by Shea Balik
Lily gave another nod. “Bastard.”
Jesse’s eyes widened in horror as he looked at Lily. “Come on Gabriel, let’s go have that conversation.”
Jesse grabbed ahold of Gabriel’s arm and dragged him back into the house. Gabriel couldn’t help himself. The more he got to know Jesse, the more he liked him.
Chapter Four
“Come on, Lakyn, I really need a massage,” Jesse whined. “I swear, Ryder and Gabriel are slave drivers and are determined to drive me into an early grave. You have to help me.”
Lakyn was tempted to roll his eyes at Jesse’s dramatics, but he managed to stop himself. Barely. “As I already told you, I have a client coming in shortly. I don’t have time to fit you in.”
Jesse’s bottom lip came out in a pout. “Fine. What about later?”
A huge part of Lakyn wanted to tell Jesse no. He might need the money, but he definitely didn’t need the aggravation of a complaining Jesse. Which, unless something happened in the next two hours, would be exactly what he’d end up with. Unfortunately, even though business was good, it wasn’t so good that he could actually turn down work.
“I have an opening at three,” he regretfully told Jesse. “Can you be here then?”
Jesse threw his arms around Lakyn. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Then he raced out the door saying, “I’ll be here,” over his shoulder.
Lakyn gave a large sigh. He wasn’t looking forward to Jesse’s return. Normally he enjoyed giving massages, even to Jesse. But he’d been out of sorts the past week. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was as if his skin was suddenly too small for his body.
Without thought, he gave a loud snort. Who was he kidding? He knew exactly why he felt that way. Gabriel. Since meeting the man over five days ago, Lakyn found himself dreaming about him at night. It was getting so bad he actually had a few daydreams while working on a client.
What he didn’t understand was why? He just wasn’t sure what it was about the uptight man that had Lakyn wanting to see what it would take to make him relax his guard and have some fun. The urge to run up to Gabriel and mess his hair up, just to see what he’d do, was becoming harder and harder to ignore, especially since he often saw Gabriel walking around Main Street with Jesse or Ryder, looking serious.
It was like they were discussing war instead of a local campaign. How anyone could take their job so seriously that they couldn’t even crack a smile didn’t make any sense.
The alarm on Lakyn’s phone chimed softly, letting him know he had five minutes before his appointment would arrive. Leaving the front area, he went into his massage room and started the aromatherapy his client had requested. Then he set the heat on the table to the appropriate level.
By the time he returned to the front room, everything was ready for his next appointment. “Hi Lakyn,” Mrs. Daniels greeted as she paid Zoey for her massage.
“Hello, Mrs. Daniels. How are you doing today?” he asked with a smile.
“Great, now that Zoey worked her magic,” she joked. “I’ll see you next week, Zoey,” Mrs. Daniels said as she left with a wave.
“See you then,” Zoey called out just before the door shut. Then she grabbed her bag and headed for the front door herself. “Since I don’t want to be around for your next appointment, I will see you later,” she said, rushing out the door.
Lakyn just waved her off, not blaming her in the least for wanting to get out of there. As much as Lakyn wasn’t looking forward to Jesse returning that afternoon, he was dreading his next client. He never should have agreed to take the man on, but Lakyn needed the money too much to turn him down.
Cheap bastard didn’t even give him a tip. Not that Lakyn necessarily expected one, but every other client, no matter how poor, gave him something, even if it was just some homemade bread, or jam.
The bell above the door tinkled merrily, and Lakyn had to hold back the groan of dismay. At least he’d managed to get Jesse out of there before the man had shown up.
“Hello, Mayor Murphy,” Lakyn greeted as pleasantly as he could. “The room is all ready for you. I’ll be in a few minutes.”
The mayor didn’t even have the manners to say hello as he stalked to the back and shut the door to the massage room a little too firmly. Lakyn used the few precious moments he had to wait for the mayor to undress and get on the table to meditate. It didn’t help much, but at that point, Lakyn needed every technique at his disposal to get through the hour and a half torture he was about to endure.
