by J. P. Bowie
“Okay. Uh, maybe I’ll text him instead.”
McLennan gave him a long look before turning toward the door. “You might want to consider an actual visit. Have a nice day, Mr. Marshall.”
* * * *
Alex paused in the hospital lobby as his cell rang. He sighed when he saw Lena’s name on the ID screen. “Hi, Lena.”
“You were supposed to be coming over here, and I got Jeff instead.” He could hear the annoyance in her voice.
“I texted you to let you know. He didn’t want me interfering, said I was too soft with you.”
“He wants me to fire Scott.”
“And what do you want, Lena?” Alex walked over to a bench near the elevator and sat down.
“Oh, I don’t care who does my publicity, you know that, but you work for Scott so I told Jeff he couldn’t fire him. He left in a temper. Can you come see me now?”
“I’m on my way to see a friend in the hospital.”
“Oh, what’s wrong?”
“He was in an accident, but he’ll be okay, according to the doctor. I just want to go visit with him, see if he needs anything.”
“Are you dating him?” There was a sudden sharp edge to Lena’s tone.
“We’ve been out a couple of times, yes, but as you know I’ve been out of town for several days so I wouldn’t actually call it dating.” He tried for a lighter mood. “I’m not sure what constitutes dating these days. I’ve been out of the loop for a long time.”
“You once told me no one could ever replace Hank in your life.”
“And no one can, Lena. I’m not looking for a replacement for Hank.”
“Alex, please come over. I need you here. I have all these decisions to make, and I need your help.”
“What decisions?”
“Oh, whether to continue with the movie, that kind of thing.”
“Of course you must finish the movie. Surely Jeff is taking care of that with the studio?”
“I suppose he is, but there’s something I need to discuss with you.”
“Tell me what it is.”
“When you’re here. You are coming over, aren’t you?”
“Later, Lena.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m going to visit my friend first.”
“Oh, now he’s more important to you than I am? We’ve been friends for years, Alex, and suddenly some guy you picked up in a bar is your priority?”
Alex couldn’t deny the ‘picked up in a bar’ part of what she’d just said, but having Edward described as ‘some guy’ didn’t sit at all well with him. In his gut, he already knew Edward was more than just some bar pickup. He’d had those over the past year or so, and they’d been just that, and even though he and Edward hadn’t had a chance to know each other very well yet, seeing him lying in that hospital bed had stirred something inside him. Something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Ever since…
“Alex, are you still there?” Lena’s anxious voice shook him from his thoughts.
“Yes, still here, but I have to go, Lena.”
“No, no wait, Alex, please. What I have to tell you is that Jeff wants me to marry again. He says the publicity is just what I need—it’ll boost the movie’s ratings.”
“Wow, Lena, I didn’t know you’d been seeing someone. Who is it?”
He could sense her impatience even without seeing her. “There isn’t anyone—of course there isn’t anyone, except in Jeff’s mind,” she snapped. “If I’d been seeing someone, you’d be the first to know. He wants me to start dating Ryan Hart, be seen with him at parties and galas, that kind of thing. This will be an arranged marriage.”
Just like with Hank. Except that Lena had really loved Hank. Ryan Hart. As far as he knew Hart was straight, so at least this wouldn’t be an arrangement to save his reputation.
“Well, the dating part may not be so bad, Lena. He’s a nice-looking guy and he’s big in the industry right now. Maybe you’ll enjoy going out with him.”
The sigh that filled his ear was long and overly dramatic. “All right, Alex, go see your friend. I can tell I’m not high on the list of people you care about.”
“Lena, that’s ridiculous, and you know darn well it’s not true. I’ll call you later.” He hung up before their conversation deteriorated further.
Lena, Lena. I really wish you’d meet someone who would free you from the past.
* * * *
Edward looked up and his heart quickened when the gentle knock on the door was followed by Alex stepping into the room, his face wreathed in smiles. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself.” Alex leaned down to brush his lips over Edward’s. “How are you feeling?”
