Swap Meet (13 page)

going to be fine.

Across from him, McKenzie sat cross-legged on a couch and chattered excitedly

into her cell phone to friends. Chris’ parents were in his room now. They were

obviously relieved their son showed no signs of mental impairment after his short time

without oxygen.

The nearby elevator doors slid open and a group of firefighters exited the chrome

box. So far Max had managed to avoid the men and women who worked with Chris.

He’d overheard McKenzie speaking to some of them earlier. When they’d assumed Max

was her boyfriend, she hadn’t corrected them. Until Chris said otherwise, Max intended

to play along with that assumption.

McKenzie cut short her phone call and moved to the other side of the waiting room

where there was more available seating. The firefighters gathered close and listened

intently as she gave them an update on Chris’ condition. Max pulled out his iPhone and

checked his email. He was in the middle of typing out a quick message when he felt

someone drawing near.

“So you’re Max.”

He looked up into the impassive face of one of the firefighters. Max immediately

sensed something was up and decided to be guarded with his answers. “Yes.”

“I’m Jack.” The fireman took the seat McKenzie had just vacated. He sat in pensive

silence, his forehead wrinkled and lips pursed. He fidgeted with the sleeve of his

uniform. The nervous movements pushed up the material just enough to give Max a

view of a beautifully inked tattoo.

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“That’s very well done.” Max motioned to the tattoo peeking out at him when Jack

frowned with confusion. “Chris has one similar.”

Nodding, Jack brushed his fingers over the tattoo. “We had them done at the same

studio.” He gestured to his comrades with a quick wave of his hand. “A lot of us go

there. They have a distinct style.”

“Ah.” Max tapped his finger along the back of his phone as he searched for some

innocuous topic. “Have you known Chris long?”

“Four years, almost five. I thought I knew him well.”

Max shifted uneasily in his chair. His stomach knotted with fear.

Jack fixed him with a penetrating stare. “He asked for you when we pulled him out

of the fire.” Seeming uncomfortable, he looked away as he continued in a low tone. “It

was loud. I thought I’d misheard.” He shook his head. “But he asked for you again and

then told me to tell you he was sorry and he loved you.”

The fine hairs on the back of Max’s neck stood at attention. Panic seized his belly.

He feared the worst now.

Jack caught his gaze again. “I don’t care, you know? I just wish he’d told me,

trusted me.”

Max exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He wet his lips and

tried to still his shaking fingers. “I can’t speak for Chris on the matter. It’s something

best discussed with him.”

“Fair enough.” Jack relaxed and stretched out his legs. “So you’ve been together for

a while?”

“Long enough,” Max replied.

“You love him?”

“Very much so.”

Jack gave a stiff bob of his head. “Good.”

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Max wondered if he’d just passed muster. He tried to wrap his mind around the

bizarreness of the conversation.

“So what do you do in France? You
are
French?” Jack sought confirmation for his

assumption.

“Yes. I own an investment group.”

Jack’s eyebrows lifted. “Yeah? There good money in that?”

“I do all right.”

Jack laughed. “I bet you do.”

Max’s gaze drifted to the throng of firefighters talking to McKenzie. He had to

know, even if he didn’t like the answer. “What will they say?”

Jack’s gaze followed his. He turned back to Max and shrugged. “A lot of things,

some of them good, some of them not.”

“I don’t want trouble for Chris. I couldn’t live with myself if our relationship cost

him his safety at work.”

“It won’t,” Jack assured him. “I won’t let it.”

Max sensed Jack was a man of his word. “Thank you.”

Jack flicked his hand dismissively. “How long are you in town?”

“I’m not sure. Why?”

“We take care of our own. If Chris won’t have someone to help him out once he’s

discharged, I need to start drawing up some schedules.”

He hadn’t thought that far in advance. He’d need to make some calls soon. “Barring

any unforeseen circumstances, I’ll be here until he tells me to leave.”

“Glad to hear it.” Jack checked his watch and stood. “We’ve got to get back to the

station.” He held out his hand. “It was nice to meet you, Max.”

Max shook his hand. “The pleasure was mine.”

“I’ll see you around, Max.”

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As Jack started to walk away, Max stopped him. A crazy and impulsive urge had

gripped him. “Can you give me the name of the studio where you had that tattoo

done?”

“Sure.” Jack retrieved his wallet from the back pocket of his uniform pants and

pulled out a worn business card. “Ask for Judy or Kale. Tell them I sent you.”

“I will.” Max took the card. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

Max slipped the card into the front pocket of his jeans. An idea was forming. He

only wondered if he had the balls to see it through.

“Everything okay?” McKenzie’s face betrayed her worry.

“Jack knows.” Max sat down and crossed his legs. “He was surprisingly

nonplussed.”

McKenzie paled a bit as she took a seat. “How?”

“Apparently Chris asked for me.”

A soft smile brightened her face. “That’s so sweet.”

Max laughed at her sappiness. “And dangerous for a man trying to keep his

personal life private.”

“Is Jack going to tell the rest of them?”

“No. I think he’ll leave that to Chris.”

McKenzie blew out a relieved breath. “Good.” She narrowed her eyes “What did he

give you just then?”

“A business card,” Max said, deliberately evasive.

“I see.”

He could tell she was fighting her natural nosiness. He enjoyed toying with her and

decided to leave it at that. “Where do you think your parents would like to have dinner

tonight? Now that Chris is out of danger, I think it would be beneficial for them to have

a nice, relaxing meal.”

