The Writer and the Ghosts - 18

“I suppose we should get back to the party,” Linc suggested. He glanced out the window. “It’s stopped raining and they’re probably wondering where we are by now.”

“Probably should.”

“Yeah.” Linc started towards the door.

“Can I ask something first?”

“Sure.”

Tom hesitated, staring down at the floor. “If I…could we go out to dinner sometime maybe?”

Linc shrugged. “As friends?”

With a nod Tom said, “Yeah, as friends.”

“I guess so. Sure.” Linc opened the door, waited for Tom to go into the hall, then closed the door behind them and they headed back to the party.

* * * *

“Well, it’s a start,” Giorgio said as he and Damian reappeared in Linc’s bedroom.

“Agreed. And we’re staying out of it from now on. Whatever happens, happens. It’s up to them.”

“But Damian,” Giorgio whined.

“Don’t ‘But Damian’ me.” He grinned. “You know I’m right, I always am.”

Giorgio rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. Instead he wrapped his arms around his lover and murmured against his lips, “There’s a very comfortable looking bed in here. I doubt Linc’s going to be back for a while. So how about we..?”

“I could be persuaded.”

It didn’t take much persuasion, and Giorgio was correct, they had more than enough time. But then when it came right down to it they always did. They weren’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future.

The End

* * * * * *

Coming next: 'Eye of the Beholder' 

The Writer and the Ghosts - 17

Giorgio smiled slowly as he got what Tom was implying. “How about one chance in three?”

“Close enough,” Tom replied. “That doesn’t mean I’m available.”

“Well damn,” Giorgio muttered in disgust.

Tom turned to look at Linc who was watching him as if he’d grown a second head. “What?”

“You! You let me rant on about how there’s nothing wrong with being gay, defending myself and…and all…and you are too. That’s just wrong.”

“Yeah it was but I’m still coming to terms with it so I wasn’t about to say anything. I’m sorry, it was wrong of me.”

“So no one knows?”

“My family does, and they’re surprisingly supportive, and my ex girlfriend does.” Tom smiled wryly. “She wasn’t nearly as supportive but she promised not to tell anyone. How many people know you’re gay?”

“My folks, my publisher, I suspect anyone who really reads my books and sees what they have to say beyond the horror part of them. Apparently you didn’t because you thought I was just a straight guy trying to prove something.

“Honest truth, I read them for the story. Yeah like I said earlier you did a good job with the characters but that wasn’t why I picked the books up.”

Giorgio broke in, saying, “All right can you two stop talking great literature so we can get back to the problem at hand.”

“I don’t see any problem,” Linc replied. “He’s gay but he’s not available. Back to square one in your plans to get me to become more sociable.”

“Anyone mind if I whap him?” Giorgio asked, glaring at Linc.

“Hey, why me?” Linc held up his hands defensively.

“Because you need someone to smack some common sense into that hard head of yours.”

“Come on, how much damage can a ghost do?” Tom said, then he jumped and ducked when a book barely missed his head. “You’re a poltergeist too?”

“Do I look like a ten-year-old?” Giorgio growled.

“No, you look like a sexy man who should learn to leave well enough alone,” Damian told him, giving him a hug and a kiss on the temple.

“But, but…”

Damian went for the obvious. “And a very nice butt it is too.”

“You are such an ass.”

Instead of replying Damian kissed Giorgio. Suddenly they were gone.

The Writer and the Ghosts - 16

“You’re taking this all rather well,” Linc commented.

Tom shrugged. “I suppose so, strangely enough. I grew up hearing all the stories about this place being haunted. I even snuck in here a time or two trying to see if it really was. Not that it did any good.”

“We’re not exactly ready to welcome people with open arms and feed them tea and crumpets,” Damian said as he materialized, followed moments late by Giorgio.

“So you chase them away.” Tom looked the two ghosts over with obvious interest. “Why?”

“We don’t chase them away, well not intentionally,” Damian replied. “It’s just that Giorgio here is a romantic matchmaker. He wants everyone happily mated. Unfortunately he’s rather crude in his tactics.”

“I am not!” Giorgio grumbled. “I just use what I have at hand to try to throw a couple into each others arms.”

“He scares the hell out of one of them, usually the girl, then hopes she’ll go running to the guy for protection.”

“That works?” Tom asked.

“Well…not really,” Giorgio admitted somewhat sheepishly.

Tom tapped his fingers on his thigh. Then he grinned, looking at Linc and said to the ghosts. “He’s you next victim. Who were you planning on frightening so he could rescue them?”

Giorgio smiled wickedly. “Now that’s an interesting question. Neither of the girls. We were thinking, hoping one of you young men would scare easily.” He grinned and shouted, “Boo” at Tom.

Linc threw back his head, laughing. “That was so lame, Giorgio.”

“Was, wasn’t it,” Giorgio agreed with a laugh.

Damian watched Tom who was suddenly looking at Linc thoughtfully. “You think I’m straight, Linc, but they don’t. Interesting.”

“Oh we think you are,” Damian protested. “After all the odds were fairly astronomical of any of you being gay. Despite what Giorgio said we were more hoping Linc would finally come out of his shell and make some friends. That way perhaps he’d get out of the house and find someone.”

“How large is astronomical; twenty to one, a hundred to one, maybe a thousand to one?”

The Writer and the Ghosts - 15

“Want me to cold-cock him?” Giorgio growled.

