Almost Easy

by Amelia Oliver

  “Great! Wear that. Nolan’s favorite color is green.”

  With that proclamation, the line in my hand goes dead, and I’m left sitting in my office, my mouth open in shock. Fuck. I’ve been swept up by Hurricane Irys. To make matters worse, I think she’s just set me up on a semi-date with her oldest brother.

  Fuck me.

  Ch 7

  NOLAN

  The project on the high school is close to starting; we’re basically waiting for arrangements for the gym classes, sports practice and other things the gymnasium is used for, to be done somewhere else. There’s only three weeks left before summer, but in order to have the shit done by the start of school in the fall, we had to start now. Most things could be done outdoors in the meantime, including some makeshift basketball courts set up on the tennis courts. I was still lining up a crew, taking Evan’s suggestion and mixing and matching our guys along with finishing other projects for Plantain Construction. But all this was merely a distraction from the situation that occupied my brain most days. Rupert. I hadn’t seen him since our kiss, no, sorry, the epic mouth fuckfest in the foyer of my house.

  I’ve never been kissed like that, or kissed anyone like that. That “kiss” had me edgy and needy, craving something I hadn’t realized even existed inside me. All we’d done was kiss, mouths meeting and teasing, yet I couldn’t ever recall getting so fucking hard from a kiss, or thinking about a kiss long after it happened. I had a full-blown crush on Rupert.

  I’d be in my work trailer, looking through papers and his smile would flash behind my eyes and boom, it would be five minutes later and all I’d done was imagine him. He’s changed since he was a teenager as we all do, but I never thought he’d be the way I’d witnessed in his office. Part of me also knew that for my sister to have forgiven him for the way she was treated, that he was something special. Never mind that Irys finds the good in everyone, he really was a nice guy.

  Of course, since I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since the kiss, insecurities crept in. He only kissed me to get back on the job. He restrained my arms so I wouldn’t touch him, to not take things further that night. He was hard to read. In his office, I was the one putting out the signals and he kept things professional. At the gym though, he was showing me he was interested. Rupert was one confusing fuck. Although I have nothing better going on in the relationship department and no plans of marriage any time soon, I don’t want to waste time with someone who isn’t sure what the fuck they want. He seems like he’s comfortable being gay, so maybe he’s just not as interested in me as I am in him. Unfortunately, it’s going to take a lot more than just not seeing Rupert to get him out of my head, my dick certainly isn’t getting the message. I’ve woken up several times face down and humping my cock against my mattress with thoughts of him. Maybe I should reconsider the dude from Beaver Falls, ugh, but I don’t want to reopen that can of worms.

  Stopping at the store for a bottle of red wine, I was a little shocked when Irys invited me over and instructed me to: “wear something nice.” Normally when she gathers everyone, there’s no dress code. But maybe she was sick of seeing me in worn out jeans and a shitty t-shirt, un-showered and straight from the job site. I’m wearing a pair of navy dickie pants; they’re slightly tight in my ass because they’re new, but whatever. I have a clean, white dress shirt in my closet that I wore to a work meeting a month or so ago, the sleeves still rolled up to the elbows, and figure this outfit would pacify my sister. I contemplated wearing my baseball hat just to mess with her, but decided to be nice and just do what she asked. Wearing a newer pair of brown Timberland boots and doing my hair completes the look, hopefully my efforts make her happy.

  After the store, I head over to my sister’s place. They only live two blocks from me in a colonial two-story house, one I helped renovate when they bought it after they got married. Wyatt’s truck is there and a few other cars line the street, so I have to park further from the house, and I notice a neighbor also having a party. Letting myself in the back door, all the lights are on and the smell of something savory cooking hits my nostrils. No one’s in the kitchen as I wipe my feet off and set the wine on the counter, voices coming from the living room adjacent to the kitchen.

  “Oh, Nolan?” Irys says from the other room, “I wasn’t sure if that was the door,” she adds coming into the kitchen.

  She looks me up and down and then gives me an approving smile. “Nice, very nice.”

  “You look beautiful as usual,” I tell her, and she really does.

