Welcome to Blissville

by Walker, Aimee Nicole

  I kept my eyes focused on her hair and avoided eye contact during the conversation beyond telling her how long I thought it would take to complete her hair makeover. I hoped that my mental cringing didn’t show on my face, especially when she asked if I remembered her son from high school. I was so proud of myself when I was able to calmly say, “Sure do,” without giving away any of the contempt I felt for the man. I couldn’t stop myself from digging up one tidbit of information though. “I wasn’t aware that he moved back.”

  “He’s been back about six months. I’m so happy to be able to hug my grandbabies more than once or twice a year. Having kids is wonderful, but grandbabies are even better. My heart just fills to bursting when I look at them. You’ll see someday when…” She broke off suddenly. I looked up and saw her eyes had widened and her cheeks had turned pink with embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”

  “Why are you sorry?” I asked her. “Same sex couples have children all the time. They either adopt or find a surrogate. I just might know what it feels like to be a grandfather someday.” I had honestly never considered having kids of my own. I thought kids were adorable and precious, but being a father wasn’t a role I thought about. I did plan on being the favorite uncle to Chaz’s and Meredith’s kids someday though.

  Delaney looked relieved that I wasn’t upset. “That’s all very true,” she said. “Times have really changed.”

  I couldn’t get a read on how she felt about it, but I didn’t linger there. I couldn’t control her thoughts nor was I responsible for them. She sang my praises to her son in my presence, but who knew what she would say later behind my back. I was never one to back down from an argument or debate, but that didn’t mean I went looking for them. My salon was a peaceful zone where serious topics like religion and politics were ignored in place of who was banging who–the truly important stuff in life.

  “I heard Estelle Hayslip had her breasts done,” I heard Meredith’s client tell her.

  “I got to touch them,” Marci’s client said. “They feel real and very perky.”

  Yes, all was right in my world again. Well, until ten minutes after four o’clock when he showed up with his kids to meet his mother. I had to admit, his spawns were adorable. I just hoped that they took after their mother in the personality department because Laura Sampson was one of the sweetest persons I had known in high school.

  I was putting the finishing touches on Delaney’s hair when Billy and his brood showed up. Even though I knew it was a possibility, I was still rattled to see him in my salon. Luckily, I had nerves of steel when wielding a straightening iron, or any other hot styling tool, and didn’t singe Delaney’s ears or neck. I felt Billy’s eyes on me the entire time, but I completely ignored him.

  “Asshole alert! Asshole alert!” Savage’s word choices sometimes amazed me and made me want to kiss his feathered face. I mean, did that bird know his shit or what?

  The clients in the salon burst into laughter and I refused to look over to gauge Billy’s reaction.

  Delaney surprised me by saying, “I love that crazy bird.”

  “Yes, well, I do apologize for the language your grandchildren just heard.” I didn’t mind Savage’s potty mouth most of the time, but I didn’t necessarily want kids leaving my salon repeating his filthy language. I tried leaving him upstairs during the day when I first brought him home, but he had separation anxiety so bad that he pecked raw spots beneath his wings. I hated seeing him so distressed and his beautiful feathers laying in the bottom of his cage. I carried him down to work with me every day since then and he’d become an instant sensation with my clients.

  “I’ll talk to them when we get in the car.” She raised her brow skeptically and added, “But I’m sure they’ve heard far worse in movies or even songs these days.” Lord only knew what they’d heard come from their own father’s lips, but I bit my tongue to keep from saying that.

  I put my straightener down and looked down at her. Delaney had her back to the mirror the entire time I dried then styled her hair. I loved the big reveal moment and hers was a big one. I should’ve been nervous, but I had a strong feeling she was going to love the new look. “Are you ready for the big reveal?”

  “You look amazing, Mrs. Sampson,” Meredith said.

  “You really do, Mom.” Billy’s praise surprised me, but I didn’t allow myself to even think about it.

