Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
T heo’s first week had been merely confusing and a cakewalk compared to his second week in Oslo, Dewey was finding. Lane 5 was down for half a day—when Dewey had just got it working again—until Theo realized where he had lost his bracelet. Dewey didn’t know who David Yurman was but was glad that Theo wasn’t too upset about it getting crushed and that the pinsetter’s elevator drive shaft wasn’t broken.
While the bowling alley had been unusually busy, most people weren’t interested in bowling. They were there to get a closer look at Dewey’s new employee and tenant and to speculate about any possible romantic developments between them. Dewey would be the last person to complain about extra traffic in the bowling alley—he was selling a ton of candy and had to call his vendors for early deliveries of snacks and drinking cups—but he would’ve preferred he wasn’t the main attraction.
Cassie and Keith were to blame. Of course.
She was telling everyone that she was on a mission and wouldn’t let Theo slip through Dewey’s fingers. Keith was telling everyone that Dewey had new rules at the bowling alley for Theo.
“No. That’s not true,” Dewey told Pete Barber as he was ringing the older man up. Pete ran a hardware store and was a pastor. “Theo can sit anywhere he wants. Keith is full of shit.”
“I didn’t think that was right or the sort of thing you’d do, but Theo is European and all.”
Dewey stared at the married businessman, irritated and offended. On his own behalf and Theo’s. “No one said Theo had to sit on my face. That’s not allowed and why would I even want him to?”
“Well—”
“ Thank you for visiting Brooks, Pete. Have a great night,” Dewey said, cutting him off with a horrified look.
Pete held up his hands, laughing. “I heard a song about it the other day on TikTok. Thought it was just the sort of thing you did while you were visiting foreign places, like Paris or Amsterdam. Everyone’s trying everything these days,” he explained.
Dewey’s head hurt like hell, thanks in part to Pete, and he was wiped out from an extra busy Saturday night. “I’m not and no one’s sitting on anyone’s face in this alley. I can’t believe I have to say that,” he muttered, shaking his head and hitching a thumb at the doors. “Go home and stay off of TikTok, Pete.”
“Where are your pores?” Cassie asked Theo, her arm around his as they returned from checking the restrooms.
“I may have had a laser treatment or two,” he whispered loudly. “I always double cleanse before bed and my brother put me on the best retinol serum a few months ago.”
“Oooh! I’m not brave enough for a laser treatment, but I would be interested to know what kind of cleanser and serums you’re using. Bet they’re pricey,” she said and Theo hissed sheepishly.
“I think they might be,” he said while taking out his phone. “But I’ll be low soon so I’ll order more for both of us and you can tell me how you like them.”
She groaned at Theo, shaking her head. “You don’t have to—” she started but stopped when he shushed her loudly.
“Das wei? ich! Just like I know you do not have to feed me nearly every day. It’s nice to have a way to return your kindness. Not that you need it, your pores and your complexion are flawless,” Theo told her, making Cassie roll her eyes.
“Stop!” she giggled, then gasped excitedly. “Why don’t you move him to the house, Doobie?” she asked and swung back to Theo. “I hate the thought of you in that Winnie. It’s so cramped and if you really want to return my kindness… Move in and give Doobie a hand at the house and you’ll never go hungry again.”
“A hand with what?” Theo asked her, glancing at Dewey.
“I don’t need help,” Dewey answered briskly, shaking his head at Cassie. “And I like my pores just the way they are, so don’t try to put any fancy serums on me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Theo replied. “As Cass said, they’re very expensive, and a bar of soap and bacon grease seem to be working for you.”
“Bacon grease?” Dewey rubbed his temple as his brain throbbed harder.
“I don’t know…” Theo shrugged. “American men find a way to put bacon in just about everything. I saw bacon toothpaste at an airport recently.”
Cassie’s face twisted and she gagged. “Ew!”
“Ekelhaft,” Theo agreed, nodding. “Brooks’s pores are fine and half of his complexion is hidden by a beard. I’m a pampered idiot and tend to have more issues if I don’t shave. Beard grows too thick and curly, thanks to my mother’s genes,” he said, then canted toward Cassie. “I’ve never lived with anyone other than my brothers and I’m enjoying the freedom and privacy. I’m not sure if I’m ready to give that up just yet,” he said apologetically.
“I suppose that’s fair,” she conceded. “Plus, you’re probably more traditional, being Austrian and Catholic. You should get married before you move in together.”
“True,” Theo said with a solemn hum. “I almost begged him to marry me the first morning, so I could use his shower, but I’m getting the hang of it.”
“I’d never be able to survive a night in the Winnie,” she stated and shook her head. “Nope. I’m not outdoorsy or a hippie. I need lots of hot water and toilet paper and I don’t do bugs.”
Theo chuckled. “I didn’t do bugs either. It’s more like living inside a suitcase, my clothes take up so much of the space. But it’s been fun and I’m learning a lot about myself and what I can accomplish when I don’t want to freeze my ass off.”
They laughed at that until Cassie held out her hand, wiggling her brows at Dewey. He knew what was coming and shook his head but her gaze locked on Theo. “I should take off before it starts snowing. But before I go, winner gets a wish!” she said.
“Don’t—” Dewey ordered but she snatched Theo’s hand.
“A wish?” Theo asked with great interest, earning a weary groan from Dewey.
“You’re gonna have to thumb wrestle her.”
“Ach so! I can do this. We call it Fingerhakeln in Austria and it is a traditional competitive sport for us,” Theo said, making Cassie and Dewey giggle and snort.
