“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Anyway, it’s about Diego. I couldn’t stop thinking about him, so I finally got out of bed. I took Boomer for a walk with it still dark out, and it didn’t help at all. When I brought him back, he stared at me for almost five minutes with those big eyes. He looked confused. Finally, he just turned around and decided to curl up in his basket in the living room and go back to sleep.”
Dak started to laugh. He stopped himself and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh at you. I was laughing at the dog. Brody is trying to convince me that we should get one. He says a kid needs a pet, but I don’t know. It’s a lot to take care of. Both a kid and a dog. It’s a lot. Am I crazy for thinking it’s a lot.”
Alan smirked. “A lot of people do it. Dogs are great. They love you regardless of what you do.”
Dak laughed, and he asked, “So did you look Diego in the eye?”
Alan’s brow furrowed. “How do you know about that?”
“I live with Brody, remember? Couples tell each other everything. That’s just the way it is. Brody gives me a blow by blow description of his day. A lot of it I don’t need, like Lacey asking him about a new color of lipstick.”
“Seriously?”
Dak nodded. “Yep. That’s just Brody. He’ll talk about anything. He asked me one day whether I agreed with him that keeping hose fittings in the garden section instead of plumbing made the most sense. Anyway, he told me about the looking in Diego’s eyes thing, and I guess he’s right. It did happen with us.”
“Do you have any regrets?”
“Hell, no. I should have kissed Brody at least ten years ago, but I guess it was good we weren’t together when I was on the river. That would have been tough.”
“It’s not really about looking into Diego’s eyes, but I am falling for him. The only thing is we’re already receiving flak about being a couple. It looks like there are some anti-Latino bigots out there in these small towns.”
Dak reached up and put a hand on Alan’s shoulder. “Aww, damn. Really? What happened?”
“You saw what happened in the restaurant. Lewis is still dogging me. He’s tied me to Diego, too. He must be spying or something.”
“That little shit? Someone needs to take him for a long walk on a short pier into the river. It would serve him right.”
“Was he that bad with you?”
“I didn’t figure it out at first, but Brody has helped me on that. He was emotionally abusive. I felt like shit when I was dating him. I thought it was all me, but now I know better.” Dak raised an eyebrow. “Is that it? Just Lewis?”
“Diego’s getting trash thrown his way, too. We don’t know for sure where it’s coming from. I suspect it has some connection to Lewis, too. It’s all pathetic.”
Dak shook his head. “Yeah, but don’t let it get in your way. If Diego’s the man, you should keep after him.” Dak slapped Alan on the shoulder. “Be a man. Don’t let the little shits get you down.”
“I’ve never run into anything like this,” said Alan. “I’ve only dated white guys before. Is this what it’s like?”
With a shrug, Dak said, “I can’t help you there. I had a short ‘thing’ with a black guy on the boat, but it didn’t continue once we hit the shore. He had two more weeks on the boat, and I never heard from him or saw him again.”
Both men stood in silence watching the river flow slowly southward. Dak pointed and said, “See the woodpecker in the tree over there? I heard him just before you came, and I couldn’t find him at first.”
“You’d think they would get a terrible headache. I know I would.”
“So, is Diego the one?”
Alan was silent, and Dak stared at the woodpecker giving Alan time to think. He picked up one more stone, but he held on while he waited for a reply.
Alan shook his head. “There are so many other issues. There’s the conflict of interest at work, and he’s so emotional about everything...”
Dak cut him off. “Is he the one?” Dak skipped the stone while he waited for the next answer.
“I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“Then you better go after him,” said Dak. “I don’t know if I believe there’s only one guy out there for you, but I don’t think there are that many. I won’t tell you how many guys I went through that were wrong, sometimes hellishly wrong, and the right one was standing beside me all the time. Don’t miss the boat, Alan. It’s tied up at the dock waiting for you.”
16
Date
It was what Diego wanted, but he couldn’t figure out why it was so hard to completely embrace it. He was left almost speechless when Alan called his office and said, “My answer is yes. I want to go out together.”
