It was well past noon before
either of the brothers awoke, Bryant because the sun was hitting his bed,
warming him uncomfortably, Crispin because his cell was ringing.
“Yes?” Crispin answered
sleepily once he’d located the phone. There was a long pause and then the
caller hung up. Crispin frowned when he checked the Caller ID and found that
the number was blocked. “Telemarketing at this hour on a …” He suddenly
realized it was Friday afternoon and groaned. He wasn’t worried about missing
work, he’d told his boss he needed a personal day and the man had reluctantly
allowed it. But he was more than worried about how he was going to make things
right with Kent, if he could.
Now that the pressure to
play the game had been alleviated, for at least a little while, he had to
decide how best to approach Kent. The younger man hadn’t been at the health
club since their argument, or if he had been he’d been careful not to be there
when Crispin was. So, all things considered, it looked as if he’d have to pay
Kent a visit at home. The question was should he call first or not. Calling
would give Kent a chance to leave before he got there which, Crispin thought
ruefully, was undoubtedly exactly what he’d do.
On the other hand if he just
showed up at Kent’s apartment there was the possibility that he might run into
a situation he wasn’t ready to face, that Kent had already moved on with his
life and found someone who would actually reciprocate any feeling he had for
them without hesitation.
“Would he do that so
quickly?” he murmured to himself as he climbed out of bed and headed to the
bathroom. “I wouldn’t, but then I’m a romantic I suppose. When I say that I
care for someone I mean it.” A frown crossed his face as he tried to remember
if he’d actually voiced his feelings to Kent. The kissing and touching they had
done, to his mind meant that he cared. But he realized he’d never actually said
as much. Stepping into the shower he thought about what he could do to prove to
Kent that he didn’t want their budding relationship to end.
His mind played over several
scenarios, none of which seemed right to him. Sighing deeply, realizing that
some of them had inflamed his libido to the point that he was so hard he ached,
he turned off the hot water, letting the cold wash over him until he was
shivering so much that he could think of nothing but getting out and warm
again. At least that had taken him mind off the immediate problem.
Once he was dry he stood in
front of his closet trying to decide what to wear. After what seemed like ages
he finally settled on simply jeans and a deep blue button-down. Once he was
dressed he put his wallet and keys in his pockets, took his jacket from the
hanger on the back of the door and headed down stairs.
“Off to see pretty boy?”
Bryant asked, looking up from his meal as Crispin came into the breakfast nook.
“Maybe, if it’s any of your
business.” Snagging a cup, he poured some coffee and drank half of it in one
gulp, wincing as it burned the inside of his mouth.
“Brother mine you should be
more careful.”
“I’m in a hurry.” Crispin
put the half empty cup down on the sideboard. “I’ll be home when I’m home.
Don’t wait up.”
Bryant laughed. “Do I ever?”
But his laughter turned sour as he watched Crispin stride away. He’d known the
moment he saw him come into the room that something was going on with his
brother, something not good, and that that Kent person was the reason. “It just
might be time to do something about it,” he muttered under his breath.
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