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McKenzie’s expression told him she wasn’t at all fooled by his change in direction

but she let it go. They discussed restaurants and settled on a steakhouse her parents

enjoyed when in the Houston area. After Chris’ parents finished their visit, Max was

able to sneak in one last moment with Chris before the ICU visiting hours ended for the

evening. He and McKenzie decided not to tell Chris about Jack just yet. He’d only just

woken up from a traumatizing ordeal. Adding more stress didn’t seem very sensible.

Dinner went well. Max was finally starting to feel comfortable around Chris’

parents and vice versa. After dessert, Max hailed a taxi while McKenzie took her

parents back to their hotel. He felt a flicker of anxiety as the taxi crossed Houston to the

tattoo studio. Was he really going to do this?

He paid his fare and lingered uncertainly on the sidewalk. The dubious-looking

studio sat in the center of a strip mall with what looked to be a head shop on its left.

Max had second thoughts. Did he really want to expose his body to the prick of a

needle in this dingy neighborhood?

Not one to easily admit fear, Max mustered his courage and entered the shop. He

was pleasantly surprised by the extremely clean and neat interior. Photos of tattoos and

framed pieces of original art covered the walls. The buzz of tattoo machines could just

barely be heard over the pulsing rock music. A couple sat in chairs and flipped through

a portfolio while a group of college-aged girls perused the walls for just the right piece

of art.

“Can I help you?” A spunky young woman in a vintage tee and faded jeans greeted

him with a peppy smile.

It was now or never. Max took a step forward. “A friend recommended this studio

for a tattoo I’d like to have done.”

Max was able to secure Judy for his tattoo. A variety of artwork covered her bare

arms and tendrils of a vine snaked along the side of her neck. She wore her sable hair

pulled into a high ponytail. Her nails were neatly trimmed and buffed, her makeup

simple.

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“Have any idea what you want?” She escorted him to her private booth and pulled

out a sketchpad.

“Vaguely,” Max answered as he took a seat. “I want something to honor a

firefighter. Something unique,” he added. “Maybe Saint Florian.”

Her eyes lit up at the suggestion. She reached down and pulled a binder off a shelf.

Max waited as she thumbed through the pages. She presented a sketch to him. “How

about this?”

Max studied the rendering of Saint Florian. It was beautifully done. “I like it.”

“Maybe we could center him in a Maltese cross of flames with some firefighter gear

on the four points. Ladder, axe, helmet and hydrant?”

Max nodded and watched her sketch out the tattoo for his approval. They made

small talk as she worked. When she finished, he took one look and knew it was exactly

what he wanted.

“Where do you want it?” Judy prepared her supplies and indicated he should sit in

the chair.

“Here,” Max said, touching his chest, just above his heart.

Her pierced eyebrow lifted. “Boyfriend?”

Max smiled and unbuttoned his shirt. He slipped it off, along with his undershirt,

and draped both over the back of the chair. Adrenaline gushed into his blood stream as

he mentally prepared himself for what was sure to be a painful couple of hours.

“I could add his name, if you’d like.”

“I would.”

She nodded and moved into place. Max relaxed his arms at his sides as she smiled

reassuringly. “It’ll all be over before you know it.”

“Take your time.” In some odd way, Max needed this painful experience. He

needed to feel some small amount of what Chris had survived. More than anything, he

wanted a permanent memento of the day. Something beautiful he would see every time

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he looked in the mirror. Something to remind him of the elation he’d felt when Chris

spoke his name.

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“God, I am so glad to be home.” Chris vibrated with excitement as McKenzie pulled

into his driveway. Getting out of that damn hospital felt so good. Hospitals were good

for some things but they sure as hell weren’t healing places. It was impossible to rest

with nurses and doctors coming in and out of his room at all times of the day and night.

The lack of privacy just compounded the problem. Even after he’d been moved to a

room on a general floor, he’d had no chance to simply be alone with Max.

The front door of the house opened as McKenzie turned off the ignition. Max

practically bounded out onto the porch and down the sidewalk. Chris didn’t even try to

squash his grin. Max’s happiness was infectious.

“Here. Let me help you.” Max slipped an arm around his chest, careful to avoid his

still-broken collarbone, and eased him out of the seat. Chris didn’t really need the help

but knew it made Max feel useful. He wasn’t about to turn down the chance for contact

either.

Although his legs were sore from the burns, they were still functional. The small

spot where the burn had gone the deepest would require a little more care but

everything else had healed almost entirely in the eleven days he’d been in the hospital.

He would always be grateful he’d escaped the collapse without severe burns.

Max’s arm slid to his waist as they walked side-by-side into the house. The

sensation of Max’s heat pressing against him sent Chris’ libido into overdrive. It had

been so long since he’d felt Max’s body. Having his lover so close and not being able to

act on his sexual urges was going to kill him, of that Chris was sure. He ached for a little

intimacy. Even the simple act of sharing a bed would suffice tonight.

But there were his parents and sister and a horde of well-wishers to deal with first.

Within an hour of arriving home, Chris’ doorbell began to ring and a never-ending

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stream of coworkers and their spouses traipsed through the door bearing all sorts of

food gifts. His mother dealt with the food while his father and McKenzie did their best

to keep people from staying too long.

When the first few firefighters arrived, Max made a beeline for the laundry room

with some lame story about needing to wash linens. Chris realized he’d placed Max in

an awkward position. He hadn’t missed the curious looks during his coworkers’ visits

to his hospital room once he’d been moved out of ICU. His quick conversation with

Jack had affirmed his hazy recollections of the moments following his extrication from

the apartment.

Max came into the living room with a tray of iced tea and clear plastic cups, Chris’

mother only a few steps behind bearing snacks. After Max placed the tray on the coffee