by Inge Mayhem
“Brad. I know his brother and his sister-in-law. They own the ranch where I used to work.”
“Ah, another cowboy. This sounds promising. Maybe you can introduce me, eh? Well, I am so glad we met you, Drew Eastwood.”
Drew chuckled. “Me too.”
Florence stood up, and they embraced. Tyson stood too, and they exchanged a brief kiss on the cheek. Tyson couldn’t help it; he started blushing.
“We should do this again soon.”
“Yes, let’s, soon,” was all that Tyson managed to say.
With a wave, Drew was gone.
“Damn,” Florence said. “He is so cute.”
“I know,” Tyson agreed, “but I’m not sure if we had a spark.” Tyson immediately tried to talk himself out of his feelings. “He didn’t even ask for my number before he left.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. I have no doubt you’ll be seeing him again.”
“I hope so.”
“But in the meantime, this bar is starting to get busy. Look around, Tyson! The night is young.”
Chapter 5
New View Apartments, Little Bay
Drew chose a bottle of red wine from the bottle shop and was still a little tipsy when he turned the key to the front door of Brad’s apartment. He had been able to walk there, as it was only a couple of neighborhoods away from Stiff Drinks. He was glad that he had met Tyson and Florence. His social skills felt a little rusty.
Drew smiled to himself, thankful for the kindness of strangers, and grateful that the city no longer felt quite so intimidating. For a moment, he missed the wide-open spaces, the animals, the country air, and his routine. But he had no choice, he had to leave the farm, and he was eager to meet Brad before he wasted any more time.
“Hello,” Drew called out as he stepped into the entranceway, and he heard his voice echo down the wooden floorboards of the corridor.
“Hi! I’m in the kitchen.”
The response came from a deep voice, and Drew kicked off his shoes before padding softly into the house’s interior. He greeted Brad again when he turned the corner.
“Hi! It’s so nice to meet you.” He extended his hand, which Brad took and shook with a firm grip.
“I’m sorry, I literally just walked in the front door. I always run home after I hit the gym, so I’m a little sweaty.” Brad’s body was dripping, and he stood in front of Drew, shirtless, wearing only a pair of shorts. Drew couldn’t contain a smile, but he was also slightly in shock.
“You look exactly like Hank.” It was the first thing that came to mind, and while he had always known that they were brothers, he didn’t realize they would be so close in age.
“Yeah, we used to get that a lot when we were growing up. We’re not twins, but we would get mistaken all the time.”
Drew extended his bottle of wine as an offering. “Thank you so much for letting me stay. I hope you like Shiraz.”
“That’s so nice of you. I do, thank you. I have a whole wine collection, so please help yourself to anything you like while you’re here.”
“That’s very kind. This apartment is amazing.” Drew glanced over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and the balcony which looked out over the twinkling lights of Little Bay. “Thank you so much for letting me crash in your spare room.”
“It’s my pleasure. Now, let me uncork this and pour us some glasses. Then, I’ll need to get changed.”
Drew began to notice how Brad differed from his brother. He was more social, very chatty, and his demeanor was quite warm. As Brad made his way around the cabinets, Drew moved to sit on one of the stools that were lined up under the kitchen benchtop. Brad also seemed much more muscular, which was surprising. Hank ran a farm, but Brad seemed like he spent a lot of time in the gym. Drew could also see a tattoo, which snaked out from the waistband of Brad’s black gym shorts.
But the brothers shared the same blue eyes. When he was talking to Hank, he always found those eyes so difficult to read. Brad seemed sincere though, and he tried not to stare at his body as he arranged the glasses in front of him. Drew suddenly wondered if this was a good idea. He had already been drinking and probably didn’t need another glass, but he didn’t want to appear rude. He accepted the wine when Brad offered it.
“Ok, I’ll be right back,” Brad called out, heading in the direction of the bathroom.
Drew heard water running. He thought back to his last day on the farm. Everything had escalated so quickly, and his life had changed in just one day.
