His Boyfriend the Caveman

Chapter 1Radhi turned the corner onto Oscar’s street. He took his foot off the gas. Not too late for turning back, he let the car coast. The lies were what hurt him the most. If Oscar wanted a pause, he could have just said so. He didn’t have to make up that story. At only twenty, Radhi had heard everything now, thanks to Oscar the caveman. Yeah, caveman, right. The sick joke still made him mad. It insulted his intelligence. No one lived that long. It wasn’t funny. Then, to make things worse, Oscar sent him that head-ass text. I care for you too much to ever lie. What I told you was true. If you reply someday and don’t hear from me, know that something happened. Some people in Belize are after my blood for experiments. Okay, Oscar, whatever. He tapped on the gas. Yesterday was six weeks, a long time, longer than they’d dated. Proud of himself, he didn’t text Oscar back until a day ago—and only because of the gold. Sure enough, no reply, Oscar ghosted him. Now they had to see each other, too bad. The car inched on. Radhi didn’t care if Oscar wasn’t home. It didn’t matter. He could leave the gold at the door. He must be over Oscar now. The six weeks did it. Just one thing left to do, and he was done. In his pant pocket, heavy on his thigh, the gold nugget pushed him forward. Through the cloth, he fingered its nubby curves. The gold had weighed on him all this time. He didn’t want it anymore, unimpressed with Oscar’s guap. Hmm, a car in the driveway, he wondered whose it was. As he stopped at the curb, Oscar’s door opened, and a woman walked out. She looked familiar, but he didn’t recognize her. “Oh my God.” He ducked behind the dash. It was Karen. He couldn’t believe it. In her last class, she’d seemed so frail—but not now. No cane anymore, she’d walked so fast. He couldn’t believe it and hoped she didn’t see him. A car door slammed shut, the hollow sound coming from the driveway. He processed why he’d ducked. Kind of ashamed of himself, he didn’t know what to say to her. She didn’t even look like herself, really healthy and years younger. In class, he shouldn’t have felt that way, but her illness had made him uncomfortable as she struggled through her lectures. He’d never known someone so sick before, incurable they said. Now this miraculous recovery, and Karen looked so young, definitely not middle-aged anymore. He wasn’t sure it was her, but it had to be. The hair hadn’t changed or that mole on her chin. Nice she was better—but this much better? What happened? His reaction puzzled him. It must have been the surprise. The awkwardness of it had made him duck. A car engine hummed. He wanted to look but didn’t. The sound came from the driveway. It didn’t pass him but went down the street in the other direction. The hum slowly faded. He sat up, and Karen’s car disappeared around a corner. The thing with Oscar was all her fault. If not for Karen, they would have never met, a lot simpler that way, but he couldn’t give her all the blame. Some was due to their resemblance. Radhi still couldn’t get over it. He and Oscar looked almost identical. If not for that, on the first day of class, she wouldn’t have mistaken him for Oscar. Having realized the mix-up, she showed him Oscar’s picture. That was when he made the first mistake. He gave her his number to give Oscar. If he hadn’t, Oscar wouldn’t have called him, or offered the contract, or given him the gold. They wouldn’t have fallen in love. He couldn’t believe he’d gone for that story. On the run from Belizean cartels, yeah, right. Oscar needed Radhi’s passport and driver’s license, sure, but the lie that came later topped them all. A caveman—at least he didn’t fall for that one. Oscar just wanted an easy breakup. Radhi patted himself on the back for having enough sense for turning down the blah-blah contract. Bet it didn’t even let him polish his nails. He hadn’t actually gotten to that part, having stopped on the first page. The vibe said no, don’t sign it. Radhi sighed internally. He didn’t serve as Oscar’s double or help him hide. Instead, he’d dragged Oscar to bed. His second mistake, he regretted it now—except for the s*x. His fingers tingled from squeezing the steering wheel too hard. Those few nights they’d hooked up flashed back at him, really special he’d thought at the time. The guy had thrilled him like no one else. He’d felt so close to Oscar, but the passionate feelings weren’t real, like Oscar’s stupid story. Oscar wasn’t a caveman—definitely not in bed. Radhi took that title for himself. Something about Oscar had brought out the beast in him. Breathing deep, he shut off the engine. Ready or not, he had to do this. Or did he? The gold pressed him on. He couldn’t keep it. Sure, it was just an incentive, according to Oscar, for looking at the contract, no strings attached. Still, keeping it didn’t seem right, especially since they’d broken up. He got out and