From the Ashes (17 page)

“Well, be sure you’re sober by the time you come in to work.” With a final pat on Jesse’s arm, she left to wrangle her mass of children toward her minivan.

“So, can we say hello to your mystery man?” Neither Henri’s voice nor his expression was judgy, which Jesse appreciated.

“We can go over.” Jesse shot a warning look at Michael. “Just don’t say anything about me and him dating. I know the guys he works with, but they think we’re roommates.”

Henri lifted an eyebrow and smirked in that not-quite-French way of his. “Roommates?”

Jesse shrugged. “I guess. That’s what Tomas told them.”

“And they believed it?” Henri shook his head. “Straight guys are so funny.” He bumped shoulders with Jesse and started up the grass.

Michael followed at Jesse’s side, his hands in his pockets. “He doesn’t seem to mind when he’s at the coffee shop.”

“That’s different, and you know it,” Jesse said for what felt like the thousandth time. He waved to the firefighters as they approached. “Hey.”

Tomas turned. For a split second, he smiled. But then his posture shifted, and he dug his hands in his jacket pockets. “Hey, Jess,” he said without looking directly at him. “Did you go through yet, or you about to get in line?”

Henri took a couple steps to Tomas, holding out his hand. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Henri. I work at the coffee shop with Jesse.”

Maybe Jesse was imagining it, but Henri sounded different, as if maybe he was making his voice lower on purpose. He definitely moved differently. His hips and shoulders were stiff, not swishy like normal. Or maybe this was Henri’s real personality and the thing he did at the coffee shop was the act.

Knowing what little Jesse did about Henri, he wouldn’t have been surprised either way. Or even to find out that the real Henri was someone else altogether, someone nobody really knew.

“Tomas. Jesse’s housemate.” Tomas shook Henri’s hand. Then he jerked his chin to the guys standing near him. “Rick works with me at the Twenty-Five, and Curt works in Maple Leaf.” He met Henri’s gaze more easily than Jesse’s, maybe because Henri was putting on that exaggerated straight act. Tomas didn’t even realize Henri was fucking with him.

Henri nodded to the other firefighters.

Michael waved, but to Jesse’s surprise, he grabbed Jesse’s hand. “Hello, everyone,” Michael said with a hint of falsetto. “So nice to meet you.” Was he lisping? On purpose? Jesse pinched his lips together so he wouldn’t laugh.

Tomas stared at where Jesse’s and Michael’s hands were connected, his forehead knit in confusion. Uncertainly, he told Jesse, “Turns out I’m off at ten, so I can drive you into town earlier if you want.”

“Oh, I can give Jesse a ride.” Michael’s voice dripped with innuendo and was twice as lilty as normal.

“That’s okay, honey.” Jesse played along, feeling a bit annoyed at Tomas and more than a little frisky. “Tomas can drive me.”

Fuck it.
Tomas’s friends knew Jesse was gay. Pretending to be with Michael would only reinforce that Jesse was
not
dating Tomas.

“Let him go with his boyfriend,” Rick said from behind Tomas’s shoulder. He texted something into his phone. “My buddies and I are going to Pioneer Square. Check out the hoochies with their tits out. You should hang.”

Tomas stared so hard at Jesse’s and Michael’s clasped hands that Jesse wouldn’t have been surprised if laser beams shot out his eyeballs. “No.” Tomas took a threatening step toward Michael.

For a second Jesse thought Michael was going to queen out completely and start a showdown. But after a split second’s hesitation, Michael let go.

“I’ll drive you into town, and I need to talk to you.” Tomas grabbed Jesse’s elbow and pushed him back a couple steps. His gaze was furious.

When they were far enough from the others that no one would hear them, Jesse asked, “You’re coming out with me later, right?” He tried to play off his little performance like it had been nothing.

Tomas narrowed his eyes. “Why was he holding your hand?”

“I don’t know.” Jesse shrugged.

“And why were you holding his?” Tomas loomed, blocking the light from the parking lot.

Jesse tossed up his hands. “Why not? Who cares what those guys think?” He gestured at the other firefighters but tried to keep his voice down. “As long as they don’t think I’m with you, right?” He could tell he was pushing too hard, so he softened his tone and backed off. “I was just teasing anyway. You know I’m with you.”

