by Carol Lynne
* * * *
“Christ, no wonder this place is a ghost town,” Asa grumbled as he continued down the narrow winding road. The flight from DC to Bangor hadn’t been bad, but the drive to the coast had been a nightmare of twisted roads once they’d turned off the highway. At least it was a pretty drive. The heavily wooded landscape opened without warning to small towns or well-maintained farms. And green. Christ, Asa had never seen a state that was so fucking green. He couldn’t wait to see the trees in the fall.
From the passenger seat, Cullen woke and sat up. “We close yet?”
Asa glanced at the map the rental agency had given him. “Mile-wise, yeah, but no telling how long it’ll take us.”
Cullen stretched and let out a yawn. “Want me to drive so you can get some sleep?”
“I’m fine. I just want to get there.” The longer the trip, the more dollar signs Asa saw. It wouldn’t be cheap or easy to get the building supplies they’d surely need to the small town. He handed the map to Cullen. “Do me a favor and see how accessible Lobster Cove is to the ocean. I know it’s on the water from the video, but there’s some sort of barrier island between it and the Atlantic. It might be cheaper to ship supplies in rather than to have semi’s make this trip.”
Cullen pulled his attention away from the gorgeous view to study the map. “I’m not good with these things,” he began after a few moments. “It definitely opens to the Atlantic. I just don’t know how wide these passages are.” He looked up from the map and through the windshield. “One thing’s for sure, I doubt Big G or any of the other dealers or pimps would come all the way out here to cause trouble.”
“That’s the point. Well, that and the fact that Cattle Valley is out of room for expansion,” Asa replied.
“So you’re really thinking of building another Cattle Valley?” Cullen asked as he attempted to refold the map.
“I don’t know.” The countryside was beautiful, Asa couldn’t deny it, but there’d be no way a town could thrive without jobs. The biggest question wasn’t whether or not he could sink part of his fortune into a new company. Hell, he had more money than he could ever spend, but a new venture would mean time away from Mario, and that was the price he wasn’t sure he was willing to pay. Turning his thoughts away from his own problems, he glanced at the young man sitting next to him. “He cares for you. You know that, right?”
Cullen shrugged. “Joseph has a million excuses to keep me away. He worries about my safety in DC because of what Willy did.” He ran a finger absently over the faint W that had been carved into his forehead. “Last time we were together, he said the shelter was under heavy scrutiny by the neighborhood and it would only be worse if they found out he was sleeping with a former resident.”
“I could see his point if the shelter depended on donations, but it doesn’t.” Asa knew firsthand how special it was to find the person you were meant to love. He hated that Joseph was being so damn stubborn.
“Yeah, well now he’s blaming himself for Phillip’s death. According to Joseph, God has a plan for him that doesn’t include being selfish with his personal life.”
“Fuck.” Asa shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” Cullen pounded his fist against his thigh. “I’d like to think moving the shelter out of DC would help, but I have a feeling he’d just find another excuse.” He groaned and stared at his hand. “Did I ever tell you about the first time I saw him?”
“Nope.” Asa didn’t say more. Cullen rarely opened up, and Asa wasn’t about to do something to spoil the moment.
“I’d just finished with a john and was hoping for another when I saw two men walk down an alley. I knew by the way they were dressed that they didn’t belong in the area, so I crossed the street and followed them. At the time, I assumed they were looking for either drugs or sex and if it was the latter, I wanted to volunteer my unique services.” Cullen didn’t say anything else for several moments, prompting Asa to look at him. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this,” Cullen said.
“I don’t judge,” Asa reminded his friend.
