Chapter Forty-Three
“Hey, Mike?” Joesph called from the bottom of the staircase that led up to the apartment. “Could you come down here for a moment, please?”
“On my way.” Mike stood back up and looked at Jamie, giving him a slight smile.
Before Jamie knew what was happening, all of his worldly possessions were piled around the small living space of the apartment. Salzy, Joesph, and Mike carried it all up the stairs. When Jamie got up to help, Joesph pushed him back down in his chair.
“There’s only one more load to carry up and we don’t need you. Just sit there and try to look pretty.”
Jamie scowled at him.
“Whew,” Salzy said, wiping his brow. “I worked up a thirst.” He tipped his bottle of German beer and drained a good third of it. He held the bottle up and looked at it. “I could get used to this.”
“Then you buy the next case,” Jamie snorted.
Salzy had brought his boom box and had it turned on to a local country radio station.
“Oh, I love this song,” Salzy said as he jumped up and started dancing in the confined space. “Come on, Joe, dance with me.”
Joesph went stiff. “I do not think there is enough space, Sally.”
Salzy laughed. “You’re so funny.”
Mike leaned forward and looked at the bottle of tequila in the center of the table. He looked up at Jamie, his eyebrows raised. “How much have you had?”
“Not as much as this one,” Jamie answered, pointing his bottle at Salzy, who was dancing away, oblivious to the others.
When the song ended, Salzy sat down, downed what was left in the glass that held the tequila. “Damn, this shit is good.” He reached for the bottle.
“I think you may have had enough for one night,” Joesph said, snatching up the bottle and putting it on the kitchen counter behind him.
“Aw, you’re no fun.” Salzy smiled crookedly then tipped the bottle of beer back.
Jamie snorted. “Yeah, I seem to remember you saying that to me a few times,” he said, aiming his comment at Joesph.
Joesph lowered his gaze at Jamie. “I suggest you don’t go talking out of school. That blade can swing both ways.”
“Touché,” Jamie responded, taking a sip of his beer.
“How long have you two known each other?” Mike asked, smiling.
“We’ve known—” Jamie started.
“We have known each other long before either of us were legal to drink,” Joesph answered, cutting Jamie off. “So, a long time.” He gave Jamie a withering look.
Mike laughed.
“Oh... this song,” Salzy all but shouted as he jumped up and started dancing again. “Is it hot in here? It’s hot in here.” He ripped off his shirt. Literally ripped it off, leaving the remnants of the tattered shirt on the floor.
When he started to unbuckle his jeans, Jamie jumped up. “Okay, I think it’s time for someone to call it a night.” He took both of Salzy’s hands in his, and Joesph turned off the radio.
“We gonna dance?” Salzy asked, a silly grin on his face.
“Yep, we’re gonna dance you right on over to your bed.”
Mike stood up, helping Jamie guide the visibly drunk man towards the door.
“What?” He looked up at Mike. “You are so hot!” He then looked at Jamie. “Yo, bro, you gotta tap that.”
Joesph belted out laughing, Jamie giving him a go-to-hell look.
“Come on, there, buddy,” Mike cajoled Salzy. “Let’s get you to bed.”
“You know, I’m not gay, right?” Salzy muttered as the door shut behind him. “If I were gay, I’d marry Jamie. He’s a good guy.”
“I know he is,” Mike said.
“You know, he kissed me once.”
“Oh?”
“Time to hush up now, Salzy.” Jamie was holding Salzy under one arm, and Mike was holding the other as they navigated the stairs.
Salzy turned his head towards Jamie but then missed a step. Had it not been for Mike, they’d have both gone down the steps.
“Look where you’re going, Salzy.” Jamie got another grip on the man.
When they finally got Salzy up the stairs to his own apartment, Jamie was sweating profusely. “Damn, I’m going to need another shower.”
Salzy flopped backwards onto his own bed. “You’re a good brother,” he slurred. “I’m glad you’re my brother.”
Jamie undid Salzy’s jeans. “Lift your butt.”
Salzy did, and Jamie pulled off the jeans and then Salzy’s socks. “You have any aspirin?”
“Bathroom.”
“I’ve got some water,” Mike said, holding a large glass with the water.
Jamie found the aspirin and took the glass from Mike. “Here. Drink this and take these aspirin.”
Mike pulled Salzy up by the hands into a sitting position.
“Here.” Jamie held the water out.
Salzy took it, spilled a little on his chest. “Whoopsie.”
Jamie steadied the glass. “Now these.” He put the two white tablets in Salzy’s hand.
Salzy did as he was told, drank most of the water at Jamie’s insistence.
“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning,” Jamie said.
“Okay.” Salzy turned over, hugging a pillow and proceeded to pass out.
“Well, that was fun.” Mike was waiting for Jamie at the bottom of the steps.
“How did he drink so much of that tequila without me noticing?”
Mike shrugged his shoulders. “I guess because we were all talking and didn’t notice. But he sure did put some away. I’d say he’s going to have a very fat head in the morning.”
Jamie snorted. “Ya think?”
“Um...” Mike hesitated at the steps up to Jamie’s apartment. “Think I might could crash on Salzy’s sofa. I’d ask for yours, but it’s already taken, with all your clothes and all.”
Jamie looked at Mike. “I’ll bunk in with Joesph. You take my bed.”
“I can’t take your bed,” Mike protested.
“You can and you will.” Jamie pushed Mike forward or tried to. “Joesph and I have slept together before.”
“Oh?” Mike refused to budge.
“Not like that,” Jamie sighed as he pushed on Mike’s back. “Now will you just go?”
“We’ve never done the nasty,” Joesph said, huffily from the top of the steps. “Best way to ruin a good friendship. Will the two of you just come on? It’s after eleven o’clock and I want to go to bed.”
Mike started climbing the steps again. “I feel bad taking your bed.”
“I offered, didn’t I?”
Mike stopped again. “You know, you and I... could just share.”
“Nope.” Jamie pushed hard on Mike’s back in front of him. He almost started to push on his butt. “I have a spare toothbrush.”
Mike reached Joesph and smiled at him. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem.” Joesph waited until Jamie reached him, one eyebrow raised.
“No. Just no,” he whispered and entered the apartment. “Just let me get some clothes out of my room, and then it’s all yours. I’ll find that toothbrush.”
Joesph had already washed up the glasses, dried them and tidied up the kitchen.
“You need the bathroom?” he asked both men.
“I’m done in there,” Joesph answered, sidestepping Jamie. “I’m going to bed.”
Jamie got Mike a toothbrush. When Mike was done in the bathroom, Jamie bid him a good night.
When Jamie finally joined Joesph in bed, having showered, he sighed and closed his eyes.
“Now that was a missed opportunity,” Joesph whispered, his back to Jamie.
“Just... go to sleep.”