Rock Bay 2 - Letting Go (6 page)

the next weekend. He was hoping that maybe Tally, whom Brock had always looked up to as some sort of demigod, could maybe just possibly ease the way for him. Like, if it was okay that Tally liked guys, maybe it would be okay if he did too. He told Tally all of this, along with the part about how he’d maybe kinda sorta met the guy he thought he might want to get to know.

Tally liked the idea of Drew meeting someone, but he wasn’t enthused at the prospect of hanging out with Brock. He was even less enthused when Brock himself came busting into the shop with his usual bull-like delicacy.

“What’s up, fucker? D-dog told me I’d be able to find you here! I’ve been waiting for you to call me.”

Jesus fucking Christ, Brock.
Drew was embarrassed to be in the same room as him. Nothing new.

Drew tuned out the rest of the conversation, as hard as it was with Brock’s louder than everything else in the entire universe voice, only protesting when Brock started giving him shit about walking again. He was grateful to Tally for agreeing to go hang out with the guys, and he even agreed to a ride to get Brock the heck out of the shop before Lex happened to come back and Brock caused a scene. At least Brock was sober. For once. Drew didn’t have much hope of it lasting for more than a few hours.

It felt good to have a plan, Drew realized. And as much as he was into that guy he’d seen only fleetingly, it didn’t have everything to do with him. It was more about how he was going to finally ease the people he knew into understanding him. Maybe. Drew sighed. Not likely. At least he was going to give it the old try. And lost business or not, hopefully not, he would at least be living his own life and not someone else’s.

G
OD
, he was cute.
Mason still thought about the guy from the cafe every so often. It had been days, but that oddly magnetic moment was hard to shake. Whenever he was trying to fall asleep after a long, exhausting day, or had a moment of quiet at the hospital, he saw those big eyes, green and soft, and that shy smile. The guy had looked a bit buttoned up and prim. Mason had to admit that was his Achilles’ heel when it came to men. The gray spring peacoat was his favorite part. So Jude Law in Burberry. Mason found himself smiling.

“What’s got you all starry-eyed?”

Mason jumped and nearly spilled the pile of papers he was pretending to sort through. He’d been standing at the main nurses’ station, filling out some reports. Amy always managed to catch him off guard, but he still couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. “Not much.” Even to him that sounded like a lie with a giggle hiding behind it.

“Bullshit. Try again.”

It was hard not to snort out the coffee he’d just taken a sip of. “Oh, I just saw a guy a few days

ago. He was… I don’t know. My type. Preppy. A little older. Kinda gorgeous.”

“Name?” Amy looked like she was about a half a step away from tapping her pencil on the counter.

“I wish I knew.” Mason shrugged. “It was one of those things where you both say hi to each other, but neither of you say anything else, and then the moment is gone.”

“How do you know he’s gay?”
“What is this? The third degree?” He had to give Lex credit for withstanding it as many years as he had.
“Lex calls it the Spanish Inquisition.” Amy tilted her head to the side in a deceptively innocent gesture. “Except I’m Scottish.”
“Well, William Wallace, I don’t know that he’s gay, I just had a feeling. I also don’t know his

name, where he lives, what car he drives, or what side he dresses on. All I know is he likes the sandwiches at Alfie’s, and he wears a gray peacoat.” Mason smiled. “And he has the prettiest green eyes I think I’ve ever seen.”

Amy looked at him for a long, measuring moment. “We need to find you a man. You’re conjuring Cinderfellas.”

“Did you just say Cinderfellas?” Mason did snort that time. Luckily his mouth was empty. “Please tell me that word doesn’t exist.”

“It does… if you read the right books.” Amy looked embarrassed suddenly, as if she hadn’t meant to say that.

“Well, your unconventional romance fetishes are our secret.” He grinned. “For now. Besides, with the clothes he was wearing, I’d go more with me being the little cinder boy. He looked awfully expensive.”
“We still need to find you a man. A real one.” “Because that worked so well last time?”

Amy elbowed Mason, laughed and headed back to work. “At least you got a friend out of it!” she called over her shoulder.

He had. One he didn’t see, but at least they traded smartass texts every few days. It was the most social thing Mason had done since he’d landed in Astoria. Speaking of… he’d felt his phone buzz a few hours ago but hadn’t checked the message. Mason smiled. It wasn’t Lex, but it was Logan.

