Life in Fusion (9 page)

me a look that unmistakably said,
Don’t make me carry my black ass

over there and knock you on your gay one.

I guessed Stella to be in her mid to late sixties, her full head of

grey hair was combed off her forehead and clipped in the back

as usual—her make-up simple and understated. We had a long

running shtick that consisted mainly of her casting judgment

over me for the amount of coffee I drank. I wasn’t sure what it

was about her particularly, but I seemed to get off on the abuse.

Perhaps it was merely the fact that it came with the caffeine I

craved, that had me addicted.

I fired my own gaze back at her, my best attempt at innocence

while quickly placing my hand on my leg to remind me to stop

tapping my foot. “I’m sorry!” I finally added when she refused

relent. “It’s way past three o’clock, I need my fix, Stella.”

She shook her head and went back to preparing my triple shot

mochaccino. “There is something severely wrong with you boy,

you know that?”

I shrugged, not really caring what her opinion of me was so

long as she continued to make my chocolaty-infused caffeine-ago-go. It had been a particularly brutal day at work. They were still trying to work out the bugs from the massive software upgrade

they’d implemented over the past weekend. The computers

had been down twice, which had pushed everything that much

further behind.

I was beginning to wish I’d quit and moved my stubborn ass

in with Wade already, never to set foot in this hospital or see

another medical record for as long as I lived. Of course, that

thought triggered my inner panic-boy, who subsequently decided

to remind my loser ass that I still had zero ideas with regards to

exactly how I was going to make a living in the tiny ass town of

58 Ethan Day

Summit City. I knew I couldn’t have no job at all, despite Wade

urging me to write full time.

Snapping out of my haze, realizing Stella was standing there

holding my coffee and staring at my tapping finger with a massive

amount of attitude on her face, I ceased all movement and

plastered on a smile.

“Did I mention how ravishing you look today?” I asked.

“Something seriously wrong with you, boy,” she said,

obviously trying to decide if she was indeed going to continue

to enable me by handing over the steaming cup of black-liquid-

gold.

“You mean, aside from you holding my will to live hostage,

right?”

She started laughing and set the cup down on the counter

in front of me. “If I was your momma, I’d hope someone like

myself would step in and put a stop to the madness, for your

own good.”

“Stella, if I were my momma I’d have lunged across the

counter at you five minutes ago.” I tossed my debit card on the

counter for her. “It’s totally, like genitical and stuff.” I snatched

up the cardboard cup, plastered my lips to the plastic sippy-lid

and sucked down a scalding hot mouthful. It burned, but I didn’t

give a damn. I held the cup to my chest as if it were my most

special friend while feeling the instant affect the coffee had on

my mood and I smiled. “Hello lover.”

Stella handed my card back to me. “That is wrong on so many

levels.”

I giggled like a carefree kid and swallowed another mouthful.

“Oh Stella, you’re the best, I just love you.”

She looked at me like I’d just sprouted horns. “The

transformation never ceases to amaze me.”

I winked and turned to go find myself a quiet corner so I

could be alone for a few minutes with my beloved before I had

to go back to work. Taking another sip I let out a grunt as I ran

Life in fusion
59

into someone.

“Christ,” I began, “I’m so sor…”

“Another caffeine binge, I see,” Phillip said, shaking his head

as he smiled.

I held my breath momentarily, shocked by the sight of him.

I hadn’t run into him since I’d been back at work. Hell, I hadn’t

seen his ass since he’d broken up with me over the phone while I

was in Colorado, which felt more like years ago than it did weeks.

Now here he stood, all blond and beautiful—that long body, thin

and hard underneath the baggy scrubs.

Dr. Phillip Rawlings had an air about him—one that could

be sensed immediately—that he’d always been attractive. He was

the type of man who was used to having the things he wanted,

but never really needed to work very hard in order to get them.

“Some things never change,” I said with a shortness I hadn’t

intended as I began to walk away.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Phillip grabbed my arm, halting my

escape. “Slow down, Boone. I realize you’re probably upset with

me but I—”

“I’m not upset with you in the least.” I was staring down at his

hand on my arm until he removed it. “You did us both a favor. I

should actually be thanking you.”

Phillip looked every bit as surprised as I was over the sincerity

of that last statement. I watched as his gaze moved over my

frame, seeming excited by me now that it appeared I didn’t give

a shit about him.

“Perhaps we should have dinner, Boone.” Phillip now smiled,

as if he was ready to revisit the idea of an
us
.

I took another sip from my coffee cup, allowing myself a

breather. It was very irritating to me, him wanting me again now

that I no longer wanted him. “It’s all just a game to you, isn’t it?”

He looked surprised. “It’s just dinner, Boone.”

“Yeah right, that you see ending with your cock in my mouth.”

60 Ethan Day

Phillip laughed. “You always did give great head.”

“And I’ll continue to—just not for you.”

With that I winked before walking away, laughing coolly

over my snide little dig. I could feel he was still watching me as

I sucked down more coffee. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of

turning back around. I was more irritated that he’d wasted five of

the last ten minutes of my break.

I decided I’d better head back to work, freezing in place

while attempting to adjust my eyes as she turned the corner. I

wondered if I’d gone off the deep end. When she smiled and

made a beeline for me, I knew I wasn’t imagining it. Wade’s aunt

was actually in my hospital, and she appeared both friendly, and

most definitely on a mission.

“Del?” I said when she paused momentarily, as if trying to

decide whether hugs were indeed appropriate between us.

I shook my head and opened my arms, giving the go ahead.

