by Tyler May
He walks over to the end table and picks up a small white remote. He aims it at the stereo system and turns up the music. The room fills with a lovely slow song. It’s actually one of my favorites: Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”. Silver struts slowly toward me. He holds his palm out. “Shall we dance?”
I place my hand in his. “I’m warning you. I have two left feet.”
“Well, I happen to be an excellent teacher.” He places one of my hands on the small of his back and holds the other one. His other hand presses against my back. He counts and instructs me on which foot to move. He teaches me a few basic steps. He’s so intense as we move gracefully to the music. His eyes darken and his face is somber. He guides me almost effortlessly. Our bodies move in sync. “Ready?” He grins and releases one hand, the other leading me into a turn. He pulls me back and then dips me as the song ends. He holds me in the pose and then lifts me just far enough that our lips meet in a passionate kiss. I straighten out without breaking our kiss. He stops and gazes deep into my eyes. We don’t say a word. He takes my hand, stopping to click the light and stereo off, and then leads me to his bedroom.
~ Chapter Twenty-Eight~
I can’t believe I’m here at the university registering for the last of my classes, and then it is graduation. It’s taken me a long time, longer than most, but I’m proud that I followed through with it. I fill out the necessary paperwork for the grant that covers my tuition and get the paperwork for the loan on the books. I haven’t gone back to work yet. For the past month and a half, I’ve looked for work, but I’ve been spending most of my free time with Silver. I should say his free time, because let’s face it I have nothing but free time. I walk through the university and see the Silver Coffee that’s located on campus. I could go for a cup of coffee while I fill out this paperwork. I order my tall cup and a muffin. The woman behind the counter is so friendly and very pregnant.
“Will that be all, hon?” she says though a large white smile.
“Yes.” I hand her the money. I vaguely remember Silver and I talking about this franchise. Silver bought it for his friend Brady and his wife. He had said she was pregnant. “You wouldn’t happen to be Brady’s wife, would you?”
“I certainly am. My names Liz and you would be?” She politely puts out her hand for me to shake.
“My name is Greyson Black. I’m…”
“Brian’s boyfriend,” she says with a sense of excitement. I nod. “Wow, it’s wonderful to meet you.”
“Yeah, it’s great to meet you. I’ve heard wonderful things about you and Brady.”
“Same with you. Brian was just in the other day and he couldn’t hide his excitement about his new boyfriend.”
I chuckle. “It still weird hearing the title.”
“Well, I can tell you with full confidence that Brian is completely smitten.”
“Smitten seems to be the word a lot are using. Is Brady here? I’d love to meet him sometime.”
“If you’re going to be around for a few, he should be back any minute now. He had to run into the main building for something.”
“Yeah, I’ll be around. I was going to sit and fill out this pile of papers.”
“Good, Brady will be so happy to meet you. He is just so fond of Brian. We both are. He’s done so much for us, so much that we could never repay. You have yourself a real wonderful man with a generous soul.”
“I know. When Brady gets here, send him over there.” I point to the corner table next to the window.
It makes me beyond happy to hear testimonies of how Silver has helped others. Silver and I have been pretty much inseparable for the last two months. Levi loves his job through Silver Inc. and Silver pays his an enormous amount, and that’s just for his main job description. Levi does a lot of extras for Silver, almost like a personal assistant. Levi seems to almost like that more than he does the position at the club. He raves about how Silver is just the best boss and a dream to work for, and Silver feels the same way about Levi. They have a great relationship, which is perfect for me. What’s better than your best friend and your boyfriend getting along? Especially since Levi is more like family to me. I’m so grateful for Levi.
Levi has been so supportive about my relationship with Silver and has helped me out by paying my portion of the rent and other utilities while I’m not working. Now I know Silver makes sure that Levi has the means to do that. I know Silver’s game. He wants to help, but I can’t keep letting Levi pay my way or Silver for that fact. I feel like I’m taking advantage of them. It’s been fun while it lasted, but it’s time to get my butt in gear and find a job. I’ve told Silver a thousand times that I’m an independent man, and if I want him to respect that, then I need to prove it. First step to proving that is to get myself a job even if it’s part-time. It will make me feel better.
Taking the seat in the corner, I diligently fill out all the necessary parts of the paperwork. As I almost finish, I glance out the window at the grounds of the university. I love this place. It’s so serene. I daydream out the window thinking of how different my life has been the past couple months. I swear I always have a smile painted on my face. My thoughts wander to Silver, they always do.
“Greyson?” A voice from behind me knocks me back to reality. I turn.
“Jeff.” I was hoping it was Brady.
“How are you? I haven’t seen you since the engagement party. How long ago was that now?” He’s holding a cup of coffee.
“About six weeks, and I’m good. And you?” I have no reason to be rude. He’s left Silver and I alone since that night. “You can sit, Jeff.”
“Thank you,” he says, pulling out the seat across the table from me. “I’m good. I stay busy at work.”
“What are you doing here on campus? Are you looking for new employees?”
He chuckles. He knows that’s how he found me. “No, I was visiting Marcus.”