Diego began to ask, “What changed your mind?” Instead, he successfully held his tongue. Asking that sort of question could lead to Alan changing his mind again.
Alan closed the call saying, “I’m looking forward to it. I’m sorry it took me so long to say yes. I don’t have a good excuse for that.”
After climbing out of the shower, Diego stared at himself in the mirror. He knew that he might regret the tattoos that covered much of his torso by the time he was thirty years older, but Alan liked them. Diego remembered the long thin index finger tracing the contours of skulls and flower blossoms while they exchanged soft words about nothing in the aftermath of the border shooting. He longed to be naked with Alan again and feel the touch of Alan’s fingertips on his bare skin.
“Damnit! Why can’t I get this right?” Diego combed through the unruly black hair on top of his head one more time. Struggling with the comb was nothing new, but he wanted to be perfect for Alan. Diego couldn’t tolerate any imperfections. He winced as another wave of emotion welled up inside.
It all felt like a battle. His hair wasn’t right. He couldn’t decide on the right shirt to wear. Diego wanted to wear an expensive suit or at least a sports jacket. Alan was worth that, but they told each other on the phone it should be casual, and they wanted to set aside any obligations. It was to be a no-strings-attached dinner.
Diego tugged on his jeans and grumbled, “The next time we’re going out in style.” He mused about driving to the Twin Cities for a weekend with Alan and staying in the most expensive hotel they could find. He would splurge for the best dinner and wake up in the morning between lush Egyptian cotton sheets cuddled into Alan’s long arms.
Diego stared at himself in the mirror in a plaid, casual shirt and the jeans. At least the shirt was tailored perfectly. It clung firmly to his fit body. He knew that Alan would notice.
They met at Diego’s favorite Mexican restaurant in Red Wing. It had a large main dining room, but the host immediately ushered them into a back section that held only four other tables. Diego grinned, “It’s a special room for friends of the family.”
“You know them well?” asked Alan.
“Well enough.” Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the owner. He was an older gentleman with silver-streaked hair. He proudly announced, “We’re not taking your order unless you have something special in mind. I will bring you a special meal from the best of today’s ingredients.”
Diego looked across the table at Alan. “Does that work for you?”
Alan nodded. “How can I say no to that. I feel pampered already.”
Diego watched Alan relax as he steered their conversation away from trucks, bullets, and bigoted neighbors. Instead, he talked about a grand tour of Europe and mentioned the weekend idea in the Twin Cities. Alan said, “I loved living in Germany, and the Middle East was fun, too. I would love to have you show me around Mexico sometime.”
“You’re a traveler like me,” said Diego. “I’ll take you to Merida in the south and the ruins left behind by our ancient ancestors. Then we’ll go to Oaxaca to eat.”
“Just to eat?”
“Have you ever eaten in Oaxaca? It’s the best food in all Mexico. It might be the best food in all the world. I’ll feed it to you one forkful at a ti
me.” Diego felt his cock thicken between his legs. He imagined lying on a lounge chair together with Alan in a beautiful courtyard. He could hear the trickle of water in the fountain and the heady scent of gardenias in bloom. They would be shirtless or maybe even naked as Diego fed the man that he loved.
“Are you there, Diego?”
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry. I just drifted off into my memories. It happens on occasion.” He hoped they would someday be shared memories with Alan. “And you’ll take me to Germany, and we’ll eat schnitzel?”
“Of course,” smiled Alan. “Have you eaten schnitzel before?”
“I have no idea what it is.”
Alan didn’t get the chance to explain. Three plates of food arrived. They were already feeling full from guacamole and a ceviche appetizer. One dish held chicken smothered in dark mole sauce. The other two included enchiladas and chile rellenos. “I’ll be stuffed to the brim by the time this meal is over,” sighed Alan.
Diego held up a margarita glass. He said, “Let’s make a toast to our reunion at last. We’ve left all the bad things in the world behind, and the good thing is the two of us right here and right now.”
