Nothing Special V, page 35
part #5 of Nothing Special Series
“Do you think you can toss the ball with us soon?” Jamal asked, giving Genesis an enthusiastic handshake and shoulder bump.
“I’m sure I can do that a few days this week,” Genesis agreed.
There was a loud round of cheering from all the students, even the young girls grinning and making sweet eyes at the guys. No doubt, they’d be out there watching and cheering on the fellas while they played with a professional.
“Hey, what’s all the noise? Settle down!” Charles bellowed, coming through the doors with an angry expression… that is until the crowd parted and Charles noticed Genesis standing there.
“You’re Genesis Godfrey,” Charles said stupidly. “What are you doing here?”
“He’s obviously here to see his boyfriend, duh,” one of the girls said.
“What?” Charles frowned. “Who?”
“Curtis, dummy. G-Man is his boyfriend.”
“Sharice, be respectful,” Curtis said with little heat. He didn’t want his boss to discipline her for name-calling.
Curtis was surprised when Genesis’ smile widened and he went and introduced himself to his boss like he was his favorite person in the world.
Genesis
“How you doing? I don’t think we’ve had the opportunity to officially meet. I’m Genesis, Curtis’ partner, but you can call me Gen.” Genesis put on his best camera-ready smile, not wanting anyone to see his disgust for this man. And it wasn’t just his shifty eyes that Genesis didn’t like, either. Nothing about the man screamed good. When he thought about Curtis’ solemn mood last night, this wasn’t a man Genesis wanted to ever see again, nor did he want his boyfriend to.
“I know who you are. I was a huge fan when you played for Georgia,” Charles said, shaking Genesis’ hand enthusiastically. “I thought for sure you were going to the NFL, but boy did you really shock the sports world when you turned it all down.”
“Curtis is more important to me than anything. Certainly more than a multimillion-dollar contract.” Genesis’ smile was fading as he spoke; he wanted this man to know the depth of his love and feelings for the man he’d been mistreating for months.
A few of the guys behind Genesis teased Curtis with mocking, cooing noises, and the girls were swooning at his admission. Charles however, looked confused, but nodded anyway, his laugh taking on a trace of nervousness. He cleared his throat before he spoke again. “I can’t believe I didn’t know you were his… his….”
“Partner,” Genesis filled in again.
“Yes. Right. Ya know, if you’re not too busy, I’d love to get an autograph. It’s been a year since you left Georgia, but they still mention your stats and compare the current players to you.”
Genesis barely refrained from glowering, needing to keep up appearances around the young people. “Oh, absolutely.” Genesis turned to look at Curtis, who was watching with a slightly disappointed expression. “Baby, would you mind going out to the car and getting one of the footballs from the trunk? I think I got a couple back there, so I can sign it for your boss.”
“I only have a little time for lunch,” Curtis said, his eyes trying to convey a message to Genesis. A message that said, “Don’t give that piece of shit anything.”
“Oh, take an extra hour.” Charles waved at Curtis like he was always so generous.
Genesis clamped Charles on his shoulder, turning him back towards the door. “Awesome! Thanks, man. Come on, Curtis. We got plenty of time.” Genesis began walking towards the front with Charles, Curtis brushing past them. Genesis could read that body language and knew his boyfriend was annoyed with him.
“How about we talk a little football while Curtis fetches that ball for us,” Charles suggested with a laugh.
Genesis’ steps faltered right along with Curtis’, but he recovered quickly. Curtis looked hurt and taken aback but oh, Genesis couldn’t wait to get that asshole alone. Curtis barreled through the double doors and out into the parking lot. Genesis had parked in the last space, all the way to the back, so he’d have enough time.
“My office is right here, G-Man,” Charles said, turning into the last door on the right.
As soon as Genesis was inside, he slammed the door shut and grabbed Charles by his collar, throwing him back against it and shoving his forearm over his throat to keep him from yelling. Genesis hated violence, loathed it, but his brother had taught him how to use his bulk to his advantage if he had to, and right now, he wasn’t afraid to use it for Curtis.
