Guys on Top 02 - Guys on the Side (5 page)

Corey leaned over. “Bad,” he said. “He goes through my things when I’m not there. And I know he tries to get into my phone when I’m in the shower, but I’ve got it password protected. But I can see his creepy little fingerprints all over it.
And
he threw out my porn collection! I had some good stuff in there.”

Doug’s head fell forward as he laughed.

“It’s not funny! Know what else? The other night we were watching a movie with Ryan Phillippe, and he knows I like Ryan Phillipe, right?”

Doug shrugged. “Who doesn’t?”

“Right, so in this scene where Phillippe gets shirtless, Zach reaches over to see if my dick is hard.”

Doug collapsed into laughter, unable to help himself, the vision of Zach creeping his hand over to check the status of Corey’s erection too much for him.

“It is
not
funny,” Corey said.

“I’m sorry.” Doug straightened up, catching his breath. “Seriously, Corey. You have to talk to him, that’s too much.”

“I did. Several times. I made myself a bit clearer today before he left for work. I’m hoping he snaps out of it. But I don’t know. This relationship is not what I thought it was gonna be. I’d say it’s the age difference but I know plenty of guys Zach’s age who are mature and confident, so it’s just...Zach. It’s the way he is. But I miss...” Corey’s eyes flicked to Doug, then he quickly looked down.

“You miss...?”

Corey remained silent.

“You miss Stewart?”

Corey met his eyes. “Yes. But don’t freak out. I don’t miss him like
that
. I know he’s yours and I’m cool with that. But I miss having someone easygoing, someone I can talk to straight about anything, without worrying that I’m gonna say the wrong thing and piss them off.”

Doug nodded. “Okay. I can see that.”

“I’m not built for a high-maintenance lover. I’ve always been the brat in a relationship. Now the tables have been turned on me, and I’m not handling it well.”

“Corey,” Doug said, “if it’s not right, it’s not right. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“I know.” Corey sighed. “I just don’t want to...fail, I guess.”

“I get that,” Doug said. “But to thine own self be true. If this is making you unhappy, you have to make a change. If Zach can’t compromise, you’ve gotta think about getting rid of him.”

“Easy for you to say, you’ve got someone confident in your life. I’m used to having someone around I can talk to, now I don’t have that.”

“Please,” Doug said. “You’ve got more friends than anyone I know.”

“Yeah,
party
friends. It’s not the same. I’m used to having someone intellectually stimulating here at home, someone more like me.”

Doug snorted. “How modest you are.”

“Don’t give me shit. Especially since I’m counting
you
as someone I feel on equal ground with. You’re smart and confident and you don’t look at me weird if I want to talk about aliens or alternative medicine or the problems in the Middle East or whatever! Zach rolls his eyes and makes snoring sounds when I do that.”

Doug chuckled. “Well, that’s just rude.”

“I know. My point is, you’ve been sort of filling that void for me, but you’re probably gonna move in with Stewart soon, and...you know.”

Doug frowned. He and Stewart
had
been making plans to move in together very soon. It had dawned on Doug that it might bother Corey, but he’d assumed for the other reason...that Stewart used to live with Corey, that it would sting a bit. It never dawned on him that Corey had become dependent on
him
somehow. Corey was the social butterfly, the big ball of energy and enthusiasm. Doug wasn’t used to seeing him...well, lonely.

Yes, that was the word. Corey seemed lonely. And it didn’t jibe right for a man in a serious relationship to seem this lost.

“I will end up moving in with Stewart, yes, but I’ll still come by. We’ll hang out, lift weights, all the shit we do now. But if something’s seriously missing in your relationship with Zach, you have to look at that. Corey, I’ll say it again. If it’s not right, it’s not right.”

Corey’s phone quacked, and he pulled it out of his pocket, frowning down at it for a long moment. “What the fuck?”

“What’s wrong?”

Shaking his head, Corey focused on the phone for another moment, then looked up at Doug. “This is literally the last thing I need right now. Just got a text from my client who canceled today, Leonard, warning me that his son may be on his way over here to kick my ass.”

“
What?
”

Corey stared at the phone a second longer, then stuffed it back in his pocket. “Great. That’s just fucking great.”

“Should we call the cops?”

“And tell them what?” Corey shrugged. “Leonard’s not even positive about this, he’s just guessing.”

“Why would your client’s son want to kick your ass?”

