’t love a party?” He motioned all around, and Angus had to agree. Everyone was having an amazing time. The music drummed until the building seemed to move along with it. The damage from the fire was gone, and it was as though the incident had never happened. Men jumped and danced shirtless on the floor, sweating and rubbing against each other. It was enough to make Angus want to learn to dance just so he could be in on the fun.

  “Do they ever play anything slower?” Angus asked, nearly shouting to be heard.

  “I can ask,” Kevin said, and before Angus could stop him, he was out of his chair and making his way through the crowd, which had grown considerably in the last hour or so. Angus watched him approach the DJ booth in the corner. He talked to the man, who smiled and leaned close to speak to Kevin. Then Kevin turned and began weaving through the crowd once again. Angus lost sight of him in all the moving bodies. When he reached the table, Kevin pulled Angus to his feet.

  “He’s here. I saw him. The guy who set the fires. He’s in the club right now.” Kevin turned and pointed. “He was right over there.”

  “Did he see you?”

  “I don’t know. We need to get Bull and tell him. He’s wearing a red shirt and really dark jeans. He was carrying a white hoodie or something like it so he could be wearing that too.” Kevin scanned the room, and Angus did as well.

  “Go tell Bull and the guys. I don’t know what this guy has in mind.” Angus was already working his way through the crowd toward the front door. As he got there he saw a guy clearly meeting Kevin’s description leaving the club. Angus took off and got out as quickly as he could, but there were so many people it was hard to move anywhere fast. By the time he made it to the sidewalk, he saw the guy running away from the club and swore under his breath.

  “What happened?” Bull asked as he came through the door.

  “Kevin saw the guy who’d posed as the gas man at his building. We think he’s the arsonist. The guy took off before I could get very close. We need to check the building to make sure he didn’t leave anything. Have your people look in the bathrooms or anywhere out of the way. If they find anything at all, call it in and evacuate the club.”

  Bull headed right back inside, and Angus followed. Security personnel met him, and Bull gave quick instructions. They all fanned out through the crowd, and Angus returned to where he’d left Kevin. “I didn’t get him, but he must have seen us because he took off outside like a scared rabbit. Security is checking to make sure he didn’t leave anything, but I doubt he did. This guy wants to see his handiwork in action.”

  “Should we leave?”

  “If they find anything, they’re going to need help getting everyone out. So let’s be ready just in case.”

  Kevin took his arm, holding it tight. He stood right next to Angus as they watched the crowd.

  “It seems clear,” Bull said after he made his way over.

  “Good.” Angus relaxed and sat down as the other guys made their way back, covered in sweat. Zach showed up to get them drinks and then hurried away once again. Everyone seemed unaware of what had happened, and that was good. There was no need for panic. “I feel as though he couldn’t have been here very long.”

  “After that note he left, I’m surprised he came back at all,” Bull said.

  “What he says in the notes is less important than him leaving one. It’s his signature, and all he wants and needs is the rush he gets from watching a really big fire.” An idea occurred to him, and Angus cursed inwardly, wishing he’d thought of it before. He made a mental note to call Antonio as soon as they left the club. He was nervous as he sat back down. He kept looking all around the room. The carefree atmosphere of a few minutes earlier was gone. He turned to Kevin and saw that he was pale and swaying on his feet. Angus guided him down into a seat and asked Jeremy to get some water.

  “I need to go,” Kevin said. “I don’t feel safe here.”

  Jeremy returned with a bottle of water and set the bottle on the table. Angus opened it and let Kevin drink. “What happened?”

  “He was here,” Kevin said. “The guy who burned down my building and set fire to the club was here. I saw him. He left, but….” Kevin gulped some more water, and Angus’s training kicked in as Kevin began to breathe violently, coughing and trying to catch his breath. Angus stood and lifted Kevin into his arms, carrying him toward the door. All he could think was that he needed to get him out of here.

