1 Chapter 1
Steven knew something was wrong the second he saw Conrad’s Mustang in the motel parking lot.It was two-thirty in the afternoon—Conrad didn’t get home from his job at the garage until after five.
The room was dark,curtains pulled closed and the television off.Condensation from the AC frosted the windows.Steven made out Conrad’s shapeunder the bed covers.He flipped on the bathroom light,did his business and when he came out,Conrad stirred.
“Huh?”His voice was froggy and thick.
“Conrad,what’s wrong man?You sick again?”
“Yeah,my head hurts.”Conrad eased up to sit against the headboard.He rubbed his neck.“And I’m so stiff and sore.”
Steven jumped on the bed.“I’ll make you stiff;come here.”He reached to tickle Conrad’s ribs but the other man stopped him.
“Don’t!It hurts.”He winced as he held Steven’s hands away from him.
“You really aresick.”He frowned and put one palm on Conrad’s sweaty forehead.“What time did you get home?”
“Around eleven-thirty.”Conrad leaned his head on Steven’s shoulder.“I’m so achy.”
“You sound like you’ve got that cold back.Come on,aspirin and fluids for you,dude.”Steven grabbed a juice from the mini-fridge they had bought the previous month.He snagged three aspirin—three should be about right for someone Conrad’s size—and sat down again on the bed.“Take these for me,come on.”
Conrad grimaced as he swallowed.
“Take a few sips for me.”Steven cajoled him and lifted the apple juice bottle higher.“Okay.Go back to sleep.Will the TV bother you?”
“Nuh-uh,go ahead.”
Steven kissed him,his touch gentle,not pressing.
“You probably shouldn’t do that.I don’t want you to catch this flu thing.”
“Give me everything you got,Conrad,I can take it.”Steven growled a little,hoping to get a warm response.His body was used to an afternoon session in bed and his pants felt too snug.
Conrad rolled away from him.
Steven sighed and tucked the covers over Conrad’s wide shoulders.He changedout of his dirty restaurant uniform,smelling the onions and spices on himself.He stacked his dirty laundry into the basket,put away some clean clothes they’d washed over the weekend.Conrad liked things neat and tidy—he’d learned that in the three months they’d lived together in this motel so he tried to overcome his own sloppy tendencies.He refilled the fridge with more juice and sodas,then settled on the bed and watched stupid daytime TV shows,one hand on Conrad’s hip,flipping channels with the other.
****
At 6:30,Steven woke.Salsa music bounced from the motel’s lobby.The remnants of rush-hour traffic torqued by on Florida Avenue:horns,brakes,and bass-heavy sound systems rolling past.Steven’s stomach rumbled and he could see that evening purpled the Florida sky outside.The room was dark and cold.Conrad was still asleep.Steven heard his soft snores;that meant he was really tired.He didn’t sound congested though,and he hadn’t coughed.
“Conrad,you ready for some dinner,man?”He put a hand on Conrad’s shoulder and jostled.
No answer.
Steven leaned over him and nestled against the other man’s body.His pelvis ached.“Conrad,you up?”
Conrad moaned and his shoulders jerked.“Mmmm?”
“Wake up,Conrad.I want to take a look at you.”
Conrad rolled over,grimaced and pushed himself onto the pillows.His skin looked greasy.He wiped dirty hands over his bare scalp.Steven realized he hadn’t even washed up before crashing.He still wore his mechanic’s shirt from the garage.
“No wonder you’re sweating,you’re still dressed.Come on,let’s get you out of these clothes.”Steven pulled him up to stand.He flipped on the bedside light.
“Oh,shut that off,the light hurts.”Conrad grimaced and covered his eyes.He stood and wavered,almost comically,for a couple seconds then sat down fast on the bed.He put his head down over his knees.“Oh,fuck me,I’m so dizzy.”
Steven undressed him.Conrad’s caramel-colored skin was glossed with sweat and he was warm with fever.“More aspirin time for you,mister hothead.Maybe I should go get a thermometer.”
Conrad seemed out of it.Steven held his face to get him to focus.“Conrad,talk to me.”
“I just wanna sleep.”More aspirin and a few swallows of juice and Conrad was down again.
Steven’s stomach rumbled once more.“I’m gonna get us some dinner and hit the drugstore.Here’s your cellphone,call me if you start feeling worse,okay?Conrad,answer me.”
“Okay,cellphone.”He turned his face into the pillow.The cellphone slid against the back of Conrad’s neck and he flinched.
Steven left the motel,feeling antsy.He got their dinners to go and decided against making the ten-minute drive to a drugstore.They still had the decongestant from three weeks before when Conrad had come down with something.And plenty of aspirin.
He’ll be fine,just a bug.His cold is back,that’s all.
When he got back,Conrad took two bites of the Cuban sandwiches.The pungent scent of onion and spiced mayonnaise filled the room.Steven pushed it a little but Conrad pulled away with a sharp,“leave me alone”and that was all he needed to hear.Steven went back to TV mode,legs stretched out on top of the covers.Eventually,Conrad turned towards him and wrapped one big handover Steven’s thighs,his face nuzzled against Steven’s hips.He smiled,stroked Conrad’s bare scalp and placed a quick kiss on his temple.
The late news came on and Steven woke from his doze.Conrad slept on,mouth open on the pillow.He always looked so young when he slept.Steven was a little tickled that no one else got to see Conrad so innocent-looking.He traced one finger over Conrad’s ear.
I love you,man.It scares me sometimes.
He’d never said it to Conrad,only to himself.
He hit the bathroom,undressed and spooned against Conrad.He had to pull back;his cock was half-hard,and he felt frustrated and horny.
“Too hot,”Conrad said and pushed him away.
Steven kissed his ear,then settled on his back with a sigh.
****
He rode a palomino horse,trotting,his legs bouncing a little in the saddle,being jostled,the horse snorted beneath him and trotted faster,its mane moved in the breeze...
Steven woke.The mattress was bouncing.Disoriented,Steven wondered if it was an earthquake,but no,that didn’t seem possible in Florida.For one quick flash,he thought that maybe Conrad was jerking off and he reached over to flip on the bedside lamp.
Conrad was convulsing.
His big body shuddered and twitched,legs jerking beneath the sheets like eels.His mouth was slicked with spittle and gave little half-grunting wheezes.
“Oh,Jesus,this is bad.”Steven thrust one hand against Conrad’s neck andwas shocked to feel how hot the other man was.
This was real trouble.How high did a fever have to be to cause convulsions?104?105?
He grabbed the phone,the mattress moving,his fingers fumbling as Conrad jerked beside him.
Fuck 911.I’m taking him in.
He’d taken First Responder training at the Jacksonville PD and it kicked in.Steven grabbed Conrad’s mouth,forced it open and wrapped sheeted fingers over his tongue to keep him from swallowing it.He timed with his watch and the convulsion stopped after fifteen seconds.
He flew off the bed,threw every towel in the bathroom into the tub and slammed on the faucets.Soaked with cold water,he carried them sopping to the bed and wrapped Conrad’s torso first,then his legs and over his neck andshoulders.He cradled the phone in his shoulder and kept the towels tugged around Conrad.
