Boys with Toys

by McCoy, Sky

  Taylor aimed a pointed glare in Noah’s direction and snatched the glass from his hand and downed the drink while he held his nose.

  “Not even you will feel the effects. Now drink the remainder of it. I’m going to cook you something to eat. I have a few days off and I can sleep anytime.”

  Noah smiled at him with his physician’s smile. The kind that made him a terrific doctor. The kind that made Taylor feel that he would be okay and recover enough to go to work before he got another lecture from Max.

  After Taylor drank what was left of the potion, he called into work. When he placed his phone on the side table, he found a new pack of briefs belonging to Jake that Noah had laid on the bed.

  He opened the pack and put them on and then lay across the bed for a minute at least he thought it was a few minutes. He woke only when he heard dogs barking, and Noah’s voice talking to someone and Noah trying to quiet the dogs.

  When he listened more intently he recognized the man’s voice. It was Jake arguing with Noah, over what, Taylor didn’t know.

  When Taylor sat up, the door opened, and in burst Jake. “Oh hi, Taylor. I thought...” Jake looked a little embarrassed. Jake lowered his head and squeezed out a grin.

  “He thought I had some man in here,” Noah said standing in the doorway with his hand across his chest. “I wonder why he would think such a thing. I told him it was only you. I had to rescue you. After all I’m a doctor, and you were a friend in distress. Jake doesn’t seem to understand that I take my wedding vows seriously.” Noah was palming and rubbing Jake’s muscles on his large tattooed arms. “And if I would do anything it certainly wouldn’t be in our home. Come on, sweetheart, let Taylor rest. He’s had a hard night and week since Payton left him. I’ll tell you all about it.”

  “Sorry, Taylor for everything. I just get a little jealous. Look at him, isn’t he beautiful,” Jake said.

  It was obvious to Taylor that the sun rose and set on Noah who controlled that relationship. Taylor thought about what Jake had just confessed. He was jealous and he thought Noah was fooling around on him.

  It dawned on Taylor that he and Payton may need to see a marriage counselor if they were to move forward in their marriage. He put himself in Payton’s shoes. If he thought anyone else was after Payton, and there was the slightest possibility that there was anyone else in the picture the way Dylan showed up out of nowhere, he would probably act like Payton and Jake.

  But Noah, unlike Taylor with Payton, gave Jake reasons to be upset and suspicious. Noah couldn’t see a tight ass or hard cock he didn’t want near him or in him.

  There was no need to sleep now. He took a quick shower and dressed in one of Jake’s black suits, and a crisp white shirt, had breakfast, and lumbered into work.

  Taylor called meetings with the lawyers for updates, had his personal assistant return calls to say he had meetings, and he would get back to them. He was just going through the motions of appearing busy and looking at his phone throughout the day, checking for Payton, but nothing. Time slogged on like slow poison. Until finally it was time. Time for what he wondered?

  He had survived another horrendous day without Payton to start this all over again.

  As he sat at his desk wondering what to do with the night, he tried calling Payton again, but it went into Payton’s voicemail. “Fuck this,” he barked out into the silent room. He had cursed all day long as he tried to busy himself, but he couldn’t get his mind off Payton, and he couldn’t locate him.

  His mind began to work overtime, and he found what he had accused Payton of being, insanely jealous, he discovered that he himself had fallen into the same trap. The trap of being so in love that he couldn’t reason.

  Chapter Fourteen

  PAYTON WANDERED AROUND the house, looking at old photo albums, sat out in the swing and stared at the road that ran near his mother’s property, and occasionally he reached for his phone to check for a call from Taylor, but nothing lately.

  He knew he should have answered his texts from Taylor, but he wasn’t at a place where he could talk to him, but now when he felt calm and he could think without being angry he thought Taylor had finally given up on him. Hell he would if he was in Taylor’s place. Taylor doesn’t need a crazy jealous husband like me, Payton thought.

