by Zane Menzy
“Oh sure. Sounds good…” Keegan paused, letting slip his naivety. “I’ve not actually been there.”
Garth looked up at him puzzled. “How come?”
“Tonight was my eighteenth. So I guess next weekend will be my first night out clubbing.”
Garth screwed his face up, surprised by the answer. “Shit, really? I thought this was a 21st?” He began to laugh. “Fuck, I must have been the token old dude. No wonder Joel bailed.”
“How old are you?” Keegan asked.
“I turn twenty-four in three weeks.”
Keegan hadn’t picked Garth to be six years older. “Three weeks. Does that make you a Christmas baby?”
“Wow. Turns out he’s handsome and smart,” Garth joked. “Yep, I was born bang on Christmas Day. It’s kind of cool knowing I share a birthday with big J himself, but the sucky part is you only ever get one present.”
“I guess that would be a downer,” Keegan agreed.
Garth handed him his phone. “Put your number in here and I’ll text you mine. And definitely drop by if you do come to town next weekend.”
Keegan entered his name and digits into Garth’s phone and handed it back to him. In the distance car headlights illuminated the countryside like two bright moons. The rattling of a noisy exhaust pipe ruptured through the air.
“Judging by the sound of that hunk of shit, that’ll be Joel.” Garth tapped Keegan on the shoulder. “It was nice making your acquaintance. Tell your mum if she wants a boy toy, I’ll be more than happy to oblige.”
“I’ll be sure to pass that on, NOT!”
When Garth got to the bottom of the porch stairs he turned back around. “Hey, um, if you change your mind about how straight your arrow is then let me know. My mate and you would be such a good couple, seriously!”
Keegan groaned. “You’ll be the first to know.”
Garth gave him a salute. “Happy Birthday, Keegan. Sorry I didn’t get you a present so I hope this will do.”
Keegan wondered what the hell Garth was on about. The next thing he saw was Garth dropping his pants to the ground and wiggling his bare arse side to side.
Garth bent down and pulled his pants back up. “Now you know what it looks like without my gruts on. Hope this helps you out later when you think about me.”
Keegan covered his face, quietly laughing, wishing he could actually walk down for a closer look. “You need to work on your stripper moves, Garth.”
“I know right.” He chortled. “Catch ya round.” He waved goodbye and ran towards the road and Joel’s waiting car.
Keegan watched as Garth disappeared into the night. The guy was a fucking idiot—but a nice one—on what had been a not so very nice day.
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Down To The Booze
Keegan woke up with a mouth that felt filled with thistles, silently screaming for water. The little he had drunk the night before still left him with the dry horrors. He rolled over in the bed, wishing for there to be a glass of water on the bedside table. There wasn’t. He slid the sheet off his naked body and swooped his feet around and dropped them to the floor.
He had fallen asleep in a strangely upbeat mood; in spite of the birthday drama he had witnessed. Tess may have made the jump to sexual adulthood without him but it wasn’t exactly the end of the world, he figured. The part that burned was that Damon had thought he could take what didn’t belong to him. This riled Keegan to no end. It felt like Damon had got one up on him and it was fucking infuriating.
He cringed in embarrassment, remembering crying in front of Liam. I think I can put that down to the booze. Keegan knew now it wasn’t from hurt feelings, just a drunken tantrum like a kid who had his toy pinched. He could still feel the anger simmering deep down but he was able to suppress it, not wanting his day ruined within seconds of opening his eyes.
Keegan stood up and went to take a dozy step forward and landed on something that squished beneath his foot. He looked down at the floor and saw ten big mac burgers littering the floor.
He actually fucking got them! Keegan chuckled to himself at Damon’s obedience. The unrealistic dinner request was probably only granted because the bastard felt guilty; or thought it was the only way to cover his tracks for being so late home from dropping Tess off.
