by Noah Harris
Jon stripped down to the black socks and bright-colored, short-legged boxer briefs – purple and fuchsia today – tossed the suit onto the low sprawling chair in the corner of the room. He trotted into the adjoining bath and closet he had converted from the third bedroom the house had once had. Jon turned right into the first of two closets, he dug a pair of jeans off of a shelf and slid them up his long legs. He then tugged a t-shirt from another shelf and shoved his head and arms into it.
Jon sat on the edge of the old trunk he had frivolously brought to stash his winter-wear away in. He snagged a pair faded, but will polished boots and quickly stamped his feet into them. Jon strode out of the closet to the vanity counter and ran his fingers through his hair, tousling the almost too long waves on top.
Jon straightened, checked his teeth in the mirror and walked back into the bedroom. He grabbed his wallet, keys and phone off the bed before bolting back down the hall. As he passed, Jon saw that Kitty was still sprawled upside-down on the second bathroom counter. He smiled at the sight before remembering the list.
Three minutes later Jon dashed through the garage, stuffing the Kitty list into his pocket with his wallet. He opened the door of the Challenger and settled onto the seat as he slid the key into the ignition.
“Well, I hope Charge doesn’t mind watching the cat for me…provided she sticks around…while I am in Chicago. Damn. I had really hoped to work on the Morgan. Oh well – I guess I’ll just have to look forward to dinner with Mr. Swalters while I am in Chicago.”
Charge stepped out of the shop’s side door ahead of Treyvonne. He swung his arm in a large circle and sighed – the hot tub had provided temporary relief, but he was aching again. He waited as Treyvonne locked the door and together they walked around the edge of the building to the parking area.
“Hot damn!” Treyvonne cooed. Charge glanced the way the other man’s gaze was focused.
Hot damn, indeed, Charge privately agreed. Of course, he is talking about the car, and while I can’t disagree, the man is damn fine, too.
Jon leaned back against the hood of the Challenger in the dimming light. Charge let his heavy boot scrape over a rock, grinding it against the pavement. At the sound, Jon looked up from the lit screen of his phone. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the darker light. When his gaze finally focused and found Charge, Jon smiled warmly and waved in greeting.
“How was day one?” He asked as he walked toward Charge.
Jon smiled at Treyvonne and offered his hand. “Jon Forrest.”
“Treyvonne Bartlow. You the newbie’s friend?”
Jon laughed, “I called Jason – Marsters – at 5 in the morning yesterday and told him he needed to interview Charge here for the position.”
“Oh – you’re a cruel one,” Treyvonne insisted with a laugh. “Well see you tomorrow afternoon, newbie. You on at noon again?”
“Yeah, Marsters is talking about me working a couple of hours Saturday morning.”
“Hey, that’ll bump you to 40 the way you close down,” Treyvonne smirked as he waved and turned away to climb into his truck.
“Bump you to 40 the way you close down?” Jon asked
“Apparently I’m quick getting everything where it is supposed to go and everywhere else satisfactorily clean so that Treyvonne and I can get out and get home. I only worked six-and-a-half today.”
“Jason pays by the job though, right.”
“Yes, though he apparently will pay hourly when things are slow, so that someone is here as long as the shop is open. But, I’m used to hourly – which is why everyone was ragging on me. Benny, the one everyone calls Short and Angry kept muttering ‘mula’ under his breath.”
Jon chuckled, “At least he didn’t call you an ass.”
Charge rolled his eyes, “So, you want to leave the Porsche here?”
“Yeah, it's not far from the house, we’ll swing back by.”
Charge slid into the Challenger, but as Jon got into the driver’s side, a whisper of a smell teased at Charges nose. However, as soon as he caught the scent, Jon had the car on, and shifting into gear. As Jon drove through the parking lot, air blew through the car and blew the scent out with it.
“So, how was your first day?” Jon asked.
