by Kira Chase
Johanna closed her eyes. “I know. We're usually tailing someone. It's been a busy summer.”
“But things have finally slowed down. Unless something major comes up, it looks like our nights will be free for a while. We don't have too much going on.” She turned her head and looked at Johanna. “We need to have nights like this as much as we can before we get too busy again.”
“I agree.” She sighed contentedly.
Frankie leaned over and gave her a soft kiss.
“I hope everything works out for Trey and Will.”
Frankie grabbed Johanna's hand. “I hope so, too. I know deep down Will loves Trey and I doubt he would ever intentionally hurt him. I just can't wrap my mind around Will doing anything behind Trey's back.”
Johanna was quiet for a minute. “I just had a thought, Frankie.”
“I'm listening.”
“We're fixated about only looking for the bad in Kyle. We probably should wait until we at least meet him before passing judgment.” She shrugged. “He might be a nice guy with no ulterior motives.”
“I don't know. I'm back and forth on it. I would love to believe that, but I don't have a very good feeling about this. Trey looked so lost at lunch. I can't bear him hurting like that.”
“Like I said, for now let's give Kyle the benefit of the doubt. Okay?”
“Okay.” Frankie pulled on her chin. “It's true that sometimes people hurt the ones they love without meaning to.”
Johanna lowered her eyes. “How well I know.”
Frankie pulled Johanna's hand. “Come on. Now it's time for a little competition.”
“You're not going to beat me,” Johanna said.
“Want to bet?” Frankie grinned.
* * * *
Johanna sipped a glass of wine, keeping one eye on her laptop screen and the other on the late newscast as she sat next to Frankie on the sofa. She sighed as she closed the lid to her computer.
Frankie glanced at her. “You look upset, honey. What's wrong?”
She shrugged. “Nothing.” She set her laptop on the coffee table and then stretched leisurely. “It's been a long day. I'm exhausted.”
Frankie continued staring at her. “Come on. Something's bothering you. Out with it.”
Johanna rubbed her temples. “Frankie, what if there is something going on between Will and Kyle?”
Frankie's eyebrows drew together. “I thought we agreed there probably isn't and that we would meet Kyle before we painted him as an interloper and/or evildoer.”
She bit her bottom lip. “I know what I said earlier, but something's not right.” She shook her head. “I wish I could put my finger on it.”
Frankie leaned over and gave her arm a squeeze. “We'll find out tomorrow night.”
Johanna nodded. “I hope so.”
Chapter 4
“Kyle should be down in a few minutes,” Will said.
Frankie smiled. “No problem. We don't mind spending time with our best friends.”
“We've hardly gotten together except for Arlan and Kate's wedding. We've got to get together more often,” Trey said. “We'll have to plan a get-together when they get back.”
“George said they're planning a housewarming party,” Johanna said.
“That should be fun,” Trey said.
“It will be,” Johanna said. She noted how uncomfortable Trey appeared. Usually, he and Will sat in close proximity, but tonight they were sitting across from one another. She'd also noted the almost apologetic tone of Will's voice due to Kyle's tardiness. Her eyes stayed fixated on Trey. He sat stiffly and every so often looked toward the living room entrance as though he was afraid of Kyle's entrance. She felt sorry for him and her body tensed. Whatever was going on with Kyle had forced Trey to find relaxing in his own home impossible. Something was drastically wrong and she was more determined than ever to find the cause of it. She glanced at Frankie, but could read nothing in her expression. Was Frankie also picking up on Trey's discomfort? She turned her attention to Will. He, on the other hand, appeared relaxed and comfortable as he chatted while sipping a beer. Was he really relaxed or was it just an act for their benefit?
Trey glanced at his wristwatch. “I can't hold dinner much longer, Will, or it'll be ruined. Kyle knew Frankie and Johanna were coming over at seven and it's already ten minutes to eight.” His jaw tensed. “Will you tell him to get a move on, Will?” he asked irritably. “Or we'll just begin without him.”
