by Jerry Cole
And yet he had never let her come over.
“Do you think you’ll ever let her come here?” He asked, staring at the mug in his hands. “I mean, you two have worked together for a while now.”
Lee was silent for a moment. Andrew glanced over and saw Lee’s expression. It was dark, but the moonlight illuminated his face. He was staring across the backyard with a scowl.
“You remember what happened with Charles, Andrew. You saw it unfold.”
“Kirsty isn’t Charles, though.”
“That’s as maybe, but Charles violated my trust. In my home.” Lee gestured at his surroundings. “This is meant to be somewhere that is a place I can hide away. And then Charles decided he was going to bring it into my private space, and I won’t stand for that.” He took a long swig of his coffee. “It’s best to keep my work and private lives separate. I don’t want to make that same mistake again.”
Andrew didn’t think Kirsty would betray Lee the way Charles had, but he could see that Lee wouldn’t listen to this. He grinned.
“I have a feeling Kirsty is going to try and make you change your mind on that.”
“She can try, but she won’t succeed.”
“Oh, she will. She’s got a crush on you.”
Lee stared at him as if Andrew had grown an extra head. His expression had Andrew bursting out laughing.
“Come on, Lee! Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the way she is around you.”
“She does not have a crush on me.”
“I call bull on that statement. You know what I’m like with reading people, but even I can tell she’s got a big crush on you. It’s become a bit more obvious over the recent months.”
Seeing Kirsty trying to flirt with her business partner, only for it to fall flat when Lee didn’t even notice. Unless it was work, Lee didn’t notice anything around him. Andrew had warned him that closing himself off from everyone who wasn’t someone he trusted was going to get him into trouble, but Lee had rolled his eyes and changed the subject.
Maybe his gut said that something bad was going to happen. Or maybe he was paranoid.
Andrew could understand that.
“Maybe that’s another good reason not to have her here.” Lee murmured. “I don’t want her trying to turn our relationship into something else and then get upset because I rejected her.”
“She’s a pretty woman. Smart, too.”
“I know that. But I don’t find her attractive.”
Why did that send a thrill through Andrew? He hadn’t expected that. As far as he knew, Lee was straight. Wasn’t he? He had caught Lee watching him a few times while they had been shopping earlier, and it was a look that had made Andrew shiver. If he turned that intense look up a notch, Andrew was sure he would melt.
He needed to get a grip on himself. Andrew was glad it was dark; Lee wouldn’t be able to see how aroused Andrew was. His cock was pressing against his zipper and it was starting to hurt.
“Maybe you should tell her.” Andrew squeaked. He cleared his throat. “Things could get complicated later on if you don’t lay down what’s going on.”
“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.” Lee said. “Kirsty’s professional enough to keep it separate.”
“For now. Who’s to say she’s going to end up making it about you two romantically?”
Lee frowned.
“You’re making a big thing out of this, Andrew. You’re not jealous, are you?”
“Me, jealous? No, of course not.”
That reply was said a little too fast. Andrew was glad that it was dark; Lee wouldn’t see how red he was getting. He swallowed and focused on Taylor Lake in the distance. This was certainly a nice part of the city to live in. Nassau Bay was pretty, and Andrew had grown up there all his life, but Taylor Lake was something else. He could see why Lee had picked the place.
It was easy to fall in love with the area. So quiet, so calm. You could forget everything around you.
“Oh, by the way,” Lee sat up suddenly and finished his coffee, “I’ve got something for you. I had a friend get it for me.”
“Is this when you wandered off while I was paying for the stuff I got?”
“Yeah.” Lee stood, beckoning Andrew to follow him. “Come on, it’s in the lounge.”
“What is it?”
Lee grinned and wagged his finger.
“Not going to tell. You have to come and look.”
Curious, Andrew stood and followed him. Lee turned on more lights as they went and they entered the lounge. It was about the size of Andrew’s apartment. Andrew stood in the doorway and stared in awe. This place was huge, and all for just one person. Somehow, that felt such a waste. This was a place, with warm tones and a comfortable atmosphere, that was meant to be enjoyed by a couple or a family.
Whoa, he needed to back up. A couple? Andrew had a nasty taste in his mouth about Lee sharing this with anyone else. He needed to calm down and remember that this was a gesture from a friend, not a permanent move.
There was a box on the coffee table. Lee picked it up and turned to Andrew as he walked over.
“I thought you might need some help with your work, so I went and bought this for you.”
He held the box out. Andrew took it and it took a moment for the words to sink in.
“A laptop?”
“The latest one on the market.” Lee looked very pleased with himself. “It’s all been paid for. You just need to set it up.”
Andrew was speechless. Lee had done all of this for him. Without any prompting, the man had offered him a place to stay, practically let him loose with his credit card to buy a new wardrobe, and even bought him a laptop. Andrew couldn’t remember the last time anyone other than his parents had given him so much, or even anything this nice.
It felt really weird being treated to nice things, and Lee was not expecting anything in return. For a moment, Andrew felt a little dirty. It was all innocent, but he couldn’t shake that from him.