Hey Maseterbator. What u doin’ this wknd? Carrie misses u.

 

Nice. Way to blame it on the girlfriend.

 

Not much. U?

 

He didn’t have to wait long for a reply. Took u lng enuf. We’re coming to visit. Partay!

 

Mason smiled but he was worried his friends wouldn’t like the small-town life.

 

Dude, there’s not much to do here. Just sayin.

 

Logan’s answer was quick and indignant.

 

We’re only comin 2 see u. Jeez. No worries.

They made quick plans to meet at Mason’s apartment Friday night. It was one of his rare regular weekends off. He was really looking forward to seeing his friend. As much as he didn’t miss the big city at all, Mason did miss Logan. Even when they’d been going to different schools, they still only lived less than a mile apart and managed to see each other a few times a week. He realized it had been over a month and a half. The longest they’d been apart since the day they met.

B
OYS
’night out was really damn awkward.

Not even worth commenting on, to tell the truth. Brock went right back to idolizing Tally the moment he laid eyes on him, but kept his homophobic rants up. Tally looked, by turns, uncomfortable in his skin and exactly like the king he used to be. The whole thing was just… awkward. That really was the only word to describe it. Brock being all pathetic and sycophant-ish, Tally looking uncomfortable but growing back into his role as leader, Drew and Rick pushed to the sidelines just like they always had been when Tally was around. Everything was basically just like it was back in high school, only they weren’t in high school anymore. They were adults, and popularity contests should’ve died when they put away their graduation caps. Drew did what he did best—sat quietly and watched. It was only when Brock insulted Lex that

Drew said much at all. He knew the whole fucking situation was awkward for Tally, so he told Brock to shut it. Luckily, Brock was already drunk enough to let the whole thing go. It felt good, to stand up for himself like that… or for someone else. Drew was starting to get the hang of telling Brock what he really thought. At least when Brock was drunk and Tally was there to back him up. Yeah, guess not.

At the rate he was going, he might come out to Brock by the time they retired. At least by then it wouldn’t matter if Brock took all of his business away. It would matter, however, if he was still sitting alone by then, still waiting for his life to start. That was enough to put some steel in Drew’s spine. He hoped.

Dinner was long and alcohol soaked, as usual. Brock and Rick’s jeers at their top-heavy waitress got closer and closer to arrest level as the empty glasses built up. Drew was glad when they left the restaurant, and at least they went bowling afterward instead of Brock’s usual nudie bar down on the highway. Thank God. Drew had Tally to thank for that. He also could thank Tally for helping him drag a drunk Brock up the stairs to his condo. Rick had pled wife duty, whatever that meant, and took off, leaving Drew and Tally to take care of his royal messiness.

“Interesting night,” Drew murmured once they had Brock installed on his couch and snoring. His arm flopped to the floor, and Drew went over to prop it on his chest and tuck everything under a blanket that had been folded on the ottoman.

“You do this a lot, don’t you?” Tally stared at Brock for a few long moments.

 

“A few times a week. He doesn’t like to go home. Says his wife’s a nag.”

Tally made a disgusted noise. “And he thinks what Lex and I have is wrong? At least we love each other and want to be around each other.”

“I know. It’s not fair.” Drew shrugged.

“So listen,” Tally started. “I’m sorry things didn’t go as planned. Tonight wasn’t the right time to bring it up. He was….”

“Yeah. I know. He was Brock. Douche extraordinaire.” Plus Drew had the feeling that Tally liked being appreciated by his old friend, if only temporarily.

Tally chucked Drew on the shoulder. “Hey, you’re the one who’s all worried about coming out to him. Why are you calling him a douche?”

“Lemme walk you home,” Drew answered. “Save me from the mean streets of Rock Bay?” Tally laughed softly, but allowed Drew to usher him out the door.
They walked quietly for a minute or two. “I need to be friends with Brock, Tally. I don’t want to, but that’s not a choice I get to make.”
“If you don’t like Brock, then who do you want to be friends with?”
“That’s obvious.” Drew punched Tally lightly. “
You
, Lex, Amy. I had so much fun hanging out with you guys the other night after we met up at

the store. I felt like I was with real friends for the first time since college. Brock and Rick kind of have each other. I’m just around for drunk hauling. I never see any of my college friends anymore.”

“Well, yeah. I guess everyone moves on.”

