Guys on Top (10 page)

Stewart stepped inside and closed the door gently behind him. “Was Corey just down here? I thought I heard him yelling through the floor.”

Doug chuckled. “Yes, yes he was.”

Stewart glanced around the apartment. “Is he still here?”

“No, he left. He’s
airing himself out
.”

“Ah, shit,” Stewart said. “That’s never a good sign.” He moved over to the sofa and sat down, setting the box on the floor. Leaning over and linking his hands, he looked up at Doug. “What did he say to you?”

Doug chuckled softly and moved to stand in front of Stewart. “You left a little something out when you told me about Corey, didn’t you, Stewart?”

Stewart blinked, then shook his head. “What do you mean, what did I leave out?”

“Oh I don’t know. Maybe that he’s a big ball of fucking
crazy
!”

Stewart grinned. “Corey’s not crazy.”

“Oh no? He thinks I’m
beaming
bad energy up through the floor to fuck with him. He is out of his fucking
mind
.”

Stewart smirked, then started to laugh, his shoulders jerking.

“I’m glad this amuses you.”

“I’m sorry,” Stewart said. “He’s not mad at you, he’s mad at me.”

Doug took a seat in the chair next to the sofa. “That’s generous of you, but I’m pretty sure he’s mad at
me
. I told Jairo he had a boyfriend, Jairo called Corey, Corey freaked out and breathed fire all over me.”

Stewart shook his head. “He just feels threatened by you.”

“I don’t get it.” Doug shook his head. “I do
not
get you guys. He lets you sleep with other people all the time, right? Why would he be threatened by me?”

Stewart grinned sheepishly. Doug tried not to drool over his dimples. “It’s kind of my fault. I told Corey I thought we should invite you out with us some night.”

Doug met Stewart’s eyes, and felt that electric jolt, the sexual tension that plagued him all last night. “Why would you want me to go out with the two of you? That’s...a little weird.”

“No, I don’t mean just with us. I mean go out, you know with everyone, meet our friends. I told him you’re a good guy, and with you living downstairs and all, we should get to know you. Be friends.”

Doug smiled. “The F-word.”

“No, but I mean it, I meant
just
friends, you know? I figured that would sort of normalize things, take away any weirdness caused by...by us being together. But he took it the wrong way.” He shook his head. “Boy, did he.”

“How did he take it wrong?”

Stewart sighed. “He thinks I’m using it as an excuse to keep you in my life, that I’m trying to bring a third party into our relationship and blah, blah, blah. Which is fucking stupid, Corey’s slept with half our friends, and we see them all the time. We’ve had similar arguments in the past, about his double standard. But the truth is...” He glanced at Doug. “The truth is I don’t fool around that much. So when I do, Corey always gets a little out of whack.”

Doug laughed. “Um, yeah. I’d say that’s a double standard.”

Stewart chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I know, I know. Corey’s great most of the time. I mean, if you got to know him, you’d like him, really. But when he gets immature, he goes full throttle.  The Jairo thing isn’t what set him off. It was me. We were fighting about my bad decision to sleep with the neighbor...” He winced at Doug. “Sorry.”

Doug waved him off, though the
bad decision
comment stung a bit.

“So I asked him what I could do to make it okay. That’s when I suggested we all go out sometime. But Corey was still in bitch mode, so he says if
he
sleeps with you too, that will make it okay.”

Doug burst out laughing. “Oh,
really
?”

Stewart nodded. “I told him no. That it would bother me.”

Doug held Stewart’s gaze. “You did?”

“Yeah. That’s when he stormed out of the apartment. I had no idea he was coming down here to talk to you. I’m sorry, Doug. I never meant for you to get pulled into our stupid drama.”

Doug didn’t know what to say. He wanted to ask why it would bother Stewart, if it was about his feelings for Corey...or his feelings for Doug. If he had any. But he bit his tongue. This was all far too complicated. He didn’t need this kind of chaos in his life.

Yet still, Stewart was gazing at him with that soft expression he’d had last night, and it made Doug’s heart flutter. He
wanted
to think Stewart felt something for him. And that wasn’t good, because hell, Stewart’s baggage had baggage. Doug knew the wise thing would be to detach emotionally. To stay the hell away from Stewart, no matter how badly he wanted to grab him and kiss him right now. So he let it drop.

