Chapter Five

Justin walked into the shop after getting off shift at the fire station and noticed Joe over by the Edsel Pacer he'd been working on the other night. Strolling up, he poked his head into the opened window. "Hey, Joe. Whatcha doin'?"

"Oh good, you made it. We're just about to break her cherry. It wouldn't be right if you missed it, considering all the hours you put into this girl."

Justin stood back and admired the custom teal-green paint with pearl finish. The massive boat really showed it off well, especially with the white, rear-quarter inset and chrome trim.

"She really is beautiful. It'll be a shame to see her drive off into the sunset, but that's what"s so cool about this place…" He gave a saucy smile and wiggled his eyebrows. "Always new girls to seduce."

Joe laughed. "What would you know about seducing girls?"

"Hey! I tried to pull off being straight back in high school." He gave an all-over body shudder. "Until I got to second base with Linda Harvey. Soft, squishy, dangly parts are not for me. Blech!" He scrunched up his face and stuck out his tongue.

Joe gasped for breath while laughing. It took him a few tries, but he finally got out, "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but you do realize that men have a particular soft, squishy and dangly part, too, right?"

He loved Joe"s laugh. The man fully committed to expressing his mirth 110 percent. Justin egged him on a little further.

"Oh, my dear man. I'm so sorry. Don"t worry. Lots of older guys have that problem. But take heart. There are now lots of ways to access confidential healthcare to get little pills that will make your squishiness go away."

Joe threw a shop rag at Justin. "Smartass punk! I'll have you know my man bits are just fine. In fact, you can ask Deb this weekend at the barbeque. Unless you're on duty?"

"No, I have the weekend off. What time should I anoint your home with my magnificent presence?"

"Two o'clock on Sunday." Joe gave a courtly bow in Justin's direction. "Your majesty will have to bring his own beer."

"I think I can arrange to spend time with my loyal subjects. Now, let's get this girl turned on so we can turn her over. Hmm, there's a thought? I wonder if…"

"Justin!"

"What? I'm just saying."

"Stop ‘saying' and start working. Top off all the fluids. The owner is coming to pick this up in the morning. I want to make sure no minor problems pop up when we take her for a test drive."

"Okay, okay. You're the boss."

Justin popped the hood and stared down into the engine compartment. He was so glad the owner kept the original engine design instead of trying to swap it out with a modern motor. The gleaming chrome and matching paint on the engine block was a showstopper. He quickly checked the coolant, brakes, transmission, and oil levels. Everything looked good to go, and Justin couldn"t wait to drive the giant boat. At the time, the Edsel was considered one of Ford"s biggest failures, having only been in production for two years before they pulled the plug. But now the few still around were highly collectable.

He climbed into the driver"s seat and checked out the interior work Doriano"s team had done. The white leather interior was butter soft, and the inset designs on the seat cushions really gave the vehicle a custom look.

"You ready to take her out?" Jose asked.

"Can I? Really?"

"Sure, you"ve earned it. Besides, you"re the only one clean enough that I"d allow inside that car right now."

Justin rolled his eyes, but quickly grabbed the keys from the glove compartment. He slid them into the ignition and turned it on. The motor rumbled to life on the first try, and he peered through the window when he heard Joe"s cheer. Justin carefully pushed the button for reverse on the center cap of the ginormous steering wheel. The bay door opened behind him and he slowly backed out of the garage. The last thing he wanted to do was inadvertently dent, ding, or scratch the $70,000 restoration job.

Once he was clear of the building, he pushed the button for drive. The Teletouch pushbutton automatic transmission was a unique feature back in the day, but also because of some design flaws led to the downfall of the model. Justin gave the horn, also in the center cap of the steering wheel, a quick tap and took off for the standard test drive route the shop used on all its vehicles.

He kept his eyes on the road and ears open for any unusual sounds, but his mind drifted back toward his and Rob"s encounter several days ago. Rob"s throat closing around his cock nearly made him black out when he came, and Justin still remembered the perfect fit of Rob"s cock in his hand. While the amazing sex was a bonus, what had really kept Justin up at night was the connection he felt to the other man. Rob was so easy to talk to. He wasn"t afraid to tease Justin, and his love for Joe and Deb was clear in every word he spoke about them. What must it be like to feel confined in the closet because of the job? Justin had been out for so long that he couldn"t relate the choices Rob felt he had been forced to make in order to succeed. While the world was better than, say, fifteen years ago with acceptance, there was still so much hatred and intolerance. What would it be like if sexuality had no bearing on professional achievements and success? If individuals and corporations celebrated diversity all twelve months of the year?