He always got his own things. From the moment he turned eighteen, Andrew made sure he was not reliant on anyone else, even his parents. He didn’t know how to react about this.
“You okay, Andrew?” Lee faltered. “You don’t look so happy.”
“I…” Andrew licked his lips, still staring at the box in his hands. “Sorry, Lee. I’ve just never been given so many nice things in one go. I always buy for myself.”
Lee chuckled.
“From what I know of you, I know that well enough. Take it as a gift from a friend.”
Andrew looked up and stared at him. He still didn’t know how to react to this.
“I... why are you doing this, Lee?”
“Do I need an ulterior motive for everything?”
“Everyone else has an ulterior motive.”
Lee sighed.
“That’s not me.” He folded his arms. “I’m doing this because a good friend of mine was put in a position where he’s been violated. And you can’t exactly write when you haven’t got a laptop.”
“You could have gotten me notebooks.”
Lee laughed.
“I’ve seen you with notebooks. They don’t last more than a couple of pages before you give up. Look, I don’t mind spending a few hundred dollars to give you what you need for work. Especially for someone I care about.”
That sobered Andrew. He cared about him. He didn’t know how to react to that. Part of him wanted to act like a little boy and burst into tears. Lee had done far too much for him, and the events of the day were just building up inside him. The slightest thing was going to set him off. Andrew swallowed.
“I should pay you back for all of this.”
“If you want, you can pay me back by carrying on doing what you’re good at.” Lee looked at the clock. “I’d better give Kirsty an update. Do you want me to call your family and let them know what’s happened?”
His family. Andrew had forgotten about them, and he had been with his parents for dinner only a few hour
s before. That felt like a lifetime ago now. He shook his head.
“No, I’ll tell them. It should come from me.” He sighed. “They were talking about hiring me a bodyguard tonight after I told them about the profile coming back.”
Lee chuckled.
“I don’t think it’s going to be that extreme.”
“You don’t call what’s happening right now extreme?”
“Not until someone actually takes a shot at your life.” Lee headed towards the door. “I’ll go and call Kirsty.”
He left the room, leaving Andrew standing there with the laptop still in its box in his hands. He turned it over, trying to take it in. His was not even a year old and it had been a godsend for him. Even if it could be a little slow at times when he didn’t want it to be. But this was something else. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had bought him something so expensive.
Sighing, Andrew sat on the couch and began to open the box. Might as well make the most of it.
Chapter Five
Lee glanced at Andrew across the room. Andrew had already set up the laptop when he came back from talking to Kirsty, and there had been some relief when he managed to access his work and found it all intact. Andrew had barely noticed Lee’s presence as he got onto his work and started tapping away.
Lee didn’t want to bother him, not when he seemed to be looking for a place where he felt safe in his head. A getaway from what had happened earlier. And he couldn’t blame him; if someone had come into his home and destroyed everything, Lee would want to find somewhere to hide as well.
Andrew was much like Lee in how he coped with something stressful; he got lost in his work. Only a few days ago, Andrew had been complaining about the lack of inspiration and the struggle he was having to get going. Especially with a deadline looming. But now his fingers were flying across the keys so fast that Lee couldn’t see them. Something had clicked in his mind, and Andrew was going with it.
Lee didn’t want to bother him. Andrew was wrapped up in his own little world, coping with the situation in the way he felt most comfortable. It had been like that the whole time they had known each other. Andrew had barely turned eighteen and he was on the cusp of having a mental breakdown over what was happening. Five years on, and he had been growing. He had been getting out of his shell and attempting to make changes.
Lee had enjoyed seeing him grow and adjust to adulthood. He was a breath of fresh air to Lee after having to deal with cheating spouses, money laundering managers and owners deciding they weren’t going to pay their workers because they couldn’t be bothered. Meeting up with Andrew made his evening, and just talking to him had Lee feeling better. Andrew was more of a tonic to him than he realized.
He didn’t like seeing Andrew retreating from what he had become. And all because someone decided they were going to bring Robert Hodgson’s profile back.
It was hard to believe that this young man was the target of such depravity. Lee wouldn’t be able to understand it. Andrew wouldn’t harm a fly, and now his picture was being used for someone to hide behind. And Andrew was getting the fallback.
Lee could only hope he found out who was doing it soon. He wanted the Andrew he knew back. Not the one who jumped at his own shadows.
There wasn’t much he could do while Andrew was working, and his own work could wait until later, so Lee picked up a book and settled on the other couch to read, stretching his long legs out. There was a brief pause as he did so and Lee looked over to see Andrew watching him. Then Andrew’s face went bright red and he went back to his work.
Lee smiled and turned back to his book.
The rest of the evening passed by pleasantly, more than Lee expected. Neither of them felt the need to speak. The silence hung around them, but it was comfortable. Lee found himself relaxing more as he got engrossed in his book. He didn’t often find himself liking silence; he always needed to fill it up with something. But with Andrew, it was different. The only noise was the fast tapping of Andrew’s keyboard.
They were the only ones for close to a quarter of a mile. The house was locked up tight and the outside alarms on. It was just the two of them.
