Unobtainable (6 page)

“How do you figure cereal helps a hangover?” I asked, chuckling. “You’re fucked.”

“Maybe, but I’m not fucked over like you are my friend,” he said, taking a handful of cereal and cramming it into his mouth.

“You think I’m fucked?” I asked, suddenly feeling sadness overwhelm me.

He nodded and closed his eyes. “Yeah.”

“Me too.”

I could feel my melancholy self, starting to fade, my drunkenness zapping my energy.

“Harley?” I asked the question I had kept hidden somewhere in the bold recesses of my liquor soaked brain. “Are you gay?”

He nodded yes keeping his eyes closed.

My heart skipped a beat as I sat up, taking a deep breath, the room started to spin out of control, Harley sat up beside me, attempting to set the cereal bowl on the table. Catching the edge, it fell to the floor, the contents spilling across the highly polished wood.

“What now?” he asked. “Will it change things?”

“No, why would it?” I shook my head.

I could feel Harley’s stare as my mind flashed back to that pivotal moment when he walked into my life and stole my heart four years ago. Did he remember that day the way I did, had it changed anything for him? Dammit, if I had known he was gay then, would I have pursued him, made a move? If I had, then maybe my ill-timed fate would have simply vanished away never to have reared its ugly head.

I turned towards Harley and observed him observing me. He was brutally handsome, successful and driven, he would be quite the catch for someone. Why couldn’t that someone be me?

Yeah, why couldn’t that someone be me?

“I need to ask you something kind of important.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth when I saw a spark light Harleys eyes and for a second I could have sworn I saw a glimmer of excitement and a hint of the sexy Harley smile that I had come to know so well over the years. Before I could allow myself to fully relish such a fantasy however, Harley’s expression was quickly replaces by a somber look of defiance as he held up a hand and said, “I know what you’re going to ask…and the answer is no.”

“I could…what if I paid you?” I asked, the desperation in my voice stomach-churning. “It would be temporary, six months max. Then we get a quickie divorce and it’s over. Six months.”

“I fell in love once,” Harley said, running his hand through his hair. “I can’t do that again.”

“But I’m not asking for love,” I said, nevertheless deep in my heart I’d give anything if he would love me just for a short while. “Just a marriage on paper, documented proof for my lawyer with no ties, that’s all I need. We would have to appear as a couple for his eyes only for six months.”

I threw myself back, clasping my hands over my face. How could I ask my friend to go to such extremes to help me seek monetary gains, it was wrong. Talk about having balls, I had balls the size of an elephant asking Harley to help me like that. Harley pulled my hands away and met my eyes with his. His happy eyes looked sad and I felt terrible because I knew it was my fault they looked that way. It was a sobering moment.

“If there was a way, you know I would,” he held my face in his hands. “Believe me when I tell you that it may help you if I said yes, but it would ruin you, there’s far too much at stake. There are certain people out there who if they found out, would make sure we were both destroyed. They would ruin us both. I would have to disappear to protect you.”

There was no way I could allow that to happen. We were becoming close friends and I wanted to keep him in my life, not damage him and have him hate me in the end.

“Forget I even mentioned it, put it out of your mind,” I said, tugging his wrists. “I’ll find another way. Actually…I think it’s time I just let go of the whole crazy notion, throw my hands up and yield to the powers that be.”

“I would if I could,” Harley said with heartfelt conviction, making me feel like a real bastard for asking in the first place.

Then he rested his forehead against mine with his eyes closed tight, his hot breath on my face. He was struggling with something more powerful than any demon I had hidden inside me, I wondered what it could be. He touched his lips to mine and my eyes shot open. I could stay like this for a million years, with his soft warm lips against mine. A heat building at the base of my spine threatened to explode from my cock without so much as a touch.

