Chasing Rusty Parker - 18. Tension

Chapter Eighteen – Tension

For a moment or so, Rusty had no idea how to start. It was a lot easier to joke and take things lightly, but Hamilton was staring at him with such keen eyes that he felt tempted to blame it all on him. To avoid that honesty-seeking gaze, he lay on his back, hands behind his head, and took a look at the ceiling.

“Are you going to start or do you need me to ask you a series of well-aimed questions?” Jonathan asked with a low chuckle.

That kind of sound made Rusty feel ticklish all over. Usually, he would have blamed Johnny boy for that, too, because, come on, who had the right to be so sexy and untouchable at the same time? But, for a change, he knew Jonathan’s laugh wasn’t tickling his inner kinky demons like usual. It had more to do with the sensory overload experienced the night before in Matty’s arms, the two of them wrapped around each other, sucking each other’s dicks. That thought alone made him grunt, while a little familiar twitch made its way into his pants.

“Was that a ‘yes’? A ‘no’? Was it English?” Jonathan continued.

Rusty risked a killer glare at his guest. Yeah, he was having a laugh, all right. “Ask your questions and be gone, demon.”

Jonathan shook his head in mirth. “What do you like about Matty? Just say three things off the top of your head.”

“Looks, smarts, and sass.”

“Wow. I thought you’d struggle a lot more. Okay. Care to elaborate?”

“I’m not going to make your job easier. Since Maddie put you up to this--”

“He didn’t. I had to fight him to convince him that it would do you good to confess for a change. He was definitely sure you’d clam up.”

“I don’t clam up,” Rusty retorted. “I’m a fully open book.”

“Then let’s get over the introduction and get into the action.”

“How do you know about the action?” Rusty asked, feeling a tiny bit suspicious of Jonathan’s deductive skills.

“What?”

“What?” he mirrored.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “All this might work on Maddox, because you’ve known each other for a long time, but consider that I’m currently like a dog with a bone, and I’m not going to let it go.”

Rusty grinned. “You said bone.”

“Indeed. So, since you want me to ask you more in-depth questions, were any bones of the kind you seem to enjoy laughing so much about involved?”

“Now that’s a little too forward coming from you, Jonathan.”

“I apologize, but you do look extremely satisfied this morning.”

“Are you studying my horny face when I’m not looking, like Maddox?”

Jonathan appeared to ponder his reply. “Rusty,” he said slowly, “you look happy.”

Rusty tsked and looked away. “I’m uber happy every waking moment.”

“It must be exhausting,” Jonathan pointed out.

Two words. Too clever.

“It’s fun,” he retorted.

“Yes, I must agree, but now you’re no longer as tense as you usually are. You’re always so full of this energy, and don’t get me wrong, it’s part of your charm, but sometimes I wonder if it doesn’t tire you out.”

“Yes, it does. But that’s why I sleep. Sometimes,” Rusty offered. This conversation was taking a dangerous turn. It was better to get it to veer it back to Matty. “We were talking about something else, though.”

“Matthew Han. Matty. The one with smarts, looks, and sass.” Jonathan smiled, to show that he understood what all that was about. “Were you with him all night?”

“Yes, dad,” Rusty replied.

“Did you kiss him?”

Okay, okay, so Hamilton was a heavy hitter, after all. This time, he replied in a small voice, “Yeah.”

“Was it good?” Jonathan continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

“Yeah.” If they continued like this, they would soon have to communicate through sounds only dogs could hear.

“The best you’ve ever had?”

“Now, you’re pushing it.” Rusty straightened up and looked Jonathan in the eye. “But yeah, it felt that way for sure. Do you think you gave me the gay?”

Jonathan gave him a half-amused, half-reproachful look. “Blame it all on me if you want, Rusty, but what is going on between you and Matty, it’s pretty important.”

“We’re having fun.”

“Things can be serious and fun at the same time.”

“No, they can’t… okay, you have a point. And before you ask, it is kind of serious and fun with Matty, but that’s because he’s a tutor, and he’s always so serious, and that’s why.”

“Okay, that’s good. Have you two gone further than kissing?”

“Are you trying to perv on me, Johnny boy? You and Maddox already bored like a couple married for fifty years?”

