Tyler's Dilemma - 14. Part One: I Have My Own Alexa?

By the time class was over, Tyler’s mood somehow shifted even darker. He would need a lot of help if he would have even the slightest chance of passing the hardest class at Glacier Bay High.

As far as he could remember, he had never met Professor Robinson before but there was something familiar about the man. Maybe it was his voice or the way he held the marker as he wrote on the whiteboard. Whatever it was, that familiarity nagged at the corner of his mind. Maybe he had met the man at one of his father’s social events.

This was one of those numerous times he really missed talking to Devin. This had been the longest period of time he had gone without talking to Devin in thirteen years. Even when they were on separate vacations, they’d talk at least once a day.The silence weighed heavily on him and he never felt more alone. And that was a feeling he hadn’t felt in years and it was almost impossible to put that into perspective.

So by the time the final bell rang he practically ran to the parking lot to try and catch Devin before he left the campus. But the moment he cleared the front door, he saw Brandon heading towards the shop building. Why would Brandon be going to a building that closed at two pm on Fridays?

He watched Brandon approach the side door and then knock three times. A moment later, one of the custodians opened the door, Brandon put something in the man’s hand and then both disappeared into the locked building.

It was half past three, there was no reason he could fathom why Brandon needed to be inside the shop building at any time. He couldn’t see Brandon building a birdhouse or a coat rack. And since Brandon didn’t own a car, there was no need to be inside the automotive bay they used for classes.

If only he could get the boy out of his head, that would be ideal. He barely slept as it was and several times throughout the night he had picked up the phone to text Brandon but chickened out each time. Thus far, his senior year was shaping up to be the worst year ever.

He turned back towards the parking lot just in time to see Devin’s Wrangler pull away. He muttered, “Fuck.”

Then he looked back at the shop building and added, “Fuck you too Brandon.”

He walked dejectedly to his Jeep and his phone vibrated. He looked at the screen and forced a smile as he accepted the facetime call. “Hi mom.”

“Hi honey, good, you’re still at school.”

“How can that ever be good?” Tyler asked as he opened the door and jumped inside his car. He pushed the button and waited for his phone to connect to car play before he said, “I’m just about to leave.”

“Great, I need a favor.”

“What would you require of me, mother?”

She giggled and replied, “I need you to stop at Taylor & Baker to pick up the flower arrangement for tomorrow’s ladies luncheon.”

“Of course,” Tyler said quickly as he backed up. This would give him something to keep his mind off his troubles. “Are you going to be home for dinner tonight?”

“Remember we have dinner plans with the Hendersons.”

“That’s right, it’s your night to get wasted,” Tyler teased her. “You better Uber over. It will only save us all time in the long run.”

“We should but we never do.”

“Just let me know what time you want me to wake up so I can run dad over to get the car tomorrow,” Tyler said knowingly. “Everyone knows when you four get together, the wine flows like water.”

“Not this time,” His mother said adamantly. But they both knew she was being overly optimistic.

“Are the flowers paid for?”

“I have no idea,” she admitted with a grin. “I can’t remember. If not, just put it on your card and I’ll make up the balance.”

“Sounds good.”

“Thanks, I love you.”

“Love you as well,” Tyler said formally. When he heard her musical laugh it brought a smile to his face. He ended the call and said, “Hey siri, call shithead.”

It barely rang before it was sent directly to voicemail. He said, “Hey siri, text shithead.”

‘What would you like to say to shithead?’

“Answer my call fucker.”

He knew Nana’s party was a huge deal but it couldn’t just be that. Could it? Something else had to be bothering him. He had fucked up numerous times in the past but had never achieved the silent treatment for this long.

As he made the twenty minute drive to the florist, he wasn’t any closer to working out a plan to handle either of his boy problems. If Devin was going to avoid him, then he wasn’t going to worry about it any longer. As for Brandon, he didn’t know what he was going to do but he wasn’t going to waste a Friday night moping about it. So his plan of attack was avoidance and denial.

His mood greatly improved by the time he pulled into the packed parking lot. That wasn’t surprising, Taylor & Baker handled all the big weddings, private events, and social gatherings of the town.

It was owned and operated by Daniel Taylor, whose greenhouse was considered one of the best in the country. The man was a highly sought after rosarian who had six varieties he had bred in the last twenty years.

