A Love Worth Saving

by David Horne

While standing in the dark, Gordon removed his underwear. His erection jutted away from the confines of the fabric. His solid cock bobbed in the dark, just out of Perry’s reach. Gordon pulled off Perry’s underwear. As he moved down Perry’s thighs, Gordon’s mouth trailed over the soft hair of his stomach. Perry sucked in a deep breath as Gordon’s mouth crested the tip of his cock. He felt warm fingers caress the base of his cock. Its length tilted upward deeper into Gordon’s mouth. He hummed around Perry’s cock.

  It was mesmerizing, intoxicating. Two adult men, clinging and pulling at each other like first-year college students exploring their sexuality for the first time. Gordon’s hands and mouth on Perry, his eyes open to the room but seeing nothing in the dark. He pressed his hands on Gordon’s shoulders. He hooked his fingers under each arm and pulled Gordon upward.

  He felt Gordon’s tongue slide along the shaft of his cock before the kiss came off the flesh, leaving a cool, wet, and pulsing cock before he felt the weight of the man on top of him as his mouth opened for Gordon’s tongue. There was a hint of him in Gordon’s mouth, and Perry pulled hungrily at it.

  He felt Gordon’s cock pressed against his groin. The thickness of his cock flexed against his thigh. They spoke through their hands and mouths against skin. Their eyes sparkled in the night. The taste of Gordon in his mouth, the scent of his cologne washed over Perry. It was more than he’d ever hoped. More than he’d ever thought possible.

  At that moment, calm blanketed them. Their frenzied curiosity quieted. Gordon lay still on Perry, looking at him in the dark. He felt fingers touch his face.

  “I want more.” Gordon’s words were sweet in Perry’s ears. “I need more of you.” He took a long breath. “But I don’t want to rush this.”

  Perry kissed his neck. His hands went around Gordon, and he held the man against him, feeling the full weight of him. It was as if Gordon weighed nothing at all.

  “Can you stay with me tonight?” he asked.

  “Of course,” Perry replied. They’d shared an electrifying interlude, and it wasn’t over. It was postponed. Gordon rolled over. He faced Perry, pulling at the sheets to cover both of them.

  Both men chuckled as they fought to remove their socks. Then, settling against each other, sharing that first night, Perry sighed. Naked together, arms open, Gordon nuzzling his shoulder, Perry felt as if he’d finally come home from a long, lonely journey.

  Chapter Fifteen

  By Friday, Perry felt as if the world began to work in his favor again. They made their quota. It seemed an impossible adventure, but the last car that drove off the lot on Saturday night gave them enough strength and finance to get through their darkest test.

  The first night Perry had stayed with Gordon, Rick managed to sell two cars. One more than Perry expected that night. The following day, Rick remained on the showroom floor. He pointed sales in three directions. Perry watched from the crow’s nest office.

  The stigma of the murder diminished. The detective never showed up again with a warrant, and business balanced out as if nothing happened. Somehow, much to Perry’s surprise, the sales team had one of the best weeks ever.

  In the days and nights that followed their union, Perry didn’t question his luck with Gordon. They texted each other when there was an opening. They spoke to each other when an opportunity presented itself. And they ended each night locked in each other’s embrace. And by that Saturday, after the doors closed and the lights went off, Perry felt as if everything was right with the world and he could hold Gordon again once he got home. They agreed to stay at Perry’s house that night.

  ***

  “Shit.”

  “What’s wrong?” Gordon asked from the sofa. He lay with his head against the arm. They watched a movie and Perry picked up the tea cups from the coffee table when the credits rolled.

  “I forgot to get the payroll submitted.” He returned from the kitchen and didn’t sit down. Gordon read the look on Perry’s face.

  “Is that a problem?”

  “Well, it needs to be submitted before midnight. We have our payroll outsourced. It takes a day to turn around. I wanted to make sure everyone got paid for the days we weren’t open.”

  “Let’s go.” Gordon grabbed his shoes, stood up and went to the door. He leaned against the wall as he slipped on the sneakers.