Chapter 6
Shower Block, The Ranch
As they had discussed, Hank had trudged out and met Drew before sunrise. Both men had stood in the dark, dressed in boxer shorts, with towels over their shoulders.
“I thought I’d join you,” Hank had said quietly.
Drew didn’t really know what to say. He could feel that something was about to happen. There was electricity in the air.
Hank had undressed first, pulling down his underwear and stepping towards the shower block. Drew could see his bare ass in the starlight. There were three spots for the men to wash after a long day of work. Hank chose to stand right in the middle. Drew didn’t want to stand about awkwardly watching his boss, so he stripped down too and followed behind him.
Drew tried to keep his head down as he reached for the tap, but he couldn’t help himself. He glanced quickly across at Hank, and he saw what he had been expecting all morning.
Hank leaned into the water. With one hand he washed his chest, pressing his palm to his pectoral muscles, moving in slow motion over his nipples. But when Drew’s gaze moved down his muscled body, Drew could see that Hank had an erection. His cock was standing to attention, even in the cold water. Hank’s other hand moved across his abdomen, down to grab the shaft of his penis and to cup his balls. Hank looked up the whole time, closing his eyes as the water rushed over him, as though he wasn’t aware of Drew at all.
But Drew’s body responded immediately. His heart raced, and blood rushed through his veins. He got hard too, and it felt terrifying. There was so much danger in the simple act of standing there. Drew felt a sudden urge to leave, but he couldn’t tear himself away. He wanted to stay.
When Hank finally looked across at him, Drew felt as though he could read his mind. Hank was hoping to see Drew get turned on. He wanted to see the red hair on his chest that trailed down below his belly button. But more than that, Hank wanted to see Drew’s throbbing penis and to see him touching himself too.
No words were exchanged between the two men. In the cold water and the frigid morning air, Drew began to instinctively tug on his cock, and Hank did the same. They watched each other, spurred on by each other. As dawn broke, Hank slowly came with a low groan. Seeing his boss orgasm, spurting cum that dripped from his dick, it was more than Drew could bear. He ejaculated too and watched as water quickly washed his semen down the drain.
It all happened very quickly; it felt wrong, but it felt good. Hank was a married man, but now the two men shared a secret. Drew thought about Gracie for a moment, and it felt like a betrayal.
Without acknowledging their lust for each other, Hank quickly grabbed his belongings and walked back to the house. He didn’t even stop to dry his body.
It was with a strange sense of shame that Drew did the same thing, returning to his room. He knew almost instantly that he would need to leave the farm.
Chapter 7
Brad’s Living Room, Little Bay
When Brad emerged, he had changed into a tank top and jeans. Drew couldn’t get over how much he reminded him of Hank; the instant familiarity he felt was strange.
“Sorry to duck out on you like that. Should we move into the living room?” Brad picked up his wine glass and walked towards the center of the apartment. Drew followed, looking out at the view again. Brad settled on the sofa, and Drew sat facing him.
“Please don’t apologize, you’re doing me a huge favor, even having me here.”
“It’s my pleasure, truly. So, what
brings you to Long Harbor City? Gracie mentioned something about your father.”
Drew felt his whole body stiffen. To be reminded of Gracie, he felt a sudden surge of guilt. But he also wondered how much Brad knew about him. He had been preparing for this moment, but now it was here.
“Yeah, Samuel Sanford is my dad.”
“Did Gracie tell you that I know him?”
“Yep, she did. I’m not sure how much she told you about my situation though. I’ve been trying to find Samuel for the past few years. Really, I just want to pass on a message from my mom.”
“Right, Gracie said she passed—I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry about your parents, too. I guess we have loss in common.”
“I suppose we do. Hank, Gracie, and the kids—they’re my family now. I owe them a lot: taking over the farm like they did.”
Drew shifted his position on the couch. He wanted to change the topic, but small talk didn’t seem to be an option. “So, what do you know about Samuel and his life here in the city?”
