by J. M. Snyder
Bransworth had sent me a short video of two squirrels ‘barking’ at each other, probably arguing over nuts. I chuckled as I sent a return text, omg, too cute. Just before I turned into the station, someone bumped into me from behind, hard. I went flying, landing face down on the dirty pavement. I still held onto my phone, somehow, but I was dazed.
“You okay?”
I looked up slowly to see an older woman staring at me with concern. I moved bit by bit, first onto my knees, then standing upright. “I think so. What happened?” My whole body felt like a giant bruise.
“Someone deliberately bumped into you, but he’s gone now,” an African American gentleman said. He frowned while staring into the distance. “He was a tall guy, thin, with red hair, freckles. Green shirt, gray tie. The expression on his face was…mean.”
Oh, no, it couldn’t be. Why would he do that? It made no sense. I thanked both people for coming to my aid and made my way home. Hopefully, it was a fluke.
Two hours later, I lay in bed, sore, tired, and lonely, if I were to admit it. I didn’t want it to be who I thought it was, but maybe he’d gone over the edge somehow. That would seriously suck.
I sent a text to Bransworth. Someone deliberately ran into me today at the station.
His response was immediate. Oh, no, are you all right?
I typed, A little sore. An eyewitness gave a description.
And? he sent back.
I sighed and replied, It was Jenson.
My phone rang immediately.
“Are you sure?” He sounded worried, when I answered his call.
“Almost positive,” I replied. “The description I got was almost spot on. Even down to what he wore to work today. You need to be careful, now. Does he know where you live?”
“Actually, no. For all the time we spent together, it was always at his place and on his terms. Maybe I had a sixth sense or something because I never let him know where I lived.”
“Well,” I replied, “he doesn’t know where I live either, but that doesn’t mean he can’t find out if he really wants to.”
Bransworth said, “It sounds like he went over the edge. I’m worried about you, Stace. You work with the guy. Who knows what he’ll do next?”
“I don’t want to think the worst of him, I really don’t. But this…”
“All right, let’s think about this. Unless he attacks you at work, you’re probably okay there for the most part. It’s just the rest of the time that you’ll have to watch your back. I’m worried. I wish I were there with you.”
I was silent for a moment. “Why?”
“I know it’s weird, or too soon, or whatever other sensible, logical thing I’m supposed to say. But right now, all I can think about is that you’re in danger, and I want to be there to protect you anyway I can. For some reason, I feel…a connection with you, like there could be more than friendship in no time at all.
“I see.” I cleared my throat. “I guess I wasn’t the only one then.”
He laughed. “Guess not. Whew! That’s a relief. But back to the issue at hand. Please be careful, Stace. In fact, I’d love it if we could join forces. Maybe you could stay with me for a while, or I could stay with you. I’ll take you to and from work, and we’ll spend some more time together.”
“I couldn’t impose on you like that. I would be infringing on your schedule and your life. I’m a grown man. Why should Jenson have me—us—running scared?”
“Because he’s become unhinged, and you’re in his line of fire. Two heads are better than none,” he retorted.
Despite the issues at hand, I smiled. “Don’t you mean one?”
“Nope, none. Because if you’re not careful, you could lose yours.”
I sighed. “That’s a bit…grim.”
“Might as well lay everything on the table.”
“What a fucked up mess.” All because I lusted after the wrong guy.
“How about I meet you outside your building after you’re done with work tomorrow?”
“Don’t you have model things to do?” I asked, a last ditch effort at sanity.
“Nothing until next week. Humor me, okay?”
I stopped resisting. “I’ll be done around six tomorrow evening. I’ll see you then, and thanks, Bransworth, for being there. By the way, how on earth did you end up with such a first name?”
“God, I think my mother was drunk or something. I’ve caught hell for it since birth, but at least now, as a moderately successful adult, I don’t get teased as much, not to my face.”
I did my best to suppress a chuckle. “Poor you.”
“Was that a snicker I heard in your voice?” he asked.
I tried to sound as innocent as possible. “I would never!”
“I’ll wait until I see you again to find out if you’re messing with me. In the meantime, see you tomorrow, have sweet dreams, and good night, Stace.”
“Good night,” I replied and hung up.
* * * *
The next day, though I was riding high from my phone conversation with Bransworth, I was on hyper-alert around Jenson. He’d shown up to work late again, and his facial expression was…not friendly at all.
I kept to myself, working on articles and updating blogs as needed, only leaving my seat when I had to for bathroom breaks or to use the copier room. I didn’t eat or have coffee the whole time I was there, just to be on the safe side.
At five minutes to six, I gathered my things and left the department. I noted out of the corner of my eye that Jenson was still sitting in his cubicle. Good. Instead of taking the elevator as usual, I took the stairs. It was only five flights down, and the doors weren’t locked until six-thirty.
When I stepped into the lobby, I walked quickly toward the revolving doors in order to gain the sidewalk. It was brutal outside, but I didn’t care. The person I wanted to see most in the world right then was standing by the passenger door of his Jeep Wrangler.
Bransworth smiled at me, but then his facial expression changed to one of horror before he shouted, “Man with a gun!” He pushed me to the ground and covered my body with his.
