The Merger – 4

 

"Possibly. First, of course, you'll have to do a background check on me, to make certain I am what I say." Josh paused then said seriously, "I've already done one on you," as he followed Mike.

"You're kidding." Mike shot him a look of disbelief before opening the storage room door then stepping back so Josh could take a look, not that there was much to see other than shelves along one wall that held a few banker's boxes and two older desktop computers which, Mike realized, were in severe need of dusting—or just getting rid of. Other than that, there were office and cleaning supplies on shelves along the opposite wall, leaving a lot of unused, empty space.

"This could work," Josh said. "And I wasn't kidding. After I left the bar, I figured that if I'd read you right, and I'm pretty good at it, you were thinking about our pairing up—" he grinned, "—and not because Thirty-One Twelve caters mostly to gays, although I suspect you are. You were too casual about coming over to talk to me, if that makes sense."

Mike laughed. "It does, although it doesn't mean I am." He sobered. "I take it you've considered what you thought I might have in mind."

Josh nodded. "I've been thinking recently that I've been too stubborn about expanding my horizons. I'm a loner—have been since I was a kid—but that isn't always an advantage, especially when it comes to keeping a business running."

"So you decided to take a chance, jump in with both feet, and find out if you'd read me correctly."

"Yes."

"Let's go back to my office and talk."

When they were seated again, Josh asked, "Am I being too pushy? I'm not always certain when I've exceeded someone's boundaries."

"I wouldn't call it pushy. You decided you might want this then took the initiative."

"Would you have, if I hadn't?"

"I'm not sure," Mike admitted. "I did go back to the bar a couple of times to see if you'd show up. You didn't, so I figured you weren't interested in the proposition I'd only vaguely hinted at, if that. On the other hand, I thought maybe you weren't the kind of guy who usually went to bars to begin with, since you don't drink."

Josh arched an eyebrow. "So the only reason to go to one is to get hammered?"

"Not hammered, but why go by yourself if you don't intend to drink and be sociable? You weren't doing either one."

"Two of my many flaws, according to an ex."

"You're not old enough… Okay, I take that back. I figured you were in college until I got a closer look at you. Now I'm thinking you might be thirty…or close to it."

"Thirty-one, so yeah, I can have exes."

"It's fifty-fifty what sex they were, given, as you pointed out, that Thirty-One Twelve caters to gays, although not exclusively." 

"I noticed," Josh said smugly. Then he grinned. "Both of them were male, which should tell you something."

"It does. Now back to what I was saying. Like you, I've been thinking of expanding, although more along the lines of picking up another investigator. But when you told me what you do, it occurred to me that you might be a better fit."

Smiling, Josh replied, "I think so. But then I'm prejudiced."

"You really do bodyguard work? You hardly fit the perception of one, especially if you meant it when you said you don't carry."

"I hate guns," Josh said adamantly, his expression darkening.

"Why?"

"Because they…" Josh shook his head. "Maybe someday I'll tell you. Right now you'll just have to take my word for it."

"So you rely on what? Martial arts? Maybe knives or Tasers?"

"Yes."

Mike looked him over, this time assessing his size and weight. He knew those didn't matter, if Josh did have martial arts skills. But against an armed man, or men, intent of doing his client serious bodily harm?

"You don't think I could take someone like you down?" Josh asked, getting to his feet. "Come at me."

"Umm…"

"Come on. I promise I won't break anything."

"On me…or in the office?" Mike asked as he stood.

"Both?"