CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It was late by the time they got back from the hike.
It was still light out, but they missed catering.
Harris was so exhausted that he wanted to stay in the RV and have Paul arrange for someone to bring them dinner, but Wolf wanted to walk around the festival.
Again, it was impossible to say no to those puppy dog eyes, so he texted Tyler to set them up with disguises, and they met him in the mobile hair salon.
“I have the perfect disguises for you two,” Tyler announced. “You’re gonna be bikers.”
“Bikers?” Harris asked on a laugh. “I thought you’d just give us a wig and a moustache or something. We don’t need a full costume.”
“Yes, you do. There are thousands of fans out there. If you’re recognized, it’ll be a mob scene, and it could be dangerous. You need to seamlessly blend into the crowd.”
“What makes you think there are going to be other bikers here?” Harris asked.
“Oh, please. Don’t you know your own fanbase?
Hard rock and heavy metal always attracts bikers.
I walked through that crowd last year and saw plenty.
People tend to give bikers their space, so it’ll be perfect.
No one will bother you or stare.” Tyler spun the salon chair around. “Wolfie, you’re first.”
Wolf climbed into the seat and Tyler got to work.
The first thing he did was pull Wolf’s hair back into a ponytail, then he wiped Wolf’s face down with a cleansing cloth.
When he was done, he took hold of Wolf’s chin and turned his face slightly from side to side.
“Look at those cheekbones. You should have been a model. And those lashes. I’m totally jelly.
” Next, he glued a huge, raunchy beard and moustache onto Wolf’s face.
“This is the hard part,” he said, flattening Wolf’s hair into a bun and stuffing all of it into a thin beige cap.
“Am I supposed to be bald?” Wolf asked, sounding a little horrified.
“Nope. You’re getting long, wild hair. Harris is gonna be bald.”
“What was that?” Harris asked, while Wolf pointed and laughed.
“Hush. It’ll look good. You’ll see.” Tyler produced a messy, tangled wig and fitted it onto Wolf’s head. It was so unlike his usual perfectly styled, beautiful head of hair that he truly was unrecognizable. “What do you think?”
“I look bad ass,” Wolf said.
“We’re not done yet. There’s a garment bag hanging in the bathroom with your name on it. Change and let’s see the final look.”
Wolf shot Tyler a questioning glance but went into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later, completely transformed.
He wore faded jeans with a hole in the knee, a black Harley-Davidson T-shirt, a leather vest, motorcycle boots, and a wallet with a chain that attached to his belt loop.
Wolf strutted over to the mirror and admired himself. “I look like an outlaw.”
He looked sexy and fucking hot, and Harris had to clamp his lips together in order not to say something totally inappropriate. He chose his words carefully and decided on, “You look tough.” But the way his eyes were eating Wolf alive told the true story.
“OK, you’re turn.” Tyler spun the chair around and motioned for Harris to take a seat.
Harris received a goatee and mustache in dark brown, opposite from his natural blond, and a fucking bald cap. How Tyler managed to make that thing look real was incomprehensible. “I look . . .” he couldn’t find the words. “Different. It doesn’t look like me at all.”
“That’s the point. Now go change your clothes.”
Harris found a garment bag with his name on it in the bathroom hanging off a hook on the wall and unzipped it.
The outfit was similar to Wolf’s—leather vest and chain wallet included—but he also had eight large silver rings for his fingers.
This was too funny. He exited the bathroom, a smile across his face.
“Do I look stupid? Because I love this outfit.”
Wolf walked up to him and stopped only a few inches away and gave him the onceover. Twice. “You look fucking hot.” Then he grabbed Harris’ face in both his hands and planted a hard kiss on his mouth. The facial hair was tickly and new, and a tingle ran straight through Harris’ body.
“Calm down before I get out the fire hose.” Tyler spun the chair around.
“You need one more piece.” He waved a black bandana in the air.
“Bald dudes don’t walk around in the sun without a head covering.
” Tyler tied the bandana over Harris’ head.
“There. Take a look at yourselves in the mirror, and let me know what you think.”
Harris and Wolf stood side by side and shared the full-length mirror, chuckling softly. “This should be our Halloween costumes,” Harris said. “We look like real bikers.”