The air was knocked out of me when I landed, and he was on top of me, his weight pressing me into the pavement where we both lay. I heard screams around us and turned my head to look up.
There was Jenson, holding a gun with shaking hands, his face contorted in rage as he stood over us. “You fucking faggot bastards, think you can make a fool out of me, do you? Well, look at you now, quivering in your own piss. I’ll teach you to mess with me.”
I watched him take aim with the gun, but before Jenson could pull the trigger, he was tackled to the ground out of nowhere by a cop, while another one cuffed his hands behind his back. They lifted him off the ground while he shouted epithets and threats as he was hauled away.
Bransworth rolled off my back and sat beside my aching body. When it finally sunk in that the threat was gone, I slowly got to my feet and pulled him up, too. The crowd that had formed was slowly dissipating.
“Are you all right?” I asked as we brushed ourselves off. My poor backpack had seen a lot of action in the last couple of days and was the worse for wear.
“I’ll be fine,” was his only reply before we were approached by another police officer and questioned about the incident.
We ended up at the precinct. After it was all over, I was tired, sore, and in desperate need of a beer, food, and shower, in that order.
“God, is it the weekend yet?” I grumbled as we strolled to Bransworth’s vehicle.
“One more day, hon. I need to feed you, don’t I? I could hear your stomach growling the entire time we were at the station. Didn’t you eat anything today?” he asked as he pulled out into traffic a few minutes later. It wasn’t that heavy at nine o’clock in the evening.
“I haven’t had anything since this morning, so, yes, I’m starving.”
“Well, you’re coming home with me tonight, and I’ll feed you.” He took the next right and headed
for the freeway.
“But what about work tomorrow and clothes? I don’t—”
“We’re the same height, and though you’re a little bit stockier than I am, I’m sure I have stuff you can wear. Don’t worry.”
And with that, I had to be content. I really didn’t want to be alone right now, and I could barely fathom the attack on Bransworth and me earlier this evening. I hadn’t had a chance to process it just yet.
* * * *
It took half an hour, but we finally made it to Bransworth’s house, a charming one-story structure with tons of flowers surrounding the deck out front.
“I’d love to see this in the daylight,” I said as I followed him inside.
“Oh, it’s wonderful. You’ll love it. And the smell is glorious.” He led me to the kitchen and had me sit at the table. “I’ll give you a beer while I cook. Or would you prefer to shower now, so after we eat, you can go straight to bed?”
I watched as he pulled out a pot to put on the stove and grabbed a box of some kind from the cabinet. “I’ll go clean up. Er, clothes?”
He smiled. “There’s only one bedroom in this house. It’s at the back. You’ll find something that’ll probably fit you in the bottom of the chest of drawers.”
I left my backpack on the floor beside my chair and approached him where he stood at the sink, filling the pot with water. “I haven’t thanked you for saving my life today,” I began as I watched him prepare our meal.
“Actually,” he replied, “It was the cops who did that. They saved both our lives.”
“Still, you pushed me to the ground. If you hadn’t seen Jenson coming, I, or both of us, might have been dead.”
“Fine, if you insist, you’re welcome. Feel better?” he asked.
“Much.” I kissed his cheek and went to clean up a bit.
When I returned fifteen minutes later, wearing gym shorts and a T-shirt, there were two plates of spaghetti and veggie sauce on the table, along with fresh red pepper and grated parmesan cheese.
“Oh, man, this looks wonderful.”
“I hope you like it,” Bransworth replied, taking garlic bread out of the toaster oven and placing it between us.
“I’m sure I will.” I gulped down half of the beer while practically inhaling the tasty meal he’d prepared. I probably appeared like I had no home training, the way I scarfed my food down like a barbarian. But it was really good, and I was really hungry.
“There’s more,” Bransworth said, amused at my appetite.
“What about you?” I asked in an attempt to redeem myself a little.
“I’m good. You go ahead.”
I ate every last drop that remained and burped a few times, too.
“Compliments to the cook, I guess,” he said and shook his head.
“You can cook for me any day, man. I do okay in my own kitchen, but nothing like this.”
He blushed. “Thank you. It’s something I enjoy doing, and when I get tired of doing the modeling and acting thing, I’ve decided to go to Cordon Bleu school.”
“I think you’ll be a great chef someday. In my book, you already are.”
“Charming of you,” he said, “but I do have to take into account that you haven’t eaten all day.”
“I would have the same reaction, no matter my appetite.”
“Sweet talker, aren’t you?” he said as he cleared the table. “I bet you say that to all the guys.”
“You would be wrong. There haven’t been that many guys, which was why Jenson was like fresh water in the ocean to me. I’d been starved for closeness, he was just there, and…”
“Shh, Stace. I understand, I was that way, too.” He finished loading the dishwasher, handed me another bottle of beer, and took his own, leading me to the back of the house and onto the porch. He sat on the swing and patted the seat. “Sit beside me.”
I did so, and we remained that way, gently moving back and forth and staring out into the darkness. The sky was clear enough to see the stars, and the street lights didn’t detract too much from the sight.
