2. Old Bite Marks
Mondays always bring with them that reluctance to get out of bed. Yes, even when you work from home. I could hardly fight the desire to sleep just a little longer, but my mind quickly raced back to the events of last night. My boyfriend had come home late and in a bad mood—and instead of our normal evening routine of sharing out our day’s events between kisses, dinner, and cuddling (usually with some hot, sweaty stuff thrown in there somewhere), he had gone straight to bed.
Okay, so I guess funeral homes are a major mood killer to begin with, right?I thought to myself as I attempted to map the root of my boyfriend’s sour mood. Maybe after he gets settled in and adjusts, we’ll be able to find more time together.
There wasn’t a person more rewarding of slack—and lots of it—than the incredibly giving (and incredibly sleepy) man in bed next to me.
As I watched the beautiful outline of his naked body lay peacefully next to mine, I decided I should probably get up and begin my day. I figured that the least I could do for him was let him sleep in a little by taking my shower first. Maybe I’ll even make him a quick, healthy breakfast snack. I pulled the covers off of my body and rolled myself out of bed.
The pressureof warm water against my skin was exactly the wake-me-up I needed. I sluggishly attended to my shower routine as my mind wandered. I’m not happy to admit that I was now at that point in the thought process where I was identifying possible suspects in the mystery of my man’s moody behavior. I mean, I guess there’s, you know, his super-hot best friend…
Before I knew it, my hand was on the shower faucet handle and I was as clean as I was going to get. Making a mental note to myself to stop overthinking—a move that sounds completely counterproductive—I switched off the water.
Fucking yiiiiikes.
The mornings where you forget your towel across the chilly bathroom and then have to dart from the confines of your hot shower to pat down as quickly as possible are the worst. As my upper lip quivered uncontrollably, I jumped across our condo bathroom’s cold tiling as though it were lava to reach the just out-of-the-dryer towel I had carelessly left too far from reach.
Despite its foggy surface, I stopped short of toweling myself down to catch a glimpse of my morning mug in the mirror. Fortunately, my fitness-focused boyfriend helped drill into me the importance of the gym, and today I looked less like a skin and bones 23-year-old and more like I actually understood how to manage and maintain some muscle definition. Okay, slight muscle definition. Of course, as I adjusted my biceps and puffed out my chest in front of the mirror, my boyfriend popped in and caught me pretending I actually understood what he and his bro talk friends called ‘gains.’
My face immediately turned red as I realized I was busted.
Looking up to his heaving, furry chest and smiling, scruffy face, I saw no judgment in his eyes. Instead, to my relief, he chuckled.
“Good morning, babe,” I said as I bashfully snatched up my towel and tried to look busy.
“Oh, don’t mind me, Eli,” Rigg said through sleepy eyes and a yawn as he innocently approached me. “I can’t get jealous if it’s just you checking yourself out. You look great.”
Unfortunately, ever since Rigg had received his funeral director licensure and taken over the family mortuary with his old college roommate, Alek, these early morning chats and the occasional late dinner were about all we had time together these days. I savored the attention and grinned as he leaned in for a sleepy morning kiss.
“That’s more like it,” I joked in anticipation of his soft lips. Maybe even some tongue, but maybe not because of, you know, morning breath.
I waited for the kiss, but it never came. I opened my eyes as Rigg seemed to wince. “Ah, shit, babe,” he groaned. “Do you mind closing the blinds behind you?”
I couldn’t hide my puzzled face as I watched him shield his face from the sunlight creeping in through a set of windows parallel to the bathroom vanity. I pulled the shades closed as I watched Rigg’s towering athletic frame disappear into a new ball of steam coming from the shower, a look of longing on my face.
“Sorry, babe. You know the drill,” Rigg called from the shower. “Lots of dead people waiting on me.”
I didn’t take offense. I knew how passionate he was about his line of work and that he loved me. Plus, the fact that my career as a romance novel ghostwriter was really taking off was enough for me to shrug off some of Rigg’s unusual behaviors and prolonged absences. Most days, I was busy brainstorming, outlining, and typing away for hours on end.