  She gives me a bat of her lashes as she ruffles the skirt of her summer dress. “Why, thank you.”

  “What are we having?” I ask.

  “Pasta, clams, tilapia, salad, bread and for dessert, cheesecake.”

  “Hungry?” I ask with raised brows.

  “Yes,” she states in a ‘duh’ tone of voice, as her hand cups the small round of her belly over the skirt of her dress. She was pregnant with twins now, five months along.

  “How ya feeling?” I ask.

  “Run down, and Connor is just—”

  “Anal as fuck?” I interject.

  She gives me a look, “I just feel exhausted all the time, I can’t give him the attention he’s used to, I feel like a terrible mom,” she sighs.

  I give her a sympathetic look and with an arm over her shoulders, I bring her in for a small hug.

  “Send him over to me any time, I can help you… where is the little dictator anyway?” I ask, looking around.

  “With mom and dad,” she says, pulling away to stir the noodles cooking in a massive pot on the stove.

  I move to the fridge and grab a beer, twisting the top off before taking a long pull.

  “You’re welcome by the way,” I say nearing the doorframe and planning to head into the living room.

  “For?”

  “Getting all dolled up for you.”

  “Oh no, it’s not for me… it’s for you,” she smiles, looking over at me.

  “Huh?”

  “Nolan,” I hear in the hallway before me and turn to see Rupert standing there.

  I blink at him, I should’ve known, fucking Irys.

  “Hi,” I breathe out, noticing his forest green dress shirt and swallow thickly in reaction. Not only my favorite color, but damn if he doesn’t look edible with that color against his tan skin and dark features.

  By the look in his eyes, he didn’t know, that I didn’t know he was coming. He walks closer, bottle of beer in hand, eyes scanning my attire.

  “How have you been?” he asks and his tone is intimate and personal, like he doesn’t realize my sister is six feet away.

  “Fine,” I breathe out, willing my lungs to not inhale and avoid his scent, but fucking lungs and instinct and all that body shit. I breathe in and instantly feel my heart pick up its pace, my cock twitching to life.

  He gives me a look in regards to my short answer, but fuck, I don’t like this. I like that he’s here, but a little warning would’ve been nice, I could’ve at least doubled up on my underwear to contain the erection I’ll have all evening now.

  “You?” I ask, clearing my throat and taking another pull from my beer.

  “Okay, no complaints,” he tells me, watching my mouth on the bottle and my throat working.

  We stand there, silent, looking at each other and that fire between us is being stoked by little cupids.

  “Evan said the high school project is coming into place nicely,” Irys says and we both nod.

  “Yeah, really well actually, I’m anxious to break ground already,” Rupert says.

  I’ll break your ground.

  “You gonna be at that site, Nolan?” she asks me, and I turn to face her from the other side of the breakfast bar.

  “I plan on it, the condo build in Coral Groves doesn’t need me anymore.”

  “So, you’ll be closer to downtown,” she says with a small smile.

  I know what she’s doing. I’ll be closer to downtown, closer to the municipal
building where Rupert works.

  “Yes, Irys, I will.”

  “There’s an amazing new tapas place on Main Street, have you tried it yet, Rupert?” she asks.

  “For fuck sake Irys,” Wyatt interrupts, coming up beside Rupert and we fist bump.

  “Shut up Wyatt,” she snaps.

  “Just because they both like dick, doesn’t mean they’ll automatically like one another’s dicks,” he tells her, setting down his empty beer bottle on the counter in front of me.

  Fuck, if they only knew that my dick did like his dick.

  “Oh, like you would know. Before Daisy, you liked every vagina… so explain how my reasoning is so outlandish?” Irys returns, placing both her hands on her hips.

  “It doesn’t work like that.” I add.

  “Okay everyone, stop picking on me for trying to do a nice thing,” she says, turning away as her eyes tear up.

  “Ignore her, it’s the hormones,” Evan says, walking in and past us toward his wife.

  “What’s going on?” Daisy asks, elbowing me in the ribs.

  Daisy, my sister in law, and the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, aside from my mom and sisters of course. Before I knew I was gay, hell, even when I knew I was gay, Daisy had always caught my attention, and for a while there it made me question if I was bisexual instead.