Alan clinked his glass with Diego’s. As he sipped the drink, he looked across the table into Diego’s eyes, and then he quickly looked away. Brody and Dak were right. It was dangerous.
Diego watched his gaze. He didn’t know why Alan looked away so quickly. He set the glass down and began to ask why but caught himself. Progress was progress, and perfection wasn’t necessary at the moment.
They shared a slice of tres leches cake for dessert. Alan sighed, “I haven’t had something this delicious in a long time.” With one bite remaining, Diego slipped it onto his fork and held it out for Alan.
As the bite disappeared, Diego watched his lips. He’d already decided he wouldn’t attempt to bring Alan home, but he wanted a kiss before the evening was over. He asked, “Would you like to go for a walk along the river before we call it a night? I’m enjoying your company, and I don’t want it to end so soon.”
Alan smiled. “I have time for a quick walk. Then I need to get home. I have early morning meetings.”
Diego led the way in his car driving through downtown and stopping at the park that curved around Red Wing Bay. Alan followed in his car and parked next to Diego.
The park was Diego’s favorite place in his adopted hometown. He watched as Alan began to furtively glance around when he emerged from his car.
Diego said, “Don’t worry. There’s no one here out to get you. I promise.”
Alan exhaled. “I’m sorry that I’m acting like that. I’ve lived a lot of places where you had to be on guard, so I guess it’s a reflex.”
“Let’s walk along by the marina. I never knew there would be people living in houseboats here in Minnesota. I’ve seen them in Seattle in the movies.”
Alan stepped up close, and Diego turned his head to sniff the light sandalwood cologne worn by Alan. He wore simple casual clothes including jeans, but he smelled expensive. The scent unleashed an electric sensation up Diego’s spine.
Alan looked at the houseboats as he walked at Diego’s side along the paved path. He asked, “Would you want to live in one of these? I wonder if I would worry about it sinking.”
“Do you worry about your house burning down?”
“No, not really. I guess it’s always a possibility.”
“Then I don’t think you would worry about your houseboat sinking. People follow patterns. We create habits, and it’s hard to change those.”
“What habits do you have, Diego?”
“One horrible one.”
Alan stopped walking. “Oh, really? Is it one that I didn’t see in the hotel in Texas?”
Diego shook his head. Inside he was smiling. Alan was falling right into his velvet-lined trap. “You weren’t there long enough to see it.”
“And it’s a nasty one?”
Diego nodded. “I admit it. The habit is terrible.” He reached his arms out toward Alan. He was pleased when Alan stepped forward, and he was able to fold Alan into his arms. As Alan turned around to continue gazing at the houseboats, Diego nestled his nose against Alan’s neck.
“So what is it that’s so terrible, Diego? It could be a deal breaker…”
Diego whispered, “It’s terrible how much I love to spoil a man. Particularly a man as handsome as you.”
Alan’s body quivered slightly beneath Diego’s fingertips. He placed a hand firmly on Alan’s chest and was confident he could feel the heart pounding. Alan was silent.
“Don’t you think that’s horrible?”
Alan whispered. “I’ve never experienced it. I’ll have to let you know.”
Diego pushed gently but with a firm touch until Alan turned around. He said, “I won’t go home tonight without a kiss.”
“That’s good because I would never let you leave without one.”
They pressed their lips together as Diego cradled the back of Alan’s head in his right hand and wrapped the left arm around his back pulling their bodies close together. The kiss was intimate, slow, and languid. Diego parted his lips and allowed Alan’s tongue the opportunity to explore until he started to suck lightly on it.
When their lips finally parted, Alan whispered, “There’s so much to sort out.”
Diego said, “But we know this.”
“I think we do.”
As they said goodnight to each other, Diego stood silently nearby and watched Alan climb into his car. He reached up and touched a finger to the single tear forming at the corner of his left eye. He was feeling too emotional to pay attention to anything else happening nearby, including the car that drove in a slow circuit around the parking lot.