Corey waved a hand at Doug. “I don’t know. His kids are giving him a hard time. He’s an older guy, just came out of the closet. Against his will. Not sure what they think it has to do with me.”

“Are they homophobic?”

“I can only qualify that by what Leonard’s shared with me. His kids don’t want him to be gay, but I’m not sure if it’s generic homophobia or the simple fact that it’s their dad. His wife kicked him out, they’re getting a divorce. Leonard loves her, in his way, he’s hurting over it. But he’s accepted he’s gay now, and can’t go back. He’s got all this shame and guilt and pain. I’ve been trying to work through it with him. He’s making progress.” He shook his head. “Goddammit, the last thing I need today is some asshole coming round here giving me shit. I’m in a foul mood.”

“Well, I’m staying right here with you,” Doug said. “If this guy’s son comes by, we’ll deal with it.”

“Take it easy there, Butch,” Corey said. “I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Maybe not, but you do need my level head. Corey, no matter what, you can’t touch this guy.”

Corey scowled at Doug. “What if he starts a fight?”

“Then it’s his ass. We’ll have him arrested. But you remember what happened to me when I shoved my ex-boyfriend’s skank lover after I found him cheating? All he did was fall down and bump his lip, and I ended up losing everything in a lawsuit.”

“So I’m supposed to let him hit me? I don’t want my face fucked up. I’m beautiful.”

Doug smirked. “Yes, you are. But you also need your hands to work, so you don’t want to fuck them up by punching someone. Trust me, if this guy touches you, he’s gonna regret it. You can get him tossed in jail, and you can sue his ass to boot.”

Corey’s eyebrows rose as he considered this. “Well, hopefully I won’t have to deal with it at all. Maybe he won’t...”

Doug followed Corey’s gaze as a black Corvette pulled up on the street in front of the house, two occupants inside. “Well, shit,” Doug said.

Corey’s eyes remained focused on the car, his brow furrowed. “Yeah.”

Two men stepped out of the car, pausing to converse on the sidewalk as they stole glances up at Corey and Doug on the porch. They were both well-built, one with shaggy black hair and a concert tee shirt. The other guy was a brunette as well, but short-haired with broader shoulders, wearing a leather jacket over a white tee shirt.

Despite the sudden tension in the air that had Doug’s pulse tapping in a fight or flight response, he noted that the leather-wearing guy was hot—like wet dream hot, with tawny olive skin, light eyes, and a face that managed to be strong and pretty at the same time.

“Two of them,” Corey said. “I wasn’t expecting two of them.”

“I’m sure they weren’t expecting two of
us
,” Doug said.

“This is insane. Who are they to come to my home unannounced like this?” Corey’s hands clenched into fists. “So I really can’t hit them?”

“That’s right,” Doug said. “No hitting.”

“So how do I handle this if they start giving me shit?”

Doug looked at him. “You’re Corey Stengel. Do what you do best.”

Corey snorted. “Tell me, Doug. What do I do best?”

“Talk circles around them, and be an annoying fucking asshole.”

Corey nodded. “That I can do.”

As the men finally began to make their way across the lawn toward them, Corey and Doug both stood.

****

When they pulled up to the old Victorian split, Angelo spotted two men sitting on the front porch. Tommy got out of the car, and Angelo followed suit, stopping his cousin on the sidewalk. “Hang on. Is that Stengel right there?”

Tommy narrowed his eyes, looking up at the front porch. “The blond. Yeah. I think that’s him.”

“Well, he’s not alone,” Angelo said, eyeing the other man, a solid-looking guy with light brown hair.

“Not worried,” Tommy said. “Fucking Jamaica Plain tree huggers. Couple of fairies.”

Angelo frowned.
Fairy
was hardly the word he’d use to describe these guys. Both men were looking back at Tommy and Angelo, but hadn’t moved yet. They sat casually on the porch, seemingly unconcerned. But Angelo
was
beginning to get concerned, because the two of them were a lot bigger guys than he’d expected to encounter. In the picture on his website, Corey had appeared almost delicate. But in the flesh, the guy looked more...masculine. And though he was still seated, Angelo could see he was no stranger to the gym, lean, but with impressive biceps and shoulders.

“I don’t care if he’s not alone,” Tommy said. “We came here to put the fear of God into him, and that’s what I intend to do.”

“He doesn’t look scared,” Angelo said.

