The Last One to Let You Down

by K. L. Hiers

“Wow.”

  “See? Not fuckin’ fit for being on call tonight,” Earl grumbled. “Guess Bosco will have to fly solo.”

  “What if you get a house call?”

  “Fuck, I guess my old ass is going out there.”

  “Maybe I could be on call for a little bit?” Tom offered hesitantly to assuage the creeping guilt. “I mean, Scott just needs some sleep, right?”

  “Hey, I have a great idea.” Earl gasped. “How about you go on call for a little bit, just long enough for Scotty to get some sleep?”

  “You’re a genius.” Tom cringed inwardly, already certain that Cypress was going to be angry with him over this. “Yeah, I’ll do it. Let’s say until what? Nine o’clock?”

  “Tom, you’re the best. I don’t care what Scott says about you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “My alarm isn’t on,” Scott mumbled deliriously. “I already turned it off.”

  Earl stood up from the desk, shaking his head. “I’m gonna drag him to the nearest sofa. I’ll let Bosco know you’re covering for a little bit.”

  “No problem,” Tom said, smiling wearily. “See you later, Earl.” He waved farewell as he left the office, navigating his way back through the hallway. He could feel a new lurch in his gut, trying to plan out how he was going to tell Cypress what he had gotten himself into now.

  When he reached for the doorknob to leave, he heard the keypad on the other side beep. He stepped back to make way for whoever was coming, smiling when he saw it was Aaron. “Oh, hey.”

  “Hey!” Aaron said. “Already leaving?”

  “Yeah, I’m done, and then I got guilted very easily into covering on call for Scott tonight,” Tom replied, rolling his eyes as he stepped past Aaron to the open door.

  Aaron narrowed his eyes, his jaw suddenly tense.

  “You okay?” Tom asked, holding the door open so it wouldn’t shut between them.

  “I was hoping you were gonna stick around for a minute,” Aaron said as he stepped back outside.

  “Oh.” Tom shrugged, letting the door close and glancing over to the parking lot. He could see Cypress’s van from here.

  “I need to talk to you about the watch,” Aaron said.

  “Uh.” Tom could feel his eyes bugging out.

  “The family has been asking about it, and Gerald is gonna lose his shit.” Aaron’s voice started to rise as he stepped right into Tom’s space. He was flushed and angry, his hands curling into fists as he snapped, “I need that fuckin’ watch, Tom.”

  “Wait, wait!” Tom backed away, holding his hands up to keep Aaron at a distance. He had never seen him so upset before, pleading, “Hey, will you calm down?”

  Behind him, Tom could hear a car door opening.

  “Tom, this is serious,” Aaron went on, still fuming. “We could both lose our fuckin’ jobs.”

  “I don’t have it!” Tom nearly shouted, continuing to backpedal. He jumped when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder, whirling around to find Cypress right behind him.

  “You got a problem?” Cypress growled, deftly sliding Tom out of the way and glaring down at Aaron.

  “Hey, hey, he’s okay,” Tom insisted, grabbing Cypress’s arm. “This is Aaron, he’s a friend.”

  Aaron looked acceptably terrified since Cypress could have squashed him like a bug, stammering, “I’m sorry. Hey, I wasn’t trying anything, I swear. It’s work stuff, okay?”

  “He was asking about the watch,” Tom tried to explain. “Gerald’s been on his ass about it, and—”

  “Exactly!” Aaron chimed in. “Please don’t kill me, HFG. It’s all a big misunderstanding, I swear.”

  “You tell Gerald if he has any questions about the watch, he can call Agent Fox Sanderson,” Cypress growled.

  “Understood. Yup. Got it.” Aaron cowered, wringing his hands. “I will totally do that.” He looked at Tom. “I’m sorry I got so mad. It’s been crazy around here, you know?”

  “It’s okay,” Tom said sympathetically. “I get it.”

  “I’m gonna go now.” Aaron pointed at the door with an awkward smile. “I’ll… uh… I’ll see you later, Tom. Thanks for coming in.”

  “Yeah, sure thing.” Tom waved. “See ya’ later, Aaron.”