Wolf punched his fist. “Let’s go fuck somebody up!”
Harris laughed, aware that Wolf was only joking.
“OK. Go have fun you two,” Tyler said. “I have clients coming in 15 minutes.”
“Thanks, bruh,” Harris gave Tyler one of those biker hugs he’d seen in the movies, and Wolf did the same.
The petite guy guffawed at the aggressive hugs, then fanned himself with both hands. “Goodness! That was . . . fun. You two are playing the part well. Stay out of trouble.”
Harris opened the door to the trailer and almost walked straight into Ethan. They hadn’t spoken since this morning’s confrontation, and he didn’t know what to say, so he stayed quiet.
“Sorry.” Ethan stepped aside, obviously unaware that it was Harris in front of him.
“It’s me. Harris.”
Ethan squinted and looked closer. “I didn’t recognize you.” Then his eyes shifted to Wolf. “Is that Wolf?”
“Yeah.” Wolf raised his hand in a wave. “Don’t we look like rebels?”
“Wow. Tyler did a great job on your costumes,” Ethan replied, dryly. “Have a good time.”
Harris started to exit the trailer, but he couldn’t stop himself from initiating a conversation. The air needed to be cleared between them before too much time went by. “Can we talk for a minute?”
Ethan stared at him. “OK. Let’s talk.” His gaze went to Wolf. “Just him. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Why?” Wolf’s lip curled.
“Because, what I have to say to him is different than what I have to say to you.”
“He’s gonna tell me everything you said.”
“I don’t care. I want to talk to him alone.”
“It’s OK, Wolf,” Harris reassured. “Wait here with Tyler. We’ll be right back.”
Wolf watched as Harris walked outside with Ethan, but before he shut the door Wolf said, “If anyone raises their voice, I’m gonna be out there in two seconds.”
Once they were alone, both Harris and Ethan eyed each other quietly. “Why are you mad?” Harris finally asked. “You don’t have any claim over him. You never did.”
“I’m not mad.”
“You’re jealous. What right do you have to be jealous? You saw Wolf with a hundred guys over the years. You were never jealous of them. Do you think I’m not good enough for him? You think I’m only playing around. I’m not. I’m in love with him.”
Ethan’s face when blank. “You’re in love with him? How long has this been going on?”
“We’ve only been together a couple of months, but I’ve been in love with Wolf for years.
I never said anything because I knew he was in love with you.
I had plenty of chances, but I never wanted to get between you two.
Who do you think he came to when his heart was breaking because you’d rather be with some other guy instead of him?
Me.” Harris slapped his chest with the palm of his hand.
“It fucking broke my heart to watch him hurting, and it pissed me the fuck off. You know how many times I wanted to grab you by the shoulders and shake some sense into you? And then you met Tyler and fell for him so fast. Poor Wolf got thrown to the curb. You broke his heart over and over again, and you never even noticed.”
“Whoa.” Ethan put his hands up and took a step back.
“First of all. I’m not jealous. I love Tyler.
Completely. With all my heart. He’s my guy.
The guy I want to spend the rest of my life with.
I don’t have feelings for anyone else, including Wolf, so let’s get that straight, up front.
As far as me breaking Wolf’s heart, that’s bullshit.
I love that guy. Don’t think for one minute that I don’t.
I’d do anything for him. I’d die protecting him.
I’ve been looking out for him my whole life, and I’ll spend the rest of it doing the same.
I would never intentionally hurt him. I didn’t know he was in love with me.
I thought we were just having fun. He never once insinuated that he wanted more.
Sometimes we went months without being together.
Sometimes we spent months in each other’s bed.
That was our dynamic, and it was that way since we were teenagers.
We both had our own separate love life. Don’t think for one second that I didn’t feel like shit when Wolf told me he was in love with me, because I did.
I beat myself up a million times for not realizing it.
But I’m not a fucking mind reader. I didn’t know.
If I did, I would have ended it. I would never string him along. I’d never do that to him. Never.”
Harris narrowed his eyes as he took in everything Ethan said. He knew the guy was sincere and knew Ethan would never hurt Wolf on purpose. He wasn’t sure about the jealousy part, though. “Why do you have a problem with me and Wolf being together?”