Chapter Seven
Dickens
“Another happy customer.”
Sunshine flounced back into the office. Going way above and beyond, she’d driven Miss Edna over to the library. Far too hot for the elderly lady to walk. Apparently Sun also offered to stay until Miss Edna had given the books to Marnie, but the woman claimed she had a ride home planned with the shuttle bus.
I was cooler, but not by much. Hoofing around campus to secure a limited-edition copy of the book, and Raven’s autograph, had taken much out of me.
This weather was nuts for June, and apparently tomorrow was going to be worse. We were promised a thunder shower, but those things rarely materialized. We’d be lucky if we got a few drops.
Which reminded me…
“Sun, are you up to watering the flower bed?”
The city installed one a few years back, but The Owl’s Nest took responsibility for it. We had flowers, but we also grew a few herbs. A nice touch.
“Sure, boss.”
The woman looked as cool as the proverbial cucumber. Maybe the flowy dress? She had bohemian chic down pat.
Today, I didn’t stand a chance in my khakis and golf shirt. I needed to give up all semblance of propriety and throw on my shorts and white T-shirt. But I wouldn’t. I was raised to believe image in the store meant everything. My father’d worn a tie and my mother a proper dress. The move to khakis was a departure.
Except Sunshine, of course. She’d worn flowy dresses as well as jeans and blouses for as long as she worked here.
My parents never applied the same standards to her.
I glanced down at my disheveled outfit. Might I consider going more casual?
The clientele had changed over the years. We saw many younger people who didn’t want to read books on their phones, while their parents embraced technology. The anonymity of an electronic device. And some of our long-time clients, like Miss Edna, were fading away.
I wiped my brow and headed over to the a/c to lower the temperature. The sale of Raven’s book would cover the cost. I’d wanted to sell the book at cost to Miss Edna, but she insisted on paying full retail. She gave me that glare, and I didn’t argue.
As I grabbed my ice-cold water in my stainless-steel water bottle, I remembered Sunshine’s warning words from earlier. That I should have plenty of water on hand to give to Spike. Like the older man was my responsibility or something.
Not that much older.
And so your type.
Did I really need the voice in my head admonishing me?
Shut up.
Sun re-entered the store. “You should totally take him a bottle.”
With that little bombshell, she took the watering can through to the back room.
Damn interfering woman.
And if she said it, then it needed to be acted upon. Likely in the moment.
I followed her into the back room to grab a bottle of water as she headed back into the store.
I discreetly sniffed my pits, which weren’t too bad, and braced myself for the onslaught of heat. I strode through the store, purposely ignoring Sun, and headed into the soupy day.
A haze hung over us, here in the lower Fraser Valley.
My parents’ home had been up in the mountains north of town, and I would’ve preferred to live there, but I didn’t have the funds, so I got to live down here with the pollution. One day, I promised myself. One day I would live up in the clean air.
My strides were a little less strident as I made my way to Spike’s shop. I hoped to find him inside sipping an iced coffee, but no such luck. I followed the sound of cursing, through the open garage door and into the enclosed workspace, open to all the elements. How did he plan to work here in the winter? Actually, likely very few bikes needing repair when it snowed, or the temps hit well below freezing. Maybe he went to Arizona for the winter?
The object of my obsession dropped a wrench on the ground and let out another string of expletives.
“You’ll frighten away the customers with that mouth.”
I reconsidered. “Okay, maybe just some of them.”
“Fucking hell.”
He let out one long breath, then rose and, after a fashion, turned to face me. Despite not being in direct sunlight, his skin was an abnormal lobster-red and his breaths labored.
I made a grab for his arm.
He swayed dangerously.
I advanced again, this time not taking no for an answer. I snagged his elbow and, after a moment, he let me lead him inside.
Since the door was open, the inside wasn’t much better.
I noted the door to the office, and saying a prayer he had sense, herded him that way.
A blast of cold air hit us as we entered the room. I all but shoved him into the chair, then pivoted to close the door as quickly as possible. I uncapped the bottle and shoved it at him.
Plenty of shoving going on right now and none of it sexual.