“Very funny,” Jonathan said and grinned. His eyes lost focus for a moment. Nope, no sign of boredom there. The guy was thinking of the pervy things he must have done with his fiancé last night.

“Okay, since you asked, yes. We’re talking third base.” Jonathan seemed unresponsive for a bit. “You do know what third base is, right?”

“I do, it’s just that I’m a bit in shock. All right, let’s keep with the euphemisms, just so that we don’t find ourselves a little bit out of our depth,” Jonathan said and tugged the collar of his dress shirt for a moment.

“Speak for yourself,” Rusty said with a snort, feeling on top of the situation once more. “Just for the record, you’re not going to blab about this to Dex and Kane. I don’t include Maddox here, since you two are joined at the hip, and you also seem to share the same brain.”

“I’m glad. It’s impossible to keep something a secret from Maddox. I mean, almost impossible. I would try, for you.”

“Your concern is appreciated. Now, can I gush about Matty for a second?”

“There’s nothing I’d like to hear more. Go ahead, please,” Jonathan encouraged him.

“I lied. It’s going to take more than a second.”

“Just start already,” Jonathan snapped, but his grin said everything about how much he wanted to hear Rusty gushing over Matty.

Pleased with that result, he lay on his back again. “At first, I thought he was a bit insufferable, but you know, like in a cute, harmless way. My mistake was playing along, letting him win, and before I knew it, he got the upper hand. You know, I wanted to give him lessons about sex, and you have no idea, Johnny boy, but he’s a bigger perv than me.”

“That’s quite the high praise, coming from you,” Jonathan commented.

“Well, it’s true. I mean, I say, suck on this finger, and he sucks the whole hand.”

“Really?” Jonathan’s stricken face confirmed that his euphemisms were a bit off the mark.

“Just a figure of speech,” Rusty hurried to correct the misunderstanding. “Anyway, the thing is that each time I try to shock him, he’s all for it, and I need to raise the bar, you know?”

“Except for the sex element, into which I’m not going to get too deep,” Jonathan said, “what else do you like about Matty? You two seem very close.”

“Yeah, ‘cause he’s uber smart. Usually, with any teacher, professor, tutor, whatever, I have my ways to make them run, tails between their legs, but Matty’s really stubborn. He hits me with that wooden ruler on occasion, you know?”

“Something tells me you like that part.”

“Well, he could do better, and that thing doesn’t really hurt. But I’ll teach him all about that in due time. There’s no escaping from me, I’m telling you.”

“It does look like you’re very interested in having Matty in your clutches for some time. But tell me, how does he really feel about all this?”

Rusty pointed at his temple. “He has a huge brain. He must be one of those people that are heavy into research. Case in point, we study sex. Together. So, there’s no such thing as silly attachments and all that.”

“All right. As long as the two of you are on the same page, I guess there’s no point in insisting. What about the friendship that’s clearly developing between the two of you?”

“He’s a great guy.” Rusty stopped for a moment as his mind wandered to the night of the match when Matty had saved him from dark thoughts concerning his dad, like he just knew. “He reads this very stupid book with zombie wizards, and he knows it’s like the best antidote for my insomnia. He reads it to me out loud until I fall asleep, and he will do it at any hour, regardless. I can count on him. Plus, he’s really witty, and he knows how to play me sometimes and although I let him, it’s refreshing, you know?”

“I bet. I must say, Rusty, you’ve been quite forthcoming. Not what I expected.”

“I was born to prove people wrong.”

Jonathan laughed. “Okay, then I should tell you to continue to have fun with Matty.”

“Really, can I, mom?” Rusty made a pleading face and linked his hands together, after straightening himself up once more.

“I thought I was the dad,” Jonathan replied smoothly.

“Eh, you’re the kinder one. Maddox would have given me a wedgie by now to extract information.”

Jonathan’s eyes lit up. “Are you serious? Has Maddox ever treated you that way?”

“Maybe I’m exaggerating. Maybe we once gave each other wedgies.”

“You didn’t,” Jonathan whispered, his eyes wide.

“Or I might just be pulling your leg. You’ll never know,” Rusty said with a smirk.

“I’ll ask Maddox.”

“Feel free to do that. But he’s not going to admit it, because he lost. And he was begging like a wuss to be let go of.”

