The Telling (10 page)

He crossed the porch and opened the screen door, whistling sharply. A golden blur bounded in, chuffing excitedly around the ball in her mouth. Jay patted
Shasta’s head and spoke softly in Spanish, then returned to where Michael stood by the door.

Michael jumped when soft lips brushed his ear. Warm breath caressed his lobe as Jay crooned, “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m
here. Anything you need me for, I’ll be here.” He stepped back, his fathomless eyes boring into Michael’s.
“Whatever you need, no strings attached.” With that Jay opened the door and followed the dog inside. He turned and paused for a moment,
gazing meaningfully at Michael before closing the physical door behind him, leaving the metaphorical one wide open and welcoming.

***

Michael sat on the swing, caressing the boards and thinking how Jay had looked sprawled across them. He didn’t know what possessed him to act on
the feelings that had been building ever since he’d come home, and could only assume that alcohol and the stress from the flashback had left him
vulnerable.

Jay hadn’t pushed him away.
No, stupid, you did that yourself.

With a sigh he closed his eyes. Maybe he should sneak away and go home, not return to the party. He’d really done it now, let his guard down and
out came his true self. Suddenly he had a greater appreciation for that poor man from church who’d fought so hard to remain in the closet. It
couldn’t have been easy to fake a hetero lifestyle. Look how quickly Michael had fallen when faced with temptation.

There was no going back now, and if he were being totally honest with himself, he didn’t want to. Jay was the answer to a prayer he’d
never uttered, had never thought to utter. He’d recently learned the hard way the preciousness of life, and had no intention of hiding and then
spending the rest of his life wondering what might have been. He knew what he wanted and intended to go after it. Driven by that thought, he left the
relative security of the porch and followed Jay into the house.

The problem, however, was getting Jay alone so they could talk. He’d come back in intending to drag the man off somewhere private, but Jay
strolled away to chat with someone else. Michael waited and tried again with the same result. Damn it! That was one hell of a kiss on the porch, what had
changed? Why was Jay avoiding him now?

Face it, Ritter, you’re no prize. He can’t deal with your baggage.

No point in arguing that point. Disappointment was a bitter pill to swallow but it went down easier when chased with beer, so that’s just what
Michael did. Hurt and confused, he gave up and resigned himself to an evening that concluded with him going home alone to his apartment.

One beer turned into two, and two into three. Why did he have to settle for a lonely evening? He had as much right as anyone here to have a good time.
Pushing his inhibitions out the proverbial window, Michael waded into the mass of writhing bodies and began to dance.

Chapter Seven

The Michael who returned to the party only vaguely resembled the one Jay thought he knew. Closely watching as the man threw back several beers in quick
succession, he was quite surprised when Michael then hit the dance floor. Gyrating bodies parted to let him in, and the handsome blond danced with the
group, never settling on any one person. Jay had no idea straight country boys could dance with such reckless abandon.

However, others were watching: Angie, who always looked out for her brother, and Jay, who’d named himself unofficial chaperone for anyone
incapable of making rational decisions due to alcohol consumption. However, Angie had raised a suspicious eyebrow when he’d returned alone, and
her continued scrutiny kept him from approaching Michael directly, though he’d been dying to resume their conversation.

What had happened on the porch was both a dream come true and his worst nightmare. Sure, he’d harbored secret longings for the hunky brother of
his best friend, but those were fantasies. That kiss was another matter. Any attempts to seduce a straight man could only end in pain, physically or
emotionally, and Jay had a hard and fast rule against involvement with someone unsure of their sexuality or merely experimenting. Michael might prove to be
the exception. If Jay could ease the former soldier’s pain in any way he’d gladly do it. After their earlier encounter and
Michael’s subsequent withdrawal, stepping back and allowing some space for thinking things through seemed prudent. He’d left the
invitation open, now he just needed to be patient and let Michael accept or decline.

Jay and Angie weren’t the only ones watching, however. Terry wove his way through the mass of bodies, easing towards Michael as though an
accident found them pressed so closely together and not a calculated move.