“Samuel looks just like you. I don’t see him much anymore. We used to work on a few of the same job sites. After leaving the ranch, a lot of guys make their way to this part of the world, and a lot of guys end up working in construction.”
“Right.”
“So, I recognized your dad straight away. It was the red hair. He seems to have a lot of connections in town. Our jobs would usually take us to the south side of the harbor.” Brad took a sip of his wine. “In fact, there’s one pub in particular where you might be able to track him down. It’s a bit sketchy, but that was the sort of crew he would hang with—you know what I mean?”
Drew nodded. He knew his father’s habits quite well. His life had become entirely about his parents, and at last, he might finally be on the cusp of learning the information he needed.
The main reason Drew had left the farm was to have this conversation with Brad, and Gracie was the reason he was staying in his apartment. The timing had been extremely coincidental. On the same day that Drew had met Hank at dawn, Gracie had come to him at dusk with Brad’s address and cell phone number.
“Truly, I’m so grateful for your help, and Gracie’s help too. If she hadn’t reached out to you, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”
“Yeah, she’s clever. Gracie is the one who called me and suggested I ask around about your old man. Turns out, I didn’t need to ask a soul. I am pretty sure he’s still in the city. I’m just glad that I’m able to give you a hand and to help you if I can. I owe Gracie a favor or two.”
“I guess I do too.”
“I hope that you can find him.”
“I hope so too. Tell me, Brad, what’s the name of the pub?”
Part II
Chapter 8
Blue Moon Apartments, Blue Bridge
On Saturday morning, Tyson rolled over in bed and instinctively reached for his phone. His mouth was completely dry, and his head was pounding. He noticed he was completely naked and tangled in his sheets, but he couldn’t remember getting home or undressing. He hoped he had brushed his teeth last night in his drunken state.
He had a number of text messages and one missed call. But he couldn’t handle the overload of information, so he tossed his phone on the bed and shut his eyes. One thing at a time—first, he needed a bathroom—then painkillers.
He dragged himself around his apartment and shuddered when he caught his reflection in a mirror. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked about five years older than his usual youthful self. Donning dark glasses, some underwear, and retrieving his phone again, he made his way to the kitchen. He located his supply of prescription drugs. Finally, after what felt like a mammoth effort, he reclined on his sofa with a large glass of water, shutting his eyes to the morning light pouring through the windows.
He only intended to rest for a moment, but his body needed sleep. When he woke again, it was early afternoon. His phone vibrated and lit up on the coffee table. This time he was able to read the message from Florence.
‘Oh my gosh, last night was FUN. But today I’m DYING.’ This was followed by a string of emojis, ending with several skulls.
Tyson flicked open his apps, and memories started rushing back. He remembered taking photos on the dance floor. He had wrangled, in a drunken fever, Drew’s phone number from Florence and recalled the texts he had sent Drew in the early hours of the morning. He remembered eating street food and dancing as the sun rose, before he found a cab that was willing to take him home. Florence had fulfilled her promise to be his wing woman, and he was reeling from the aftershock. Still, with the exception of Drew, he hadn’t embarrassed himself with any boys.
He gingerly checked his other messages. Drew hadn’t replied yet. That was a bad sign. But as he read over his sent history, he realized that his efforts at flirting had been mostly harmless. He had sent Drew a few “come out” requests, followed by live updates at their location. There were no confessions of his crush or explicit sexts. So, he could recover from this—he quickly opened a new text.
‘Hi Drew! I’m so sorry for harassing you with messages last night. Florence is a dangerous drinking partner. I blame her entirely. Anyway, it was great to meet you, and I hope we can hang out again soon!’
Tyson paused, contemplating adding a winky face or a kiss to the end. But he chickened out and hit send. He wasn’t expecting an immediate response.
‘No problem. It was fun to meet you too, Tyson. Quick question. Do you have a car by any chance?’
