Flyleaf

Chapter 1-2

Surprised at this statement, Adam found himself uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

“Oh, I, uh, hadn’t really thought about that.”

Jim smiled, looking again at his partner. “Good. Jake and I recognized that you were family, and we thought you looked as uncomfortable at the dean’s house as we were. And we also thought we’d like to welcome you to Colby and to Colby State and, perhaps, get to know you better.”

So they’d known at once that he was gay! Before they’d even spoken to one another?

“Before I left my place I looked in the mirror, Jim. There was no rainbow on my forehead. And I don’t think I was sashaying around the dean’s house, either. How did you know?”

It was Jake who answered. “You aren’t obviously gay, if that’s what’s worrying you.”

“I really don’t give a damn who knows I’m gay. I just didn’t think I was sending out signals.”

Jake chuckled. “It’s a matter of vibes, I guess. A lot of people discount gaydar, but sometimes you just know when another guy is one of us.”

Adam relaxed. “Okay, sorry. Didn’t mean to get feisty, though my ex always insisted it went with the red hair.”

He looked at his hosts. Though older, both were in good shape, both handsome, both, he admitted, sexy. He hoped he looked as good ten years from now. But then, he told himself, I was never as good looking as these two guys. From the way the two interacted, the way they looked at each other frequently, sending and picking up little signals, he could tell how devoted they were. And he thought of Brian and what they had once had. What they might still have if the pulls of their careers hadn’t been so strong, if they hadn’t both disliked the place where they were teaching so much—if they hadn’t let complacency turn to neglect. So he hoped Brian would be successful and happy in LA, hoped he’d find someone new.

And he couldn’t help wishing for the same for himself in Colby.

Jake stood. “Excuse me, guys. I’ve gotta go check on things in the kitchen. Adam, don’t tell Jimmy all about yourself while I’m not here.” He grinned and left them.

The kitchen was actually at the end of the great room, separated from it by a bar. But it was far enough away that conversation between the two areas would have been a bit awkward.

“Can I do anything to help?” he asked.

“Thanks, but it’s all under control,” Jake said.

“In that case,” Adam said, turning to Jim, “tell me a little about yourself. I’m guessing you’re ex-military.”

Jim smiled and shook his head. “Not in the sense you mean. I was in the Army toward the end of the mess in Nam. But I’ve been a policeman here in Colby most of my adult life.”

“Oh. Are you from around here originally?”

“Uh huh. This is the family place. I’ve modernized it a bit and added on, but except when I was in college and the service, I’ve always lived here.”

“But you’re not a cop, uh, policeman anymore?”

Jim grinned. “It’s okay. We call ourselves cops. I had an accident about a year ago, which required an extensive convalescence. After that I was moved to a desk job. I’d been a working detective until then. After some unpleasantness in the department, I took my retirement. And now I’m starting out as an associate professor of criminal justice at Colby State.”

Jake, who’d come in to check on their drinks, perched on the arm of the sofa and said, “There’s a lot more to the story than that. He’s giving you the edited version.” Obviously proud of his partner, he continued, “Jim was Chief of Detectives and then Chief of Police for a while before he retired.”

“I’m impressed,” Adam said. “So Colby’s getting a highly-qualified person in criminal justice.”

“I’m scared to death at the idea of teaching,” Jim admitted.

“We all were, at first,” Adam said, looking to Jake for corroboration. Jake didn’t notice, however, because he was on his way back to the kitchen.

So, Adam thought, Grant’s military look comes from his being a policeman. And the limp isn’t from a war wound but from some sort of work-related injury. That sounds like an interesting story, but I’d better wait until I know them better before I ask about it. And he definitely wanted to know these guys better.

* * * *

During dinner, Adam asked about the gay scene in Colby.

Jake smiled and looked at his partner. “Shall we tell him about Nellie’s? And the Colby Queers?”

Jim grinned and nodded, inviting Jake to continue.

“Okay, we’ve got one gay bar, Nellie’s, and it does a good business. The climate for GLBT people in Colby has always been more or less live-and-let-live. There were some highly placed homophobes in the police department until recently, but, though they made things difficult for Jim and a couple of others on the force, they didn’t run around bashing the rest of us.”

“Sounds as if it could be worse.”

“Uh huh. As I said, it’s not bad. We’ll have to introduce you to Nellie’s—and our friends—soon.”

“Great! Now. The Colby Queers?”

Jake chuckled. “Yeah. The number fluctuates, anywhere from a dozen to twenty of us, who get together two or three times a year depending on when the guiding lights decide we should.”

Jim grinned and nodded. “I know you haven’t been in town long,” he said to Adam. “Have you heard about Adrian Lynch and Tom Nielsen?”

