by Mathew Ortiz
Would he? Information, I need information.
Steeling myself I called Martin.
“What’s goin’ on? What’s happenin’? What’s up?” His cheery answer perked me up instantly.
“I need information.” I bit the inside of my cheek. Pumping Martin about his cousin may be below the belt but hey, I was desperate. Well, not desperate—aw shit, yes I was when it concerned Robbie.
“Okey Dokey!”
Damn, he is too cheery for his own good.
“It’s about Robbie—”
“He said you won’t return his calls. Why Boone? What did he do? What did you do? What did he say? What did you say? What—”
Oh my God he can natter on!
“Martin. Martin! Breathe and let me get a word in please!”
“Oops! Sorry. Gahead!”
I’d originally intended to ask him about Robbie and ended up telling him about the Dubonny Club and how I felt like he was more impressed with image than a person. Martin listened attentively with the appropriate number of ‘yeses’, ‘unhuhs’ and ‘ohs’. Time sped by and it felt like a confessional. I rambled to a conclusion and grew silent. Of course Martin’s silence lasted all of a nano-second.
“First off, between you and me, Robbie has tried his best to distance himself from his hometown roots. He’s trying so hard to be citified and I wonder if he forgets the wonderful people he comes from.”
“I—”
“Did I say I was done talkin’? Second, if he acted like that with Cotton, he cares more than he’s admittin’. Robbie’s a stubborn cuss, all Gaither men are. Whooeee, if you only knew what Oscar had to go through to land his dad, Eli, idda make your hair go white.” Martin sucked in a breath and continued before I could speak. “Third, have you been completely honest with him? Does he know how you feel or are you Boone-ing him?”
“What the fuck does that mean?” I sputtered.
“Don’t interrupt. Now don’t get mad ‘cause you know I love you like family but I’ve seen you push away guys, nice guys, when then start gettin’ close to you.”
“No I don’t!” He’d struck too close to home and my defenses came up.
“Yes, you do. How about David?”
“Too clingy.”
“Seth?”
“His head was too big!”
“Ryan?”
“He ate with his mouth open.”
“Shall I go on?” The smarty pants had me.
“Okay. Maybe, just maybe I might have been avoidin’ relationships but they all wanted too much time. My bakery and career comes first.”
“To what end, Boone?” The exasperation tinged his normally happy voice.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve said this to Robbie and I’ll say it to you.” I heard him suck in a lungful of air. “I understand you both want to be successful and all that but is it worth it when you come home and go to bed alone?”
“I—”
“Still not done!” Martin scolded me and I bit my lip. “I can tell you that even when I come home after a hard day and Avery’s loungin’ on the couch, all he has to do is smile at me and I’m happy, content and loved. Isn’t that more important? To be happy? To be loved?”
“I—damn you.” I huffed out and tugged on my beard in irritation. He’d nailed it on the head. “You’re right. Since when did you get so smart?”
“Aw, sweetie,” he replied perkily. “I’m smarter than all of you… I just don’t use it.” And he burst out laughing. My relieved laughter joined his and I thanked him for his brutal honesty.
*
I smoothed my shirt as I approached Robbie’s office. Eating crow didn’t go down easy for me but I wanted to see Robbie again. Pushing open the door to Brampton/Heely Events, the warmth of the air was a welcome change from the chilly winter weather. Winter in Atlanta could be bleak at times. Cold and grey, a blanket of snow had fallen last night and I had woken up to ball shrinking weather. Despite it, I loved the cold weather. My obsession with clothes came out in full force in winter. I had an array of sweaters, hoodies, flannel and scarves to rival a Lands End catalog. Fall had lasted long this year, well into December. Poppy and Peg screamed with pure joy and spent as much time outside as they could stand.
Christmas in my family was a major holiday and we did it up. This year of course more people were there. Avery had Martin and Peg there and Poppy got to spend part of the day with us. Christmas morning had us all in our PJs sitting around the blazing fire place, the tree twinkling with old style lights and the smell of pine and cinnamon wafted in the air. The adults sat sipping mulled cider and the kiddies drank hot coco and opened a shit ton of gifts. I got Cotton six pair of Andrew Christian underwear and Avery got a new pair of black Dingo’s to go with his brown pair. Momma opened a box to find a black cashmere sweater from me and Mawmaw shouted with joy when she got the complete set of Johnny Cash CDs. As for Peg and Poppy, I’d chosen various toys and clothes and judging from the shrieks of joy, I nailed it.