  “I’m so excited,” she said. “Turn me around, Joshua.” Delaney used her stern high school voice that always made me snap to attention when I was a teenager.

  “Yes, ma’am.” I turned her around without further delay and watched the wonder and surprise cross her face as she touched her hair.

  “My God! I look ten years younger,” she said in awe.

  “At least,” I replied smugly.

  “You’re amazing.” Yeah, well, I’d heard her son say that to me a time or two, but for obviously different reasons. “Isn’t he amazing, Billy?” I was so proud of myself for not allowing the groan to pass my lips or a grimace to form on my face. I decided I would develop a poker face if it was the last thing I did.

  “He’s something, all right.” I wasn’t exactly sure what the hell he meant, but like with his praise just before, I chose to ignore it.

  “Well, I must get home and show this to Edward. He won’t believe it’s me.” She rose from her chair once I removed her cape and continued to look at herself even longer. “Miracle worker.” Her next action shocked the hell out of me. She snatched me to her and hugged me tight enough to cut off my airway and my circulation.

  “Turn loose of him, Mom. He’s starting to turn purple.”

  “Oh, you,” she said, waving her hand dismissively at Billy. She turned back to me once more and said, “Thank you for your honesty, Joshua.”

  “You’re very welcome, Mrs. Sampson. I’ll see you in eight weeks, right?”

  “You can bet on it.”

  I turned away and started to clean up the mess on the floor while she paid and greeted her grandchildren. I could feel Billy’s focus on me at times, but I continued to ignore him. There was nothing I had to say to him and nothing I wanted to hear from his lips. Delaney called out a goodbye on her way out the door and I took my first relaxed breath since she arrived.

  I went to the kitchen area and made myself a coffee then prepared to shut the salon for the day. I locked the front door after the last client left and asked everyone about their plans. Meredith had dinner and shopping plans with her mom and Chaz had mysterious plans he didn’t talk much about. He seemed happy enough so I didn’t press him for more details, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious. Marci had a dinner date with some guy she met online and we teased her the entire time we cleaned up the salon.

  I had intended to lock the back door once everyone left for the night, but I got busy getting the deposit ready for Monday and forgot. I locked the deposit in the small safe I kept in the supply closet and returned my empty coffee cup to the kitchen. I heard the back door open when I was washing the dirty coffee cups, but thought nothing of it. Despite the rising body count in recent months, Blissville was a safe place to live. Unwanted people didn’t just walk into homes or businesses. I turned, expecting to see Gabe’s handsome, smiling face but found Billy Sampson standing in my kitchenette instead.

  “Hello, Josh.” His smile and tone of voice were friendly, but the predatory look in his eyes was that of a man who expected to pick up where we had left off ten years prior.

  “What do you want?” I asked, but I already knew.

  He laughed arrogantly then asked, “Is that any way to treat an old friend?” Billy swaggered a few steps toward where I stood frozen. “You can’t think of a better way to say hello? Those plump lips were made for much better things than asking stupid questions.”

  His complete and utter arrogance snapped me to life. I couldn’t believe the gall of that man. He actually thought I’d be so happy to see him that I’d drop to my knees and blow him. Fury flowed through my veins a
nd I resolved to send that douche nozzle packing with no doubt about his place in my life. I was reminded of who I had become, despite the shit he kicked in my face when we were younger.

  “I don’t want you here, Billy, now or ever. You’re not welcome.” My voice was firm and there was no doubt that I meant it. Regardless of the scandal it would create, I decided that he would willingly leave on his own or I’d call the police and have him removed.

  Billy wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and he wasn’t about to give up so easily. “Are you still jealous over Laura?” That was the only thing he ever took away from the argument we had when I walked away from him for good. His ego wouldn’t allow him to contemplate that his actions were wrong; no, my jealousy was the issue.

  “I envy her as much as I would a case of incurable herpes,” I replied. “Get out of here and do not come back.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Billy reached for me, but paused when we heard a dog’s vicious growl behind him.

