Dire Consequences

 

Chapter 5





Saturday.



Why couldn’t he spend Saturday morning curled up under the covers, watching Saturday morning cartoons, while eating waffles with whip cream and strawberries on top?



Josh tried to mold that image in his mind and realized he that would look incredibly pathetic. Seeing Brent on a weekend wasn't something he should look forward to. Especially not after his lame attempt to seduce the man, not expecting that Brent would so easily bite into his bait. So much for being the more confident one. Ha!



Jheez. This was all Stefan's fault. If Stefan hadn't pointed out his suspicion about Brent being either gay or bi and seemed to show a growing interest on Josh, then Josh wouldn't have tried to find out for himself. But Josh couldn't help it. Besides, he found the challenge of dragging Brent out of the closet interesting.



What Brent did wasn't something Josh expected. If Aaron wouldn't have walked in on them and Brent did end up kissing him, Josh was sure he'd prefer the option of locking himself in his room and staying in bed right now so he could have a Brent-free weekend. It sounded more appealing – and safe – than being under the scorching sun in a white t-shirt, white shorts that had been riding up his freaking thighs for the last hour, and white sneakers that had been digging into crushed shells and stones.



Layers of sweat clung to his skin. Beads of it were sliding down the side of his face. His breathing alternated with the beating of his heart in a breath in-thump thump-breath out- thump thump fashion.



His eyes remained on Germaine, who was crouched on the opposite side. Josh was careful not to let it stray. Only on Germaine, he reminded himself. Because if his eyes fell on Brent, then his concentration would be lost for the rest of the day.



Concentrate. Josh drew in a breath and counted in his head.



Three.



Josh let the ball drop and bounce off the ground then waited for it to land back on his open palm. He repeated the same move twice more.



Two.



The muscles at the back of his neck felt tight and his shoulders were stiff. Josh tilted his head from side to side and rolled his shoulders to loosen the tension. Then he gave one final look at Germaine, and yes, Brent as well, before drawing back his focus to the small space he occupied.



One.



Josh drew in a breath, bent his knee and threw the ball in the air, pulling his arms back at the same time. The weight of the tennis racket in his hand made his muscles clench. As the ball descended, he swung the racket and hit the ball with great precision, sending it to their opponent’s court, setting the game in motion.



It was an aggressive display of forehands and backhands and volleys and overheads, sending the poor little ball from one court to the next. Dusts rose from their feet as each person ran from side to side, forward to back, to keep the ball at play.



Brent hit an overhead. The ball ripped through the air, and bounced weakly on the ground. But Stefan was quick enough to save it, sending it back to Brent.



With an impressive backhand, Brent struck the ball and sent it Josh’s way. Judging from the angle and the velocity though, it was easy to tell that the ball would land outside the court.



There was a sudden gust that went past Josh.



The ball landed inside the court.



“Fuck!” Josh hissed. He tossed his racket aside and used both hands to grip on his hair. A chain of curse spilled out of his mouth. He heard someone called for a time-out.



“Hey.” A large warm hand pressed on his back. “Don’t worry about it. We can still cut the score or perhaps end up in deuce,” Stefan’s low and mellifluous voice coiled around him.



“It’s thirty-love Stefan. He’s just…” Josh rubbed his palm against his face. “He’s being competitive again.”



Stefan leaned in, leaving little gap between them, his lips nearly brushing the lobe of Josh’s ear. “I just think he’s getting jealous. You should let him know how you feel about him, babe.”



Josh couldn’t help but snort. “Don't you think it's ironic? You call me babe while trying to cajole me into professing my feelings for that man.”



"Old habits die hard, I guess." With an exasperated sigh, Stefan pelted, “You have to tell him, Josh. Otherwise it’ll eat you up inside. If you don’t, I’ll tell him myself.” He made a move toward the other court but Josh caught him by his shirt.



“Don’t you dare,” Josh hissed, the fabric of Stefan’s shirt still clutched in his fist. “Will you just win this game for us and lay off my personal life?” When Stefan didn’t offer an answer but merely stared at him, Josh was forced to grind out, “Alright. I’ll tell him. But not now, okay?”



Stefan tucked a few strands of his black wavy hair behind his ear, securing it with his headband. He was eyeing Josh with cautious regard and Josh simply threw back a deathly glare.



A serve was called and Stefan set the ball in play once more.