Just as Lakyn stood to go into the massage room, Mayor Murphy barked, “Are you going to get in here soon or do you plan to waste my time and money by making me wait?”
Yeah, this was going to be fun.
“Are you all ready, mayor?” Lakyn asked when he opened the door to the massage room.
“Of course I’m ready. I hope you aren’t charging me for wasting my time,” the mayor grumbled.
Lakyn did his best to take a deep breath to center himself but, if he were honest, it wasn’t working. He should have said yes to Jesse. At least then he’d only have to make non-committal responses, as Jesse usually didn’t require feedback from his rants.
“Are there any tender or tight areas I should know about?” It was a standard question. One that he asked every time someone got on his table.
Yet, the mayor answered the same way every damn time. “How the hell should I know? You’re the massage therapist. Aren’t you supposed to be able to tell?”
Lakyn took another deep breath. He was going to need it and several more to get through this very long hour and a half. He really needed to start limiting his appointments to an hour.
“Let me know if the pressure is too much or too light,” he reminded the mayor before placing his hands on the man’s hairy back. It always amazed him that someone with thinning hair on his head could have so much hair everywhere else.
He’d barely pressed into the muscles when he encountered an especially large knot along Murphy’s shoulders. The mayor swore at him. “If I wanted to be tortured, I’d schedule a meeting with that ridiculous Jesse Grant. You aren’t drilling for oil, you know. Be more gentle.”
Lakyn had to bite his inner cheek to not laugh out loud. Drilling for oil? Talk about dramatic, especially since Lakyn had barely pressed into the muscle. This was definitely going to be a long session.
“You know you should be thankful there are still real men in Cedar Falls who appreciate a good massage. Otherwise you’d be forced to give people like Jesse and that utterly ridiculous Flynn massages.” The mayor actually shuddered as he spoke. “Who in the hell puts a tattoo around their neck anyway?”
Lakyn had heard these types of rants from the mayor before. Didn’t mean he appreciated it. Lakyn may not exactly advertise he was gay, but he didn’t hide it either. Why the mayor assumed he was straight, Lakyn couldn’t be sure, but he suspected it had to do with the fact that the man liked getting a massage but wouldn’t if he thought Lakyn was gay.
Maybe he should just admit to the mayor he was gay. That way he wouldn’t have to have the man as a client any longer. If business kept increasing as it had been, he would do just that. For now, he would keep his mouth shut and let the man rant.
“I mean, seriously,” the mayor said, getting more and more worked up, “that tattoo is nothing more than a collar. Any man who would reduce himself to an animal isn’t a man in the eyes of God.”
Lakyn took another deep breath, desperately trying to find his center. But it was so far away he wasn’t sure he’d ever find it again if he had to continue listening to this hatred. Please let me get through this, he silently prayed.
“And that idiot Jesse just hired a campaign manager.” The mayor gave a chuckle. “Just goes to show even he doesn’t believe he has a chance to win. Why, I’ve never needed a campaign manager to win in all these years.”
As happy as he was to not have to hear the mayor tear down Flynn any longer, Lakyn didn’t want to be reminded of Gabri
el either. “Do you have a strategy for beating Jesse?” he asked in hopes of distracting the mayor from either of the other topics. He should have known it wouldn’t help.
“Strategy?” the mayor laughed. “Have you met Jesse?” he asked incredulously. “That boy couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag. He has no shot of winning this election. Not even with all his friends.”
Lakyn had to clench his jaw to stop from chastising the mayor for the way he said the last word, as if it were somehow dirty. He may not exactly be a part of the inner group, but Lakyn still counted himself as one of those friends and he didn’t appreciate the way the mayor made it sound.
“No, my boy. I don’t need a strategy. I just need to give Jesse enough rope to hang himself.” Thankfully, the mayor remained quiet the rest of the session or Lakyn feared he would have had to strangle the man.
How he was supposed to go from the mayor to Jesse was anyone’s guess. If his day kept up like this, they’d be fitting him for a straitjacket for sure.