Will frowned as he set his beer down. “Dinner will be fine, Trey. Lighten up. He'll be down…here he is now,” he said as he looked toward the entrance.
Kyle Martin stepped into the room dressed in kakis and a black polo shirt. His dark brown hair was on the long side and he had dark penetrating eyes. “Sorry for the delay,” he said. “I had to take a call.” He walked over to where Frankie and Johanna were sitting. “So, these are the two beautiful ladies who'll be joining us for dinner tonight? Too bad you’re a couple.” He didn't wait for proper introductions, but immediately held out a hand to Johanna. “I'm Kyle Martin. And you are Johanna or Frankie?” he asked as his eyes bore into hers.
Johanna gritted her teeth as she took the hand he offered. His tone of voice was cocky and every instinct in her body told her he was not who he pretended to be. Her assessment of him was now sealed and any thought she may have had of giving him the benefit of the doubt was now dissolved. His overall attitude revealed a man who thought he was more than he actually was. Her growing dislike for him intensified. She met his gaze. He was extremely good looking and she supposed he used that to his advantage whenever it benefited him, but his phony charm and looks would get him nowhere with her. “I'm Johanna and this is Frankie,” she said motioning to Frankie who was seated on the sofa next to her.
“Frankie, huh?” he remarked lifting an eyebrow as his eyes instantly moved to Frankie and swept over her. “Were your parents hoping for a son?” he asked with a slight smirk. “Or does your name have a significance to your relationship with Johanna?”
Johanna and Trey sat stunned and Trey gripped his wine glass so tight Frankie thought it would break. Johanna seemed to wait expectantly for Frankie's response, knowing that no input from her was necessary.
“Excuse me,” Frankie answered coolly. “Are you always this rude?”
He shrugged. “Just kidding, but nowadays you never know.” He walked over to Will and slapped him on the shoulder. “Now take Will here. I think I was the first one in high school who knew he was gay. Never bothered me like it did some of our classmates. Though I did get ribbed a lot about hanging out with him.”
Trey jumped to his feet. “I'll get dinner on the table.” His jaw clenched. “Before it's ruined.”
“We'll help,” Johanna said grabbing Frankie's arm. “Come on.”
“Trey can do it himself,” Will said firmly as he trained his eyes on Frankie. “You two stay here and get better acquainted with Kyle.”
Johanna turned her head slightly and caught Frankie's eye. Was Will giving them a signal? “No, I'll help Trey and Frankie can visit with you and Kyle, “she said. Frankie gave her arm a slight squeeze meaning she was on board. Johanna rose and followed Trey into his spacious kitchen.
Trey walked to the oven to check on his roast. Johanna gently grabbed his arm. He stiffened and then turned facing her.
“I can't believe how obnoxious that man is. How long has this been going on?” Johanna demanded.
Trey lowered his eyes. “Almost from the start. When I first met Kyle, he seemed okay and was polite. But it didn't take him long to change.” He sighed wearily. “He doesn't care what he says or who he says it to. I've had some problems with some of my crew because of him. I've warned him to stay away from them, but for some odd reason he seems to think he can talk to them any way he wants.”
Johanna's eyes narrowed. “What does Will say?” she asked. “You would think he would have thrown Kyle out.”
“That's just it.” He raised his eyes and met Joh
anna's. “He doesn't say anything no matter what Kyle says or does. I can't understand it,” he said bitterly.
She hated the look of defeat in his eyes. “Let me help get dinner on the table.” She hugged him. “Don't worry. Frankie and I will find out what Kyle's game is. We'll figure it out.”
He frowned. “I just wish I knew what Will's game is. He's a stranger, like I never knew him at all.”
Johanna picked up a large salad bowl. “Is it really that bad between you and Will, Trey?”
Trey's shoulders slumped. “Everything was perfect between us before Kyle arrived.” He slowly shook his head. “Will is a different person around Kyle…someone I don't know. And frankly, someone I wouldn't care to know. It makes me question how much I really know about him.”