Jay watched his sly former lover subtly working Michael away from the other dancers. Caught up in the pounding rhythm and the moment, Michael appeared
oblivious. When Terry’s hand none too discreetly slipped beneath Michael’s shirt to caress his stomach, the rules of the game changed.
Time to step up and stake a claim before Terry could. Terry only wanted another conquest, and a quick fuck wasn’t what Michael needed right now.
Altruistic motives aside, if the straight boy was going to walk on the wild side, Jay would be the one playing tour guide.

He growled when Terry reached out and fondled Michael’s ass. Michael, lost in his own little world, didn’t pull away. Oblivion was
dangerous considering who he danced with. Terry didn’t believe in subtlety, and would take anything short of a slap as encouragement. Their
dancing looked more like something Jay saw in the gay clubs in Atlanta than a house party in Cookesville, and he pushed his way through unyielding bodies.
He groaned aloud as Michael turned and left the room, not a bit surprised when a grinning Terry followed a split second later. This was also something
he’d seen, and participated in on occasion, in Atlanta. Was the guy born yesterday? Someone needed to leave a copy of the Gay Handbook lying
around so dumb straight boys didn’t blunder into situations like this.

As self-appointed guardian, Jay quietly followed them into the kitchen and positioned himself just inside the door. He’d keep his distance and,
if the inadvertent come-on was an innocent mistake, he’d take care of matters. However, if Michael accepted Terry’s advances then there
was nothing he could do but let nature run its course, though it might kill him. He observed from the shadows as Terry snagged a beer, bracing one arm
against the refrigerator door and effectively corralling his quarry who’d just retrieved a bottle of water.

“Hey, man, want another beer?” the predator asked.

“Nah, I’m good. I think I’ve about had enough already.” Michael appeared genuinely puzzled by the arm blocking his
escape.

“One more won’t hurt. You don’t have to drive home, you can just stay here.” Placing the beer on the counter, Terry
dropped all pretense and boldly embraced Michael. “We have plenty of room,” he purred, lips only a breath away from his
captive’s, the suggestive tone confirming just which room he offered. Jay’s protective instincts—finely honed by a lifetime
spent as an older brother to six sisters—rose in all their fierce glory.

Clearing his throat in warning, he rounded the corner just as Terry pressed the beer into Michael’s hand, arm blatantly claiming possession of
the man’s body. “He said he’s had enough,” Jay growled, emerging from the shadows.

“Jay!” Michael exclaimed, jumping away from Terry, the relief obvious in his eyes.

So, the blunder was innocent after all. The twisting in Jay’s gut lessened considerably.

Terry, unaware of the change of circumstance, slowly turned his head to face his challenger as if not at all surprised to find him there
“He’s a grown man,” he stated flatly, a self-satisfied smile on his face. Jay was certain that the added “He can
make up his own mind” didn’t merely refer to the beer.

“He did decide, asshole. He said no more.” Jay leaned against the stove and crossed his arms across his chest. He clenched well-defined
biceps, a primitive warning that he’d become physical if need be.

Terry’s smile grew into a mocking grin. “This doesn’t concern you, Ortiz. We’ve been over for months. I’m
free to do what, and who, I please. Besides, he invited me here, didn’t you, Michael?”

“What? No I didn’t,” Michael spluttered, backing away

“Yes, you did,” chorused Terry and Jay in unison.

“No, I didn’t,” Michael mumbled under his breath. Jay and Terry both turned their attention to the fight for dominance,
momentarily ignoring their prize.

Jay’s smile wasn’t pleasant. “This isn’t about you, Terry. This is about who you’ve been pawing.
I’m not letting you take advantage. Michael doesn’t bat for our team and doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
Turning to Michael, Jay feigned nonchalance and asked, “You do realize that within oh, say, fifteen minutes, Terry here intended to have you face
down on his bed while he carved your name on his bedpost, right?”

“What? I never!” Michael fled to the other side of the room, hiding behind Jay, who smiled at the unintentional compliment.

Though no explanation was owed, Terry needed to understand the situation completely. “Look, Terry, he’s got some issues.
They’re not mine to share, but suffice it to say that he’s not up to being a plaything. He’s got too much on his plate
already to deal with something like that.”