He had only met Daniel a few times, usually when his mother needed him to pick something up from the shop. But the tall man with long blond hair had always been friendly and patiently answered his questions with a warm smile. Tyler liked him a lot.

He was greeted by the smell of fresh cut flowers, jasmine, and other smells he could never identify. It was a combination of freshness that always brought a smile to his face. There was something about the smells and atmosphere that made him think of home. He loved coming here, though he didn’t come as often as he liked.

There were several people at the counter and he knew it might be a while before it was his turn. He grabbed a number and walked around admiring the elaborate floral arrangements and exotic plants.

“Number 57.”

He looked at his number and accidentally knocked over a small plant with red spidery looking leaves. The pot fell and the plastic bucket split and the soil spread across the floor. He muttered, “Shit.”

He knelt down to clean it up and when he saw a pair of legs moving through the leaves of a large potted plant that weighed more than he did, he said without looking up, “I’m sorry, I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

He looked up and saw a boy about twelve years old with the most amazing blue eyes. The boy had a mop of dirty blond hair tied into a manbun. He wore a brown apron with the logo of Taylor & Baker emblazoned across the front.

The boy knelt down beside him and said, “I’m Jake.”

“Hi Jake, I’m Tyler.”

“Don’t worry about this little guy, he was about to be repotted anyway. He had already outgrown his pot,” Jake explained as he expertly scooped up the plant and as much dirt as he could with the broken pot. “Wanna see how we re-pot this sucker?”

“Why not, I have about ten people ahead of me anyway,” Tyler said as he held out his number.

“Follow me then,” Jake said with a big smile as he led him through two black swinging doors.

The backroom had concrete floors that were wet and about five rows of wooden worktables that had an assortment of potting soils, pots, liners, and plants in different stages of growth. Jake walked confidently over to one of the worktables and stepped up on a little wooden box. He carefully put the plant down. He was so short he needed that box to reach the top of the workbench.

“Whatcha got there kiddo?” Daniel asked as he walked over wearing a matching apron strapped around his waist.

Tyler smiled and said cheerily, “Hey Daniel.”

Daniel’s eyes lit up and he held out his hand as he said warmly, “If it isn’t Isebella’s boy. I’m assuming you’ve been roped into picking up the flowers for tomorrow’s luncheon your mom ordered.”

“She realized it was completely out of my way after school so it was decided it was easier for me to pick it up than anyone else.”

Daniel chuckled and put his arm fondly around Jake’s shoulders and said, “This is my son, Jake.”

“Nice to meet you again,” Tyler said as he watched the boy studying a row of empty pots with a serious look on his face.

Jake decided on a larger black pot with two red stripes running around the center. He put the put on the table and explained, “Tyler threw him off the shelf in a murderous rage.”

Tyler was taken aback at the boy’s blatant lie. He looked at Daniel and then back at Jake who had a mischievous grin on his young face. Daniel laughed as he ruffled Jake’s hair. He said, “Don’t mind him, Jake has a different sense of humor then, well, everyone.”

“Though you tried to kill my little guy here, you kind of made up for it by wanting to learn how to save the life you threatened,” Jake said seriously as he gathered the supplies he would need.

Daniel ignored that but asked, “What’s this plant called?”

“It’s a Caladium, a tropical plant that needs indirect but bright sunlight. It likes to be moist but never soggy,” Jake rattled off the facts quickly as he scooped out some dark soil.

“That’s right,” Daniel said with a satisfied nod. “Soon, you are going to know more than I do.”

“I already know more than dad,” Jake said with a giggle.

Daniel looked around and then whispered conspiratorially, “That plant knows more than your dad does.”

They laughed as Tyler stared at them with a confused look. Jake noticed and said, “This is my papa, his husband is my dad.”

“Oh,” Tyler said as he tried to hide his shock.

“Daniel Taylor-Baker and Jesse Baker-Taylor,” Jake said proudly as he put the plant in the soil and carefully packed it around the root system.

That little revelation was somewhat of a shock. Tyler never even suspected Daniel was gay much less married to a man. He had always seemed like a regular dude that loved flowers and plants. He was nothing like the gay people Tyler saw online. He asked curiously, “Is your dad here? I don’t think I ever met him.”

