Chapter Five
“Tim! Get your ass back here!”
“They couldn’t have gotten far. I’m gonna find the fuckers!”
Tyler gritted his teeth as he watched Tim run toward the woods that edged the clearing beyond the station. “Tim, wait! Goddammit.”
“Who the hell is out here?” Tim shouted as he disappeared into the trees. “Show yourself!”
Cursing, Tyler darted into the woods after him. It was like dealing with one of his damn recruits, except Tim was supposed to have age and maturity on his side. Spotting Tim’s light blond hair shining like a beacon up ahead, he called out, “Patterson, get your ass back here right now! That’s an order.”
He didn’t expect compliance, but Tim turned around and stomped back toward him, fair skin flushed pink. “Whoever left my jacket must still be around here.”
“I know, and that’s why we need to leave.”
“Thought you were a tough guy, Tyler.”
“I’m a cautious guy first, tough guy second. We have no idea who we’re dealing with, so let’s go.”
“The cameras! They would have caught whoever it was. Let’s go back inside the station and check.”
“Tim, no. I can check the footage back at Nolan’s place. Whoever left your jacket could be dangerous, I don’t want to risk it.” Actually, I’d risk it if you weren’t here. I just don’t want you getting hurt.
Tyler didn’t say this, because Tim seemed overtaken by an ego rush, needing to prove himself or something. Tyler knew Tim was probably just scared, but the chest-thumping routine was stupid and reckless, storming out into the woods like that.
“Fine, we’ll do it your way.” Tim snatched his jacket off the beam and examined it.
“How’s it look?”
“Looks like someone dragged it through the dirt.”
“No damage? Nothing else out of the ordinary?”
“Not that I can see.” Tim shook the jacket out then slid it on. “Okay, let’s go.” He headed toward the path that led to the road, Tyler following behind him. “You riding with me? Not gonna hike down the mountain all lone wolf?”
“Of course I’m coming with you. The situation has changed, obviously.”
“Yeah, situation’s changed,” Tim said. “Now I know it’s not aliens.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh, please. Why would an alien steal my jacket then return it?”
“Doesn’t matter who or what did it. People can be dangerous too. Walk faster.”
Tim was silent the rest of the hike down until they reached a chain across the path with ‘RESTRICTED AREA’ and ‘FALLING ROCKS’ signs hanging from it. His ranger truck was parked just on the other side. “They must have been listening to us,” Tim said as they both shimmied past the chain. “They heard me shouting to you about my jacket going missing, so they decided to bring it back to fuck with me. It’s a person, not an alien.”
“And what kind of person can control technology like that? What kind of person would go to the trouble?”
Tim stopped and turned back when they reached the truck. “What do you mean?”
“Did the motion sensors go off, Tim? If someone walked right up to the station with your jacket, an alarm should have sounded on the computer. We heard nothing.”
“Maybe the sensors aren’t working?”
“They were working just fine when you were outside walking around.”
Sighing, Tim placed his hands on his head. “Damn it.” He kicked the truck’s tire. “God damn it! I do not need this shit! I don’t need this shit.”
“Stay calm.”
“Fuck calm!” He kicked the tire again. “Why should I stay calm? Someone’s fucking with me! And if this is the same person who’s been making those crybaby sounds and shit, it means they’ve been fucking with me for a while now. When I’ve been alone up there.”
“Give me the keys,” Tyler said. “I’m driving.”
Whirling around, Tim scowled at Tyler, nose wrinkling. “Fuck no. It’s my truck.”
“Come on, don’t argue, we need to go. It doesn’t exactly feel safe out here tonight. Gimme the keys.”
“You’re not driving my truck, Tyler.” Tim took the keys out and hit the button on the door lock. “Go get in the other side.”
Tyler stepped in front of him. “You’re freaking out. I don’t trust you to drive right now.”
“Ah, so that’s it. Still think I’m a headcase who’s gonna fall apart and sob in your arms? Well, don’t worry. I’m not freaking out that much.”