  “Irys is crying again,” Wyatt tells her.

  “Hey, you,” I smile and lean over to kiss her cheek.

  “Aw poor thing, let’s not be weird and watch them, yeah?” she suggests.

  “Heard you have a new book out?” I ask Daisy as we turn and head into the dining room.

  “Yeah, it’s going good, I think we’ve really grown with the readers. Ruby’s my beta reader and she still loves them, so...” Daisy shrugs as she trails off, as if to say, as long as Ruby likes them, she knows she’s on the right track.

  “Awesome,” I nod, noticing out of the corner of my eye as Wyatt and Rupert begin talking.

  A few minutes later, Evan’s calling from the kitchen for us to get our drinks and head to the table.

  “You might want to make a stronger drink,” I tell Rupert, nudging his arm and he looks at me in surprise.

  “Why, is her cooking bad?” he asks softly.

  “Oh no, nothing like that… you’re about to be grilled.”

  Ch 8

  RUPERT

  Like a few situations in my life, I’d let my own doubt and insecurities tell me things, which in reality, turned out to not be true at all. Not knowing what to expect, but worried that the evening would be awkward given all our histories, not to mention my current and confusing feelings towards Nolan; I’d arrived at Irys and Evan’s home on time and bearing gifts. After all, I may have been an asshole once, but wolves didn’t raise me. A large bouquet of flowers for Irys, thank you Bannister Blooms, a bottle of whiskey for Evan, and as I knew we were having fish, a few bottles of Chablis for the dinner table. Balancing the vase of long stemmed violets and light blue hydrangeas under one arm - after all, you did not bring another man’s wife her signature flower - and the drinks in the other, I’d used my elbow to ring the doorbell. Taking a big deep breath, I’d unconsciously held it, not releasing it or most of the tension I’d carried, until I saw Irys smiling brightly at me as she opened the door. She could not have made me feel more welcome.

  It seems I’d relaxed too soon.

  The moment Nolan nudged my arm and reminded me I was in actual fact headed into an interrogation, two things happened at once. My already half hard dick threatened an all-out salute at his simple contact and the anxiety I’d felt earlier came back.

  “Daisy, Wyatt, you’re on the left. Nolan, Rupert, you’re on the right.” Irys chirps, doing her best airline hostess impression, opening her arms in sweeping gestures towards our assigned seats.

  “Oh for fuck sake…” Nolan mutters under his breath as he takes the seat next to mine, while at the same time moving into the chair across from me, Wyatt simply says “Jesus.”

  Appearing undeterred by either of her brothers grumbling, Irys simply lifts her chin and spins into her own seat at the end of the table. As she sits, the flouncy movement of her dress around her legs punctuates her obvious dismissal of their protests.

  The smell of all the dishes along the table in front of me remind me I’m hungry, but it’s the close proximity of the man sitting next to me that is making my mouth water. Shifting slightly in my seat to shake my lustful thoughts clear, I decide that maybe the ole adage of: ‘the best defense is a good offense’, might be just what I need. Smoothing my palms along the tops of my thighs, I look over towards Irys and Daisy, and invite the inquisition.

  “Right then, let’s get this interrogation started. Who’s got the first question?”

  Luckily, it does exactly what I hoped - it breaks the ice, and everyone laughs. As the food is being passed around and across the table, Irys picks up my offer,

  “Well, how about you give us a previously on? Like on a Netflix series before a new season starts, and we can go from there?”

  Declining the bowl of seeded dinner rolls Evan tilts in my direction, I take a sip of my wine and begin, “Highlights? Okay. Well, overall college was a positive experience. I was one of the clichéd, ‘it helped me to grow up’ students. I hated my first-year roommate, he was a passive-aggressive douche who treated women like dirt, and seeing that in someone else made me extremely uncomfortable with the reflection I saw in the mirror.”

  Taking a breath, I look around the table to do an audience check. Only seeing interested faces and the slow movement of cutlery, I continue.

  “I dated a few girls, but I knew deep down that not only was I further delaying the acceptance of who I was, I was hurting them in the process. That wasn’t fair.”