There were impressive maneuvers from both teams, which only proved that they all do play the sport well. Josh did his best not to look, or at least not to stare at Brent. But he was dazed when Brent rolled his neck, the thin sheen of sweat glistening on his olive skin.



Josh had to admit: Brent was gorgeous. Having an interesting mix of nationality did fairly well to his features. Bridge had told Josh (not that he was interested but…) that Brent's mom was half Argentine and half American while his dad was half American and half Dutch.



When the last round was over, they ended up in deuce. It was up to them to decide whether they should go through a tie-breaking round.



Everyone agreed on another round and at least five minutes to warm up.



It took great effort for Josh to keep breathing when he saw Brent stretching his legs. His eyes – his traitorous eyes, more likely – raked through the length of Brent’s thick, taut-looking thighs and further down Brent’s legs where muscles were vivid and rounded every time Brent placed his weight on either one. Brent was far from being bulky, but his fit and tight on all the right places.



Josh could feel a vertigo coming.



It was quite a struggle to get his focus back on the game when the tie-breaking round started. And despite of the constant distraction, Josh and Stefan won the match



The game ended an hour before noon. And the four of them lazed around under the canopy-covered terrace near the tennis court. They had an early lunch, or more like ‘brunch’ according to Brent, having a variety of clubhouse, Reuben and turkey sandwiches and Caesar’s salad.



It was Stefan who had to bail out first. “Well, I have a flight to catch this afternoon.” So he shook Brent’s hand and Josh almost kicked Stefan on his shin when he told Brent, “Good luck to you my friend.”



They soon hit the showers, but Josh went ahead since Brent was sidetracked by someone he knew from college.



The pressure of the warm water against his skin was soothing. He turned around to let the water fall hard against his shoulders and his back to ease the strain on his sore muscles. It was fortunate that the showers at the club were divided into sections, that way anyone could have the privacy.



After he had washed off the last trace of sweat, he turned the shower off and reached for the towel. He didn’t dry off completely thinking that leaving a little moisture could make him still feel shower-fresh while getting dressed.



He slid the smoked-glass door open and almost ran into… “Brent. Um…”



If only he had considerable control over his eyes, then they wouldn’t have been traveling down Brent’s torso at the moment. And his mind was cooperative enough to take note of the beautiful tan, of every small bumps of muscles on his arms and his chest and his abs and the alluring curve of his hips and—



Josh reluctantly tore his eyes away. “Um, I’ll probably go ahead.”



“Do you have to be somewhere?” The question was casual. Innocent. It probably didn't mean anything at all. But Brent’s eyes looked expectant. Hopeful. And this was stirring up his emotions that he couldn’t think straight.



“I’m actually driving up to Gainesville to visit my mom.” It wasn’t a lie. Josh did promise his mother that he would pay her a visit. He wasn't sure if it was just his sick imagination but Brent seemed to be checking him out, too. He could feel the other man’s gaze burn into his skin, pushing the awkward feeling a level higher. “So um. It’s a long drive. I have to go.”



Josh bolted out of the shower area and into to the locker room. He heard Brent call out behind him, “Say hi to your mom for me!”



What the fuck? The slight change of treatment was rather unnerving. Wasn't Brent mocking him earlier? Either Brent was on drugs or maybe it was something Brent had for lunch.





*****





Josh wasn’t kidding about the long drive. His legs were killing him, his calves were screaming their protests and his arms were wilting by the time he pulled out of the exit leading to the suburban area where he grew up and where his mother still lived with his younger sisters.



It was a nice neighborhood. The quiet hum of suburban air and the happy chatters of the residents gave off a homey ambiance. The air was cooler on this part of the state.



A series of cafés and bakeshops lined the avenue that turned to a route leading to Josh’s old neighborhood. It was a nice change of surroundings. There wasn’t any remarkable difference than Orlando, but the feeling he got being there made up for it at least.



He drove around a curb and into the street where his mother’s house rested. The cozy shade of peach and white could clearly be seen from a distance. Somehow, he felt a comforting touch that he had been craving for in his heart.



The moment he pulled up at the driveway, the front door of the house burst open. And the moment he slipped out of his car and his feet touched the ground, two girls claimed each of his sides, arms coiling around his waist and his middle. A chorus of 'Josh! I missed you!' and 'Why didn’t you say you were coming?' and other phrases were uttered in high-pitched voices that he could no longer comprehend.