“I know.” Cullen took a deep breath. “Okay, so I followed them into the alley and called out to them. “Phillip’s first instinct was to put himself between Joseph and me.” He snorted. “Since they were both bigger it didn’t take long before Joseph moved out from behind Phillip just enough for me to see his face. One look at him, and I was lost.” He took several deep breaths. “I offered them sex free of charge. Went on and on about doing them anytime anywhere. That’s when Joseph moved toward me, and I saw his clothes. Black dress pants, black shirt with one of those short collars and a big silver cross hanging from around his neck.” He made a disgusted sound. “I’ve never been more ashamed of myself than I was at that moment, but instead of reprimanding me, Joseph asked me if I needed help to get off the street. He told me about the shelter, and how he’d devoted his life to giving homeless gay teenagers a safe place to call home until they were old enough to be on their own.”
“That’s why you lied about your age?” Asa asked.
“No, but I told him I couldn’t go back with him to the shelter. I can’t remember exactly what excuse I gave, but I backed out of the alley, telling them I’d steer others their way if I saw them.”
“So why’d he think you were so much younger than you really are?”
“After Phillip died, Joseph started taking more chances, going into neighborhoods he had no business being in. It was like he was tempting fate or testing God or whatever. I tried to keep an eye on him, but as you can imagine, I didn’t pull in as many tricks because I was too focused on making sure he was safe. Willy, my pimp, knew he could beat me bloody, and it wouldn’t matter, so he went after Mandy.” Cullen met Asa’s gaze. “She also worked for him at the time, and I’d kind of taken her under my wing at that point. Willy nearly killed her he beat her so bad. I tried to convince Mandy to go to the shelter, but she refused unless I went. Unfortunately, I knew I was too old, but I also knew I looked younger than I really was, so I carried Mandy to the shelter, and Joseph welcomed both of us even though he didn’t usually take in females. I think he was glad to get me off the street because he’d first approached me while Phillip was still alive. It took Willy almost three weeks to find me, and you know what happened to me once he did.”
“Yeah.” Asa remembered that Cullen had been bound to a bed, repeatedly beaten, and raped by Willy before Drake and Oggie had rescued him. Asa knew the memories of that day still plagued Drake each time he looked at Cullen. He also knew Joseph still felt guilty that he’d failed to protect Cullen.
Asa was relieved when he passed a faded sign that read Lobster Cove population 683. “We’re supposed to meet the realtor in front of the old hardware store.”
When Cullen didn’t comment, Asa reached over to pat the young man on the shoulder. “If this works out and Joseph agrees to move the shelter here, he won’t have to spend all his time worrying about his kids, and maybe the two of you can get your shit together.”
“Maybe, or maybe he’ll come up with some other excuse. Could be that he’s too nice to tell me he just isn’t into me,” Cullen said.
“Bullshit. Everyone in town’s seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one’s watching.” Asa spotted a gray sedan parked in front of an abandoned storefront. “Maybe I should lock the two of you in a room until you can work it out.”
“Promises. Promises.” Cullen grinned for the first time since leaving DC.
* * * *
After touring the town and the abandoned factory, Asa climbed back into the rental car and called home.
“Hey,” Mario answered. “How’s Pip?”
“Still in ICU last I heard.” Asa cleared his throat. “Remember that town you showed me that was for sale?”
“Yeah,” Mario replied. “You thinking about it?”
Asa waved to the realtor as he drove off. “I’m in Lobster Cove right now with Cullen.” He spotted Cullen checkin
g out a rotted windowsill several buildings down.
“Well, what do you think?” Mario asked.
Asa leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I still don’t know. My gut tells me it’s the right thing to do, but my heart tells me to walk away and forget the whole thing.”
“Why, what’s bothering you? The money?”
“No. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll take a huge chunk to get it started, but there’s a hell of a lot more here than Cattle Valley started with.” Asa couldn’t help but smile as Cullen continued to the next building to do a more thorough examination.
“So what’s the problem?”
“It’ll take time.” Asa’s heart ached just thinking about it.
“Of course it will, but think how much good’ll come of it,” Mario countered.
“Yeah, but it’ll mean spending a lot of time away from you, and that’s what’s holding me back.” Asa waited for Mario to reply, but his partner remained silent. “You still there?”