Jake laughed and once again shot a glance towards Daniel before he said with a smirk, “Because it’s best for Taylor & Baker if dad stays away, far away.”

Daniel scolded his son by saying, “Don’t say things like that. Even if it is true.”

Jake giggled and looked at his handiwork. He looked over at Daniel expectantly and asked, “Did I do right?”

“It’s, did I do it right, and yes, you did perfectly,” Daniel said after he pretended to inspect the job carefully. “Soon, I won’t even have to come here anymore.”

Jake beamed at the compliment and grabbed the pot from the table, he said, “I’ll put this back out there far away from anyone that wants to do him harm. Nice meeting you Tyler.”

“Nice meeting you.”

“Okay,” Daniel said as he wiped his hands on his apron. “Let’s get that arrangement for you.”

Tyler fell in beside the older man as they headed into the main room. Daniel said quietly, “I noticed your face back there, I hope it doesn’t bother you that I’m gay.”

Tyler answered quickly, “Not at all. It was just a shock I guess. I just never suspected, or thought, you know.”

“I get that a lot,” Daniel said as he opened the door to a large walk-in cooler filled with all sorts of plants and flowers. “Jesse says I’ve perfected the art of straight acting.”

“Jesse, your husband?” Tyler asked as he studied Daniel carefully before he added, “I guess growing up in the time you did, straight acting was probably the best strategy, huh?”

“How old do you think I am?” Daniel asked good naturedly. Then he got a far away look on his face and added, “I never really had to hide the fact I was gay back then. I was one of the lucky ones.”

With all the confusion he had been experiencing all week, he blurted out before he could stop himself, “How did you know you were gay?”

Daniel looked at him and then tried to puzzle out the motivation behind a question like that coming from a teenager. Tyler blushed and then added breathlessly, “I have a friend who has been struggling with his sexuality lately.”

“I see,” Daniel said thoughtfully as he rubbed his cheek. “And you thought you might be able to get some insider info to help him figure things out.”

“Something like that,” Tyler said sheepishly as he cocked his head to one side. “I thought maybe if he knew a few other people’s stories, it might help him understand and that might help him figure things out for himself.”

Daniel reached up and grabbed a large glass vase that was wrapped in brown paper as he said, “I kind of had my suspicions for a while, but what made me really know and accept my sexuality, was when my best friend showed me his boner one night after church in his car. I was sixteen.”

“My friend, has had lots of girlfriends,” Tyler said as he continued to double down on the lie. “But last week, something happened unexpectedly and my friend, um, kind of went a bit further than just looking at his friend’s boner.”

Daniel’s eyes widened for a moment and then he chuckled. He said carefully, “As long as your friend isn’t doing anything he doesn’t feel comfortable doing, I think it’s perfectly natural to experiment. It might happen that your friend enjoys both, or it could be a one time thing.”

Tyler thought about that for a moment and said, “I guess that’s my friend's dilemma.”

“And in the grand scheme of things, not a huge dilemma. Most people nowadays could care less about what someone does in their bedroom,” Daniel said softly as he peered intently at Tyler for a moment before he looked away.

Maybe this whole Brandon thing wasn’t that far fetched after all. He might never have thought of himself as gay before, but the sex with Brandon had been new and exciting. That didn’t necessarily make him gay. Maybe he was just curious, or at the very least, bi.

Then he remembered the whole fiasco with Niya and maybe bi was a bit of a stretch.

Suddenly he realized he had been quiet for too long so he blurted out, “Thank you, I’ll tell my friend what you said.”

Daniel nodded and then handed him the large vase. “I’m glad your friend has someone who cares enough about them to talk to an old dude like me. That always means a lot to anyone who is trying to figure those kinds of things out.”

The vase was heavier than it looked and Tyler struggled to carry it comfortably. He asked as Daniel held the cooler door open, “Do I need to pay?”

“Nope, she has a card on file,” Daniel said as his phone rang. He looked at the screen and said, “It was nice seeing you again. It’s my husband so I have to get this.”

Tyler nodded but couldn’t help but hear Daniel say as he walked away, “Hey babe, before Jake says anything, you and I need to have a little talk tonight.”