Justin was lucky. He"d found a fire station and place like Fitz"s Restoration, where his sexuality was a non-issue. All the men and women he worked with only expressed support. Oh, they gave each other crap all the time, but Justin never had to hide in order to feel included or earn the trust of those around him.

The car drove like a dream, and when he pulled back into the lot, he steered toward the bays near the end where finished projects awaited final detailing before returning them to their owners. "It"s been fun, girl."

He waved to Joe as he headed for the exterior entry to his apartment. He had a night of binge watching and laundry folding ahead of him. Maybe he"d call Rob just to shoot the shit? But that might seem a little desperate? Nah, he should wait to talk to him at the cookout on Sunday. He"d be there, right? Damn, he hadn"t asked Joe if Rob was coming or not. But Justin asking Joe if Rob was coming would probably seem weird.

"Goddamn it, I"m back in middle school."

Justin reached for a beer out of the cooler on the back deck of Joe and Deb's house. He was getting ready to pop the cap when a shockingly cold sensation skated down his back.

"Oh! Holy fudge, that's cold!" He turned around and spied Joe laughing and pointing in his direction.

"Serves you right for your snarky comments the other day. You knew I would get you back some way. I am very, very sneaky."

"Yeah, yeah. You tied the score. Where's Rob? You invited your surrogate son to your little shindig, right?" Justin asked while doing a shimmy dance, trying to get the offending ice cube off his back. The now mostly melted cube fell to the deck, and he turned around to see Joe staring at him with a funny look on his face. "What?"

"I've heard no one shorten his name before."

Justin shrugged his shoulders. "I called him Rob the other night when he stopped by and helped me at the shop. He was the one who did trim work on the Mercedes. I told you that, right? Anyway, he didn't correct me, so I assumed it was cool. What difference does it make?"

"It doesn't."

Justin watched as Joe walked away. He thought there might have been a little smile on his face. He rewound the conversation in his head, trying to determine if he'd given anything away. According to Rob, Joe knew he was gay, and Joe knew Justin was gay, but Joe did not know that Justin knew Rob was gay. Nor should he have any clue of what they had shared last weekend.

Damn, trying to keep this straight at a Sunday afternoon barbeque is too complicated.

He took a long swig of his beer before venturing out into the yard, seeking refuge in simpler conversations. Upon approaching a group of the guys from the garage, he found out that they were discussing the professional fight leagues. He heard Rob's name come up and smiled.

"You know, he's scheduled for a big fight coming up in a few months," Justin said.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see it. I am so going to schedule that on my DVR so I can watch it over and over. The man is stone cold in the ring, but such a nice guy whenever he comes around the shop. Wonder which one is the real Robert Lansing?" Billy, one of the high school interns, said.

"Why can't he be both?" Justin asked. "There's nothing that says he has to be a cold-hearted son of a bitch or sweeter than your momma's apple pie. I helped him install a new top on his car a couple of weeks ago, and he didn't mention the fight stuff once. He even laughed at my stupid jokes."

"Aw, Justin, that was just pity. Nice as he may be, even Robert Lansing doesn't think your jokes are funny," Mike, a day shifter, said while slapping him on the back.

"Oh stop, stop. You are too nice. You're going to give me a swelled head."

"You just keep any swelling heads of yours away from me. I don't swing that way. My asshole is a one-way street," Mike said.

The guys laughed and slapped Mike on the back for his clever comment. Justin wasn"t above giving a little of his own medicine back to him. "It's okay, buddy. Not everyone is as discriminating as I am. You'll eventually find someone willing to see your ugly mug on the pillow every morning."

He heard the gate to the backyard open and turned to see Rob and James walk through. James had a baby carrier in his grip, and Rob carried a diaper bag, food, and drinks. If he didn"t know better, Justin would have thought they made a cute family. He stepped away from the garage crew and walked over toward the deck. James set his daughter down, and Robert bent over the baby carrier.

"Glad you found somebody your own age to play with," Justin teased.

Robert spun around, carefully clutching the tiny bundle in his arms. "Hey."

"Hi."

Robert waved to the group of guys Justin had been chatting with moments ago. "It looks like most of them are here."

"Who's that?" James asked, bringing back a pair of drinks.

"Guys from Joe's shop. This is Justin, and I can introduce you to rest in a bit. Listen, I want to go see if my mom needs some help to get food ready. Take your daughter."

"Man, I thought that's what these parties were for…free babysitting."