went to the door. When he knocked, a big man answered. Radhi didn’t know him. The guy grabbed Radhi’s arm and pulled him in. “Hey!” What the hell was this? “Get in here.” The big man slammed the door. In the hand that didn’t hold Radhi’s arm, the guy pointed a stun gun at him. “Don’t touch me.” This dude was asking for it. Radhi’s years of Jujitsu training kicked in, waiting for the right time. Some woman stepped up, dressed like a nurse. “How did you get out?” He didn’t know her or what she was talking about until it dawned on him. They thought he was Oscar. No surprise there, but speaking of Oscar, where was he? They’d better not have hurt him. The big man dragged him in further and zapped the stun gun in front of his face. Radhi gritted his teeth. “You’ll be sorry.” “What’s that?” The man stared down at something. “Look at his nails.” Splaying his fingers, Radhi modeled the nail polish he’d refreshed that afternoon, a bright purple plum. “It’s not him,” the nurse said. When the goon and the nurse looked at each other confused, Radhi saw his chance. He made his move with light-speed efficiency. The big man’s bones bent to the breaking point in Radhi’s vise-like hold, loosening the grip on the gun. Before the nurse could get to him, Radhi pried the gun free, zapped the goon, and pointed the electrodes at her. She stepped back. The big man wobbled and fell. On the way down, his temple hit the end table with a loud clunk, but not as loud as the thud when his body collapsed on the wooden floor. The nurse’s heels clip-clopped to the door. She opened it and ran away. Oh, s**t. Now what? Radhi froze, stun gun in hand. When he’d caught his breath, he remembered Oscar and felt guilty he’d almost forgotten about him. Those six weeks worked wonders. He held back from calling Oscar’s name, afraid of drawing attention. Someone else in here might hear him. If Oscar was listening, why didn’t he say anything? He would have heard the voices, the stun gun going off, and the body drop, but maybe he couldn’t tell whose body it was, or maybe another goon had him gagged, or worse. The man on the floor moaned unconscious, blood on his temple. Radhi considered calling the police, or his dad, but how could he explain all this? Probably, the nurse had called for help already. He should get out of here, but first, he had to find Oscar. Something might have happened to him. Radhi flashed back on Oscar’s last text, people after his blood, creepy. He took a quick look around the living room, no sign of foul play. The adjacent dining area caught his eye, something red on the table. He walked over, keeping his footsteps silent. A plastic tray held a rubber strap, syringes, and a full vial. “Oh my God.” Radhi hushed himself. He got a sinking feeling. Oscar was telling the truth, at least about the blood. What were they doing with it? Oscar had said experimenting, but why? Karen looked unbelievably young today. Oscar wasn’t a caveman. How could anyone live that long and look no more than twenty? The confusing pieces lined up just enough that Radhi got the impression he’d doubted Oscar unfairly. He felt bad about that, almost as bad as his queasy stomach from seeing the blood. Radhi tiptoed down the hall and checked the bedrooms. When he got to Oscar’s, the door was closed. He tried opening it, locked, with the keyhole on the hallway side. Weird. A key hung on the wall. He unlocked the door and slowly opened it, afraid of how he might find Oscar. To Radhi’s relief, Oscar stood in front of him, looking surprised to see him. Radhi guessed Oscar thought the goon had gotten him. Oscar’s smile widened. “A man of many talents.” Radhi’s own smile stretched his cheeks tight. “Jujitsu.” He struck a martial arts pose, indulging fun for just a minute despite his fears. Someone could be coming. Back to more serious things, he needed a reality check. “The blood out there, it’s yours?” “Yes, that would be mine.” Oscar had said it with such sadness and resignation. Radhi swelled with compassion. He’d been so hard on Oscar, all the while those awful people had locked him up and drawn his blood. He shouldn’t have doubted Oscar and wished he’d helped him sooner. “I believe you. I didn’t before. I’m sorry. Now, I’m sure.” He stepped closer, so relieved at finding Oscar okay. Oscar’s deep, dark eyes drew him in. Before he knew it, he was kissing Oscar. Against Radhi’s better judgement, he went with the moment, lost in the passion. Then it occurred to him, as their tongues entwined. This was probably a caveman. Radhi sighed internally but didn’t disengage. Until now, he’d avoided dating older men, not to mention one from the Stone Age—usually no more than thirty. Even if they passed for twenty, like Oscar, older guys always came off like prehistoric as soon as they opened their mouth. Somehow, with Oscar, he’d missed all those red flags, like the formal way he talked, above and beyond the