Tyler walked carefully back to his Jeep with the heavy vase clenched tightly in his arms. He popped the back hatch and wondered how he was going to transport the arrangement without it tipping over while driving. A moment later, Jake came running out of the store holding a few pieces of twine in his hand.

Jake called out as he approached, “My papa says this should help you get home safely. Don’t need you murdering another plant.”

Tyler chuckled as he took the length of twine. He stared at the vase and then at the twine for a moment.

“Jesus,” Jake blurted out as he grabbed the twine. “You’re acting just like my dad, clueless.”

“This is my first time trying not to murder flowers,” Tyler said with a faint blush.

“You’re funny,” Jake said with a big grin as he used the cargo ties to secure the vase with the twine.

Tyler pulled out a ten dollar bill from his pocket and held it out, “Thank you for teaching me how to re-pot the Calcium plant even after I tried to unalive it.”

Jake put the tip in his apron pocket and said without a hint of a smile, “It’s Caladium, not Calcium.”

“Right,” Tyler said with a shrug as he closed the hatch. “Thank you Jake, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

Jake waved and then ran back inside the store.

Tyler climbed into the driver’s seat. After his talk with Daniel, his head seemed to spin around in circles even more and the whole Brandon of it all got even more complicated. He really needed to talk to someone and he wished that someone was Devin.

He called Devin again and it went straight to voicemail. By the time he pulled into his driveway, he was even more confused than when this horrible day started.

He retrieved the vase and walked inside carefully. He had seen his mom’s car in the garage so once inside, he yelled out, “Where do you want your flowers?”

“Just put it on the hallway table.”

“Where are you?” He asked as he put the heavy vase on the table.

“In the office.”

Tyler walked down the hall and into the office. His mother sat at the desk with a large leather book opened in front of her. He asked, “What are you doing?”

She pulled down her gold reading glasses and looked at him with a smile as she said, “Going over the accounts to present to the lady’s luncheon tomorrow.”

“That’s boring,” Tyler said as he dropped his bookbag by the door before he walked over and kissed her cheek. He immediately caught the scent of her perfume and it made him feel better. “You do know they have things called quickbooks and you could have all that stored online, right?”

“Those old ladies don’t know how to turn on a computer,” She said with an exaggerated sigh. “How was school?”

He exhaled loudly and she replied as she picked up her tea cup, “That good, huh?”

“So I met Daniel’s son today, Jake.”

She took a sip and then said, “He’s such a sweet boy.”

“He taught me how to replant a Caladium plant,” Tyler explained as he toyed with the stapler next to his leg.

“He looks so much like his father,” She said as she took off her glasses and placed them in front of her.

“Really? How is that possible?”

“Do you really need me to go over how babies are made?” She asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Yes please,” Tyler said as he leaned closer with his eyes wide. “Please explain to me what happens when a boy loves another boy very much.”

She smacked his leg and said, “If you don’t know by now, I urge you to google that.”

“Jake told me about his two dads.”

“And how did that make you feel?” His mother asked, effortlessly slipping into therapist mode.

“It kind of made me wonder if Daniel was married to a girl before his current husband,” Tyler answered as he dodged her question. He knew she could slip in and out of therapist mode so easily and had a knack for picking up on things one would rather remain hidden.

She covered her mouth as she snorted loudly. She looked embarrassed but answered after a moment, “Daniel wouldn’t know the first thing to do with a woman if he could even perform around one.”

That shocked Tyler and to cover he asked, “How do you know him?”

She leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers. She answered quietly, “I went to high school with his husband, Jesse. Actually, your father and Jesse were really good friends back then.”

“You say that like they are no longer friends at all,” Tyler mused as he tried to read the emotion that flickered across her face.

“You know how it goes, your amazing friends in high school and then you grow apart with college, and what have you,” She replied smoothly.

Both of his parents were practiced steering away from the conversation whenever it turned to high school.

“Did it have anything to do with Jesse being gay?” Tyler asked in what he hoped was a nonchalant voice. But that was an answer he really wanted to know the answer to, how did his father feel about gay people.

“Don’t be absurd,” She said with another smack on his knee. “Your father never cared about people’s sexuality.”

“I didn’t really think so,” Tyler said with an obvious sigh of relief.

