Sawdust and Berries

Chapter 2-4

Liam had fallen asleep.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Kieran at the sink, rinsing his hands. “Hello there.” Kieran flicked the corner lamp on. “I decided not to torture you after all. You fell asleep, so I went easy on you. Take a few minutes. I’ll be back with your receipt…Oh, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water today. I’ve sent some toxins astray in there and you need to flush them out, okay?” He left the room.

Liam was a little nauseous. His mouth was dry. He staggered to his clothes and gathered his jeans from the rack.

I need to see him again. Alone. A drink.

Anything.

Liam zipped up and threw the towel into the bin. As he stepped out into the hall, Kieran reappeared at the end of it. Liam ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, stalling. Had to see him again outside of this place. But Kieran was so young. Would he go for a forty-four-year-old closet case?

“Here’s your receipt,” Kieran said, walking up to him.

Up close and under the bright hallway light, Liam could see that Kieran’s pores were tight and there wasn’t a flaw on his face. A razor had probably never scraped that fair skin. “Thank you,” Liam whispered. “Uh, I guess I’ll—”

“I went ahead and booked you for next Tuesday morning. Is that cool?”

They walked to the front desk and Kieran stopped there.

Tuesday?

I’m not gonna make it without seeing your beautiful face until Tuesday.

“Yeah. Perfect.” Liam cleared his throat, staring at Kieran. Kieran was filling out some form on the desk, and while his eyes were on the paper, Liam stood still, unable to leave him.

Kieran glanced up. “Yes?”

Liam swallowed hard. “Nothing.”

Kieran’s orange-brown eyes moved over Liam’s face. “Okay then.” His gaze plunged deep into Liam’s. “Have a good weekend.”

Liam turned around and was half way down the hall when Kieran called out his name. “Mr. Stokes.” Then more gently. “Liam, wait.”

To hear his name out of Kieran’s lips made Liam weak in the knees.

Kieran discreetly gestured for him to come closer, and then taking Liam’s elbow, led him down the hallway where they could be out of Skyler’s earshot. “Look, I don’t usually do this.” Kieran’s cheeks were pink. “It’s kind of unprofessional. But, Liam, I couldn’t help noticing some pleasant tension between us…am I wrong?”

The breath was knocked out of Liam and he couldn’t speak.

“I think you like me,” Kieran whispered. “Yeah, I think you do.”

“What do you mean exactly?” Liam’s desire was no match for all of his old, rusty defense mechanisms.

Kieran took a step back. His face turned upside down. “Oh s**t,” he mumbled uneasily. “Never mind. My bad. So sorry. I read this all wrong. Forget it.” He quickly walked away, leaving Liam speechless and hating himself.

It’s now or never. Say something, you big i***t.

“Kieran…wait.”

At the sound of his name, Kieran quietly spun around. “Yeah?”

“How old are you?” Liam had to know.

Kieran frowned. “Twenty.”

Way too young. Time to walk away.

“I’m forty-four.”

“I know,” Kieran said with a smile. “I read your questionnaire.” He tongued his lip ring for a brief moment. “But you don’t look like it.”

Liam sighed. “Listen, I’m—”

“Kieran?” Skyler called out from the front desk.

“Coming.” But instead of returning to the front, Kieran took a step closer to Liam. “So, do you wanna do something with me?”

Liam took a step back.

Kieran shot a quick glance down the hall, and then took another step forward. “Well, do you or not?”

Liam caught a glimpse of the shiny silver stud in Kieran’s tongue. His heart was pounding in his ear. He took another step back.

But Kieran grabbed the back of Liam’s neck. That bubble gum mouth was suddenly pressed to his ear. “Do you wanna do something with me or not? Say something.”

Liam was overwhelmed by the proximity. “Yes.”

Kieran pulled away and slipped a card out of his back pocket. “Call me, all right? I don’t work on Sundays.”

Liam grunted. “Uh-huh.”

“Is that a yes?”

Liam nodded.

It was the yes that had outrun the fastest no.

“Cool. We’re so gonna have a good time.” Kieran turned away, took a few steps, and then spun around again. “And Liam, you better call me. Don’t chicken out.”

Liam flipped the card in his beefy fingers, watching Kieran walk away. He should tear the card up. But he slid the card into his wallet.

He sighed.

Precocious.