“No one’s ever beaten her,” Dewey warned, worrying about what Cassie had up her sleeve. A thumb war was her favorite way of planting a bomb right before she vacated the premises. “She has freakishly fast thumbs and a gorilla grip. You’re screwed.” He stopped letting her trap him long before he started having problems with his hands but Cassie could still catch an unsuspecting victim now and then and turn them into an accomplice.
“Don’t listen to him!” she insisted as she eyed Theo with feral glee.
“You needn’t worry. I am the family Fingerhakeln champion,” Theo boasted, rotating his thumb defiantly at her.
Cassie gasped, her maniacal grin stretching even wider. “Are ya, now?”
“This is going to be ugly,” Dewey predicted and crossed his arms, bracing himself.
“One, two, three, four… I declare a thumb war!” she sang.
“Ow! Mist!” Theo cried half a second later when his thumb was instantly clobbered and smooshed. “How did you…?”
She flung his worthless hand back at him, looking supremely pleased. “Ha!”
Dewey shook his head at Theo. “Told you.”
“I didn’t even have a chance,” Theo complained while massaging the palm by his thumb. “Why is her hand that strong?”
“No one can explain it, but most of us know better,” Dewey said with a sigh, glaring at Cassie. “Now, what?”
She clapped and did a little dance. “Eeek! Now, you kiss!”
“No,” Dewey groaned, shaking his head.
Theo shrugged. “Okay!” he said and Dewey threw him a startled look.
“Okay?”
“Why not?” Theo said with another casual shrug. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“Perfect!” Cassie jumped out of the way and shoved Theo at Dewey. There was another giddy squeal and a hop. “As much as I want to stay and witness the magic, I think you’ll have more fun if I poof and let you enjoy this in private.”
“Could you poof yourself into a different country?” Dewey asked her, making Cassie roll her eyes.
“I have a feeling you’ll thank me later. You finally get to kiss a guy and see if you’re really bi,” she said, widening her eyes at him.
“I wasn’t that worried about it,” Dewey mumbled, but caught Theo checking his breath and wished he hadn’t spit out his gum.
“Okay! Have fun and go easy on Doobie,” she told Theo, earning a thumbs up from him.
“He is in very good hands.”
“I know he is!” she reached and gave Theo’s cheek a squeeze. “I will expect a full report on Monday. Or else,” she whispered as she backed away, then left with a malevolent cackle.
Dewey leaned and watched, waiting until her Ford Explorer turned out of the parking lot before chuckling “Whatever. Let’s turn everything off and lock up. I’m wiped out.”
He went to shut down the workshop but Theo caught his sleeve and gave it a good yank.“Not so fast! I have a report to deliver on Monday.”
“No, you don’t. Just tell her it was fine and to mind her own business,” Dewey suggested but Theo shook his head.
“That would not be the honorable thing to do and I have been very curious,” he said with another casual shrug.
“Curious? About kissing me?” That didn’t make sense to Dewey, but so little did when it came to Theo.
He nodded as he squared up to Dewey, squinting as if he was sizing up an opponent. “Should I go slow and be gentle since it’s your first time? Or, should I let go and see how wild and rough we can get?”
“Wild?” Dewey shook his head, too nervous about all the ways he’d mess up if he lost control.
“Slow and gentle it is!” Theo raised his hands, giving Dewey a moment to consent before cradling his face and moving in.
Dewey’s heart was racing so fast, but he didn’t want to breathe or blink or move a single muscle as Theo angled his head and their lips brushed. A rush of goosebumps and warmth spilled down Dewey’s body and he was dizzy as Theo’s tongue swept along his lips and teased the corner.
“Open,” he whispered, making Dewey jump.
He hadn’t realized his lips were firmly clamped and his gasp was swallowed as Theo’s tongue swirled around Dewey’s. The languorous slide of Theo’s tongue created sparks of heat and goosebumps and Dewey felt tingles in places he didn’t know he had.
“Mmmm…” Theo nodded faintly, tipping his head sideways and sliding in closer to Dewey as his tongue lapped and twirled. The hands around Dewey’s face swept into his hair. He felt like he was sinking, sinking, sinking into warm bliss and was starving as he sucked on Theo’s tongue and his lips.
“Krass!” Theo panted as he pulled away, dazed and blinking. “We should probably stop there or we…won’t.” He laughed and gave Dewey’s shoulders a friendly shake. “Not so bad, ja?”
“That was fine,” Dewey managed with a weak nod. His toes were still curled tight in his boots and he would probably come if one of them touched his belt buckle, but it was fine. “Might set Cassie on fire on Monday, though,” he said but Theo laughed again and gave Dewey a push to get him going.
“She’s just trying to help. Let’s get everything turned off so I can enjoy the rest of that kiss in the Winnie,” he said with a cheeky wink.
Theo might have been teasing and had already shaken it off, but Dewey was still dangling off the edge of a cliff as he stumbled through the last of his chores. He was aching, he was so hard and desperate for more. He could barely believe that he had actually kissed someone like that in public but Dewey would have gone all the way if Theo hadn’t come to his senses and stopped them.
“That’s everything,” Dewey said after all the pinsetters were shut down and headed for the side exit so he could lock it behind Theo. “Have a good night.” He held the door open and jumped when Theo kissed his cheek.
“I’m certain I will! You too, Brooks,” he said with a playful salute, then jogged to the Winnie.
Dewey stared, wishing he was brave enough to follow. He was shaking, he wanted to so badly and it didn’t seem fair, that something involving him—or an imaginary version of him—might happen and he wouldn’t be able to witness it.
“She isn’t helping. Cassie and that kiss just might ruin my life,” he said, dragging his feet as he headed for the front door and his truck. He’d do his best to enjoy the rest of the kiss once he was home, but Dewey had a feeling Theo’s version would be much better.