The Merger – 17

 

"What's on your agenda today?" Josh asked, walking into Mike's office Monday morning, three weeks after their combined agency had officially opened.

"Going to one of the lawyer's offices to pick up two summonses they want served then tracking down the recipients. You?"

"Checking out a security system I installed a couple of months ago. The owner says one of the cameras isn't working the way it should." Josh shook his head. "My bet, knowing him, he decided he wanted it facing a different display case and when he tried to aim it there, he messed up the connection."

"He monitors them himself?" Mike asked.

"Yeah. He didn't want to pay the extra to have me do it. He wanted all the bells and whistles but was only willing to pay me to monitor the alarm box for any unauthorized use."

"By employees?"

Josh nodded. "If someone tries to break in, the call is automatically directed to the police. He just wants to know if any of the people who work for him come in after hours for some reason."

"Why do they have the alarm code? Okay, never mind. It's a case of the first one to arrive disarms the box rather than standing around waiting until he shows up."

"Exactly. The same thing in reverse when they leave. "

"I hope he had someone do background checks on all of them before giving them the code."

Josh laughed. "Angling for a new client? I have no idea if he did or not, but one can hope. Okay, see you later. Have fun serving summonses." He stopped in his office to print out a report for his client about when the system had been armed and disarmed within the last week then headed to the client's place of business.

*****

"I never touched it," the client, Mr. Allen, protested after Josh checked the angle of the camera in question. "Why would I want it watching my office door?"

"Well, someone did," Josh replied. "Whether they intended to break the connection or not, it happened. When did you realize it wasn't working?"

"Yesterday morning. I'd have called you then but it was Sunday. I decided waiting a day wouldn't hurt."

"Have you checked the contents of the display case to make certain nothing is missing?" Since the case the camera had originally been aimed at contained dozens of engagement and wedding rings, it was a valid question in Josh's opinion.

Apparently, from his frown, Mr. Allen hadn't. "It didn't occur to me. I thought the camera had gone down, not that there might be a reason behind it." He studied the case in question, his gaze moving from one item to the next. From across the store, two of his employees watched as they waited on customers. As far as Josh could tell, neither of them seemed particularly worried—just interested.

It took a few minutes, but when Mr. Allen was finished, his frown had been replaced by a scowl. "I need to check invoices from yesterday," he said, striding into his office with Josh right behind him. He pulled up the computer records of sales from the previous day. "It looks as if we're missing four diamond engagement rings. If I find out who took them…"

Josh took the printout he'd done from his bag, handing it to Mr.. Allen. "Someone came in just after midnight on Sunday," Josh said after they'd both looked at it. "I presume it wasn't you."

"Hell, no. It had to be one of the people working for me. Right?"

"A logical conclusion. A thief wouldn't have entered the security code. He'd have had tools to bypass the system instead, including turning off the cameras. I take it that didn't happen, except for the one that's been moved."

"No. I'd have said something if none of them had been working." Mr. Allen sighed. "Now I have to find out which one of my employees stole from me."

"If you want, I can have my partner come by to talk with you then you can decide whether you want to hire him or not." When Mr. Allen nodded, Josh said, "I'll have him call you, probably later today. In the meantime, I'll reset the camera and fix the connection. If it happens again, call me immediately."

"Believe me, I will," Mr. Allen replied.

*****

Josh didn't get to talk to Mike until early afternoon when his partner returned from serving the summonses, grumbling, "Some people should understand that slamming the door in my face will not stop them from being served. It just pisses me off."

Josh grinned. "Tell me you didn't punch them out after you finally handed them the summons." 

"Tempting, but no. Did you find out what was wrong with the guy's camera?"

"I did." Josh went on to explain, including the fact that Mr. Allen was waiting for Mike to call.

Mike did, setting up an appointment to talk to Mr. Allen that afternoon.

The Merger – 16

 

Mike almost asked if Josh didn't drink because it made it harder to forget the past—and his brother. Deciding that would not be his smartest move right then, he remained silent as they returned to Thirty-One Twelve. When they entered, the voices and the music swept over them. He felt Josh relax and smiled to himself. "If we move fast…" He pointed to two men just vacating a pair of stools at the bar. They hurried to grab them then ordered their drinks when the bartender arrived.

"When's your next bodyguard… Never mind. You said you have a standing appointment to escort some club owner to and from the bank on Saturday mornings," Mike said after taking a pull on his beer.

