Truth or Spare (Princes Take New York #2)

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A broken ‘open’ sign was not how Dewey wanted to start his Tuesday, but he wasn’t too worried. He’d had his eye on a good used one on Ebay and everyone in Oslo already knew when the bowling alley opened and closed. People would turn up on the same day and time they always did and when Dewey installed the new sign, they’d complain about how they liked the old one better.

That was how it usually went. No one ever noticed or cared until something changed and the new thing was rarely better. Dewey often wondered if he was running a bowling alley or a museum, hamstrung by customers who craved modern conveniences but put a high premium on nostalgia.

Tradition and technology went hand in hand in a bowling alley, which meant that something usually needed repairing. Thankfully, Dewey was handy and could fix damn near anything as long as his actual hands cooperated. The arm on lane 2’s pinsetter was broken again, but Dewey’s arms weren’t bothering him yet and he appeared to be having a good hand day. So far, he’d been able to remove the arm without too much trouble and his hands weren’t shaking around the screwdriver’s handle.

He was also grateful that Tuesdays were slow so he could fiddle with the smaller pieces while he minded the front desk. Dewey’s days were nonstop and draining from Thursday afternoon to Saturday night, so his peaceful Monday and Tuesday mornings were sacred and when Dewey usually caught up with everything that had broken down over the weekend.

His quiet morning was put on hold when the front door opened. Dewey looked up from the junction box he was repairing, entranced as a vision from one of his wet dreams strolled up to the counter. Dewey assumed the man was lost and in need of directions. He was way too handsome and immaculately groomed to be from Oslo.

The pristine khaki field coat was another clue, along with a gray cashmere V-neck, and crisp, dark blue jeans. The gorgeous stranger smiled, apparently delighted as he surveyed the bowling alley. Dewey knew plenty of people who’d qualify as tall and strapping, but no one carried themselves like they didn’t have a care in the world and owned the place.

“Can I help you?” Dewey asked with a curious lift of his brows, and the other man’s eyes grew even brighter, his lips curving into a dazzling smile.

He pressed a hand against his chest, bowing elegantly. “Good afternoon. I was passing by and I noticed the ‘help wanted’ sign on the door. It says you have a room as well and I’m in need of a place to stay,” he said in a heavy European accent, gesturing over his shoulder. It sounded German, but Dewey heard a slight British lilt as well. He spoke like a prince and looked like he’d stepped out of a Disney movie, with his dark, wavy hair, rich brown eyes, square chin, and a sharp, stubble-dusted jaw.

Definitely not from Oslo.

A loud laugh burst from Dewey as he imagined tossing the obviously pampered newcomer a wrench or a pair of bowling shoes. “That’s hilarious. What can I do for you, friend?” he said as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, but the other man’s head drew back and he frowned at Dewey.

“I’m…looking for a job and a place to stay…” He turned to the glass doors and the faded sign Dewey had hung up after Bryce left for college. “Is the position no longer available?”

“Sure…” Dewey replied hesitantly. “But the job only pays $20 an hour and it’s a lot of…manual work. It gets pretty dirty back there,” he explained as he pointed the handle of the screwdriver at the workshop behind the lanes. “You could mangle your hand or worse, if you’re not careful around those pinsetters.”

“Ausgezeichnet! I’m not afraid of getting dirty and I’m certain I can learn!” the other man said cheerfully.

Dewey was desperate for help and the gorgeous Germanic model certainly looked fit enough. He just didn’t look like he knew what a wrench was, let alone how to operate one. “Right…” Dewey said, still skeptical. “The room is actually a Minnie Winnie, out behind the bowling alley. It’s $350 a month and cable and internet are included and you can use our water and electric, they’re already hooked up with a hose and an extension cord.”

Instead of being offended or concerned, the other man grew even more enthusiastic. “A Minnie Winnie? I’ve never stayed in one but that sounds cozy! My name is Theo, Theo…Hessen,” he said as he offered a hand.

Dewey noted how clean and smooth it felt as he clasped it and wondered how fresh Theo’s manicure was, his nails and cuticles were immaculate. “Nice to meet you, Theo.” Dewey narrowed his eyes, searching Theo’s for any sign of sarcasm or fuckery. “I’m Dewey Brooks. What brings you to Oslo?” he asked without hiding his wariness, earning a jaunty shrug from Theo.

“A Greyhound bus,” he replied with a wink. “I’ve never ridden on one before and thought it would be an interesting way to see the rest of the state. I’ve visited Norway’s Oslo and wanted to see if America’s was just as charming. I got off the bus and saw your sign and thought it must be fate guiding me here.”

“Here?” Dewey was baffled. “There’s nothing in Oslo, aside from this bowling alley and the VFW. It’s mostly farmland between here and Syracuse. You might try Manhattan, more of your type to mingle with in the city,” he suggested, but Theo waved him off with a laugh.

“I’ve had a wonderful time in Manhattan and I’ve made many friends there, but I’ve never been much of a city boy. I prefer a quieter, slower pace, and I like being useful.”