  The crowd parted when they saw him and heard him yell. Angus made it to the door and out into the fresh air in less than a minute. “Breathe slow and steady. You’re panicking, but we’re outside and okay now.” He set him on a small patch of grass near the street and rubbed Kevin’s back, and the coughing subsided. Kevin’s breathing evened out, and he held on to Angus, making Angus feel like he was the most important person in the world. To hell with other men—he only wanted this one. “Is that better?” he whispered as a car went by, blaring its horn, but the sound barely intruded on the peace he saw in Kevin’s eyes.

  “Yeah.” Kevin breathed slowly. “I want to go home, not to my apartment.”

  That Kevin meant his house when he said home made Angus’s heart do a little flip. Angus helped Kevin up, and they walked away from the club toward where he’d parked his car.

  “Kevin,” a rough voice called. Kevin stopped and stilled. Angus turned to the source of the call and saw a tall, broad man with short dark hair striding toward them. “Are you all right? I just got here, and Tristan said you weren’t feeling well and had been carried out.” Before Angus knew what was happening, the man had Kevin in his arms and was holding him tight.

  “Excuse me,” Angus said and placed his hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “Who are you and why are you hugging my boyfriend?”

  Kevin pushed away from the man.

  “I’m his boyfriend,” the man said with a growl and turned back to Kevin. “I was a fool for leaving, and I was able to get my job back with the force here. Or they said I could come back if I wanted. So I jumped in the car and drove back. I knew I’d find you here with the guys.”

  “Ken… you left,” Kevin said very softly. “This is Angus.”

  Ken turned toward him, and Angus gently extricated Kevin from the clingy bastard’s arms.

  “I don’t blame you for taking a guy home for the night. I know I left, but I’m here now, so you can send him home. Then you and I can go to your place and get things back to where they were before I was foolish enough to let you go.”

  Kevin looked at Angus, and Angus put his arm over Kevin’s shoulder. “First thing, bub, I’m his boyfriend, not a pickup, and a lot has changed since you left. Kevin doesn’t have an apartment any longer. His building was burned down.”

  Kevin stood taller. “Angus saved my life when my building was set on fire. But we had started dating before that.” Kevin took his hand, and Angus’s urge to punch the guy eased a little. “Ken is a po
lice officer in Pittsburgh,” he said to Angus. “He used to work here, but he moved about six months ago.” He pulled an inhaler from his pocket and used it with a light puff. “I got some smoke in my lungs, and I’m still feeling the effects,” he said to Ken.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

  “Right, you weren’t,” Kevin said sharply. “You left, and I had to get over you and figure out a way to move on.”

  “It was too good an opportunity to pass up,” Ken said, and Angus wondered just how good it was if he was already back, but he kept quiet. This was Kevin’s fight and his decision, no matter how much he wanted to step in.

  “And now you’re back, so I guess it wasn’t all that good.” The bite in Kevin’s words was unmistakable. “You left me, like most everyone else. Something better came along, and you left, figuring that was more important than me.”

  “It was my job.”

  “Yeah, and you made your decision.”

  Ken looked up at him, fire in his eyes. “And you think Mr. Hot Fireman is going to stick around? I know this guy from when I was on the force. He had his dick stuck in any ass that was willing to roll over and take what he had. And he’ll go back to that. Just watch him. I offered to take you with me, remember?”

  “My life is here, and my dad is close. He’d be hours away out there, and you know that.”

  “Hey, let’s get you home,” Angus said softly to Kevin.

  “Mind your own business,” Ken said.

  Angus stepped forward, thrusting out his chest. “You want to do more than talk? You’re off duty, so at the moment, you’re just a guy who’s accosting him on the sidewalk and I came to his defense, so I’ll kick your ass from here to kingdom come.”

  “That’s enough!” Kevin snapped again and then began to cough. That sound knocked the wind out of Angus, and he moved back to Kevin.

  “He’s right. He needs to rest, but you stay away. Or that job you’re hoping to get will evaporate like the fog.”