by Piper Kay
“Morning, Reese!” Anthony who is across from me, different set of apartments though, waves to me. His boyfriend of the day waves. I know him too, but only from the club, haven’t got a clue what his name is. “Where’s your better half?”
I look down at the road separating our two complexes searching for his fling’s car, trying to remember his name. I can’t, and it bothers me, dude carries a creep vibe about him. Just the way he moves and looks at you gives me the willies.
“Emergency at work, had to skip out first thing this morning, and pulling a double,” I holler back to him, then take a bite of my tostado.
“Oh no, hate to hear it, hope everything’s okay. What’s on your agenda today?” Anthony continues. He’s good people, gullible though.
“Crackin’ the books wide open and crawling inside. I should come out as a brand-new version of the periodic table by the time I’m done.” I laugh and take a drink.
“Damn, that bad, huh?”
“Yeah, just need to be certain of everything. I have no backyard to grow a money tree from, so gotta earn this solo, ya know?” I kick back, legs up on the chair across from me and cross one over the other and continue chowing down. This tostado is better the second day around.
“I get it. Still a bummer though.” Anthony shrugs his shoulders.
Creepster pipes in, “We’re headed to the beach today. Fly a kite or something, maybe take a long walk off a short pier just to liven things up, feel the water splash up on us. Then were thinking about hitting ‘Crossroads’ tonight. Do a little dancing, have a few drinks.”
Did this dude seriously just openly threaten Anthony like I think he did? He grins and slides his hand around Anthony’s neck and then lowers behind him, kissing him, all the while never letting his eyes leave me. Gross.
“You know how it is. If you’re interested and need a break, come meet up with us there, just to clear the mind a bit. No pressure though.”
Like fuck I will.
“I doubt I’ll be leaving this place for the next two days, but thanks for the offer.” I stand up. “Wish me luck, here I go, off to the books.” I can’t get off the porch quick enough.
I hurry inside, never so glad to get away from someone in my life! Time for me to get focused, but not before coffee is going and good and hot.
While it’s making, I quickly make up the bed, get the proper books I need, a half dozen notebooks where I’ve pretty much transcribed the Professor’s lectures all year, several pencils and pens and lay them out on my desk.
Tossing my leftover trash in the can, I fill my oversized mug and head for the desk, glancing at the back door to make sure I left it open for some fresh air then plop down in my favorite desk chair.
I take a sip, light a candle near me and pour into this. The only time I even budge is for a refill on coffee or a bathroom break.
I have papers flying everywhere, notebooks down on the floor and am on the last page of the entire book, which I reread today…I think. The references have you flipping from one page to another and to be honest my vision is a blurry mess and my mind is shoving way past overload.
~head-desk~
Literally. I almost hit the desk too hard and give my migraine a migraine.
I run my hand across the dampness on my face and jerk up just as the phone starts ringing. Still confused, I grab the phone without thinking.
“Shit.” I pull my head up off the desk, a paper stuck to the side of my face. “Ugh…hello?”
“Reese, what’s wrong?” It’s Jace.
“I know who it is, handsome. Oh nothing, I put my head down for just a second and apparently drooled all over myself. Had a piece of paper stuck to me.”
“Sounds attractive. Have you been studying this whole time, non-stop?” I can hear wind blowing through his phone.
“Yeah, went out and did our morning breakfast routine first though. Anthony and his fling ding, you know that creepish guy, asked about you. Told them you were out, an emergency came up at work, but that’s it.”
“Good, since Anthony knows half the people I work with, don’t need him running his mouth about anything, thanks for covering for me. There’s going to be a lot of changes from what I can see. New hires, which means lots of fires in order to do that. Why don’t you just call it a night from the books and watch some TV or go out?”
“Can I tell you something weird?” Chills shoot down my spine.
“Oh course.”
“I think Anthony’s new creep boyfriend threatened him, only Anthony didn’t even flinch at it, like he didn’t catch it, he can’t be that stupid, can he? Do you know which guy I’m talking about? The tall, tatted out one who drives the black old school Camaro hot rod?”