"Yep. I pick him up at eight forty-five so that we're there at nine when the bank opens. I think he could do it safely enough without me, but who am I to turn down easy money?"

"Do you dress all in black, like the guys in the movies?" Mike teased, suppressing a grin.

"You bet," Josh replied seriously. "Down to the black fedora and wingtip shoes." Then he laughed. "You should know better. You said you've been a bodyguard a few times."

"I have. Now I can pass those jobs on to you. They are not my thing, if I can help it. I always feel like there's a target painted on my back."

"It's all in the attitude," Josh replied, tapping his temple. "Believe you're better than any bastard who wants to rob or attack the client and you will be." Josh sipped his drink, looking around. "There's your friend…umm, Ben?"

Mike looked where Josh was pointing, spotting him. "Seems like he got over you putting him in his place the last time we were here." Mike said that because Ben was definitely taking advantage of the crowded dance floor, pressing against his partner so tightly that they practically melded into each other.

"We should dance, too," Josh said. "Not tonight though, since it's getting late and I do have to get up pretty early in the morning, but maybe next time."

"Sounds good to me. I take it you're about ready to go?"

"As soon as I finish this." Josh held up his glass then tapped it to Mike's bottle. "To our new agency and our new friendship."

"I'll drink to that." Mike did, finishing his beer as Josh tossed back the last of his club soda. "Ready?"

Josh was, so they left, walking to where Mike had parked his car. When Mike asked, Josh said he'd walked, as always, and declined Mike's offer to drive him home.

"Thank you for listening to me," Josh said.

"Thank you for trusting me with your story," Mike replied. Impulsively, he hugged Josh, quickly pulling back. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Yep." Josh looked at him, smiled, and gave him a quick hug in return. "Bright and early."

"Try for nine. That's when we open."

Josh laughed. "After four days there, I've figured it out. See you then."

Mike watched as he walked away. "He's a good man. Given half a chance, I could become very attached to him, as Mom used to put it," he said under his breath as he got into the car. Yeah, I definitely could.

The Merger – 15

 

 

"When I told you I have a brother, it was the truth, as far as it went." Josh looked down at his now-clenched hands. "When I was ten, I had two brothers—Nate, who was two years older than me, and Bobby. He was the baby of the family—six, at the time. That summer we went to visit my aunt and uncle for the month at their house in the country. We did it every August. It gave my parents a break from having to deal with us." He smiled briefly without humor. "And gave my aunt a chance to have kids around. She and my uncle didn't have any of their own, no matter how much they wanted to.

"My uncle loved to hunt. He had a large collection of guns—or at least it seemed large to me and Nate. I suppose it's all relative. He was smart enough to keep them in locked display cases so we couldn't touch them unless he was with us. Of course, being kids and boys, Nate and I were fascinated by guns. Bobby was too young to really understand anything about them. He'd sit and play with whatever toy was his favorite at the moment while my uncle explained what each gun or rifle was for and how they worked.

"We—well, my uncle and my parents—figured later that Bobby must have been paying more attention than we thought. One night… It was about three weeks after we'd arrived that summer and my aunt had put Bobby to bed. The rest of us were down in the living room, watching some TV show." Josh swallowed hard.

Mike had the feeling he knew what was coming next and wished he'd never asked Josh why he hated guns.

"I heard Bobby going down the hall to the bathroom. A few minutes later, we heard the door to my aunt and uncle's room squeak. We used to call that squeak an early warning system if Nate and I were playing in our room when we should have been sleeping. My aunt shook her head, asking if I'd mind going upstairs to see what Bobby was doing and take him back to bed.

"I went up. Their bedroom door was open, of course. When I got to the doorway, I saw Bobby standing by one of the nightstands. The drawer was open and he was… He said, 'Look. I got a gun, too.' He, he was holding it backward, pointed toward him. 'Bobby,' I said, trying to be as firm as a ten-year-old can be, 'put it back where you found it.'"

"He didn't," Mike said, gripping Josh's hands.

"No. I think he was going to, but his thumbs were on the trigger and it was heavy for a kid his size. It started to fall and he tried to keep that from happening."

Josh's eyes glazed over and Mike knew he was seeing it as it had happened.

"The bullet hit him in the chest," Josh whispered. "He didn't stand a chance."

