Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Tommy sat at the kitchen table, eating toast and drinking coffee.
Ben was still asleep, making the most of the last Friday of the winter break before school started again on Monday.
His parents were up and active, his daddy getting ready for work.
Bethany was sitting next to Tommy, eating a bowl of cereal, a textbook propped open in front of her.
“Not at the table,” Caroline admonished, arching her eyebrows when she spotted Bethany. She poured out another cup of coffee and handed it to her husband before sitting down next to him with her own.
Bethany sighed and closed the book, not without a sideways glance at her dad, who was reading his newspaper. Tommy nudged her knee with his. “You’re on a break, remember? Plenty of time to hit the books next week when you’re back at school.”
She gave him a half smile. “You looking forward to getting back to school?”
It was Tommy’s turn to sigh. “When I work out what I’m doin’, sure.”
Caroline paused, her coffee cup midway to her mouth. “What do you mean?”
Benson peered at Tommy over the edge of his newspaper.
“I just have some thinkin’ to do, is all,” Tommy said with a shrug. “’Cause I’m not sure I want to go on studyin’ agriculture.”
Caroline’s smile was sympathetic. “Well, I can certainly understand that. Have you given any thought as to what you’d like to study? What is it that you love to do? That might be a good place to start.”
“Can I butt in here?” Benson folded up his paper. “I would also add, what is gonna make you some money for a secure future? Because you have to be practical these days.”
“You sure about giving up on the farming idea?” Bethany asked him.
Tommy considered the question. “To be fair, I liked workin’ on the farm, but….” He smiled at them. “I liked workin’ with my animals more. Lookin’ after the pigs, takin’ care of my horse, Titan, stuff like that.”
Bethany beamed at him. “Then why not work with animals? Ben says you’re a smart one. You could become a veterinarian.”
Benson was nodding. “If your grades are good enough, then maybe you should consider it. And from what you’ve told us already, you’re on a Hope scholarship, so it’s not like you’re tied to a particular major.
Sure, you might need some further funding, but there are other scholarships you can apply for. ”
“I think this sounds wonderful.” Caroline rubbed her hands together. “You need to look into it, Tommy.”
“But sooner rather than later,” Benson added, picking up his paper once more.
Tommy nodded absently. Like he didn’t have enough on his mind already.
Such as a certain bartender.
“You going out tonight?” Ben asked. “Or do you wanna stay in and have a Friday night movie? I could rustle up some popcorn, and we could veg out on the couch.”
Tommy was in no mood to go out. Even though Mike had shown him lots of bars and clubs he might like to visit, Tommy wasn’t sure about going to any of them. And as for going to Woofs? He could still picture that stunned expression on Mike’s face.
Guess I messed that one up, huh?
“Think I’ll stay in tonight.”
Ben sat down next to him on the couch. “I did think you might be going to… wherever it is you go to.” His eyes gleamed. “Still not gonna tell me?”
“Nope.” Tommy picked up a cushion and threw it at Ben, who dodged it. “Besides, I don’t think it matters anymore, ’cause I messed up.” One whole week of thinking about how Mike’s mouth had felt against his and Tommy’d had enough.
“Oh God, what have you done?” Ben stared at him.
“I kissed a guy, all right?” Tommy replied defensively.
Ben beamed at him. “But that’s great! Isn’t it?”
“Woulda been great if he’d liked it, I s’pose, but—” Tommy sighed heavily. “—I don’t think that was the case.”
Ben frowned. “Okay, change of plan.” He got up and disappeared through the door that led to the main part of the house.
Tommy grabbed the cushion he’d flung and hugged it close.
He’d had such a good time on Monday, right up to the point where he’d thrown his good sense to the wind and kissed Mike.
It had seemed like such a good idea at the time… .
Ben crouched down next to him and held out a bottle. “Surprise!”
Tommy peered at it. “Peach schnapps? Where’d you get that?” Ben sat on the floor next to the couch and put the bottle on the little coffee table in front of it, along with a couple of shot glasses. “An’ have you forgotten I don’t drink?”
“It was left over from the ’rents’ party,” Ben explained, “and there’s so much liquor upstairs, they’ll never miss it.”
“They will if I tell them.”
Tommy gave a start at the sound of Bethany’s voice. She stood at the foot of the couch, grinning and holding a third shot glass.
“I saw you take something from Dad’s liquor cabinet, and I figured you were up to something.”
Ben scowled. “Get lost.”
Bethany’s face fell, and Tommy’s heart went out to her. He got on well with Bethany.