“What’s in the box?” he asked.

Stewart perked up. “Oh, I brought you something.” He picked up the box and pulled out a white, plastic thing that looked like a radio. “It’s a sound machine. It’s Corey’s, but he doesn’t use it anymore. It’s kind of old school, but you said you couldn’t sleep with music, so I thought this might do the trick.”

Doug moved over to the sofa and sat beside him. “I haven’t seen one of these in a while.”

“I figured it might solve your radiator problem. See it’s got white noise, ocean waves, all that bullshit. Give it a try, if you don’t want it, just toss it. As I said, Corey doesn’t use it anymore.”

Doug took it from his hands. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

He turned his head and looked at Stewart. They sat close, thighs barely touching. Doug could smell his soapy scent, and the deeper aroma of his body. Stewart stared back at him for a long moment, then abruptly stood. “I better go.”

He walked quickly to the door, and Doug stood. “Thanks for the sound machine.”

“No problem.” Then he was out the door and gone without looking back.

Doug glanced at the sound machine in his hands, then back at the closed door. He shook his head. “
Weird
fucking couple.”

When he got ready for bed that night, he plugged in the sound machine, testing out the various settings. The white noise he disregarded immediately. It sounded like the fuzz of a television off broadcast, and made him think of the movie
Poltergeist
. That would just give him nightmares. He finally settled on a bubbling brook, and turned it up loud.

The sound was soothing, and not too distracting. He was able to settle in and relax in bed without hearing any noise coming from the radiator. Whether it was the sound machine blocking it out, he couldn’t be sure. But a part of him hoped that the silence was because Corey and Stewart simply weren’t having sex. It was a spiteful thought, but he allowed it to remain, even entertaining fleeting thoughts of stealing Stewart way from Corey. Corey and his magical hands.

I can help you with that anger...

He thought about Corey’s words, the way he’d touched Doug’s shoulder. He quickly dismissed any consideration that Corey actually had a
gift
. It was more likely that Stewart had told Corey all about Doug and his problematic year. He had mentioned his anger problems to Stewart. The thought irritated him. He’d expected that what they discussed last night was done in confidence.

As he drifted off, he caught the vague mumble of voices coming through the radiator, but with the sound machine, it was barely audible. Though he did note the tone—it sounded like an argument.

Unlike the partying and the sex noises, Doug found the arguing somewhat comforting. He tucked his arms under his pillow, and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Seven

Doug woke early Sunday morning more refreshed than he’d felt all week. He was due at Wyatt’s house after noon for their ‘guy’s day’, but he wanted to change the oil in his car and get some errands done first. When he looked out his bedroom window, the sky was dusky gray. But it was just after six in the morning, hard to tell if there would be rain or if it would burn off. He opted to run out to the auto parts store as soon as it opened and get the oil change done quickly, just in case.

He was getting dressed when he heard an engine start. He peeked out the window and saw Stewart loading supplies into the back of his van. Doug found himself frozen there at the window, mesmerized by Stewart’s solid body as he bent down to pick up supplies, his ass filling out his jeans pockets nicely. For the first time, he noted the wording on the side of the van:
Chiswick Plumbing and Heating
.

He’d never asked Stewart’s last name during their night together.
Stewart Chiswick
. Yummy, sexy, beefy Stewart Chiswick...

He watched Stewart climb into the van, then lost sight of him as he backed it out of the driveway. He thought about Corey. They didn’t seem to match, Stewart and Corey. He supposed the fact that they were both exceptionally attractive was logic enough that they’d be together. But Stewart seemed more like Doug, a regular, jeans-wearing dude. Corey, though far from feminine with his height and muscular physique, was definitely more of a prima donna type. Christ, the tantrum he’d thrown yesterday. Doug didn’t know how Stewart could put up with that behavior. 

And I’m expending way too much energy thinking about these guys
.

He showered and ate, then went down to the auto parts store to get supplies. When he got back the sun was trying to break through the clouds, so he pulled his car out of the garage and set to the task.