Without a second thought, Mike gathered Josh into his arms, holding him tight. Josh let him for a moment then pulled away. "My uncle was devastated. Well, everyone was, but especially him. It was the only gun he didn't keep under lock and key. He told the police it was there and loaded in case someone tried to break into the house, since it was fairly isolated. He said it had never occurred to him that any of us would go into the bedroom and find it. After all, we'd been told more than once that their bedroom was off limits. Bobby…" Josh heaved in a breath. "He was just a little kid who liked to explore, like kids that age do, you know."

"I'm so sorry," Mike said softly. "I'm sorry it happened. I'm sorry you saw it. No wonder you hate guns."

Josh nodded slowly, looking at Mike, his eyes moist with unshed tears. He wiped his hand across them. "I won't… I can understand why you carry one when you think you might need it, and I won't make an issue of it. But please don't put me down because I won't."

"I would never do that! Everyone makes their own choices. Yours are as valid as mine. I've got the feeling that even without a gun you're more than capable of keeping the people you protect safe."

"They seem to think so."

"Have any of them given you grief because you don't carry?" Mike asked.

"No, because I make it very clear when they want to hire me as a bodyguard that it's not an option." He barely smiled. "I lost a couple of potential clients because of that, and I've fielded some questions. When they ask, I tell them it's personal and leave it at that. They accept it."

"As well they should." Mike took his hand again. "Do you want to…? Are you ready to go back to the bar now or would you rather go home instead?"

Josh stood, rolling his shoulders as if relieving the tension he'd been feeling. "Let's go back. After all, we are supposed to be celebrating our new partnership."

The Merger – 14

 

They continued the game for a few more minutes, stopping when the bartender came over to ask if they wanted seconds—which they did. The drinks arrived at the same time that a table opened up. They grabbed it before someone else could, grinning at the pair they'd beaten out.

As Mike watched the dance floor, he thought briefly about asking Josh if he wanted to dance. He decided that probably wasn't his brightest idea. We're business partners now, and friends, but it's much too soon to do anything that might make him think I've got more in mind. Not that I do, but he might think otherwise. Mike wondered if he was being honest with himself. I do find him interesting, but as he said at one point, getting involved with someone you're working closely with is not a good idea. If it doesn't work out… Yeah. Better keep any ideas about finding out if we could be compatible on a more personal level on the back shelf.

"Where are you at?" Josh asked, tapping Mike's arm to get his attention.

"Thinking about…a surveillance job I have to do next week."

"A night job?"

"Yeah." Mike grimaced. "Aren't they always? Okay, not always, but most of the time."

Josh took a drink, obviously, in Mike's opinion, wanting to ask something. A moment later, he did. "When you do that, do you carry?"

"Depends on the job. If the client wants me to find out who's coming back after closing time to steal something, I watch, take photos, give them to the client, and let him take it from there."

"That's benign enough."

"Yep. On the other hand, if a business is being vandalized, for instance, or someone's being stalked, I want to stop whoever's doing it. Then, things can become iffy, so I make certain I'm prepared, just in case."

"You could use a Taser. That would do the job. It's what I do."

"I'd have to get close enough before they realize I'm around."

"If you can't and they tried to run, you'd shoot them?" Josh looked appalled at the idea.

"I'd let them know I had a gun and wasn't afraid to use it. That usually stops them in their tracks."

"Unless they're armed, too. Then you could have a gun battle on your hands." The frown that had deepened on Josh's face as they talked said he did not like what they were discussing in the least.

"That hasn't happened—yet." Mike leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Why are you so anti-gun?" he said quietly. "I've asked you before and you've avoided answering."

"They kill," Josh replied tightly.

"That is the idea, when it becomes a necessity. There's more to it than that though, right?"

Taking a deep breath, Josh said, "I'll tell you, but not here. Let's take a walk."

Uncertain what to expect, Mike followed as Josh left the bar. Josh looked around, then pointed to what Mike could barely discern was a pocket park a block away. They walked in silence until they were there. It was empty except for a man walking his dog. Avoiding him, Josh made his way to a bench under a tree and sat, gesturing for Mike to do the same.

"This… I haven't talked about this in years," Josh began softly. "Thought about it, yes, almost every day, but that's it."

"Josh, if you'd rather not…"

Josh brushed his words away with a wave of his hand, staring for a moment at something only he could see before continuing.

