Chapter 5
Chapter Five
“Aw, Mikey’s little stalker is here,” Patrick said, nudging Kevin with his elbow as they stood next to one another behind the bar.
Kevin glanced up from his task of mixing a Jack and Diet Coke. Sure enough, the kid was back, walking around the bar to his usual stool, which was unoccupied.
Kevin shook his head, smiling. “Then he’s in for a disappointment, isn’t he? And he ain’t so little, either.” The young man sat down and looked in their direction, then around the bar. Kevin waited a moment before going over to him. “Hey.”
The kid glanced up. “Hey. An Angus burger, tater tots, and a Cherry Coke, please.”
Kevin grinned. “Like I don’t know by now what you’re gonna order.
” Those cheeks were awful pretty when he blushed.
“Coming right up.” He went to the back bar to give Mitch the order.
When he returned, he noticed the young man scanning the room, a slight frown creasing his forehead.
Then his face fell. Kevin’s heart went out to him.
He could vividly remember being that young and crushing on a guy.
That customary sparkle in the kid’s eyes was no longer there.
“Oh wow.” Patrick appeared next to him, pouring out a glass of Blue Moon. “He’s sure got it bad, huh? Looks like a little lovesick puppy, don’t he?” He shook his head, his expression sympathetic.
Kevin had to agree. When Mitch brought out the guy’s meal, Kevin took it to him, placing it in front of him. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” As Kevin turned to move off down the bar, the young man cleared his throat. “Excuse me, but… where’s Mike tonight?”
Kevin could hear the hesitant edge in his voice. It was that more than anything that helped him decide. “Mike is… out of town this weekend. He’ll be back next time you’re in, though.”
The young man nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
He began to eat slowly but with none of his usual enthusiasm. Kevin watched him for a moment and then went back to pouring drinks. Now and again he’d cast a glance in the young man’s direction. He was still there, although he hadn’t finished his meal.
“Oh Lord, you might need to lend a hand to Mikey’s little pet,” Patrick said in a low voice. “He’s got an admirer.”
“So? What’s that to me?” Kevin retorted with a frown, handing over change to a customer.
“It’s Brenden, and he’s already way past tipsy.”
Kevin let out a groan. Brenden had a reputation for manhandling guys when he’d drunk too much.
Kevin peered around the bar. Sure enough, Brenden had taken up residence on the empty stool next to the kid.
He was leaning in close, rubbing the kid’s leg and moving higher up that muscled thigh.
The recipient of this up-close-and-personal attention looked panic-stricken.
The young man was trying to edge away from Brenden, his Adam’s apple bobbing, eyes wide.
Kevin moved close enough to hear what Brenden was saying, his speech beginning to slur.
“Hey, what’s your name? Where you from, sexy?”
Oh shit. Kevin wasn’t usually in the habit of interfering, but it was obvious from the wide-eyed, panicked stare and taut body posture that the young guy did not welcome Brenden’s advances.
Kevin walked across to stand in front of Brenden. He waited until Brenden regarded him with unfocused eyes and then leaned across the bar with his heavily muscled arms, tattoos all the way down to his knuckles, and growled. “I think we’ve had enough here, don’t you, Brenden? Now back off.”
Brenden stiffened. “Sure… sure thing, Kev.” He nodded in the young man’s direction and then sloped off the bar stool, heading toward the restroom.
Kevin watched him go with a shake of his head before turning his attention to the young guy in front of him. “You okay, kid?”
The young guy took a couple of deep breaths. “Yeah… thanks for that.” He gave Kevin a shy smile.
Kevin couldn’t resist. He reached across the bar and pinched the kid’s cheek. “You are just so cute!” He chuckled when the lad’s cheeks glowed bright red. “What’s your name, kid?”
“Tommy.” To Kevin’s surprise, Tommy extended a hand toward him and gripped his in a firm shake.
Kevin nodded appreciatively. “Well hi, Tommy. I’m Kevin.
That’s a nice handshake you got there.” The feel of those calluses told him plenty.
Tommy was a working man, and Kevin was liking him more and more by the second.
Kevin smiled at him. “Anyhoo, I’ll let you finish your food.
” Tommy gave him a brief nod, and Kevin walked off to the other side of the bar where Patrick was serving.
The older bartender peered at him with interest. “So? Does the puppy have a name?” His eyes gleamed.
Kevin chuckled. “His name is Tommy, and don’t you go calling him puppy to his face now, y’hear?
” He shrugged and added, “He seems nice enough. I’ll see if I can find out some more about him, seeing as he’s taken a shine to our Mike.