Keegan had not seen Damon by the end of the party, so he assumed it must have been nearly bloody daylight before the arsehole crawled inside from his dirty deed of another round with Tess. He reached over for his bag which sat on the bedroom’s window seat, rummaging through ‘till he found a fresh pair of underwear and shorts to chuck on. A blue light flashed at him from a desk of drawers on the other side of the room.
My phone!
Keegan went over and saw a ton of messages. He scrolled through checking for any angry text from Liam. He gulped down the lump of nerves in his throat attached to his wishful act out on the dirt of the roadside. What if he tells people it was me that gave him the love bite?
The light blonde hairs on Keegan’s neck began to prickle as he went through one by one, checking the names of those who had text. He scanned through them all but none were from Liam. Keegan checked the time on the phone. 11.13 a.m.; Liam was probably still asleep considering how hammered he had been, Keegan thought. Most of the messages were generic birthday wishes from family and friends he had not seen at the party. Near the bottom though was a number with no name attached he did not recognize. He pressed into the message to read it.
Hey Arrow. Garth here.
Keegan smiled at the friendly piss-taking text. He saved Garths details and shoved his phone in his pocket and headed out shirtless to the kitchen to fetch himself some much needed breakfast. In the kitchen he found his mum and Damon sitting at the table, both looking fresh and wide awake.
“Morning,” his mother cooed.
Keegan grunted in return, not in the mood to speak while Damon was in the room. He made his way to the pantry and fetched a box of feijoa flavored cereal that he overloaded into a bowl, drowning its corny flakes with a flood of milk. He begrudgingly sat down at the table, choosing the seat furthest from Damon who also sat there shirtless, his muscled chest with its mat of chest hair on full display, making Keegan feel like a weakling in comparison.
“I hope you’re not eating all of Nana and Pop’s food,” his mother said as her eyes took in his mountain high bowl of breakfast.
A voice shot through from the lounge. “He’s a growing boy, Marie. He can eat what he likes.” It was his grandfather, sitting watching the television. He smiled, encouraging Keegan to eat up.
“Thanks, Pop,” Keegan replied with a mouthful of food. A dribble of milk escaping his lips which garnered a disapproving frown from his mother.
“Don’t encourage him, Dad. He costs me the earth to feed at home and I don’t recommend partaking in the food funding.” His mother’s words were meant more jovial than serious.
Damon leaned forward, inspecting Keegan’s shirtless body. “I dunno, Marie, I think you’re starving him. He needs some fattening up.” He reached a hand across and squeezed Keegan’s bicep, the touch made Keegan’s skin crawl. Don’t touch me, bastard! Damon gave his arm another squeeze. “Yep, we need to get this boy beefed up.” He sat back in his chair with a pompous grin on his face.
Sure, he wasn’t a muscle bound hound but he was hardly a stick insect; just a normal thin for his age, but the vain Damon would only consider a physique like his own or Liam’s as acceptable.
“Not all guys are meant to be beefcakes, Damon,” Keegan’s mother replied. “Not that you aren’t a beefcake, darling.” She laughed at her subtle mocking and got up from the table and headed to the kitchen sink to make a coffee. “Anybody want a hot drink?” she called out.
“One for me, please,” Damon answered.
“Me too, love,” Keegan’s grandfather hollered.
“Coming right up.” She nodded and went about grabbing cups from the pantry.
Keegan was about to get up and take hi
s breakfast outside to eat but Damon pounced on him with conversation before he had a chance to escape. “How were the burgers?” he asked with a glint of derisiveness in his voice.
Keegan munched down on his food, just nodding. He didn’t want to be anywhere near this prick let alone talk with him. Keegan still had no desire for any form of conflict, he had already accepted that his well-trodden path of passive aggressiveness would be all he dished out. There was no way he was going to bring up what he had witnessed outside the toilet window. He just wanted to eat his breakfast, go back home, lock himself away in his bedroom and get lost in his world of gaming, so he didn’t have to socialize with Damon, who he assumed would be following them back to spend the rest of his visit at their place.