The gift in my hand was heavy and I debated whether or not to give it to Robbie. Silly me, I had bought him a simple gift and didn’t give it to him because I was pissed at him. After talking to Martin, I steeled my resolve and decided to go see him in person.
The door clicked closed behind me and I faced a plump, coiffed blonde woman, who watched me warily. True, the whole bearded, tattooed, lanky look I have can come off as sketchy. Today, I wore black jeans, aqua Chucks, a black knotted sweater, aqua and yellow scarf and a black beanie. Kind of upscale for me, yet the Chucks and scarf gayed it up enough to keep me happy. Doffing my beanie, I closed the distance to the desk and gave her my best Boone smile and she smiled back.
“Hi, I don’t have an appointment. I’m here to see Robert Gaither.” I rushed on before she could answer. “I’m Boone Myer.”
Her eyes lit up and she held out her hand and I shook it. “Wonderful to meet you, Mr. Myer. I’m Kate Amarion, the office manager.”
“Boone, please, and a pleasure to meet you, Kate.”
“Boone it is.” Dimples creased her face and her brown eyes twinkled. “Oh and I’m a total fan of yours. I love 350 Degrees. As you can tell from my rubenesque form!” She swept a hand over her body.
“Thank you!” I snorted a laugh. She was a corker.
“Let me see if Robbie is in.” She lifted the phone to her ear and taped a button. “Hi, Anissa. I have a Boone Myer here to see Robbie. Is he free?”
She nodded as she listened and I swear sweat trickled down my back. I felt like I was back in grade school and it was five ‘til three and the clock hand refused to move. Kate’s brow dimpled in a frown.
“Oh... Okay.” She sighed and set the phone down. “He’s just down the street having lunch with some… friends.” She said friends like she had just tasted some sour grapes. “I can call him to come meet you here.”
“Thank you anyway. I’ll go find him. What’s the place’s name?”
“The Ravenous Hog.” She smiled and added. “They make awesome candied bacon.”
I laughed out loud and nodded. “Then it’s my kind of place. Thanks for your help, Kate. Oh and by the way. We have new maple and bacon cupcakes out this week. You should drop by.” I wiggled my brows at her and she giggled.
“Wonderful, one more visit and my panties will be so tight they’ll cut the blood off to my legs.”
“TMI!” I howled, laughing my ass off and waving as I exited. I had to remember to look for her and give her a tour of my shop. I tightened my scarf and made my way down the sidewalk. I knew all about the Ravenous Hog. Avery used to butcher meat for them and their barbeque melted in your mouth. Great, my stomach growled like a bear.
I turned the corner, spotted the restaurant and trudged the last few yards, joyfully happy when I entered and the warmth enveloped me.
Oh! My! God!
I think I just had a nose-gasm. Spices, sugar, charred meat aromas wafted around me and my mouth pooled with saliva as my stomach
growled again. And of course my monitor beeped. I reached down and checked the readout, seventy-eight. Hmmm, I need to eat and soon. I scanned the crowd and spied his blond coiffed head right away. I waved off the hostess and wove through the tables until I stood mere feet from him. And there they were—the bitches. Peter, I think I heard Robbie call him, spotted me first. He frowned and elbowed a guy next to him whose gaze swept over me and dismissed me all at once. He in turn nudged another guy’s shoulder who stopped eating, looked me over then smiled. At least one of them had.
Robbie must have noticed because he turned around and, when he saw me, his face lit up with a sexy smile.
Thank goodness.
Robbie rose and closed the distance between us. Stopping short of me, he flushed pink.
“He told you.”
“Of course he did,” I replied and he blushed deeper.
“I’m sorry, Boone. I—” He started to explain and I motioned for him to stop.
“Can we talk, Robbie?” I peered over his shoulder. “In private.”
He blinked once and slowly nodded. “Let me settle my part of the bill. Come over, I want you to meet my friends.” I hesitated. He reached over and took my hand, squeezing it. “Please.”
