Chapter Thirty-One Los Angeles
The doorbell rang at nine p.m.
Piper was in his bed, laptop open, playing film he was not watching.
Piper wondered who it might be at this hour, but with the way his life was going, he was open to anything.
He grabbed a shirt and shorts and headed for the door. He could see a large shadow on his porch.
It was Noah. He was in a hoodie and jeans, wearing sunglasses with a cap pulled low, the way Noah dressed when he didn’t want to be recognized in an airport.
“Hey,” Noah said.
“Hey.” Piper held his ground in the doorway. Noah didn’t step forward. For a second the only thing that happened was the two of them looking at each other through the open door, and the late-evening November heat.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah.”
Piper stepped back. Noah set his duffel by the door. He didn’t take off the cap. He coldly walked past Piper into the kitchen, not theatrical, just cautious, just Noah proving a point.
Piper tracked it. He was reading the room tonight.
“You didn’t call me back. You didn’t text.”
“I know.”
“For days.”
“I know.”
Noah turned and looked at him.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Nothing happened.”
“Piper. Stop bullshitting me. This game has to end now.”
“Nothing happened that hasn’t been happening for fucking years!” Piper yelled. Frustrated with himself, at what he had become, at popping off.
Noah waited. He’d triggered something in Piper he hadn’t experienced yet.
Piper hadn’t meant to say it. He had meant to have this conversation in vague terms that would leave out details that might harm Noah.
The sentence had arrived before he had decided to let it.
Don’t tell him what your life is! Don’t do it!
Piper thought, slamming his fist on the marble countertop in the kitchen.
Piper stood in the kitchen, his fist still on the countertop.
“Sit down.”
“I’m fine standing.”
“Sit the fuck down!” Piper shot back.
Noah sat on one of the island stools. He set his forearms on the counter and waited.
“Want a drink? You are going to need one after this,” Piper said as he grabbed a bottle of Far Niente Chardonnay and two glasses.
“His name is Jayson Days. I know you know him,” Piper said.
Noah nodded once.
“He has funded me for nine years. Ten million a year. I do what I am told in matters of my career and provide sex and companionship when he and his friends want it. This is all I have known. Noah, this is my life and you don’t deserve the scraps of me left over.”
Noah kept his eyes locked on Piper.
“Look at me Piper.”
Piper’s eyes connected with Noah’s.
“All I know is I want you, and no contract is going to change that.”
“The amendment says if I’m with you, the payments stop, and I will owe the IRS $40 million fucking dollars.”
“Okay, and?”
“Okay is not what you say to that.”
“Okay is exactly what I say to that. Ten million a year, the tax bill, we will get it all figured out. Dude, we both are two of the highest paid quarterbacks in the fucking league.”
Noah’s voice stayed low. “Is that the thing, the money? So this is the reason you gave me the fucking silent treatment for days? Ten fucking million dollars a year?”
“No, the money is just the thing, the arrangement is no longer a choice and breaking the rules has real consequences.”
“Tell me why it’s not that simple. This asshole has clipped your fucking wings to the point where you forgot you ever learned how to fly.”
Piper went quiet. “I don't think I ever learned to fly.” Tears welled in Piper’s eyes as he tried to hold back the heavy emotion penetrating every part of his body.
“He’ll destroy you,” Piper said.
“He’ll try.”
“He’ll succeed. You don’t understand what he has. He’s had years to prepare for exactly this, and he has prepared for it. So yes. I’m protecting you. Don’t argue with me about this.”
“So that’s what this is.”
“That’s what this is,” Piper confirmed.
Noah looked at the counter. He wasn’t angry, not yet. He was sorting what Piper had said against what Piper hadn’t said. Piper could see the sort happening behind Noah’s face.
The thing he could not see, and didn’t know until Noah said it, was the conclusion.
Noah was still watching him.
“Is this what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Say the rest of it.”
“This is what I want.”
“No. You got half of it out. Say the fucking rest.”
Piper closed his eyes. He opened them.
“This is what I want, and you should go.”
Noah didn’t get up.
He sat on the stool with his hands still flat on the counter. He looked at Piper for a long time. Piper held his eyes.
“Okay,” Noah said finally.
He still didn’t make a move to leave.
“Before I go,” his voice calm as his eyes welled with tears, “one thing.”
Piper waited.
“I’m going to need to remember this night as something other than the night you read me a press release about your secret life.”
Piper took his time. After a second, Noah stood up.
“You need to leave. Jayson can’t know you are here.”
Piper pulled Noah to the door. “I need you safe, Noah.” Piper’s eyes filled with tears. He could not remember the last time he cried, maybe it was the first time he saw The Bodyguard, he couldn’t remember.
Noah kissed him, “I’m not leaving Piper. Jayson can go fuck himself. I’m not afraid of him. He can’t own you. He can’t own my beautiful, messy, unusual, piece of fucking work boyfriend!” Tears streamed down Noah’s face.
“One last night together. Then we are rivals again,” Piper replied, unable to control his own tears.