A blast of heat rushed to Tyler’s face. “This isn’t about...that. Just give me the keys, Tim.” He stepped in closer. “Now.”
“Back off, Tyler. I’m bigger than you and I’m not scared of your black ops stare.”
“No? Then how’s this. Give me the keys or I’ll shoot you with this stunner and throw you in the truck unconscious. Do you want that?”
Puffing his chest out, Tim loomed over Tyler, trying to use his height as intimidation. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Really? You wanna put a bet on that?”
Tim’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah, you probably would dare, you freak.” He shoved the keys at Tyler, then rounded the vehicle and opened the passenger side door. “If you dent it you’re paying for it.”
Tyler hopped in, set the gun in the backseat, then started the engine. Once Tim was in, he backed the truck up and turned around, heading down the bumpy mountain road. Tim sat with arms crossed over his chest, handsome face set in a scowl.
“You all right?” Tyler asked.
“Oh, I’m just peachy, Tyler. Just wonderful. As one is when they’ve got someone skulking around the woods like the Blair Witch watching them and stealing their shit.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“I’m tired of feeling weak.”
Tyler did a doubletake at him. “You’re not weak. Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t something you can control. It’s being done to you.”
“That’s just my point. Ever since learning about this stupid alien shit I feel like a weak little human who can’t control anything. I hate it. Hate all of it. I used to have a nice life. Now it’s all crazy scary bullshit all the time. And now you show up and make it worse.”
“I’m here to help! How the hell am I making it worse?”
“By treating me like some creampuff you have to protect. I’ve dealt with dangerous shit in the forest before. By myself. I don’t need you.”
“Fine, Tim. You want me to take my gun and go home? Let you go up there by yourself next time, face whatever it is alone?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
Tim scowled for a long moment, then he chuckled. “No. Not really.”
Tyler smiled and took the turn off at the bottom of the mountain, heading up the main road toward the village. “You sure?”
“Positive. Those woods scare the shit out of me now. I’ll keep both you and your weird gun around, much as it annoys me. I have my pride but I’m not stupid.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Sighing, Tim rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry I flipped out.”
“Understandable, don’t worry about it. It was fucked up, finding your jacket outside like that. You handled things better than a lot of people would have.”
“I don’t mean just tonight, Tyler.”
Tyler inhaled softly. He didn’t know how to respond, so he stayed quiet, hoping Tim would drop it. No such luck.
“I wasn’t myself that night after Nolan and Elliot’s wedding.”
“I know you weren’t. You don’t have to explain.”
They both remained silent as he drove around the curve of the lake, the sparkling lights of the village coming into sight. Cottages dotted the watery cul-de-sac, people partying on colorfully lit boats, congregating on the wall edging the beach, darting in and out of the pubs and restaurants. On the sidewalk, someone in a bear costume sold pints of Arctic Angel beer from a vendor cart. A young woman with electric-blue hair chased after a man on a unicycle, shouting, “Ronny you fucking cock-stain, give me back my rum!”
Ah, Singing Bear Village. Still a cesspool of wanton celebration. But Tyler found he wasn’t exactly unhappy to be here. Maybe he’d missed it, just a little.
“Where are we going?” Tim asked. “Elliot’s place is down the other mountain road.”
“I want to stop into the pub and talk to Nolan. We need to let the others know what’s happening.”
“Can’t we text them or something? I’m anxious to go back and look at that footage. Aren’t you?”
Tyler shrugged. “Yeah, okay. I’ll cut through the village and head back now. Do you have Nolan’s number?”
“Yeah. I have everyone’s number now that I’m on Team Alien.”
“Text him.”
Tim pulled his phone out. “What do I say? It’s been kind of a complicated night. Should I call Myles too?”
“No, not yet. Just tell Nolan what happened with your jacket and that the motion sensors didn’t go off. Tell him we’re heading back to his place to look at the footage. He’ll know what to do and who else to call.”