“You’re so full of it, Rusty, I swear.” Jonathan threw his arms out in defeat.

“Hey, I had to pay you back a little for ambushing me about Matty. And don’t worry, it’s not like anyone’s going to fall for anyone or stuff like that. Just in case you were worried about it.”

Jonathan didn’t appear completely convinced, but in the end, he smiled. “I try not to be. After all, you’re both grownups, and I should let you spread your wings.”

“Consider them spread.” Rusty opened his arms wide to make his point.

He purred as Jonathan patted him on the head on his way out. Well, it felt good to get that off his chest a little. After all, it wasn’t like they didn’t suspect it anyway. Which also meant that he could have Matty over more often, without fearing that it might look weird.

***

“You’re literally, but literally, glowing,” was Zoey’s first remark the moment she set foot in his room.

Matty made a sign at her to zip it. Zoey didn’t need any more explanations, as she noticed John right away, spread out on his bed, noise-cancelling headphones over his ears, trying some new method of learning that required him to make a proper corpse impersonation during which no other soul was supposed to breathe in his presence.

The ‘corpse’ opened his eyes, much to Matty’s chagrin. “You’re not only bringing men to your dorm room, but also women?” John questioned.

In the battle of Zoey versus noise-cancelling headphones, the winner was incontestable.

“Men, what men? Did you have strippers here overnight?” Zoey asked, bubbling with excitement.

That brought a look of disgust to John’s face. The guy looked at Zoey like she was a bug from a distant galaxy. He tried to look disdainful but that didn’t quite cover the fear he was obviously experiencing.

“Not men, but only one, and he’s a friend.” He warned Zoey not to say a thing with nothing but a look, and miracles be praised, she didn’t. “And this is Zoey, not women.”

“I am a woman,” Zoey cared to establish right away. “But I’m not here for some debauchery or a menagerie a trois.”

“It’s ménage a trois,” John hurried to correct her.

“Nope,” she replied, completely unfazed by his righteousness. “It’s how I said it.”

John blinked, trying to figure out what she meant. Matty was ready to go anyway, so he grabbed her by the elbow and they both walked out, after a short and perfunctory goodbye to his roommate.

“So, the D-bag is back,” Zoey commented as soon as they were out of the dorm. “When did that happen?”

“This morning, and he almost caught us in the act.”

“You mean, you and Rusty?” Zoey asked. “What act? Was it sexual, at least?”

“Yes,” Matty said hurriedly. “But John has bad eyesight and he always has his head in his books, so he didn’t recognize Rusty.”

Zoey gasped in outrage. “No, he didn’t,” she exclaimed. “I bet our beloved king corrected him immediately.”

“No, I was faster. I don’t want John to know. You realize that he could be a loose cannon with that kind of information in his hand.”

“That’s true,” Zoey admitted, “but you know that it could work to your advantage. With his reputation ruined, Rusty would have no other choice but to marry you.”

“I don’t know exactly what century you’re from, or what planet for that matter, but it doesn’t work like that, Zoey. I’m afraid Rusty would hate me if that happened.”

Zoey seemed to ponder over what to tell him next. Then, her face was split by a huge smile and she took his arm. “You know what, Matty? I have this feeling that you two are going to be completely fine. So, just take things as they go. And don’t worry about your roommate. He wouldn’t deign to gossip if you tortured him. He’s that much of a snob.”

“I hardly know the guy. He low-key threatened me of informing my parents that I’m fooling around with men in my quarters.”

Zoey rolled her eyes in exasperation. “What’s the going rate for snuffing an annoying roommate?”

“What rate?”

“How many years in the slammer?”

“I think it would still be first-degree murder, even if the guy’s annoying,” Matty offered with all the solicitude he was capable of, so early and after all the recent events.

“That’s too bad. Yeah, you’re totally right. Good thing he’s a snob. As for your parents, if he ever contacts them on Facebook or something, just tell them he’s a lunatic. What person under twenty-five uses Facebook?”

“Such a strong argument. I bow before it, my friend,” Matty joked. “I won’t worry too much about him. I also hope that he’s gone soon, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen. It looks like his relatives need that apartment or the money from renting it, after all. Which means that I’ll be stuck with him.”

“Hmm,” Zoey said under her breath. “Which means that debaucheries like last night won’t happen any time soon. At least, not in your quarters, as you call them, you medieval fantasy fanboy.”