“Yes, speaks sort of with a Russian accent? That’s Roman.”
“Well he mentioned meeting them at the club, but I don’t want to go without you, ya know?” I really don’t. “Especially anywhere he might be.”
“You know what I think? You read too much into things sometimes. You are way smarter than the average Joe, so maybe you take something one way, when it wasn’t even close to how you interpreted it. And your sweet not wanting to go out without me, but I’m just now heading to the second branch. Got tied up all day at the first. I’m going to the drive through somewhere and off I go.”
“Awe, baby. You’re working so hard today. You’re going to be exhausted by the time for your finals.” I stand and head for the kitchen.
Jace is always on me about stocking the fridge like a proper bachelor. I thought I did, I have sandwich stuff and a couple frozen pizzas and a few tv-dinners, beer, booze and cokes.
“Just make it a short trip if you decide to go out, no biggie. You know you have nothing there to eat anyway. I looked last night, so knew you’d have to go get food. Grab yourself a shower, get sexied up and go have fun for a couple hours. It’s not good for you to shovel so much shit in your head like this, gotta make room for fun or you’ll be acting like a ninety-year old man by the end of next week with the way you cram. I can’t have all that now, can I?” He’s probably right.
“Okay fine. It’s already getting later, for me anyway, almost nine. By the time I shower, eat and go, I’ll be home in time for you to get home.” This sounds like a perfect plan to me.
“Ummm…. about that.”
Uh oh.
“I may just go to my place when off. I need to go over some stuff with Geoff and we both know we’ll never get any rest if I’m there with you.”
“What, seriously? Okay fine.”
“Don’t be angry with me.”
“No, I know what it is, you and your magic penis tricks, you don’t need me anymore. I’m going to cry and pout now, might even stomp my feet.”
“Oh fuck, you’re the only one on the planet that makes me laugh this hard, Reese. Just go have fun and call me when your home. I miss you.”
“Miss you too, lovie. Talk to you in a couple hours.”
I hang up the phone and do as he says, shower and get dolled up. All black, even wearing my new pride boots, well not new, but only worn once before a long time ago pride boots and head out the door. Taking the bike tonight. It’s my brand-new Ducati Panigale V4 dolled up in its pretty blue and silver dress. It’s the latest purchase, but nothing I can’t afford, or I wouldn’t have gotten it.
First for food. Before cranking her up, I give Anthony a call to make sure they’re still going. Nothing like walking in a club solo, not into it since Jace came into the picture and Crossroads is kind of our hang out spot. It’s only a ten or fifteen-minute ride from home.
Roman answers the phone. “Hi this is Anthony’s phone, he’s got his mouth full at the moment, can I-um, give him a message?”
In the background I hear Anthony laughing, “Hello and my mouth is perfectly free, ignore him for being a presumptuous ass...”
That was a visual I never want to see. That Roman, he’s an arrogant fucktwat. Now I am having second thoughts about going out tonight. “
Hey man, it’s Reese.”
“Reese my man, change your mind and want to meet up and take a break?”
“Well, I was out to grab something to eat and dressed just in case you were around.”
“Awesome. We’re headed over to BJ’s Brewhouse to grab a bite now. Come on and meet us there, then we can go to the club,” Anthony practically begs.
I give in, but to dinner only because I love their food. “Okay, see you there soon.”
I crank her up and am there before I know it.
Pulling up a spot in front, perks of riding a bike, and shut her down. I enter the wooden double doors and go inside. Glancing around, I don’t see them yet, so I ask for a menu and pull up a booth.
As the waiter approaches to ask for my drink order, my phone goes off at the same time. I pull it out of my pocket but order a beer first.
It’s a private number again.
“You look really fucking hott tonight. Hott enough to nibble on again.” The text comes through.