Charles’ eyes were wide with fear, his laugh cut off instantly. “Hey what the fu—”
“Shut. Up,” Genesis snarled, his face just inches from Charles’. So close he could smell the old coffee on the man’s breath. “You have no idea what I want to do to you right now.” Genesis’ voice was surprisingly calm. He thought he’d have to struggle not to yell, not to let anyone hear him, but he was impressed with the tone his voice had taken on. A composed but terrifying tenor. Like the one Green often used. It certainly had more of an affect, because Charles looked like he was waiting for Genesis to go insane and snap any second.
Charles’ feet were almost off the ground, forcing him to balance on his toes as Genesis held him in the air with his huge arms. Staring down at the pitiful man, he scowled, his lips curling up into a snarl. “I hate violence, Charles. I really do. So you making me resort to this is only making me angrier. You’ve been torturing and harassing the love of my life for months and I’ve sat idly by waiting for Curtis to handle it on his own. But yesterday, you crossed the fuckin’ line.” Genesis yanked Charles away from the door only to throw him against a tall bookshelf and crowd him, putting him back in the same position, corded forearm over his throat, his other hand with a fistful of his blue dress shirt. Charles grabbed onto Genesis’ biceps, holding on to him.
“Get your grimy fucking hands of me. GET ‘EM OFF!” Genesis yelled. Charles raised his hands as if he were in a stick-up. Genesis lowered his voice back to hissing. “You had the audacity to accuse Curtis of touching one of these kids. You motherfucker. All he’s done, all the time he’s put in here. What’s your beef with him, huh?”
Charles was barely able to breathe, much less speak. Genesis wasn’t really interested in an answer, so he didn’t let up. “I know some very scary people, Charles. Smart, but scary. And you know what they told me? That your slimy ass is embezzling money from this center to pay for your daughter’s fancy education and your wife’s alimony.”
Charles turned an interesting shade of green like bile was rising up in his throat and Genesis knew without a doubt – without a verbal confession from Charles – that Free was right in his assumption. Curtis’ boss shook his head frantically like he was denying it. Genesis took the hand gripping Charles’ shirt and popped him on the side of the head a few times, the way his coach used to do to his helmet when he messed up.
“Stop lying. You’d rather ruin a good man like Curtis’ reputation and education by spreading despicable rumors. Rumors you made up.” Genesis pushed harder, Charles’s feet struggling to gain purchase. “You’d rather steal from underprivileged children just so you can drive a new car. Over three million dollars available for these kids to have a nice, safe place to go after school, to stay off the streets, and you won’t even approve a request for them to get balls for the basketball court. What kind of man does that? I should do more than choke you. You deserve to be beat to shit, but I’m not going to do that.” Genesis turned to look out the window and saw Curtis was just making it to the car. “I’m not going to fuck you up, although you sure as hell deserve it, but beating you to a pulp wouldn’t do a damn thing and that’s not my purpose for coming here today.”
Charles was gasping for air and Genesis eased up on the pressure just a fraction. He didn’t want the weasel to have a heart attack. “You are officially done here, Charles. Do you hear me? My connection was able to get that information in five minutes. Imagine what he could find on your dirty ass in an hour. And I’d take great pleasure in turning it all over to the police. You ever been probed up the ass with a goddamn microscope, Charles?” Genesis bared his teeth. “Do you want to be?”
Charles looked like he was about to cry as he shook his head no. “Then quit. Effective immediately. You call whoever you need to call, the city supervisor, a deputy, the director of parks and rec, you can call the fuckin’ modern major general for all I care, just be gone before four o’clock today. That’s one hour. And you better not even think about applying for another state or federal job again. Believe me; I’ll make sure my contact is watching. Work at a dollar store, you goddamn crook.”
Genesis glanced out again and saw Curtis was halfway back. “I’m going to take my baby to a nice lunch. I don’t care why you hate him so much, it’s irrelevant to me because the reasoning is coming from a man with no morals. So you aren’t worthy to ever speak to him again. You can curse me for the rest of your miserable days, but you be sure to keep his name out of your mouth, or you’ll definitely see me again.” Genesis’ voice dropped lower, scarier. “And if I have to come for you, Charles, I won’t be coming alone. Believe it or not, there are a few men who are even madder than me over how you’ve treated Curtis, and they’re just waiting on the word.”
