Bobby smirked. “This is kinda weird.”
Odis took his hand and led him to the bathroom. “How so?”
Bobby glanced down at his hand in Odis’s, remembering what John had said about Odis’s ex-wife. Odis certainly didn’t seem to have a problem holding his hand. “I’m usually the shortest guy in the room, seems like. You make me feel tall, though.”
“Shut up right there. Don’t even use the C-word or I’ll smack you.” Odis noticed Bobby still had his socks on. He guided Bobby to sit on the toilet and slid the tube socks from his feet.
“All right, but what’s the C-word? Just so I won’t use it accidentally.”
Odis rolled his eyes as he pulled Bobby into the shower. “I’m talking about the ‘cute’ word.”
“Oh?” He watched Odis punch a few buttons on the space-station-looking panel. Eight jets of water streamed out around them.
“I’m not a kitten or a puppy or a Valentine’s card. It’s kind of insulting to call a grown man ‘cute’.”
“Oh.” Bobby watched Odis push in on a rounded rock by the middle jet, and a thick stream of gooey soap squirted from the wall. “This has got to be the fanciest shower I have ever seen.”
Odis lathered up the soap in his hands and then started rubbing it all over Bobby’s back. “Thanks. Designed it myself. Had to fire three plumbers before I found one that could see my vision.”
Bobby couldn’t stifle himself, and a pleasured moan escaped as Odis worked his hands firmly along his back. He was already sprouting wood when Odis moved his hands to his ribs and chest.
Odis tried to ignore Bobby’s growing dick, without success. His own began growing in response. Or maybe it was the feel of Bobby’s chest muscles under his hands that got him excited again. He rubbed his soaped hand on top of the hummingbird tattoo and tried not to think about the ink too much.
After feeling along the wall, Bobby found the soap dispenser spot and lathered up his own hands. He started rubbing the soap onto Odis’s shoulders. He dug his fingers a little deeper to work the tight muscles along Odis’s neck and upper spine.
“Yeah.” Odis sighed. “That’s the spot. Always get kinked up there.”
Using a tight grasp, Bobby massaged up the base of Odis’s neck. “The word I thought of a while ago wasn’t the C-word, but it might be just as insulting.”
“What word?” Odis asked with open curiosity.
Bobby leaned down to Odis’s ear. “You’re like a leprechaun,” Bobby whispered.
Odis laughed warmly as he got more soap. “Well, wrong culture, but hafta admit it is a bit original.”
“Wrong culture?”
“I’m not Irish, boy. But don’t really have anything similar in Nordic mythos, though.” Odis lifted his hands to Bobby’s neck and ran his thumbs along Bobby’s lower jaw. “Attitude-wise, Loki would kinda fit, but he wasn’t short.”
“Well.” Bobby grinned. “I’m half-Irish, so does that count?”
“In that case—” Odis pulled Bobby’s head down for a quick kiss. “—I could get used to it.”
Bobby wrapped his arms around Odis’s shoulders and raised him up for another kiss. “How about if you’re just my leprechaun?”
“I could definitely get used to that,” Odis said with a huge grin. He draped around Bobby, letting one hand drift down to Bobby’s ass. He grabbed at it with his slippery hand. Odis enjoyed the solid feel of the manly flesh in his grasp.
“You trying to get me all cranked up again?” Bobby asked, pulling Odis up against his hard cock.
“I just love your butt. I never thought a man’s butt could be so interesting.”
Bobby lowered his hands down Odis’s back. “I like yours too,” he admitted with a grin as he rubbed his wet hands over Odis’s tight little rear end.
Odis slid his hands up to Bobby’s back and yanked him into a tight hug, burying his face against Bobby’s chest.
Sensing a shift in mood, Bobby looked down at him. “What?”
“I know you hafta, but I don’t want ya to leave.” Odis felt the water getting colder but didn’t want to move to turn it off. “I want you to stay in my island.”
After rinsing off his hands, Bobby maneuvered them away from the cold jets. “I’m not leaving, not right away. Just don’t think about that ’til we have to.” Bobby looked over the control panel, failing to see how to turn off the chilling water. “Is there a manual for these shower controls?” he teased.