Harley fell to my side, he placed his head on my shoulder and his breathing became relaxed as he snuggled into me. Drunken slumber took us both.

~~~

My eyes had not opened, yet I knew without question that I had the hangover to end all hangovers. My head was splitting as if it had been crushed in a vice, my brain was attempting to escape. I let out a soft groan, feeling like I’d been turned inside out. It was then that I realized I was not alone. Shit, had I been that drunk last night that I brought home a stranger?

I opened one eye and looked at the large hand slung over my shoulder, it was male, this was a good thing and by the feel we were both more or less dressed, this was a good thing too since I had no recollection of condom use. I opened my other eye but I didn’t want to move. I was half wrapped over the man’s body and would have smiled if it wasn’t for the pain rippling through my head.

Letting my eyes search my surroundings, I concluded this was
not
home. I did not own leather furniture and the picture hanging on the wall beside us was beautifully tasteful, but not mine. I lifted my head as painful as it was to do and gasped when I looked into Harley Cooper’s gorgeous sleeping face. A memory of the half empty bottle of Chivas popped into my head and two shot glasses on the bar at
Chances
.

I had to move but it hurt so badly. Ever so slowly I slid from his hold, hoping not to wake him, and landed on the cold hardwood floor with a thud. I rubbed my hand over my face and sat up. Clearly I was still well-oiled as my head spun and the room joined it. Crawling around the floor on all fours, I gathered up my clothes and went in search of a washroom. Luckily there was one by what I presumed to be the front door.

Once inside I climbed to my feet and turned on the tap before catching a glimpse of my face in the mirror. I looked like death warmed over. Actually death warmed over probably looked better than I did. I washed my face, smoothed my wet fingers through my hair and then rinsed some of the stale remnants of whiskey from my mouth. I searched the drawers until I located toothpaste and spread it over my index finger using it as a makeshift toothbrush. I brushed my teeth the best I could and then emptied my full to bursting bladder before dressing.

Spread out over the cushions of the couch, Harley looked magnificent as he peacefully slept in shorts and his baby blue tie. His long lashes lay against his cheeks as his eyes fluttered beneath closed lids. I would have loved to have climbed back onto that couch with him, but something held me back as I remembered him telling me no and then our lips touching. Was I dreaming? My fuzzy brain told me to run, told me to save myself and him from any embarrassment. I did just that as I grabbed my leather jacket and took off out the door.

~Harley~

I woke from yet another nightmare completely drenched in sweat.

I rolled onto my side and noticed a number of coins mixed among Captain Crunch cereal glinting in the sunlight on the floor.  I suddenly got this crazy feeling like Dyson was nearby, so close I could smell him. It was a ridiculous idea and then last night flashed in my mind like a far-off memory, hurtling back to remind me.

I kissed his sweet lips, but as I licked mine I was left with nothing but the reminiscence of how he tasted. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, I was hung over and wanted to puke. The t-shirt I loaned Dyson was sitting with my belt on the chair, I reached over and grabbed it, holding it to my nose. I inhaled the smell of him, feeling my dick spasm as I closed my eyes and a smile crossed my face. I was never going to wash that shirt again. I vowed to stuff it under my pillow for future reference.

Dyson must have fucked off in one hell of a hurry, he left his wallet on the coffee table, which gave me a reason to see him, but I remembered I didn’t know where he lived or his phone number to call him. I could have called EJ but how would I explain his brother spending the night. Oh how the rumors would fly. All these years I had known him and in reality I didn’t know him at all. Outside of work I was no one to him. Yeah I hung with his brothers on occasion, even attended dinners at EJ’s home, but rarely was Dyson there. And when he was there, Ellen and him hid away in the kitchen together.

If I didn’t hear from him, I’d return it to him on Monday.

I picked up a quarter from the floor and inspected it with a laugh, when I remembered tearing Dyson from his jeans. Not bothering to clean up our mess, I climbed the stairs to my room and crawled into bed, placing the quarter on my bedside table and allowing my hangover to rule my fate for the day.

~Dyson~

Another Monday morning and I swear I was still suffering from alcohol poisoning, even though I spent nearly the entire weekend in bed ignoring my cell and anything to do with the outside world.

I propped my chin in the palm of my hand with my elbow resting on my mouse pad as I typed away on my keyboard with one finger. There was nothing I hated more than filling in boring contracts but today I didn’t mind, because it was the best I could manage.

Never again
I told myself. Just the idea of booze made my stomach queasy and my head throb. I wasn’t very good under the influence, in fact I couldn’t handle my booze at all. I had always been a cheap date, quick drunk, and the one who hit the bottle when I was pissed off.

Instead of wishing for a peek, a glimpse or a glance of the god known as Harley Cooper, I was praying he had fallen off the face of the earth and I’d never have to see him again. It had all come back to me as I lay in bed dying on Saturday afternoon. The conversation we had, him telling me emphatically no and the kiss, oh the kiss. There was no way I could face him, therefore I was staying put in my office with the door tightly closed. I wasn’t even taking breaks or going for my usual five cups of coffee before noon.

“Mr. Michaels, there is a meeting scheduled for noon in the boardroom, your presence is required,” Clair said, sounding very official once I answered the phone on the tenth ring, knowing it wouldn’t stop until I did.

“Could you tell EJ, that I have a meeting or something and can’t make it to the meeting? I’ll do a catch up.”

“Mr. Michaels said I was to tell you not to try making up excuses
,
and I quote
, get your ass there on time
.”

“He did, did he?” I asked, with tell-him-to-go-fuck-himself on the tip of my tongue. “Tell him I’ll be there.”

“I did,” Clair giggled. “I’m taking lunch orders. Would you like something from
The Lunch Box
?”

The Lunch Box
was a lovely little family owned deli just down the street, a mom and pop everyone’s-family eatery. They made the most amazing corned beef on rye and matzo ball soup and although the year was 2015, they ran the place like it was the 60’s with a personal touch in everything they did. Mrs. Zilberger ran the place as her parents and grandparents before them had, they didn’t deliver, microwaves didn’t exist and if it wasn’t the freshest it could be it simply wasn’t served.

The mere idea of opening my mouth to insert something made my head swim and my gut roll. “Thanks but I’m going to have to pass…do we by chance have any Tums or Alka-Seltzer?”

“Second drawer of your desk near the back, there’s Alka-Seltzer and a bottle of water. Are you not feeling well?” Clair asked. “Bernice wasn’t either, she went home sick. Maybe something’s going around.”

“I’ll be fine,” I lied.

“Okay, and you’re sure you don’t want anything, chicken soup maybe?”

“Nothing,” I said, ready to hang up before I threw up. “Wait. Is Mr. Cooper in today?”

“Yes, however he’s with a client. Did you want me to let him know you’re looking for him?”

“No!” I practically shouted. “I mean, I’ll see him later.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, skepticism ringing in her voice.

“Yes, I’m sure. Goodbye Clair Bear.”

Once I had located the Alka-Seltzer, I poured the water into my glass, plopped the two white tablets in and watched them fizz from the bottom of the glass. I drank as much of the salty liquid as I could manage without puking and rested my head on the desk. Never again I promised my upset stomach, willing it to stop churning if only for a half hour or so. What I would have given to be at home tucked into my nice warm bed.

Everyone was seated at the board room table waiting for me, I was late as usual. EJ gave me his customary scowl and the others granted me irritated glances as I walked into the room and noted the only seat available was right next to Mr. Cooper.

Was it possible for my day to get any worse?

“You don’t look so good,” Harley said, once I was settled and took a long sip of water from the glass on the table in front of me.