by Louise Lyons
“I'm sorry.” Matt glanced at me sympathetically, then turned his attention back to the road as we came to a junction. “Where now?”
“Left, then we're there.”
In less than a minute, we parked opposite the police station. Matt gave me an encouraging smile. “Let's do this. Then if you're up for it, we'll go home. My home, I mean. I really want you to come for a visit.”
I nodded and smiled back. “Thanks. That'd be great.”
Chapter Five
Matthew
I insisted on staying with Tremaine—Tam—while he gave a statement, naming the man who'd “accidentally” injured him with the bottle. The bar's owner and manager had already reported the incident, no doubt for insurance purposes. When everything was done, it was almost lunchtime.
We drove back to Salcombe and grabbed some burgers before we left. As we hovered outside the fast food bar, eating in silence, I spotted Tam's friend Stef on the other side of the street, and remembered he'd invited me to call on him if I wanted. I waved to get his attention and he paused and grinned, but he didn't come to us. Tam looked up and noticed him a moment later.
“Why don't you talk to him before we go?” I suggested.
“I suppose.”
“Don't sound so enthusiastic. I thought you wanted to try and patch things up?”
“He probably won't want to after the way I treated him.”
Ignoring him, I gestured at Stef to join us, and he crossed the street, dodging around a group of cyclists. “Hey, Matthew. Tam.”
“Hey.” I bit into my burger, effectively gagging myself and leaving Tam to say something.
“How've you been?” he grunted.
“Not bad. What have you done to yourself?” He eyed Tam's bandaged arm and frowned.
“Some dick with a broken bottle last night.” Tam sighed heavily. “I haven't seen you around much.”
“I'm working in Kingsbridge. It's nights, so I sleep most of the day except when I've got time off. I've been meaning to catch up with you.”
Tam colored slightly. “I'm sorry about how I was before.”
I edged away from them and pretended fascination in the gifts displayed in the shop window behind me.
“It's water under the bridge. That prick Chris made you act differently. So, you never told me you had a twin.”
“I only found out a few months before Dad died. I tried not to think about it much. We weren’t supposed to know until we turned twenty-one. Dad told me early when he found out he was sick.”
I drifted farther away, leaving them to talk. The tourist trinkets weren't of interest to me, but my mother would probably like some of the nicer ornaments. I finished my burger and went into the shop, taking my time looking at everything before I bought a vase with a seaside scene painted on it. Dad would think it was “tourist rubbish,” but Mum would probably like it, and she'd certainly appreciate the fact that I'd thought of buying something for her. I had it boxed and wrapped, glancing through the window while I waited and noticing Tam and Stef smiling at each other. They seemed to have moved on from the distance that had grown between them.
I went to join them, just as Tam was telling Stef he was going to visit me for a few days. We chatted a little longer, then left Stef and went to collect Tam's things from his room. His luggage for a visit consisted of a small backpack with a couple of changes of clothes and some toiletries. His embarrassment at his lack of belongings was obvious, and I pretended I hadn't noticed, rambling about what St. Albans was like until he brightened and began to talk. He waited in the car while I collected my things from the hotel room and checked out.
The four-hour journey passed much more quickly than it had when I'd been anxious to get to Devon and find my twin. We talked non-stop, learning about each other's childhoods and teenage years. Both of us had best friends named Ian in school, and we'd both hated sciences, but enjoyed geography and history. We had our first sexual experiences when we were sixteen and met our Chrises when we were eighteen. We both had a pet named Quincey when we were kids, although mine was a guinea pig and his was a dog. We had the same silly sense of humor and laughed at things most people wouldn't find funny. The similarities were incredible, but matched things I'd read or heard about twins in the past. By the time I pulled into the drive at home, I felt like I'd known him all my life rather than one day. For the first time in forever, nothing was missing.
Tam stiffened as I parked the car. “You did let them know I was coming, didn't you?”
“Yeah, I texted my mum when you were packing your stuff.”
“And they don't mind?”
“No. I told you, they invited you.”