Justin watched as James made googly faces at his daughter and shook his head. It was clear the man was totally smitten, and it was endearingly sweet. Rob jerked his head toward the house. "Want to come help?"

He took another sip of his beer and trying not to give away just how fast his heart was racing at being near the man again. "Sure. Deb said something about trying to put together a fruit salad a minute ago. You know how hopeless Joe is at cutting. Maybe we should step in and save the day."

"Good call." He looked at James. "We"ll be back in a few minutes."

They went inside, and judging by the disaster on Deb"s countertops, a rescue operation was critical. "Dear God, Joe."

Joe looked up at him and Rob. His gaze was wide and desperate as he gripped a massive knife in his fist. "Help."

Rob shook his head. "Put the knife down and step away from the strawberry." Rob went around the island and took over. "You know, for a man who can rebuild a carburetor with his eyes closed, it amazes me you can"t slice fruit without pulverizing it."

"Two different parts of the brain." Jose turned toward Justin. "You gonna back me up?"

"Sorry, you"re on your own with this one. If I defend you, then I"m sentencing helpless sweet berries to their death. If I defend Rob, I"m going to end up doing the head overhaul on that BMW M30 that came in this week by myself."

"He"s right, dear. Here"s a task more in line with your skills." Deb said, handing Joe a plate of burgers she'd been preparing for the grill.

Joe practically ran out of the kitchen, and the three of them laughed. Deb looked back and forth between him and Rob. "So Justin, are you seeing anyone lately?"

Robert rolled his eyes. "Subtle, Mom."

She shrugged and smiled. Rob popped a piece of melon into his mouth.

"There is a person I"m interested in, but we"re still feeling each other up. Out!"

Rob coughed violently. Justin quickly moved behind Rob in case he started choking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Deb watching them intently. Rob got himself under control, and Justin stepped around the island again so he could see Rob"s face. He didn"t think he"d given anything away to hint that it was Rob and him who had hooked up, but parents had a weird sixth sense.

"Glad to hear it. I"m going to take this other platter of burgers out to the grill."

Deb exited the kitchen; the sounds of party attendees drifted toward them through the screen door. Rob kept chopping fruit, and Justin kept his eye on the deck through the large window over the sink. He slowly made his way around the island and set his empty bottle in the recycle bin. The clink of glass against glass cut through the tension filled the room like a crack of lightning.

"Sorry about that," he whispered.

"It"s no problem. I doubt she knew… and even if she did, I"m out with them. If anything, it would only be that awkward "I"m standing in the room with my parent and a man whose cock I had down my throat" kind of way."

Rob looked so mouthwateringly gorgeous in cargo shorts, T-shirt and flip-flops. The sleeves of the shirt stretched tight over his upper arms. The edge of the shorts revealed his chiseled calves, which were as firm as carved stone.

Justin placed his hand on top of Rob"s wrist, holding the knife. Rob put the implement down and met Justin"s gaze. "I feel a bit dehydrated."

"It is warm in here."

"Mmhm. Maybe some water would help. Can you tell me where to find a glass?"

Robert swallowed, then moved over to the row of upper cabinets beside the refrigerator. He opened one door, but froze when Justin came up behind him. He placed one hand on the counter beside Robert's hip and stretched on his toes. Justin reached into the cabinet, rubbing his body against Robert like a cat, and removed a glass.

"Fuck me," Robert agonizingly whispered.

Justin tilted his head and whispered into Robert's ear, "No problem. Just tell me when and where."

He heard Rob growl seconds before the man spun them both around, reversing their positions. Justin"s body bowed against the countertop as Rob's lips covered his own. His hands clasped around Rob's neck and held on to the back of his head. He returned the kiss aggressively. It had been a week since he'd felt Rob's lips against his own, a week since that large, hard body had pushed into or up against his. His tongue thrust deep, only to lick out slowly over and over. Rob's hands slid from his waist down to cup his ass and lifted him up so their erections rubbed against each other. His hips thrust as much as they could.

The feel of Rob's tongue-fucking his mouth was the most erotic thing ever. He loved a man who could kiss, a man who loved kissing as much as he did. So often, the guys he hooked up with would only give a peck or two before getting down to business, but Justin always thought kissing was the best feeling ever. A truly lost art form. He wanted to wrap his legs around Rob's waist and just go to town, but thought that might take it too far, given their location.

They were so lost in each other that they didn't hear the screen door open behind them until someone shouted.

"Holy shit!"