Did you really have to go there?
Yep, I did. Aside from the red color of his skin, he was still damn sexy. I didn’t mind a bit of sweat. Especially after sexual exertions.
“Not thirsty.”
He mumbled the words and tried to bat away the water.
A bit spilled onto his shirt.
I growled.
Spike cracked an eye. He took the water bottle. Or tried to.
Guiding the bottle, I held on as Spike drank. Greedily.
“Hey, slow down.”
I pulled the water back.
This time, Spike growled.
“Relax. Slow sips.”
I placed the back of my hand on the man’s forehead. Way too hot. “We need to get you into a cold shower.”
“Will you fuck me in the shower? I have this fantasy…”
His words trailed off as his eyes slid shut.
Should I call an ambulance? Or drive him to the hospital?
Calm down.
I knew enough about first aid to get us through this situation. Didn’t I? I yanked out my phone and texted Sunshine, asking for help.
Thirty seconds later, the front door to the shop opened.
God, I truly loved the woman.
She stepped into the back room. “He doesn’t look so good.”
“Do you think he needs to go to the hospital?”
“Am fine. No hospitals.”
Spike’s voice was stronger.
“I’d say start by cooling him down.”
“That’s the plan.”
I glanced around the room. “Can you put a sign on the door and lock up? I think if you leave through the back door, you won’t need keys.”
She gave a brief salute. “All taken care of, boss. Get your man upstairs.”
She eyed Spike again. “And if he doesn’t improve, then yeah, call to get advice. Like if he gets confused, loses consciousness, or can’t drink water. Who’s your doctor?”
“Owen McCauley.”
I answered her question.
“You’re golden.”
She made a shooing motion.
I needed no further encouragement. Between the two of us, we managed to get Spike on his feet. I led him around to the stairs up to his apartment. We made it up without too much trouble, and I was fishing in his pocket for his keys when he opened the door.
“You didn’t lock your door?”
“Wanted to be able to drag you up for a quickie.”
I looked at him incredulously.
“Gotcha.”
The corners of his mouth turned upward. “I was in a hurry this morning, and wasn’t planning to leave the property. I figured I’d hear anyone moving around up here.”
“With the racket of your shop and the bikes? Not likely.”
“Motorcycles.”
He corrected me. “And I have to find a Kendra for Harley.”
He scrunched his forehead. “No, a Harley for Kendra. Not for Noel, though. Uptight prick believes motorcycles are dangerous.”
“They are.”
I’d gone to school with Noel and had no clue Kendra was into motorcycles. But she was much younger than me. “Look, this is a pleasant conversation, but we need to get you stripped and into the shower. Or maybe a bath.”
I really needed to google heat exhaustion. I didn’t even know what his core temperature was.
Interestingly, Spike’s apartment was the mirror opposite of mine, and his bathroom was on the outside wall of the building. Always too cold during the deepest winter months.
Where Spike’s differed from mine were the luxurious appointments. He had a separate shower and tub, two sinks, and a nice, pretty toilet. And, to top things off, a lovely, frosted glass window.
When I indicated the toilet seat, he sat acquiescently. I turned on the water, carefully gauging temperature. I wanted to cool him down, but I didn’t want to shock him with cold. We weren’t at that stage.
At least I hoped not.
A hand touching my back startled me. Still crouching, I pivoted back.
“I’m really okay.”
He rubbed his forehead. “Truly.”
“Well, that’s great. We’ll get you cooled down, and then I’ll decide if you’re really okay.”
I snagged the hem of his T-shirt and, with a little help from him, managed to get it over his head.
My breath caught.
Yeah, I’d suspected he was good-looking. Okay, I suspected he was gorgeous.
My imagination hadn’t done him justice. Apparently working in a repair shop and riding a motorcycle left a guy ripped. Or he worked out on top of everything else. Man, the guy was perfection.
I, on the other hand, was softer. I walked, listening to audiobooks, but I didn’t spend any time at the gym. He hadn’t seen me earlier when we’d been fucking, so he didn’t know. Maybe he wouldn’t find me attractive. Maybe all he cared about was my cock.