” Kevin grinned. “I’ll be sure not to scare him off.
’Bout time Mike got laid when it’s not in front of a camera.
” He waggled his eyebrows and then went back to work.
The bar was packed as usual for a Saturday night, and Kevin, Patrick, and Don had to work their asses off to keep up, especially being a bartender down.
When things had cooled off a little, he went around the bar to where Tommy was still sitting, observing the customers and occasionally raising his eyes toward the TV.
“You want another Cherry Coke, Tommy?” When he got a shy smile and a nod, Kevin was on it. He placed the glass in front of him and leaned forward, elbows on the bar. “So, where you from?”
“Americus, Sumter County.” Tommy gave a slight shrug. “It’s a real small town, so you might not’ve heard of it. Near Tifton.”
Kevin grinned. “I had you for a Georgia boy with that accent.” He loved the way Tommy’s cheeks grew pink. Next to him, Kevin could hear Patrick conversing with a customer, that deep voice rumbling away. He gave Tommy his full attention. “You’re not dating anyone right now, are you?”
Lord, those cheeks were scarlet. “No, sir.”
Damn, but he was a polite one. “An’ we know why that is, right? Seems you have a thing for older guys.” Kevin winked, and Tommy swallowed, eyes wide.
Beside him Patrick snickered and then leaned around Kevin to address Tommy. “Hey, I’m an older guy too, y’know.” He leered. “How about it, kid?”
Tommy burst out laughing, the sound delightful. “Er, thanks for the offer, sir, but no.” It was a good look on him.
“Hey, can I get you a shot of something? On the house?” Kevin offered.
Tommy shook his head. “That’s real kind of you, sir, but I don’t drink. An’ even if I did, I got my truck, an’ I wouldn’t drink an’ drive.”
Kevin nodded. Yeah, he was liking Tommy more and more. “Well, when you’re ready, the first one’s on me, y’hear?” Tommy gave him that shy smile.
Patrick leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I’ll bet Mike will be sorry to have missed you, but lover boy is out in LA, working in the heat—”
Kevin gave Patrick a swift dig in the ribs with his elbow, making the older man gape at him in surprise. “Yeah, well I’m sure Mike’s having a wonderful time on his celebrity bus tour.” He gave Patrick a meaningful stare.
Patrick frowned. “What the…?” Then his brow cleared. “Oh, yeah, he’s prob’ly having a grand ol’ time.” Nodding to Tommy, he walked off around the bar, Kevin following him. When they were out of sight and sound of Tommy, Patrick opened his eyes wide. “You think he doesn’t know about Mike?”
Kevin snorted. “I’d bet next month’s tips on it.
Oh, I’m sure he’ll find out eventually, but let’s see what happens before we get to that point, okay?
” He grinned. “Don’t you wanna see how things go between those two?
Lord knows Mike sorely needs someone since Dirk hauled ass outta his life.
” He stared at Patrick. “No sense in bursting the kid’s bubble.
He’s obviously a sweet little shy boy. Besides, it’s not our place to tell him, it’s Mike’s. Right?”
Patrick nodded slowly. “You’re right.” Then he chuckled.
“What?”
Patrick grinned. “I’m just picturin’ Mike and shy boy over there in a lip-lock. Think I’d pay good money to see that.” He went off behind the bar, whistling.
Kevin smiled to himself.
Lord, now there was an image.
Tommy opened the door that connected Ben’s basement apartment with the rest of the house and made his way to the large kitchen.
Everywhere was quiet, as it usually was on a Sunday morning.
Ben was still fast asleep, as it was way too early for his ass to be out of bed.
Tommy knew from habit that the only person likely to be around at that hour would be Ben’s sister, Bethany.
Sure enough, Bethany was leaning against the counter, her bathrobe tied loosely around her waist, a mug of coffee already in her hands. She smiled when he walked in.
“I was wondering where my Sunday morning coffee buddy had gotten to.”
She put down her mug and poured him some coffee.
This had become their regular time to chat.
Every Sunday morning, Bethany got up real early to play tennis at the Piedmont Driving Club, and she and Tommy would meet in the kitchen to drink coffee and shoot the breeze.
He liked these times. Usually when she and Ben were together, the atmosphere was very different.
Her nose was either permanently lodged in a book or in Ben’s business.
The siblings couldn’t be more different.
Bethany was the studious one. She was dead set on being an international business lawyer like her daddy.
Ben, on the other hand, was the one who always completed his assignments at the very last minute, scraping through by the skin of his teeth.
The number of times he expressed gratitude for having a damn good memory…
. Bethany clearly disapproved of his happy-go-lucky attitude.