The Merger – 13

 

By the end of the week, Mike and Josh had gotten back to their regular routines. With the new website up and running, Mike was pleasantly surprised to find its new look had led to him picking up two new clients—or more to the point, one new one, as the second was an old client who was interested in what Josh had to offer. As he'd told Mike, he wanted to upgrade the security on his store and was happy to see that, with the recent changes, the agency now offered that service. Mike turned him over to Josh, who worked the man into his schedule for the beginning of the following week.

"Now, we celebrate," Mike said as he and Josh locked up Friday evening. He punched the arming codes into the new alarm boxes Josh had installed two days previously. One activated the normal security. The second one did the same for the cameras and motion detectors in the three rooms of their office suite.

"Maybe later," Josh replied. "At the moment, I want to go home, shower, eat, and change into something more comfortable."

"I should, too. What about we meet up around eight at Thirty-One Twelve?"

"Revisiting the scene of the crime," Josh joked. "Sure, why not?"

Two hours later, dressed in jeans and T-shirts, Josh and Mike were seated at the bar, ordering drinks. Mike asked for a beer, as always. Josh thought for a moment then told the bartender he wanted club soda with a twist of lemon.

"Going wild tonight?" Mike asked him.

Josh chuckled. "I'm not in the mood for the taste of beer, even the kind without alcohol."

"So you're faking it with something that looks like a gin and tonic."

With a laugh, Josh said, "Without either one. And I'm not trying to fake anyone out."

Their drinks arrived very quickly, considering how busy the bar was. After taking a long swallow of his, Mike said, "We had a good first week. I hope it keeps up."

"Why wouldn't it?"

Mike shrugged. "No reason. I was just throwing that out there to let the powers-that-be know it would be nice if it did."

"I'm sure they couldn't care less what two small-time—"

"Small time?" Mike shook his head. "We are the premier experts in the city when it comes to what we do."

"Now you're daring them—" Josh pointed up, "—to show us who's in charge and rain bad luck down on our heads."

"Bite your tongue. Or better yet, let's change the subject."

"To what?"

Mike turned around, facing the room. "See the man in the red shirt? Tell me something about him."

"I don't know him," Josh protested after taking a look.

"Me neither, so let's guess." Mike tapped his fingers on the bottle. "He wants to dance, for starters."

Josh studied him then nodded. "His foot's tapping to the music while he keeps eyeing the guys on the dance floor. Well, the women. He… See the blond with the ponytail? He wants to dance with her, but he can't get up the nerve to ask."

"Yep. That's my take on it, too. Now, the guy with the buzz cut."

"There's three of them that I see."

"Pick one."

"All right," Josh agreed. "The one by himself at the table in the corner. He's not a happy camper. He keeps looking at the door, so he's waiting for someone who's late."

"More than late," Mike said. "Two empties on the table with their labels picked off. My guess is that he ordered for both of them, drank his, got pissed and drank the other one then tore off the labels to keep from walking out."

"Unless the label thing is a habit."

Mike nodded. "Could be. And there he goes," he added when the man stood and strode angrily to the door. "Let's hope whoever stood him up doesn't run into him until he's calmed down."

"Or I might have a new client to protect," Josh said wryly. "Who next?"

"That guy," Mike replied, nodding toward the man he meant.

 

The Merger – 12

 

They made fairly quick work of getting everything packed into the truck, drove to what were now their combined offices, and unloaded.

Rosie watched with amusement when they tried to wrestle Josh's desk through the front door. "If you tip it on its side…" she pointed out. It was something they hadn't thought of, since Josh's old office had a set of double doors, which had made the job much easier there.

Once the desk was in place, Rosie told Mike he had some messages. "Nothing that can't wait, though," she said. He skimmed through them anyway and agreed.

An hour later, everything was unpacked and put in place. Rosie loved the idea that the office supplies were directly behind her desk, making them much more accessible. She also quizzed Josh about some of the gadgets he had. He explained, as he put them away, about bug finders, motion detectors, jammers, and various trackers—in detail. By the time he'd finished, she was glassy-eyed from too much information.

At that point, Mike contacted his webmaster to video-conference with him about the changes he and Josh wanted to make on the website, including, of course, its new name. When they finished, the man said he'd have something for them to look at the first thing Tuesday morning.

The last thing they needed to do was return the truck, pick up Josh's car, then return to the lawyer's office, as his secretary had called to tell them the contract was ready.

