Shawn Lane - Car Wash 1 - Car Wash (7 page)

The week had gone by pretty fast. Michael could hardly believe it was already six-thirty on Thursday evening and he was once again, as he had all week, driving Kevin back to his apartment.

Damn, it was getting frustrating. Michael had hoped if he didn’t push it, Kevin would come around. Instead, as the week progressed he’d become more distant. That morning when Michael had picked the younger man up he’d come equipped with a MP3 player and earphones. He had the damn thing on now, too.

His cell phone beeped and he said into his wireless earpiece, “Michael Bennett.”
“Danny Bennett.”
“Hello.”
His brother chuckled. “How are things going in the love

Michael glanced briefly at the man slumped in the passenger seat. Kevin’s fingers tapped to whatever likely obnoxious music he played on his device. “I can’t really talk about that case right now.”

“Yes, I’m on my way home right now. The plaintiff is being…difficult.”
Danny laughed again. “I see. I shouldn’t laugh, sorry. I know you’re having a rough time.”
“Yeah.”
“Why don’t you just talk to him? I know, I know. You’re giving him space. It’s all part of the Michael Bennett strategy. It’s not working though. You’re going to have to do something. If you still want him that is.”
He sighed, his gut twisting. “I do. I’m just not sure it’s going to happen.”
“Well, hang in there and call me later when you can talk.”
“Okay, bye.” Michael looked over at Kevin again and cleared his throat loudly to get the man’s attention. Blue eyes glanced his way. “Want to grab something to eat? Some dinner?”
Kevin took out the earphones. “Can’t. I promised to call Noah.”
Michael’s throat clogged. Did Kevin have another man in his life already? He forced himself to ask casually, “Noah? Is that your boyfriend?”
Kevin shook his head. “No. Just an old friend. Once I hoped…”
When Kevin didn’t continue, Michael found himself prodding. “Once you hoped?”
“I had a thing for Noah for a while, but he never really knew about it or encouraged it.” Kevin’s full lips twisted. “Sort of like you.”
“Kevin.”
“Anyway, Noah has a hot boyfriend named Charlie. They even live together now.”
Michael pushed aside the jealousy and said, “Okay, so no dinner. That’s fine.” He pulled up to the curb in front of Kevin’s apartment. “See you in the morning, Kevin.”
“Good night.” Kevin waved and headed toward his appointment.

It was almost four o’clock Friday afternoon when an email popped up from Michael in his work inbox. The subject line read “Leaving early.”

The week had gone by surprisingly fast and the job was really easy. He’d seen on the paperwork given to him that Michael had settled on twenty-two an hour. Ridiculously high for what he’d been doing, but he didn’t mind the work and the people there were really nice.

“I have a date tonight, so I want to leave early today. Be ready at four-thirty.”
For a second, his vision blurred. A date? Michael had a date? He found it hard to catch his breath and his eyes burned.
Fuck
.
Swallowing his pain, Kevin picked up the phone on his desk and called Noah. Last night he’d told Noah everything. He’d gotten a big lecture about hiding secrets from his old friend, but Kevin had felt so much better. “Hi, it’s Kevin.”
“Kev? What’s up? You sound different. Are you okay?”
“No,” he admitted. “I…I really need a friend tonight. Can you—can you pick me up from work?”
“Of course. What happened?”
“It’s stupid.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“Michael has a date.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, Kevin.” Noah sighed. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. You can come over tonight. We’ll make you dinner. Okay?”
Kevin closed his eyes, trying to not let his emotions get out of control. “Thanks. I’ll see you in a few.”
After he hung up the phone, he typed a response to Michael.
“It’s fine. I have another ride. Have a good time.”
He made himself hit send.