“Well, I'm definitely not impressed with Kyle. And I must say that I am shocked at Will's reaction to him. How much has Will told you about Kyle?”
“Not much. Just that they went to high school together. Since Will never mentioned him even once, I was shocked that he invited him into our home. Even more shocked that he gave him a job without my approval.” He removed the roast from the oven. “I feel like an outsider in my own home.” He took the roast from the pan and placed it on a platter. He drew a deep breath, but kept his back to Johanna. “Will and I haven't been intimate since Kyle arrived on the scene.”
Johanna was surprised with his admission since they never shared private details of their lives with one another. Nevertheless, she didn't like the sound of that and she sensed his obvious discomfort with sharing that news with her. “Have you talked to Will about how Kyle living here is affecting you and especially your relationship?”
He turned and faced her. “I've tried, but Will turns a deaf ear or twists it so that I look like I'm starting trouble.” Tears welled up in his eyes. “I don't know how much more I can take, Johanna.”
She put her arms around him. “Frankie and I will find out what's going on. I promise you.”
He quickly composed himself. “Thank you. I'd better get this on the table.” He paused. “I love Will with all my heart, but I never dreamed he could hurt me like this.”
* * * *
Frankie settled back into her seat. She didn't know how much more she could take of Kyle Martin's obnoxious, self-centered blathering. For someone so into himself, she wondered if it ever occurred to him that he was making a fool of himself since he'd come crawling to an old high school buddy begging for a job. If it had occurred to him, he ignored it, only seeming to care about his own inflated opinion of himself.
“So, Frankie, have you ever been with a man?” he asked as his eyes swept over her.
“No. Have you?” she replied flatly. Momentarily taken off guard, he lifted an eyebrow as he peered into her face. “Would it shock you if I said yes?”
She held his gaze. “Why should it? I couldn't care less.”
He laughed. “I haven't, but I can't understand why a beautiful woman like you isn't interested in men. But I have to admit you do have excellent taste in women.”
Frankie's eyes darkened and grew into slits as her jaw tightened. “My sexual preference is none of your business.”
Kyle held his hands up palms out. “Touchy.” He snickered. “So, it does bother you.”
“No. I'm very secure with who I am. I'm just not used to associating with someone as rude as you,” she replied flippantly.
Will cleared his throat. “Let's change the subject, Kyle.” He looked apologetically at Frankie.
“I find it hard to believe that you two were friends in high school, Will,” Frankie said. “You don't seem like you have anything in common.”
“We have much in common and we were very close. We also played football together,” Kyle answered for Will. “In fact, Will dated my baby sister. My family thought it might go somewhere after she finished high school, but by that time Will had flown the coop.”
Frankie was surprised Will had never mentioned dating girls. But then, why would he? A lot of gays dated the opposite sex for personal reasons. And being on his high school football team probably put more pressure on him to keep his sexual preference hidden. He'd probably discussed it with Trey. Something else had piqued her curiosity, though. If Will had flown the coop as Kyle had put it, he obviously hadn't valued their friendship as much as Kyle had. Something wasn't right. She felt it in the pit of her stomach. What was Will hiding? What did Kyle have on him?
“Here Will was making it with my sister while lusting most likely for one of the guys on our team.”
Will sat red-faced as he struggled to maintain his composure. “First off, I wasn't dating your sister, Kyle. We were only good friends. You know that. Anyway, that's all in the past. I came out a long time ago.”
“I don't know about that. You never let anyone of us know where you moved to or even that you were moving.”
Will shrugged. “Carrie knew.”
Frankie assumed Carrie was Kyle's sister.
“You really let the team down, Will,” Kyle said.
Will's eyes clouded. “I sincerely doubt that. Besides, that was a long time ago.”
“We certainly had a great football team.” Kyle nodded as he picked up his beer and drained it. “We were the best team in the state.”