"It's official now," Mike said as they left the lawyer's office a while later, walking to the lot where they'd parked. "If I had the energy, I'd say we should head to Thirty-One Twelve to celebrate. But…"

"Yeah. I'm about to drop," Josh replied. "And I, for one, have two jobs scheduled for tomorrow. I'll probably do them better with a working brain."

"You and me both." Mike paused to unlock his car. "It's hard to believe that in just a week, we managed to pull all this together."

Josh nodded. "It's harder to believe a chance meeting led to it in the first place." He smiled. "Fate stepping in?"

"Could be." Mike chuckled. "If you'd been reading, umm, War and Peace instead of the book on burglary, our talking would have ended before it began."

Laughing, Josh agreed. "Okay. I'll see you in the morning."

"Bright and early, in my case. I put off doing dreaded background checks for one of my clients."

"Better you than me."

"I'll share," Mike replied seriously. Then he grinned, pressing his hands together prayerfully. "Please."

Josh shook his head. "I think I'm going to like working with you. In fact, I know I am, but that is not in my job description."

"Damn."

They both laughed before Josh walked to his car.

As Mike watched him drive out of the lot, he nodded. Yep. I think this is going to work out for both of us.

The Merger – 11

 

"How the hell did I manage to collect so much junk," Josh muttered as he began filling a third trash bag. Admittedly, one of the bags held shredded files relating to clients he'd had several years ago whose information was outdated—and would be even if they came back to him with new business. The rest of it was stuff he'd stashed on the bookshelves—mainly old safety and security magazines he'd subscribed to before deciding he could access them online where he'd have the capacity to search for exactly what he wanted to know. There were a few catalogues, too. He kept the most recent ones and dumped the rest.

Finally satisfied that what was left was what he wanted to take with him, he began putting together, then packing, the boxes he'd bought on the way over after breakfast.

*****

Mike, in the meantime, was emptying Josh's new office of everything except the shelves. He stopped long enough to remove the hard drives from the computers then dropped them off at an electronic store that would either dispose of or revamp them. On his way back, he passed a big-box store and decided to pick up the cabinet for the lavatory that he'd mentioned to Josh.

By the end of the afternoon, the office suite was ready for Josh to move in, other than the fact that the office supplies were sitting on the floor beside Rosie's desk, waiting for Josh's bookshelf.

With that finished, he called Josh. "How's the packing going?" he asked when Josh answered.

"Almost done. Then I'm going home and collapsing."

"You and me both. How are you planning on getting everything over here?"

"There's this thing called renting a truck. I'll arrange to do it in the morning before we meet at the lawyer's office."

"Sounds good to me. If you want, I'll help with the move."

Josh chuckled. "I want."

"Figured as much. I'll see you in the morning."

*****

Then it was done.

Mike was surprised how everything seemed to fall into place. He'd called his lawyer first thing Monday morning to read him the notes Josh had made about the details he and Mike had discussed. Therefore, when they got to the lawyer's office, the man already had a rough draft drawn up. The three of them went over it in detail then the lawyer told them they could return that afternoon to sign it and have it notarized.

As soon as they'd left the lawyer's office, they picked up the truck that Josh had rented, leaving Josh's car in the rental company's lot so he could drive the truck. From there, they went to his old office.

"Not as much as I expected," Mike commented, looking at the array of boxes in the middle of the floor.

"That's because I got rid of enough stuff to fill three large trash bags," Josh told him, grimacing.

Mike laughed. "That bad, huh?"

"That bad."

The Merger – 10

 

This time, Josh was the first to arrive. Since the place was busy, he gave the hostess his name and his phone number so she could text when a table was ready. Then he settled on the low stone wall outside the restaurant to wait. Mike arrived a few minutes later, wearing jeans and a T-shirt that emphasized his build.

"I feel like a ninety-pound weakling next to you," Josh groused, smiling.

"A very fast one, though, so don't knock it. There's a lot to be said for speed over brawn, especially with what you do."

"In general, yes," Josh agreed as his phone vibrated. He checked then said, "Our table is ready."

The host seated them at a table for two on the covered patio. A slight breeze helped keep it cool in the rising temperature, much to their relief.

"Eggs, pancakes, waffles?" Mike asked, perusing the menu.

"Definitely." Josh grinned.

Mike lifted an eyebrow. "All three?"