Chapter Five
“That wasn’t a request.” Jesse stood with his arms crossed, staring down at Gabriel, who was working on the computer to put together a plan for his mayoral campaign.
Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t have time for a stupid massage. We need to come up with your platform, a campaign slogan and coordinate your friends to help with getting the word out.” Gabriel glanced at the calendar. “We have five months, which will give us plenty of time, but not if we don’t get organized.”
Jesse reached over and shut the laptop Gabriel had been using. “Either get a massage or I will make that announcement about erecting a Bigfoot statue,” Jesse threatened.
Gabriel groaned at the mention of that stupid Bigfoot statue. He begged, pleaded, and threatened Jesse to not make any mention of Bigfoot in his campaign. He wasn’t sure he’d convinced him, but Jesse had agreed to not bring it up for now. It wasn’t exactly what Gabriel had wanted, but it was the best he could do.
“Fine.” He pushed away from the table he’d been working at. “I’ll go, but while I’m gone, I want you to make a list of everyone who is willing to volunteer and any skills they have, like graphic art, computer skills, building things…”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jesse interrupted as he pushed Gabriel toward the door. “I’ll do it. Just go or you’ll be late.”
Reluctantly, Gabriel headed down the stairs from Ryder’s office. They were currently using that as their headquarters while the space above Jesse’s flower shop was being renovated. It would give them more room and allow Jesse to be closer to work. Plus it would get them out of Ryder’s hair.
Not that Ryder complained, but it was also obvious that he had enough on his platter to have to share his office with them. Gabriel used to believe campaigns were hard, but the amount of work Ryder did to set up a monthly festival, along with bringing more businesses into Cedar Falls, was astronomical.
He had no idea how the man managed. Nor why he’d agreed to help Jesse when he was already overworked. But then again, Gabriel was discovering just how tight this community was. It was apparent everyone did their best to help each other in whatever way possible.
But even with all the help they gave each other, it was clear that Ryder was on the verge of breaking down. Based on the few times he’d seen Ryder’s husband, Tag, he wasn’t very happy about it.
That was one of the reasons Gabriel had insisted they move from Ryder’s office. He would miss having Ryder right there to ask questions, but he also saw just how much Jesse’s non-stop chattering and constant suggestions for festivals and events were wearing Ryder down.
It only took a minute to cross Peachtree and enter Happy Endings. He sighed at the name. Really? He still was getting used to the unique naming of the various stores in downtown. They all seemed to have a double meaning. Maybe if he still had a sense of humor he might have appreciated it more, but he’d lost that around the age of seven when his mother had chastised one of his nannies for playing with him.
His mother believed playing was nothing more than a distraction from his studies. His nanny, Marta, if he remembered correctly, didn’t agree. An argument ensued and the next thing Gabriel knew, Marta was gone and Emilia took her place two days later. From that moment on, Gabriel learned to not laugh for fear of losing the only people who seemed to give a damn about him.
“I’ll be right with you,” a voice called from the back when the bell above the door jingled.
“Take your time,” Gabriel said, not really wanting to get a massage. A yelp and a crash had him calling out. “Are you okay? Do you need some help?”
“No,” the voice called back. “I just dropped a shirt.”
That didn’t make any sense. “Are you sure? It sounded a lot louder than a shirt.”
“That’s because I was in it.”
Gabriel stood there staring at the doorway to the back area and did something he hadn’t done in a long, long time. He laughed. Not the fake kind that he had learned to give around those who thought they were funny in Washington, but an honest-to-God laugh that came from deep inside.
Then, just as fast as it started, it stopped as Lakyn walked up front. He couldn’t have continued laughing at that moment if he’d wanted, for all the air in the room was sucked out as he stared into the most beautiful light blue eyes he’d ever seen.
Since meeting Lakyn his first day in Cedar Falls, Gabriel had been trying to find him. Not knowing anything more than his name and not wanting to ask around, he had no idea where to look.
“Hi,” he said a little breathlessly, as he was still having trouble getting air into his lungs.