“I know.” Tomas seemed to deflate where he stood. He even cracked a bit of a smile. “Brat.”

Jesse grinned at him. Taking a chance, he batted Tomas’s arm. “And you know I like you.”

Heat flared in Tomas’s eyes like he’d throw Jesse down on the nearest horizontal surface. They’d only shared a few nervous kisses since the night before, but Jesse could tell things would be back to normal soon.

“Well, he better not try any of that shit later.” Tomas peeked over his shoulder at where Henri and Michael were making conversation with the firefighters. “You’re my date tonight.”

“I still wish you’d brought a costume,” Jesse teased.

“Maybe next year.” Tomas’s gaze raked over Jesse’s body.

“What are you going to tell Rick?” Jesse saw the firefighters watching. Tomas would have to give some kind of excuse for not going out with his work buddies.

“I’ll figure something out.” Tomas shrugged, his posture conveying his heavy denial.

“Okay, then.” What Jesse meant was,
Rick won’t believe you any more than your brother and sister do
, but it seemed like Tomas wanted to live in some kind of fantasyland where everyone pretended he was straight. “I’ll go get in line with the guys.”

“You do that.” Tomas walked back over to his friends.

“C’mon. Let’s go through this thing before the line gets any longer.” Jesse hooked his arm around Michael’s elbow.

Michael was locked in some kind of stare down with the short-but-buff guy Rick, and Jesse had to tug him a few times to get him to back away.

“Yeah, man. Totes.” Henri’s rumbling swagger had gotten stronger, and Jesse was positive he was doing it to be funny.

When he got the two of them out of earshot, Jesse scolded them. “I can’t take you two anywhere.”

Michael gave him a playful shove, and Henri messed with his hair. Both of them were laughing, and Jesse couldn’t stay mad.

“You’ll forgive us tonight,” Henri said as they got in line. “This party is going to kick ass.”

Chapter Fourteen

“That little fairy has you on a short leash, man.” Rick watched Jesse and his friends walking away. “Just let him take a ride with his boyfriend. The guy probably wants a blowjob in the car anyway.”

Tomas’s anger reared. In line, Jesse and Michael were teasing and pushing each other. Laughing like a real couple. Tomas didn’t know whom he wanted to shout at more, Michael or Rick. He rolled his neck, faking cool. “Whatever, man. I’ve gotta work tomorrow. Don’t want to be too fucked up to do my job.”

“You’re a pussy,” Rick said. The other guys pretended to be watching something in the woods, but it was obvious they were purposely ignoring Rick’s razzing. “Hey, who do you think does the fucking?”

There was a smile on Rick’s face—the kind with the edge where Tomas knew Rick was winding him up. “The blond one’s taller. He walks like he’s got something shoved up his ass, but I bet he gives it to your boy hard.”

Tomas spun, and before he knew what he was doing, he had Rick pressed against the truck, his forearm across Rick’s throat. “Shut the fuck up about that shit.”

“Jesus.” Rick snickered. He put both hands on Tomas’s chest and shoved him off. “C’mon, man. I’m just fucking around.”

“Fuck off.” Tomas spun so Rick wouldn’t see his face. His cheeks felt hot, and he was breathing heavy. God, it wasn’t even all about Rick. He wanted to throttle that bastard Michael too.

“Ooh, sore spot, huh?” Rick went to the cooler they’d brought and grabbed a Coke. He popped the top and sipped off the foam, his smirk visible in his eyes.

“I don’t care what he does.” Tomas crossed his arms.

Jesse and his friends disappeared into the woods. Michael leaned in to Jesse’s side, a shit-eating grin on his face.

He bet Michael had a crush on Jesse. Yeah, that would be why he was always giving Tomas the evil eye. A worse thought hit him—if Tomas didn’t come out as gay, Michael might have a chance.

“You don’t care if he gets his ass pounded on your bed while you’re gone?” Rick put a hand on the truck’s chrome bumper and then thrust his hips at it. “Ooh, I bet that Michael guy gives it to him real good. Hope Jesse changes the sheets before you—”

Tomas grabbed him by the neck and shoved him. “Shut the fuck up.”