Belizean accent, and those stuffy button-up shirts he wore, kind of nerdy but cute. Okay, this kiss had gone too long. He pulled away. “We’d better go.” He went to the door. “Come on.” “Take this.” Oscar handed him a busted-up carry-on and threw some clothes and a laptop in a suitcase. Radhi went to the front door and waited with the stun gun and the bag Oscar gave him. On the way out, Oscar stopped by the tray and emptied the blood in a potted palm. He walked by where the man fell, looked down, and paused there. “What happened to him?” “He hit his head on the end table. Should I call 911?” Radhi didn’t know what to do. If the nurse had already called, the police and paramedics might get there any minute. “Wait until we leave. What happened to the nurse?” The question surprised Radhi, as if Oscar had read his mind. “When I took him down, she ran.” Radhi wiped off the gun and set it down by the man who might have used it on Oscar. “Did he ever shock you with it?” That thought chilled Radhi’s spine. “No, he never got to use it on me. I’m glad it didn’t go to waste.” Radhi appreciated the irony. “Let’s go.” He walked out the door. The sound of Oscar’s suitcase rolled behind him. A moan made him glance back. The big man rolled over and sat up dazed. The haze today irritated Radhi’s nose. “What’s in the air?” Oscar asked. “Smoke blew in from the California wildfires.” Radhi popped the trunk and put Oscar’s things by the ice chest. They got in the car. “Where are we going?” Oscar asked. Radhi shrugged. “Somewhere they won’t find us.” He hadn’t decided yet, started the car, and backed out onto the street. “I should turn myself in and volunteer for research. I don’t want to complicate your life.” Radhi couldn’t believe Oscar said that, sweet in a way, but too late. He squeezed Oscar’s knee. “Complicate my life? You already have.” His foot heavy on the gas, the car streaked. Oscar stared blankly out the window and turned to him. “A long time ago, someone special told me I could be myself—I didn’t have to hide.” Those people back at the house had locked Oscar up and drained his blood. It made Radhi furious. “After what they did to you?” “When bad things happen, we do the right thing. If I work with the proper authorities, it might make a difference.” “I don’t want them messing with you.” Radhi pulled out onto the main road. He’d decided where they were going. “I’m not talking about those people at the house. Maybe I should tell someone what happened, like the FBI.” Radhi didn’t like the sound of that. It scared him. He might never see Oscar again. Oscar smiled as if he’d read Radhi’s mind. “I’m sure we’ll still see each other sometimes, as long as you want to. I haven’t committed a crime, not a serious one anyway. I don’t think they’ll lock me up for using someone else’s passport.” “Will they deport you?” “How? Where do I belong? Anyway, if they need me, they’ll keep me.” Radhi didn’t understand how all of a sudden Oscar wanted to turn himself in. “Then why didn’t you do it before?” “I didn’t have to. Something changed.” Changed? Radhi didn’t know what Oscar meant. “What changed?” “If I work with the government, I can warn them—about Dr. Killington.” “Was that the man I stunned? What were they doing with your blood?” “I’m afraid it makes people—like me. It wouldn’t be right.” “Like you—how?” Radhi stared into Oscar’s eyes and almost missed the freeway ramp. He veered to the right just in time and focused on his driving. “I trust you, whatever you decide.” It didn’t matter anyway. Where they were going no one would find them. He turned on the radio. Oscar got quiet. Radhi knew why. The song had played a lot when they were together. It made Radhi happy. Oscar was here. He rested a hand on Oscar’s knee. Oscar placed his hand on top of Radhi’s. Radhi exited the freeway and turned from the city lights. “My father has a boat on the lake. He lets me take it out. I’ll tell him. He won’t mind. It’s small but sleeps two. We can bring some food. I know a quiet cove.” They could hide out for a while. Being alone with a caveman, even if it were Oscar, made Radhi think twice. He couldn’t believe he’d dated someone from the Stone Age. Reservations kicked in about getting back together, not that it mattered. If Oscar was going to surrender himself, like he’d said he would, they might not see each other again. Oscar squeezed Radhi’s hand. “Good idea, until the dust settles back at the house.” It made Radhi chuckle that Oscar was kind of on the same page about hiding out for a while. “And you can decide where you want to go from here.” So far, he liked that Oscar was there with him, except for the caveman thing. That concerned him a little, kind of scary. They should talk and take things slow. Heavy traffic flowed on Lake Mead Parkway. No police in sight, Radhi looked around again and switched on the turn signal. “We’ll stop here.” He made a mental grocery list. Radhi kind