Oh, very funny Jace. Playing your seductive secret games again? I look over both shoulders, but he’s nowhere to be found. I text him back, on the private number, but it won’t go through.
I text on his normal phone number, but before I can send, Anthony and Roman barge in, interrupting me so I just hang it up and shove it in my pocket.
I’ll handle this later, besides if he wants to continue from last night, I have no issues with that at all.
Chapter 8
“Been waiting long?” Anthony asks.
“No, just got here, haven’t even had time to take a sip, which I’m resolving right now.” I lift my beer and chug it half way down as the waiter appears.
“What do you feel in the mood for?” Roman asks Anthony.
“You.” He laughs.
I think I might have just vomited a little in my mouth. Ga-rosss!
I grab for my beer and chug down the rest of it and order another as they haven’t decided they want anything to eat with actual nourishment in it yet. The waiter quickly returns. I just order a few cheese sticks and fried mushrooms with marinara and ranch sauce.
“That sounds good, but I want the baked potato skins and broccoli and cheese. Maybe get a few avocado egg rolls and wings. Sound good? We’ll, have that.” He didn’t even give Anthony time to answer.
Guess he’s in charge now, even telling Anthony what he can eat.
“Hey Reese, want to split a pitcher of beer? You’ll dance it off, so you can hit the books by morning,” Roman asks me.
“Yeah, why not.” I only give in because it’ll turn into some big thing if I try to argue, he’s got one of those attitudes about him and I’m not in the mood for him at all tonight.
“So, tell me, what does Jace do for a living? And what’s the big emergency that he chooses to leave such a sexy young man as yourself all alone on a Saturday night? Doesn’t he know the crowd will be full of plenty, how do you say it? Many men willing to be his replacement?”
And here goes Roman.
“Well for one, I’m quite capable of handling anything thrown my way, in pretty much anyway it comes.”
“I’m sorry, I guess you lost me.”
“Exactly. Jace and I, we’re not so insecure that we have any type of trust issues together. He knows, just as I do, where we fit into each other’s lives. And, he’s covering shifts for a sick friend like any normal human being would do.”
Fuck, this guy irks on my last nerve.
“Sorry, he didn’t mean anything bad by it, he has a strange way of coming across sometimes.” Anthony quickly swoops in to save his ass.
The waiter returns with our food, and I shove a cheese stick in my mouth, ignoring the fact that I just melted off half my tongue. At least it kept me from going off on his rude ass.
And I’m not buying it, Roman knows exactly what he’s saying and doing, he might have Anthony convinced, but not me for even a second.
Roman reaches over and grabs one of my fried mushrooms. If I make it through this meal without stabbing his hand to the table with my fork, I’ll chalk it off and call it a decent enough dinner, but I despise that. Jace is the only one allowed to do that, ever.
By the shit eating grin across Roman’s face, and the lip twitch he gets on the right side of it to boot, he knows it just pissed me off, and yet what does he do? Takes a bite of his own food from the end of his own fork, then tries to stab a cheese stick with the same fork that was just in his grubby mouth, off my plate.
I raise my fork ready to stop him when Anthony butts in, “Roman, quit being disgusting. You have your own food and it’s considered very rude to eat off someone else’s plate.”
It’s almost like Romans eye gets a sparkle of spite in there somewhere knowing exactly that he’s getting under my skin. Well, his skin is about to have five poke holes in it if he doesn’t back off.
God, he’s a dicktwat!
I inhale everything else on my plate, way faster than I should, but I’m trying to avoid a situation here.
“Ohhh, guess what, Reese? I almost forgot. We’ve been talking about Roman moving in with me here at my apartment, ready for a new, across the drive neighbor?” Anthony beams.
My stomach just did a summersault, and I want to fling my fingers up into a cross formation to hold his evilness at bay. Has he lost his ever-loving freaking mind now? And I get to wake up with my Jace, but then have to see Roman’s ugly mug every weekend. Ugh, can I just yack on the table now. Okay, I don’t know what kind of spell this guy’s got over my friend, but I need to talk to Anthony alone about this.
