by Andrew Grey
“This one’s done,” Trevor said as he started the engine on the ’89 Camaro, listening as it purred like a kitten. “What’s next?”
Brent chuckled from behind him after he got out. “Nothing. All the appointments are done, and people are picking up their cars. We’ll be able to start fresh on Monday, with the exception of the jobs we’re waiting on parts for.”
“Thanks for the help,” Scott said softly from behind him. “I wasn’t really sure, and….”
“It’s cool, man. Next time you’ll find the clue that I missed.” He smiled so Scott wouldn’t feel bad and waited for him to nod and walk away before Trevor turned to Brent. “Make sure Scott gets full credit for that job. He did all the real work.”
“You sure?”
“Of course. I got lucky, and he’d already done the legwork. I was working today to help out, not take their repairs away from them.” He was about to turn away and hesitated. “If you see Alan again, call the police. He was here this morning, and I think he might have slept in his car in the parking area. I called them this morning and he took off.”
“I will.”
“Good. Now let’s close up and go home. It’s Saturday, and I’m sure we all have fun things to do today.” It was an hour early, but everyone had done well.
“I’ll stay until closing in case someone comes in,” Brent volunteered. The others thanked him and got into their cars, glad for the early quitting time on a glorious summer Saturday. “Do you have plans?”
“Yeah. I’m taking James to play mini golf.”
“That should be something to see.” Brent chuckled.
“Yeah. With him it isn’t about the score, but having fun, and James throws himself into everything he does. Last night he played Legos with his nephew and made some of the ugliest towers you have ever seen in your life. But we all had fun, and Zack had just as much fun knocking them down as he did the ones I built. And you should have seen James reading Zack from his bumpy books.”
“It sounds to me as though you’re in lerve.” Brent grinned, and Trevor rolled his eyes, but he didn’t deny it for a second. “I need to mark this day on my calendar.”
“Asshole,” Trevor said without heat.
“It’s about time. I knew eventually you’d meet someone who’d be able to get around those mile-high walls you’d built. Who would have thought they’d be breached by a guy who can’t see? I’m starting to wonder if James has superpowers.” Brent groaned slightly. “And I don’t want to know about any of your kinky stuff. It’s been too dang long for me.”
Trevor smacked Brent on the shoulder. “You really are an ass, and I’ll see you next week.”
“No going out anymore?”
“Nope.”
“Aren’t you going to miss it?” Brent asked, obviously curious.
“Nope. James is worth a lot more than spending hours hunting for anonymous sex. You know, you should give it a try.”
“Unlike you, I’ve actually been looking and haven’t had any luck. Maybe I should stop looking and I’ll find someone.”
“Or maybe you just need to open your eyes and see what’s under your nose.” Trevor started walking toward his car, wishing Brent a good rest of the weekend and hurrying home.
As he pulled up, he realized James had never been there. They’d always met at James’s house for practical reasons. Learning a new place was hard for James, so they stayed where James was familiar. But maybe tonight he could bring James here and they could try out his much larger bed.
Trevor showered and changed into tan summer pants and a light blue T-shirt. The heat was already building, and he wanted to be comfortable. When he left, he drove around the back to make sure everything was secure because he saw a group of strange kids hanging around the alley, before heading over to pick up James, who was ready and waiting for him. Trevor helped him to the car, and once he was inside, they hit the road.
“So where is this place?”
“It’s out near Wauwatosa, so we’ll be driving for a little bit. I have the beeper in the trunk, and I hope it works for you. I set it up so the actual device making the sound would be just inside the hole so you’ll get a really good sense of what you’re aiming for.”
“I’ve been looking forward to this. I haven’t played since I lost my sight, and I really don’t know if I can.”
“The course is indoors and air-conditioned. I also made sure to call and tell them we were coming and that you were blind. They said they had people with special needs all the time and would make sure we didn’t have people right behind us so we could have extra time.”
“Awesome.”