“Yeah. And I don’t know how I’m going to plan a repeat performance of last night. Should we rent a motel room or something? It would be pretty weird and shady.”

“Why can’t you go to him? His buddies are a lot cooler than your John. I mean, Maddox and Jonathan are so in love that they can’t even be bothered by the existence of other people from what I’ve seen of them and their highly questionable behavior. Kane has that girlfriend he plans to marry, so he knows how it is to want someone so much that you must sentence them for life. And Dexter Solomon--” She stopped abruptly and bit her bottom lip in thought.

“What about Dex?” Matty pressed her. Did Zoey know something about the football player that could throw a spanner into his – as yet unshared – plans to worm his way into Rusty’s room and fool around there?

“Nothing,” Zoey said quickly. “Hey, did you hear about Connor Williams?”

The name was familiar. Actually, you didn’t have to be an avid reader of Xpress to know who the guy was. “The guy into eco stuff?” Matty asked.

“Uh-huh,” Zoey managed and pursed her lips in disapproval. “He was Jonathan Hamilton’s initial love interest last year.”

Matty searched his brain for that piece of info. Apparently, you had to read Xpress after all to be up-to-date on everything. He did remember about the scandal from less than a year before when certain people had tried to blackmail Jonathan into something, he didn’t exactly recall what. “Ah, his posse got mad that Jonathan chose Maddox. Well, now I remember.”

Zoey gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. “I’m glad you’re from this planet, after all. Although, I can’t blame you. You just have kind of a selective way of retaining only the things concerning Rusty.”

“Not even those. I have you for that.” He reciprocated the sympathetic pat, only because he knew it would annoy her.

She pushed him away playfully. “Right. You had no actual idea that Rusty was into cat boys. I had to drill that into you, only so that you’d take a step in the right direction. And see where you are now? Kiss the pinky.” She waved her hand in front of him.

He grabbed it unceremoniously and then bit on the offensive pinky in question. Maybe they didn’t have very strong boundaries when it came to their friendship, but that was just one of the things that made it special.

Zoey nursed her pinky with a wounded look on her face. “You ungrateful brat,” she uttered from the tip of her lips. “I’ll get you for that.”

“Wait, where are we even going? And what were you saying about Connor Williams?”

“The two are connected, trust me. There’s a kind of a meeting going on, and we’re going to infiltrate it.”

“A meeting? With Connor Williams as the main speaker or something? Zoey, I’m really not that in the mood for listening to rehashed news about how the planet’s dying.”

“No, no, no, you don’t understand. He lost that love for all things green. Since he realized that taking over the world through means of righteous outrage over the whales and what not was quite the tall order, he settled for something closer to home. Something smaller.”

“Like what?”

“Like Sunny Hill,” Zoey replied promptly.

“Does he want us all to wipe our asses with leaves or something?”

Zoey giggled. “No, although that’s an idea I’m not fond of,” she added. “No, Connor is quickly becoming the voice of high morals, right here, on the campus grounds. He believes that we’re all spending too much time fornicating – I wish – and that we bow to false gods like a useless bunch of cultists.”

Matty frowned. “Is he turning into a religious nut? Good luck with that. He must be living in the wrong century.”

“No, religion has nothing to do with it, but I gotta give it to the guy, he knows how to dress up his discourse to make sure that it appeals to the masses.”

“What does he want?” Matty felt slightly wary, although Zoey seemed to believe that it was all just an occasion for having a laugh.

“He wants us to behave like proper grownups, with high morals. Yes, I say that, because those are the words he seemed to be enamored with. That means, among other things, zero tolerance for drinking on campus, hooking up, obviously, and even parties. In his vision, we should study and reach a higher plane of existence.”

“It all sounds like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to me. I doubt he’ll gain too many followers.”

“You think? I heard he’s drawing a crowd.”

“Does he still wear his hair like Jesus?” Matty asked. That was one detail he knew about the guy.

“Nope. That would be a lil’ too on the nose, even for a fame-hungry whore like him,” Zoey said matter-of-factly. “Uh, you kept on interrupting me, and I haven’t gotten to the point. Rusty’s reign is in danger, my good man. Connor’s gotten it into his head that there’s a symbol he must attack in order for his ideas to prevail.”