She looked at him shrewdly as if she could see into his soul. She asked bluntly, “Would it be bad for you if he did?”

Tyler cocked his head and instantly knew he had overplayed his hand. His mother read people for a living and it was a stupid mistake for him to bring up that particular subject the way his head was all twisted around. He sighed and replied honestly, “Maybe.”

She gave his leg a reassuring squeeze and said, “Before you were born, your father and I had a discussion about this very topic. We both agreed that as long as you’re happy, find love, nothing else would ever matter. And nothing has changed in seventeen years.”

Tyler smiled at her sadly and she asked, “Why the sad face?”

“Before last week, I never really thought I was anything other than straight,” He explained quietly.

She studied him for a moment and then asked carefully, “Does this have anything to do with the fact I haven’t seen Devin around this week?”

“That’s gross,” Tyler said disgustedly. “That would be like, gross.”

She laughed and then said, “I would support you in whatever or whoever it was but I am so glad it doesn’t involve Devin.”

Tyler physically shivered at the very idea.

“So what happened to make you start questioning your sexuality?”

Tyler blushed and ran his fingers through his hair.

She blushed and replied, “Oh my. Maybe we don’t need to go into all the tiny details.”

“That would really be nice for once.”

“So you had a sexual experience with a boy and now you’re not sure which way to go, so to speak,” She summed up the last week of his life pretty accurately.

He nodded so she continued, “If I know you at all, this isn’t just about having an experience with a boy.”

He blushed again as she tiptoed around the topic rather expertly. This way neither of them felt so uncomfortable discussing the topic at hand. “If it was just…the experience, I think I would have handled that okay.”

“So, as the kids say, you got feelings and that is what has your mind spinning,” She deduced correctly.

“First off, it’s not got feelings, it’s catching feelings,” Tyler said with a grin as he corrected her. “And secondly, it’s a hundred percent correct.”

She laughed as he teased her. She might have the expression wrong but she knew the definition and could see the confusion on her son’s face. She said softly, “Maybe this isn’t something you have to find the answer to right away. Why don’t you try exploring those feelings you caught and see where that takes you.”

“Maybe I should,” Tyler said as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tightly.

She grabbed his face and looked into his eyes as she said, “It doesn’t matter which role you decide to explore, you need to always make sure you or your partner uses condoms.”

“I know all about safe sex,” Tyler blurted out even as the image of Brandon cumming inside him flashed through his mind.

“Just because no one can get pregnant during this type of exploration, that doesn’t mean diseases still couldn’t be a factor,” She warned him as she patted his cheek.

“I think we have just about exhausted this conversation,” Tyler declared as he stood up. He grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder. “Can you do me one favor though?”

“As always, that would depend on the favor,” She countered with a raised eyebrow.

Tyler managed somehow to keep a straight face as he asked, “Could you buy me some condoms and personal lubricant?”

Her eyes widened in embarrassment and she put her hands on her hips as she declared, “Why do you think we got an Alexa for your room? Order that for yourself.”

Tyler turned around and asked innocently, “You got me an Alexa just so I could buy condoms? Why didn’t I know this before?”

“Not my fault you never think outside the box,” She replied sweetly. “You could’ve been ordering all sorts of things under your very own account that we can’t see.”

He stared at her as that statement sank into his brain. He used Alexa to order lots of things but had always been careful to order only those items that he wouldn’t be embarrassed for his parents to find out. If he had only known he had his own private amazon account.

“Before you go and get ideas, there is a spending limit per month and no, I won’t tell you how much that is.”

Tyler shook his head in disbelief at all the missed opportunities over the years. He walked up the stairs and into his bedroom. It had been an eye opening day that was for sure. What could have happened between his father and Jesse? Does that mean Matt was somehow involved as well. And what about Daniel’s son? Who was the mother, a surrogate perhaps? But his mother had implied Jake was not Daniel’s biological son? Did that mean Jesse was the biological donor?

Plus, after his talk with Daniel and then his accidental chat with his mother, he knew sooner or later he would have to confront his growing attraction for Brandon. But Devin should be his first order of business.

But before he could devote any more time on that problem, he had to finish his homework. Though he did spend a bit more time trying to figure out a way to repair his relationship with Devin. He just wished he knew what it was that had upset his applecart.