“Aw, don’t be like that, Ben. She can stay, can’t she?” Bethany was doing an awful good impression of a puppy dog, gazing pleadingly at her brother.
Ben rolled his eyes. “Oh, for God’s sake.” He speared her with an intense glance. “As long as you promise not to tell Mom or Dad.”
She grinned. “If you’re willing to share, my lips are sealed.” She plonked herself down on the couch next to Tommy and held out her glass. “Fill ’er up.”
Ben muttered under his breath but unscrewed the cap and poured her a glassful before filling his and Tommy’s.
He handed Tommy the shot glass. “Here you go. And yeah, I know you don’t drink, but there’s a first time for everything.” He winked. “And this is that time.”
Tommy huffed in resignation and took the proffered glass, sniffing at its contents.
Ben laughed. “Oh, drink it. You’re not a churchgoing choir boy anymore.”
That made him chuckle. “Trust me. I was never in the choir. My singin’ sounds like a cat bein’ strangled.
” He watched Ben and Bethany toss theirs back in one gulp.
Oh, what the hell. Tommy drank the shot in one go and then coughed when it hit the back of his throat.
When he’d recovered, he licked his lips.
“Hey, that’s not bad.” It made his belly warm.
“Kinda sweet, huh?” Ben refilled his glass and then the remaining two. “It tastes great over ice too.” He leaned back against the couch, glass in hand. “So, you gonna tell me about this guy of yours?”
“You’ve got a guy?” Bethany bounced on her seat cushion. “Way to go, Tommy!”
“He’s not my guy,” Tommy insisted.
Ben waggled his eyebrows. “But you’d like him to be, right?” He peered at Tommy’s glass and gave him a stern glance. “You’re not drinking enough.”
“Pushy, pushy.” Tommy drank the second shot, only this time he didn’t knock it back so fast. “That really is nice, y’know.” Right then he was feeling warm and muzzy, and it felt good, like he was somehow disconnected from himself.
“Tell me about this guy,” Bethany demanded, her eyes shining. “What’s he like?”
“Well,” Tommy began slowly, “he’s older ’n me.”
“How much older?” Ben twisted around to stare at him.
“I’m not rightly sure.” Without thinking, Tommy stroked his chin. “He has a beard, an’ there’s some gray in it, if that helps.”
“Oh my God, he’s old!” Ben exclaimed, gaping at him. Bethany smacked him on the back of the head. “Ow!”
“You’re not the one dating him, so shut up,” she said, eyes blazing.
Tommy chuckled, his head swimming just a bit. “I’m not datin’ him either.” He gave his head a little shake. Woo, this stuff was stronger than he’d thought.
“You may not be dating him, but you have kissed him,” Ben said smugly.
Bethany let out a squeal. “You kissed him?”
Ben put his hands over his ears. “Geez, Beth, I think you just went ultrasonic.” He grabbed the bottle and held it out to Tommy. “And you need some more of this.”
“No,” Tommy protested weakly, but Ben ignored him and filled his glass to the brim. Tommy stared accusingly at him. “You’re tryin’ t’get me drunk.”
“Yeah, and by the look of things, I’m succeeding too.” Ben gave a wicked chuckle. “Now drink it up.”
Tommy brought the glass to his lips and drank its contents in one mouthful.
Peach schnapps was definitely growing on him.
He liked the way it made him feel, warm on the inside and so comfortable it was like he’d melted into the couch.
He lay on his back, a cushion stuffed under his head and his socked feet on Bethany’s lap.
She didn’t seem to mind, judging by the way she was rubbing them. Damn, that feels good.
He lay there enjoying the foot rub, letting the pleasurable sensations roll over and through him. “So what you wanna know about Mike?”
“Oh, his name’s Mike.” Ben was still sitting on the floor near his head. “Where d’you meet him?”
“At Woofs. ’S a gay sports bar. Mike works there.”
“Is that where you were New Year’s Eve?” Bethany asked.
Tommy nodded. “Lord, you shoulda seen ’im.
He was wearin’ this teeny tiny little leather jock strap that just about covered his dick.
” He was dimly aware of Bethany’s muffled gasp.
“An’ he has these really wide shoulders, an’ his chest is furry”—he grinned—“but not as furry as his butt. Oh, an’ his legs?
Oh my, the muscles in those thighs….” This time Tommy definitely caught Bethany’s strangled giggle.
“Whass’up?” He craned his neck to peer at her, but the room swam a little and he dropped back onto his cushion.
“Nothing,” she insisted after clearing her throat. “So where’d this kiss happen?”