Tim went to it. After several minutes of typing, he said, “There. Hope that made sense. He’s working though, so he might not get it right away.”
“He’ll get it right away,” Tyler said. “They’re all required to have their phones on them at all times.”
“Are you their boss?”
“No. Brett is their boss. I just know how it works.”
“But you said tonight that I have to do what you say while you’re in town. So if you’re not their boss, why are you my boss? Because I’m low man on the totem pole?”
“What difference does it make? I’m here to help figure out what’s going on. Are you that bothered having to take direction from me?”
“Guess it depends what you’re directing me to do. I can think of a few scenarios where I wouldn’t mind you bossing me around.”
Tyler glanced at him, taken aback by the brazen flirting.
“Jesus, you should see your face right now.” Tim laughed. “I was joking. Relax. You should be glad I’m acting normal and not flipping out anymore.”
Tyler supposed flirting was normal for Tim. At least it was in the past, before they had crazy emotional sex. But they had had crazy emotional sex, so now the flirting gave him a stomach-flip.
“Tyler. I said I was joking. Don’t go all mute on me again.”
“I’m just driving, Tim. Don’t go looking for shit that’s not there. Quiet is my default.”
“Yeah, good point. Okay I’ll stop trying to dissect you.”
“Good.”
“Why did you let me fuck you that night?”
Tyler nearly went off the road. Flinching, his fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter.
“You do remember that, don’t you?”
“Of course I remember,” Tyler said. “You want to talk about that right now?”
“Well...I wasn’t gonna bring it up. I was all determined to play it cool and forget it because it’s humiliating. But it’s not easy trying to be cool with you when I’m sitting on this huge unanswered question.”
“You’re not the first person to have a bad reaction when the reality of extraterrestrials is shoved in your face. I’ve seen worse, and from people who had to deal with far less than having to watch those hybrid Q-Tips drink martinis three feet away. Don’t overthink it.”
“I’m not overthinking that part,” Tim said. “I know why I melted down. It’s the way you dealt with it that I’m confused about.”
It looked like Tyler wasn’t getting out of this. Tim obviously wanted to talk about the sex. But Tyler wasn’t sure what to tell him, because he was still confused as hell about it himself. “Doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.”
“I only want to ask you one thing.” Tim stared out the front window, posture tight. “If that’s all right.”
Tyler took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Was it only because you were trying to calm me down? Is that why you let me? I mean...is that the only reason you went along with it? I’m cool with whatever your answer is. I’d just like to know.”
“I forgot how weird this village is,” Tyler said, glancing at the figures dancing around bonfires on the beach—desperately searching for a distraction. He took a right turn. “I’m just gonna cut through town and head up to Elliot and Nolan’s this way.”
“Really, Tyler? Just say you don’t want to talk about it. Don’t insult me by changing the subject. Christ. Now I know why JT and those guys call you the robot.”
“I’m taking a moment to think. I’m just not sure how to give you an honest answer.”
Tim looked at him. “Why not?”
“Because I don’t know. Yeah, I wanted to calm you down. But was that the only reason I let the other thing happen? I don’t know. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth.”
Silence followed. Tyler didn’t expect his answer to satisfy Tim. He waited to be pressed about it further, but Tim was quiet as they headed out of the main village.
He remained quiet as they drove along the dark, isolated road that led up to Arctic Angel Brewery, a shield of shadowy mountain peaks jutting into a star-speckled sky in the distance. Eventually they passed the brewery, and just beyond it, Nolan and Elliot’s big contemporary house came into sight.
Tyler took the long driveway that led up to the mountain home. He was actually pleased to be back at the house. The place was warm and welcoming. He thought he’d hate staying with the newlyweds, because despite what he’d told Tim, he did feel kind of awkward about crashing there. But when he arrived, Nolan and Elliot told him to make himself at home, that while he was here, this was his house too.