Charlie nodded. “Are you sure you don’t need something stronger?”
“I’d better not. I have a tendency to get weepy when I drink the strong stuff and I’m depressed already.”
Noah came out from the kitchen and rested a hand on Charlie’s back. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, you can stop asking me that.” Kevin let himself check out the two men for a moment. They looked so easy and happy together. Noah with his all-American boy-next-door looks, and Charlie with his dark curly hair, deep brown soulful eyes and movie-star handsomeness. Still he knew Noah almost didn’t get his happy ending with Charlie. “What’s for dinner?”
“Pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans,” Charlie answered. “I’ll go check on it.”
Noah smiled at his lover and then turned back to Kevin when he’d gone into the kitchen. “So what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.” Kevin took a swig of beer. “I don’t know if I can work there. I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, I’m still pissed at you for not telling me you got laid off and almost got kicked out of your apartment,” Noah said. “But, listen, you can live in my house if you want. It’s just sitting there empty now since I moved in here.”
“I can’t afford to pay much.”
“You don’t have to pay anything. The house is paid for. I’ll also ask at my office. They might need someone.”
“Hey, hon, can you give me a hand for moment?” Charlie called from the kitchen.
“Be right there,” Noah yelled back. He hugged Kevin. “Think about it, won’t you?”
Kevin nodded. “I will.”
“Be back in a second.” He gestured to the bottle in Kevin’s hand. “Need another?”
“Maybe. I’m gonna get some air.” Kevin smiled reassuringly and walked over to the front door. He opened it and stepped out into the balmy evening. From Charlie’s front porch he could see Noah’s old home a few houses away. Funny how Noah ended up getting together with the guy he grew up with. Looked like that wasn’t going to happen for Kevin.
His phone vibrated against his left butt cheek. Kevin pulled it out and flipped it open.
Michael
.
“Hello?”
“Hi.” Michael’s voice came out strained, raw.
“Are you all right?”
“No. You?”
Kevin closed his eyes. “No.”
“Kevin, I want to see you again. I’m sorry for our fight and sorry for how it’s been between us the last week.”
His heart pounding hard, Kevin whispered, “Really?”
“Yes.”
“What…what about your date?”
Michael’s laugh was bitter. “I didn’t have a date, Kevin. I wanted to get a reaction from you. I’d hoped you’d get pissed at me or something.”
“We’re pretty stupid, huh?”
“I think so. Where are you?”
“I’m at Charlie and Noah’s having dinner.” Kevin paused. “Want to come here? I’m sure there’s plenty of food. And then, after, I could go home with you…” He held his breath, waiting for Michael’s response.
“All right, give me the address and I’m on my way.”
Kevin thought his heart would beat right out of his chest. He gave Michael the address, and then said, “Michael?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m sorry, too.”

Michael parallel parked his Maserati in front of the plain bungalow-style home with the address Kevin had given him. He got out and clicked the electronic locks and alarm. As he rounded the front of the car, the door to the house flew open to reveal Kevin.

His mood lifted instantly. Kevin still wore his boring black slacks from work, but he’d undone several of the buttons on his black shirt. Michael’s pulse raced.

To his surprise, Kevin flew at him, instantly drawing him into an embrace. The young man buried his face in Michael’s throat. Michael’s arms tightened around him.
“I missed you,” Kevin whispered.
“God, that’s good to hear. I missed you, too, baby. I’m