  After sitting for days gazing at the screen, finally, he turned it off and flung it on the bed and decided that he would do something constructive instead of peering at a phone all day just to see Taylor’s name come across the screen as Husband.

  When they wed, he had been excited and proud to take Taylor’s name, and even honored to make that announcement to everyone, well, not everyone. Payton didn’t know how his friends in the firm he worked for would take it so he spared himself the looks and gossip.

  Finally, he made the announcement and it wasn’t as he thought. They were more than supportive and the others who weren’t didn’t say it to his face and that was fine with him because then he didn’t give a fuck, he was quitting and Taylor’s was taking him to New York.

  He’d made a mistake when he didn’t tell his mother, or the rest of his immediate family that he was the husband of Taylor Knox, a rich corporate lawyer, and he was proud to take his name, and become Payton Knox. He didn’t tell his family for obvious reasons, and still had kept that from his mother because he wasn’t sure how she would feel about him marrying a man.

  Finding himself outside, and then inside the unattached garage out back, he stood looking around for something to keep him busy, a broken lawnmower which he could tinker with should amuse him for a few hours. Paint the house and cork the windows, which would take a couple of days. Maybe he’d run a few errands and drag on some chores longer to fill his time so he didn’t have to think about Taylor being with Dylan.

  As Payton got more into the chores, he discovered that there was so much to do around his mother’s house that he didn’t have time for anything else. He worked all day, fell into bed after eating, and when he finally found time to look at the calendar, weeks had gone by.

  With so much to do for his mother he hardly stopped to think about Taylor. When he searched around for more, there wasn’t much left, except clean the gutters, and that was a one day job and then it was time to leave. To go where?

  New York? San Francisco?

  Walking around the garage looking for more tasks to postpone the unavoidable—thinking about Taylor, he stood in front of an old gilded mildewed mirror.

  His mouth opened as he gazed at his image which appeared to have changed. He’d lost weight and built up more muscles in his arms without having to go to the gym. Then looking in the mirror, behind him he spotted handle bars sticking up under a dusty bedsheet.

  It was Edward’s old motorcycle with the helmet slung across one handle bar. Payton smiled at the thought. Those were good days when he rode it to school when Edward left for the Army and Brian enlisted in the Navy. That bike brought him back and forth without fail when he was in high school, and sometimes college when he couldn’t borrow his father’s old Dodge.

  Pulling the bike out into the light, it appeared to be in good shape, therefore, he decided to try it out. Revving it up, it roared to life. He would take it out to the nearby lake where he swam as a teen, and had his first kiss.

  He smiled when he thought about that kiss. He didn’t realize that it wasn’t that kiss with Isabella that would change his world as he knew it. It registered as one of the best of his life, but that was only his first and the last one he experienced with Taylor had been the one that shifted his world on its axis, and flung him into outer space.

  The kiss with Isabella had been a long time ago. He’d brought her out near the lake to tell her his hopes and dreams for the future. He wanted to become a lawyer, and as soon as that happened, he would marry her, and take her to California where there was sunshine all the time, and they would live happily ever after.

  But she’d up and married the high school jock and then divorced him the next year. What
a fucking bummer, he thought as he rode the bike into town. His first love left him to stay married for six months, but Payton carried that hurt longer. It lasted until he met the love of his life—Taylor.

  Then why the fuck aren’t I with Taylor? Payton thought, as he rode into the town square. He knew the answer to that question, but he didn’t want to think about it now. If he did he’d be back with Taylor and more resentful than before. He had to spend this time working on himself before he could function as a married man, and husband to Taylor Knox.

  PAYTON HAD RODE AROUND town on the motorcycle, and hiked through the woods alone for weeks on end to get his headspace straightened out, and his mind was clear now.

  Never had he felt so at peace and now he felt he could handle anything that came his way. He’d made up his mind and convinced himself that Taylor had moved on. It had been weeks and he hadn’t spoken to him. Weeks and he hadn’t even checked his phone.