Genesis stepped back and Charles dropped to his knees, clutching his throat and gasping for air. “Now, get up, thief. You don’t have long to get the hell outta here. Do we have an understanding?”
Charles struggled to his feet and scurried behind his desk like the measly object would protect him if Genesis attacked again. He was still coughing and straightening his clothes, probably trying to understand how Genesis’ visit went from pleasant to threatening in two point five seconds. “You’re not going to the police if I leave?” Charles asked pitifully.
“Fuck you! Say the words. ‘Yes, I understand. I’m getting the fuck out of town’,” Genesis bit out. This guy was the lowest of the low and he couldn’t stand to be around him anymore.
“Yes, I understand,” Charles said in a hushed, sad tone, but Genesis didn’t care how the man felt; Curtis felt worse all last night.
“When Curtis comes in, you better play it off like we were simply talking about football. Go ahead, put a smile on, and hurry up,” Genesis snapped.
Charles wiped the sweat from his forehead with a Kleenex and plastered on a pained, phony smile that looked like Heath Ledger’s when he played the Joker. Curtis didn’t even look at his boss when he cracked the office door, which was a good thing because Charles wasn’t fooling anyone with that terrified look.
“There were no footballs in the trunk, Genny.” Curtis stared at him and backed out the door.
Genesis rubbed his temple. “Oh, I must’ve run out and didn’t realize.” He turned Curtis to leave and looked back at Charles. His voice said, “Maybe next time.” But his eyes said, “You never wanna see me again.”
Curtis
Lunch at one of his favorite restaurants was tainted. The food had no taste and he had very little to say to Genesis. He didn’t know how he could be so chummy with his boss after everything he’d told him. Disregarding that he hadn’t told him about yesterday, he’d told him plenty over the last few months. Genesis got more upset than he did most nights, yet somehow he wanted to chat up Charles and sign autographs. He was still bristling when Genesis pulled back up to the center. He was glad he only an hour left at work because once again, he was in a shitty mood.
“Hey, baby. I can see you’re not speaking to me. I’m sorry, okay.” Genesis gripped Curtis’ hand before he could get out of the car. “Before you go back inside. Will you please just understand that anything I do, I do it because you mean everything to me?”
Curtis turned and looked at his partner with a perplexed expression. He’d been with Genesis long enough to know he wouldn’t betray him. There had to be a reason for this insanity, but he had no clue what. “I know.”
“Have a good day. I’ll be back to get you at six,” Genesis told him.
Curtis shook his head. “Charles will probably make me work late to make up the extra time he said I could have for lunch.”
Genesis held his chin and kissed him gently. “I’ll see you at six.”
Curtis nodded and climbed out of the car, walking back inside the building. The halls were buzzing with activity. There was a cluster of volunteers standing at the entrance to the lunchroom, talking animatedly with each other. Curtis looked in a few of the rooms, noticing quite a few of the younger students had already been picked up for the day, or left for home, but a lot of the high school kids were still there.
Jamal was the first to hurry up to him. “What did you do?” Jamal’s dark brown eyes were shining with humor, his voice hushed like he had the best secret ever bubbling inside of him, anxious to burst out. “What happened to Mr. Charles? Did you get him canned?”
“What?” Curtis yelled before he realized it.
“Hey, I don’t know. About an hour after you left, a guy comes in here in a suit with about five other official-looking adults and says that he’s going to be our new director and that Mr. Charles had to leave unexpectedly… for good.”
Curtis frowned, looking around. This couldn’t be real.
“It was Genesis, Curtis. I know it. He don’t take no mess. The G-Man pops up for five minutes, next thing we know Mr. Douchebag is packing up a box and high tailing it out of here like his ass was set on fire. That’s wild, Curtis. Your boyfriend is the man!” Jamal yelled.