Our three-year relationship prior to his latest role was testament to the trials and tribulations we could face together, no doubt. So what’s the problem if my boyfriend has to put in twelve-hour days to get in the swing of running his own business?
I hummed a merry tune as I dug out a few of Rigg’s favorites from the fridge and packed his lunch bag for him. One toasted whole wheat bagel topped with cream cheese later, I gathered everything together in my arms and moved across the apartment. But my mind kept racing.
Well,I thought to myself as I took a seat at the desk Rigg had helped me assemble for my very own home office, for one thing, I’m absurdly jealous of—and also turned on by—the fact he’s with his equally as sexy coworker that whole time.
“Oh, come on, we’re just friends,” Rigg had lamented playfully after I had teased them about their close relationship. The timing couldn’t be worse, of course, because the conversation had sprung up as we were enjoying a night out at a local bar with the exact sexy coworker in question. “Besides, he’s totally not my type. Actually, now that I think about it, he’s more like your type. Are you trying to tell me he’s the one you want me to invite to join us in bed?”
At the time, I was too busy internally beating myself up for even approaching the topic. I could barely even make eye contact with either of them by that point.
“Your type, huh?” Alek had asked bashfully, clearly not oblivious to our conversation. At that moment, I didn’t know what to say—even though I wanted them both to take me home then and there and rip me apart—and so I dropped it.
Okay, so yeah, a hot threesome with him would be awesome, but now am I worried that Rigg just skipped right to messing around with Alek in the office, which is a lot less like a couple’s fantasy and a little more like cheating? I later told Rigg no—that I wasn’t longing after his broody model of a business partner. At least I don’t think so, anyway.
Unlike Rigg’s somewhat scruffy, yet clean-cut linebacker look, Alek had a different aesthetic—and a much more distinct presence when he entered a room. While Rigg—someone you might describe as the ‘boy next door’ kind of guy—had dirty brown hair and dark Irish features, Alek was far fairer, donning long blonde hair that touched his shoulders when it wasn’t tied back in a ponytail.
His hair is straight out of a shampoo commercial, I mused. Christ, it was like he could have written a book of his own titled The Art of the Man Bun.
Alek’s demeanor had always been respectful, yet he was often silent around me. Something about his whole look, however, made it always appear like he was constantly giving everyone bedroom eyes. And I swear all the man owned was business suits and Burberry scarves. I hadn’t even seen him in his work scrubs, a staple in my boyfriend’s day-to-day life. Stoic and hot for sure, but what gives?
I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“Have an amazing day, handsome,” Rigg’s soft voice surprised me. As his arms wrapped around my chest, I leaned back and finally his lips met with mine. I felt a chill down my spine as he pressed his tongue between my lips. “I couldn’t leave without giving you what you’re owed, could I?”
“Thanks, babe,” I managed between kisses. “Don’t get me too excited before you leave.”
“Oh, sorry. Can’t help it. I love you, though,” he said as he gently pinched my cheek. “And I love you even more after smelling that.”
I realized Rigg had caught me before I could reveal my morning surprise to him as he nodded his head toward my desk. “Oh, I made you a little something to save you some time this morning, babe,” I said as I handed his lunch bag over to him.
“You’re amazing,” Rigg gushed as he pressed a final kiss into my forehead before turning to leave. “I’ll let you know if I’m going to be late tonight, but I’m hoping that’s not the case. Love you, Eli.”
“Love you, babe!” I said as I turned to watch him duck out of the room.
I could block out any images of Rigg bending Alek over a morgue table and having his way with him by burying myself in my work for the morning. In fact, maybe it was Alek who was bending Rigg over. But is that better—or worse? Fortunately, I could silence my overly chatty internal monologue before I got around to trying to answer that question.
