Guys on Top 02 - Guys on the Side (14 page)

Doug placed a hand on Zach’s shoulder. “Whatever this awful thing is, it will pass. Eventually.”

“No.” Zach finally looked at Doug. “Corey and I broke up. It’s over. For good.”

Doug frowned. “I don’t understand. I thought things were good with you guys. Corey seemed really happy.”

“I cheated on him.”

Doug’s eyebrows rose. “
Oh
.”

“Yeah.” Zach clasped his hands and stared at the ground. “Why would I do that? That’s the worst part. I don’t even know why I let it happen.”

“Were you unhappy in your relationship with Corey?”

Zach shrugged. “I didn’t think I was. But we had a pretty dysfunctional onset, if you know what I mean. I guess I thought that didn’t matter, that it would all become normal once we were together for real.”

“But it didn’t?”

Sighing, Zach shook his head. “Back when Corey was with Stewart, I was trying so hard to make him mine. It was all I thought about. I figured because Corey and Stewart had an open relationship, that it couldn’t be real between them. That I had a shot. But I tied myself up in knots over it. And then when he was finally all mine, I...”

Doug rubbed his back. “Those knots you tied yourself up in were still there, even after you guys got serious.”

Zach nodded, and let out a small laugh. “Yeah. They were still there. And when they started to become unraveled...I guess I did too.”

Doug nodded. “Do you think there’s a chance he’ll forgive you?”

“No.” Zach’s lip trembled. “It was bad. The guy I messed around with...Corey had gotten a restraining order against him last year. He hates him. He’s disgusted. I feel so stupid. I feel sick.” He looked at Doug. “I hurt him. I hurt Corey bad. I saw it in his eyes. He’s not going to forgive me for this. Ever.”

“So it’s definitely over,” Doug said.

Zach nodded. “Definitely.”

“Are you gonna be okay?”

“I have no idea.”

“Well, do you have someone you can talk to, someone to help you through this?”

Zach wiped his eyes. “My mom, maybe. I need to make some changes, that much is certain. I’m gonna stop working at the bar. Place is kind of getting on my nerves, dealing with drunks all the time. It’s just...bad energy. That’s where I met Brooks.” He glanced at Doug. “He’s the guy. I can’t go back there, the place is tainted now.”

“What will you do for work?”

“I don’t know. My mom’s been trying to get me to go to college. Says she’ll pay for it if I move back in with her while I go.”

“Free education is nothing to balk at,” Doug said. “Maybe you should take her up on it.”

“The idea of being a loser cellar-dweller at twenty-five isn’t so appealing, but I have to do
something
. Something different. The way my life is now clearly isn’t working out so hot for me.” He looked at Doug. “You shouldn’t be here talking to me. You should go up and talk to Corey. He’s...he’s upset.”

Doug nodded, and stood. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you’re in pain.”

Standing, Zach said, “Yeah. Me, too.” He moved across the lawn toward the street, looking lost. Doug watched until he got into his car and drove away, then he went inside, and headed up the stairs to Corey’s apartment.

He knocked. “Corey? It’s Doug.”

A minute passed, then Corey opened the door. “Hey.”

“Hey. I just talked to Zach.”

Corey’s face folded into a scowl. “He’s still here?”

“No, he left. He’s gone now. You want some company?”

Sighing, Corey shook his head. “No, it’s fine. Go be with Stewart. I’m fine.” Corey’s hand trembled as he brought it to his face, rubbing his chin.

“You’re not fine. Let me come in for a minute.”

Corey nodded. “Okay.” He stepped back and let Doug inside.

After closing the door, Corey moved to the couch and sat, staring at the floor. Doug took the chair beside him.

“Do you believe in God?” Corey asked.

Doug chuckled. “That is not what I expected to come out of your mouth. Why do you ask?”

“I’ve just been sitting here in shock, thinking about everything that just happened. I can’t help feeling like I’m being punished. Punished for my sins.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Doug said.