Damn, puppy dog eyes. I sighed and he led me to the table. Three pair of eyes regarded me in three wholly different ways. One curious, one judgy and the last like I was the last cookie in the cookie jar. Steeling myself, I waited for Robbie to introduce me to the mean girls.
“Guys, this is Boone Myer.” Robbie looked from them to me. “The guy I’ve been seeing.”
Oh, so now we’re seeing each other? Kinda cocky of him to presume so much.
“Boone,” he said, gesturing from right to left. “This is Peter Chang, Evan Hobbins-Byatt and his partner Flip Brown.”
Flip held out his hand and I shook it. His gaze raked me from head to toe. He was the hungry one. “Nice to meet you, Boone.”
Evan gave his man a sidelong glare and offered me a limp handshake. “Delighted.” Mr. Judgy removed his hand from my grip quickly as though he expected to be contaminated. The last guy, Peter, the bitch from the Dubonny Club, eyed me and offered me a surprisingly strong hand shake.
“Finally, we meet you in the flesh!” Peter grinned.
Fake ass bitch.
He didn’t know I had overheard him at the Dubonny Club. “Are you going to join us?”
As soon as he said it, Evan’s eyes bugged out in anger. I guess he didn’t want to be seen with me. I can’t comprehend the mentality of guys like Evan. Without even knowing me, he’d decided I wasn’t good enough to breathe his air. I focused on being positive and deftly avoided a bitch fest.
“Nah, I came to talk to Robbie. Ya’ll don’t mind if I steal him away, do you?” I shrugged goodnaturedly. “Maybe next time though.”
“Now, I remember. You’re the pie maker,” Evan silkily dug at me. He perched his chin on his hands, all smug.
“And cake decorator and baker. Yep, I’m all those things,” I replied smoothly.
I will not get into a fight with this pucker butted bitch.
“Must be a cake job.” Evan snorted at his own joke. “Get it? Cake job.” Another dig which got him glares from Flip which he steadfastly ignored
“Yeah… funny. Like I haven’t heard that a million times before. But no. Not a cake job or even an easy one. Ownin’ a business takes a lot outta a guy,” I parlayed and immediately wanted to take it back.
“You own 350 Degrees!” Robbie spun and stared at me.
“Oh yeah. I mighta forgot to mention that.” I hadn’t meant for him to find out this way. I hadn’t told him because I needed him to like me for me and not have my job define me anymore than my diabetes.
“You own your own business?” Ole Evan’s jaw dropped a hair, like my blood sugar. I felt shaky.
“Yep, it’s mine.” I saw Robbie still had half a turkey sandwich on his plate. I pointed at it and asked. “Can I?”
He never broke eye contact with me. “Sure.”
“Thanks.” I nabbed the sandwich and wolfed it down in four bites. A quick guzzle of his sticky sweet tea and I was sure I was in the clear.
Craptastick! That was so sweet, my teeth ache!
Again, Evan regarded me with disdain bordering on disgust. I smoothed the napkin over my mouth and fluffed my beard to dislodge any flotsam.
“Wow!” Peter exclaimed and damn if he didn’t looked me over like he was calculating my worth. “350 Degrees is one of the most popular places in Decatur! Everyone shops there.”
“I don’t.” Evan sniffed. “I shop at Betty Ann’s”
Damn bitchy queen, alright it’s on.
“Be careful shoppin’ there. They got sited by the health department last week for health code violations.”
“I told you the place was dirty!” Flip smacked Evan on the arm.
During the entire conversation, Robbie continued to stare at me, his face unreadable. Finally, Robbie fished out his wallet, tossed two twenties down onto the table then gathered up his coat and things.
“Talk to you later, guys,” he mumbled and tugged at my belt loop to follow him.
“’Bye all.” I knew I shouldn’t but I’d had enough of Evan. “Hey, Evan. Is your older brother Raymond Hobbins?”
“Yes.” Evan’s face grew guarded and all eyes swept to him. “My half-brother.”
“Tell him thank you.” They were all staring at me, now. “My brother and his husband met at Raymond’s sex club.’