Get your head in the game.
The tub was just about full, so I shut off the water. When I reached for the button on his jeans, though, he stilled my hands. “I can do this.”
“I’m sure you can, but you’re going to let me help.”
“Dickens, I—”
I glared.
He relented.
After unbuttoning his jeans, I coaxed him into standing. I unzipped his jeans and dragged them, along with his underwear, down his legs and to the ground. Of his own volition, he stepped out of them and over to the tub. Within moments, he was lowering himself into the chilled water.
He hissed.
“Suck it up. It’s the quickest way to cool you down.”
Once I was sure he’d stay and also wouldn’t pass out and drown, I left him to it. Had I noted the pretty cock nestled in the thatch of dark curls? Absolutely. I wasn’t blind. Did I shove that thought aside as I called Dr. MacCauley? Yes to that as well.
“He’s on his lunch break,”
his very officious receptionist informed me after I introduced myself.
“It’s kind of urgent.”
She chuffed. “Well then, you should go to the urgent care clinic or the hospital. Or you could call the nurse’s hotline.”
All reasonable suggestions. But I wanted to speak to someone I knew. “Please.”
I wasn’t above begging.
Another chuff. Finally, at length, “Hold, please.”
Tinny muzak came through the speaker, and I made a note to tell the doctor that he really needed better hold music. Another day, though.
“Hey Dickens, what’s up?”
The relief was instantaneous. “Hey, uh, sorry to bother you.”
“No bother. What’s happened?”
“Well, I have this…friend…and I think he’s suffering from heat exhaustion. Or I don’t know, maybe heat stroke…?”
“That can be very serious. Do you know what his core body temperature is?”
I wracked my brain to think if either Spike, from what I’d seen, or I, from what I remembered, had a thermometer. “I don’t know. And I don’t have a thermometer either.”
“Well, you’d have to take the temperature rectally to get an accurate reading.”
“What?”
God, let me have heard wrong. “I’m pretty sure he’d tell me to fuck off.”
“So he’s talking? Communicating? Coherently?”
To my knowledge, Spike’d never been a chatty guy, but he seemed okay to me. “Yeah, when he talks, I mostly understand what he’s saying.”
“Not much of a talker?”
“No, frankly, not.”
“Where is he now?”
“In a tepid bath.”
“And he seems to be cooling?”
I poked my head inside the bathroom. Spike lay in the bathtub with a towel under his neck. Most of the red color was gone. I quietly slipped back out. “Yeah, I’d say he is.”
“Okay. Of course I’d say bring him in, but something tells me if that’d been a possibility, you’d have already done it.”
“You know me well, Doc.”
He chuckled. “So, monitor him. Any signs of disorientation, call an ambulance. If he can’t take in water, or doesn’t cool down, don’t hesitate. If you’re still worried in a couple of hours, I can drop by on my way home.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Do. And I think you’re due to come in soon. It’s been a while.”
“Haven’t done anything worth mentioning.”
Except I had. Just this morning, in fact. But I’d used a condom, so it didn’t count.
Right?
Likely wrong on that belief. It probably did count.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Oh—”
How to put this tactfully? “—your hold music is appalling.”
Owen chuckled. “I think you’re feeling calmer. Get some more liquids into your friend, call if you want a visit. I’ve got to go. One of my regulars just arrived, and I don’t like making her wait.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
What that, he was gone.
And I felt truly alone.
I snagged the abandoned water bottle, added more cold water from the tap, and headed back into the bathroom. Spike was rising from the bathtub, and droplets of water covered his fantastic skin. His arms and neck were a shade darker than his pale skin where the sun didn’t touch. Clearly he didn’t sunbathe naked. I put the bottle of water on the counter and reached for a towel.
Once he was safely on a bathmat, he took it with some gratitude. Grudging, but there.
“Drink some more water. Do you want clean clothes?”
I indicated to the apartment behind me.
“I can get them.”
He squinted. “But thank you. For all of it.”
I backed out of the bathroom and headed toward the kitchen. When at a loss for things to do? Cook.