Terry assumed a defensive stance. “Well, I didn’t even suspect he might be interested at all until a little while ago. Hell, I thought
he was straight. Then tonight, well, you saw him, he definitely came on to me out there.” How like Terry to blame the victim. Another reason he
and Jay had broken up—
nothing
was
ever
Terry’s fault.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Jay wondered why Michael hadn’t run screaming yet. However, it wasn’t the blond at his back that he
wanted to send running, so he played his trump card. “I get the feeling that’s what most people thought, including Angie.”

The name dropping had the desired effect. Terry gave him that wide-eyed, helpless expression that had seemed so endearing back when they’d been
dating. That I’ve-just-fucked-up-can-you-help-me-fix-it? look. The problem was, Jay had spent way too much time fixing Terry’s
fuck-ups. The man needed a keeper, not a boyfriend, and Jay liked his relationships less high-maintenance.

It was very telling that Angie terrified a macho guy like Terry. She might pretend to be a helpless Southern belle on occasion, but everyone knew who
called the shots in the house, and they depended on her to keep the peace. Angie Cooper was the law, as far as the Zoo was concerned, and if it
weren’t for her the arrogant prick would have been out on his ass a long time ago. Behind his back the rest of the housemates called Terry
“Angie’s Stray.”

Jay dismissed him with a wave of his hand and, with undisguised relief, Terry fled back to the party with a muttered, “Sorry, man,”
leaving Jay, as usual, to clean up the mess.

Angie burst in moments later but, at a quelling look from Jay, raised her hands in submission and left the way she’d come. She might be the
marshal but Jay was her deputy, though he knew she’d expect a full report later. Right now, though, Michael was more important. Angie would just
have to understand.

“Sit down before you fall down,” Jay ordered, pulling two chairs from under the kitchen table and flopping into one.

Slowly Michael eased into the remaining chair, eyes downcast. “What the fuck just happened?”

Now that was a very good question. “You gotta watch yourself around Terry. He’s not that bad a guy, but he’s an opportunist.
He saw you were drinking and…well… kinda loose, and took the chance. And yeah, you were sending out some signals.”

Michael opened his mouth to speak when thirsty partiers invaded the kitchen. After making half-hearted conversation with his housemates and sending them on
their way, Jay turned his attention back to Michael.

“Why did he think I would… well, you know?” Michael asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“Like he said, he didn’t at first.” Jay’s couldn’t believe the man’s naïveté. He stood up,
towering over Michael. “Jesus, Michael, you were practically advertising out there. Terry just took that chance to see what would
happen.”

Michael flinched. “Advertising?”

Jay sighed and paced the room, fighting the urge to yell. “You were making it pretty clear that you were available.”

“I was?”

Could a brother of Angie’s really be that naïve? Nobody was
that
naïve. “Look, dude, you’re not in your little
hetero world here, you left Kansas a long time ago.”

At Michael’s befuddled look, Jay explained. “Imagine a gay bar full of men looking for one thing.” Ignoring
Michael’s blush he continued, “They’re dancing, or rather they’re bumping and grinding against each other like you
were doing out there. Anyway, one guy leaves and the other follows him to the back room.”

Michael’s startled expression told just how ignorant he was of such matters. Damn it, he really was that naïve, after all.
“Congratulations, straight boy,” Jay huffed out, “you just issued your first meet-me-in-the-back-room-for-a-blowjob
invitation and it was accepted.”

At the genuine horror in those big blue eyes, Jay regretted being so brutal and attempted to soften the blow. “Look, Terry is an opportunistic
prick but he wouldn’t have come in here if he didn’t think you were open to the idea. He’s an asshole at times, but he plays
fair.”

Blond head sagging, Michael brought to mind a small child being scolded. Jay hated being so hard on him, especially so soon after his earlier episode, but
Michael needed to know the dangerous ground he tread. If it had been some others Jay knew instead of Terry, they might not have backed down so easily.

He took a deep breath and attempted to explain. “Look, Michael, a few hours ago I didn’t think you’d be open to suggestions,
either. You certainly didn’t do or say anything to indicate interest, at least not until out on the porch a little while ago. It’s like
you flipped some kind of switch, because when you came back in you were suddenly on the prowl. And you straight boys are dumb as a bag of hammers when you
wanna be, you know that?”