Over and Back, page 6
Grant nodded. “Did you sleep?”
“Yeah, but the dinner was awful, and the breakfast wasn’t great either. I wish I’d eaten more before we got on the plane.” There had been an issue with their plane. The flight had been chartered out, so the food and beverage service was nearly nonexistent.
Grant pulled out his bag and handed Hank the small can of Pringles he’d bought in the airport. “Will this get you through? I’m not really hungry, so you can take them.” He smiled and leaned his seat back a little, trying to get comfortable and failing. He’d had no idea how much one of these thinly padded airplane seats could pinch and cramp his muscles until he’d sat in the damned thing for eight hours.
“Thanks, Grant. You’re a lifesaver.” Hank smiled and patted his hand, and Grant forgot all about his bad back as his imagination took a quick flight of fantasy. The man in the aisle seat returned, pulling Grant’s attention back to the present. Hank thanked him again before getting up. “I owe you one.” He hurried to his seat about six rows up, and Grant got out his iPad to read almost until they were on the ground.
It seemed to take forever before they were at the terminal, and then they deplaned.
“My legs are killing me,” Angus said to Kevin as they all gathered in the terminal.
“Yeah,” Bull agreed.
“No complaining,” Zach chastised. “We’re on vacation.” He turned to Bull. “And once we get to the hotel, I’ll take care of any aches and pains you have.” The heat in his eyes was enough to quiet Bull and even make him smile.
“We need to get through passport control and then customs before heading to the hotel,” Spook told them. “It’s this way.”
“I planned a route on the subway,” Zach said.
“Honey, I’ll spring for cabs for all of us,” Bull said. “I don’t want to drag all this luggage through the subway.” He patted Zach on the shoulder.
Grant was so grateful, and Hank looked the same. They fell into step with each other as they headed through the terminal.
“I sure as hell hope the return trip isn’t on that charter,” Hank said.
“We can check with the airline once we get to the hotel. No movies and almost no food made it a miserable flight. But we’re here. In Rome.” Grant suddenly had energy, and Hank seemed to perk up as well. “There’s a pool at the hotel. Maybe we can go for a swim. That would probably go a long way to helping us relax.”
Hank smiled and nodded.
They reached customs and went through the business of getting in the country and then out of the airport, into cabs, and on their way. Grant ended up in the center of the back seat with his small bag on his lap. With the expense of transportation, they managed to pile into two cabs. Jeremy sat on one side, and Hank on the other, his and Grant’s legs rubbing with each bump in the road.
Grant tried to concentrate on the scenery outside as they zipped along. The umbrella pines and mostly low Mediterranean buildings were fascinating, but they couldn’t draw his attention from each contact with Hank, especially when they went around curves and he pressed close to him, as though even the car was pushing them together. Hank’s scent wafted around him—earthy, with hints of sweat and musk that sent Grant’s head reeling. He wanted to lean closer and sniff, just to get a little more of it. Grant coughed to cover a deep inhale and hoped they got to the hotel quickly.
Once they pulled in, Grant was the last to get out. Bull hurried over to pay the driver, but Grant and Hank intervened and took care of the fare. Then they went inside the clean, modern lobby of the compact hotel. Grant waited off to the side as Hank checked them in, handing over his passport when the time came, and before long they were riding the elevator to the fourth floor.
“There are no lights,” Hank said after setting down his bags inside the room and flipping the switch with nothing happening.
Grant looked around and slipped his key card in the slot near the door, and on came the power.
“How’d you know to do that?”
“I read it in one of Zach’s books. Any card will do.” Grant yawned, went to the bed nearest the window, and set out his suitcase to unpack. He was very neat, as a rule, and kept his things orderly. Hank, on the other hand, opened his suitcase and the contents seemed to explode all over his bed. Grant turned away, took his things into the bathroom, and put out what he thought he was going to need. He set the air-conditioning as low as he could to start cooling off the room, then pulled the curtains, kicked off his shoes, and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes, letting sleep catch up with him. He could eat in a few hours.