And zing. Evan’s face scalded scarlet. Raymond Hobbins ran the most notorious men’s sex club in Atlanta. A notorious smut peddler, he owned Hobbins and four sex shops here in town. Of course, that had been kept a carefully guarded secret. The church Ray Hobbins attended vehemently denounced gay rights and gender equality and would never have understood. And it would have stayed under wraps if Hobbins could have kept it in his pants. It seemed he had been boning his secretary and, after dumping her for a younger office temp, the scorned woman had sent Raymond’s wife, congregation and the local papers all the dirty sex-laced secrets and added their affair as the cherry on the sundae.
I knew I hit pay dirt when Evan’s face turned purple in embarrassment. And from the looks of his partner and Peter, they hadn’t known either.
“You said you weren’t related to Ray!” Peter howled with laughter and hugged his stomach. “You said you were an only child!”
“I am!” Evan bleated out. “He’s from my father’s first marriage.”
“Oh, how the mighty have fallen!” Peter crowed. “You act so snobby but your brother owns Hobbins!”
I have to admit Peter’s malicious glee put me off but what was done was done. Before I could say another word, Robbie yanked on my loop hard and I followed him as he steered us out and onto the street. He spun me around and pinned me with a hard stare.
“How come you never told me you owned 350 Degrees?” he fumed.
I cocked my head and said, “It never came up. C’mon, Robbie, be honest. We fight or fuck. But we never talk.”
He opened his mouth to refute my statement, obviously thought about it and snapped his mouth shut. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.”
“It’s okay. How about you explain goin’ all postal on my brother?” I arched my brow and he squirmed. Of course Cotton had given me the whole skinny on the scene.
“Don’t play innocent with me, Boone Myer, the color doesn’t suit you. You know exactly what happened.” He folded his arms over his chest and damn it, I wanted to kiss the infuriating fucker right there.
“You. Were. Jealous.”
Statement of fact to you Mr. Gaither.
And I couldn’t be happier. He grumbled as he lowered his head and mumbled something I couldn’t quite hear. “C’mon again, cuppy-cakes?” I shamelessly needled him, trying to get him to snap and it worked.
Robbie threw up his arms, startling me, and yelled out. “I was jealous. I. Was. Jealous! H
appy now?”
“Yes and why were you jealous?” Oh, I was playing with fire.
“The thought of ‘nother man touchin’ you made me crazy!”
“Interestin’ how when you get mad, your southern accent gets thicker,” I gloated and waited for him to respond. I didn’t have to wait too long.
“You are the most exasperatin’, confoundin’ man I’ve ever met.” He paced angrily and flapped his arms in the air as he shouted at me. Lord my cheeks grew hot. People stared at us as they walked by, some smiling, others frowning. Me? I kept on poking the bear.
“And?”
“I can’t stop thinkin’ about you. Wantin’ to kiss you. Touch you. Hell… you’re all I think about.” His anger fled and he wilted in front of me. I reached out and touched his arm. Robbie’s blue eyes sought mine and I smiled.
“Same here, golden rod. How about I tone down the sarcasm and you lighten up.”
He ran a hand over his face. “I can do that.”
“And how about another date?” I wheedled shamelessly. “But not anywhere near those hags you call friends.”
“Hey, they’re not that bad.” I had to give him credit, even knowing how bad they were, he still defended them. Loyal to a fault.
“Peter is as shallow as a puddle. Flip must be a masochist for being with Evan. And Evan is a snooty bitch. As soon as he saw me his face scrunched up.”
Robbie hesitated for a fraction of second before he said, “That’s not true!”
“Please, his mouth resembled the pursed anus of an over fed cat,” I drawled and Robbie laughed so hard, tears fell from his cheeks. I snickered along and he bent at the waist, taking long breaths to slow his laughter. Seeing him let loose and laugh out loud and proud gave me hope that old stick up the butt could loosen up.
“Where in the hell do you come up with stuff like that?” He wiped his eyes dry and grinned at me.
“I blame my mamaw. Woman has a wicked tongue on her. I should tell you about the time she dressed up like a like a reject from HeeHaw and picked us up from school.”
“No!” Robbie balked and I giggled.
“Yeppers. You see, the three of us had been caught smokin’ and weren’t repentant at all. So she got us back the best way she could. Hell, ain’t nothin’ more powerful than embarrassin’ a trio of fifteen-year-old boys in front of their friends.”