“Not ever? Seriously?” Geoff looked totally stunned, wide eyes, lips parted. “No way.”
He shrugged. “He wants to open a yoga studio. I’m going to encourage him to do it.” Plus six weeks from now Troy could go back to work, but he couldn’t be on his feet all day. He couldn’t carry anything heavy. He wouldn’t be able to do his job anyway.
“He what? He’s never said that to me…”
Oh, interesting.
He smiled. “He’d given up on it. I think he thought he knew how the next twenty years were going to go, and then…” And then Saul had crashed into Carter on the mountain. “Also, you’re married to the man who told Troy he couldn’t call in sick. What do you think Carter would have said if Troy said he was thinking about a studio?”
He liked Carter, but the man wasn’t stupid. Carter knew what he had in Troy.
“Carter was jealous.” Geoff blinked, his hand slapping over his lips.
“Oh, no. Out with it. Of who? Of me and Troy? You and Troy?” He grinned, giving Geoff shit now, and the joint back. “Drag?”
“God yes. Please.” Geoff took the joint and inhaled deep, holding it. Eventually he was going to have to breathe and answer Saul’s questions.
“Troy told me he used to come to your tattoo sessions and then he just couldn’t anymore. He’s the jealous type, huh?” He never understood that. A Dom shouldn’t ever need to be jealous. But he wondered if he would get it now. He’d never had the lover and sub in one person thing like he had with Troy before. “It’s okay, I’m patient. I can wait you out.”
Geoff groaned, smoke blowing out his nose. “Dude… Doms, man. Carter was ejected because he has a no-cursing rule, and Troy, man, he cusses like a sailor. He was just hurt that Troy has allegiance to someone not him. He’s used to having the final say, and he needs to hire more people. Troy gets a life.”
He nodded. He’d gotten that exact vibe from Carter. And he didn’t know exactly what Carter had said to Troy on the phone, but whatever it was made Troy… mad? Upset? Whatever it was, he was pretty sure it had been about him.
He was totally going to swear around Carter.
“So… is he over that shit yet?”
“Yeah. Yeah, he is.” Geoff grinned at him, blinking a little owlishly. “You took care of Troy. You were there in the trenches, and you can see the love, man. You’re his Master.” Geoff turned a bright pink. “He’s been… I mean, he’s been real focused the last week.”
Oh, he believed that. Carter probably needed to remind himself what was his. But he wasn’t going to give Dom secrets away. Nope. “You totally needed that. You… man, you were as gray as Troy when you came out of his room after the surgery. Your Master has been worried about you.”
He put his hand up when Geoff offered him the spliff again. “I’m good. Really good. Troy will need me when he wakes up. He’s going to sleep for a while though, those pain pills are serious shit. Are you hungry?”
“I’m always hungry. Always. I can’t cook worth a damn, though.” Geoff worked the cherry off the joint. “There’s enough for another puff later.”
He needed to get up. “I wonder if Troy can have it?” He wiggled his toes, leaned forward and stood up. “Oh. Look at me. Peanut butter and jelly or queso? Does your Master know you’re here, man?”
“Peanut butter and queso sounds scary, and of course, my Master knows. I told him there would be green, and he said he trusted you to take care of me.”
“No, idiot. Peanut butter and jelly. God.” He offered Geoff a hand up. He wanted queso though. “If you’re crashing, you can have another beer. I live here now, so I can offer.”
“I’d love one. Thank you. What can I do to help? DoorDash?”
“Oh, that would be fantastic. I want queso. And tacos. Maybe order a couple for Troy? He won’t eat them but it’s nice to be thought of, you know?” Maybe Troy would eat them, who knew? Maybe he’d make his boy eat one. “Guess what? I ordered him to eat his breakfast this morning.”
“No shit?” Geoff stared for a second. “He doesn’t eat breakfast, man.”
“Yeah, I know. But that, like, one meal a day thing? That’s not gonna support his medication or his physical therapy. And wow, he needs to gain, like, ten or fifteen pounds. His sweats fell off him. Like, fell. To the floor. Just whoop!” He laughed. It wasn’t funny really, except that it was. A little. “Whoop!”
They started giggling, just leaning together like kids, holding on as they howled. God, he needed to remember this, that he wasn’t alone, that he and Troy as a couple had a community.
“Beer. You need a beer.” He was still catching his breath and giggling between words as he headed for the fridge. “I’m so glad you came over. God, I was… whoa. You know?”
“I do. I shut the studio down for a few weeks. I just… Whoa.” Geoff pushed his hair behind his ears. “It’s crazy, but it just shocked me, bad.”
He nodded. That made him feel better, that it wasn’t all because he was just young and stupid. That Geoff had been shocked and off-balance too. Worried. All of that was okay he guessed.
“I should have told you to order extra guac. Troy loves avocado.”
He knew about Arnie now and so much of what Troy had said made more sense. Troy hadn’t had this before really either. Troy had watched for twenty years, had learned, but he hadn’t experienced it a bit.
Damn.
“I know. I did.”
“Right. Of course.” He laughed again. “Have you and Troy ever… you know?”
“No.” Geoff’s cheeks lit up and he groaned. Oh, Saul knew there was a story there, so he just waited for Geoff to confess. “Well, you see, once I walked in on him when he was jacking off. It was… it was weird and embarrassing. He was crying. I may have freaked.”
Crying. That he hadn’t seen yet. “Shit. That sounds kind of fucked up.”
“It was a long time ago. He was so lonely, you know?” Geoff swigged his beer. “I wanted to tell him he didn’t have to torture himself at the get-togethers, but… I needed him to know he was welcome.”
“I’m glad it got better. I liked that gathering. I can’t wait for the next one.” It might not be the grand entrance he was hoping for anymore, but it would be enough. Comfortable. Troy would feel safe and cared for. It would be good.
“There will be this one, then Halloween! I love the holiday gatherings. Love them.”
Oh man. Holidays. It hadn’t even occurred to him what he was going to do. That’d be a hell of a conversation with Troy, wouldn’t it? “I usually spend the big holidays with my mom…”
“Well, I don’t know the situation, but you know Troy always has a place with us. Always. He can always help Carter cook.”
“No, no. If I go, he’s coming. If he doesn’t want to, then we’ll… do whatever we do together. With you or whatever. I’ve brought guys home before. I brought Deitz home, and he was wearing a collar even.” Maybe TMI. Oops. Well, his mom was okay.