Trevor drove as quickly as he could. Once they arrived, he got out the cup indicator for James. They checked in, paying for their game, and Trevor helped James to the first tee while he carried their clubs and balls. “Give me a second.” Trevor set up the beeper. “Does that work for you?” He helped James with the club and showed him where the ball was in front of him.
“This is incredible.” James gently swung the club and missed the ball completely. Trevor helped him get into place and had him try again. James hit the ball, and it went down the path, bouncing off the sides of the course and making it halfway to the cup. Trevor took his turn, but it was largely immaterial. What counted was James having fun. And judging by the laughter, James certainly was.
“There’s a rock right between you and the hole. So go off to either side.” Trevor described each hole, and James navigated them. He took his shot, and the ball rolled around the rock, bounced off the side, and went right into the hole. “Oh my God!” Trevor lifted James off his feet, swinging him in his arms. “You got a hole in one.”
“Even the blind guy gets lucky once in a while.” James laughed as they celebrated.
In the end, Trevor didn’t keep score. It wasn’t necessary. James’s smile was huge, and they’d both had fun. He turned in the clubs and balls and led James back to the car, carrying the beeper along with him.
“That was so awesome!”
“Yes, it was.” Trevor never realized just how much joy he could get from watching someone else’s unbridled happiness. “How about a snack?”
“I could eat,” James said without hesitation.
“Then frozen custard it is.” Trevor started the car and drove back toward James’s house, heading for Leon’s, his favorite frozen custard place.
“I want a strawberry sundae,” James told him, and when they arrived, Trevor helped James to a table under an umbrella and then placed their order. He carried the dishes back to the table and handed James his spoon.
James must have been starving. He usually ate slowly, but that went out the window today. He dug in, eating as quickly and as neatly as anyone else, and Trevor realized that self-consciousness had most likely been James’s problem.
“Good?”
“Yeah.” He finished and set the dish down. “Really good.”
Trevor finished as well, and they sat quietly in the shade. He got them both a drink, and they finished those as the afternoon breeze blew in off the lake a few miles away, counteracting some of the sun’s intensity.
“I’m ready to go when you are,” James said as he slurped from the bottom of his drink.
Trevor took care of the trash, led James to the car, and drove to James’s house. “I thought we’d stay at my place. I’d like you to be comfortable there.”
“I’d like that. I should pack a bag before we go.”
“I need to pick up a few things. Do you want me to drop you at the house? I can run and get what I need and come back.”
“Sounds great,” James agreed, and when he stopped, Trevor explained where they had stopped. James got out and headed up the walk, waving before he went inside.
Trevor pulled away and raced to the grocery store a few blocks away. It didn’t take him long to get the things for breakfast and dinner that night. He put the refrigerator things in an insulated bag he kept in the trunk and drove back to James’s
. He half expected James to be sitting on the porch, but the house was quiet and dark, which wasn’t unusual, but James had taken to turning on lights when he knew Trevor was coming.
A light flipped on in the front room, a shadow lumbering behind the sheer curtains, moving too fast to be James. Trevor got out of the car and approached the front door. He listened and then went inside. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t James seated on his sofa, visibly shaking, with Alan looming over him.
“Get the fuck out of here!” Trevor was ready to lunge when he saw that Alan had a knife.
“I told you I knew things. The guys at the garage were saying you had a boyfriend. All it took was following you a few times to lead me here, to the blind guy.” Alan waved the knife in front of James, and Trevor froze. “He can’t see anything and has no idea if I’m going to cut him or not.” Alan laughed and swung the knife again, causing James to lean back into the cushions in an effort to get away. “You should have helped me.”
“So you broke in here and decided to kidnap James and threaten him? First you steal, and now you’ve made everything so much worse.”
Alan’s hands shook, and all Trevor could think of was trying to get that knife as far away from James’s skin as possible.
“You need to put the knife down and walk away. Just leave and go away. I’m not going to stop you.” Trevor moved away from the door to give Alan a clear means of escape.