It wasn’t until an unexpected doorbell interrupted my writing spree hours later that I decided to relax for lunch. I sighed with relief as my fingers came to a full stop.
“Coming!” I shouted, assuming the midday caller was likely my boyfriend stopping by during lunchtime unannounced and now stuck outside after forgetting his keys at work—what I would argue was at least a monthly occurrence, but usually done when he was trying to be sweet and spend extra time with me. Maybe it’s Rigg’s turn to surprise me?
Of course, who better to be waiting for me in the apartment hallway than my boyfriend’s hunky business partner-in-crime? Yes, the very one I couldn’t get off my mind this morning—for better or for worse.
I realized it was too late for me to hide the fact I was wearing only briefs and one of my boyfriend’s old t-shirts—which on my build nearly looked like a muumuu—when I saw Alek’s piercing eyes. After pulling the door wide open, I quickly pulled it back and ducked behind it. At least Rigg’s shirt makes me look like I’m wearing a dress, I reassured myself as I realized that my underwear wasn’t even visible. A dress? Wait, that sounds worse. Ahhh!
At first, Alek looked a little uncomfortable. Smiling sweetly to acknowledge me, sure, but almost as though he wasn’t all too sure how to formulate the question he was about to ask.
“Eli, uh, Rigg hasn’t stopped by here, has he?” I watched Alek nervously play with the umbrella he curiously tossed between his oversized palms. He shifted his weight and adjusted his jacket, which sat tight against his sizable forearms and biceps. It almost seemed like his whole body was—is this weird to say—pulsating?
“Good afternoon, Alek. F-fancy seeing you here,” I stumbled, knowing full well I could never be annoyed at the gentleman Alek always was to me. The fact that he looked like a Scandinavian supermodel made it easier to not hate him, too. “Rigg’s actually not here at the moment, although maybe you beat him here if you’re over for a lunch date. Would you like to come in, Alek?”
Thinking of how weird it was that Alek had showed up at our condo almost distracted me from realizing how obviously uncomfortable he was. Alek was pulling at his collared shirt at this point, a few beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “I’m sorry,” he gasped. “Did you just invite me in?”
I thought nothing of it. “Yeah. Come on in and hang out. I’m sure he’s, uh, just checking the mail or something and he should be in.”
Alek seemed to look at the doorframe as though also seeking its permission to enter, as well. In fact, it looked like he almost wasn’t sure he truly could enter. Realizing I was watching his unusual behavior, Alek’s frown of concern flipped into an innocent smile as he finally stepped inside. The shiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead gave away his ‘cool guy’ demeanor, however.
I was already running to the bedroom to put on proper pants when I heard him calling for me. “Eli, I have to say that it’s always great to see your smiling face, but I’m guessing Rigg isn’t coming here.”
“Oh?” I popped back into the living room in an attempt to look like I hadn’t just rushed to answer the door looking like a total slob. “Well, sometimes he just works through lunch, as I’m sure you know and do, too.”
Again, Alek looked like he was carefully searching his mind for the right words. It was almost precious how much care he seemed to put into his communication with me. Admittedly, we hadn’t interacted enough regularly for me to see him as anything other than one of Rigg’s (hot) friends. Well, I guess hot friend turned coworker, in this instance.
I stepped into the kitchen to grab a stack of plates and utensils to prepare for a surprise midday lunch with an even more surprising guest. Maybe this will make him less nervous. Is that what he is?
“I-I seem to have misunderstood Rigg’s directions on where to meet to, uh, feed,” was all Alek managed before swallowing hard.
“Feed?” I asked absentmindedly as I busied myself with finding an appropriate side dish to accompany the lunch I was envisioning in my head.
“Oh, uh, eat!” Alek quickly responded. The tone in his voice suddenly changed. “If you’ll please excuse me, little guy, I’ll have to take a raincheck on the three of us, uh…”
I made eye contact with Alek as he searched for the rest of his sentence, and I found myself entranced. This sounds entirely crazy, but it almost felt like I was looking directly into his soul. It was like his emotions were laying bare in front of me, flailing around in his pupils like a kaleidoscope of color. The sensation reminded me of something my boyfriend had once told me.