“A day fixing cars. Most of them I wouldn’t drive myself,” Charge commented honestly. Jon laughed. Considering the older man, Charge continued, “You ever take yours in?”
“Rare occasion. I do the maintenance myself when I have the time. As I tend to make time, taking my cars into a shop is an oddity.”
“I can see that. But if you brought yours in, I would be able to say that there were some I would drive. The only one I saw today, I didn’t work on. It was a pretty vintage Jag.” Since, Jon’s eyes were on the road, Charge let his lips twitch at the irony. He then forced them straight, and slid his tongue over his teeth to make sure his fangs were hidden, as they should be.
“How about you? How was your day?” Charge almost took back the question, when Joh’s head thunked against the steering wheel when he stopped at a light. “That good, huh?”
“Oh it was a shit show. That said, you are going to be on your own for at least half of next week. Probably Monday through Friday – I just don’t see any way to get out of it early.”
“Get out of what?” Charge privately wished he had a map for the conversation as he was missing certain details already.
Jon took a deep breath, and shifted the Challenger up through the gears. He popped it into fifth as he zipped up an onramp onto the large roadway Charge thought was called ‘59.’ “I have to go to Chicago next week. I was manipulated by the other senior managers into going and representing the firm at the Society of Actuaries Investment Symposium in Chicago. The convention is running from Monday through Friday. Remind me to give you the number for the hotel – just in case.”
“I can do that.” Charge murmured. Kinda throws a wrench in my plans. Several days away gives him the opportunity to crawl back into denial. Well, it's something he has to do.
“That reminds me,” Jon said, interrupting Charge’s thoughts. “You know anything about cats?”
Jon turned his head to look at Charge is he erupted into a riot of coughing and wheezing. Shit! Is he allergic? I didn’t even think of that.
“Umm,” Charge finally managed, this voice a little raspy. “I know some about cats. Why?”
“You aren’t allergic are you?” Jon asked sincerely.
Suddenly Charge’s residual coughs changed into deep, gut wrenching laughter. Confused Jon arched a brow at the younger man.
That is freaking hilarious. Me, allergic to cats. That would make me allergic to myself.
“No, no,” Charge finally managed to gasp. “I am not allergic to cats.”
“I am just going to pretend that you had a momentary lapse of sanity,” Jon muttered as he cruised the Challenger through an interchange.
“Why are you asking about cats?” Charge inquired, fighting to keep the chuckles from coloring his voice.
“Because there is one at the house. I have never had a pet, so I am trying to figure out what I need to get for a cat.”
There is a cat at the house? Why is there a cat at the house and more importantly where at the house is it?
“A cat?”
“Yes, she was napping on your car. She seemed hungry and thirsty, so I took her inside.”
“And you left her inside?”
“Yeah – she was asleep when I left on the bathroom counter.”
Here’s hoping she is still asleep. Cats are brutal especially if they are the least feral. Charge looked out the window and considered the newest revelation of Jon’s nature when something occurred to him.
“And when you’re in Chicago?” he asked carefully.
“You wouldn’t mind looking after her, if she sticks around that is.” Charge watched Jon shake his head, a self-depreciating half-smile on his face. “I figure I’ll call her Kitty for now. If she is still around when
I get back from Chicago, I’ll figure out a better name for her.”
“That seems like a good idea.” Charge commented carefully. “So what kind of cat?”
“I don’t know. Definitely a mix. She’s really pretty though.”
“Ok.” Well, what to get for a cat? One that is always a cat. Charge cleared his throat. “Obviously you will need food, dishes, you might want one of those mats – in case she is a messy eater.”
“I think she would take objection at that implication,” Jon joked.
“Yeah, I am sure.”
“What about toys?”
“Well cats can be troublemakers if they get bored. So it’s probably best to get something.”
“You know anything about the supposedly self-cleaning litter boxes?”
Charge felt his eyes widen but he managed to answer smoothly. “No.”
“I guess I’ll just ask when we stop at the store.”