“I’m not sure about Lynch. But I’ve met Tom Nielsen. I think he’s some sort of big wheel in the condo building where I live.”

“Oh, you live there, do you? I think Pinkie’s the guy who supplied the money to have that building put up. It’s a nice place.”

“Pinkie?”

“Sorry. Tom’s middle name is Pinkerton, so everyone calls him Pinkie.”

“Well, Nielsen has one of the two penthouses on the top floor. The rest of the building has four condos per floor, so mine’s about half the size of his—and the other one up there.”

“The other one up there, as you put it, belongs to Adrian. Those two have been a couple for a while now, and it looks as if it might last.”

Adam had the impression there was more Jim could have said, but he didn’t want to press him. “The name Adrian isn’t all that common. Is he connected with the fancy restaurant downtown?”

“Yep. He manages it for his dad. He’s Adrian, Jr. But the old guy has pretty much retired, so it’s really Junior’s place now. I hear he owns a restaurant in Detroit, though Jake and I’ve never been there.”

“And these two, Nielsen and Lynch, do what? Organize the Colby Queers?”

Jim chuckled. “Adrian’s the organizer. Pinkie pretty much just goes along. But they occasionally throw a party for a cadre of gay guys and any newbies they can drag in. It’s a mixed group. Several CSU faculty members, but there are a couple of guys in the county government—one of them’s a published novelist, by the way—the head of a local landscaping company and his partner.” He grinned. “A really hot ex-Marine.”

“Watch it, there, Grant!” Jake said, obviously trying hard not to smile. “You’re taken, and so is Brody Cox.”

All innocence, Jim said, “I just said he was hot. And he is. A real hunk.” Then he smiled. “But you know I love you best.”

Jake nodded and returned the smile.

Adam could feel the affection between his two hosts and once again thought how attractive they were. He tried hard not to imagine them in bed.

* * * *

They were in the great room having plums in port with coffee a while later.

“Jake, Jim’s told me a little about himself. What about you? Are you a Colby native, too?”

Jim and Jake were sitting in easy chairs facing each other at right angles to the sofa where Adam was sitting. Jake leaned forward and put his bowl on a coaster on the coffee table.

“No sir. I was born and grew up in Tampa.”

“How’d you wind up in Ohio?”

“Hated the Florida summers. Went to Northwestern and stayed there for all my degrees. Was hired here right after I got my doctorate. So I feel almost like a native. I’ve been here nearly twenty-five years.”

“What’s your specialty?”

Jim sighed. “The inevitable question when academics get together, I’m learning.”

“Yes, I guess it is. Do you mind my asking?”

“No, sorry. I’m just new enough to all of this that I find it fascinating. It’s like being plunked down in a different culture.”

“I suppose it is.” He turned and looked at Jake to see if he was going to get an answer to his question.

“Twentieth-century British, with emphasis on the first half of the century.”

“With special emphasis on the period between the two world wars, to be exact,” Jim added, as if he’d heard it all before.

“Okay, I promise not to ask about your dissertation.” But he wanted to, since both he and Jake were interested in the same period.

“Thank you,” Jim said, smiling. “Would anyone like refills on their—oops, pardon me Adam—his coffee?”

“Hey, I’m not the grammar police. But I don’t need more coffee, thanks.”

“How about you, babe?” Jim asked, looking at Jake.

“I’m good, too, thanks. And now it’s time to grill Professor Craig.”

“Jake,” Jim said, with a hint of warning in his voice.

“I really don’t mind, Jim. Ask away, Jake.”

“You sure? We both want to get to know you, however delicate my partner is pretending to be.”

“Shoot!”

“If it would be easier, Adam,” Jim said, “you could just tell us a little about yourself and Jake wouldn’t have to play twenty questions with you.”

Adam took the last swallow of coffee and set the mug on the coffee table.

“Okay. I was born in Ohio. You ever heard of Westerville?”

“Sure,” Jim said. “That’s just outside Columbus. Otterbein College is there. Did you go to Otterbein?”

“No, but I didn’t venture too far from home. Went to Denison. Then a bit further afield to UVA in Charlottesville for my grad work.”

“Damn! Good schools! I’m impressed,” Jake said.

Adam cursed his fair skin, knowing he was blushing, and looked down.

“What did you do after you got your PhD?” Jim asked.

“Got a job offer in Morgantown, and I’ve been there ever since.”

“Your special interests?” Jim asked.

“See, Jimmy, now you’re doing it!” Jake crowed. “But I know the answer to that one. See, I read the memo the dean sent out about the new Arts and Sciences faculty. Dr. Craig specializes in the Lost Generation. He published a book some years back on Louis Bromfield and has just recently published one on Mark Stearns, plus a string of articles on various novelists of that period.” He turned to look once more at Adam.