  “You sure?”

  “Sure, I’m sure.”

  “I want to leave a note for Rick. I’m spending the day with a great guy instead of working.”

  Gordon narrowed his eyes. “Who’s this guy you’re talking about?” He stood akimbo, staring accusingly.

  Perry put on his shoes and cupped Gordon’s crotch. It was better than words.

  ***

  Perry’s apartment was ten minutes from the car lot. At night, the business had an abandoned, almost desolate look. Perry pulled up to the front. They got out of the car together.

  “So, you don’t drive any of the other cars?” Gordon asked as Perry unlocked the front door.

  “I think it’s better if I don’t add to the mileage.” He stopped at the security terminal. “That’s weird.”

  Before Gordon could speak, a figure clambered down the skinny stairwell from the office. Perry moved without thought. He ran toward the retreating figure. It was beyond his logic to not rush headlong into the unknown.

  “Wait!” he heard Gordon shout. But it was too late, Perry’s fingers grabbed at the material of the figure’s jacket.

  There was a thunderous clap inside the showroom. The immense sound like a localized explosion went off close to Perry. It was enough to stop him. Another figure bolted from the finance offices, shouldering Perry, knocking him hard against the wall. His jaw snapped shut. He felt a stabbing pain in his mouth. Two figures crashed through the side door and out into the night.

  Perry lay panting on the floor, holding his mouth. There was a stinging coppery taste.

  “Oh my, God,” Gordon shouted. He slid up to Perry, grabbing his shoulders, hoisting him up. “Are you shot?”

  It was too dark to make out details. The nightlights on that side of the building didn’t shine beyond the outcropping of the office on the second floor. They were on the floor together in the dark. Gordon pulled the cell phone from his pocket and tapped in 911. Then he used the LED light on the phone to illuminate the space.

  There was crimson on Perry’s chin and neck.

  “Are you shot?” Gordon asked again. Perry felt hands roughly pulling at his shoulder and neck.

  “No,” he whispered through a clenched jaw. “I bit my tongue.”

  ***

  It wasn’t their idea of a Saturday night. But after a burglary at the car lot, the emergency room was their next destination. A uniformed police officer took their statements. Perry received medical attention. But the damage, despite the quantity of blood, was minimal.

  Close to an hour later, Detective Macdonald showed up at the hospital. She had a credulous look on her face that suggested she knew more than either of them.

  “You’re representing Mr. Conway?” Macdonald asked when she saw Gordon.

  “We’re in a relationship.” It came out as a matter of fact statement that in any other circumstance sounded cold to Perry. But he understood the disclosure. “The firm’s representing Perry.”

  She nodded. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it left little in the way of questions when Gordon was direct.

  “There’re some missing hard drives at the business.” She gave them a smug expression as if to say without so many words that she’d gotten through the front door without the warrant. “Anything else you want to share with us?”

  “You said something before we saw the figure emerge from the office.” Gordon looked at Perry. It was the first time he saw a face that otherwise came out in court. He led Perry to think about their arrival at the car lot.

  “I thought it was weird the alarm was off.”

  “Is that something out of the ordinary?” Macdonald asked.

&
nbsp; “Well, I try to arm the place every time I leave. I wasn’t the last one out the door tonight.” His swollen tongue made his words squish together.

  “Are you okay?” Rick asked, rushing into the ER. He was out of breath and disheveled. His hand grasped Perry’s forearm. For a moment, it was an awkward heartbeat before he broke contact and took a step back from the bed.

  “I’m fine.”

  “I’m sure you can supply me with a solid alibi?” Macdonald said in a manner that balanced between question and statement. She stared at Rick.

  “I was home.” He didn’t have more to say about his whereabouts. “I got a call from the security company that the alarm wasn’t set tonight. I forgot when I left.” He looked between the three faces watching him. “I got to the lot and saw the police.”

  “I’m fine.” It came out in a muffled voice.