Tyler was surprised, because while they’d had each other’s back on missions before, on a personal level they didn’t always get along. But Nolan set him up in the finished basement, no questions asked, and treated him like he belonged there. For all Tyler’s bitching to Ogden about how different his village crew was, being back here made him remember all they’d been through together, and that at the end of the day, they were all on the same team.
Plus, Nolan made him sit down at the table and eat homecooked enchiladas. It was difficult to stay moody and distant with chili sauce and melted cheese dripping down his chin.
The house wasn’t brightly lit, but he could see a few lamps on inside through the wall of giant windows on the upper floor. Elliot’s car was in the driveway, but it was possible he was locked in the studio where he did his radio broadcast.
As Tyler parked in front of the garage, Tim said, “Thanks. For answering my question. I know it’s awkward. But it was bugging me, so I just wanted to get it out of the way.”
Tyler shut the engine off. “No problem.” As he handed back the keys, something Tim said before came back to him. “Hey, wait a second. What do you mean they call me ‘the robot’? Who said that?”
“Oh. Crap. Did I say that out loud?” Tim’s phone pinged and he pulled it out of his pocket. The luminescence highlighted his handsome features and gave his pale hair a blue tint as he studied the screen. “Nolan says Elliot’s here, and that Brett is coming over to see the footage too.” He looked at Tyler. “We’re supposed to wait for Brett before watching it.”
“Okay.”
Tim slipped his phone and keys into his jacket. “Should we go in?”
“First tell me who called me a robot.”
“Oh.” Tim winced. “Shit, I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have said anything. I just assumed you don’t care what anyone thinks or says about you.”
“I don’t.”
“Fine. Then forget it.”
“What do they say about me?”
Tim smirked. “Liar. You do care.”
“Just tell me.”
“They think you’re a bit...emotionless. That’s why they call you the robot.”
Tyler huffed. He understood how they could have come up with the nickname. Robot. They didn’t know the half of it. They didn’t know about his past, how hard he’d had to work to control his own thoughts, and for what reason.
But that aside, he’d assumed the village team would at least understand that he had to stay focused to do his job properly. That his caution and calm state of mind were beneficial to the work. Were they not happy he’d kept it together the night Nolan’s neck got sliced open by that rogue hybrid? Were they not pleased he’d remained emotionless that night, putting pressure on Nolan’s hemorrhaging wound while everyone else in that chopper was freaking out?
Now they were talking shit behind his back. Tim was right, normally it wouldn’t bother Tyler. The village team talked shit about everyone, including each other. It wasn’t personal. So why was it bothering him now? And then suddenly, he knew why. It was because they’d said these things in front of Tim. And for some reason, Tyler did care what Tim Patterson thought about him. He pinned Tim with a hard stare. “Do you think I’m a robot?”
“Me? Uh...” Tim’s cheeks flushed, eyes darting around the truck as though searching for an escape route so he wouldn’t have to answer. “I...I don’t know you that well. I mean, you’re not the cuddliest person I ever met. But you sure helped me out when I needed it. It was just a joke, Tyler. You know how those guys are.”
“I’m not a robot. I’m just different than most people you’ll meet in your everyday life. Because of my job.”
Tim nodded, slowly, as though Tyler was a live wire tied to a bomb he didn’t want to set off. “Okay.”
“I’m not upset about it or anything, they can call me whatever they want. I’m just saying. It would be a lot easier if I were a fucking robot. But I’m not. It takes work. Just being me takes work and...” His words drifted off as his throat tightened. Caught off-guard by old emotions, he steadied himself, taking a deep breath. “Anyway, whatever. They can say what they want.”
“Okay, listen to me.” Tim leaned in closer. “I’m sorry, Tyler. Really, I am. I was insensitive and I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“You didn’t. It’s fine.”
“Just...” Tim chuckled. “Enough with the ‘it’s fine’. It obviously bothered you. And I was flip about it. So I’m sorry. For the record, the guys weren’t saying it maliciously. I guess people just don’t always understand you.”