  Letting out a loud sigh, Cypress didn’t budge until the back door closed. “The fuck is his problem?”

  “Gerald,” Tom replied, gently squeezing Cypress’s shoulder. “I guess somebody in the family hasn’t talked to Fox yet, and they’re still looking for that watch.”

  “Hmph.” Cypress began to walk back to the parking lot, looping his arm with Tom’s. “He needs to chill the fuck out.”

  “Thanks for coming to my rescue,” Tom teased, hoping to lighten the mood. “I swear Aaron is a good guy, but you know how Gerald is.”

  “Oh, fuck yeah, I do.” Cypress suddenly grinned, slyly asking, “So, what’s ‘HFG’?”

  “Oh, God.” Tom’s face began to flush.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Before I officially knew your name, I may have called you ‘Hot Flower Guy,’” Tom confessed, smothering his face into Cypress’s shoulder.

  Cypress laughed, absolutely delighted. “Damn, really? How long were you crushing on me, huh?”

  “Oh, probably since the first second I saw you,” Tom said, peeking up at Cypress with a little grin.

  “That’s actually adorable.” Cypress chuckled, kissing Tom’s hair and hugging him tight. “Well, this Hot Flower Guy has gotta get back to work.”

  “Thanks for chaperoning me.”

  “I wasn’t giving you a choice,” Cypress snorted. “Not while that nutcase is running around out there.”

  Tom grimaced, realizing he hadn’t thought of a delicate way to tell Cypress he was taking call tonight.

  “You’ve got the funniest damn look on your face.” Cypress scowled. “What did you do?”

  “Uh…”

  “Tom.”

  “Okay, so,” Tom began to ramble, “after I fixed Mr. Lundy, I might have been asked if I could cover call for a few hours tonight, and I may have agreed—”

  “Tom!” Cypress barked.

  “It’s only until nine o’clock so Scott can get some sleep. He was talking about bananas and all this crazy shit because he was up all night—”

  “I don’t care if he was talking about playing damn Monopoly with Jesus Christ,” Cypress hissed.

  “I’m fuckin’ sorry.” Tom hated to see Cypress so distraught. “Earl was really upset because he couldn’t find anyone, and I felt so bad for Scott—”

  “None of that is your damn problem!” Cypress groaned. “This place is literally sucking the life out of you, and you keep running right back to it. What were they gonna do if you hadn’t come in, huh? They would have figured something else out.”

  “Maybe!” Tom argued defiantly, faltering when he realized he didn’t have anything else to say.

  Nothing helpful, anyway.

  “I’m sorry,” Tom tried again. “I wanted to help, and I was going to feel guilty no matter what I did, so I tried to do what I thought was best in the moment. It’s only for a few hours! And hey, I might not even get called in.”

  Cypress bared his teeth briefly, leaning against the side of his van. He closed his eyes, and he began to massage his temples.

  “What’s wrong?” Tom frowned. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m thinking.”

  “About?”

  “About how I’m going to punish you tonight,” Cypress replied firmly.

  “Punish me?” Tom’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Oh, just you wait, baby boy,” Cypress promised with a dark smile. “The very second that the clock reads nine o’one, that fine ass of yours is mine.”

  Cypress gave Tom a key so he could return to the flower shop while he went on to finish the rest of his deliveries. Tom hung out watching television and playing with Mister Doodles for a while, and he tried to figure out what Cypress was planning for him.


  He knew it was a punishment, but what kind?

  Would he use the cuffs again?

  Would he spank him?

  What would he do?

  Tom could practically taste the minutes ticking by, and he kept checking his phone every few seconds as if he could will time to pass faster. The anticipation was killing him, and he was already so turned on thinking about all the naughty things Cypress might do.

  But wait, what if this was like a real punishment? What if this was something unpleasant, and Tom would have to use his safe word again?

  Shit.

  Probably was going to depend on how ticked off Cypress still was.

  When Cypress came home, he greeted Tom with a sweet kiss and gave no outward impression he was upset. He was smiling and happy, dropping off a bag in the kitchen before coming back to join Tom in the living room.

  Tom didn’t trust this at all, immediately asking, “Okay, so, are you still mad at me about taking call tonight?”