“THE GUYS are going swimming,” Hank said as he gently shook Grant’s shoulder. “Do you want to come?”
Grant sat up, rubbing his eyes and checking the clock. He’d been out maybe an hour, and his body screamed for more sleep, but that was probably a bad idea. “Yeah. Do you want to change first?” Hank had tidied his area quite a bit, with most of the mess back in the suitcase on the stand.
“Sure, I’ll be just a minute.” Hank grabbed his things and disappeared into the bathroom.
Grant got his suit and changed quickly in the room, pulling on his ordinary blue bathing trunks and a T-shirt.
Hank came out in a pair of light shorts and T-shirt. “You’re ready… excellent. We can meet the guys at the pool.” He reached into the bathroom and tossed Grant a towel.
On the way out, Grant replaced his room key with a Panera card in the switch for the room so the AC would keep running. They rode the elevator down and went through the lobby, outside, and to the umbrella-shaded chairs by the pool.
Grant scoped out a seat, dropping his towel and trying not to pay too much attention as Hank pulled off his shirt. The tattoo that he’d caught hints of appeared in its full glory, with interlocking scoops of color weaving over his shoulder and onto his chest. It was an impressive piece, and Grant was doing his best to resist staring at it. But then, holy hell, Hank dropped his shorts, revealing a deep red Speedo that almost glowed against his tanned skin. Grant nearly swallowed his tongue before taking off his glasses, setting them next to the towel, and jumping into the pool because he didn’t want the entire population to see he’d popped wood.
He came up from under the water to find Hank standing at the edge of the pool, the sun sparkling off his sculpted chest and flat belly. Without thinking, Grant panned lower, and damn, there was no hiding the fact that Hank was packing. Hank raised his hands over his head, elongating his body, and then gracefully slipped into the water, making almost no splash, gliding along like he was part fish.
Bull, Zack, Spook, and Jeremy were already in, and Grant made his way over to them, doing his best to ignore the aquatic perfection that surfaced just a few feet away. He failed. In fact, looking at the other couples, Grant couldn’t help noticing they were all pretty hot. Okay, so he could appreciate handsome men—it didn’t mean anything.
“I’m glad that flight is over,” he said to try to start a conversation and take his mind off Hank.
Of course, Hank chose that moment to climb out of the pool, the suit clinging to him like a second skin, and Grant forgot about everything as his suit grew too tight and he stared openly at Hank. There was a lot to stare at. Hank’s dark hair and sun-kissed skin showed off his Italian heritage, and, man, he wore it well. The dusting of hair on his pecs only enhanced the package.
“Grant….” Zach tapped his shoulder, and the guys all snickered when he turned around. “We were saying that we’d eat lunch here. They seem to have a decent menu, and we can rest and just relax at the pool.”
“Awesome. The thought of going anywhere makes me tired,” Grant said as Hank swam over, gliding under the water and surfacing right next to him. The water slid off Hank’s skin, glistening in the sun. Grant forced himself to turn away, even if he couldn’t stop glancing over at him. Hank glided back under the water, and Grant followed his progress with his eyes.
Zach moved away to where some of the other guys stood, and Grant figured it was a good time to try to get moving. He swam about halfway across the pool, then needed to stop. He came up and found himself at chest level with Hank. Grant took a step back, not realizing how close he was to the deep-end drop-off. Hank caught him, slipping a hand around his back and tugging him forward. “Take it easy.”
Without thinking, Grant held on to Hank as he tried to process what was happening. Then he patted his chest and moved away when he realized what he was doing. “I guess I’m not as awake as I thought I was.” He stifled a yawn and walked farther into the shallows, taking advantage of where the building shaded the water to get out of the sun. He leaned on the side of the pool, and Hank stood next to him, crouched down under the water.
“It’s like a spread for Cute Couple magazine,” he whispered as they watched the four other couples.