  He thought of filing for a separation if Taylor hadn’t done so already. After he walked out on Taylor without a word, what did he expect? He couldn’t blame Taylor. He’s probably with Dylan, and now I can handle that, he thought.

  Payton zoomed into traffic and then when he arrived on Main Street he felt hungry from all the jogging and riding.

  He pulled his bike up to a restaurant and parked it, and then he brought the helmet with him as he stepped into the diner. There were maybe two people sitting at the counter. And no one sitting in the booths where he could see the cars move up and down Main Street. Payton stood and looked around and then chose a booth near a window overlooking the street. As he checked the menu, a young woman about his age, came from the kitchen, and walked up to the table.

  Payton recognized her immediately. She glanced down at him. “Would you like coffee?”

  “Yes, please,” he said waiting for some recognition. She had the coffee pot in her hand with a cup. She placed the cup down and poured the coffee and then she looked at Payton.

  “You resemble the Bailey’s, do you know Payton Bailey?”

  “Yes. As a matter of fact I do.”

  She smiled when he answered. “I used to date him when we were in high school.” The waitress offered him a closed smiled. “I hear he became a lawyer and lives in San Francisco.”

  “I think it’s New York.”

  “I’m pretty sure his mother said San Francisco. I see her on occasions. She said that she would tell him that I asked about him when he calls.”

  Payton hadn’t called his mother in years. He wished he had talked to her then because being around her made him feel so much better about his life.

  “I would know where he lives because I happen to be him.”

  Isabella’s mouth opened in surprise and her face brightened. He looked her in the face, his eyes connecting with hers. When she slanted her head and smiled, Payton realized that she had finally recognized him and then her hands went to her mouth when she knew who was sitting there. “Holy fuck. It’s not you, Payton?”

  “Yes it’s me. Don’t you recognize me?” Payton stood and hugged her.

  “Oh my God, Payton. You’re so good-looking. And tall. Holy shit look at those muscles,” Isabella said holding on to his arms. “I thought I’d never see you again.” Isabella glared at Payton with her hand over her mouth as if she had just met the movie star of her dreams.

  Realizing she was working, she glanced around. “Do you want anything to eat?”

  “Just a bagel if you have it with cream cheese.”

  “Yes of course,” Isabella said rushing off to get it and checking on the customers who had paid their bills and left her a tip.

  Isabella rushed back and sat across from Payton after placing the bagel and cream cheese in front of him. Payton felt uncomfortable at seeing Isabella stare at him, and she’d been awe struck at just being near him.

  “I can’t get over how handsome you are.”

  Payton smiled and thought he should say something too. “You haven’t changed. I thought you were the prettiest girl in school and you still are.”

  She had been the prettiest girl in school and everyone told them they made a great looking couple. Isabella with her raven hair and blue eyes and Payton with his handsome good looks amber eyes, tall and impressive looking who dressed for success.

  “You look so relaxed, and I can’t get over seeing you as a man.” She reached for his hand and he pulled it back. “You were always shy,” Isabella said with a wide grin. “I thought you had gotten over that now. And a little jealous,” she added.

  “I guess some things never change,” she said aiming a wide smile at Payton.

  But she was wrong about Payton. He had changed in every possible way except the things that counted. He was still sensitive, and a loving and caring person.

  “I’m not that young boy who left because you broke my heart.”

  “I know none of us are the same, and I’ve wanted to apologize to you, but I never got the chance. I thought you never wanted to see me again.”

  “I’m a man now. I don’t think about those things anymore.”

  “But I made a mistake.” She placed her hand over Payton’s and he didn’t pull it from her grasp. “Can we start over again?”

  “I’m not going to be here long. I’m going to San Francisco.”

  “Maybe I can go up there and visit you sometime.” Now should have been the time to tell Isabella, but Payton thought he shouldn’t. Why complicate his life now?

  “Before I leave, we can talk about you coming to see me. How would you like to go out on a date with me and have a drink and we can talk? I remember this bar in town we swore that when we grew up, we would go in and have a beer.”