Frankie groaned as Kyle began reliving his and Will's football days. Of course, according to Kyle, if it weren't for him the team wouldn't have had a winning record. When she thought her head would explode from his bragging and she wanted to end his trip down memory lane, she broke in. “Explain something to me, Kyle. If you were as good as you claim, I would think one of the major colleges would have snapped you right up.”
Kyle's eyes narrowed and his lips tightened. She knew she'd hit a nerve. She smiled smugly at him as she waited for his response. He offered none and instead walked toward the dining room just as Trey entered the room and announced dinner.
* * * *
Johanna couldn't wait until she could get Frankie alone to ask her if she'd gotten anything out of Kyle. Something must have happened because the tension was thick around the dinner table and Kyle barely said two words, instead sat glumly picking at his food. She decided to break the stifling silence and also to see if she could pick Kyle for information that might give them a clue as to his true motive for being there.
“How do you like working for Trey, Kyle?” Johanna asked lightly.
Kyle finished cutting a piece of roast beef before answering. Finally, he looked up from his plate. “You mean Trey and Will or have you forgotten that half the company is Will's?”
“Half the company isn't mine,” Will quickly interjected. “Trey has only given me more authority in the business. I told you that.”
“Whatever,” Kyle replied. “It makes no difference one way or the other.”
Johanna thought his response odd. She glanced at Trey. He had an odd expression on his face and a wrinkle appeared on his forehead.
“Is your family going to be joining you soon?” Frankie asked.
“Yes, they are. I think you've already asked me that,” he flippantly replied.
“I didn't ask. Do you have children?” Frankie persisted.
He slammed his fork down. “What's with all the questions?” he asked sharply. “Will, you didn't tell me that your friends are so nosy. How do you put up with it?”
“Excuse me,” Johanna said. “We're just trying to get to know you since you plan to move to Charlestown and Trey and Will are close friends of ours.”
Will looked remorsefully at Johanna and then at Frankie. “Kyle's raising his deceased sister's child. It's not easy for him to talk about.”
Johanna caught Frankie's eye. She knew by the look on Frankie's face that something was off about Will's response.”
“I'm sorry, Kyle,” Johanna said quietly. “How long has it been since your sister passed away?”
“Passed away?” Kyle asked incredulously. “She didn't just pass away. She was murdered,” he spat out bitte
rly.
“Murdered?”' Frankie asked. “How horrible.”
“He doesn't mean murdered the way you think,” Will interjected.
“There's no difference,” Kyle stated glancing at Will. “Murder is murder.”
“What happened to your sister?” Johanna asked in a softer tone.
Kyle leaned back in his chair. “She got involved with a punk who got her pregnant and then disappeared.”
Johanna assumed due to her young age, the girl couldn't cope with her boyfriend leaving her and their baby. And who knew what her home life was like. She concluded that Kyle's sister took her own life.
“Carrie couldn't believe he'd deserted her,” Kyle continued. “She waited every day for him to return or at least call, but he didn't. She tried to locate him, but he vanished into thin air and she had no means to track him down. Her pregnancy was difficult and made worse by the deep depression that engulfed her.” He toyed with the edge of the tablecloth. “Long story short, something went wrong with the delivery, her heart gave out, and she died, but the baby lived. She had a healthy baby boy. My parents named him Bobby. They raised him for several years, but finances made it too difficult for them to continue. That's when my wife Brenna and I stepped in.”
“That's admirable of you,” Johanna said as she struggled to find something admirable in the man.
“Admirable?” he scoffed. “No, it was expected. Where the hell else was the kid supposed to go?”
Johanna cleared her throat as she thought about his last statement. She doubted the grandparents would give up the grandchild they'd raised since birth. Something didn't fit. “How old is Bobby?” she asked.
“Thirteen. Any more questions?” he asked sarcastically as his steely eyes bore into Johanna's.
“I'm sorry for your loss, Kyle, but why would you uproot your family and move so far to look for work? It seems odd to me that you wouldn't be able to find something in Seattle or the surrounding area instead of clear across the country.”