Chapter 6
He went to bed early, partially out of sheer boredom and partially because he was exhausted. He stuffed the industrial-strength ear plugs in before he lay down, and was grateful when blessed silence settled on him. The only problem he was going to have was the fact that these would keep out the sound of an alarm clock, too. But he’d worry about that in a few days. For tonight, he was happy to just get as much sleep as he possibly could.
He woke up when late morning sunlight was filtering through the droopy curtains on his window. Frankie yawned, sitting up slowly. He felt great. He stretched his arms over his head, getting the kinks out of his muscles. Climbing out of bed, he padded out the door and down the hall to the communal bathroom. Nobody was around but him, which pleased him greatly. He took a long, luxurious shower in the ancient, claw-footed tub, scrubbing himself in a leisurely fashion. In the middle of it he started singing, slightly off-key but with great enthusiasm.
The elderly shower curtain was suddenly pulled back, making him gasp and stop singing. Seth stood there with an evil gleam in his eyes, which were doing a slow once-over of Frankie’s naked body. He whistled. “Nice, Cuz,” he drawled.
Frankie covered himself with his hands and glared at his impertinent cousin. “Get out!” he yelled furiously. “Can’t a man even take a shower in peace?!”
“Not around here,” Seth replied easily, not moving. He was still leering at Frankie appreciatively.
Frankie balled his free hand into a fist threateningly. “Either get out, or…” he growled.
Seth held up his hands placating. “Okay, okay, I’m going. But if you want to join me in my bedroom after your shower…”
“SETH!” he barked, which made his cousin grin.
“All right. Such a fuss over nothing. I’m going.” Seth walked out the door of the bathroom, while Frankie watched him with a gimlet stare to make sure he actually left and closed the door behind him. When he’d gone, Frankie pulled the curtain back in place with a sigh. His shower was over; there was no way that he could stay in here when Seth was on the prowl. He couldn’t trust that guy at all. He got out and dried himself off, reminding himself silently to buy his own towels since these were pretty old and ratty. Then he scrambled into a set of clean clothes. He opened the door, finding Seth leaning against the wall out there with his arms crossed over his chest.
He glowered at his cousin. Seth’s lips twitched. “Geez, Cuz, don’t be so mean,” he chided. “I didn’t do nothin’ to you.”
Frankie sighed in exasperation, running a hand through his still damp hair. “Seth, we have got to have a talk about boundaries,” he told his relative sharply.
Seth looked puzzled. “Boundaries? What, like the edges of the farm?”
Frankie rolled his eyes. “You are impossible,” he snorted.
Seth grinned. “Surely, but that’s why you like me.”
Frankie eyed him. “Who said that I like you?” he asked dryly.
“Everybody likes me,” Seth told him cheekily.
Frankie’s lip curled a little. “Even your Dad?” he asked archly.
Seth winced at this very palpable hit. “Ouch. You’re so mean, Frankie.” He pouted.
“I’m not mean, I just want to be able to take a shower without some pervert coming in and ogling me.” He eyed Seth. “Did you just get home?” he asked, noting his cousin’s disheveled appearance.
Seth smiled. “Oh, yeah. Spent the night with a guy I picked up in a club. Not only did I get some good sex, I also didn’t have to listen to Roger’s banging,” his voice was sardonic.
Frankie could see the reasoning behind staying out all night when he remembered just how loud Roger’s banging was. “How does Elena sleep through that?” he asked. “Or your mom, for that matter?”
“El gets up that early every day anyway, and so does Mom. El makes sure that her homework is done, and fixes her hair, and does all of that girlie stuff in the early morning. Mom starts on her housework at like five every morning. They’re both crazy,” Seth remarked with a shrug.
“I see. So is everybody else gone expect for your mom and grandma?”
“Yep. El’s at school, Dad sleeps at the church most nights...”
“He does?”
“Yeah. Has a cot in front of the altar. Best place for the old bastard. Roger’s gone to toil at his job, Eric and Adam are doing whatever they do, and Rena went shopping. She does most of the grocery shopping, since fortunately for us she can’t spoil the food unless she actually cooks it herself.”
“Is there any food left?” Frankie asked hopefully as they started down the hallway together toward the stairs.
“Might be. Stone cold, though.”
Frankie sighed. “Guess I’ll have to go to a restaurant again. That is, if someone who has a car might drive me?” he went on, glancing at his cousin sideways.
Seth chuckled. “I could do that. For a kiss?”