“You’re still seeing Marcus? That’s great. I’m happy for you.” He nods slowly with a small polite grin on his face. “How’s it going with him?”
“It’s going. Marcus is different. He’s very set in his ways and very, how can I say this…he’s very self-centered.” No surprise there.
“Mmm,” I hum trying not to say I could have told you that. “Well, it must be working. You two have been together just as long as Brian and I.” Jeff lowers his head and his eyes focus on his coffee cup which he’s rubbing nervously. “I mean you like him, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think. It’s not love that’s for sure, but it’s….” He stops and licks his lips. “It’s different.”
“Jeff, if you’re not happy then maybe Marcus isn’t the right man for you.” He just nods as I talk. I’ve known Jeff long enough to know when he’s hiding something. Something is off with him. “Jeff, is Marcus abusive toward you?”
His face gets a look of disgust on it. “No! Do you really think I would stay with anyone that would do that?”
“No, I didn’t mean it that way. You just look like something is wrong.”
“I know Marcus isn’t the man for me. I just like how he adores me. Is that bad?”
“Does he know that? Because if he’s falling for you then yes, it’s bad.”
“He’s not falling for me either. We’re kind of just getting by. I told you, it’s different.”
I shrug. “And confusing.”
“Yeah.” He laughs. “But it works for the time being. How about you and Brian?”
“What about us?”
“You’re still together?” I nod to answer. “How’s it going with him? Not that I don’t know, I can tell by the smile on your face when I say his name.”
“Yeah,” I say shyly. “I’m not going to lie, it’s perfect. He’s perfect. I’ve never been this happy.” His face stills. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“You didn’t. I want nothing but good things for you, Grey. He obviously makes you happy. You deserve this.”
“I d
on’t know if I deserve it, but I’ll take it.”
“Have you found any work yet?” I know he’s changing the subject. He is shifting in his seat. I’m happy though that he can seem so calm about this.
“Not yet. Levi has been paying the rent and stuff for the past few weeks. I am going to look for something soon. I need to work.”
“Well, I heard this Silver Coffee is hiring. Maybe you can talk to Brady.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. I was waiting to meet him.”
“He’s a great guy. I’ve met him at training and such. Marcus has talked about him as well. He’s not too fond of him.”
“I’ve heard that. That’s because he thinks Brian and Brady had a thing.” Jeff rubs the corner of his eye. He only does that when he’s hiding something. “What?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, Jeff. I know you. You’re hiding something.”
He huffs. “Marcus talks a lot about Brian.”
“Maybe he still has a thing for him?”
“No. I don’t think that’s it. It’s all bad. He talks very badly about him and the men he used to be with. He’s told me some pretty crazy things.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“I wasn’t going to say anymore. You know I still care deeply about you. That’s never going to go away. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I think I know him pretty well. We’ve been together pretty much night and day. We talk about everything.”
“I’m sure you do.” Now he’s pissing me off. “How about the emails and other weird things that were happening weeks ago, are they still happening?”
“Oh, no, they all stopped. I know who that was.”
“You know who the fucker is that sent those emails about us?”
“Yeah, I mean I’m pretty sure. My father said he had been trying to get a hold of me.”
“Your dad? That makes no sense. Why would he send emails and follow you?”
I shrug my shoulders. “My dad’s crazy, I don’t know. All I know is he came over to my house the same day as the engagement party and had a big long excuse for wanting to reenter my life. He admitted to trying to get a hold of me. He tried to say that he didn’t know what I was talking about when I asked him if he was following me, but everything stopped after that day. I’ve had no emails, no calls, and no one has followed me since. Now that can’t be coincidental.”
“I don’t think that makes sense, Grey. Maybe it is coincidental. Maybe the stalking stopped because he got what he wanted.”
“And what would that be?” I lean back in my chair and cross my arms. I wait for the response that I know is running through Jeff’s mind.
“You.”
I exhale and get very agitated. “You think Brian did this? You think Brian was following me?”
He shakes his head. “Of course not. I think he’s too smart for that. I think he wanted to know more about you and had someone watch you.”
I slam my hand on the table rattling the coffee cups. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. He’s admitted that he researched me. Whatever conspiracy theory you and Marcus are thinking up, just let it go. It’s bullshit and it’s not going to work on me. If all you two have in common is thinking up these crazy scenarios, then you guys deserve each other.”
“I’m sorry I upset you. I just want you safe.”
“I’m safe. I’ve never been safer.”
“Ok,” he says and stands. “I should go before I make you madder than you already are.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
He starts to walk away and then turns around to face me. “All I want is to be your friend, Grey. I truly am happy for you.”
“Then stop trying to sabotage my relationship with Brian. Maybe then we can be friends.” He nods and turns. I watch him walk out. My blood feels like it is boiling, it’s not a healthy relationship to keep talking to Jeff. I think the time has come to cut ties. The negativity I feel when I’m around him isn’t worth it. I lean back in my seat. Rolling my head back trying to release the tension, I close my eyes and breathe.
“Greyson Black?”