“I’m here.” Mario huffed. “How long do you think it’ll take?”
“That depends. What’s there can be ready within a few months, but we can’t bring people in unless we have a way for them to make a living. I’ll call Nate and get his take on the situation, but I talked to him on the plane and he said he could put a council meeting in place within a matter of hours.” Asa silently begged Mario to give permission to proceed because if his partner was against it, he knew he’d have to pass on the idea.
“Can we talk more about it once you get home?” Mario asked.
Asa closed his eyes. He’d hoped to put a bid in before leaving Maine, but if Mario needed to talk first, he’d talk. “Okay. By the time we get back to Bangor it’ll be late and Cullen and I haven’t gotten more than a catnap, so we’ll stay overnight and leave first thing in the morning. I haven’t talked to Cullen yet, but he may want me to drop him off in DC before I head home.”
“I’ve got to work until two, but I’m all yours after that.”
“You’d better be.” Resigned to the fact he wouldn’t be making a deal that day, he let himself relax. “You should see this place, babe. I don’t know who the hell made that video, but it definitely didn’t do it justice. Every house is unique both in structure and color. God, Mario, you won’t believe the paint choices people used.”
“That bad?” Mario questioned.
“That good.” Asa searched for a description that would help Mario visualize the area. “From the docks, you can see what the locals call Protection Island. The only thing on it is a lighthouse, but the realtor said it isn’t safe to build more houses on the land because the waves continually crash against it.”
Asa didn’t mention how emotional he got when he stared at the lighthouse. For years he’d felt like that structure—alone despite the fact that others were always so close. It hadn’t been until Mario that he’d truly let another into his heart. He shook his head to dispel the depressing thoughts and returned his attention to the description of Lobster Cove. “The town itself is kind of laid out in a crescent-shape. It follows the banks of the prettiest cove you’ve ever seen, and when you’re standing on the beach and look back toward the town…” He took a deep breath, awed at the memory. “Hell, babe, it looks like a Monet painting—tiny dots of color that blend together to make a peaceful picture.” He chuckled. “Christ, listen to me going on and on. You probably think I sound like a damn fool.”
“Not at all. Did you take pictures?” Mario asked.
“A ton of them. I can’t wait to get home to you.” Asa knew he’d have to bring Mario to Lobster Cove to make him understand why the town was so important to him. Foolish or not, Asa felt a connection to the place that went beyond searching a good location for the kids in DC and the men and women who were looking for their own place in the world.
“Like always, I’ll be here waiting.”
“Yeah,” Asa said before hanging up. His good mood evaporated as reality sank back in. Mario had done a lot of waiting since the early days of their relationship. It wasn’t that Asa enjoyed being away from his partner, but there were a lot of people who depended on him to make Montgomery Enterprises profitable. Without the software company that employed nearly half of the residents of Cattle Valley, their slice of Wyoming heaven would turn into a ghost town like Lobster Cove. He had a strong feeling his relationship with Mario would suffer even more unless he could figure out a way for them to spend more time together. How that was going to happen with him flying back and forth from Lobster Cove to Cattle Valley was anyone’s guess.
* * * *
“I was thinking,” Cullen began, after swallowing his bite of steak. “That elementary school would be a good place for the shelter. It would need some retrofitting and shit, but I doubt Lobster Cove will attract many families right away and the high school is more than big enough to house K through twelve.”
Asa took a sip of red wine before answering. “Not a bad idea. What do you think it’ll take to get it operational?”
Cullen appreciated that someone like Asa would ask for his opinion. “Kitchen’s there, so that’s not a problem, but there aren’t any showering facilities, so that would be the top priority. Other than that, throw down a few rugs in the big common area, pile in plenty of furniture and it’d be ready to move in. The classrooms are pretty sizeable, so I think we could get as many as six to a room, although, the lack of privacy might be an issue for some.”