“Yeah, there’s always been something about him, you know? It’s like this certain look he gives you—it’s mesmerizing. It’s like some kind of fiery desire he can just emote,” I recalled Rigg telling me. And the last bit of that past conversation didn’t relate to the moment at hand, but it replayed in my head, regardless. (I also remembered Rigg breezing over the subject with this conclusion: “But beyond that, I lived with the guy as a freshman and I can tell you he’s hung like a horse.” Oh, my!)
Imagine if Alek knew what my boyfriend and I had playfully joked about doing with him, I thought to myself. For a second, the look on Alek’s face made it almost seem like he suddenly did. He still hadn’t finished his sentence, either.
The change in Alek’s expression caught me off guard. I nearly lost my footing as I regained a sense of time. By now, he was opening the door and stepping into the hallway.
“Alek?” I softly called after him.
He turned to acknowledge me with a half-smile. “Please, uh, just have Rigg call me if he stops by,” was all he muttered before he disappeared down the hallway, umbrella and all. Shrugging it off, I closed the door and returned to the kitchen.
As I collected my thoughts, I couldn’t help but peek outside the window just over our kitchen sink. The sky was clear and blue; the sun shining bright. “Wonder what the umbrella was for,” I mused to myself.
As if Iwasn’t trying to take my mind off the fact that Rigg spent almost half of his waking time with such a gorgeous specimen as Alek, his strange visit was enough to keep my mind racing for the rest of the day.
“Really? That’s so—wait, like today?” Rigg asked in disbelief as he took a seat at the kitchen table some six hours later.
“I’ve been bugging you about updating your calendar,” I chuckled from behind him, pretending to play off the encounter as totally normal while I cleared the table. “You must have spaced out?”
“Or maybe he did,” shrugged my boyfriend as he stood up to intercept me. He leaned over and pressed his lips against my forehead, kissing me again on the cheek before pulling me in for a few more. “Not sure. We’ve been putting in some crazy hours at work. That’s really all I know at this point.”
I nodded and smiled. I was waiting for Rigg to add to the conversation, but when he didn’t, I chimed in. “Hopefully that’s a good thing?”
“Of course,” my boyfriend responded. “Alek has always been like that—constantly on the go, always seeming to work like three jobs at once while balancing his school work—and it’s almost, I don’t know, kind of addicting for him. At least that’s how it appears, anyway.”
I nodded. The fiery feeling I got when I couldn’t put down a project I was working on made me feel the same way. “Well, and it’s not like there’s a shortage of work, either, huh, babe? People die every day.”
“There certainly isn’t,” contributed Rigg as he helped me load the dishwasher, nodding his head in agreement. “But I have to say, it really helps when your coworker will spot you at the gym in between embalmings,” he added with a grin.
“Oh, I’m sure you two have been getting nice and sweaty together,” I teased. Or suspected.
“Hey, now, beautiful,” Rigg quickly interjected. “My man isn’t getting jealous now, is he?”
Shaking my head, I leaned over and pressed my lips against his. “Not at all.”
“I’m sure thinking about Alek and I shirtless, glistening in sweat, and grunting really gets you going, huh?” he teased.
“Hey, now! That’s entrapment,” I snapped back as I reached for a leftover bun we had out on the table. As I claimed my roll, Rigg joined me once again at the table with the butter in hand. “However…” my mind wandered as my eyes searched the table for a knife.
“Well,” Rigg quickly quipped back as he balanced the utensil I was seeking between his fingers, “I wouldn’t be lying if I said I wish you could join us.”
I saw where Rigg was going with this, but I was never the one to miss out on an opportunity to break my man’s back. “I’m guessing I couldn’t even spot what he lifts,” I retorted as he handed me the knife and I cut my bread. “Your weight, on the other hand, I can handle.”