"Well, eggs and one of the others, with sausage on the side. I worked up an appetite."

"I'm going for the Texas French toast," Mike said. "Maybe a double order."

"Michael!"

"Joshua," Mike retorted with a grin.

Josh huffed, glad when the time came to see that Mike didn't make it a double order, although he, too, asked for sausage on the side. Josh decided on plain pancakes with two over-easy eggs on top. Both of them ordered juice and coffee, as well.

"What are your plans for this afternoon?" Mike asked when the waitress had left.

"Going through my office to get rid of all the things I don't need to keep when I move," Josh told him.

"Seriously? On a Sunday?"

"Yep. Our appointment with the lawyer is tomorrow at eleven thirty. As soon as we've signed the contract, since I cleared my calendar for the day, I want to clean out my new office and get things moved over."

"How many things?"

"The usual, I guess," Josh replied. "My desk and chairs, file cabinets. I have a couple of storage cabinets, too, for all my gear, and a bookshelf, though I might use one of the sets of shelves already in the office instead. The question is, where will we put the things that are in there already?"

"The banker's boxes hold old files. I can find space on one of the shelves in my office for them. Unless you can see a use for ten-year-old computers, I'll take them to a disposal place."

Josh nodded. "After you remove the hard drives."

"No kidding. The biggest problem will be the office supplies."

Josh closed his eyes, picturing the reception area. "I will bring my bookshelf. It should hold them all. We can move Rosie's desk out a little and set the shelf up behind it." When the waitress set down their coffees, he thanked her before continuing with his line of thought. "I haven't seen the lavatory. Is there any room in there for the cleaning supplies?"

Mike chuckled. "If you don't want to be able to turn around. I'm kidding," he said when Josh frowned. "If we pick up one of those shelf units that go over the john, we can store them there."

"That works. Is there anything else we're forgetting?"

"Not that I can think of, as long as we come up with a contract that works for both of us."

"I'm sure we will," Josh replied. "We both want this to happen."

Over breakfast, with Josh taking notes, they tweaked and finalized what they thought needed to be in the contract. By the time they'd finished eating, they were satisfied with the results. "Barring the lawyer wanting to add something he thinks we've missed," Josh pointed out.

"I didn't plan on this being a working breakfast," Mike said wryly, sipping his second cup of coffee.

"Me either, but we accomplished a lot, so it was worth it. The only other thing we need to consider is upgrading the security."

Mike grinned. "I bet you've already done that in your mind."

Josh grinned back. "Pretty much. I'll come up with a final plan and show you tomorrow. Since I can get stuff much cheaper from my supplier than from a shop, it won't break us. Hell, I've got some of it already—basic things I keep on hand."

"The gear you mentioned."

"Yep."

"Tell you what. Since you're going to be working on your old office this afternoon and probably more than just tossing stuff you don't need, I'll clean up your new one so it's ready for you to move into."

"You're sure you want to spend your Sunday afternoon doing that?"

"I'm sure," Mike replied. "The sooner we get everything set up, the better. After we meet with the lawyer, I'll get in contact with my webmaster to have him revamp the website. Then, we'll be in business."

The Merger – 9

Mike watched as Josh walked across the park to join him, admiring his lean build, which showed to his advantage in the tank top and running shorts he was wearing. "Beat you," Mike quipped when Josh joined him at the edge of the path.

"Maybe getting here, but just wait." Josh grinned, slapping Mike's shoulder. "Warm-ups first, though."

"Always," Mike agreed—and they did. As Josh went through his routine, Mike found his gaze going to Josh's tight ass more than once. Stop, he cautioned himself. We're here to run. This isn't a prelude to a seduction. Not that he'd go along with it if I tried, which I won't. He's not my type, to begin with. That didn't stop him from appraising Josh's body the way he might some man at a bar or club.

"Ready?" Josh asked, stepping onto the path.

"Whenever you are."

They started out at a slow lope. It didn't take long before they sped up, running side by side down the path. Then Josh, with a devilish grin, increased his speed. Mike matched him step for step—at first—but Josh slowly pulled ahead.

Oh no, you don't. Mike figured with his longer legs, it would take no time at all for him to catch up. In that, he was sadly disappointed. Josh widened the distance between them.

A picnic table marked the beginning of the end for Mike. He rested one hand on it, panting for breath, vowing he'd catch up with Josh if it killed him, then took off again. At that point, Josh was out of sight around a curve in the path. When Mike got to it, legs aching, he saw Josh leaning against a tree, a wide smile on his face. He didn't even look winded.