“We were friends, and I’m in way over my head.” Alan swayed on his feet, and Trevor wondered what he’d been taking. “You were my friend and you should have helped me.”
Trevor stayed still, watching each move Alan made. He tried to figure out a way to call the police, but Alan jumped at the closing of a car door out front, so he clearly wasn’t stable, and the slightest movement could set him off. “I’m trying to help you now.”
“No, you’re not. I can’t just leave. They’ll find me and then that will be the end.” He turned back to James, waving the knife once more.
“What do you want? I have nothing to give you.”
Alan glanced at him. “I need money. So you’re going to get some and bring it back while I stay with your boyfriend. If you take too long, I’ll cut him to pieces, and if the police show up, I’ll do the same thing before they can even get in the house, understand? Now go. You’re going to help me, or your little blind boyfriend will be carved into tiny bits.”
Trevor went cold at Alan’s words. He’d just found James, and he’d be damned if he was going to lose him.
“You’re going to let me leave?” Trevor had no intention of going anywhere. He wasn’t going to leave James alone with this crazy man who was high as a kite on something. Trevor wondered what happened to the young man he’d known three years earlier. The one who’d worked extra hours to finish a job and who was always early and eager to advance. Alan had been driven and could have made a success of his life. Instead, he was a shell comprised of fear and paranoia.
“Trevor,” James said, and Alan whipped back to him.
“You shut up and sit still. I’ll cut you to ribbons.” Alan touched the knife to James’s shoulder.
“Bullshit,” James said, reaching for Alan’s arms, connecting, and shoving him backward. Alan clearly hadn’t been expecting the move and flailed his arms. Trevor raced forward as Alan tried to catch his balance, but he was clearly caught completely off guard. He took a step back, stumbled into the coffee table, and fell on top of it, collapsing the table, landing on his back, the knife sliding along the wood floor.
Trevor kicked the knife into the other room and raced to Alan, who was already trying to get up. Trevor knocked his feet out from under him, sending Alan crashing into the floor once again. “Are you okay? Did he cut you?” he asked James, then rolled Alan onto his belly and held his hands behind his back.
“I’m fine. He didn’t cut me.”
“You’re hurting me,” Alan groaned.
“You’re lucky I don’t break your fucking arms,” Trevor growled and turned to James. “Do you have your phone?”
“It’s in the bedroom.”
“Go get it and call the police. I can’t reach mine at the moment, and I’m not going to let him go for a second.” Trevor held on tightly.
“Trevor…,” Alan whined.
Trevor yanked upward. “Shut up or I will break your arms,” he hissed as James left the room on unsteady legs.
James found his phone, made the call, and came back into the room as he talked. “My boyfriend, Trevor, has him under control at the moment, but please hurry.” He hung up.
“Go back into the bedroom, then close and lock the door. If this ass gets loose, I want you safe.” Trevor was taking no chances. “As soon as the police get here, I’ll come get you.”
James left the room, and Trevor breathed a small sigh of relief when he heard the door close.
Sirens approached a few seconds later, growing louder quickly. The police came in, at the ready, and he released Alan only once they had him cuffed and under their control.
“The knife he used is on the floor in the dining room. I kicked it in there.” The adrenaline that had coursed through him now began to fade as the danger passed.
The officers retrieved the knife as Trevor went to the bedroom.
James came out, and Trevor folded him into his arms. “We’re both okay.”
“Yeah.” James squeezed him tightly, and after a few minutes, Trevor led James into the other room, where they spent quite a while answering questions, with James holding his hand the entire time.
TREVOR SPENT what felt like hours explaining what happened and why he suspected that Alan had broken in and accosted James. The police were able to get the records of the other charges that Alan was facing from the theft, then took Alan away. After answering all their questions, Trevor and James signed statements, with an officer reading James’s to him, and then the police left.
“I was hoping for some fun, not that kind of excitement.”
Trevor guided James to the sofa and sat down next to him. Now that all the activity was over and the questions answered, James turned to him, held him, and fell to pieces. He shook in Trevor’s arms.
