I could a tale unfold - 19

Between intense rehearsals for Kirk and the rest of the cast, and the final fittings of the costumes that left Ross feeling like murdering a couple of the cast members just on general principals, both men were tense and edgy when Kirk finally arrived in Ross' domain at the end of the day.

"If we hadn't promised Otis we'd meet him here…" Kirk grumbled as he hopped up on a cutting table, lying down with one arm covering his eyes.

Ross smiled, slowly running one hand up Kirk's leg. "If we weren't expecting him any second now I'd ravage your sexy body."

Moving his arm so that he could look at his lover, Kirk grinned. "Sexy, huh?"

"Very." Ross played his fingers over the burgeoning bulge in Kirk's jeans.

Kirk groaned low, then yelped when Otis appeared, sitting cross-legged at the end of the table, watching the two men. "You into voyeurism?" he asked, sitting up to glare at the ghost.

With a shake of his head, Otis jumped down, getting the pad and pencil to write, "If I were, wouldn't have shown self."

"Good point I guess." Kirk chuckled as he swung his legs over the edge of the table. "So, we have some questions for you."

Ross took the carefully folded list from his jeans pocket and opened it. "First, Otis, did you work here?"

Otis nodded. Then with a flourish, he mimed that he'd been an actor.

"Should have guessed," Kirk said with a laugh. "You've got a flare for the dramatic."

Bowing melodramatically, Otis grinned before turning back to Ross, eyebrows raised in question.

"Next, well two questions, what was your boyfriend's name, and did he work here too?"

Otis went back to writing, handing the pad to Ross when he'd finished.

"You are so kidding." Ross looked at him. "Is that why…?"

Kirk glanced between them. "What? What's going on? Don't keep me in the dark damn it."

"His boyfriend was the costumer for the theater company."

"Damn. Okay." Looking at Otis he said, "So you were just waiting for someone like us, who matched the two of you, you and…?"

"Charles Mayes," Ross told him.

"You and Charles. Any particular reason for that, other than the synchronicity?"

Otis shrugged and shook his head, then nodded. "Felt right," he wrote after Ross gave him back the notepad.

"So you waited until it 'felt right' before deciding to ask for help." Kirk smiled. "I suppose that makes some sort of sense."