Is it Roman’s money, is he that damn good in the sack or what?
“Everyone finished up?” Roman asks and pours the last little bit out of the pitcher of beer and gulps it down. “Let’s hit the club.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Anthony agrees.
Just as we leave the table he picks up the second beer I ordered and never drank, takes one sip of and downs it like it’s nothing.
The only reason I’m even going is because I feel I have to, in order to get a few minutes alone with Anthony, otherwise I’d be heading home to crash out.
“You going to be okay to drive?” I ask Roman, because he’s slightly inebriated, not that I know his limits, but he’s had enough to intoxicate a large farm animal, in my opinion. I’m very conscious about it though because back in high school I lost a friend to a drunk driver and don’t take it lightly.
We stop at the front desk with the ticket and surprisingly, Roman foots the bill. Not sure what brought that on, not that it changes one iota about the way I feel about him, because it doesn’t, but still I have to appreciate a half ass decent gesture when it’s given. It’s human nature to be grateful for things, even when you wish they’d rather not happen a certain way.
Before putting my helmet on and cranking up my baby, I make a quick call to vent to Jace. He’ll understand.
The phone rings and rings then goes to voicemail.
“You have no idea how much I wish you were here right now, this Roman guy, get this, he talked Anthony into them moving in together, can you believe that? He’s the most arrogant person I have ever met, yet Anthony thinks he’s a real charmer, yeah for a snake. How could he even think this guy’s a great catch or whatever is going through his mind right now? He’s rude, self-centered and tried to eat off my plate, then had the balls to pay for everything to suck up. I’m about to choke on my own tongue. Anyway, baby, I wish you were here, and ignore me, just venting off some steam and rambling at ninety to nothing. Talk to you when I can, don’t work too hard. Byeeeee!”
I hang up, already feeling better, crank her up and gun it out of the parking lot to blow off the rest of my steam and head to Crossroads.
Chapter 9
Packed outside, like normal, I circle the lot, but then see an opening at the front and zip back around to snag it. I hate parking my baby too far away from the front doors, that’s how accidents happen and though I have full coverage i
nsurance, I don’t need any of that, some car jerking into a spot and plowing my ride over.
Just as I take my helmet off, here comes Anthony and Roman.
“How’d you do that, get here at the same time? We were hauling ass!” Anthony asks.
“You boys talk, I need to go take a piss.”
Well thanks for that visual, man.
“Anthony, Roman is always so out there, and kinda rude at times.” I spill it, as honest as I can, if I lose a friend behind it, then he was never a friend I suppose.
“He takes a bit of getting used to. He’s not trying to be a flat-out asshole, he just comes across that way. When we’re alone, he’s completely different. Come on, let’s go in.”
“We pay the cover charge and enter more quickly than I thought, the bouncer, Creig, is pumping us through the line fast.
We enter to red and blue neon lights pinging across the room, silver and gold flashes in, and the bass cranks out the speakers all over the room.
“How long have you known Roman, Anthony?” I ask him, and we practically have to dance our way across the floor to get to the bar.
“A month or so, I guess.” He points to me. “What are you having?”
“Whatever you are, I guess, only I’m buying this time,” I add.
“Two mojitos, cutie,” Anthony flirts with the waiter.
Back to the conversation, “And you’re okay with moving him in already?”
“I can’t explain it, Reese, he’s damn near addictive. He’s totally different and we’ve gotten pretty tight during a short time. I know it makes no sense whatsoever, but I never live on the edge, and I want to. If it works, it works, if not, I’ll boot him out. Why do you think I asked him first, to my place? It’s still mine, I haven’t completely lost it. He wanted us to go to his place on the outskirts of town, but I said no.” He points to his temple. “I’m not all brain dead up here in the noggin. That way if nothing works out, I’m not screwed, I’ll still have my place just like now.” He laughs, and the bartender returns with our drinks just as Roman reappears and I finish paying.