“Girls!” Josh's mom had her hands on her hips. “Will you let go of your brother so he could come inside without tripping?”



His sisters reluctantly pulled away and Josh's heart sank when he saw the look on their faces, their lips sticking out in a pout. “Why don’t you girls grab the large blue plastic bag from the back seat and bring it inside so you can dig out your presents?”



As if Josh had said the magic word, his sisters did as they were told in record-breaking speed and Josh couldn’t help but laugh at their eagerness.



"You're spoiling them," his mom said in a less reprimanding tone.



Josh placed an arm around her and pulled her in for a one-arm hug. “Relax mom. It's not like I get to this for them all time.”



“Now that you mentioned it,” his mom said as they stepped into the foyer, “how long ago was it you came by for a visit?”



“Mom. I’ve said sorry probably a thousand times already.” Josh’s dropped his duffle bag at the archway leading to the living room.



His mother’s lips were pressed into a thin line while her eyes swept all over Josh. Then she broke into a heartwarming smile, much like Josh’s own. “You’re glowing” was what slipped out of her mouth before she shook her head and started babbling. “You shouldn't be making up for it by spoiling your sisters and treating them like they're still kids. In case you haven’t noticed, they're growing up. Faethe’s turning sixteen soon and Cailin is already twelve and looks like she will outgrow Faethe soon.”



“Well.” Josh watched his sisters tear the wrappings on the packages they had apparently scattered on the floor. “Cay’s got dad’s genes. Too bad Faethe had to have yours.” He yelped and flinched when he felt a stinging pressure just beneath his ribs and he glanced down in time to see his mother’s hand pulling back. “That hurt mom,” Josh whined, rubbing the spot where his mother had pinched him.



His mother sneered before turning to head for the kitchen and Josh somehow knew that was her silent way of asking him to follow. She meandered by the counter before finally getting the coffee maker to start. “So, who is he?”



“I’m sorry?”



She turned, her eyes twinkling. And Josh suddenly had this uh-oh-here-we-go-again feeling. “Your new boyfriend. What’s his name?”



The denial was halfway out his lips when his phone suddenly rang. Josh dug into his pocket to pull it out then glanced at the screen while the phone continued blasting the song he chose as personalized ring tone for… what the fuck!



“Brent?” Josh could feel his hand slightly trembling when he pressed the phone against his ear.



“Hey.” He felt his heartbeat pick up pace when Brent spoke and before Josh could ask what Brent wanted, Brent had already started saying, “I’m just calling to see if you got to your mom’s safely.”



Is this guy for real or what?



“Well.” Much as Josh would love to feel ecstatic from the attention or whatever it was he was getting from Brent, there was still this little feeling inside him that was gnawing away at his conscience. He could see the word ‘karma’ flashing in neo lights before his eyes.



“Josh?”



“Oh I… I actually just got here. A few minutes ago.” Josh could see his mom sneaking glances and pretending (but failing miserably) not to listen, pretending to be busy preparing coffee.



“I’m glad to hear that.” There was an awkward silence that hung between them for a while then Brent cleared his throat. “I guess I’ll see on Monday.”



“Okay.” Fuck, that sounded so so moronic! Josh had no idea what else to say. A call from Brent was the least he expected to get on a weekend, unless he accidentally left a virus on the company’s mainframe, which would definitely trigger Brent to call him and berate him.



The hesitation on Brent’s end was so palpable that Josh could almost feel the other man’s struggle. “Um,” Brent hummed. This was usually the part when the one on the other end would bid good-bye, but Brent didn’t seem to want to hang up. “Say hi to your mom for me.”



As if Josh was possessed or was hypnotized or had just simply lost his mind, he did tell his mother, “Mom, Brent says hi,” forgetting to add that Brent was in fact, his boss.



His mother’s face brightened. “Aww… that’s so sweet. Tell him I say hi, too.” Josh’s lips had barely moved to utter anything when his mother said, “Oh never mind that. Why don’t I talk to him instead?” She held her hand out expectantly.



What has gotten into everyone? “Um…” Josh was discretely tapping on the floor, hoping it would crack open and he could just fall into it and disappear from the face of this planet. “My uh, my mom wants to talk to you.” He huffed in disbelief.