Kevin leaned back to look at him, smiling. “I said some horrible things, too, but all that’s over.”
Michael ran his thumb over Kevin’s plump bottom lip, suddenly anxious to get him home and into bed. He didn’t suppose Kevin or his friends would go for that, though. Instead he brushed his lips across Kevin’s. It was a tease, though. Definitely not enough. He lowered his mouth to the other man’s again, deepening the kiss this time.
Kevin’s arms encircled his neck, and he slipped his tongue inside Michael’s mouth.
“Hey, hey, the neighbors might not appreciate you two making out on the front lawn,” a man with dark, curly hair said from the porch.
Kevin blushed and ducked his face against Michael. He laughed and closed his hand over Kevin’s and pulled him to the porch.
The man stuck out his hand at Michael. “Charlie Banks. I’ve already guessed you’re Michael Bennett.”
Michael shook his hand. “Yes. Nice to meet you, Charlie. Thank you for making room for me at dinner.”
“No problem. Noah always says I make too much food. Come on in.”
Michael followed Charlie in the house and he noticed, with no little satisfaction, Kevin didn’t let go of his hand. Dinner couldn’t go fast enough.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Charlie asked. “Beer? Wine? Wine Cooler?”
“Sure, how about a wine cooler?”
“Be right back.”
Just as Charlie disappeared into the kitchen another man came out. He was very well-groomed with short cropped light brown hair and a square jaw.
“Noah, this is Michael,” Kevin said.
Noah gave him an appraising look. “Noah Riggins. Nice to meet you.”
Michael couldn’t help but notice Noah did not offer to shake his hand. His lips twitched. Apparently he wasn’t all that popular with Kevin’s old friend.
“Dinner’s just about ready, so why don’t you two sit at the table there.” Noah gestured to the dining room table already set for the meal.
“Come on,” Kevin said, tugging him forward. “You can sit next to me.”
They seated themselves and shortly after Charlie came to the table with Michael’s wine cooler and plates of food. The other two men soon seated themselves and for a few minutes they all ate in companionable silence.
“So, Michael, I have a question for you.” Noah took a sip from his beer bottle and smiled.
“Okay.”
“Kevin said you cheated on your last boyfriend. Do you make a habit of that?”
“Noah!” Kevin yelled.
Charlie made a sort of choking noise that sounded like he tried to muffle a laugh.
Noah seemed unfazed by both their reactions. “Well?”
“Uh, hon, maybe it would be better to leave that between Kevin and Michael,” Charlie suggested.
“It’s all right, I’ll answer.” Michael set his fork and knife down. “I’m not proud of what happened with Felix. It was a difficult relationship.” His gut twisted, remembering the old pain. “The short version is this. Felix was the son of a client I probably shouldn’t have become involved with in the first place. He could be very charming, though. Anyway, we did become involved, eventually he moved in with me, and it became quickly clear he was a drug addict. Nasty stuff like heroin. He stole money from me. Had drug parties at my house without my knowledge. It was pretty bad. One night we had a big fight, I left and went to a gay bar. I drank too much and had a one-night stand with the bartender. The relationship was going down fast anyway, but that definitely killed it. I’m not proud of it, the guilt ate at me like you can’t imagine, and I certainly believe I’ve learned my lesson.”
“I see.” Noah nodded.
Michael couldn’t have cared less whether Noah saw or not. He was more interested in Kevin’s reaction. Kevin was quiet and seemed pretty interested in whatever was left on his plate.
Charlie cleared his throat. “Why don’t you help me clear the plates, Noah?”
“Okay.” They rose, picked up dishes, and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving him alone with Kevin. Not alone enough as far as he was concerned.
“Is everything all right, babe?” Michael grasped Kevin’s hand, and ran his thumb over the warm skin there.
“Yeah.”
“Only?”
Kevin met his gaze, swallowed. “When we had a fight, did you—”
“No, I didn’t,” Michael said. “And I wouldn’t. Not ever, Kevin. I did learn my lesson with Felix and that was a different relationship and I was a different person then.”
Kevin smiled a little. “Okay.”
He sighed. “I know our fight last week has you thinking. The truth is, I really hate fighting. I know that sounds crazy considering I’m a lawyer and I fight and argue all day long. Maybe that’s why it bothers me so much on a personal level.”
“Michael, people fight sometimes. We’ll probably fight again, to be honest.” Kevin leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “I’m sorry for what I said.”
“I know. But there is some truth to it. I do want to take care of you and buy things for you. I can see how that could be perceived as trying to buy your love. I’d give you anything you wanted in the world if I could.” Michael glanced away when he realized just how sappy that sounded. It was true, though.
“Hey.” Kevin smiled when Michael looked back at him. “You do know it’s normal to have disagreements sometimes in a relationship? It doesn’t mean it’s over or we hate each other. Right?”
“Right.”
“And another thing,” Kevin said. “I know you want to take care of me and all that, but you should talk to me about decisions and stuff that affect me. Okay?”
Michael nodded. “Okay, I will. Or I’ll try to.”
“I really want you to take me home, but we should help clean up. And I should probably tell Noah to lighten up on you.”
“He’s just protecting you.”
Kevin laughed. “Yeah, I know, but I’m a big boy now.”
Michael stood. “I’ll help Charlie with the dishes. He seems less hostile.”

“Hey, sorry about Noah busting your chops,” Charlie said a short time later, handing him a wet plate to dry. Noah and Kevin were in the living room looking at some website on the computer. “He’s very protective of Kevin.”

“I noticed. I don’t mind. He sort of brings the protective instinct out in me, too. By the way, have you considered joining the twenty-first century with the rest of us?”

Michael laughed. “I can’t remember the last time someone did dishes by hand.”
Charlie smiled and shrugged. “There’s usually just the two of us. Anyway, Kevin acts like he doesn’t care and that he’s always perky, but Noah knows he hides behind that. He came in here pretty depressed before you called him. Then he lit up like the It’s A Small World Ride at Disneyland.”
“That bright, huh?”
“Yeah. Believe me, I have experience with my boyfriend’s friends not liking me.” He handed a cup to Michael.
“What? Are you kidding?” Michael couldn’t imagine that. Charlie seemed like the nicer of the two as far as he was concerned.
“Trust me, dude, there are plenty of people out there who despise me.” Charlie chuckled. “The truth is when Noah and I first got together I was a big giant jerk to him. I came very close to losing him.”
“Really?”
“Uh-huh. I’m sure all his friends would dearly love for Noah to dump me.” Charlie drained the sink. “But I’m lucky. Noah loves me. Listen, I know you’re anxious to get out of here to have hot make-up sex, so go ahead and take off.”
“Are you sure? We could hang around a little longer.”
“Nah, go on.”
Michael nodded, actually quite relieved. He knew Kevin might want to spend time with his friends, but Michael just wanted to spend time with Kevin.