“He was going to kill me.”
“He wanted something. I don’t think he even knew what it was except maybe some money so he could get away.” Trevor held James, gently stroking his back. “When I saw him with the knife, waving it in front of you, all I could think of was how I’d just found you.” He closed his eyes and tried not to let the fear he’d felt overwhelm him. He’d been able to keep it at bay in the heat of the moment, but it threatened to overwhelm him now.
“I’m okay.” James wiped his eyes and held him, the tremors subsiding.
“What you were was totally awesome. Alan would never suspect that you’d do what you did. He was completely off guard. I’m sorry about the table, and we can go out to get you another one. But you’re a hero.”
“No, I’m not. He was waving his hands so I was able to tell where they were. That’s all. When he stilled, I went for it. From his speech I knew he wasn’t all there, and he smelled funny, like he was off.”
“He was high on something or had been recently. Alan is an addict and he was probably stealing to support his habit. From what he said, he probably owes people money. Like I said, you were amazing.”
“I’m just glad it’s over,” James said, resting his head on Trevor’s chest.
Trevor used to think he really wanted a life of excitement, but what he truly needed was a quiet life with James. That was what was important. The past was just the past, and if he wanted that quieter, more stable life, then he needed to let go of some of that history.
“Should I make us some tea?” He wanted something stronger, but soothing was what they both really needed.
“That would be nice.” James released him, staying where he was.
Trevor went into the kitchen to heat some water. He put James’s kettle on the stove and le
aned against the counter. It was time to deal with the greatest pain of his life. He only hoped he survived it. Trevor gripped the edge of the counter, staring into nothing as he waited for the water to heat. “Do you have any whiskey?” he asked, then wished he hadn’t. Even though he wanted a drink badly, it was only going to provide false courage.
“No. But there’s some vodka in the far lower left cabinet, bottom shelf.”
The water boiled in the kettle, and he turned it off, then filled two mugs. Before he left he made sure everything was in its place and put the hot kettle on the back burner. Then he carried the mugs in the living room and handed one to James. “The stove is hot and so is the kettle.”
“Okay.” James thanked him and sat back. He was still wearing his sunglasses, and Trevor gently took them off, placing them on the lamp table beside the sofa. Even though they were sightless, he still needed to see James’s eyes.
“I have something I need to tell you. Something I don’t talk about because… well… it’s painful.” He sipped his tea and once again wished it was something stronger.
“What happened? Did someone hurt you?” Concern rolled off James.
“Not physically. I mean, he never hit me or anything.” Trevor sat in a chair, wondering how he could bring himself to say the words. “I could tell you a long, drawn-out story, but I guess I’m going to try to come to the point. Chase was a divinity student at Marquette and I met him at M and D, a leather bar that’s closed now. I was a biker and I felt at home there… sort of.” Trevor could remember the headiness of going to the bar for the first time and meeting other people like him. His heart had pounded and he was scared as all hell, excited too, and he’d had no clue how to talk to people. “I walked in the first time and was overwhelmed.”
“Imagine going to one of those places and not being able to see, but wondering if everyone is watching you.” James sipped his tea. “We all go through that in new situations, and you seem to have gotten over it.”
“Yeah, I did, and it wasn’t long before I grew to know some people. Anyway, I’m going on and on.” Trevor gulped some tea and gasped because it was too hot. He set down the mug and breathed though his mouth to cool it. Maybe it was best if he just got this over with. “I met Chase there. He was a sophomore at Marquette and I was a horny nineteen-year-old. We hit it off, talked for hours in one of the back booths, and then he left and I didn’t expect to see him again. Except I did, and we talked more the next time. This time he asked me out on a date. I expected an offer of sex or something, but we went to dinner and then stayed the night in his dorm room because his roommate was gone. That was October, and we saw each other until almost May, I guess. The thing is, we were making plans for Chase for after the semester ended. I had a small apartment, and he was going to move in with me.”