She leaned in and gave me a quick squeeze. “Hello dear, you’re

looking well.”

“What are you…thanks…um…is everything okay?”

“Of course, I just wanted to…well, sorry to ambush you

Boone, but after that whole debacle with you trying to leave town

and all.”

“Oh, you mean my kidnapping?” I tortured for her a few

moments before I finally smiled, letting her know she was off

the hook. “Honestly, it was almost an appropriate end cap to

what had already been a very bizarre week.”

Del placed a hand over her eyes, obviously embarrassed. “Can

we…do you have time to sit for a few minutes?”

I glanced at the clock on the wall and knew I was supposed to

be back at work in less than five minutes.
What are they gonna do,

fire me?
“You wanna grab a coffee first?” I took a quick sip as I

pointed back toward Stella, the coffee-crypt-keeper. “There’s no

extra charge for the attitude.”

Del looked very confused suddenly and I laughed, taking

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61

her by the arm and heading back toward the kiosk. “Don’t feel

bad, the only people who can keep up with me are crystal meth

addicts. I’m a very lonely boy.”

“I, uh…yes dear,” she said as I strode back the direction I’d

come from, practically dragging her behind me. I was happy to

see Phillip was nowhere to be found.

Once I had Del locked and loaded with her own cup of java

juice we found a secluded section of the café and gift shop in the

Pavilion. I followed her lead, sliding into the opposite side of the

dark rusty-brown colored booth. She seemed on edge, but not

unpleasantly so as she fiddled with where to place her purse. She

was well put together in a long denim skirt with a modest slit in

the back, paired with a white blouse and a button-up knit, baby

blue sweater. She appeared every bit the mom, with her sensible

brown boots and her grey hair well coiffed despite the plane ride.

“I really am sorry to ambush you like this,” she started.

“Again,” I interrupted, feeling slightly evil for making her

blush.

“Yes well, that’s part of the reason I came, Boone.” Del took

a sip from her cup and made an appreciative moan of approval.

“I’d certainly never forgive myself if we, the ladies and myself

that is, wound up being responsible for you and Wade not

working out.”

I smiled, thinking it was very sweet that she actually came all

this way, yet silly on her part to think anyone other than Wade

could keep me away. “Thank you for that.”

“The girls and I are so very sorry.” She paused, blushing. “I

still can’t believe we melted down like that, in front of you no less.

We’ve become very much like sisters over the years, especially

after losing Wade’s mother, Maddie.”

Del paused for a moment as if lost in a memory, so I cleared

my throat to snap her out of it. Normally I’d have sat, patiently

waiting, but I was already late for work and I didn’t want to get

fired before having the opportunity to actually quit my job.

“Sorry…again,” she added. “It still seems odd that she’s gone

62 Ethan Day

at times. You grow up with someone, spending every day with

them, then one day…it’s like she vanished.”

“I think I get that.” I nodded, reaching over and squeezing

her hand as thoughts of Gabe flashed through my mind, bringing

with it a little sadness of my own.

“Anyway, as I was saying,” she started up again, “I also wanted

to have a frank discussion with you about Wade, dear.”

I began to squirm in my seat.

“Now nothing to go getting all wiggly over.” She smiled,

noticing my obvious discomfort. “I’ve never been able to have

children of my own, you know. Wade’s cousin, Sarah, was

adopted. Both Wade and Jackie have been like that to me as well,

very much like my own. Helping to raise them was a gift. And I

for one appreciate that you’re giving this relationship some time

and space to breathe.”

“I don’t want to uproot my entire life for something that

might be all spark and no flame.” I scooted up in my seat and

propped my elbows on the table. “I certainly don’t want to hurt

him, but he sure does seem so certain of everything.”

Del took another drink from her cup and nodded. “Wade’s

a bit infectious like that, I know. Difficult to dissuade once he’s

made up his mind about something. That’s all those years of

training. He’s a goal-oriented person, but that doesn’t mean his

feelings aren’t real.”

“I get that.”

“I know he’s been spoiled rotten,” Del admitted. “All that

time in the spotlight, the media attention when he came out.

What he means to the entire town. He’s treated like a king, and to

a certain degree it’s well deserved.”

“And he’s not the type of man to abuse that,” I added.

She smiled back at me. “No, he isn’t. But don’t let his size

fool you, either. There’s a fragility to him…to his heart. He’s not

always as tough as he lets on. He lost too much, too early in his

life. That’s likely the other reason he pushes so hard when he sees

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63

something he wants. No one understands how precious time can

be more than he and Jackie. Wade just doesn’t want to waste any

of it if he doesn’t have to.”

I folded my arms, looking down at the laminate table top as

all of that information settled in.

“That being said, I wanted to make sure you understand what

you’re getting yourself into.” Del set her cup on the table. “The

entire town of Summit City does, and likely always will, have an

interest in him.”

“I’m fairly certain I had a taste of that when I was there, Del.”

“A taste, yes.” Her forehead crinkled up. “But if you were

thinking it was something that would go away once everyone got

to know you…”

“I see.”

“Everyone means well,” she assured me. “But he is very much

the heartbeat of the town…the life blood, if you will. I’d hope

that maybe you could simply get used to it, but—”

“I’ll always be sharing him.”

Her face relaxed, as if relieved I said it first.

“I kinda figured that part out already,” I added.

“I think you’re probably the best thing that’s ever happened

to my boy.” Her eyes lit up as she began to play with her foam

cup, pushing it back and forth between her hands. “I’ve honestly