"Ready to call it a day?" Josh asked.

Mike almost said he wasn't, then reconsidered. "Yes. But next time—"

"Next time, I'll give you a head start." Josh winked.

"Not even," Mike grumbled. Then, with no small amount of admiration, he said, "You're damned good."

"Practice. Lots of it. Now if we competed in the gym on some of the machines they've got there, you'd beat me hands down. My idea of lifting weights is picking up a heavy dictionary."

"I told you yesterday, gyms aren't my thing." Mike chuckled when Josh blatantly looked at what Mike knew were his muscular arms and chest. "I'm a mesomorph." He eyed Josh, wondering if he knew what that was.

"I figured as much. Me? I'm ectomorphic, which is the ideal for a runner." Josh grinned. "Remember, I read everything I can get my hands on, so you didn't stump me. Your musculature makes you an obvious mesomorph. On the other hand, I'm lean…thus an obvious ectomorph."

"Should have figured you'd know the difference."

Josh laughed then said, "Are you ready to head back?"

"Yes, but we jog. I don't think I can flat-out run at this point."

Josh nodded. "Honestly, I'm with you on that. I was showing off and I'm feeling it now."

"It's nice to know you have it in you to do that," Mike said as they started back up the path. "Showing off, I mean."

"I'm not a cold fish," Josh protested.

"Oh, I know. You're just not exactly the outgoing, bragging type, either. Not the kind of person I'd expect would show off—and admit it."

"You'll learn," Josh replied. "I have a competitive streak—occasionally."

When they returned to the park where they'd started, Mike asked, "Did you eat breakfast?"

"No. Why?"

"Me neither, so why don't we stop and get some?"

"All hot, sweaty, and dressed like this?" Josh moved his hand up and down.

"Good point. Let's go home, shower and change, then meet somewhere. That is, if you want to."

"I'm good with it."

By the time they got to their cars, they'd decided on a place. "I'll see you in half an hour, give or take," Mike said.

The Merger – 8

 

For a few minutes, they compared notes on graphic novels they liked or didn't like. That ended when a good-looking man came up behind Mike, tapping him on the shoulder. When Mike turned to see who it was, the man said, "It's been a while since you've been in here, Mike. I missed…" He glanced at Josh then obviously revised what he was going to say. "Missed seeing your friendly face. Who's your friend?"

"My business partner, Josh. Josh, this is Ben."

"Business partner, huh?" Ben grabbed a chair from the next table, swung it around and straddled it. "So, how've you been, Mike?" he asked, blatantly ignoring Josh.

Mike gave Josh an apologetic look as he replied, "Never better. Everything's going great. And you?"

"Comme ci, comme ça. There's a new band opening at the club over on Fifth next Friday. Want to come with me to see it?"

"Won't Dan object?"

Ben snorted. "He's history. Has been for a couple of weeks."

"Sorry to hear that. Look, it sounds great, but Josh and I have something else planned."

"I thought…" If looks could kill, the one Ben gave Josh would have laid him out.

"That's always been your problem, Ben," Mike replied somewhat snidely. "When you do think, you jump to the wrong conclusions." Turning his full attention to Josh, Mike asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Definitely." Josh stood, saying to Ben, "It was nice to meet you." Then, since Mike was already on his feet, Josh put one arm around his waist. He pointed a finger at Ben. "Next time you decide to come on to my man…don't."

"Damn, you were good," Mike said moments later when they were out on the sidewalk. "I'm sorry. He had no reason to act the way he did. We were never more than casual friends."

Josh laughed, stepping away now that they were out of Ben's sight. "That's okay. At least that little scene answered one question for me. You are gay."

"You hadn't figured that out? You could have asked, you know. In point of fact, you sort of did."

Josh shrugged. "And you avoided it, so I figured your private life was none of my business unless you wanted it to be."

"Look, I don't care who knows. I wouldn't hang out at Thirty-One Twelve if I did. Sure, there are straights there, but there are in most bars. Okay, that didn't come out quite the way I meant it. What I mean to say is, nowadays we're pretty much accepted in most bars here in the city, so you can't presume someone is gay just because a bar tends to have a larger gay clientele than straight."

"That's true. Still, it's nice to know you are."