“Sorry I didn’t get them back in time but I bumped into an old mate after dropping Tess off home,” Damon said. He sat there with a smile, seemingly capable of lying his arse off with ease. He scratched the hair on his chest and gazed out towards the window at the bright day. “Looks like a gorgeous day outside.” He turned his head back to face Keegan, waiting for a response.
Keegan kept his eyes pointed down, staring at his drenched corn flakes and fruity chunks.
“I said it’s a nice day,” Damon repeated.
Keegan begrudgingly raised his face. “Guess so.”
“What’s wrong with you this morning? You’re acting like a right bitch.” Damon followed his insult with a chuckle.
Gee, let me think? You fucked my girlfriend!
“Nothing’s wrong with me,” Keegan snapped back. He crunched down extra heavy on a mouthful of food out of spite.
“Really, could have fooled me,” Damon said. He looked back out the window, admiring the sunny day. “I hope the weather stays like this for our trip away.”
“Our what?” Keegan asked, nearly choking on his food.
Damon spun back round, a smug look on his face. “Our trip away together, K dog!”
Keegan didn’t know what the hell Damon was on about. His mum walked back over carrying three coffees, she ambled into the lounge handing one to his grandfather before returning to the table and handing one to Damon.
“What trip away are you talking about?” Keegan asked. He didn’t like the sound of this.
Damon’s voice perked up, “You and me are going bush, matey.”
Keegan’s mother widened her eyes at Keegan, willing him to feign excitement. “Damon is taking you away to the Lakes Forest Park overnight, so you two can spend the whole day there tomorrow; it’s part of your birthday present.”
You were fucking in on this?
“It’ll be awesome, we can go rock climbing, treetop walking, white water rafting, bungee jumping,” Damon spouted off the list with rushed excitement. “I went once years ago with a group of mates, we had a blast. There were more girls camping up there than you could shake a stick at.”
“I don’t know how Tess will feel about that part,” Keegan’s mother said with a smirk.
“Ahhh but you see, Marie. What happens on tour stays on tour.” Damon winked at Keegan.
Damon’s cell phone blared to life inside his pocket, its ring tone set at a deafening loud level. He stood up hastily, staring down at the screen. “I gotta take this; be back soon.” He shot the phone up to his ear. “Hello, Damon speaking.” He raced through the lounge, making his way outside to the back porch, closing the ranch slider behind him.
Keegan wasted no time in raising his disgust at his unwanted birthday gift. “Why would you tell him a trip away was a good idea?” He glared at his mother who had a guilty look locked across her face.
She sighed. “Look, I know this isn’t the kind of thing you’re normally in to, but who knows? You might actually have some fun being out of the house for once,” she said defensively.
Keegan dropped his spoon into his bowl of breakfast, shaking his head. “How is me being stuck in the middle of nowhere with some dickhead desperate to be 18 again going to be fun for me?”
She narrowed her eyes, surprised by his hostile reaction. “There’s no need to be so rude, Keegan. Damon went to a lot of trouble rescheduling some of his clients just so he could take you on this trip… if you actually gave it a chance you might find there is fun to be had away from a computer screen.”
“He can’t find porn in the forest, Marie.” His grandfather piped up before cackling.
Keegan tried not to laugh at the nosy old man. “Yeah, Mum. What pop said.”
“Fuck sake,” she muttered under her breath, trying her best to maintain a serious expression. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Damon was still outside. “Look, just make his heart happy and go along. It’s only overnight, you’ll be back home tomorrow evening,” she whispered. “Lord knows I could do with the house to myself for once.”
Keegan was shocked at hearing this. “I could still end up at uni next year and you’ll have the house to yourself all the time.”
His mother laughed. “Keegan, we both know you won’t be moving away to uni.”
“What makes you say that,” he asked indignantly.
“You will stay here because Liam is staying here.”
Her comment gave him chills. Like she knew his feelings. “No,” he said back like a grumpy toddler.
She smiled at him. “You and Liam are like a co-dependent married couple. Where one goes the other follows. And you, my dear… tend to do the following.”