  I look to Irys and offer a small smile, which she returns. She really is an exceptional woman.

  “So, second year I moved into an off-campus house with a few of the guys from my civics class, one of who was out. Being around Charles gave me the opportunity to see what being out was like for him, and he just seemed so at ease with himself. None of the other guys gave a shit he was gay, and while I realize not everyone’s experience was like his, it started to ease some of my fear. So, one night after way too much tequila, I found the confidence, among other things, to ask him questions.”

  I feel Nolan’s body turn rigid next to me, and look over to see his bright blue eyes piercing me, his mouth an unmoving line. I instantly feel like he has me trapped with just his stare, and I’m finding it hard to determine what his look means, or to tear my eyes away.

  “Go on Rupert,” Daisy encourages, finally allowing me the chance to look away from Nolan to acknowledge she’d spoken. “Was Charles the first guy you dated?”

  I huff out a dismissive laugh, and strangely Nolan’s body relaxes along side mine. What the fuck was up with that?

  “God no! We were just friends, but he helped me navigate my way through the mine-field of coming out.”

  “Like a gay Obi Wan Kenobe?” Evan suggests, taking a bite from his dinner roll, the ambient light from the pillar candles dancing off the tattoos & thick silver rings that decorate his hand.

  “Obi Wan was gay you dumbass,” Wyatt states, refilling Daisy’s wine glass and then his own to the halfway point. Wyatt either doesn’t drink much or he’s on call.

  “Bullshit. Now, as for C3PO and R2D2, those two droids were the leaders of the fucking intergalactic gay pride parade. You mark my words.” Evan’s conviction behind his statement, along with the way he points his fork at Wyatt, has us all laughing.

  Hoping the light moment will change the direction of the conversation and get me out of the spotlight, I take a quick sip of my wine. When I look at the glass I just put back on the table though, I see that it was actually closer to a mouthful. Damn, I hate talking about myself. Being confident in my skin is still new to me. If this were a discussion about work, I’d hold my own along with the best of them. I thin
k a part of me is worried that if I’m not careful, maybe I’ll do or say something that will make them not like me. Make Nolan not like me. Fuck, I really need to hand in my balls for a set of ovaries with thinking like this, but I’m starting to realize that Nolan’s perception of me matters. A lot.

  “Rupert, you were saying?” Irys flicks the fingers of one hand indicating that I should keep talking, and that the interrogation is back on track.

  I must groan a little louder than I meant to, as I hear Nolan snicker next to me. I cast him a quick look but he’s looking down at his plate, smiling. Asshat.

  “Right, ok, second year I came out – parents, friends, classmates, and it was scary as shit. In an over-correction of epic proportions, I spent way too much time sampling the dick buffet; only to eventually realize, that gay dating was just as fucking confusing as straight dating. By this time I knew what I wanted in a guy, in a real relationship. Empty hook-ups and one-night stands was so not it.”

  As I’m talking, I feel Nolan’s thigh against mine change from barely touching to an intentional solid presence. It warms me; it slows my speech down, making me realize that I had started to speak in an almost rapid-fire tempo. Accepting his comfort, I acknowledge it by pushing my own leg back slightly, and not moving it away.

  Calmer, I continue, “Tired of the dating scene, I decided to apply for the internship my economics professor had mentioned was available for second year students. His brother was a local council member and was looking to have someone to clerk for him over the summer. I got the position, and by the time summer break was over, the internship had turned into a part-time job. Third and fourth years, I spent much more of my time focused on studying and working than I did on partying and bullshit dating. My position changed a few times over the years. Rewarded for my results and enthusiasm for the job, by the time I finished college, I was already in a full-time position with the council, working as a junior member for structures and facilities. I hadn’t really thought about coming back to Plantain, until during a catch-up call with my Dad, he mentioned that he thought there was a vacant position here. A few days later I was still thinking about it. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that Plantain was where I was supposed to be; as a council member, working to make a difference to the future development of the place I grew up. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I applied for the position, and here I am. Now, thank fuck, that’s the end of Rupert’s rewind.”