Grant chuckled, knowing exactly how he felt. “Have you ever had someone like they do?” Grant put his hand over his mouth. “Shit. I’m sorry. The guys told me you broke up with someone a few months ago. I didn’t mean to bring that up.”
“It’s okay. Danny and I were together for five years, but things were never like that with us. Danny was more… reserved. He was attentive when we were behind closed doors, but he’d never hold me in public or just stand with me, rubbing elbows, or let me put my head on his shoulder the way Tristan is doing to Harry right now. Danny was more concerned about how things looked than how he made others feel.” Hank sighed, and Grant turned in time to catch the sadness in his eyes. “Danny grew up in New York, on the fringes of society there. He knew important people, and only came to Pennsylvania because his CPA firm offered him a directorship to run the office here. I met him after he moved here and, well….” He shook his head.
“He wasn’t what you thought?” Grant asked, thinking Hank might want to talk about it.
“Not really, I guess.” Hank was being evasive, of that Grant was certain, but he didn’t have a right to press, and Hank deserved his privacy. It wasn’t any of Grant’s business, after all. “How about you?”
Grant chortled and slipped under the water, then broke the surface again. “I had Timothy. But our relationship wasn’t at all like those guys,” he said, pointing to the others. He didn’t dare look at Hank. “I was young and thought I needed someone like him.” He crossed his arms over his chest like a kind of armor for protection. “He was a lot like that guy at the club a few weeks back. The guy who was following me.”
Hank nodded. “I see. Timothy liked to call the shots.”
“Yeah. And that was fine when I was nineteen and figuring out a lot of stuff. But things didn’t change, and eventually I think I felt trapped.” There was more to it than that, parts he wasn’t even sure of himself. “But if you asked me, I couldn’t tell you exactly what changed or why. But I grew to want something different, and he wasn’t able to give me that. Timothy isn’t a bad guy, and he taught me a lot about myself, especially what I wanted.”
“But he wasn’t able to make the journey with you?” Hank offered, and Grant figured that was as good an answer as any.
“Yeah, I guess. It took me a long time to tell him because it was easier to just go along and not change things.” He let his hands fall to his sides, leaving them under the water. Hank gently tugged them out of the water, and Grant closed his eyes and let him.
“You were cut,” Hank said. “Did he do that?”
Grant shook his head.
“I see.” Hank didn’t release his hand right away and gently smoothed his fingers over the now-fading narrow lines.
“I couldn’t see a really easy way out, but my mom found me almost right away and got me help. My parents cleaned out the basement of their house for me in, like, a month so I could have my own place to live but be close.” Grant never told people about this stuff, and he wasn’t sure why he was opening up to Hank, other than the fact that Hank had opened up to him. “I’m a lot better now, and I don’t feel trapped the way I did then.” He smiled to try to defuse the tension building up around them. “I didn’t mean to be a downer on the first day of our vacation.”
“You aren’t.” Hank returned a slight smile. “So I take it things with Timothy were….”
“I was his sub, but I didn’t want to be any longer. Not that he was a bad Dom or was mean, but that wasn’t the kind of relationship I think I needed. I didn’t know how to tell him that I wanted something different, and when I tried in what I know now was a very feeble way, he didn’t get the message. It was both of us, really.” Grant stammered now and wanted to slap duct tape over his mouth. He hated when he got nervous and did that. Once more he allowed himself to slip under water, because for a few seconds, that took him away from Hank’s gaze. Thankfully, it also cooled his ragingly hot cheeks.
“Do your parents know all this?” Hank asked once Grant popped back out again.
Grant shook his head, water flying out of his hair. “Not all the details of us together. I could never tell them that. I can barely tell you, and I figure you’re the kind of guy who would understand. I’m guessing you’ve seen a lot from behind that bar of yours.” This was getting into really personal territory, and Grant figured that maybe it was time to change the subject.
“Are you guys getting hungry?” Zach asked as he swam over.