Curtis shushed him loudly, ordering him to stop cursing. He shoved Jamal back in the rec room. “Be quiet. Let me go see what’s going on. Just stop saying that, Jamal. Genny didn’t tell me anything of the sort.”
Jamal jogged back over to his buddies, all of them huddling around him to see if he’d gotten any answers. Curtis walked back towards the library. Susan would know. She always had the right information. Curtis pushed through the doors and saw Susan talking to a man in a navy blue suit. She pointed at him and the man turned around, plastering a welcoming smile on his face.
“Ah. So, you’re Curtis,” he said, extending his hand and grasping his in a firm grip. “I’m Michael Woodard, your interim center director. Call me Mike.”
“I-I’m—”
“Susan here says that you’re the man I need to speak with,” Mike cut in. “That you practically run this place and know every student.”
Curtis was still at a loss for words. He could see Susan beaming and giving him an enthusiastic thumbs up behind Mike’s back. “I’m not sure what’s going on. Charles was here when I left and now… he’s what?”
“He quit. They didn’t tell me the details. The deputy director sent me over. I’m more than happy to discuss my credentials with you, Curtis. If you have the time. I had no clue I’d get a center so quickly. Let me tell you, I’m really excited to work with you. Susan was telling me about your great ideas. I don’t know what happened with the last director and why these programs aren’t already up and running, but I’m going to see that they are, real soon. I’ve already spoken with maintenance as I walked through the building, noting their concerns.” Mike looked at his legal pad, where he’d scribbled a lot of notes. “But I’ve been wanting to speak with you. If you can round up some of the employees and whatever volunteers haven’t left yet, and see if they have time for a quick power meeting. I know it’s late…. unless you think we should just wait for tomorrow. I’m just so excited to get started. What do you think, Curtis? I’ll defer to your judgment.”
Curtis could probably catch flies with his mouth since it’d been hanging open the entire time the man spoke.
“Or, I’ll just meet with you in your office,” Mike threw out, instead.
“I, um… I don’t have an office,” Curtis admitted.
“Oh. Okay. We’ll rectify that later. Let’s see who’s available to meet, shall we.” Mike extended his hand, gesturing for Curtis to lead the way.
He felt like he was dreaming. He knew Genesis had something to do with this, it just didn’t make sense that he didn’t. He texted his boyfriend and told him he’d get a ride home from Susan after the meeting and went about making plans to upgrade the center with a new director who was genuinely interested in making it better.
Genesis
When he saw headlights illuminate the wall, he set his magazine in his lap and checked his watch. It was after nine. Genesis hoped he didn’t take one mess and create an even bigger one. What if the state replaced Charles with an even bigger prick? Holy shit. That thought hadn’t even crossed his mind until just now.
Curtis came through the door and set his laptop bag on the floor, peeling out of his jacket and tossing it on top of the bag. Curtis stood there at the door, looking at him long enough to make Genesis tense. He wasn’t sure what had happened when Curtis went back to work, but he was starting to feel like he may have acted too quickly before weighing every consequence.
Genesis swallowed a wave of nerves. “Hey, baby.”
“Don’t hey baby me.” Curtis’ eyes looked him over and Genesis wasn’t one hundred percent sure he was reading Curtis’ expression correctly. “What did you do?”
“Huh?” Genesis said, ridiculously. If all else fails, play dumb.
“Gen.” Curtis walked across the room, not stopping until he was practically standing on top of him. He lovingly ran his hand through Genesis’ hair, looking deep into his eyes.
Genesis wasn’t misreading that look at all. Curtis was turned on.
“What did you do? Tell me.” Curtis’ voice was thick with lust as he straddled Genesis’ big lap and sat his pert ass directly over top of his cock. “What did you say to him? Tell me, right now.”
“Oh, shit.” Genesis clutched Curtis’ waist when he began to grind down on top of him. How was he supposed to formulate a complete thought? It’d been a few weeks since they’d made love and the way his sexy partner was writhing on him, Genesis was liable to come in his lounging pants from the contact. “Damn, baby.”