“And he’s attacking Rusty? How? Calling him a fornicator and stuff like that?”

“No. I told you. He’s subtler, the bastard. And all that fornication and stuff, that’s the language I picked to make it clear to you what he’s up to.”

“Okay. Color me intrigued. Where’s that meeting?”

“Just follow me. Wipe that smile off your face, though, and put on your most pious one.” She stopped for good measure, and then added, “Fornicator.”

Matty rolled his eyes but followed her. This story about Connor Williams sounded pretty weird, and Zoey was right that they needed to get a front row seat to the guy’s preaching session.

Did Rusty even know he was being turned into an effigy to be burned at the stake? Somehow, Matty doubted it.

***

He thumbed the card nervously, flicking the same dog-eared corner over and over with his forefinger.

The voice on the other end was warm and likeable. “Hello?”

“Mrs. May,” Rusty said quickly, not allowing himself the time to lose all courage, “hello. I know it’s Sunday, but I wanted to find out if you’re free this week. To see me. I’m Rusty Parker. You most certainly don’t know who I am, but--”

“Ah, Rusty, of course,” Mrs. May replied. “Francine told me about you. I have been expecting you. For more than half a year, I think.”

Rusty fidgeted. It was hard to keep up his usual act when people put him on the spot like that. Especially when they meant well, something he knew about Mrs. May without having met her once.

“I was busy,” he muttered, hoping that he didn’t have to apologize for half an hour to make up for all that time.

“With basketball. Yes,” Mrs. May continued.

Rusty couldn’t place an age for her. The mellifluous quality of her voice made her sound young, but the way she dominated him with nothing but good words spelled experience. She could be thirty, she could as well be fifty. “I’m sorry,” he blurted out. Well, he did deserve a little bit of chastising, after all.

“It’s all right,” she assured him. “If you’re free now, how about paying me a visit? I’ve waited for so long to meet you.”

That had to be Francine’s influence, if Mrs. May was willing to sacrifice her Sunday only to hear him sing.

“Sure. Of course. I mean, thank you.”

“It’s about an hour drive, I think,” Mrs. May said. “You live on campus, if I remember correctly. Is this an inconvenience?”

“No worries. I’ll find a car in no time,” he assured her.

Francine had thought of everything when handing him that gift the previous Christmas. He couldn’t easily invoke that he couldn’t go to see the vocal coach she had chosen for him, because her studio wasn’t that far away from Sunny Hill.

After telling her goodbye, he jumped to his feet. Today, he felt like a million dollars. He could do this. But first, he needed to ask Maddox to lend him the car.

***

“Where’s the fire?” Maddox asked. He was lounging on the couch in the living room thumbing through some study materials without too much zest. Jonathan had to be studying by himself if Maddox was on his own. They sometimes parted ways when they needed to focus on their studies. But it looked like that was going pretty tough on his man, Maddox.

“I decided to go see that vocal coach,” he said quickly, after a short look around for eavesdroppers.

“Today? Sunday?” Maddox asked.

“Don’t be stingy with that pretty car,” Rusty warned him. “I know Jonathan gave it to you, but I think I liked that old one better. The one you’d lend to me without the twenty questions.”

“I didn’t say ‘no’, you little shit,” Maddox said with a grin. “It’s just that I don’t think you’ll find her at her studio today.”

“She invited me over,” Rusty said with importance. “We talked on the phone.”

That made Maddox’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Well, if that’s how it is, how about I drive you?”

Rusty narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you trust me with your swanky ride?”

“I’m just bored up to my eyeballs. You can drive, if you want. But I want out of the house. Jonathan is a bit more studious than me, and that shows.”

Rusty nodded thoughtfully. “And I bet you can’t keep your hands to yourself while he tries to be all serious and stuff.”

Maddox observed him carefully and grinned. “You’re paying a lot of attention to the things we do. Why?”

“Stop beating around the bush. I know that, by now, Jonathan must have brought you up to speed on Matty and I.”

“It was about damn time you fessed up,” Maddox said and dangled the car keys for him to see. “Do you want to drive, after all?”

“Nah,” Rusty waved, “since I’m on my way to become a diva, I guess I might as well get used to being chauffeured around.”