“I don’t require people’s understanding.”
“I know. Maybe that’s part of what makes you come off as weird. Most people need to be understood, at least on some level. They want to see themselves reflected back. To make a connection. You don’t seem to...need that.”
Tyler shrugged. “I’m not shocked by the assessment or anything. But the thing is, it’s easier for other people to connect, because they can find common ground with each other. Very few people in the real world share my experiences, even these guys in the village. Just because we all answer to Ogden doesn’t mean we’re the same. So while it’s easy for people like them and...like you to go around making connections and being all understood and shit, I don’t have that luxury.”
Tyler could hardly believe he was speaking this openly—even if he was speaking about not being open. Beyond Ogden, and sometimes Brett, he never talked about himself or his feelings. Maybe it was because Tim wasn’t part of that world. He was outside of it. There was an openness to Tim Patterson, a kind of heart-on-his-sleeve innocence that made Tyler feel like he could let his guard down. “Does that make sense?” he asked, because Tim was just staring at him, silent. “Well?”
Tim sighed and turned away.
“What?” Tyler said. “Why you sighing?”
“Forget it,” Tim said. “You’ll just dismiss me and say I don’t know what I’m talking about because I’m naïve or whatever.”
“I won’t. If you have something to say, say it.”
“Okay.” Tim shifted in his seat and faced him. “I just don’t think you have to be exactly like someone, or have had the same experiences, to find common ground. People can be different and still connect.”
“There’s different, and then there’s different, Tim. I know you’re still adjusting to the alien shit as you call it, but eventually that will fade. And you’ll go back to your nice little life in the village. You’ll go days, weeks, eventually months without thinking about it at all. You’ll still know aliens exist of course, but it won’t be something you think about all the time. You’ll go back to being just the forest ranger and you’ll pick up guys in JT’s pub and you’ll play poker and drink beer and all the things you used to do. You’ll get to be normal. I never can be, because of my job.”
Tim blinked. “How did you know I play poker?”
“We have dossiers on everyone.”
“Of course you do.” Rolling his eyes, Tim said, “I’m not stupid, I know what you think of me. That I’m some privileged gay playboy who grew up in this queer utopian village, so I’ve never had to face any strife. And maybe you’re right. I have had an easy life. But it doesn’t mean I can’t have empathy. Doesn’t mean I couldn’t understand you if you’d let me.”
“Oh. We’re talking about you? You want to understand me?”
Tim shrugged, looking shy suddenly. “Yeah. I do. Is that so shocking?”
“You don’t want to understand me, Tim.” He shook his head. “Not really.”
“You think I can’t handle it. Right? You think Tim’s just a delicate little normal-head who’ll eventually break down and lose his mind again.”
“No, I don’t think that. But it’s not about what I think. It’s about what you think.”
“How so?”
“You’ve hated it ever since you found out extraterrestrials exist and were brought into the fold. Had to deal with the secrecy and the lies and the headfuck of it all. That’s what I’ve been hearing from you all night. You hate it. Hate everything about it you said.”
“Yeah. I guess I did say that.”
“Well, that’s who I am, Tim. Everything that makes you uncomfortable and scared and pissed off. That’s who I am. That’s all that I am. You say you want to understand me? Well, understand this. That thing you hate? I’m part of it. I’m the thing you hate.”
Tim kissed him.
It was so unexpected that Tyler froze, stomach tightening at the sudden press of warm lips against his. When he didn’t protest, Tim made it deeper, shifting his head, fingers hooking around Tyler’s neck.
Tyler exhaled into Tim’s mouth, but remained stiff and hesitant, even as his body caught fire. Groaning involuntarily at the first lick of tongue, he finally relaxed and leaned into it.
The taste of Tim’s mouth, the scent, the familiarity of his touch, and the memory of the last time they were together—it made this more than just a kiss. That emotionally carnal place they’d visited months ago jolted awake, welcoming him back. Back to that place where he’d exploded with pleasure while Tim whispered his name and pleaded for something beyond his understanding. It was all still there, the memory fresh as if it happened yesterday, and while he’d definitely thought about kissing Tim again, he’d not expected it would resurrect these intense feelings.