When he drained the oil some of it splashed onto his arm, and he wiped it on his tee shirt. He slid out from under the car and looked up as a shadow fell over him. Corey smiled down at him, ash blond hair falling over his eyes. “Morning, Doug. Could you get any more butch right now?”

Doug chuckled and climbed to his feet. “Hey, Corey.”

Dressed in green khaki shorts and a pale yellow tee shirt that hugged his physique, Corey leaned against the car. “I want to apologize for freaking out on you yesterday.”

Doug faced him. “Okay.”

“And it’s not just because you have a wrench in your hand.”

Doug smiled and set the wrench down, wiping his hands. “Apology accepted. No worries.”

Corey’s eyes traveled over Doug’s body. Doug took a step back, a sliver of embarrassment heating his face. His body responded to Corey’s gaze, his cock raising its head to see what all the fuss was about.

“Changing your oil?”

Doug looked down at the car. “Yeah.”

“That’s cool. I have someone else do it. Don’t want to get all messy. But oil looks good on you.” He gestured to Doug’s shirt. “It works.”

Doug glanced at the stain on his shirt and smiled. “That’s what I was going for. Toxic chic.”

Corey smiled. “You wear it well. Makes me want to lube your engine.”

Is he hitting on me?

Shit, Corey probably hit on everyone. It was likely an imbedded part of his personality, something that came naturally. Despite their bizarre altercation yesterday, Doug was beginning to understand why Corey had such an effect on Jairo. And Stewart. He had...a
presence
. While Doug still didn’t buy Corey’s healer, good and bad energy bullshit, there was something about him. His skin, his eyes, his hair, it all glowed with a luminescence that drew the eye. And his direct stare demanded acknowledgement. Doug was finding it hard to look away.

“Do you want to come down to The Horse and Carriage Wednesday night?” Corey asked. “A bunch of us are going down for karaoke.”

Doug chuckled. “Thanks, but singing is so not my thing.”

“You don’t have to sing. Just hang out and drink. I’m sure Stewart will be happy if you go. And I’m all about making Stewart happy.”

That got Doug to break eye contact. He knelt down, busying himself with organizing his tools. “I’ll think about it,” he said. “And thanks.”

Corey remained, his shadow stretching out over Doug’s body. “One of us will come by Wednesday night to get you, then.”

Doug stood and faced him, hands on his hips. He uttered a small laugh. “Like I said, I’ll think about it.”

“We’ll come by around seven.”

“Not many people say no to you, do they Corey?”

Corey took a step closer, his eyes changing color from gray to green when the sunlight hit them. “Do you think you can?” he asked. “Say no to me?”

Corey’s gaze was challenging, but his tone was soft, suggestive. Doug forced a grin, keeping his gaze steady. “I said I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Do you have your phone with you?”

Doug pulled his cell out of his pocket.

“Give it here, I’ll put in my number, and Stewart’s. You can let us know.”

Doug hesitated, but handed Corey his phone, won over by the idea of having Stewart’s number. Not that he planned to call him but...you never knew.

“Okay. There ya go.”

Corey handed Doug’s phone back. Doug slipped it into his pocket, then turned his attention back to the car, hoping Corey would take the hint and piss off. The guy was trying to rattle him, and while he’d succeeded somewhat, Doug refused to let it show.

“You know, Doug, it really would be easier if you’d forget about Stewart and just let
me
have a go at you.”

Doug froze, and turned to face him. “What are you doing?”

“Just talkin’.”

“Are you actually coming on to me, after warning me to stay away from Stewart yesterday and all that Laverne and Shirley talk?”

Corey laughed and raised his hands. “I’m just saying. Give me a half hour. I can draw all that bad energy out of you and help you find your bliss.”

“Help me find my bliss. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

“Relax, Doug. I know you don’t want to sleep with me. You’ve got it bad for my boyfriend.”

Doug stared back at him, but said nothing.

Corey shrugged. “And he’s got a bad case of puppy love for those big puppy dog eyes of yours. I’m not stupid. That’s why I said you can’t be with him again. It would complicate things. But me, I don’t particularly like you. And you clearly don’t like me. We could fuck like bunnies and it’d never upset the balance of our humble abode.”