“Well, I was getting to the hot and heavy details in a minute,” Rigg chimed in as he pulled his chair out. “But since we’re bringing the whole ‘questioning my manhood’ into it, I suppose I’ll just have to teach you a lesson.”
Before I could react, Rigg had swung his right arm under my legs. He hoisted me up, cradling me as he tickled me. I couldn’t help but to both break out into laughter and immediately become hard as he manhandled me.
My post-dinner snack and silverware abandoned at my table placemat, I wrapped my arms around Rigg’s neck to gain some leverage and leaned into his goofy grin for a playful peck on the lips. Instead, Rigg shoved his tongue inside my mouth and fastened his grip on me. I maneuvered to wrap my legs around his waist. The feeling of his rock-hard manhood throbbing against me through his pants sent another shiver up my spine.
“You know that what I hate most about these long days is missing out on my time with you,” Rigg whispered in my ear. “I’m also hoping to give you some very, very special rewards for your patience.”
Before I could react, Rigg had my much smaller frame pinned against the nearest wall. I felt his rough, manly hands quickly force their way up my shirt just seconds before he flicked and pinched at my nipples. “Is that right?” is all I could muster as my eyes rolled back in my head.
“As a matter of fact,” Rigg said between gentle kisses on my collarbone, “Alek and I had something fun planned for you early this afternoon, but unfortunately I got caught up with?—”
I opened my eyes as Rigg’s sultry sentence trailed off. The passionate, if not somewhat cocky look in my boyfriend’s eyes had been replaced by one of uncertainty. Maybe even fear.
“Are you all right, Eli?” I asked as Rigg looked down at my right arm.
Unbeknownst to me the entire time, a tiny trail of crimson had dripped from my hand down to my wrist. The blood was in stark contrast to my fair skin. “Oh,” I exclaimed as I let go of Rigg’s shoulders and examined my palms. “It looks like I got my finger with the knife.”
My ‘man of morbid’—a horror and sci-fi enthusiast who had not only studied how to handle dead bodies but now worked with them regularly—seemed almost grossed out by my blood. He carefully loosened his grip on me and allowed me to my feet.
“I-it’s all right, babe,” I leaned in and pressed a kiss on his cheek. “I’m fine. You can continue with the whole, you know, very special reward thing,” I added with a chuckle.
Suddenly, Rigg seemed nauseous. I could see the same pattern of sweat form on his forehead and neck as Alek had experienced earlier. Although my suggestion was simply playful and humorous, my boyfriend seemed somewhat concerned. But about what?
Rigg gently, but firmly guided me to the sink to rinse my finger under cold water to stop the bleeding. He avoided eye contact as he darted out of the room, reminding me to wash my cut with soap and warm water once the blood stopped. As I inspected the tiny cut, Rigg appeared next to me with a band-aid in hand. “Here, babe,” he said in a cold, quiet tone.
So, what? My funeral director of a boyfriend is hemophobic all of a sudden?
I appreciated his concern, but immediately noticed Rigg distancing himself. “Did that gross you out?” I asked.
After seeming to hesitate, he leaned in and gave me a quick, impersonal kiss on the forehead. “Sorry, babe. I just got scared for you for a second.”
I smiled. “It’s okay, Rigg. It’s cute, I suppose.”
“You’ll have to excuse me,” he responded quickly as he disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of him heaving and even vomiting concerned me. I quickly spiraled into caretaker boyfriend mode.
As we wentabout our evening together, I couldn’t help but find myself drawn back to Alek’s surprise appearance today. Coincidentally, it seemed like Rigg could tell.
Snuggling underneath our comforter and various layers of sheets, I traced my fingers across the length of my boyfriend’s furry chest as we lay together in silence. “You feel a little cold,” I remarked.
“Do I?” he asked. “M-maybe I’m getting sick.”
“Could be,” I replied as I placed my other hand on his forehead. “Maybe that’s why you gagged so hard when I went all gory on you.”