of expected a response. Oscar hadn’t said much in the last few miles, just sat there and stared out the window. “You Okay?” Oscar turned to him. “I want to get something out of my suitcase.” Radhi pulled into the parking lot, the last store before the marina. He found a shaded spot and took it. When he opened the door, a hot wind hit him. The pavement radiated bone-dry heat. He met Oscar behind the car and opened the trunk. Oscar reached for the luggage and set it on top of the ice chest. He opened the bag and pulled out a laptop. His fingers brushed against the backlit Apple and lingered there. “What do you need that for?” Radhi looked around. No police yet. “I’m…” Oscar’s voice trailed off. “Working on something.” It would be dark soon. “Come on. Let’s go.” Tucking the computer under his arm, Oscar closed the suitcase and reached beside it for the busted-up carry-on. He unzipped it and pulled out three crisp hundred dollar bills. Radhi looked over Oscar’s shoulder. Stacks of cash filled the bag, and next to Ben Franklin’s face, some gold nuggets shined, none of them quite as big as the one in Radhi’s pocket. Oscar closed the bag and held out the money. Radhi flashed back on the day they met when Oscar gave him the gold for looking at that contract. All he had to do was share his identity with Oscar, not too hard, considering their resemblance. They passed for one another so easily. Oscar could hide in clear sight, as long as they weren’t together. He’d taken the lie about the Belizean cartel—hook, line, and sinker, only later to doubt the real story. Oscar was a caveman. Radhi still couldn’t believe it. He waved away Oscar’s money. The gold nugget weighed heavy on him. He’d planned on returning it, but then everything happened. “Aren’t you coming in?” “No, I have something to do.” Oscar patted the laptop and extended the cash again. Radhi reluctantly took it and put it in his pocket. They needed the groceries. Oscar got back in the passenger seat with the computer and closed the door. Through the cloth in Radhi’s pant leg, he fingered the nugget. He pulled out the shiny metal and tapped it on the passenger window until he’d taken Oscar’s attention away from the computer. The door cracked open. Oscar looked out. Radhi tried to hand him the gold and failed. Oscar looked up from the passenger seat. “That was yours to keep whether you signed or not, remember?” He smiled a little before shutting the door. Irritated by Oscar’s patronizing smirk, Radhi pulled the door open and set the gold on the dash. “Watch for police. If you see them, duck down.” The space between Oscar’s eyebrows wrinkled and narrowed. “We don’t need to worry about that. I’m turning myself in.” Radhi’s back stiffened. He didn’t want trouble. “I never called 911.” The muscle tension raised his shoulders uncomfortably high. He stretched and shook. His bones fell back in place. Oscar smiled. “That tough guy’s fine. He’s twice your size. You really have to show me your jujitsu sometime. I can’t believe I’ve never learned it.” Radhi took a deep breath and exhaled some of his nervousness. He’d missed his cue for striking a martial arts pose, something he usually enjoyed when the subject came up. Now he wasn’t in the mood. “Bet that nurse reported us.” Radhi eyed the traffic. No police yet. “Oh, I doubt it. They kidnapped me, for goodness’ sake. Why would they report me?” “I knocked that guy out. He hit his head.” Concussions could kill. The guy could die. Nothing like this ever happened in jujitsu class. “It was self-defense.” “Yeah, but what will Killington say?” “If the police question us, we’ll tell them what happened.” “And who will they believe?” Lightheaded, Radhi leaned on the door with the palm of his hand. Oscar patted him on the wrist. A tingle ran up Radhi’s arm. Even in the hot air, Oscar’s hand radiated warmth. “Don’t worry, Radhi. They don’t even know your name.” “They know yours.” Radhi pulled back from Oscar’s heat. “They have your picture. They might as well have mine.” The resemblance still amazed him. Their absence from each other since the breakup made the similarity seem even more striking. Oscar’s familiar dark eyes drew him in. Radhi felt steamy. His heartbeat drummed inside his ears. He couldn’t understand what made him react this way with someone so—different from himself, except of course for the physical. Looks weren’t all there’d been to it. He wasn’t so conceited. Sure, sometimes guys called him hot. That didn’t mean he wanted a date with himself. “Are you all right?” Oscar squinted up from the passenger seat. Radhi snapped out of his thoughts. Afraid he’d been staring at Oscar all along, he grabbed the grocery cart next to the car. “I’ll be quick.” On his walk across the sunbaked lot, the day’s adrenaline rush replayed in his head. The shopping cart’s wheels squeaked. Sliding doors swooshed open. Cold air blew out as he stepped in, glad to cool off.