Dear heaven, please leave me out of that conversation. As a cat, I can only handle so much.
Jon was glad he had decided to take Charge to Rudy’s. It had been enjoyable to watch the younger man devour the different meats with gusto, he had been particularly fond of the pork loin. Four pounds of meat, creamed corn, and bean later, Charge turned sideways on the bench seat and braced his back against the wall.
“Excellent choice,” he smirked.
“Glad you liked it,” Jon laughed. “Pet supply store? I noticed that we passed one not too far back up the road towards home.”
“Sure.”
When Charge saw the woman with four large dogs wander into the pet supply, he had second thoughts about going in with Jon, but he would tell that the full human was expecting his company. Suppressing a sigh, Charge got out of the Challenger and wandered up to the door of the store, pausing so that Jon could go in ahead of him.
As soon as they were within the automated doors, Jon looked up and scanned the signs hanging from the ceiling before heading for the one bearing the line-drawn image of a fluffy house cat. One the way to the cat section, they passed the aisle the woman with the four dogs was browsing the selection of industrial chew toys on. As one, the group of canines came to attention the instant they saw him. Their full human keeper was oblivious to their heightened attention and aggression.
Charge glanced around and since the coast was clear, decided to put all thought of taking him on out of their collective minds. Charge quickly shifted his eyes and allowed his long fangs to drop from his gums. He bared his weapons in a silently snarling hiss. The four dogs immediately dropped their ears and tucked their tails between their legs. Satisfied, Charge tucked his fangs away and shifted his eyes – the only thing that changed was the size of his pupils – back to human. Turning away, Charge followed Jon’s scent. He found the full human in deep discussion with one of the store workers over the array of litter boxes.
Not willing to participate in that conversation, Charge hung back for a minute before turning back to go up another aisle. At the end of that aisle, he found the fish swimming brightly in an array of tanks mounted to the wall. Entertained, Charge leaned back against the shelf and watched the swirling colors.
A trip without the hassle of Acid. Cool.
The sales girl had been a delightful help. She had helped him pick out one of the six – six – automated scoop litter boxes, before she had dashed off to get him a cart. After she had brought the cart back she had wandered the cat aisles with Jon and helped him select litter, food, toys, a cat door, and every other kitty thing a person or cat could possibly want.
She was now awaiting him at the register as the store was getting ready to close, but he had to find Charge. Jon pushed the backed to the end of an aisle. When he turned he found the object of his search watching the fish. Jon held back a moment to enjoy looking at the younger man.
He really is something, Jon thought. Long, well-muscled arms and legs, broad shoulders, and a face that could make people stop on the street to stare. Taking a breath, Jon approached. Charge turned his face at the sound of the wheels on the tile. He smiled warmly at Jon, but then his eyes widened as his gaze dropped to the basket Jon pushed.
“Is there anything left on the shelf?”
Jon gave Charge a mock scowl before saying, “Come on – they’re waiting at the register. The store is about to close.”
Charge carried in the last bag from the pet supply store. Jon had immediately grabbed his tools and a jigsaw out of the garage and headed off to the bathroom to install the cat door so that Kitty could get to the litter box without it being out in the open. Charge set the bag on the table, bent to pick up two bowls off the floor and took them to the sink.
As he ran water into both of them, Charge felt something ribboning around his ankles. Leaning back from the counter, Charge looked down and found a silver cat winding its silky body around and between his feet, purring like a little engine the entire time.
Okay…
Shutting off the water, Charge dried his hands and stepped back to crouch. He pets the petite feline. She nipped at his wrist affectionately before shoving her head beneath his stroking fingers.
“Well aren’t you ornery. Okay, I’ll give Jon that you’re awful pretty. Kinda make me think of this snow leopard I once tumbled with.”
The click of Jon’s boots approaching had Charge breaking off the story.
“Alright, cat door installed.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah – now I just have to figure out where I am going to put everything else.”