“No. I’m about to do it myself.” Linc paced two steps closer to Tom. “First off those sites are unreal because they’re just made to titillate. There’s not an ounce of caring in them. Secondly, just for your information mister whatever your last name is, I’m not straight and I’m not perverted. There’s not a damned thing wrong with being gay. Now, will you get your ass out of here.”

“It’s Rider. And I know.”

“Then why were you putting me down?”

“Because I didn’t know.”

Linc scrubbed a hand through his hair. “That’s a bit of a contradiction, you know and you didn’t know.”

“I know there’s nothing wrong with being gay, and I didn’t know you were. If I had I wouldn’t have said what I did.”

“Says the ‘I’m soooo tolerant’ straight guy,” Damian muttered.

“Shut up, both of you, I can’t deal with this and the two of you making comments in the back ground at the same time,” Linc said desperately. “Just…go play somewhere else for a while.”

Tom pushed off the door frame, coming back into the room. “Who are you talking to?” he asked, a puzzled look on his face. “Because this time I know you weren’t talking to yourself. Invisible friends, maybe, but not the big bunny kind I don’t think.”

“Well, no, they’re definitely not bunnies.”

Giorgio snorted. “Not bears either, thank goodness.”

“He hates hairy men,” Damian told Linc. “I think we’re closer to stallions.”

“Naw, tigers, all growls and purrs.”

Linc snorted.

“They’re talking to you again aren’t they?” Tom sat down on the edge of the bed. “The ghosts. The ones who’re supposed to haunt this place.”

“Maybe. Or maybe I’m just stark raving mad,” Linc replied tightly.

Tom ignored his tone of voice to ask with interest, “Do they appear or just babble?”

“I do not ‘babble’,” Giorgio said petulantly.

“From the amount of time Linc’s spent trying to cover up that he’s answering you I have the feeling you babble a lot,” Tom told him with a laugh before he looked at Linc, shock written on his face.

Linc was just as shocked as he looked back at him. “Wait a minute, you heard him?”

“Yes,” Tom said hesitantly. “Didn’t you?”

“Sure but I thought I was the only one who could.”

“Neither one of you is supposed to,” Damian told them. “Something’s more than weird here.”

“You mean other than the fact we’re talking to two ghosts?” Tom replied as he focused in on where Damian’s voice had come from. “Any chance I can see you as well as hear you?”

The Writer and the Ghosts - 14

Linc hurried up the stairs with Tom right behind him. As soon as they got to his room Linc began to dig through his dresser. “I should have some T-shirts that’ll work.” He pulled two out and turned around to find Tom had stripped off his wet shirt. “Whew,” he muttered.

“Whew and double whew,” Damian agreed. “Nice pecs.”

“Nice everything,” Giorgio agreed. “And in case you’re wondering Linc, it’s not really possible to gag a ghost in ghost form.”

“Well damn.”

Tom chuckled as he held out his hand for the shirts. “You all right there?”

“Oh yeah,” Linc whispered. “More than and hell I shouldn’t be…” He bit his lip as he stared at Tom. Damian had been right; Tom had nice pecs, fantastic chest altogether and... He quickly brought his eyes back up to Tom’s face. “You must work out a lot.”

“Not really. I help my dad with his landscaping business in trade for staying at the house. Don’t ever let anyone tell you it’s easy work because it’s not.” Tom looked at the two shirts. “’Dr. Who’ fan I take it.”

“Definitely, and even more so when he came on the show.” Linc pointed to one of the shirts. “He was, umm…a good actor…yeah.”

“And sexy as hell so I think I’ll borrow this one.”

Nonplussed by Tom’s comment Linc quickly turned away to find a dry shirt for himself. He heard a chuckle and immediately thought Giorgio was going to make another one of his comments. “Don’t even…” he growled under his breath.

“What, I can’t say he’s sexy?” Tom asked.

“No, I mean yes, I mean…damn it men aren’t supposed to call other men sexy.”

“Oh? Why not?”

Linc spun around to look at him. “Just…because.”

“I bet he’s gay,” Giorgio said gleefully. “Ask him.”

“You’re crazy. No way…”

Tom shook his head, starting for the door. “I’m not crazy, but I’m beginning to have serious doubts about you. Thanks for the loan of the shirt. I’ll get it back to you tomorrow.”

“Wait, please, I can explain.”

“Explain what? That you have an invisible friend you talk to? Or maybe there are two of you inside your head, sort of like in that one story of yours.”

Linc looked at him in surprise. “You’ve read them?”

Tom shrugged. “Yeah. They’re good horror stories.”

“Thanks. But, I mean…”

“You didn’t do a half bad job with the main characters either. Most authors don’t really handle the whole gay thing too well. Well most straight male authors I should say.”

“Oh boy, we have a problem,” Damian grumbled. “He thinks you’re straight, Linc.”

“I sort of noticed,” Linc replied without thinking.

Tom leaned against the door frame, one eyebrow cocked. “So you decided to see if you could do it better huh?”

“What? Oh, well, yeah I suppose so.”

“What did you do, go online to research the…technical details?” Tom grinned. “Lot’s of hits on gay porn sites?”

“You better tell him the truth or he’s going to think you’re one strange puppy, Linc.”

Linc bit down hard on his lip to keep from telling Giorgio out loud to get lost. Regaining his slipping control he said, “Those sites are unreal.”

“What’s the trouble Linc? You got turned on when you watched. I hear that can happen to straight guys sometimes. Afraid it means you some sort of sick perv?” Tom’s look was thunderous.