“What if they don't like me?”
“How could they not like you? You're part of me.” I gave his arm a squeeze.
He sighed. “Your house is massive.”
“So, there's plenty of room for you. Stop worrying.”
“I can't help it. This is important. Your parents are obviously well-off. You told me about your dad's business. Maybe they'll think I'm a loser.”
“They won't. My dad didn't always have a lot of money. He started his business with one van, doing the deliveries himself. Remember? They lived in a tiny apartment when they first got married, and my mum was a cleaner. They decided not to have kids for five years while they tried to build up something good. Dad's business took off, Mum gave up work, and then they found out she couldn't have kids so they got me. I've always known it like this, but it wasn't before I came along. I told you that.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
“Come on. Dad will be at work, but my mum's home.” I could see her peering out of the living room window. Tam grabbed his bag and followed me to the door, hanging back when Mum opened it and beamed at us. I gave her a hug and beckoned Tam forward. “Mum, this is my twin, Tam.”
“It's lovely to meet you.” She took his offered hand in both of hers and shook it warmly. “Call me Julie.”
“Thanks. It's good to meet you too.”
“Mattie, why don't you show Tam the guest room? I'll make some drinks. Your dad'll be home soon. He's finishing early. Tam, will you have tea or coffee? Something cold?”
“Coffee would be great, thanks.”
“Me too. He drinks it the same way as me.” I led Tam up the stairs. “I hate tea,” I added.
“So do I. Your mum seems nice.”
“Yeah, she's pretty cool.”
“What’s your dad’s name?”
“Malcolm.” Throwing open the door to the guest room next to mine, I noticed Mum had switched the pretty pink guest bedspread for a more masculine blue and white striped cover. Dark blue curtains replaced the floral ones, and a TV had appeared on the dresser. She hadn't wasted any time in trying to make Tam feel at home. “You can watch all the footy you want now,” I told him with a grin.
Tam dropped his bag at the foot of the bed. “It's a nice room. How many bedrooms are there?”
“Four. I'll show you mine.” My room was gray and white, and still papered with posters of various singers, actors, and Valentino Rossi.
“How old are you again?” Tam gazed around, chuckling. “I bet you still wank over them, too.”
“Fuck off!” I threw myself onto the bed and sprawled. “Help yourself if you want to borrow anything.”
“Thanks. Do your parents let you bring guys back?”
“Yeah. Not that I ever brought anyone here other than Chris. My mum's around most of the time, so it's awkward. At least you have your own place.”
“It's not exactly ideal to take men back there.” Tam sat on the corner of the bed and glanced at me. “Not that I do that anyway.”
“We should go out while you're here. Maybe to a club?” I suggested.
“Oh, I don't really have the money for that.” He shrugged and flushed.
“My treat. Just this once?” I pleaded.
“You already gave me a phone, Matt.” His brow wrinkled, and I pushed his leg with my foot
.
“So? It'd be nice to have someone to go clubbing with. I don't do it often, but I usually go on my own when I do. It won't cost much. A tenner each for the train, couple of drinks, that's it.”
His frown deepened. “I don't have anything suitable to wear for a club.”
“Sorry.” Aware I was being pushy, I straightened up. “I'd really like it if you'd borrow some of my stuff and go with me. But it's up to you. Let's go down and talk to my mum.”
Tam seemed reluctant to talk much at first, but Mum easily drew him out and had him telling her about his—our—dad, and his life in Salcombe. I gave her the vase I'd bought, and she cooed over my thoughtfulness, before placing it on the windowsill in the kitchen.
When Dad arrived home, he joined in the discussion and I barely got a word in for most of the evening. Mum left the three of us to get dinner ready, and I was relieved to escape upstairs after the meal. Tam and I watched a couple of DVDs that were more my taste than his, and talked over them. He fidgeted constantly, touching his arm and frowning.
“Does that hurt?” I asked.
“It's not too bad.”
“You should let my mum look at it. The bandage will need changing at some point. She's done a couple of first aid courses.”