“Oh, come—”

Tomas pushed him again, this time hard enough that Rick stumbled back a few feet.

“Geez, man.” Rick sneered. “What the—?”

“He’s
my
boyfriend.” Tomas pointed at his own chest, glaring at his friend.

The slow transformation on Rick’s face was angry, and if Tomas didn’t know better, he’d say Rick was scared. “Fuck, man. Saul said so. But I didn’t wanna…” He broke the stare, looking at the other two firefighters a dozen yards away.

“Yeah. I am. At least with Jesse.” Tomas looked to the forest to see if Jesse and his friends had already gone in.

“So, what? You’re going to be gay now? Wear a thong in the locker room and march in the pride parade in a tutu?” Each thing Rick said sounded more pathetic than the last.

“I don’t know.” Tomas heard a chorus of screams from the woods. There was another hour left on his volunteer shift, but he figured Rick and the other guys had it covered. Or at the very least, Rick would be more able to focus on his job if Tomas left. “Hey. I’m going to take off early.”

The two other firefighters lifted their heads. They must have been listening, and he’d signaled that it was okay for them to come back over.

“Yeah, that’s fine. We got it.” Frowning, Rick stared at the ground. “See ya.”

Tomas started walking up to the trees, planning to catch Jesse and the other guys when they came out. He didn’t know what would happen the next time he and Rick had a shift together, but he was ready to call it a night on their conversation. Rick would probably tell the other guys at the station he was gay. Tomas couldn’t bring himself to care.

Costumed partiers filled the streets. A lot were young guys—some wearing nothing but tight sequined shorts and a bowtie. Tomas tried not to ogle, even when he saw a pretty one in a loincloth.

“Wow!” Jesse bounced in his seat as they drove, eyes wide and excited. If he noticed Tomas’s mouth hanging open, he didn’t say anything. “This is crazy.”

Tomas grinned at him. Jesse was so cute. He was still wearing his jacket and sweater from the trails, but even fully dressed, he was hotter than any of the boys flashing their asses on the street.

“Not in Pullman anymore, huh?” Tomas waggled his eyebrows.

Jesse twisted to watch a couple muscly leather guys. Both wore chaps, and one had on nothing but a thong underneath. “No shit.” Jesse covered his mouth. “Damn!”

A smile played at Tomas’s mouth. At least now Tomas knew Jesse’s type. Tomas couldn’t imagine wearing anything leather besides a jacket and boots, but he figured Jesse would be plenty happy to see him in those.

Tomas pulled into a parking space around the back of the station. He was glad to see there were a few spots open. If anyone showed up late for their shifts, they’d have somewhere to park.

“Ooh, I can’t wait for you to see my outfit.” Jesse grabbed a garbage bag out of the space behind the seats. “Now let me get ready outside. No peeking!”

“Okay, okay.” Tomas took the key out of the ignition and waited for the interior light to go out. “I’ll change in here.” He was still wearing his uniform but had brought different clothes.

Jesse slithered out of the truck and shut the door.

With a snicker, Tomas got undressed. He slipped on his clubbing shirt and dragged up his one pair of tight jeans. For a second he debated whether to turn on the interior light to mess with his hair. In the end, Tomas made do in the dark. He dragged his hands through, pulling his hair forward and spiking it up in back.

His brother would have cracked up if he ever saw how Tomas looked when he went to bars. In the past, he’d gone out to get action and for no other reason. Tomas had figured he might as well make his goal obvious.

“You can come out.” Jesse knocked on the passenger-side window.

It was cold, but Tomas hadn’t brought anything warmer than his uniform jacket. Since that would look stupid, he decided to leave it in the car.

“Alright. Let’s see this.” Tomas climbed out of the truck and locked the door. When he saw Jesse, his jaw dropped.

Jesse wore nothing but a pair of old, battered bunker pants, held up on his slim frame by suspenders. They weren’t Tomas’s, so he must have found them at a surplus store.

He’d smeared black makeup over his body, face and even through his hair. He looked messy and sexy. So hot Tomas took three steps to him and grabbed him around the waist.