“Really?” Ironically, Brent’s voice seemed to waver and his hesitation vibrated through the earpiece. The temptation to scream at him and remind him that he fucking started this was too strong that Josh had to bite his lower lip. “Ah, sure. Would love to.”



With the thought of wanting to get this over with, Josh pressed the phone into his mother’s open palm. His mother took it eagerly and started out by calling Brent ‘sweetie’. Josh didn’t want to hear the one-sided conversation so he rushed back to the living room to join his sisters.



Cailin was ogling the Barbie dolls she had lined up on the carpeted floor and Faethe was lying on the couch with earphones stuck in her ears, her eyes closed, her head bobbing and her bare feet tapping alternately on the cushion when he sauntered in. “Hey girls, how’s it going?”



It was Cailin who looked up from her spot on the floor. “Oh my, Josh. These are absolutely gorgeous! Thank you! Thank you!” She jumped up and rushed to him, wrapping her arms around his middle. “It’s so perfect for my collection.”



Josh was moved by the sentiment and his eyes stung a little. “Glad you liked it, Cay.”



Faethe must’ve heard or felt Cailin move because she lifted her eyelids and pulled out the earphones. When her eyes met Josh’s, she exclaimed, “Oh golly!” She bolted upright and ran to Josh like Cailin did, squeezing the life out of him. “Thank you for the iPod. I love it!”



The tears were threatening to well, so Josh hid it by burying his face in Faethe's brown locks. “Mom’s gonna kill me though if she finds out I bought you one, so I think you’ll get to enjoy it more in your room?”



It took a lot of convincing before the girls relented and cleaned up the mess they’ve made. Then they obediently brought their new clothes and other stuffs that Josh had just given them up to their rooms. They had just ascended the stairs when Josh’s mother walked in, holding out his cell phone to him.



“Your boyfriend wants to talk to you more,” she said, the smile she still wore was threatening to break her face in two.



“He’s not my boyfriend, mom,” Josh returned in a hushed tone while he took the phone from her.



“I’ll go get us some coffee.” It was as if his mother didn’t hear what he had said. There was nothing he could do at that time but stare incredulously at his mother’s retreating back.



“Brent?” He was half hoping Brent had decided to hang up. But his heart pounded when he heard his voice.



“You’re mother’s amazingly nice.” The curiosity was flooding through him and Josh wanted to ask what they talked about. But he chose not to dwell on it. He wasn’t going to let himself be affected by Brent Ambreigh and push him to the level of insanity. “I like her.”



“Well, a lot of people like her” was Josh’s rather catty remark.



But it was either Brent was too dense or he didn’t catch on Josh’s tone well enough to still be able to say, “She thinks I’m your boyfriend.”



“And let me guess, you just played along with her?” The idea was unmistakably irritating. But Josh couldn’t even get irritated by his mother's impulsive presumptions, the fact that he just arrived. So he chose to snap at Brent instead.



“Josh. I told her we just work together. And that we’re friends. At least I hope we still are.”



It was like a slap on the face. Josh suddenly realized how harsh he might have been. “I’m sorry. I’m… I’m just tired.”



He could only hear Brent’s breathing for the next few seconds. Then, “I guess I should let you rest. We had a long night last night and, well.” Brent almost kissing him flashed in his mind somehow. “We had a very tedious morning as well.”



“You’re right” was his cursory response. “I’ll see you on Monday, Brent.”





*****





A movie marathon (five movies in a row and damn, why didn’t anyone tell him that the 1998 ‘Merlin’ movie was three fucking hours long!), a game of monopoly and pictionary and hearing his sisters’ endless stories about school, were perfect distractions that Josh needed to keep Brent out of his mind. But midnight came and his sisters weren’t used to staying up late. Pity overruled when Josh saw their red watery eyes, trying to stay open just to keep him company.



Despite the whining and pleading from his sisters, Josh remained firm in telling Faethe and Cailin that it was time to call it a night. Once alone, Josh succumbed to melancholy.



It was in the dimly lit porch that he found the comforting ambiance he needed to clear his mind of the things that had been whirling in his head.



When Brent brushed lightly on his hindbrain, Josh grumbled. But he couldn’t push the man’s image away. The hammock protested when he brought his legs and tucked them under his thighs.



It was undeniably tempting to wallow in the attention that he’d been getting from Brent. Although, he couldn’t help but wonder whether it was because he’d been sending wrong signals or if he’d been too forward in turn or… fuck! He just didn’t know what to make of it.