Corey shifted sideways and leaned back against the couch pillows. “I don’t know, Doug, I don’t know if I did or didn’t. Zach treated me like a villain for so long, I think I’ve started to believe I am one. Like I deserved this. Maybe for cheating on Stewart years ago, before we decided to open up our relationship. Maybe because I lied to him about the nature of my relationship with Zach. Maybe for just screwing around so much. Now I get serious with Zach, I finally want monogamy with someone, and the universe says, ‘Ha ha, psych!’ and yanks it away from me. It’s like the gods wanted to give me a taste of my own medicine, but they wanted to wait until I was good and vulnerable first, so it would
really
burn.”

“I don’t believe in punishment for sins,” Doug said. “Bad things happen to good people all the time. And you are a good person, Corey, not a villain. Zach’s the one who screwed this up, not some vengeful god of promiscuity.”

Corey snickered, and Doug was relieved to hear the sound of it.

“You’re gonna be all right,” Doug said. “And you’ll find your happiness. I know you will.”

“Look at us, me lying on the couch and you sitting there being my shrink. Oh! That reminds me. I went to see that Angelo guy.”

“Cut the shit. You actually went?”

“I did.”

“Ballsy bastard. How did it go?”

“Pretty good,” Corey said. “He’s not a bad guy. I think the issue is resolved. I kind of like him, actually. Except...ah, never mind.”

“Never mind what? Tell me!”

Corey sat up, grinning. “Well, we went to this pub and talked, and there came a point where I kind of felt like he was...I don’t know. Not hitting on me exactly, but...expressing interest.”

“Come on,” Doug said. “You’re kidding. He’s straight, right?”

“Well, he seems to be. But I don’t know. There was something weird there.”

“Maybe he wants to switch over to the dark side of the alternate universe.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I want nothing to do with it. The last thing I need right now is some confused straight dude using me as a guinea pig.”

“I don’t know,” Doug said. “He’s hot. If I were single, I wouldn’t mind going for a spin on his Habitrail wheel.”

“Please. He’s not gay.”

“Well, it sounds like he’s not completely straight either. Maybe his lines are bit...squiggly.”

“I don’t know. I might have imagined it. Anyway, like I said. Last thing I need is that kind of trouble.”

“Yet here we are talking about him right after you broke up with Zach.”

Corey went quiet, the pain evident in his expression.

“I’m sorry,” Doug said. “Too soon.”

“Or too late. Ironic. Now that I actually want a monogamous partner, I’ll probably never find anyone right for me.”

“Well, if you think I’m going to let you fall into that kind of gloom and doom, think again. I ran into Dewey coming to see you the other day and he said there’s karaoke at The Horse and Carriage this weekend. We’re going, right?”

Shrugging, Corey said, “I was going to. Not sure if I feel like it anymore.”

“You have to,” Doug said. “Dewey mentioned you guys are doing a fifties theme. He’s probably bought his cheerleading costume already.”

Corey chuckled. “Yeah. He wants to go as Sandy from
Grease
. It’ll be fun, but not sure I’m up for it. I usually go with Zach. Too many memories.”

“You made me go to that stupid thing when I didn’t want to. So I’m gonna make you. Come on, it’s a night out. We’ll make new memories.”

“Ha! Listen to you. I kind of regret helping you unblock your anger last spring. This new, optimistic, peppy Doug is kind of freaking me out.”

Doug rose from his chair. “Well, new Doug isn’t feeling so peppy at the moment, I’m exhausted. You gonna be okay?”

“No.” Corey pouted, sticking his lower lip out. “I’m
distraught
. Can I sleep with you and Daddy tonight?”

Doug laughed. “Um, no. I’ll buy you a nightlight.”

“But I thought you cared!”

“Yeah. Caring. Not
sharing
. Goodnight, I’ll see you later.”

“Later, Doug. Thanks.”

“Any time.”

After Doug left, the cold shock and pain returned and stole through Corey like an icy ghost, and he knew it would be a while before he felt like himself again.

But he had friends. Friends like Doug, who against all odds, and despite their past fights and tangled history, cared. Maybe this meant Doug was a little crazy.

Or maybe it meant Corey wasn’t such a horrible villain after all.

Chapter Nine

It was Friday. Corey had made it through the week without having a complete nervous breakdown or falling into a drunken binge, so he figured he was doing pretty damn well considering.
Go me, I’m kind of functioning!

