Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

PERRY

"What did you do?" I hiss, casting a nervous glance toward Bud. My guess is that Aether just shot me up with some kind of upper. I'm not sure if Bud's the type who considers anyone who even looks at drugs to be evil. Would this change his perspective on getting Aether home? Would he take back his offer to fix my car for free? I can't risk it.

Instead, I feel around my neck and shoulder for a tender spot where he injected me. I can't find it, but I glare at him anyway. Totally not okay.

He seems confused. "It's just some mojo so you're not as tired."

Mojo? Is that the street name for something I'm not cool enough to know about? "Next time, ask first. What is Mojo, anyway?"

Aether waves his hands, his confusion joined by… disappointment? I guess he thought I'd be more appreciative of the boost. And I am , but I hate the idea of being drugged without consent. "Mojo is… energy. Power. The vibe?"

I have no idea what he's talking about, but I've gotta admit, whatever the fuck Mojo is, it works. I haven't felt this good in… I can't even remember when.

"You fellas ready?" Bud calls. I glance over to see my car's all hooked up to his truck.

"Yep!" I call back, then turn on Aether. "We'll talk about this later, but whatever you do, don't let Bud know you have Mojo. Or anything else that might be in… your…" I trail off. I was going to say "pockets," but he was naked when he turned up. His pockets right now are actually Bud's. Was the Mojo Bud's? Is he going to be pissed off when he realizes Aether used it?

Or maybe the Mojo was Aether's and he was just carrying someplace… special. But surely I would have noticed when he, er… extracted it.

"Just don't attract attention," I order. It's the best I can come up with, but even as I say it, I feel ridiculous. He's a six-foot, gorgeous, built, green-haired man with no shirt or shoes and a dick print to make porn stars weep. He's going to attract attention.

But he just nods solemnly. "You won't even know I'm here. And then we'll go find my bros, right?"

"As soon as my car is working, we're gonna find your bros." Please let that be really soon.

We climb into Bud's truck, and he was right, Middleville really is just a ways up the road. It takes less than ten minutes to get there—if I'd known how close it was, I might have risked pushing my car just a little bit more.

The truck pulls into the forecourt of the garage, and Bud turns to me. "I'll be quick as I can, but if you wanna get some lunch or coffee, the diner's just down a block."

Oh my god, food and coffee? Just the thought makes me want to weep. "That sounds great," I say instead, trying to sound like a rational adult and not a caffeine addict jonesing for a fix. Then I remember my barefoot, bare-chested friend. "Uh, do you have a shirt and maybe some flip-flops or something Aether can wear?" I don't think whoever runs the diner will appreciate his attire.

Bud laughs. "Trust me, Perry, you wanna take him in there like that. Mary Sue and Mary Kate will treat him like a god."

The rational adult part of me thinks that's a very bad idea and wants to politely insist we clothe Aether. The rest of me has reached the point in this day where a human-size cabbage with arms and legs could walk up and start talking to me, and I'd just roll with it. If Mary Sue and Mary Kate, whoever they are, want to worship at the altar of Aether, then who am I to deny them?

Speaking of Aether, he's playing with the window switch with the kind of delighted fascination usually reserved for four-year-olds. I nudge him a few times and finally manage to get him out of the cab and away from the switch. Keeping firm hold of his arm so he doesn't wander into the garage and play with something that might hurt him, I make sure Bud has my number, then tug Aether along to the sidewalk.

"Are you hungry? Let's find this diner and get something to eat."

He stops gazing mournfully over his shoulder toward the truck and perks right up. "Food? I like food."

"You and me both, sweetheart."

He stops dead, and when I turn to look back at him, the smile on his face is the biggest it's been yet. "You okay?"

"Your heart is sweet too," he declares, and I can't stop myself from returning his smile. I don't know what his deal is, but he's clearly good-intentioned and kind.

"Thank you. Come on—Bud said it's just a block, and I think I can see it already."

The diner is a throwback to the last century, with Formica tables, vinyl booths, and a big-haired, big-breasted middle-aged woman behind the counter. I instantly love it. The lunch rush seems to be tapering off, and when the bell above the door announces our arrival, the woman doesn't look up from the coffee she's pouring as she calls, "Sit anywhere; I'll be with you in a sec."

"Where do you want to sit?" I ask Aether. It's a mistake; I can tell by the way his face lights up, even before he grabs my hand and starts pulling me toward a table. An occupied table.

"Those people look nice," he says, and I almost feel bad for stopping him. Almost. Asking a bunch of strangers if we can sit with them ranks pretty high on my list of things I don't want to do… right up there with talking to cops for the third time in one day because those same strangers got freaked out by a half-naked green-haired man acting like we're all lifelong besties.

"Let's sit at an empty table," I suggest. "I want to talk to you privately."