  They made a date and Payton would take her out one Saturday before he left for California. Payton stepped out of the diner, and climbed on his motorcycle going home.

  Chapter Fifteen

  TAYLOR HAD ENDURED as much as he could, but now he had to get a hold of his life. He needed Payton not tomorrow, not next week, but today. The fact was he didn’t think he could live without him. He stepped out of his office where he’d hold up since Max returned.

  Today was it. He marched out of his office and down the hall to his left, and passed Max’s secretary, and into Max’s office to give him an ultimatum and he didn’t even bother knocking.

  When he stepped inside the spacious office, his eyes focused on Max just sitting smiling to himself with his hands behind his head and his feet up on his desk looking at pictures in front of him. Taylor didn’t have to guess who were in the pictures. Probably Jami and the twins and earlier he’d notice that he placed his father’s picture next to his mother’s.

  “I see someone is happy here.”

  Max craned his head to the right to see Taylor staring down at him with an agonizing distressed sour expression. His eyes narrow, and his brow furrowed in three rows. Taylor’s look was nothing compared to what he was feeling inside—angry, empty, and lost.

  “Come in, Taylor, and don’t bother knocking,” Max said wearing a satisfied grin as he looked up at Taylor.

  Taylor was dressed elegantly in a dark blue suit with an immaculate white shirt and a blue Italian silk tie. But apparently something about his perfect attire appeared out of place to Max, because he sat up and gave Taylor a careful once over.

  “Looks like you’ve lost a little weight. Change your diet or something? Did you intend to drop that weight, you’re not sick are you? I can’t have the best man in the company getting sick.”

  Taylor was sick alright. He was sick of everyone asking him when Payton was coming back, and if they could do something for him, maybe take him out to a club and raise his spirits. They walked around giving their condolences as if someone had died. They did everything except send flowers, he thought.

  Oh yes he was fucking sick of everything and everyone who reminded him that he was now alone, and probably would be single for the rest of his life because he couldn’t go through another painful breakup,
especially one where the man was the only one he’d ever loved, or cared about completely.

  “Fuck no. I’m not on a diet,” Taylor said, obviously taking Max aback where he dropped his hands from behind his head, and sat up, and rested his feet on the floor, and crossed his arms.

  “What you see here is a man who’s been working his ass off and not eating,” Taylor’s voice breaking, as he paced around Max’s desk with Max watching him with is arms crossed, and a curious glance.

  “I wondered why it took you so long to blow your top, Taylor. I would have been climbing the walls from the stress of a high powered job coupled with a problem marriage,” Max said.

  Taylor stopped in front of the desk near a chair. “I haven’t been laid in weeks, my husband is God knows where, and I come in here and see you all smiles after your honeymoon, and you expect me to be happy? Well I’m not. I’m a fucking mess.”

  “Don’t hate me because I know how to please my man.” Max’s eyes rose to meet Taylor’s. “I don’t give Jami anything to be jealous of.”

  “I’ve done nothing to make Payton think I was fucking Dylan Peterson.” Taylor was ready to talk. Max was a close friend. Much closer than Noah, or Brock, but Max had been away when he needed him for advice.

  Taylor stood before Max, his eyes flashing, and his breathing intensifying as if he was having a heart attack. He held his chest with his right hand as his chest heaved up and down.

  “What’s bothering you, Taylor?”

  “Don’t you know? Or do I have to write it across my forehead or carry a sign.” He made a gesture as if he was writing something on his brow, then Taylor said with a pained voice, “My husband has left me. And I don’t know where the fuck he is. And I don’t think I can stand another day of this shit.”

  “Well the sign part is written all over your face, and water cooler gossip has it that you were seen with Dylan Peterson at this new LGTQ bar drunk and hanging all over him. I assumed it was during the time Payton left, and you were fucking up at my company, but we got past that and I see that you’re not your old self.”