Rigg smiled at my joke, but I couldn’t help but notice his eyes were trained on my bandaged digit. “Y-yeah,” he replied. “You know, maybe I’ve been going a little too crazy at work. One of those rewards I was telling you about was to surprise you by taking a mini-vacation this weekend. Uh, Alek actually invited us to his cabin up in the mountains, and I thought you might enjoy that.”
“If not for us, then at least for you to get some good rest and relaxation,” I added, not necessarily considering the implication of Alek’s invitation.
My boyfriend nodded. “In the meantime, I’m going to get some shuteye, babe.” Rigg pressed a kiss on my forehead before readjusting himself to lie the other way. “Love you, little guy.”
“Love you, big guy,” I said with a smile as we exchanged one of a dozen cute little nicknames we had for each other.
Although my boyfriend drifted off to sleep quickly, I couldn’t help but stay awake and reminisce about the day’s events. From Alek’s surprise visit to his mention of ‘feeding,’ to my boyfriend’s weird reaction to my blood, it certainly seemed like being in a morgue is making both of them a little off-kilter.
The furthest thing from my mind was the suggestion that this all had to do with one of my to-be-announced rewards.
The next morning,a gentle peck on the cheek by Rigg woke me. Already showered and dressed for work, he leaned forward and whispered his morning ‘I love yous’ into my ear. Despite my grogginess and usual state of morning confusion, I just so happened to open my eyes at the right time to see two peculiar red dots peeking out from his collared work shirt.
Weird, I thought, as I completely missed them the night before. Whatever, I relented to myself as I stole another kiss from him before he disappeared.
It wasn’t until I finally realized what time it was that I was so surprised. For the first time in a long time, my boyfriend had disappeared for work before the sun had even come out. “Sucks for him,” I grumbled as I rolled back over and waited for my alarm. (And in retrospect, literally.)
As I went about my morning routine, it surprised me to see my phone buzzing with text messages from my boyfriend.
Rigg
So, what are your thoughts on potentially heading out of town on Friday for Alek’s cabin?
Eli
Let’s do it! What did you have planned for us to do out in the middle of nowhere?
My mind instantly wandered back to Rigg’s comments last night as I awaited his response. Compounded with the innocent conversation we had been having for several months now about spicing things up in the bedroom—even in our relationship—I couldn’t help but wonder what my boyfriend had been discussing with his mysterious coworker, and what he had in store for said vacation.
About twenty minutes later, my phone chimed again.
RIGG
Well, it might be a little cold to do too much unless it’s midday, but there’s some great mountain hiking, a nice little town just on the other side of the forest, and what Alek says is a rather dusty sex dungeon set-up in the basement.
“Wait, what?” I said out loud as I reread the message.
RIGG
Ha ha, just kidding, babe!
I found myself surprised I was blushing. The typing bubble popped up in our chat before I could even process what was going on.
RIGG
Well, unless you’re interested ??
Instead of responding right away, I continued about my morning tasks—starting some laundry, making a cup of coffee, and sitting down at my desk—before I decided to entertain my boyfriend’s leading texts.
ELI
I mean, I don’t know Alek all that well, but I’m happy to dust off his play things. Alek and I can test them out while you’re catching up on your rest ??
I was half serious in my response, so I waited with bated breath until my phone lit up again.
RIGG
Ha ha. I’m sure he would like that way too much. But perfect. We’ll leave tomorrow after work.
Both my mind and my heart raced at the possibilities, but I still had some reservations.
For one, in all the time I had known Rigg, I could never delineate between sarcastic Rigg and playful Rigg, especially in text messages. As such, some of his remarks warranted a brow raise. Second, this meant Alek was going to be joining us, right? I couldn’t help but to reminisce about our somewhat bizarre encounter yesterday.
Oh, and what was up with my boyfriend’s bite marks? Maybe that was just me coming out of a dream?
“More importantly,” I thought aloud as I typed away on my laptop, “is there going to be Wi-Fi?”