"Oh! Okay." He changes direction and heads for an empty booth. We've nearly made it when there's a crash behind us.

"My word!"

I turn to see the woman behind the counter gaping at us… or more specifically, at Aether. He waves at her.

"Bud at the garage said it was okay," I blurt. "For him to not have a shirt, I mean. It's been a rough day." Truthfully, I have no idea what kind of day Aether's been having, but mine definitely hasn't been smooth sailing.

She fans herself. "Oh, honey, it's definitely okay. I'm Mary Kate, and it's gonna be my pleasure to serve you. Mary Sue!" she yells. "Mary Sue, come out here."

There's a muffled shout from the kitchen, and as everyone in the diner stares at us, I try to remember what I could've done to earn this day. Then Mary Sue stomps out of the kitchen, looking a lot like her sister, only grumpier, and I brace myself.

"What?" she snaps at Mary Kate, who nods wordlessly toward us. Mary Sue follows the direction of her gaze, and her jaw actually drops open. "Hol-eeey shit," she breathes. "Is it Christmas? Cos I wanna climb that man like a tree."

Aether's smile turns puzzled, and he leans over to whisper, "I don't know how that would work."

"I'll explain later." Hopefully never. "Smile and say hello."

Obediently, he waves at Mary Sue. "Hello! Cool apron."

I look at Mary Sue's apron, and it actually is pretty cool. It says "I want to go for a naked dragon ride" and there's a stylized dragon tail.

She winks at him. "Thanks, honey. I'll ride your dragon anytime you want."

Oh-kay, this is taking a turn I hadn't expected. "Is it too late for lunch?" I blurt, trying to divert her attention from Aether's… dragon. "Go sit down," I hiss at him. Let's get that dragon out of sight.

He turns away, and both Mary Kate and Mary Sue sigh—but not in disappointment. I have to admit to sneaking a peek at that bubble butt myself. If he hadn't wandered naked out of a field and seemed completely disconnected from reality, I'd already have thrown myself at his feet in tribute. Metaphorically.

"No, hon, lunch is fine," Mary Kate finally says as Aether slides into one side of the booth. "Menus are on the table. Can I get you started with some drinks?"

"Coffee," I beg. "Please. The biggest cup you have." I glance at Aether. "What would you like to drink?"

He purses his lips, eyes distant as he considers it. "Soda, please. With the bubbles."

Mary Kate and I exchange glances. "We got Coke, Diet, Sprite, Fanta, and Dr Pepper," she says.

"Do they have bubbles?" he asks, and she smiles. It's a warm smile, not like the semi-leer from before.

"You betcha."

He bites his lip, then declares, "Coke, please."

She hustles off to start our drinks, and I join Aether in the booth and grab a menu. "What do you feel like eating?"

"Food," he announces cheerfully, seizing another menu.

"Good choice." Before I can ask him to be more specific, Mary Kate brings our drinks over. My coffee is in one of those old-style metal milkshake cups, filled about two-thirds of the way, and I pick it up and take a swallow of it black, desperate for the caffeine. "Mary Kate, you're amazing."

She huffs a laugh. "That's what all the boys say. You want some cream or sweetener, hon?"

I gulp down another mouthful. "Yes, please." Black coffee is for emergencies only, and I think the emergency has passed.

As she wanders off to get it, I look over at Aether. He's studying his soda carefully. "Everything okay?" I ask.

He nods without looking up. "There are lots of bubbles." That seems to delight him, and he picks up the glass and gulps down half the contents before I can think to warn him.

The resultant sputtering and watering eyes from the soda burning the back of his throat are inevitable, and I sigh and pass him a couple of napkins from the table dispenser. "Don't drink soda that fast, buddy."

He coughs and gasps and nods. "That's a good thing to know."

Mary Kate comes back and hands me some packs of creamer and sweetener. "Drink it too fast?" she asks Aether sympathetically. "We've all been there." She pats him on the shoulder, and I'm not imagining the way her hand lingers. "You ready to order?"

"I'll have the sandwich special," I say hastily, pulling her attention to me. Bud wasn't wrong about this place.

"Salad or fries with that?"

I want to say fries, but I'm pretty sure I'll be eating cheap fast food for dinner, so I opt for salad. Then we both look at Aether. He beams back at us.

"I will have the cheeseburger with the lot. And extra lettuce and tomato."

Mary Kate blinks, and I'm guessing it's because most people who order a cheeseburger with the lot don't ask for extras of the healthy stuff. "Sure thing, hon. Fries or salad?"

His gaze turns pleading. "Both?"

"That's fine," I say quickly. "Just charge us for an extra side."

She snorts. "Sweetie, your friend here is the best thing that's happened to me all week. He can have two sides." She winks at Aether, then wanders back toward the counter, and I give my new friend my full attention. Time to get some answers.