Tyson sat up and recoiled as his head pounded. He reached for more painkillers.
‘Yeah, I do. Do you need a ride somewhere? I’m not sure if I can drive just yet. Last night ended pretty late. I might be drunk still. Lol.’
He could see that Drew was typing, replying immediately. He adjusted himself on the couch.
‘If you could do me one giant favor, that would be amazing. Do you have plans later?’
Tyson felt a surge of blood rush through his body.
‘Nope. I am all yours.’
‘Ok great. If you have some time to kill, you can keep me company on a stakeout.’
Tyson was puzzled. He had a strange feeling that his relationship with Drew was about to get a little more complicated.
Chapter 9
Brad’s Spare Bedroom, New View Apartments
Drew sat up in bed. He was starting to get hungry, but he wanted to give Brad a little bit of space in his own home. A plan was taking shape in his mind, and it made him nervous.
After years of looking for his father, he finally had a lead. It would be fitting to finally locate Samuel in a pub. Now, with Tyson in place, he had a driver.
He looked across at his bag. Stuffed inside, amongst clean and dirty clothes, he knew there lay nestled a canister of prescription pills and the pistol he stole from Arnold’s bottom drawer on the ranch. The gun wasn’t loaded, but bullets were in the pocket of his jacket, which lay draped on the back of the door handle.
Back on the farm, Drew had spent countless hours practicing with targets, whenever he could smuggle the gun out on one of his runs. Drew felt confident that his aim would be sure, even if he was a little hungover.
Now, all that he needed was to fortify his resolve.
Chapter 10
City Roads, Little Bay
Tyson sent Drew a short text message when he pulled up to his apartment building and parked his sedan.
‘I’m out front. But no rush, take your time.’
In a few minutes, Drew came bounding down the front steps. Tyson could spot him a mile away with his shock of red hair.
“Hi,” Drew said breathlessly as he climbed into the passenger seat. When he smiled, Tyson swooned. “Thanks for picking me up. I hope you’re ready for an adventure.”
Tyson laughed. “What sort of crazy evening have you got planned? A stakeout? Or was that a typo? Are you taking me to a steak restaurant?”
“That’s not a bad idea. I promise to bu
y you a steak dinner to say thank you when this is all over!” Drew was smiling, but his tone was deadpan.
“So, what’s this all about then?” Tyson hadn’t started the car yet. He wanted to get a few details straight before he got tangled up in Drew’s mess.
“I mean, it sounds worse than it is—but I’m here to track down my father. Did I tell you that?”
“A few details from last night are a little foggy, but this plan is news to me.”
“Ok, well, that’s what brought me to the city.” Drew paused, wondering how to phrase things. “But the thing is . . . we’re not close. I don’t know if I’m ready to speak to him just yet.”
“How long has it been since you saw him?”
“A few years,” Drew said quietly.
“Wow, ok. And you haven’t had much contact in that time?”
“No. I don’t even think he knows that my mother died.” Drew was getting a little choked up, and Tyson’s heart went out to him.
“I’m so sorry to hear that, Drew. That’s tough.”
“Thanks.” Drew clenched his jaw, and suddenly he was enveloped in a shroud of stoicism. Tyson wasn’t prepared for him to shut down though. He wanted to get to know the man next to him. He wanted to get closer.
“So, you plan to tell him about your mom when you see him?”
“If I have the courage.”
“Fair enough.” Tyson knew when to stop prying. “Well, tonight, I’m at your service. Where are we headed?”
“Do you know The Hammer and Wrench Inn? It’s in Harbor South, apparently.”
“No . . . But I can map to it. Is that where he works?”
“That’s where he drinks. Well, where he used to. My intelligence might be a little bit old—hence the stakeout.”
“Ahh, it all makes sense. Sounds like fun. So, let’s get going then. No time to waste!” Tyson started the engine, and the radio blared. Tyson quickly turned down the dial. “Sorry.”