But then that deep part of Tyler who hated himself, the Tyler ashamed of the things he’d done, it reared up and whispered through the haze of lust and emotion. You can’t have this, Tyler. You don’t deserve this. Not YOU.
He tried to push the voice down, because he wanted this, wanted to keep kissing Tim and let the tidal wave of feeling wash over him until he drowned in it. But the sudden conflict of emotion panicked him, so he pushed Tim away. “Stop.”
“Sorry.” Tim eased back, chest heaving with a heavy breath. “You just really turn me on, Tyler.”
“I...were you even listening to what I said?”
“I heard you.” Reaching out, Tim stroked Tyler’s cheek. “But I don’t believe that’s all you are.” He shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”
Tyler snatched Tim’s hand, shoving it off his face. “Then you’re fooling yourself. I won’t take responsibility for that. If you refuse to see who I am, that’s on you.”
Flinching, Tim leaned back in his seat. “Okay. Got it.”
Tim looked wounded, and Tyler instantly regretted lashing out. But even after Tyler made that bad decision to sleep with Tim while he was vulnerable, the guy seemed ready to put his faith in him again, and it was jarring. Tyler was self-aware enough to know he wasn’t the type of person a guy should put his faith in. He was too damaged and his life was too weird. The look in Tim’s eyes when he stroked his cheek just now, when he said those words, I don’t believe that’s all you are...for a moment, Tyler felt responsible for Tim’s emotional state once again.
And because of that, he foresaw the inevitability of letting him down. But there was still no excuse for snapping at him like that. There was hurt in Tim’s eyes, and it made Tyler’s stomach ache. “I’m sorry. My reaction was uncalled for. You kissing me and...touching me like that, it was just unexpected.”
“Was it really that unexpected, Tyler? It’s not like I haven’t touched you before.”
“That was different.” As soon as the words left his mouth he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Tim looked like he’d been slapped. Tyler tried to do damage-control, but only succeeded in fucking it up more. “What I mean is that was circumstantial. When we were together before. Because you were upset.”
“I see. So it really was just a sympathy-fuck last time.”
“Tim come on, I did not say that.”
“But your eyes say it now.” Tim sighed. “Damn. I think I preferred the robot stare. Least I didn’t have to see the truth. That I actually repulse you.”
“What? No.” Christ, is that what his eyes were showing? Tyler knew he’d mastered the blank stare, but he certainly wasn’t repulsed by Tim Patterson. Quite the opposite. Maybe he’d been masking his emotions so long he’d lost the ability to properly project them. “You don’t repulse me, Tim.”
Tim laughed hard. “Oh, Christ, Tyler.” He raked his fingers over his face. “I guess coming from you that’s damn near a term of endearment.”
“No, wait, that came out wrong.”
“No.” Tim held a hand up. “I’m sorry. You told me who you are. I didn’t want to believe you. But I should have. It was my mistake. Forget I kissed you, all right? We’re good. Let’s go look at that footage.”
“Tim, hang on a sec—”
Tim left the truck. Tyler watched him walk up to the front door of Nolan and Elliot’s house. He rang the bell then waited on the porch, hands on his hips.
“Shit,” Tyler whispered, hanging his head. The pit churned his stomach again. Maybe he needed to see the doctor back at headquarters. Or maybe he just needed to stop thinking about Tim Patterson. Which was kind of hard to do now that he’d been assigned to shadow him. Why should simply caring about someone cause this hurt feeling inside? Was he doing it wrong?
He didn’t like feeling this way. How did regular people handle it?
Maybe he could change it. He was a master at manipulating his thoughts and taming the sources that provoked them. He’d quite literally written the instruction manual. He taught other people how to do it for crying out loud. So why not use that skill to fix this situation?