Odis chuckled and released his grip to punch the button to turn off the water. “Green one is ‘on’ or ‘off’, depending.” He looked up at Bobby.
“Island?” Bobby asked.
Odis got towels from the little cabinet by the shower door and handed one to Bobby. “Oh, well, the art world is kind of a circus in its own way. When I built this place, I thought of it as my own private island, away from it all.”
“Well, it’s a nice island,” Bobby said as they dried off. It seemed kind of lame, but that was all he could think of to say. He followed Odis back toward the bed.
“Sorry the water got cold so fast. It’s only a thirty-gallon tank. With that many jets running, it doesn’t stay warm long.” He took Bobby’s towel and threw both of them into the laundry basket. “Was planning to put in one of those on-demand-type heaters, just haven’t done it yet.”
Bobby stretched out on the bed. “Well, you should put that on your to-do list.” He hugged Odis when he lay down next to him. “I can imagine all kinds of interesting things with a lot of hot water.”
Odis smiled. “I bet you can.” He ran his fingers through Bobby’s wet hair, watching how the short chestnut-colored locks wanted to curl around his fingers. “You ever grow your hair out longer?”
Bobby grinned playfully. “Trying to imagine me as a woman now?”
“No, of course not,” Odis defended. “If I wanted a woman, you wouldn’t be here in my bed.” He leaned in and lightly kissed Bobby’s lips.
Bobby pulled him closer, opening his mouth and going deeper. They enjoyed the taste of each other and that fuzzy-blanket feeling a moment before separating. “I don’t let it grow longer. It turns into an unruly mess like a dirty old mop.”
“I doubt it. That sounds like something a mom would say….”
Bobby dropped his gaze. “Anyway, I keep it short.”
Watching Bobby’s face, Odis prodded, “Tell me about your momma.” He saw a brief hint of pain before Bobby pulled on a poker face.
“Nothing much to tell.”
Odis studied him, knowing that was far from the truth. But Bobby still wouldn’t meet his gaze, so he let it drop.
Without looking up, Bobby asked, “Roll over?”
Odis rolled onto his back. “Like this?”
Bobby put his hand on Odis’s hip and nudged him to keep rolling. Odis rolled over onto his other side. Bobby spooned in behind him, sighing as he wrapped his arm around Odis and clutched at his chest.
Odis settled in against Bobby. He’d never been on the inside of a spoon and found it strangely comforting. He could feel Bobby’s knees right behind his, his butt fit right into the fold of Bobby’s lap, and he could feel Bobby’s breath right behind his ear. Odis was surprised at how well they seemed to fit together. He relaxed into the embrace.
“This feels so great,” Bobby whispered sleepily in Odis’s ear.
“Yeah, it sure does.” Odis felt the drowsiness and didn’t fight it. He let Bobby’s slow breathing rhythm lull him into sleep.
Chapter 7
AS BOBBY slowly awoke, he was aware of lying on his back sandwiched between two warm bodies. Wait, he thought. Two bodies? He opened his eyes and tried to rise, but a weight on the sheet kept him pinned down. On his left was Odis, curled up next to him. On his right, a dark mass of fur snored away. Heimdalla was on top of the sheet, effectively trapping him. After managing to wriggle his arm out of the bedcovers, he reached down and patted her. “Morning.”
She replied with a slurp from her square tongu
e across his upper forearm and then lay back down.
Not thinking of anything better to do, Bobby settled back in and watched Odis sleep.
Bobby wasn’t even sure what time it was when he heard his cell phone ringing. “Shit,” he groaned, trying to sit up. “Where’s my pants?”
Heim looked up at him, then jumped off the bed and rooted around on the floor. As Bobby crawled to the edge of the bed, she ran back and dropped a pair of blue boxers in his lap just as the phone stopped ringing.
Bobby chuckled. “Thanks, but I meant my pants, not Odis’s.” He gave her a pat on the head for trying to be helpful.
She disappeared again, then brought back Bobby’s jogging shorts as he stood up.