He was just grateful that Aaron chose not to confront him after that embarrassing scenario last night. And he was glad Brent was only kidding about firing Aaron. There had been too much responsibility at work thrown on Josh's lap that he might need Aaron's help occasionally.



Josh had been unmindful that his eyes had slid shut. So he jerked when something cold touched his cheek, the hammock swayed menacingly. The metal bars where the seat was hooked creaked. He blinked against the faint light that was flooding through the terrace and his mother’s face soon came to view. She held up a couple of glasses filled with ice and pale red liquid.



His long, slender fingers coiled around one glass and he gladly took it. Josh brought it near the tip of his nose and sniffed lightly. “Hmm… Sangria!” Then his eyes fluttered over to his mother, “Home made?”



“Of course,” she said, her eyes shimmering with pride. The ice in her glass tinkled when she tipped it and the drink streamed through her lips



Josh did the same. He first took small sips, letting steady rivulets slide across his tongue and rush down his throat. The tangy and sweet taste lounged in his mouth, making him want more. Josh took another gulp, letting the refreshing flavor wash down the bitter feeling that had nestled inside him.



“He seems nice and sweet,” his mother started after the rim of her glass parted with her lips. “And judging from his voice, I’d bet he’s handsome.” The lilt in her voice verged on teasing, the tone edging on how she'd normally sound when she would match-make. It was how she spoke whenever she would set up her own son with whom she’d fondly call elegant bachelors.



“Ma,” Josh said, almost whiningly. He slid out of the hammock and joined his mother on the rattan couch. The moment his butt touched the cushions, he slouched against the backrest as if the remaining energy had been drained off of his body. “We’re not gonna talk about Brent again. I’ve told you so many times since this afternoon that Brent’s not my boyfriend and I don’t see any possibility that he would be in this lifetime.”



“Hmm… “ His mother took another sip before the corner of her lips curled up. “How can you be so sure?”



He pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyes narrowed as he leered at her. “Miss Adele Gilbur. Please tell me you’re not trying to play cupid again.”



Nonchalance hung on the half shrug she gave. “Why not?” she said in a neutral manner. “I’ve done it before.”



Josh could tell she was shamming disinterest. It was her known defense mechanism every time she was caught red-handed, so to speak. “Oh come on, mom. Remember that Fed-Ex guy? What’s his name? Mike? Mark?”



Adele’s brows furrowed for a moment. Then her face lit up and lips half rounded in a knowing smile. “Oh! Mick!” A giddy chortle burst out of her, slapping Josh on his forearm. “How dare you forget his name, that boy was so sweet!”



“He was,” Josh said, laughing along. “But at some point, it all came down as one huge disaster. We were just so incompatible.” Between the lines, what Josh meant to say was, when he and Mick (if that was indeed his name, oh goodness) had decided to take the next step in dating, which was sex, none of them had the guts to be on top since they were both inexperienced on gay sex.



To make the story short, he saw less of Mick after that until he stopped seeing him altogether. A few weeks later, Josh heard that Mick was seen with a new guy. It didn’t affect him in any way though. It was then he conceded that physical attraction wasn't enough. There had to be chemistry between two people to make a relationship work.



But then, fuck chemistry and all that jazz. Believing in that ideal was what brought him and Brent in that situation at the Lake Resort in the first place.



Adele was just rambling about some of the men from their neighborhood who had recently stepped out of the closet when a yawn broke out of Josh. “Oh baby, you should go get some rest,” Adele wheedled, rubbing circles on Josh’s back.



“O-okay.” Josh’s mouth stretched open to let another yawn through, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. He was about to bid his mother ‘good-night’ but then his phone chirped.



The LCD light was still blinking when he pulled it out of his pocket. He had received one text message. Deciding to forego the urge to ignore it and head off to bed, Josh pressed a couple of buttons and brought his phone closer. The message read: ‘Just woke up from a dream. Felt so real. It was about you.’



The sender was Brent.





~ tbc ~



 

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A/N: I apologize if this chapter comes across as boring. I just worked on what I've written during NaNoWriMo and tried to re-write it to make enough sense. I still don't have much time to create a forum since I have tons of things to do, but responses to reviews left for the previous chapter may be found here: http://community.livejournal.com/midnightedition/3005.html