“Better now you’re here.” He reached up to cup the back of Alex’s head and hold him in place for a longer kiss.
Alex sat on the side of the bed and slipped an arm under Edward’s shoulders to support him. “How tight can I hug you?” he whispered.
“Tight as you like.” He opened to Alex’s exploring tongue and shivered with pleasure as the warm, moist flesh caressed the inside of his mouth. “Mmm…” He moaned and Alex pulled back a little to meet his longing gaze with a smile.
“Edward, when they release you, I think you should come stay with me. You’ll need some aftercare for a few days, and I don’t think your roomies can be relied on to do that.”
“Are you sure?” Edward was inwardly delighted that Alex cared enough to go out of his way like this. He really hadn’t been relishing the idea of going back to the apartment, but at the same time, he didn’t want to put a strain on their very new friendship. “I don’t want to be a burden, Alex.”
“You won’t be, so just say yes and I’ll get the guest room set up for you.”
“The guest room.” Edward couldn’t quite keep the disappointment out of his voice.
“Just ’til you’re feeling better,” Alex said, chuckling. “As much as I want to ravish you again, it might be a good idea to wait until those cuts and bruises heal.”
Edward smiled. “Ravish me. I like the sound of that.”
They both looked up as Doctor Wingate entered the room. Alex stood and after shaking hands with the doctor, moved to the other side of the bed. Edward couldn’t help noticing that the doctor’s gaze was fixed firmly on Alex’s nicely rounded butt before making eye contact with Edward.
“You certainly appear a lot better than you did this morning,” he said after a quick inspection of the bruising around Edward’s neck and chest. “I think maybe just one more day of observation and we can send you home. We got in touch with your employer, and he said for you to bring a note from us when you’re ready to go back to work. So no worries there, eh?”
“Thanks, Doctor.”
“You will need some help getting around for a couple of days. Is there someone at home who can do that?”
“He’s staying with me until he’s fit,” Alex said, “so yes, he’ll have someone to look after him. I have a housekeeper who can come in if I’m at work, but I intend taking some time off, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Good.” Wingate checked the readout he carried. “Your latest blood work shows no trace of the Rohypnol in your system, so you should feel much stronger and more alert by tomorrow. Just take it easy, keep those knees iced for a few days and you’ll be fine.” He smiled at them both. “I think you’ll be in very good hands when we release you.”
Alex sat back down on the side of Edward’s bed after Wingate had left. “Methinks the doctor is gay.”
“Yeah, and methinks he’d really like to be in your very good hands,” Edward said, trying to pull Alex down for a kiss.
“Jealous?” Alex teased him by giving his nose a peck instead.
“I could be. I don’t want to have to share you with anyone this soon.”
“No fear of that.” Alex covered Edward’s mouth with his, pushing gently inside with the tip of his tongue, but their moment of pleasure was disrupted by another knock at the door. This time it was Kevin.
“Oh, hi,
Kevin.” Edward was surprised at the visit, but tried to sound pleased.
“Hey, how are you? Hope I didn’t interrupt anything.” Kevin’s smirk belied his words as his gaze fell on Alex. “Hi, I’m Kevin, you must be Alex.”
Alex stood and politely shook the proffered hand. “Any word of Troy?” he asked.
Kevin stopped leering long enough to shake his head and assume a sad expression. “No. A cop came by with a bunch of questions, and told me—jeez, Edward, I just couldn’t believe it when he said you’d been drugged and dumped out on the street. You don’t remember anything at all?”
“Not so far.” Edward watched with some amusement as Kevin stepped closer to Alex who promptly sat back down on the bed and pointed to a chair in the corner.
“You can bring that over here if you like,” Alex said, taking Edward’s hand.
Kevin frowned. “No, I can’t stay, just wanted to make sure Ed was okay.”
“He’ll be coming to stay with me for a while when they release him,” Alex told him, causing Kevin’s frown to deepen.
“Oh. That’s good I guess.” He gave them a sickly smile. “Looks like I’ll have the whole place to myself, then.”