“Except me. I’m stuck here in rewind.”
Perpetually
.
Tally elbowed him. “Then don’t be. Come hang out with me and Lex and Amy. They liked you too. Let’s not do this bullshit anymore.”
“You’re forgetting the part where I need Brock. A huge chunk of my business runs on accounts that he got me.” Drew hated that fact more than anything.

“What about your hospital account?” “It’s good, but not good enough to be my only business. Most of the companies in town are owned by Brock, his dad, or their cronies. I’d be screwed if either of them decided they hated me.”
“And you’re sure that he’ll hate you if you tell him you want to be with a guy?”

Drew stopped in the street. “Are you kidding? I’m pretty sure you were just at the same dinner I was at. Brock is the most homophobic person I’ve ever met.”

“Yeah, but you’re his friend.”

“No.
You’re
his friend. I’m just the guy who he’s seen as a hanger-on since high school.”
Tally shook his head. “Brock’s not my friend. He treats Lex like shit. I can’t do this very long.”
“I know.” Drew felt bad for putting Tally in the middle. He just needed him so bad. “I’m sorry, Tal. Just a couple more times, okay?”
“A couple?”

“One?” Drew asked.
“One.” They’d stopped in front of Lex’s building. “This is me,” Tally said quietly. “Have a good night. Be safe on the way home.”
“Tell Lex I said hi,” Drew answered.
“Why don’t you come in the shop and say hi yourself?”
“Maybe I will.”

“
M
ASETERBATOR
!” Logan barreled up the front stairs toward Mason’s building.

“Hey. Keep it down a little, yeah?” Mason still smiled and gave Logan a big hug, followed by a tight hug for Carrie. “Was the drive okay?”

“Long as hell. Let’s see your place.” “C’mon in. But really, keep it kinda quiet. I have a neighbor who’s a little… you know. She

thinks people talking loudly are criminals trying to break in. She’s called the cops on me a few times when I was just watching a movie. They’re getting a little annoyed.”

“
Our
new neighbor is kinda hot, huh, baby?”

“He is,” Carrie agreed. “And I think he bats for the pink team.”
Mason rolled his eyes at her, nearly as comfortable with her after two years as he was with Logan. “I don’t need any pinch hitters. I’m doing fine on my own.”
“You got a new guy? Good. ’Cause I was seriously worried for a while that Todd was going to follow you down here, and you’d end up with him again.”

Mason laughed. “Even Todd isn't that psycho. And no new guy, just a job. When I said on my own, I meant it. I’m really on my own.”

“Aw, that’s sad.” Logan made his signature puppy-dog face. “My little Maseterbator needs love too.”

“I’m occupied for now. It’s been a while since you checked out my goodie drawer. There are new and entertaining things in there.” He winked at Logan in an attempt to freak him out. Should’ve known it wouldn’t work.

Logan rolled his eyes. “Good try, youngling. Let’s check out your place and then go get pizza.”

Mason’s phone buzzed as they were hiking up to his third-floor apartment. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID.
“Shit, Loogs. I think you’re bad luck.”

“What the fuck? I’m amazing luck. What are you talking about?” Logan kicked at Mason’s heels.

“It’s Todd. I haven’t heard a peep outta him in at least three weeks. I’d been hoping he finally was done calling me.”

“Asshole! What does
he
want?”

Mason shrugged. “I never pick up. He’s left a couple of rambling messages about how I’m too good for this shithole town, and how he has some friend who can hook me up with something or

other. I usually just erase them after about five seconds of listening.”

 

“Want me to go take the fucker out for you?”

“No.” Mason chuckled as he unlocked his door. “Same answer as last time.”
“Damn. I’ve been wanting to punch him for over a year. I wish sometime you’d give me the satisfaction.”
“I’ll let you know if I change my mind. Anyway, here’s my place.”
He ushered a breathless Logan and Carrie into his apartment. Sure, the third-floor part was a bit of a pain, but he was really proud of it. His rent money could go a lot further in Astoria than it had in the trendy University District of Seattle. Instead of a tiny box, he had loads of Victorian charm with big windows and even some new furniture. Carrie oohed and ahhed over the wall colors and a few of the prints that he’d picked up since he came into town.

“This place is awesome, sweetie,” she said. “Thanks. I hate to admit that it’s not awesome enough to have a guest room, but you guys have