“Why?” Asa asked. “At least they’d be safe.”
Cullen took a deep breath. He didn’t blame Asa for his lack of understanding. Although Asa had funded the shelter for several years, he usually didn’t get involved in the lives of the teenagers. “Some of the guys are getting better about trusting people, but there are a few who’ve been through shit that’ll make it virtually impossible for them to ever feel safe again. It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep when you’re worried about a roommate sneaking up on you when your eyes are closed.”
Asa looked appalled at the idea. “Are you telling me these boys are preying on each other?”
“No!” Cullen realized he’d spoken too loudly and glanced around. He smiled at an elderly couple seated at the next table before returning his attention to Asa. “As far as I know, no one’s ever been attacked or anything, but when you put guys used to fucking in an enclosed environment, there’s gonna be some messing around. What I’m saying is there may be a few who aren’t okay with that and should have their own room. We could always take one of the classrooms and put up more walls to divide it into two or even three smaller bedrooms.”
Asa nodded. “I didn’t even think of that.” He pushed his plate away. “Do you think we should talk to Joseph about making some kind of house rules about no sex?”
Cullen chuckled. Bless him, but Asa really had no clue. “I think Joseph is aware that certain things go on behind closed doors, but he doesn’t make a fuss about it because he knows the guys are there voluntarily. Some of those boys have been having sex for years for money, shelter or whatever. You make them quit and they’ll bolt. Better to have them there and well supplied with condoms than to let them go back out on the street.”
Asa rubbed the back of his neck.
“Sorry to be so blunt about it, but I had to be honest.” Cullen took another bite of his dinner.
“No, don’t apologize.” Asa tapped his fingers on the table. “Is it happening at Second Chance?”
Cullen shrugged. “I don’t think so. I’m not saying it always happens, just that it’s a possibility, and we need to make sure those with severe trust issues have a bedroom to themselves.”
“Are you going to want dessert?” Asa asked.
Cullen waved his hand. “I’m full already, but the food’s too good to waste.”
Asa said nothing more for several minutes while Cullen cleaned his plate. “You understand them.”
Cullen glanced up and met Asa’s gaze. “Of course I do. I’m one of them.”
“You
used to be one of them.”
“I’ll always be one of them.” At least in Joseph’s eyes. Cullen wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
Resting his forearms on the table, Asa leaned toward Cullen. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to downplay what you’ve been through.”
Cullen broke eye contact and stared at the condensation dripping down the side of his water glass. “I know you didn’t, but my past will forever follow me. It doesn’t matter what I do from here on out, there’re some who will always see me as the boy who used to prostitute himself.”
“Surely you don’t believe that,” Asa argued.
Cullen pointed to the faint W that marred his forehead. “Be honest, how many times since this morning have you looked at me and not thought about where I got this or why?”
Asa pulled back. “When I see that scar, it’s a reminder of why I do what I do with the shelter, but it’s not Willy I think about, it’s you and the man you’ve become.”
Cullen knew Asa was trying to make him feel better, but it was no use. He decided it would be best to drop the whole discussion. “Thanks.”
Asa paid the bill before getting to his feet. “Do you think Mandy can handle things at Second Chance for a few months?”
“Yeah, but she wants to go to college next semester.” Cullen followed Asa out of the hotel restaurant. “She wants to become a social worker.”
“That’s good to hear. I’ve been waiting for her to take me up on my offer for a while now.” Asa pressed the elevator call button. “I’d like to hire you to be my liaison in Lobster Cove during the construction. You’ll oversee the progress and report back to me.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think I’m qualified.” Cullen stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor.
“You’re wrong. What I need is someone I can trust who understands the importance of what we’re trying to accomplish, and you’re my choice.”
Cullen was floored by Asa’s confidence in him. He stared up at the billionaire businessman and shook his head. If someone like Asa could see the man he’d worked hard to become, why couldn’t Joseph?