“Aren’t you concerned about what might have happened to Troy?” Edward had to ask.
Kevin shrugged. “He’s done this before. You saw what he’s like on drugs. He can’t seem to use any common sense—not that he has much of that to begin with anyway. He’s a loser, and I’m not going to put up with him much longer. When he comes back I’m going to tell him to look for another apartment. You and me can share the one we have now, Ed.”
“That’s a bit cold, Kevin,” Edward said. “He might be really sick, or— God knows what might have happened to him.”
“You were the last one of us to see him. How did he seem to you?”
“He was with a bunch of guys and Herbie, a guy from the Rockin’ Bar. I could tell he was already high and didn’t want to listen to me.”
“That’s what I mean. You can’t talk to him when he’s using. He’ll come back eventually. But I’m over him.” He glanced at his watch. “Well, I gotta go. Got a hot date, though I have to admit”—he paused and winked at Alex—“not as hot as you.”
Alex, who had remained quiet during Kevin’s opinion of Troy, shook his head as the door closed behind Kevin. “Not much to choose between either of your roommates if you ask me. You’re not considering getting a place with him, are you?”
“No way. I’ll stay for the length of the lease then look around for something else.”
“Well, we’ll talk about that when the time comes.” Alex leaned in to kiss Edward’s cheek. “I hate to leave you, but I kinda left Lena in the lurch earlier. I should head over there and make sure she’s okay. She, uh, has a similar problem to Troy.”
“Oh, I understand. Will you come by tomorrow?”
“Of course. I’ll be here to take you to my place. And maybe by then we’ll know what’s going on with Troy. I have a feeling he just might have some information about what happened to you. Maybe Detective McLennan will have some news.”
“About my car, at least. If Troy took it, he’d better return it.” He sighed and let his head fall back on the pillow. “What’s that old saying? ‘No good deed goes unpunished.’ Man, I know what it means now.”
Alex stroked his cheek then kissed him gently. “Don’t worry, I’ll do some good deeds for you, soon as you’re feeling better.”
“Do ’em now,” Edward whispered, wrapping an arm round Alex’s neck to deepen their kiss.
“Can’t,” Alex said when they finally came up for air. “Someone might come in and catch us at it.” They chuckled together then Alex stood and Edward was happy to see the obvious bulge behind his fly.
“You sure?” he asked, teasing as he ran his hand over Alex’s crotch.
Alex growled. “You may look like an angel, but I’m beginning to know you better. Try to behave until I see you tomorrow.” Then, after one more kiss, he was gone.
* * * *
Alex hadn’t wanted to leave Edward, but he was also worried about Lena. He knew that giving in to her demands would solve nothing, but they had been friends for a long time, and he’d hated to hear her sound so distraught. After punching in the code that opened the gated entrance to her home, he drove up the long, curving driveway and parked under the porte-cochere. He noticed there was another car in front of his—a Jaguar.
Jeff’s? he wondered as he climbed out of his BMW. Thought he drove a Mercedes.
Although he had a key, he rang the doorbell, just in case Lena was entertaining. Sophia, her secretary, answered and gave Alex a big smile.
“Is she busy?” he asked.
Sophia chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Ryan Hart’s here. They’re out by the pool having a drink. Go on through.”
Wow, Jeff didn’t waste any time arranging this little romantic meeting.
Alex walked into the luxurious house with its ankle-deep carpeting and oriental furnishings. Hank had bought the house for Lena as a wedding gift, and she’d had it decorated to her own ethnic taste. Lena’s father, now deceased, had been a Chinese diplomat, her mother Eurasian. Lena had been raised in California but had always been fascinated with the art of her father’s country.
Beyond the shimmering blue light cast by the pool water, he could see two shadowy figures sitting at the outside bar. For a moment he was hesitant to approach them. This, after all, was Jeff’s solution to Lena’s fragile psyche. And, who knew? He might just be right. Perhaps what Lena needed was a man in her life who could make her forget her sorrow and her need for artificial stimulants.