Mike grinned. "Are you interested in my body, Mr. Aston, and now that you know we swing the same way, you're going to make a play for me?"

"Good lord, no!"

"Ouch."

"That wasn't a put-down," Josh hastened to say. "We're barely getting to know each other, and we're entering into a business arrangement together. Neither one of those facts is conducive to hopping into bed just because we can. One of the reasons I don't go to bars very often is the fact that I'm not into casual hookups."

"Neither am I, actually," Mike replied, "appearances to the contrary."

"Honestly, I didn't think you were." Josh resisted a sudden temptation to hug him, to prove he meant it. Instead, he said, "What time do we want to go running tomorrow?"

"The earlier the better to avoid the heat. The last I heard, they're predicting high seventies by noon and it's only May. Talk about climate change."

Josh laughed, replying, "Then, around seven? We can meet at Mushroom Park and go from there."

"That's fine with me. Did you walk over here? I can give you a ride home if you want."

"Thanks, but no. It's only three blocks. So I'll see you at seven, and don't be late." Josh wagged a finger at him.

Mike laughed. "I won't be. See you then."

Josh watched as Mike headed down the street, turning into a parking lot on the corner.

As he headed in the opposite direction, Josh wondered what the chances were that they might end up in bed together sometime in the future. Probably nil. I wasn't kidding when I told him that was something we should avoid since we're going to be working together. If it didn't work out, the tensions afterward could really screw things up.

The Merger – 7

 

"What do you do for entertainment?" Mike asked Josh.

"Run. Take in a movie now and then. Read and run."

"Now running I can get into," Mike replied.

Josh tilted his head. "I'd say from looking at you that you spend time at the gym, as well."

"Not really. I'm blessed, as my dad says, with a great metabolism. Spending time sweating at a gym doesn't do all that much for me. I'd rather do a half-hour run." Mike chuckled. "I still get sweaty but I also get fresh air and, if the time and weather are right, sunshine, too."

"Where do you run?"

"Do you know Palmer Park?"

Josh nodded. "One of my go-to trails is there."

"Where are the other ones?"

"The bike path along the creek and the running one along the canal."

"I never tried the path at the canal."

"You should. If you want…" Josh paused.

"Tomorrow morning?"

"Reading my mind?"

"Nope," Mike said. "Your hesitation. Like you weren't sure you should suggest we run together."

"I didn't want to impose. I feel like I'm sort of taking over your life."

"You're not. Honestly. Changing it? I suppose so. But I needed the push to get me to do what I've been planning but never took the effort to implement." Mike picked up his beer, took a swig, then said. "I'm not lazy. I'm just set in my ways, I guess. With you around, that might change." He smiled at Josh as he set the bottle down again.

Josh took that the way he was certain Mike meant it as a general, not a personal, comment. It can't be personal. As far as I know, despite the fact that we met here and are back here at his suggestion, there's no reason to think he could be gay. He's not checking out the men, for one. Of course, I'm not either, but it's not my thing. I have no interest in a one-off with someone.

"Promise me one thing," Josh said. "If I make suggestions you don't like, tell me. This merger isn't going to work if you start to resent my stepping in—or stepping on your toes."

"I will. I doubt it'll happen, though. I'm pretty easygoing when I'm not concentrating on a job. You start telling me how to do my jobs, then I might get pissed."

Josh laughed. "Since that's not my field of expertise, I don't see that happening, any more than you'd try to tell me the best way to set up security on someone's home or business."

Mike held up his hands. "Not in this lifetime."

"Then we're good on that. You asked me. Now it's my turn. What do you do for entertainment?"

"Nothing terribly exciting. Veg in front of the TV, read, occasionally hit up a club to hook up with friends."

"That's what you had planned the first time we were here?"

"Last Monday?" Mike rolled his eyes. "Nope. Like I said, I was unwinding after a very busy day—one beer then home to eat and see if there was anything on TV that wouldn't put me in a coma."

Josh chuckled. "It does have a tendency to do that. That's when I pick up a book instead."

"Yeah, I figured that from what you said about you being a reader."

"I am," Josh admitted. "Fiction, non-fiction… If it has words and makes sense, I'll at least give it a try."

"More than I usually do, unless it's a graphic novel. Now them I can get behind." He shot Josh a wry look. "And not because of the pictures, though the artwork can be pretty damned good."

"I know. I've read some, like…"