  “I’d believe him if I were you.” Gabe sounded as angry and dangerous as the snarling dog on the end of the leash he held in his hands.

  “Are you okay?” I asked when Josh’s eyes met mine.

  Josh glanced at the vase of red roses I held in the bend of my arm then smiled at me. “I am now.”

  Buddy continued to growl menacingly and I held tight to his leash, just in case he wanted to take a chomp out of Sampson’s sleazebag ass. If I hadn’t already been crazy about the dog I would’ve been when he made his opinion of the man known. I’d always heard that animals were good judges of character and Buddy’s reaction to the deputy proved it.

  “Big Daddy’s home!” Savage’s words and timing were impeccable as always.

  Josh’s smile grew wider. “Did you teach him that too?”

  “I know nothing of which you speak.” I’d deny it until my dying breath. I shifted my focus back to Sampson who was looking between the two of us in confusion. “I believe Josh told you to leave.” My voice was as menacing as Buddy’s growl. A huge part of me really wanted to put the beat down on that mofo for hurting Josh the way he did, but I was an adult–one who swore to uphold the laws and not circumvent them when it was convenient for me.

  Sampson ignored me and looked at Josh. “You can’t be serious.” He hooked his thumb in my direction and asked, “Are you for real with this guy?”

  “Very real,” Josh replied. “I want you to leave, Billy, and never come back. There’s nothing for us to talk about and I don’t want to be friends with you.”

  I could feel the hostility rolling off the dickbag when Josh reaffirmed my right to be there. The contemptuous look that Sampson gave me the morning I was called to the scene of Nate’s homicide was child’s play to the one he gave me in Josh’s salon kitchenette. Instead of derision, I saw outright hatred in his blue eyes because I stood in the way of something he wanted. I wasn’t fucking going anywhere so he’d just have to get the fuck over it.

  Sampson shook his head like he couldn’t believe what Josh told him. A lesser man might’ve gotten his feelings hurt, but I wasn’t that man. I felt secure in my place in Josh’s life. “Whatever.” Sampson’s words sounded like a teenager who didn’t get his way. “I’ll be seeing you around, Josh. This isn’t over.” Sampson bumped his shoulder against mine on his way to the door. I guess it was his way of trying to intimidate me, but it didn’t work.

  “Billy,” Josh called out before he reached the door. He waited for Billy to turn then said, “It is over and has been for ten years. Don’t come back here.”

  Billy didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to because the way he slammed the back door behind him spoke plenty. I unclipped Buddy’s leash and went to Josh. I placed the vase and leash on the countertop beside him and studied him. I hated the tense lines on his face and the rigid way he stood. I pulled him into my arms and he resisted me. I worried that Sampson had undone some of the positive steps we’d taken forward, but then Josh held up his hands to show that they were wet.

  He dried them on the towel beside him then turned to me. “Okay, now.”

  I pulled him against my chest and wrapped my arms tightly around him. My heart melted as I felt the tension drain from his body until he was the consistency of putty in my arms. Josh let out a soft sigh and I was glad that I took the initiative to come over to his house unannounced. I expected to find the door locked since the salon was closed, but instead I found an unwanted visitor inside.

  “Do me a favor and keep the door locked, okay?” I asked. I knew he was used to growing up in a small, safe community where hardly anything bad happened, but like with most cities and towns across America, things were changing. In the span of just a few months, there were two murders, and two attempted murders, and the large drug bust. On top of that, there was Nate Turner’s death not far from town. I still didn’t know what the hell Nate was doing in my county the night he was killed, but I didn’t think it was a coincidence.

  Josh pulled back and looked up at me. I was happy to see that the lines of tension were gone from his beautiful face. “I learned my lesson.” Josh looked over at the flowers and then back at me. “What’s the occasion?”