Lee was halfway through his book when he happened to glance at the clock. It was almost midnight. He had been reading for almost three hours.
When was the last time he had sat down and read a book without doing anything else? Lee couldn’t remember. Everything was about work. Andrew brought him back from breaking his back with his papers and got him to relax.
That wasn’t something just anyone could do. Lee knew he wasn’t completely certain about things in his mind, but he did know that Andrew was special. He would certainly be special for someone.
Just for a moment, Lee wanted to be that special person.
Where had that come from? Now was not the time to think about exploring another man’s body. That should be the last thing on his mind. And yet Lee couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Rising up to a sitting position, Lee’s body screamed at him. He stood up and stretched his arms above his head before rolling his shoulders. His neck felt stiff, and his back wasn’t impressed with his long prone position. Lee went through some stretches to stop his body feeling like he had been turned into knots, and the pressure eased. When he rose up from attempting to touch his toes - and almost succeeding - Lee was aware of Andrew staring at him. The typing had stopped and Andrew was now looking at him with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open. There was a dazed look in his eyes.
A ripple of heat spread through Lee’s belly. Women had looked at him in wonder before, that was nothing. But coming from Andrew was a whole different ballgame. The heat tightened his gut, and his cock perked up as arousal built. That caught Andrew off-guard, and he found himself sitting down quickly so Andrew couldn’t see how aroused he was getting.
“How’s your work getting on?” He croaked, and then cleared his throat, shifting around until he was sure his now fully-fledged erection wasn’t on display. “Sounds like you’ve got your juices flowing again. You haven’t slowed down all evening.”
“Something seems to have clicked right now.” Andrew did a bit more tapping and then closed the laptop, sitting back with a sigh. “I wouldn’t have thought getting burgled would be enough to get my imagination going. I’ve been stalling for a while, and it was driving me mad.”
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with having a little excitement to get you going.”
That sounded more erotic that it was supposed to have done. Andrew’s mouth twitched in a smile.
“I didn’t think that was true. But I’ve got past the bits that I was struggling on, and everything’s coming along nicely.”
Now it was Lee’s turn to stare as Andrew stood and stretched himself. His sweater rode up, exposing the bare flesh between his top and jeans. There was a distinct ripple of muscle. Andrew had said he worked out a bit more so he didn’t turn into a fat slob at the desk, and it was clearly showing. Lee swallowed, unable to take his eyes off the man.
The teenager was certainly a man, all right.
“Any updates on the case?”
Lee blinked. Andrew had stopped stretching and was now looking at him strangely. Lee felt like he had been caught gawping in his neighbor’s window while they were undressing. He reached for his cell phone on the coffee table and glanced at the screen. Only one message from Kirsty, which essentially said nothing to find yet.
“Kirsty’s coming up against a brick wall, from the sound of it. Otherwise, she would be ringing until I picked up.”
“You let Kirsty loose on this and not yourself?”
Lee smiled.
“I’m doing bodyguard duties right now. Besides, Kirsty’s the whiz with technology. She can find things better than I can.”
Andrew’s mouth twitched in a slight smile.
“And here I was thinking you were the one who found Joseph Gulliver.”
“Charles knew his stuff, and I know a bit about computers. Kirsty is something e
lse. She can find anyone.”
“I didn’t think it would be difficult to find who had taken the Robert Hodgson profile.”
Lee hadn’t thought it would be difficult, either. But whoever had started this back up again had covered their tracks. They weren’t just tech savvy, they were masters. Lee had been stunned at how much this catfish was covering their tracks.
Someone was going through a lot to make sure Andrew suffered as he had done back in high school. It felt almost pathetic.
“I hope we find who’s been doing this.” Andrew said. He flopped onto the couch and stretched his legs out. “I didn’t like being a target the first time around and I don’t like it now. And I still hate the fact that I was chosen to be the one somebody hid behind.”
“People like that are cowards. They’ve got nothing better to do with their lives.” Lee said grimly. He tapped his cell phone on his thigh. “Like Joseph, cyber-bullies and catfish have a sense of power over disrupting everyone around them on the internet. They feel like they’re in control of something for once in their lives. But after a while, they seem to forget the person they stole from is a real person as well. That they are suffering because of this catfish’s actions. They’re in their own little bubble and it’s going to take more than a simple pin to pop it.”
Lee had encountered it on more than one occasion. He was friends with those who made a living out of finding those online who wanted to hide. It was surprisingly big business, and lots of people were damaged by it. Not just the person whose identity was stolen, but their families and friends. Even those taken in by the scams. It was a trauma. In Lee’s eyes, it was on the same level as other serious crimes. People got affected and it took a long time to get things back to normal.
Andrew was now slumped on the cushions, staring up at the ceiling. He looked worn out. Lee wanted to go over and stroke his head, help him relax. These fresh emotions were out of the blue, but the more time he spent alone with Andrew, the more Lee felt himself relax a little. He wanted to explore, find out what it really was. If it had been anyone else, Lee would have stopped himself and forced it away. But this was Andrew. Lee trusted him.