Grant shrugged. “I suppose I could eat, but my belly thinks it’s too early. Are they getting peckish?” He tilted his head toward Bull, Angus, and Harry. They were all bigger guys.
“Yeah, probably a little. The servers will bring food to the tables around the pool, so we can eat there and then go back in afterward if we want.”
Hank nodded, and Zach hurried over to get the attention of one of the poolside servers. He probably explained that they were a party of ten, because after a few minutes, tables, chairs, and umbrellas were moved around, and they all got out, toweled off, and took seats.
“That felt wonderful.” Grant had a pretty good idea that after eating, his body was going to crave sleep, and he needed something to keep him awake. “Is there anything of interest in this area?” Maybe a walk would help keep him up.
“There’s a park with paths and stuff, I think. At least, that’s what it looks like from the room. If you want we can check it out later,” Jeremy said.
“Or we can get the game I brought and play that. I got the basic Cards Against Humanity set. That could be fun, and we don’t even have to move away from the pool.” Zach seemed to think of absolutely everything.
Once their server came over, Bull got water for the table, and they placed their orders with the kitchen. Most everyone had pasta of some sort, which looked really good. Grant chose the Amatriciana, with red sauce and bacon.
Hank got the same. “Everything is better with bacon,” he quipped, and they all sat back to relax.
“I’m going to get the cards while we wait.” Zach pushed back his chair and hurried away. The man was like a jackrabbit, never sitting still for very long.
“Is he always that peppy?” Grant asked the table in general.
Bull laughed outright. “You better believe it. He goes and goes until he wears himself out, then crashes big-time.” He followed Zach with his gaze. “And, damn, I love him for all that energy.” He didn’t turn away until Zach had disappeared inside the hotel.
Grant wished he had someone to look at him that way. He swallowed and turned away, hoping the others didn’t see the longing that jabbed at him all of a sudden.
The server began bringing out dishes of pasta as Zach slid back into his seat, placing the black-and-white box on the table. “What are we talking about?”
“Nothing,” Bull said quietly. “They’re bringing lunch now.”
They all dug in, and as soon as the first piece of penne hit his mouth, Grant realized he was hungrier than he’d expected to be. He finished up quickly, and before he knew it, the bowl was empty. He took a piece of bread from the plate in the center of the table to wipe up the last of the tangy sauce, with its hint of pepper to give it a slight kick. He finished the last of his water as the others started talking again.
“So tomorrow we need to have breakfast, it’s included with the room, and be ready to go at ten thirty. We’ll walk to the train station, which is ten minutes away, and take the subway in. We have to go about eight stops before we hit the Colosseum stop. Then we’ll walk the few blocks to where we meet for the tour.”
“Being with you is like traveling with Rick Steves,” Bull teased.
Zach rolled his eyes. “Someone has to keep you all in line.” He muttered something about herding cats, and everyone laughed.
The server began clearing dishes, and Zach ordered a couple more bottles of cold water. Then, as soon as the dishes were gone, he started shuffling the cards. Grant got out his wallet and passed some money for his lunch to Bull, and the others did the same.
“Remember that service is included in the price. This isn’t like home,” Bull said quietly, and left the bill on the table for anyone who wanted to check. Once they had looked it over, he took care of it. Then Zach reminded everyone of the rules of the game and started doling out the cards.
Grant had played a few times, and of course the cards were funny, irreverent, and definitely naughty. It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
When it was his turn to choose, he picked up the black card and read it aloud. “Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and… blank.” Grant set down the card for anyone who wanted to see it, and then each player handed him their answer cards facedown. Once he had them all, he turned them over and read them aloud. Some were downright filthy, like “A bigger, blacker dick.” Some were just silly, like “Barack Obama,” and then he turned over the winner. “Dry heaving.”
Jerry put his hands in the air. “I knew that was good.”
“Yeah. Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and dry heaving. Along came the spider, sat down beside her, and said, ‘Bitch, keep that up and I’m leaving.’”