“Yeah, maybe tomorrow. It's okay for now.”
I imagined Tam would deal with it himself and refuse help. He seemed more independent than me, no doubt from having no choice. But when I went downstairs the next morning, I found him sitting at the kitchen counter drinking coffee with Mum, his arm rebandaged with a thicker dressing than before. He glanced at me and smiled. “It's not infected or anything. Just sore. It's started healing okay.”
“That's a relief.” I joined them and made some suggestions on what we should do that day. Dad had already left early for work and I planned to show Tam around the town. He was interested in going to nearby Hatfield as well, to check out the area where we'd been born.
We spent most of the day exploring, and when we returned home, I'd convinced Tam to go out with me on Friday. He intended to go home on Saturday, so we'd get to have some fun on his last night. After a couple of days, he finally agreed to borrow my clothes, although I noticed he chose the oldest looking items he could find in my vast wardrobe. Everything fit him perfectly and with his deeper tan, he looked good in my things. I wished he would stay longer, but he was determined to leave at the weekend, so I vowed to make the most of the short visit and ensure he enjoyed himself. That way, maybe he'd come back.
Chapter Six
Matthew
Friday night came all too quickly. On one hand, I'd been looking forward to it. I hadn't been out in a while, and having someone to go clubbing with would be fun, but at the same time it meant Tam would be leaving in less than twenty-four hours. I dreaded saying good-bye to him after we'd only just found each other, but no amount of persuasion—and I was usually an expert at getting my own way—would tempt him to stay longer. He needed to get back to his job, and he didn't feel comfortable living in my house and not contributing anything. He made me feel guilty about living off my parents, and I resolved to start looking into possibilities for work and for my future as soon as the weekend was over.
Tam reluctantly borrowed a pair of jeans and a shirt to go out. The evening was warm and we didn't bother with jackets. We caught a train around nine o'clock and in less than an hour we were in a bar in SoHo, waiting for the clubs to wake up.
“Do you come here often?” Tam sniggered and rolled his eyes. “I don't actually say that to blokes, by the way.”
I laughed. “When I can be bothered to go out, yeah. It's over a month since I was here. Sometimes it's too much like hard work to get dressed up and travel down here, to spend a stupid amount of money on over-priced drinks and hook up with some random man whose name I can't remember the next day.”
“Slut.” Tam wrinkled his nose.
“Not really. I told you before, I don't do it much.”
“Well, it's a first for me. There aren't any gay clubs in Salcombe or Kingsbridge. The nearest is in Plymouth, and I’d never go on my own.”
“You should make the most of it, then.” I drained my bottle of beer and glanced at my watch. “We might as well make a move.”
Tam finished the drink he'd been nursing for an hour, reluctant to let me buy him more than one. A small crowd of people waited outside my usual club, but it wasn't yet busy enough for us to have to wait more than a few minutes. As we passed through the doors into the dimly lit interior, a barrage of noise assaulted us, the deejay playing an assortment of music for the small group of guys already on the dance floor. The heavy bass vibrated through my chest, and I leaned close to Tam to yell in his ear.
“Do you want another beer?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. Maybe later.”
“Okay.” We wandered around the edge of the dancing area, and I repeatedly made eye contact with guys who were watching us. None of them interested me yet, but I was determined to find a couple for us to at least dance with, and make Tam's last evening one to remember. I was convinced he'd enjoy himself once he got on the dance floor, even though he'd told me more than once he wasn't much of a dancer.
The club filled slowly and when a song I liked came on, I gestured at the writhing bodies and moved to join them. Tam hesitated and watched for a moment, but then copied me. He moved awkwardly at first, keeping his injured arm close to his side and staring at the floor, but eventually he found his rhythm and danced as if he were lost in the music. We faced each other, a few feet apart, and predictably it wasn't long before a guy slipped into the gap and snaked an arm around my neck.