“Much better,” Bobby praised her with a smile, taking the shorts and patting her head again. He slipped on the shorts as he tried to remember where he left the duffel bag that held his jeans and cell phone. He recalled leaving the duffel by the dining table and started that way. The phone call was probably from Sharon, so he wasn’t in a hurry.
He dug the phone out of the bag to check the messages. She’d probably just leave a terse note about calling her back. But the missed call wasn’t Sharon’s number, and the caller didn’t leave a voice mail.
Bobby was debating whether to do a star-callback, when the phone rang in his hand. “Hello?”
A professional female voice pattered in his ear. “I’m with Schmitt and Murdock, and I’m trying to reach Robert Lane. Is this Robert I am speaking with?”
“Yeah, I’m Robert—”
“Glad to finally reach you, Mr. Lane. I’m calling in regards to the settlement offer. A conference meeting has been slotted for 2:00 p.m. at our Boston satellite office.”
“Wait, what settlement? Two o’clock today? I can’t make that.”
She clicked her tongue in his ear. “You haven’t been informed of the commission’s settlement arrangements?”
“No, I’ve been traveling. I’m actually in Texas right now.”
“I see,” she said very crisply. “Hold one moment, please.”
Bobby held the phone away from his ear, not wanting to listen to the supposedly soothing John Lennon remix. He glanced over at the phone and saw it showed 7:02 a.m.
A strong baritone male voice ended the awful music. “Mr. Lane?”
“Yes.”
“This is Ted Humphrey from the law offices of Schmitt and Murdock. We’re representing the commission, and they are reaching out to offer a settlement. You weren’t apprised of this?”
“No. And I can’t do anything today. I’m out of town.”
Bobby heard the rustling of papers. “No, I don’t see in your file a record of initial contact. So, Mr. Lane, consider this your initial contact. You have seventy-two hours to secure legal representation, then we can make our settlement offer. I’ll pencil it in for….” More papers rustled. “Thursday 11:00 a.m. Our office will contact you Wednesday to confirm. This is the cell phone number we are speaking on?”
“Yes. What kind of settlement is this?”
“I’m not allowed to divulge that information at this time, Mr. Lane. We will go over everything in recorded session on Thursday.”
“Okay, I guess Thursday will work.”
“Fine. Have a good day.”
The phone went dead in Bobby’s ear.
So much for hanging out awhile in Texas.
Odis got up, pulled on his boxers, and then crossed the room to him. “G’mornin’. Who’s that?”
“Oh, a law office. The commission wants to give me a settlement. They wanted me there at two o’clock this afternoon.”
“Yeah, I kinda heard most of it. Let’s get some food in ya, stud. PBJ sandwich?”
Bobby laughed. “I suppose that’s fine.”
Odis chuckled as he walked to the kitchen area. “I hate to cook, if ya hadn’t noticed.”
“I did sorta notice that.”
“So,” Odis said as he started the coffee maker, “you should prob’ly head back today, then.”
“You’re kicking me out again?” Bobby tried to sound teasing. “I don’t have to be there until Thursday.”
Odis looked hurt, and then glared at him as he put the bread in the toaster and gathered up sandwich supplies. “Please stop saying that. I’m not ‘kicking you out’, and ya should know that. But you’ll need time to get your corn in a row a’fore you go in that meetin’.”
“What corn?” Bobby chuckled at the strange expression.
“Get your own lawyer and shit, is what I mean. Those people on the phone aren’t on your side. You go in there without your own lawyer, they’ll eat ya alive.”
Bobby watched Odis make the sandwiches. “But what if I just wanna take the settlement and get this all over with?” Bobby followed as Odis took the plates of sandwiches to the patio table.
“Well, that is one way to go….”
They sat and bit their sandwiches. “What would you do?”
“First off, kinda depends on exactly what the offer is. I’m guessing, though, they’ll just throw a lot of money at ya, maybe even add some kind of gag order so it’ll all quietly go away.”
“Okay. If I don’t take it, though, what would be the point?”
“You mean, what are you fighting for? A public apology? Maybe. Reinstatement? But I know that doesn’t mean much since you wanted to retire anyway….”