  “Do I need an occasion to do something nice for the guy I like?” I could see the battle brewing in his brain through his expressive eyes. Josh wanted to believe that I didn’t have an ulterior motive in mind when I brought him flowers, but his experiences filled him with doubt.

  “Are you even real?” Josh finally asked.

  If we had been horsing around, I would’ve placed his hand over my crotch, but the seriousness I saw in his eyes told me a flippant or sexy gesture or response wasn’t what he needed. Instead, I moved his hand from my waist and placed it over my heart. “Very real.” I repeated the words he used earlier.

  I felt a tenderness in his touch that wasn’t usually present when Josh rose on his tiptoes and pressed his lips to mine. He was usually the one who turned things sexual between us because it was all he knew. I vowed to not let it happen that night. I wasn’t saying no to getting him naked, but I wouldn’t allow sex to be my primary focus that night. I controlled my dick, not the other way around.

  “So, what did you have in mind tonight?” he asked when he pulled back from our kiss.

  “I planned a special night in for us since you were out so late last night. I actually have quite a few things in my trunk, but I wanted to bring Buddy and the flowers in first.”

  I gave Josh credit for only looking wary for a few seconds. He was a guy who liked his routine and did not care for surprises, except on occasions like Christmas when they were somewhat expected. “That’s very thoughtful of you and I must admit that I’m intrigued. Do you need any help carrying anything in?”

  “Nope, got it all covered.” I was sure to lock the damn back door when I returned from my car. “You’re in for a real treat,” I said when I unpacked the groceries from the bags. “I’m going to cook you a nice dinner, we’re going to drink some wine, and then we’re going to watch your favorite movies.”

  “This sounds great, but what are you getting out of all of this?” Josh asked.

  It honestly broke my heart that not a single man had ever done something kind to make him feel special. I had turned away from him to look for a sauté pan, but I turned back around to face him so he could see the sincerity in my eyes. “Spending time with you and making you happy. That’s what I’m ‘getting out’ of it.”

  I saw the moment he accepted my words as truth. “What are you making me for dinner?”

  “Chicken Marsala and roasted vegetables.” I turned back around and started the prep work for dinner, but not before I saw the stunned look on his face. He was probably expecting grilled cheese and tomato soup, which wasn’t too far off from my normal cooking, but I was capable of more. It was important to me that he knew that and not just in regards to my kitchen skills.

  “Can I help you?” he asked and I wondered if it was because I was touching his pots and
pans. He was so damn particular about them that he rarely wanted anyone to wash them. Apparently, they were some high-dollar deal that he wanted to cherish.

  “Nope.”

  “You want to listen to a football game or something while you work?” he asked.

  “Nope.” The night was about him and I wanted to prove that I didn’t have to watch sports every single night. “You watch what you want.” Television was a big deal because we were two men who were hardwired at birth to dominate the remote control.

  “Okay.” I heard the shrug in his voice. Soon his home was filled with the sounds of his favorite home improvement show while I cooked dinner for us.

  My resolve to behave was pushed to the limits when Josh started showing his appreciation for my cooking skills by moaning after every bite. They were very similar to the sounds I made when I ate the food he cooked for me.

  “So good.” Oh man, Josh busted out the phrases he used when he was lost to the sensations we created together during sex. My dick started to wake from its slumber like a sleeping dragon, he was ready to come out and play. “Delicious.” He licked a bit of sauce that dripped off his fork and onto his wrist. He wasn’t helping me behave, but that wasn’t his responsibility.

  I refused his help to clean up after dinner and sent him back to the couch with his glass of wine. My body was so in tuned with him that I could feel when he chose to watch me instead of the television. His focus seemed to be more of the reflection type rather than making sure I didn’t scrape the surface of the sauce pan with a sharp object. I realized that my actions surprised him and the skeptical side of him challenged my intentions, but he’d soon see. Hell, I was willing to go home instead of sleep over if that was what it took to make him see that my need for him went beyond sexual.