“I’m sure you’ve got a room somewhere,” Charge commented. “So Chicago, huh? At least it won’t be buried under a blizzard this time of year.”
“Yeah, but I am not ready.”
“Come on,” Charge stepped up to Jon and set a hand on his shoulder. He felt the full human tens, but Jon didn’t pull away. Progress. “I am sure that you know more than you need to.”
“And if people ask questions?”
“Hah, pretend that you are explaining to a more knowledgeable me. But there is more than that…what’s really eating at you?” Charge cocked his head to the side, dipping his chin so that Jon was meeting his gaze. “You’ve got a damn fine poker face, Jon, but I have spent years around the most hard-core gamblers.”
“Fine,” Jon sighed, “I am getting increasingly frustrated with work, I keep thinking of just walking out and being finished with ‘em. And then I come home and you’re here. You’re forcing me to look at things I have done everything I can to ignore for a lot of years.”
Charge considered the twist of Jon’s mouth, his chest tightening with nerves. “You want me to leave?” he finally asked.
X
Jon stared up at the ceiling, the last days of the week had passed in a whirlwind. As he lay there in the dark several moments came swirling back to him.
“You want me to leave?”
The instant Charge had asked the question, it had been as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. When he hadn’t answered, Charge had dropped his hand from Jon’s shoulder and taken a step back.
“I can be out of here the day you get back. I don’t want you to have to worry about the cat,” he had said as he had started to walk away.
Without thinking, Jon had reached out and wrapped his fingers around the younger man’s wrist.
“That isn’t what I meant!” Jon had insisted. “Damn it, Charge. I don’t have relationships with anyone. And the twice yearly lunches with my mother don’t count. Fine. You were right – I have never been with anyone. I tried women. I tried, but it would never work and after what happened all those years ago, I don’t know if I can stand someone touching me.”
Charge had gone still. His gold eyes had gone cold like frozen amber lumps.
“Help me understand, Jon. I don’t want to push you, but a blind fool could see that you aren’t happy.”
“You’re right. I’m not. But I’ve never met anyone that made me want to try for different. At lea
st not till now…” Jon had groaned miserably before sliding down the cabinets. “I can’t prove it, but judging by the aftermath my father had a hand in it.”
“A hand in what?”
“Trying to cure me from being gay.”
Charge had crouched down in front of him. “I am assuming it was bad. Bad enough to make you afraid.”
“I was never a wuss. But after…I had nightmares. I managed some peace when I left home and went off to college, but even then, I had hideous nightmares. Ones that made me ashamed, hurt, and scared all over again.”
“Why do you think your father had anything to do with…” Jon knew Charge had pieced the unspoken word together, but Jon couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“I am laying in a hospital bed. The doctor called the cops – but this I Texas, and some of the stigmas are legitimate. My father walks in and dismisses the cops. They leave – they refused to even look at me. You could tell they were disgusted. My mother is outside, she won’t look at me either. My father shoves the doctor out of the room. Outraged the doctor is rushing off to get security and have my father removed.
He finally turns to me, his lip curls in disdain. ‘What a disgrace’ he snarls. ‘A disgrace that any son of mine would ask for some man to fuck him.’ I was enraged, but as he spoke that last bit of fight inside me broke. It didn’t come back till I had been away from home more than a year. I couldn’t bear the thought of that kind of pain, but at least I was finally free from the disgust.
My mother has to drive into Dallas to meet me for lunch. I won’t go into the ‘burbs. She quit trying to push the issue when I assured her I would quit telling her I was in town.”
Charge had waited until Jon had looked at him, before reaching out and brushing away a tear Jon hadn’t even realized was coursing his cheek. Charge’s hand had lingered, his fingers had trailed over Jon’s jaw to stroke the tender skin of his neck.
“Is this bothering you?” he had asked patiently.
Jon had thought a moment before answering, “No – I’m nervous, but no.”