17
A Tarrant Meeting
Alan slept soundly that night sprawled at an angle across his queen-sized bed. The arrangement was necessary because Boomer’s dead weight filled the lower left corner. He pushed his head up against Alan’s calf and refused to move when his human attempted to spread his legs and take up more space under the covers.
Diego filled Alan’s dreams. Alan woke up at 3:00 a.m. with a full hard-on and the thought of sliding his tongue along the blossoms decorating Diego’s bronze chest. He rolled over to face away from Boomer and tried to will the hard-on to subside. After his body refused to comply, Alan got up and crept down the stairs to find his way to the kitchen and shove half of a bagel into the toaster.
“You didn’t have to get up,” said Alan as he watched a bleary-eyed Boomer amble into the kitchen.
Boomer didn’t look up, but he parked his body in front of the cabinet where his bone-shaped treats resided. He heaved a heavy sigh as he sat on his haunches and watched Alan chewing on the bagel.
“Okay, fine, you get to eat something, too. Don’t tell the vet. He thinks you’re too heavy and said we need to cut down on your snacks. I don’t think feeding you in the middle of the night is part of cutting down.”
Alan never understood how his otherwise slow-moving dog could react so quickly when food was involved. Boomer caught the treat in his mouth before it hit the floor.
After he finished the bagel, Alan placed his plate, knife, and mug in the dishwasher. Boomer followed him back up the steps, and within five minutes both were sound asleep.
“How did your evening go, Elaine?” asked Alan as he entered the shipping office. He had a spring in his step, and he noticed the absence of a knot in his gut. It was one of those things you didn’t notice until it was gone. Alan’s stomach housed a painful ache for days that Diego managed to cure. He didn’t know what the future held with Diego or exactly how they would work things out, but he knew they were finally on the same page.
Alan heard Elaine’s voice before he saw her face. A bouquet of a dozen red roses sat in the reception window and obscured his view. Elaine said, “Oh, it was an ordinary night. Frank groused about work all the way through dinner, and then he growled at the tail end of the news. He complained
about letting people into the country to take jobs away from Americans.”
Alan stepped through the door to join Elaine at her desk. He spoke softly and said, “I don’t think that’s what’s happening.”
Elaine looked up into Alan’s eyes. “Oh, I know that Mr. Hansen. I asked him if he wanted any of those jobs that new people are taking, and the question only made him more upset. So we sat in the living room together without speaking. He watched TV, and I played games on my phone. It was a usual night. Please tell me yours was better.”
“A whole lot better. I’m sorry for yours.” Alan reached out and touched the petals of one of the roses. “I bet these are from Diego, aren’t they?” Alan remembered the words about spoiling a man.
Elaine smiled. “That’s what the card says, and maybe the roses will help take the edge off the next item on your agenda. Mr. Tarrant wants to meet with you this morning.”
“Our VP?”
“Yep, he left a message before I got here, and I called his office right back. Cindy is his secretary, and she said he would stop by this morning at 10:00 a.m. sharp.”
Alan felt the joy slipping out of his morning like helium escaping from a punctured balloon. “I hope he’s not firing me.”
“Why would he do that, Mr. Hansen? Expenses are down, and customer satisfaction is up. You’ve done all of that in a couple of months. You know that. Maybe he wants to congratulate you in person.”
Alan nodded. “Well, I have some paperwork to do in the office. Buzz me when he arrives. Make him coffee right away. I hope he’s in a good mood this morning.”
Wesley Tarrant wasn’t a direct descendant of the Tar-Mor founder. In fact, Alan already heard that he was a black sheep in the family. Wesley was a cousin, and he practically begged the family for a job twenty years back. Through the years, he clawed his way upward in the management structure with positive performance reviews. He was always proud to throw the Tarrant name around, but Alan knew the top executives would never go to bat for Wesley if the chips were down. Wesley needed positive numbers out of the shipping department. That was the only way he could permanently keep his job.
River Town Box Set Page 24