Yes, maybe that was the solution.
He could change the entire dynamic between him and Tim, purge the past and all the feelings that went along with it. Because that’s what was causing all the inner turmoil right now. That memory of their night together. At least for Tyler. Kissing Tim just now had felt like coming apart, like some unseen entity was tugging on a thread that held Tyler together. But surely that could be remedied and stitched back up.
A lightbulb went on in his head as the idea solidified. Sure, he couldn’t change the past. But maybe he could override it.
By having sex with Tim again.
Casually this time. Not to soothe him, or to stop a meltdown, or for any reason other than to just do it. The circumstances would have to be completely different. They could just fuck like a couple of guys who were attracted to each other, with nothing else in the mix. And thusly, make a new memory. One without all this emotional frailty.
Like a fix-it patch, overlaying something worn and frayed. Creating something that was not exactly new, but new enough to cover the old and broken. For both of them. Tim had said the memory was humiliating for him. Surely, he’d want to override it as well. Together they could make it happen.
Tyler got out of the truck and walked quickly up the path to the door, where Tim still lingered, hands in his pockets, bouncing on his heels. “Tim.”
Tim looked at him, expression hard. His poker-face was pretty good, but Tyler could still see the anger and hurt simmering there. “Hey,” Tim said. “Elliot’s not answering the door.”
“I have a key.”
“Good. Hurry up and use it. It’s freezing out here.”
“We should talk first.”
Shaking his head, Tim chuckled. “I got it the first time you gave me the speech, Tyler. We’re good. Really. Don’t worry about it.”
“I think we should fuck again.”
Tim’s eyes widened and he took a step back. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Um...Tyler, you just freaked out after a simple kiss.”
“Just hear me out. Would you have taken me home that night after Elliot’s wedding if you hadn’t gotten upset over seeing Baz? Would you have taken me home regardless?”
“I don’t know. If you were willing I guess. Where are you going with this?”
“Casual sex. Without all the emotional baggage this time. We fuck and get it over with. Make a new memory to replace the old one, because it’s still clearly weighing on both of us.”
“Tyler, what the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you and me fucking again. If you want to. I think it will make things easier. Us working together. All of it.”
“You think us fucking is going to make things easier.”
“Yes.”
Tim shook his head and glanced skyward. “If you actually think sex is a tool to uncomplicate things, you definitely haven’t been living in the real world.”
“Just think about it. I considered all the variables, and I really believe it’s a good strategy. I’m pretty sure it will work.”
Tim stared at him, then chuckled. “Jesus Christ, Tyler. You really are weird.”
“Hang on, I’m coming!” Elliot called from inside the house.
Tyler stepped in close. “Soon,” he whispered in Tim’s ear. “Next time we’re alone.”
“Tyler, stop.”
“I’ll let you do whatever you want.”
“You’re insane!” Tim hissed, then faced the door. He tugged his pant-leg out at his inner thigh. “And you gave me a boner, you asshole.”
“I didn’t even touch you.”
“You didn’t have to. Now back away, Elliot’s coming. Jesus!”
Elliot opened the door, looking disheveled in lounge pants and a baggy tee shirt. “Sorry, sorry, guys. I heard the doorbell but I was shutting down the studio. Tyler, didn’t Nolan give you a key?”
“Yes. But I didn’t use it.”
Elliot eyed him sideways. “Okaaay. Come inside, it’s freezing out.” He glanced at Tim, then pointed to Tyler. “He’s a bit weird in case you hadn’t picked up on that yet.”
“Yeah, got that,” Tim said and followed Elliot up the stairs.
Tyler went in after them and closed the door. It was time to focus on work and put other things out of mind, but he was mildly satisfied that he’d fixed things. He had, hadn’t he? Tim didn’t say no to his proposal.
Maybe he couldn’t argue with being called weird. Or emotionless. Or a robot or whatever else people wanted to say about him.
But he was nothing if not results-oriented.