Lush lips curved up into a smile that took away any remaining air in the room, leaving Gabriel dizzy.
“Hi,” Lakyn said. “What can I do for you?”
Huh?
Gabriel had no idea where he was, much less what he was doing there. His mind was mush as he stared at Lakyn. It wasn’t until he saw the look of expectancy gazing at him that Gabriel remembered what was happening.
“Jesse,” he blurted out as if that would explain everything. Damn. When did he become an idiot who couldn’t speak? “I mean, Jesse said he had made an appointment for me. He just never told me it would be with you.”
A flash of something that resembled hurt or maybe disappointment appeared in Lakyn’s eyes before vanishing just as quickly. “Oh. If you don’t want me, I can see if my partner Zoey has an appointment available.”
“No,” Gabriel practically shouted as what he said finally caught up with him. He really was screwing this up. “I mean, I was surprised to see you. I’d be more than happy to have your hands on me.”
Laughter shone in Lakyn’s eyes. Gabriel sighed and closed his eyes as his words hit him. “I am really having a hard time talking right now. Can we just get to the massage?”
Lakyn chuckled softly. “Of course. If you wouldn’t mind filling this out first, I’ll check and make sure the room is ready for you.” Lakyn handed him a clipboard with two sheets of paper attached, along with a pen. “Would you like any aromatherapy?”
Gabriel crinkled his nose. “I don’t think so, but to be honest I’ve never tried.”
Lakyn gave a nod. “Would you prefer the table warmed?”
Gabriel shook his head. “I’m hot enough, thanks.”
There was another flash of humor in Lakyn’s eyes as he turned to head to the back. “Good to know.”
Gabriel groaned as he realized what he’d said. Never in his life had he had such trouble speaking, yet in a matter of moments he’d somehow become an idiot with each word. Sitting heavily in one of the chairs lining the front window, Gabriel quickly filled out the paperwork. By the time he’d finished, Lakyn came back up front.
“Ready?” Lakyn asked.
He wasn’t—yet, at the same time, knowing it was Lakyn who giving him the massage, Gabriel couldn’t wait. “I have to admit to never enjoying massages before.”
Why can’t I keep my mouth sh
ut? It was becoming more than just a little bit embarrassing.
“Oh?” Lakyn opened a door to the left of the hallway to reveal a padded massage table, a chair, and a rolling stool, as well as a small table with a pair of small speakers and another machine Gabriel didn’t recognize. “What about them don’t you like?”
“I’ve never liked people to touch me.” Then again, with Lakyn he was pretty sure he’d enjoy it more than usual.
Those soft blue eyes seem to stare right into his soul. If Gabriel didn’t know it was impossible, he would swear Lakyn was able to see into his head in order to discover the reason for his aversion to touch. Not that it was hard to understand. He’d never had anyone, not even his mother, give him affection as a child. Being without touch for most of his life, Gabriel found, as an adult, it made him extremely uncomfortable.
But he wasn’t ready for Lakyn to know that. Turning away so Lakyn could no longer see inside of him, Gabriel cleared his throat. “So what do you want me to do?”
“Get undressed and slide under the sheet.” Lakyn folded back a corner of the sheet that draped over the table. Another sheet covered the leather padding. “If you would lie face up, I’ll start with your neck, shoulders and arms.”
Lakyn went to the door. “I’ll give you a couple of minutes to get settled before returning.” Then he disappeared, closing the door behind him.
He couldn’t explain it, but Gabriel’s hands shook as he unbuttoned his dress shirt. He’d stopped wearing the suits he’d brought with him, but Gabriel was finding it difficult to be more casual than slacks and a long sleeved dress shirt.
Making sure to fold his clothes neatly, Gabriel set them on a chair in the corner and slid between the sheets. As he lay there waiting, he wondered what in the hell he was doing there. Just the thought of Lakyn’s hands on him had his cock thickening enough to slightly tent the sheet. Once he actually put his hands on him, how was Gabriel supposed to hide his attraction?