I sit up and snap, “Enough, Jeff!” I startle him, and instantly realize how stupid I was. It is Brady. “Oh, Brady, I’m so sorry. I was just talking to a friend and I thought he came back to argue more.
“He doesn’t sound like much of a friend.”
“True. I should have said ex-friend.” I stare at the man in front of me. He’s a gorgeous man. He’s wearing a pair of sunglasses over his eyes and walks with a white guiding stick. “My wife was telling me that you’re Brian’s boyfriend.”
“That’s right. I’ve heard great thing about you, Brady. Please sit down; we can talk if you have time.”
“I have a few minutes. Any man of Brian’s is a friend of mine.” It was interesting watching him so carefully, and a bit effortlessly, pulls out the seat and sit. “So how long have you been with Brian?”
“About two months. You seem to know more about him. Maybe you should be giving me the goods on him.”
He laughs. “Well, I don’t think I could say a bad thing about him. I owe practically everything to that man.”
“Good. Congratulations on the babies coming soon.”
“Yeah, this should be interesting.”
“You both seem like a good team.” He nods in agreement. “I heard you might be looking for some help.”
“I am actually. Do you know someone?”
“Yeah, me,” I say and he breathes in like he’s taken aback. “What? I’ve worked at the Brooklyn Silver Coffee, so I know everything about it and I train easily if needed.”
“No, no, it’s not that. I just didn’t think that you would need it since you’re with Brian.”
“Well, I’m with Brian, but I’m also my own man. He doesn’t support me.”
“Oh,” he says with a tone that makes me question his response. “Look, I would love to have you join my team. You can start Monday if you want. I’ll work around your schedule here at the campus. My wife said that you were signing up for your last courses.”
“Finally. Thank you, Brady. I promise to do my best.”
“If you’re good enough for Brian, you’re good enough for me.” He stands. “No need to apply. You have the job. You can meet me here Monday and we’ll go over the details.”
“Oh this is perfect. Thank you.” I put out my hand and realize how ignorant I must look. I start to pull it back and he reaches out to it. He must sense things a bit or listen to the movements. His shake is firm. “I’ll be here Monday.”
“Great. I must get back to work. My wife is a slave driver.” He laughs. I gather all the papers and my drink. I’ll finish doing all this at Silver’s place.
~Chapter Twenty-Nine~
I get off the subway and walk the few blocks to Silver’s penthouse. I knock on the door. He calls for me to come in. He comes over to me and kisses my cheek. He’s on his cell phone. Holding up his finger, he gestures one minute. The man is always on some type of phone call. I often tease him that he should just have it stitched to his ear. I knew this when I got involved with him, so it’s something I have learned to adapt to. As I hang up my coat, I listen to his conversation.
“No, no. I don’t care. Do what you need to do. I can’t come to LA this weekend. No. No,” he argues with the person on the phone. “Because for the first time in forever I’m taking the weekend off to spend with my boyfriend.” I widen my eyes in surprise. He looks at me. His mouth draws up on one side in a sexy half smile. He winks. I shake my head―that gets me every time. “You heard me. I’ve talked to Stephon and he is more than capable and I would hope that you are too. For the amount I’m paying for your services, I would certainly hope you feel the same way. Hmm, I knew you would see it my way. You too. I’ll check in on Monday.” He hangs up the phone. He faces me. “Well that’s that.”
“You may need to call an ambulance for him. I bet he h
ad a heart attack,” I joke. “Or maybe for yourself, how will you ever survive?”
“Funny. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and what’s better than your birthday weekend.”
“Oh, I get an entire weekend? My birthday is just on Saturday, Silver. You know you don’t have to do this.”
He wraps his arms around me locking his hands together. “I know. I wanted this to be special and a surprise.”
“I’m very surprised. Please don’t do anything too much. Having you take time off to spend with me is gift enough, and it’s the only thing I want.”
“Too bad. I have big plans for you, Mr. Black. You’ll need to pack an overnight bag. We’ll be leaving late morning or early afternoon tomorrow.”
“Where are we going?”
“Now what kind of surprise would it be if I told you that? You’ll like it. I promise.”
“Anywhere with you I know I’ll like.” He kisses me and then releases me to take off his suit coat and tie. As he unbuttons his top button of his shirt, he glances at his phone. “So are you going to turn that thing off for the weekend?”
“I can’t do that, but I swear my focus will be on you and us.”
“So I get the entire weekend, aye?”
“Mmhm.”
“Well, today is Friday and it is after five so it’s technically the weekend.”
“So it is. What do you want to do?” He scrolls seductively over to me like he knows what’s going through my head. The truth is: it was, but not now. He circles around me feathering his fingertips over me as he moves. He stops behind me and presses his chest to my back. He kisses the back of my neck to my ear. He nibbles and pulls my lobe in between his teeth. I close my eyes as his tongue traces the shape of my ear. “What is it you want to do, Mr. Black?” he whispers, repeating his question.
“I like that.”
“Do you now?” He continues to taste my flesh.
“I want to go to the movies,” I blurt out, and he stops. He flips me to face him. The look of surprise is priceless. I know what he wants to do.