  “Someone told me you got shot.”

  “There was a gunshot.” Gordon looked between Macdonald and Rick. “No one was shot.”

  “It was close.” Macdonald had more information than anyone else, and Perry felt she wasn’t giving away too much of her hand. “They retrieved a bullet from the wall near the stairwell.

  Perry didn’t want to think he’d been close to the stairs when he had his hands on one of the figures. He didn’t know between the two bodies, which one fired a shot.

  “I didn’t see a gun,” he said.

  “Neither did I.” Gordon closed the distance from him to the bed. Rick took a step further back. There was recognition on his face that betrayed him. Perry saw it fleetingly in their years together. Rick was not only surprised by Gordon’s closeness to Perry. He understood their relationship.

  “I don’t think I have to remind you that the business is off limits.” Macdonald didn’t take notes. She stood as smug and tough as a person of short stature and a lot of power.

  “Make sure if you decide to search the premises, you have the proper paperwork.” There was a moment between Gordon and Macdonald that Perry saw clearly. Two sides of the law, both on the same team, and both were doing their jobs. But one believed in following procedures. The other believed in getting to the meat of the matter. No matter the cost.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was Sunday afternoon when Perry felt there was something wrong. He spoke to all the employees, except Johnnie Pearson. It was the concern on his face that betrayed him to Gordon.

  “What’s going on?” He sat down on the couch beside Perry.

  “I can’t get a hold of one of the employees.”

  “Is that typical?”

  Perry shook his head. “Johnnie’s usually responsible.”

  Before he said anything more, Gordon stood up. “Do you know where he lives?”

  Perry understood immediately. They dressed and went for a drive.

  It was a half hour from Gordon’s house. Without argument, they arranged Perry’s stay at his home. Gordon reasoned, if the people that broke into the dealership knew more about Rick or Perry, it was better Perry stayed at Gordon’s house. He didn’t need persuading. It just made sense.

  Johnnie lived in a trailer. It was on a lonely piece of property. The grass was long. The young man’s pick-up truck sat in the driveway.

  “He’s home,” Perry said as they got out of Gordon’s car.

  “Have you ever been here before?” Gordon asked. It didn’t sound like an intimate friend. The question came from the lawyer.

  “No. I have all the employee addresses in my email account.”

  Satisfied with the answer, Gordon nodded. He followed Perry by the truck to the pad that led to the thin stairs and rickety porch with a black metal railing. Perry knocked on the door. The trailer had some years on it. The molded trim around the front door had damage to the metal casing near the knob. Gordon gave Perry a look that suggested he felt as uncomfortable as Perry standing on the platform.

  “Try the doorknob.” Gordon waited while Perry touched, spread his fingers around the brushed steel knob and flexed his wrist. The doorknob turned under the slight pressure.

  The door popped open. It wasn’t a hermetic seal inside the trailer. But the place didn’t have open windows. Once the door came open enough to exchange the fetid air inside the trailer for the fresh air outside, neither man went any further.

  Perry wanted to go inside, but Gordon hooked his fingers under his elbow and refused to let go. And for the second time, in as many days, Gordon tapped out 911 on his cell phone.

  ***

  There was a look on Detective Macdonald’s face that suggested she had no patience for excuses. The bags under her eyes suggested she didn’t get any sleep the night before.

  She came out of the trailer and pulled off the sanitation booties from her shoes.

  “Let me guess,” she started. “You were just checking up on all your employees.”

  “Look, Detective,” Gordon replied. There was a flare of anger in his voice. “I’m not going to remind you we’re not suspects here. Don’t waste your time or ours on this. Just tell us what’s going on.”

  It wasn’t what Perry expected. But the detective gave Gordon a gentle nod. “He’s been dead for several hours.”

  “Do you think he was dead before or after the break-in at the car lot?”

  “If I had to guess,” she said. “I’d bet they killed him before they went to the car lot.” She squared off with Perry. It was overwhelming to think straight because a man he knew, had hired and trained to work for him, had been murdered and he felt responsible. “Something is going on with your business.”