“That’s so not true,” he muttered, even though it was. He folded his arms, huffing.
“Oh, cheer up. When you get back from the trip you’ll have all summer to laze about and do nothing.” She leaned forward and whispered, “Between you and me, Damon’s actually got a card for you with money in it, it will more than cover the hourly rate of suffering through exploring the great outdoors.”
Money—the best gift of all—was enough to make Keegan reconsider his reluctance. Besides, he had no intention of ratting Damon out as much as he would like to. It would only create a shit storm and he didn’t fancy his male pride be dented with his family all knowing his girlfriend had cheated on him with a guy twice his age. “Okay, I’ll go,” he said coolly.
“Good. Honestly, Keegan, I think you’ll have a lot of fun. Boring is not a word I associate with Damon.” His mum returned to sipping her coffee just as a loud knock thudded behind them
Keegan craned his neck around to see Liam standing at the open front door, he was wearing black pants and a ghastly checked collared shirt. Even the hideous top couldn’t damage his good looks, he still looked sexy as fuck, Keegan thought.
Liam smiled at them both. “Hey, I just came to get my keys so I can take my car home.”
“Morning Liam,” Keegan’s mum said. “Did you want to join us for a coffee?”
Liam waved. “I can’t sorry. I’ve got to go help mum at the book store. She is down a staff member today. Hence the gross outfit.” He clutched his shirt and pulled a revolted face.
Keegan leapt up from his seat and went and got Liam his keys that were hanging up on the key rack in the kitchen. “Here you go,” he said and stepped after Liam outside.
“Follower!” Keegan’s mum called out laughing.
He turned back around and rolled his eyes at her before following behind Liam.
CHAPTER TWELVE:
Fine Kiwi Meat
Mindless chit chat accompanied the short walk to Liam’s car, neither coughing up any mention of last night’s moment. Keegan waited for it, surely Liam would rip into him once they were far enough away from the house.
“I can’t believe this,” Liam exhaled, shaking his head. He looked around checking to see if anyone was around.
Oh my god, here it comes.
Liam unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, exposing the love bite Keegan had given him. It was now deep purple, incredibly noticeable. “Some bitch gave me a fucking hicky last night. It’s a monster of a thing.” He lifted his chin higher so Keegan could get a proper look as he traced his fingers over
it.
“Wow,” Keegan said, doing his best to sound shocked. His tongue tingled remembering the taste of Liam’s skin.
“Wow, all fucking right. Whoever she is, she deserves a fucking medal.” He laughed as he did his top button back up. “This fucker is gonna be here for over a week at least.”
“You don’t know who gave it to you?” Keegan asked, flinching on the inside.
“Not a clue. Someone with sharp teeth and a mouth like a vacuum cleaner is my best guess.”
“Ha, yeah… so do you not remember anything?”
Liam pursed his lips, concentrating. “I remember being down at the bon fire and being a nuisance but I can’t remember much after that… how I got home or anything.”
“Sounds like you had a big night,” Keegan joked.
Liam arched his eyebrows, like a lost thought suddenly invaded his head. “Fuck, I totally forgot to ask. What happened with Tess?” He punched Keegan’s shoulder, grinning ear to ear. “You finally joined the club!”
Keegan looked down at his feet, rubbing his heel along the ground. “Not exactly.” Keegan quickly analyzed if it would be wise to share his loss and failure with Liam for a second time. It was obvious a sober Liam was not going to offer the same drunken hug like he had the night before. “Nope, it didn’t happen,” Keegan said flatly.
Liam’s face dropped in shock. “What do you mean it didn’t happen?”
“It just didn’t happen. Tess was tired so she went home.” Keegan waited for Liam to laugh. He didn’t.
In an almost somber voice Liam said, “Oh, gutted.”
“It’s not like anyone died,” Keegan replied.
“No, but this was your big night.” Liam looked at him like he was a pitiful creature in pain. “Wonder why she didn’t want to do it?” His eyes subtly scanned the length of Keegan’s shirtless body.