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
Bransworth took a few more gulps of his beer then set it on the ground before answering my question. “It’s a bit…strange, what happened today. I knew that Jenson could be cruel, but psychotic? That was new.”
“Yeah. I still don’t know what to think of that, but I am happy that the cops were there when he threatened our lives. He needs help, but he’s not our problem anymore.”
“True,” he responded and went back to staring at the stars.
“So what now?” I asked, setting my own bottle on the deck.
“Now? We do whatever we want to, whether together or separate. I’m in no hurry to get into another relationship, but a good friend, with occasional sexy trysts? I can handle that. What about you?”
“I think that’s all I’m good for right now, too.” I arranged myself so my head was on his lap and closed my eyes while he continued to gently rock the swing with his foot.
“Great.”
I wasn’t sure how long we remained like that. Eventually, we made our way to Bransworth’s bedroom and settled down for the night after he’d cleaned up and we’d shared a toothbrush. We found our comfortable spots and snuggled together under the covers, my head on his chest.
“So what do you want to do this weekend? Feel like going to Stone Mountain Park?”
“As long as it doesn’t involve climbing or any kind of sport activity, I’m fine with that. It’s too damn hot to do anything demanding.”
“Agreed, though seeing you hot and sweaty might encourage me to take liberties with your very fine person,” Bransworth said, running a hand slowly up and down my back underneath my shirt.
“I have a feeling I’ll let you.”
I fell asleep shortly after that and dreamed of running in sprinklers with a naked Bransworth at my side.
* * * *
In the morning, he made me breakfast and loaned me some clothes for work, including brand new underwear. Since he was driving me into the city, I didn’t have to carry a change of clothing, which was, admittedly, a relief.
As we headed out onto the freeway, I asked, “When do you think this damn heat wave will end? It was supposed to taper off this week, but it’s still way up there.”
“I hope it’s soon. This kind of weather sucks, especially with my fair complexion. I burn in the blink of an eye.”
I looked over at him. “But you have such smooth, clear skin.”
“It takes a lot of effort for it to remain that way, let me tell you.”
“Well, whatever you’re doing, keep it up.” I winked at him and went back to staring out the window.
“So a SkyRide, then a meal? How’s that sound for tomorrow?”
“Perfect. It will help to erase the bitter taste in my mouth from my last experience there with Jenson, all of which was just a ruse to get me in his bed.”
“Let’s hope that’s the case.”
When he pulled over in front of my building and parked, I leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Thanks for the ride. When you pick me up tonight, I need to stop by my place to get some clothes and other stuff for the weekend. Okay?”
“Fine. Have a good day, love.”
I got out of the car and watched as he effortlessly merged with traffic and sped away. Our friendship had been born out of something ugly, but it could become the most beautiful thing I’d ever experience. I was definitely looking forward to that.
* * * *
As I walked toward my cubicle, I heard the chatter around me become hushed. Great, so everyone knew what had happened yesterday. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone and kept moving until I reached my desk. Despite all the drama of the last week or so, I still had a job to do.
At noon, I walked to the deli a block away and ordered a pastrami sandwich. As I waited for it to be prepared, I sent a smiley face text to Bransworth. He replied immediately with a devil emoticon.
I chuckl
ed and grabbed a bottle of water along with my food and chose a nearby table. As I took my second bite, Pete from Human Resources sat across from me, uninvited. I stared at him and waited for him to say his piece while I ate.
“Stace, I heard about what happened yesterday, and I’m more sorry than I can say. We never know what can happen from one day to the next. Jenson was a stellar employee. For him to do something like that…” He shook his head. “Look, if you need time off for any reason, or just want to talk, we have a few programs that may be helpful. Let me know if there’s anything I can do. My door is always open to you.”
I hadn’t expected that. I wiped my mouth. “I appreciate that, Mr. Hong.”
Apparently satisfied, gung-ho Pete nodded and left.
The end of the day couldn’t come soon enough. I would be the hot topic for about a week, until something else turned up, like the time Marcy Hickory was caught in the women’s bathroom with the VP of sales, the very married Mrs. Maddsen. That had been rumor mill fodder for months.
By the time Bransworth picked me up, took me home to get some clothes, and headed to Stone Mountain, I was beyond ready for the weekend.
“You look beat, hon,” he said as we merged onto the freeway.
“Yeah, long day. Though it had its surprising points, such as when HR approached me with kid gloves, offering time off or counseling if needed.”
“Probably trying to cover their asses and prevent another psychotic break.”
“Whatever the reason, I appreciated the offer. But, of course, I’m grist for the rumor mill right now, until something juicier shows up.”
He laughed. “What’s juicier than you?”
“You think I’m juicy?” I asked, eyebrow arched.
Since traffic had come to a standstill, he looked at me. “Hell yeah. That firm, round ass of yours could bounce coins, I’m sure of it. It’s like a juicy steak I’d love to slather with lotion and rub all over.”
“Shit, man. Don’t say stuff like that while we’re in the car!”
“What else do we have to do? Cars aren’t moving, and we’re stuck here.”
I was shocked. “We’re surrounded by people, families, kids. Do you want to scar the next generation by having me jack off in your nice Jeep?”