Tommy huffed. “Oh, he will be. Let’s go.”

“We’re just gonna talk,” Angelo reminded as they made their way across the front lawn.

“Oh, I’m gonna talk to him all right.”

Tommy’s aggressive demeanor had Angelo worried, especially when the two men on the porch stood.
Ah, fuck
. Both men looked fit as hell, and anything but delicate. Corey was tall, with long sturdy legs, and though his expression was almost blank, something in his eyes gave Angelo pause. Tommy seemed to see it too, as his steps faltered for a moment.

“Gentlemen,” Corey said as he stepped off the porch, arms at his sides. “What can I do for you?”

Stengel’s brown-haired cohort stayed behind, but stood alert, a scowl on his face as he watched.

Tommy seemed to catch himself, and straightened up, puffing his chest out. “You Corey Stengel?”

The good-looking blond took a step forward. “Who wants to know?”

Definitely not afraid
, Angelo thought. Annoyed, yes, but not intimidated, and Angelo winced internally, suspecting now that Tommy’s
scare the fairies
mission would not go as planned.

“I want to know,” Tommy said.

Corey looked Tommy over from head to toe. “And you are?”

“I’m Tom Nardovino, and I want you to stay the fuck away from my father, Leonard. Got it?”

The other guy on the porch took a step down, but remained there on the stairs. Angelo’s gaze flicked to him and their eyes locked. The man didn’t look away, brown eyes hard and set on Angelo. Angelo finally broke the stare, looking instead at his cousin, whose face was already flushed with rage.

“Does he talk?” Corey asked Tommy, pointing at Angelo.

The question threw Tommy off, and he frowned. “What?”

“This guy.” Corey approached Angelo, looking him up and down, side stepping like a hunter stalking his prey. Angelo met his eyes, but remained silent. “Does he talk?”

“Yeah, he fucking talks,” Tommy said. “But I’m talking to you right now, faggot.”

Corey paused, going still, but kept his eyes on Angelo, despite Tommy’s ugly words.

“Hey, you listening to me?” Tommy shouted.

Ignoring him, Corey stepped right up to Angelo, standing in front of him. Angelo found himself noting the color of the other man’s eyes, the cut of his cheekbones, and despite the obvious challenge posed—getting in Angelo’s space—a strange thought bubbled up in his head.
This might be the most attractive man I’ve ever seen
.

The thought shook Angelo. Not only was it completely out of context to the current situation, but he didn’t usually notice such things. In a
man
. A coping mechanism, his professional training assured him. His mind was trying to distract him, so he wouldn’t become anxious and lash out.

“Nice jacket,” Corey said to Angelo.

Hoping to diffuse things a bit, Angelo nodded politely. “Thank you.”

Corey smiled. “Did you buy it at ‘Thugs R’ Us’?”

Angelo struggled not to smile at the comment, but the corner of his mouth crooked up.

Stepping back, Corey grinned at Angelo, and cupping his hand to his mouth, said in a loud whisper, “You forgot the eye patch and switchblade.”

Angelo grinned fully now, unable to help himself.

Corey turned and moved toward Tommy. “Now, what did you call me?”

Angelo saw Tommy take a step back as Corey approached him. His cousin probably didn’t even realize he’d done it. But Corey’s energy was confident, and he strode toward Tommy with no hesitation. But Tommy bristled when he got too close. “Step back, motherfucker.”

Corey’s eyebrows rose, and he took a step back, the gesture almost elegant, polite. “I’m sorry, am I invading your space? Funny, that’s how I feel when people come to my home, unannounced, to threaten me. That is what you’re doing here, am I right? Tom?”

“Tommy,” Angelo said. “Let’s just go.” Corey Stengel was throwing Tommy off his game, and Angelo could see it. Tommy was enraged, his hands balled into fists.

“We’ll go,” Tommy said. “Soon as I’m sure this asshole got the message.” He pointed in Corey’s face. “If my father calls you for an appointment, you tell him you’re all booked up. I want you to stay the fuck away from him. Am I making myself clear?”

“Crystal clear,” Corey said.

Tommy nodded. “Good.” He glanced at Angelo. “Let’s go.”

They started toward the car, when Corey said, “My answer is no.”

Ah, shit
, Angelo thought. He knew it wasn’t gonna be that easy.

Tommy turned back and glared at Corey. “What did you say?”