Zach had left him two voicemails during the week, reiterating that he was sorry, and had never meant to hurt him.
Never meant for it to happen
. That seemed to be the go-to phrase people used when they cheated. As though it should be some comfort that it wasn’t a premeditated mission to rip another person’s heart out. He’d used those words himself once, and winced when he thought back on what he must have put Stewart through.

Corey had listened to Zach’s voicemails, but not responded. The funny part was, he didn’t hate Zach. He had no intention of reconciling with him, but he wasn’t angry anymore. He’d had some time to think about things, and decided he needed to take his share of the blame. Not for Zach’s cheating. But for deluding himself into believing Zach’s obsession with him was true love.

Corey had been working with massage clients as usual, and his energy seemed fine, no problems with his mojo, which was a huge relief. He needed to stay busy, focused on something other than how much his heart hurt.

Oddly, he found himself periodically thinking about Angelo Nardovino. The guy hadn’t called to fill him in on Leonard’s saga as he’d promised, and Corey was vaguely disappointed. Not because he wanted to
take a spin on his Habitrail wheel
, as Doug had suggested. The truth was he’d enjoyed talking to the guy, felt a strange connection, and thought it would have been nice to forge a friendship with someone like Angelo. They had similarities, and right now a platonic mind-connection was more what he needed than anything physical.

“You’re kind of...disarming.”

Corey decided it was not romantic interest he’d sensed in Angelo. Angelo was a psychiatrist. He examined humans for a living, so he was likely just being honest about what he saw in Corey’s personality. Corey certainly
had
been trying to disarm Angelo with that surprise visit to his office.

After setting up the massage room, he walked down the hall to the bedroom and turned on his computer. A new client had booked an appointment through the website, and should be showing up any minute. He sat down to check the details before she arrived. He’d been sleepwalking through his days ever since the debacle with Zach Monday night, going through the motions in a sort of zombie state, and now he couldn’t even remember the client’s name. That would probably give a bad impression, if she showed up and he said
“Hey...you! What’s your name?”

He logged into his website and pulled up his appointments page.
Eileen Johnson.

She’d booked a full body massage. Scanning down the page, Corey checked the particulars on the form she’d filled out. When he got to the ‘
Do you have any physical restrictions or injuries
’ field, he paused. His eyebrow shot up as he read the words she’d typed in there.

‘
One of my legs is shorter than the other.
’

Tilting back in his desk chair, Corey huffed, shaking his head.

Eileen Johnson.
I lean
.

“Son of a bitch.”

He checked the payment details, but it had come through an anonymous account.

The doorbell rang. Corey ran out into the living room, and looked out the front window. Standing down on the porch was Angelo Nardovino.

Corey laughed. “That son of a bitch.”

He went down the stairs and opened the front door. Angelo stood there, looking casual in jeans and a long-sleeved beige tee shirt, the color flattering against his olive skin.

Corey nodded. “Eileen?”

Angelo smirked. “Only when I’m drunk.”

Corey groaned, rolling his eyes. “Why are you here?”

“Three reasons,” Angelo said. “First, I wanted to get you back for the whole posing as a client, Phil McCrevice thing.”

“And you certainly did. Well played.”

“Thank you. I also thought I’d use this opportunity to let you know how things went with Uncle Len, and that you don’t have to worry about Tommy anymore.”

“So...you’re not actually here for a massage.”

Angelo chuckled. “No.”

“You paid for one.”

“Just as you paid for a session with me that never happened. I figured it was only fair. And that’s the third reason I’m here. To let you know I paid you back, along with
paying you back
.”

“Okay,” Corey said. “Well, clearly I now have some time on my hands, what with
Eileen
being fictional and all. You want to come in?”

“Sure. I mean, if that’s okay with you.”

Corey looked Angelo over, from his muscular shoulders, down to his feet, then up again. “This isn’t all some ploy so you can beat me up once we get inside, away from prying eyes, is it?”

Angelo crossed his arms and stood with his legs apart. “Why? Do I look scary?”

No, you look sexy.
Corey tightened his lips so he wouldn’t actually say the words, but damn, Angelo did look sexy, with those striking eyes and that short black hair. Not to mention the adorable, taunting smirk.
He’s not on the menu, Corey
, he reminded himself, and stepped back, opening the door. “I suppose I’ll take my chances. Come on in.”