Frankie stopped in his tracks and set his hands on his hips. “Seth, let me tell you this for the last time. I am not going to sleep with you, touch you, kiss you, give you a blow job, or do anything else sexual with you. I will, however, pay you in cold hard cash to take me to breakfast.”
Seth contrived to look wounded, but finally gave up on it. “All right,” he said. “I can always use a bit of cash. But are you sure you don’t want to…?”
“Totally, utterly sure. But why would that upset you? After all, there are hundreds of other gay men in this city.”
“True,” Seth replied. “I’m not hurting. It’s just…having a cute guy living in our house…”
“Yeah, proximity, I get it,” Frankie drawled. “No offense, but the neighbor guy is way hotter than you.”
Seth sighed. “Damn it, it’s not fair that he turned out to be gay. I don’t need the competition.”
“Well, I’ll try to get him interested only in me – and since I’m not interested in you anyway, you won’t be losing anything,” Frankie said dryly.
“That’s true,” Seth said, cheering up. “And if you won’t sleep with me, could you at least keep an eye out for hot guys? I like college students,” he remarked with a leer.
Frankie laughed in spite of himself. “I’ll do that," he said. “Although I WILL be warning them beforehand what you’re like.”
“Hey! That’s not nice!” Seth protested, which made him giggle helplessly.
Seth pulled up in front of the farm house a few hours later. “Home, sweet home,” he drawled.
“Yeah, right,” Frankie patted his full stomach happily. He got out of the car, shivering in the cold. He’d be glad to get into the house as soon as possible.
“Hey, Frankie!” he turned when a voice called his name, brightening up when he saw Caleb standing there. The other man had apparently driven up just as they arrived at the house. He had a frown on his handsome face, and his dark-blue eyes were resting on Seth as his cousin climbed out of the battered Ford. Seth’s amber eyes narrowed in return, and the two eyed each other with displeasure.
Frankie glanced from one to the other, then sighed. “Caleb, this is my cousin Seth. He just took me to breakfast, after I bribed him to do so. Seth, this is Caleb.”
“Great to meet you, Seth,” Caleb said between his teeth.
“Yeah, same here,” Seth replied coolly. “Cousin Frankie’s told me a lot about you. He and I are pretty close already,” he added with a sneer.
Okay, Frankie had had enough of the testosterone-laden posturing already. He glowered up at Caleb. “Don’t listen to a word he says,” he remarked, jerking his head at Seth. “He’s just trying to get a rise out of you. Seth, thanks for the ride, and here’s the cash," he pulled out his wallet and handed his cousin ten bucks across the roof of the car.
Seth took the money, then visibly shrugged. He gave Caleb a last hard look before strolling in the direction of the house. Frankie turned back to Caleb. “I know that look," he said sharply. “And I don’t appreciate it at all.”
Caleb’s brows lifted. “What look?” he asked.
Frankie frowned awfully. “That ‘I’m jealous so I’m going to threaten that other guy’ look. I am not the least bit interested in Seth, despite the fact that he’s pretty good-looking and sexy. I don’t like his type – he sleeps with anything that moves, and I’m just not into that – but I also don’t like overly jealous guys either. Are you getting what I’m saying?”
Caleb looked rather sheepish. “Yeah,” he said. “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. I guess you’re just that attractive,” he added with a charming grin.
Frankie felt a pool of warmth in the pit of his stomach, but tried to maintain his stern expression. "Excuses, excuses,” he muttered. “Just don’t let it happen again, okay?”
Caleb made a ‘cross-your-heart’ motion over his chest. “I promise. Are we still going out together today?” he asked hopefully.
Frankie pretended to consider this question, although since he really wanted to go out on this date with Caleb rather than be cooped up in that farm house all day, he finally nodded. “I guess he can,” he conceded.
Caleb’s lips twitched visibly. “Great,” he said. “Are you ready, or do you want to change your clothes?”
“I’m ready. Can we go? I’m freezing,” Frankie said, hugging himself and shivering.
“Get in my car before you freeze to death,” Caleb told him, and Frankie was happy to do so.
It was blissfully warm in Caleb’s car. He sank back again the seat, sighing happily. Caleb smiled at him as he got into the driver’s side. “Your nose is red,” he said affectionately, reaching out to tap the pointed end of it with his finger, “You look like Rudolph.”
Frankie wrinkled his nose in response. “It’s too cold here, it’s not my fault,” he complained.
Caleb started the car. “I’ll be happy to keep you warm,” he remarked, and something in his voice made Frankie’s whole body flush. Caleb could keep him warm anytime. Anytime at all.
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