He loitered by the sliding-glass door, listening to the clink of ice in glasses and the soft murmur of conversation. They seem to be getting along. He took a step back into the living room.
“Alex, there you are!”
Lena’s welcoming cry gave him no choice but to step onto the patio and walk the short distance to where she and Ryan Hart were seated. Hart rose and extended a hand as Alex approached.
“Alex, this is Ryan Hart,” Lena exclaimed, weaving slightly on the bar stool. It was obvious she’d had a couple of whatever they were drinking. “Have you met before?”
“No, pleased to meet you.” Alex shook the proffered hand and smiled at Hart whose grip was aggressive, his whitened teeth gleaming in his tanned face.
“So, you’re the one I have to impress, huh?” Hart increased the pressure of his grip as if challenging Alex. “Lena tells me you’re the best friend she’s ever had.”
Alex jerked his hand free from Hart’s overly zealous grasp. “We’ve known each other a long time,” he said, rounding the bar to give Lena a peck on the cheek.
“Pour yourself a drink.”
“No thanks. I don’t want to interrupt. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“How’s your friend?” she asked, surprising him.
“He’ll survive. I’m picking him up from the hospital tomorrow. He’s going to stay with me for a few days while he recuperates.”
“Really?” Lena arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “So, this is serious?”
“No, Lena. At least I wouldn’t presume to say so at this early stage. He just needs somewhere to stay for a while. His roommates aren’t the caring kind, and one of them is missing.”
“Missing?” Ryan Hart laid his glass on the bar. “Sounds intriguing. Missing how?”
“We’re not sure. The police are on it.”
“Alex.” Lena frowned at him. “What kind of people are you involved with? This doesn’t sound like something that should concern you. You hardly know this man in the hospital.”
“That’s true, Lena, but it’s my concern. It’s not his fault his roommates are flakes.”
“I get the feeling you’re the nurturing kind, huh, Alex?” Hart was staring at him, a slight smirk on his lips.
Alex shrugged, but Lena answered for him. “Alex is the Good Samaritan to a fault,” she sa
id, placing a hand on his arm. “He’s always been there for me—and Hank.” Her eyes clouded and she gripped Alex’s biceps tightly. “I don’t know what I would have done…” Her voice trailed off to a whisper.
“Sweetie, you’d have been just fine.” Alex put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “I better go and leave you two to talk—about whatever it was I interrupted.” He knew Lena would prefer that he stay. He already didn’t like Ryan Hart, and couldn’t see that this arranged match would work, but right now wasn’t the time to voice that opinion. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” After giving Lena a quick hug, he looked at Hart. “Nice meeting you.”
“Likewise,” Hart drawled then walked with Alex to the sliding-glass doors. “Hey, I could use your help here,” he said in a low voice. “Jeff thinks the publicity would be great for both our careers, and she seems to value your advice, so…”
Alex looked him straight in the eye. “I will always do what I think is best for Lena, but one thing you’ll learn about her—if she doesn’t want to do something, she won’t. Goodnight.” He left Hart standing there and strode quickly through the house to the front door. Sophia waylaid him just before he could leave.
“What d’you think of him?” she asked, a wry smile twisting her lips.
“He’s an ass.”
“We’re on the same page, Alex.” She opened the door for him. “G’night, Alex.”
“G’night, Sophia.”
* * * *
Alex glanced at his watch as he left. Almost nine. He wondered if he should stop by the Rockin’ Bar. Somebody there might have heard about Troy’s disappearance, or might even know where he was. Drugs could do terrible things to a person’s mental state. Could be that Troy had crashed at some guy’s apartment and was still unable to think or act coherently. Edward had said that Herbie had been at the party, had offered to drive Troy home. Maybe he was still shacked up at Herbie’s place, although it seemed strange Herbie wouldn’t let Kevin know Troy was with him.
Of course if Herbie had been in a similar state, anything was possible. He knew that only too well.