  “Mad?” Cypress was eerily calm. “Why would I be mad about you potentially risking your life while your crazy, possibly murderer ex-boyfriend is still at large?”

  Tom cringed. “Definitely still mad.”

  “You’ve got to get your damn priorities straight,” Cypress said with a sigh. “I know how much your job means to you, I know you love what you do, but they’re just gonna keep taking advantage of you because they all know you’re never gonna turn them down.”

  “That’s not true,” Tom argued.

  “Come on. Was there ever a doubt that you were gonna go in today to fix that guy?”

  “Okay, that’s different. My restorative arts work is really important to me.”

  “What about covering for funerals? Or covering call? Do you ever tell them no?”

  “All the time.”

  “When was the last time?” Cypress asked, batting his eyes smugly. “Go on. I’ll wait.”

  “It was… uh… Okay, last month! I told Junior I couldn’t cover a funeral.”

  “And why not?”

  “Because I was already covering one of Aaron’s,” Tom admitted defeatedly.

  “All this talk about you being a fierce fuckin’ tiger and trying to amp up your self-esteem? This is exactly what it’s for.” Cypress sat down next to Tom on the couch. “You have to be able to tell them no because you’re putting yourself first. If it’s every once in a while, fine, but you’re working yourself to death.”

  “What about you? Mr. I Make All The Flowers And Have To Deliver Them!”

  “I get back everything I put into my job ten times over,” Cypress retorted. “Plus, I’m going to hire help because I know I can’t keep doing this on my own. It’s not just about time and money. Think about what your job is doing to your mental health.”

  “So, what do I do? Quit?” Tom huffed. “You’re making it sound like I shouldn’t work there at all.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t,” Cypress said bluntly. “It’s not healthy for you.”

  “I love what I do,” Tom countered passionately. “I get to help people.”

  “Which is seriously great, but at what cost? How much longer can you do this until you finally snap?”

  “I don’t know,” Tom mumbled, trying to keep up his spirit and finding his fire burning out fast.

  “You need to put yourself in a really positive place, somewhere you can still do what you love but without it hurting you,” Cypress soothed.

  “I don’t think a place like that exists,” Tom said sadly. “This is it. This is the funeral business. This is how it is. It’s part of the job. You miss out on holidays with your family and all the birthdays and ball games because you’ve gotta work. It’s not like we ever close, you know. So, we work and work—”

  “Yeah, until you fuckin’ burn out. I’m not letting that happen to you. I don’t care if it’s what Mr. Crosby and Gerald have done for generations. It’s bullshit.” Cypress took his hand.

  “I know.” Tom sighed. “I don’t think it’s ever going to change.”

  “Well, if you can’t change the business, you have to focus on what you can change. You. You can either change how you deal with the stress, or you quit before it eats you up.”

  “I actually feel like…” Tom tried to find the right words. “What we do together… is a good stress relief.”

  “Sure, it can be emotionally rewarding and help you work out some stress, but as long as the source of the stress remains, it’s gonna keep coming back.”

  “I can’t just quit,” Tom insisted. “They’d need to find another embalmer, and they’re already gonna be short-staffed when they lose Junior.” He laced his fingers with Cypress’s. “I’m not saying no, I guess I’m saying… not right now.”

  “I’m not letting this go.”

  “You really think you know what’s best for me?” Tom snorted indignantly.

  “I do,” Cypress replied without hesitation. “You’re too close to it, Tom. You were more worried about some guy not having enough sleep than your own life being in danger.”

  “Okay, now you’re making me sound dumb.”

  Cypress shrugged, unable to resist a little smile. “Hey, you said it. Not me.”

  “Asshole.”

  Cypress began to laugh, protesting, “I’m just agreeing with you.”

  Tom laughed as he sank onto the couch. “I really am, aren’t I? I let them suck me in, over and over again.”

  “It’s okay, but you gotta break the cycle. You have to find a way to get out of this loop.”

  “Yeah. Easier said than done.”

  “How about for now let’s focus on you keeping your happy little ass away from the damn funeral home?” Cypress kissed his hand. “First day of your vacation, and you went right fuckin’ back.”