They broke apart, and Rob spun around so fast he almost lost his footing. Standing behind them, with his mouth open wider than a 1964 Cadillac Eldorado, was James. Justin wasn"t one to be intimidated often, but Rob"s sparring partner was tall, large, and pissed. His mouth snapped shut, and he pointed an angry finger at Rob.

"You… me… talk…now!" he ordered, then stormed off further into the house.

Rob ran his hands up over his head and scrubbed his face. He brought his leg back and kicked the baseboard of the cabinetry hard and yelled, "Goddammit! Son of a fucking bitch!" He spun around and left the kitchen.

Justin watched Rob leave angrily.

Shit!

This was bad. While part of Justin wanted to argue that Rob had plenty of opportunities to speak up, Justin also could have taken greater care of Robert"s previously expressed concerns. He could have dragged Rob away from the large kitchen window and opened the door before making things physical. He didn't know how much James had seen, but there was little doubt that Rob had been an active participant. Not knowing how Rob would play off the incident, he figured leaving was the better part of valor. If Rob wanted to discuss what had happened—or what was going to happen—he knew where to find him.

Robert went in search of James. He stopped when he found him in the living room, standing with his arms crossed. Tentatively, he stepped into the room. "So…"

"Why, Robert?"

Robert could see both anger and sadness on his friend's face. And yet he still went on the defensive.

"‘Why' which part? Why did I never explain myself to you or why do I like dick?"

James walked right up and got in Robert's face. "You son of a bitch. You really think I care that you're gay? After all the times I yammered your ear off about my little brother? About how proud I am that despite all the shit he's had to put up with, he came out in high school? After all that, you still never said a word!"

Robert pushed James back. "I couldn't say anything! What was I supposed to do? Some day when we're tangled up on the mat say, ‘hey, man, watch the accidental gropes. I might like it too much?' Or how about if we were in the showers after our workout and I commented on some guy's naked ass as he walked by?"

"Don't give me that line of bullshit. Every time we step foot in the gym, you are nothing but professional. But Robert, Jesus, I thought you were my friend. You've been to my fucking house on Thanksgiving and Christmas. You're my daughter's godfather."

Robert slumped down on the sofa. Clasping his hands together, he hung his head down. "I never meant to hurt you. Lately, I've been regretting my decision to stay quiet, at least to you. I had even decided to tell you the truth." He gave a sheepish smile. "Not quite that way. I still have to stay in the closet for work. I don't see any way around that." He looked up into James"s eyes. "But it would be nice to talk to my friend if I needed to."

James pulled Robert up off the sofa into a big bear hug. "You fucker." A moment later, he pulled back, nodded his head and gave a giant smile. "So… how long have you been seeing each other?"

"Oh shit! Hold on a second. I'll be right back." Robert ran out of the room to see if Justin was still in the kitchen. He wasn't there, and he wasn't in the backyard. Walking back to the front of the house, he looked out the window. His car was gone, too. Head hanging, Robert walked back into the living room.

He could use that friend now.

"He's gone. Damn, I screwed that one up." He started pacing around the living room. "I cursed and stormed off. I wasn't thinking. This wasn't his fault. I was just as into it as he was."

He heard James chuckle and looked up to see his friend's eyes twinkle in the mischief-making way of his.

"Yeah, I could tell. In fact, as an unbiased observer, you two are seriously hot together," James said.

Robert stared at his friend of eight years in shock. What the hell kind of comment was that? He knew James was straight. Hell, he was so straight he could be used as a ruler.

"What?" James said. "I can appreciate it from an aesthetic point of view. I experimented in college. Just turns out I prefer tits to pecs and pussy to cock." He watched Robert make another circuit around the sofa. "Look, he probably just took off to get out of the line of fire. Give you time to chill. I'm sure you'll be able to track him down, and when you do, you'll have incredibly hot makeup sex. But for now, spill it." He jumped on the sofa like a teenage girl and patted the cushion next to him.

Robert shook his head. James could be such a goofball, but he sat down. "He"s a paramedic at the Old Town fire station, but he moonlights at Joe"s garage. I met him when I got that new top for the car. He helped me install it. We"re… very new. I don't know if we're dating, but we're more than fuck-buddies. Hell, we haven't even gotten to that part yet." His cheeks heated at the confession.

"Robert and Justin, sitting in a tree. F-U-C-K-I-N-G."

He reached over and smacked James with a pillow from the sofa. "Shut up, dill weed." The smile left his face, and he wanted to get serious for a second. James must have picked up on his expression because his face did the same.

"I like him. I mean, he's fun to hang out with. He's smart and, yes, hotter than hell."

"Then go get him."