  Coming from the detective, it sounded real. He’d considered it when the body showed up. After the break in Perry knew something wasn’t right. Now Johnnie was dead, and it appeared whatever future he had for the company was suddenly as cold and lifeless as the corpse in the trailer.

  “You know where you can find us, Detective.” Perry felt Gordon nudge him toward the car. The coroners were ready to remove the body. Perry thought Gordon tried to shield him from witnessing more than he’d already experienced.

  “I’d like to know where your business partner’s been tonight.”

  Gordon answered for Perry. It was better than getting into a debate with a woman who didn’t trust any witnesses. “You need to ask him. And you know he was at the hospital last night with us. But I suggest if you decide to question him, make sure you contact the office for an appointment.”

  On the drive back to Gordon’s house, Perry saw the concern on his lover’s face. A mask of concentration that made Perry feel as if he was to blame for more than just an innocent man’s death.

  “You got in over your head?” he said to Gordon.

  “No, I didn’t.” Gordon glanced to Perry. “Don’t you think like that. I know you didn’t have anything to do with this.”

  “I know Rick didn’t have anything to do with this either.” It came out in a manner that suggested he picked sides, and nothing was going to convince him otherwise. “He’s not capable of murder.”

  “Well,” Gordon started. “There were two men last night.” It didn’t make Perry think Gordon believed Rick’s innocence. But two people meant something more than vendettas. There were other agendas. And no one had any clear answer. “I’ll make sure to brief the office in the morning. Rick needs to have a solid alibi.” It sounded like an accusation. Perry felt as if he was in the middle of something between the two men. He wasn’t a prize. He had his own mind. Whatever either man thought of him, Perry wasn’t an object for competition.

  “I don’t think we’re going to bounce back from this now.”

  “It would be a good idea to collect any outside source material you have for the business.”

  “What are you thinking?” Perry asked.

  “There’s something going on here. It’s obvious now. And if you have any evidence that ties you to the business that looks suspicious, you can bet your ass Detective Macdonald will know it within 24-hours.”

  “I can’t im
agine anything is going on at a used car lot that’s worth killing for.”

  “I thought you only had pre-owned vehicles?” The simple joke gave Gordon some animation to his face. It felt good to feel his hand on Perry’s knee. Perry took Gordon’s hand and squeezed it. He never wanted to let go.

  Chapter Seventeen

  While nothing made sense anymore, the last thing Perry wanted was an executive meeting with Detective Macdonald at the police station. He’d seen enough television to know whenever the cops brought people to the police station it usually meant they had their guy and were closing in on an arrest.

  “It’s nothing like that at all,” Gordon told him. It was Monday night following the discovery of Johnnie. “They use that as an intimidation tactic, and if you’re interrogated, it’s likely you’ve already had your rights read to you.”

  “But you know Detective Macdonald is going to ask for an interview with me.”

  “It makes sense. But it’s not just you.” They were lying in bed together. Perry felt tense and anxious. Even with Gordon’s proximity and calm voice in his ear, Perry felt more than he could handle. “They’re going to want to talk to everyone at the business. Everyone will have to account for their whereabouts for the last few days.”

  “How do we handle it?”

  “Well, I think it’s best to go at it head-on. We’ll set a time and place and have her come to us.”

  “Can we do that?”

  Gordon smiled. “Macdonald has enough on her plate. The more we give her to work with, the better it is for you and the company.” He pressed his fingers against Perry’s chest. “I’ll set it up.”

  “Thank you.”

  While Perry didn’t see the body, he had nightmares that night when sleep finally tripped up his overworked consciousness. Johnnie was slumped over the computer terminal at the office, hidden away in his office. Strands of gossamer coated his thin frame. The corpse continued to work unabated while spiders spun webs on his eyes.

  He woke sweating, lying in a foreign bed in a bedroom he didn’t recognize. Then a warm hand touched his shoulder. “Bad dreams?” the voice whispered.