  “And got roped into taking call,” Tom muttered.

  “How does that work exactly? You wait until they call you?”

  “Yeah, we work in teams of three every night. The funeral directors, Aaron, Gerald, Mr. Crosby, and Junior, rotate taking calls from our answering service. If they get a first call, a death call, they call whoever is first up for removals. Depending on where the deceased is at, the first up person calls the second up person for help.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like at a house or assisted living. If it’s a hospital, they won’t call the second up. Maybe if it’s a big deceased person, but it’s Bosco tonight.”

  “Is he the giant Hispanic guy? Never talks?”

  “That’s him. And he does talk, well, but not very much. He won’t call me for anything unless he absolutely has to. I think he would do house calls by himself if Gerald would let him.”

  “So,” Cypress mused, “you may not go out at all.”

  “Nope.” Tom fidgeted. “Does this mean my, uh, punishment is gonna start early?”

  “Not until I know you’re totally free and clear from work.” Cypress winked playfully. “I’d really hate for you to get all riled up, and then have to let you go in.”

  Tom shuddered. “Yeah, that would be awful.” He slowly ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “I don’t suppose you’re gonna tell me what you’re plotting.”

  “And spoil the fun? Never.”

  Cypress showed Tom how to use all the remotes for the television, and they watched some movies until Cypress got up to cook dinner. When it was ready, they ate together at the table with Mister Doodles beneath their feet. Tom could feel an undercurrent of tension brewing between them, and he was ready to pounce on Cypress by the time they were putting the dishes away.

  Every coy smile and brush of their bodies was a tease, a promise of what was to come, and nine o’clock couldn’t get here fast enough.

  Tom hadn’t heard his phone ring once, and as eight-thirty rolled around, he decided he was in the clear. He wrapped his arms around Cypress’s waist as he washed up the dishes, nuzzling and kissing his shoulder.

  “Mmm, and what are you doing?” Cypress asked with a smile.

&
nbsp; “Thanking you for dinner.”

  “Oh? It’s not nine o’clock yet.” Cypress turned off the water, drying off his hands before turning around to embrace Tom. He rubbed his back and bowed his head for a kiss. “Sure you wanna start now?”

  “Very sure,” Tom confirmed, feeling his way up Cypress’s chest. “I’m so ready to start. I’ve been thinking about it all day, trying to figure out what you’re gonna do, and it’s been driving me nuts.”

  “That’s part of the fun,” Cypress declared, going back in for another kiss.

  Tom began to melt beneath the powerful hold of Cypress’s lips, easily losing himself in the heated moment. He felt a full body shiver that made his nipples perk up, and he was always blown away by how quickly this man could turn him on.

  “Mmm.” Cypress parted to take a deep breath. “Now it’s time to finally discuss your punishment.”

  Tom’s cock twitched, and a surge of heat began to burn down in his core. Yes, he was finally going to—

  His phone began to ring.

  “Ah, fuck. Hold that thought.” Heart dropping into his stomach, Tom reluctantly pulled away from Cypress to answer his phone. “Hello?”

  “Tom,” Bosco’s gruff voice said. “House call. Hospice, two hundred and thirty pounds. First floor.”

  “I’ll meet you at the funeral home,” Tom said, glancing up to Cypress with a grimace. “Be there as soon as I can.”

  “Bye.”

  “See you in a minute.” Tom hung up and groaned loudly. “Dammit! It’s eight thirty-six. I was so close!”

  “Still gotta go in?” Cypress asked, although his disappointed frown said he already knew the answer.

  “Came in before nine,” Tom replied, reaching down to adjust himself. “Gotta take it. But after this I’m free.”

  “Keep me posted.” Cypress kissed his cheek, sweet and soft, moving down to kiss his neck.

  “Mmm, I’ll text you when I get there… when I leave…” Tom closed his eyes, savoring the hot press of Cypress’s mouth. It was driving all the blood in his body right to his dick, and he moaned when he felt Cypress’s teeth.

  Cypress pulled away suddenly, saying firmly, “And when you get back to the funeral home.”

  “God, you’re mean,” Tom groaned, panting hard.