“Chauffeured.” Maddox shook his head. “I’m afraid there’ll be nothing new for you to discover there. You act like a diva all the time, anyway.”

“Do not,” Rusty protested. “What about me says diva?” He pointed at himself.

Maddox gave him a critical onceover. “I guess if you were one, you’d dress better.”

Rusty shrugged. “I actually asked for Jonathan’s advice on what to wear.” He had his nice sweater on, and a pair of dress pants. Sort of formal casual or whatever that was called.

Maddox grunted. “Damn. Don’t tell him I said anything then.”

“Bribe me.”

“I’m already taking you to see the vocal coach.”

“Not enough. Buy me ice cream. See? I can be a diva if I want.” He stuck his tongue out at Maddox, just to prove his point.

“No diva would want ice cream. But I’ll buy you one, on the way back. We wouldn’t want to ruin your voice before we get there, right?”

Maddox had meant it as a joke, but Rusty felt some not so familiar jitters that came to him only when he allowed them to. He shook them off; now wasn’t a good time. Not that it ever was for things like that.

***

Rusty groaned as he checked the caller ID.

“What is it?” Maddox asked. “Who’s calling? Cat boy extraordinaire, or tutor extraordinaire?”

“Neither,” Rusty replied. “My dad.”

“Let it ring,” Maddox suggested in a tone that brooked no contradiction.

“I can’t. He’ll just call and call.”

“Put it on mute.”

Rusty shook his head, pursed his lips and put the phone to his ear. “Yeah.”

“What are you doing?” The same greeting as always.

“I’m studying,” he said brightly.

“That would be something. Try again, son.”

“What do you want?” Rusty changed tack, not wanting to disclose the slightest whiff of what he was truly doing.

“Since you seem to have forgotten, next Saturday, we’re inviting you over.”

“Why? It’s not Thanksgiving or Christmas, as far as I know.”

“As if you cared about spending such special occasions with your family.”

Rusty took a deep breath. “My family,” he said in a deadpan voice. “That’s a good one.”

His dad remained silent at the other end. “It’s your brother’s birthday. For some reason I don’t understand, he looks up to you. Don’t miss it.”

And just like that, the line went dead. Rusty threw his phone on the dashboard.

“What was that about?” Maddox asked.

“His son’s birthday,” Rusty replied.

“Are you going?”

“I don’t know.” Rusty looked out the window at the scenery slipping by before his eyes had a chance to focus on the shape of a tree or a house in the distance.

Maddox patted his knee. “Whatever you choose, I’m with you. Although I think, and it’s just a thought, don’t bite my head off for it, that Gabriel would be over the moon if you went.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Rusty shifted in his seat.

It would be petty to be jealous of a ten-year-old. How many birthdays had Roy Parker missed during those years when he only had one son?

***

“We’re here.” Maddox pulled the car into the driveway and into the space that seemed dedicated to visitors. “Is it just me, or does it look like she’s teaching at home?”

The coquet little house tucked between two similar ones stood apart from the suburban cookie cutter design due to the colorful flower beds lining the walls, still fresh and beautiful even as the weather was getting colder.

“I didn’t realize, but yeah,” Rusty confirmed.

“I’ll drive around for a bit, check out the neighborhood,” Maddox said. “When you’re done, text.”

Rusty stood in front of the polished wooden door for a while. With one deep breath, he knocked, and the door opened.

“Rusty,” the woman in the door said with warmth in her voice. “You’re every bit like Francine described you,” she added before he even managed to get a word out.

She looked around forty, a petite blond with wavy hair and kind eyes smiling at him from behind cat glasses encased in light pink frames.

“Come on in.”

“Are you sure I didn’t come at a bad time?” Rusty asked, feeling every drop of courage from before abandoning him.

“Totally sure,” she assured him. She wore a knitted grey dress that showed off a graceful body. “My husband and kids are playing some crazy shooting video game in the basement, and let’s just say, that’s not exactly up my alley. Let’s hear you,” she added as she opened the door to what had to be her studio.

***

Maddox seemed surprised to hear from him. “What? Done already?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m done,” Rusty said in a strained voice.

“Why so fast? What happened?”

Rusty took one shaky breath. “Well, pretty much,” he murmured, “she wrecked me with kindness.”

TBC