He wasn't the type I normally liked, but he was attractive in a rough way, with close-cropped dark hair and dark eyes, a sleeveless shirt revealing tattooed arms. I moved with him, our bodies gyrating, groins bumping together, and the hard bulge in his pants teased mine to life. Usually I could get hard with just about anyone in this environment. The heat, the music, and the smell of bodies and colognes aroused me, and I caressed the guy's ass as he rubbed himself against me. Glancing over his shoulder, I noticed Tam dancing in a similar way with a red-haired guy, and a strange spike of annoyance drew my attention from my own companion. I couldn't work out what pissed me off. Whoever the guy was, he was hot, and the idea of coming to this place had been for Tam to hook up with someone. Perhaps it was just the first time I'd had someone else with me that I cared about, and I was doing the same thing my parents did—worrying he'd end up with someone who'd hurt him.
“Hey.” The guy in my arms touched my face, drawing my attention back to him. I met his eyes and he tilted his head for a kiss, but I drew away. It wasn't what I wanted. I couldn't call myself fussy, but if I was going to do anything it had to be with someone I could picture being with.
“Sorry.” I shook my head and let him go. Shrugging, he danced away from me and wrapped himself around some other guy.
Less than a minute passed before I had an impossibly young-looking blond in my arms, virtually humping my leg. He was more my type than the previous man, but I hesitated before responding. “How old are you?”
He fluttered sparkly eyelashes and pursed his lips at me. “Twenty-one.”
“Yeah, and I'm fifty.”
“I'm nineteen, okay?” He sighed dramatically. “I'm old enough. I have fake ID to get in here, that's all.”
“Fine.” Unconvinced, I danced with him anyway. It wasn't as if anything was going to happen. I could no longer see Tam in the crowd and I might as well enjoy myself. Blondie rubbed himself against my hip as if he were trying to get himself off, and my erection twitched in my tight jeans. I needed to find someone more suitable. Maybe a quick jerk-off session in the restrooms wouldn't be out of the question. I scanned the crowd around us, and a dusky guy with black spiky hair caught my eye. Blondie, losing my attention, gave me a shove and followed my gaze, then stomped away from me. In another minute, I was grinding up against the other man, breathing in
the combined scents of coffee, spices, and expensive cologne.
“What's your name?” He spoke with a slight accent as he purred in my ear, and I decided this would be the one I'd have my fun with.
“Matt. You?”
“Jaz. Are you on your own?”
I glanced around and spotted Tam now dancing with a blond hunk. “Yeah.”
“What about the twink?”
I grinned. “No, I was just passing time. I doubt he's finished school yet.”
Jaz pressed closer and slid his arms around me. His hard cock rubbed against mine and I groaned, wishing I could feel him without several layers of clothing. Releasing a couple of his shirt buttons, I slid my hand inside and stroked smooth warm flesh. My thumb brushed over a nipple ring and I gasped. Jaz laughed softly. “You like that? I have more.”
“More piercings?”
“Yeah.” He grasped my hand and pushed it lower until I cupped his dick. Guiding my fingers to the tip, he chuckled again as I felt the hard ring of metal.
“Fuck!” I palmed him slowly until he stopped laughing and groaned, then returned my hand to his chest. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been so turned on so quickly. I wanted Jaz, and I wanted more than a quick grope in the bathroom.
One dance song merged into the next and I lost track of time as I writhed against Jaz amongst the gyrating mass of bodies surrounding us. He had my shirt unfastened, both hands caressing my chest and stomach, the small gap this created between us a relief. Much more rubbing against him and I'd probably come in my pants. I was about to suggest we take it somewhere else when I remembered Tam, and looked around for him again. I couldn't take off and leave him without saying anything.
Jaz turned us in a half circle and suddenly Tam was right in front of me, visible over Jaz's shoulder, his back to the blond hunk and the guy's hands stroking inside his shirt. His expression told me he wasn't into it. His gaze met mine and he seemed to silently plead with me to do something. He caught the blond guy's hand a second before it reached his crotch, and dragged it upward. The hunk met my eyes over Tam's head and grinned. His lips formed the words "come here," as he gripped Tam's wrist and slid his other hand lower.