“Okay…” Dewey still wasn’t convinced but neither of the teenagers he’d hired had lasted more than two weeks. The hours were long, there were always things that needed repairing, and it was hot, cramped, and dirty work on a league night or when they had dollar games. “Let me see where I put the applications,” he said as he stepped back to check the shelves under the counter.

“How about this?” Theo said loudly and gestured for Dewey to come around and join him. “Show me this Minnie Winnie and where I’ll be working and we can sort out the application later. I’ve never done one,” he confided out of the corner of his mouth. “And the last formal position I held was with the Austrian army, ten years ago. I’ve spent most of my time bouncing around and helping out wherever I land, when I’m not at home and taking care of my brothers.”

“I see…” Dewey lied. “And you’re not needed back in…Austria anymore?” He didn’t know very much about Austria, other than it was almost like Germany but smaller and known for its mountains and romantic castles. Aside from a few concerts and some trips to Canada for cheaper skis, sticks, and skates, Dewey had barely stepped foot outside of New York, let alone the United States.

“Regrettably, no,” Theo said sadly. “My eldest brother just got engaged and is settling in rather well as head of the family again. And our youngest brother, Eli, is busy with university and is tired of my hovering and meddling.”

“I know how that goes,” Dewey said as he dug his keys out of his pocket. “Bryce hates when I fuss over him.”

“Is Bryce your son?”

“Nah,” Dewey said, shaking his head. He couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across his face. “He’s my brother’s boy but I raised him. He’s going to Cornell and is gonna be an engineer,” he boasted. “Kid’s so smart, he got a full scholarship,” he added with another shake of his head. “Don’t know where he got that brain, but he’s my little Einstein.”

“Eli’s studying astrophysics and I have no idea how that demon got to be so smart,” Theo sighed, then flashed Dewey another heart stopping wink. “He’s a terror, but he’s our pride and joy.”

“We got lucky with Bryce, I guess.” Dewey waved for Theo to follow him down the three steps and onto the lanes, then headed for the emergency exit on the other side of lane 1.

“What if you have a customer?” Theo asked as he jogged to catch up and Dewey snorted.

“We won’t have any customers. Not until the Senior Strikers get here and the blue hairs don’t start trickling in to practice for another hour or so,” he said, checking his watch. “But if anyone should wander in, they know I haven’t gone far and can help themselves, if they don’t feel like waiting.”

Theo hurried ahead to get the door for Dewey. “That’s very trusting of you.”

“Not really. What’s there to steal? Some cheap shoes and house balls?” Dewey said, still slightly wary as he stepped past Theo. They weren’t Neanderthals in Oslo, by any means, but Dewey couldn’t recall a man ever opening a door for him like that. And who brought those kinds of manners to a bowling alley?

The Minnie Winnie was just a handful of yards from the back door.

“Not exactly the Ritz, but I replaced the mattress and the upholstery, put in all new flooring, cabinets, and updated the little appliances a few years ago. No one’s been interested in renting it though, so it’s still in nice shape. For what it is,” Dewy added cautiously, tossing his chin at the door as he found the key on the ring.

Dewey had remodeled the Winnie and had planned to sell it, but changed his mind after he was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis and rheumatoid arthritis. Instead, he had parked it behind the bowling alley and told everyone it was for rent so he had a discreet place to rest when things were slow. It was heaven, whenever Bryce was there to hold down the fort and Dewey could sneak out and take a nap.

“Krass! I love it!” Theo declared, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

This time, Dewey held the door for Theo and let him climb inside first. Dewey stifled an appreciative groan, smothering it with a cough before climbing in after Theo. He smelled beautiful. Dewey didn’t know if it was possible, but Theo smelled just as beautiful as he looked. Or, he smelled just as beautiful as one might expect by looking at a man as beautiful as Theo Hessen.

Which made his presence and excitement about the trailer even more unbelievable. “Are you on the run?” Dewey whispered as he pulled the door closed behind him. “I won’t get in your business, but you’d probably be better off if you can get to Canada. Is that what you’re trying to do? Find a way into Canada?” he guessed, causing Theo to laugh.

“Good heavens, no! I’ve never broken a law in my life as far as I know. I meant what I said: I wanted to get away from the city and try my hand at something new and see if I can be useful for a while.”

“At a bowling alley in a nothing place like this?” Dewey asked, leaning against the narrow door as Theo peeked in cabinets and the little microwave. Like Dewey, Theo had to bend and duck his head to make his way through the narrow galley to the bed.

“Wirklich? Oslo seems as good as any place and I have always wanted to visit a classic American bowling alley. And you need help.” He glanced back at Dewey, daring him to deny it. “I’ll take it.”

“Great,” Dewey replied flatly, his instincts grumbling that he’d just signed himself up for more trouble. That was Dewey’s curse: he couldn’t turn his back on a stranger in need or ignore a stray, even when he was the one in need of rescuing. But for some reason, Dewey trusted Theo Hessen and was willing to give him a shot, despite having very strong misgivings.

I hope that reason isn’t in my pants. Or his…

But Dewey knew he was sunk when he craned his neck to get a better look at Theo’s ass as he bent over to check out the Winnie’s mini fridge.