They ate in silence until the coffeemaker beeped. Bobby got up and filled the mugs Odis had already set aside, and brought back the two coffees. “I can’t see any real point to that, though. It’ll just stir up the circus again.”
“That it would. But it would show ’em that the gays have teeth. Maybe make ’em think twice about pullin’ this kinda shit again.”
Bobby just nodded as they ate.
“Not that my advice is worth much, but since you’re askin’… I’d say, unless it’s something completely insulting, take their offer, but throw in a condition that they name something after Nathan. You know, like the Nathan Price Memorial Stadium or something, just so they’ll see his name every day and be reminded.”
Bobby chuckled. “I kinda like that. Who knew you were such a vindictive bitch?”
Odis curled the corner of his lip up. “Never been called a bitch before. Don’t know as I like it….”
“It’s a compliment, trust me.”
“Okay, stud,” Odis said with a wink, then laughed.
They sat and gazed at each other over the empty plates, trying to ignore the impending good-bye.
Odis cleared his throat and broke the silence. “Something I’ve been wondering about,” he dangled in the air.
“Oh? What?”
“Why’d you get on a plane and come out here in the first place? You coulda just used the phone and shit, ya know.”
“Well….” Bobby clutched at his coffee mug. “It’s Nate’s fault.”
Odis got up and filled his mug, then brought the carafe over and topped off Bobby’s. “How?” he asked when he got back from returning the carafe to the warmer.
Bobby took in a deep breath. “It all started when I got a postcard in the mail. From Nate.”
“When was this?”
“About two weeks ago. Surprised the fuck out of me at first, but it was sort of his thing. I was always at spring training during my birthday every year, so Nate would send me little notes and cards, kinda hinting about my present, so he could give it to me in person when training broke and I came home. He liked being there when I opened it, thought it was too impersonal just to ship something down.”
“Okay, sounds like a fun guy.” Odis waited but had to prompt Bobby again. “What did the postcard say?”
“To pull out the silverware drawer in the kitchen and check underneath. I did and found a key taped under it.”
“Oh, cool.” Odis grinned. “A scavenger hunt.”
“Yeah, I guess. Didn’t know what the key was for until the next postcard came. It told me to check in the upstairs linen
closet. And I found a small lockbox that the key fit. Inside was a pawn ticket.”
“This is sounding very elaborate. Who was sending the cards?”
“Never found out. At first I thought it might be Sharon, but she was at a business thing in Baltimore, and the cards were postmarked from New York. I asked her about it, but she didn’t know. She seemed as surprised as I was, but agreed it was exactly the kind of thing Nate would do.”
“So, the pawn ticket?”
“Was for a book, Woke Up In a Strange Place. I found a note stuck between pages thirty-eight and thirty-nine.”
“Ah, your age. I admire his cleverness. But I never heard of that book. What’s the story about?”
“It’s about a gay guy who wakes up in the afterlife and the journey he goes through to reconcile with the life he lived.”
“Oh. Well, fuck. That’s almost a kick in the nuts.”
“Exactly.” Bobby drained his mug. “Although it was a great book. I sat and read it all that night.”
Odis kept trying to catch Bobby’s gaze, but the other man’s eyes stayed aimed at the table as he sipped his mug.
“Had to go through several more steps before I found your receipt, with a plane ticket and a note to come out here and pick up the sculpture.”
“Humph.” Odis got up and brought the carafe over to fill Bobby’s mug. He set the empty carafe down on the table after topping off his own.
“Yeah, humph. Not only did he set all of that up, there’s the thing with preordering the bust too.”
“I’m sorry,” Odis apologized. “Knowing all that now, I might have screwed up another surprise of his. He prob’ly set up another little thing for the anniversary.”
“Well, I’m through with surprises. I’m trying to get past all this, move on, ya know. But Nathan keeps showing up and yanking me back down, it feels like.”
“Humph,” Odis replied. It seemed more like Nathan was kicking Bobby in the butt to get him moving again. It was kind of a harsh thought, though, so he didn’t say it aloud.
Bobby gazed over at him. “We’re out of coffee,” he said, pointing to the table.
Odis stood up and started gathering dishes. “Suppose we should get ya on that plane, then.”
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