Kiss Me

Part Five

Marcus

Walker wasn’t anything like I expected. I’d first had that thought in the apartment, but I couldn’t stop thinking it now as I watched him drive, sipping a terrible gas station coffee from time to time, wincing, and then waiting just long enough to forget about the taste before sipping it again. He was so easy to be around I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. There wasn’t an awkward bone in his body, morass of self-doubt or not. I shouldn’t have been surprised that he was smarter than he let on. Kyle was the same. Always downplaying his grades, happy to seem to be the cheerful worker who was everyone’s friend and no one’s better. Its funny because when I first met Walker I thought fucking hell, He's a prick, but it turns out I'm extremely wrong. Very wrong.

So I pulled my phone from my pocket thinking I needed to thank Kyle for convincing me to take Walker.

Me: Thanks Kyle. Your brother is….interesting.

It's funny to note that. Kyle was my friend and Walker was just his brother. Not a friend, not someone I knew on any sort of personal level. Now I am getting to know him on a personal level.

Kyle: Told you. Have fun. Use lube and condoms. LMFAO.

Really? What in the hell is Kyle thinking. Jesus.

Me: Firstly no! Secondly I've made another friend and nothing beyond that so don't be a dick head.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about Walkers dick, but come on. The guy has a piercing and I guess a tiny bit of me would like to know how that feels in my mouth. But again, it's just me thinking it, I'm not doing it. No way, no hell.

Kyle: Yes father for he Marcus has sinned and definitely thinks about my brother Walker. You can't escape the inevitable my friend. See you on the other side. Mmmmwah. ;))

I officially hate Kyle now. Just to say it's been hard. I guess when I first left for Canada I was worried I'd never amount to fuck all. And buying a bar was some last minute life crisis kind of thing and I'm glad I fucking did. When I first met Kyle he'd come into my freshly decorated and re-vamped bar. At first he was just a customer, then as he started to visit frequently we became friends, real good friends. Then one night he came in with Walker. Didn't think much of him. Not at first anyway, then he kind of grew on me although I still looked at him as some kind of delinquent. It's funny how things change. "Almost there," he said and yawns. "Do we need to get anything before we head to the hotel that is literally in the middle of nowhere?"

"No, but we can always get extra stuff if we do need to."

"Ahh, look," he said pointing ahead of us. "Fivelakes hotel, right?"

"That's the one."

"Jeeze," he said and made a whistle sound. "Sounds top notch. I'm gonna look like a hobo in that place."

I chuckled. "Don't be stupid. Plus...I don't plan on walking about the place. It's straight to the room."

"Wow, such an eager beaver."

"You'll be sleeping outside the door if you carry on."

"Ahh, I see. Is it a double room?"

I gulped. Because I forgot it's a double room. The invitation did say Marcus and guest. But my ultimate guess would be my mother thought I'd go alone and end up sharing the bed with Dana. I laugh internally because that wouldn't happen, even if I was as straight as a plank. "Yup, double. Or might be a suite….I'm not sure."

"So they'll be a mini bar?" He asked as he took the turning into the hotel grounds which was huge and had a golf course.

"Yeah, you drink, you pay for it."

"Gotcha," Finally we made it up to the main part of the hotel. It was...fucking huge and fucking high end. I looked at Walker who was just as shocked as I was. "Do I have something on my face?" He asked, wiping at his mouth as though he’d already decided he must have.

Oops. I’d been staring at him. "Uh, no," I said, a pang of guilt making my stomach twinge. "Sorry, I wasn’t looking at you, exactly. Just… staring into the middle distance."

"Thinking?" Walker asked.

"I do that sometimes," I agreed. "Can’t recommend it." Walker laughed. It’d been so long since someone had laughed, genuinely, at one of my jokes that I didn’t know how to handle it.

"Wanna share?" He asked. Everything about him screamed I’m listening. That made sense, didn’t it? People sat for tattoos for hours. His bedside, chair-side? manner would have had to be pretty good by now, or repeat clients would be thin on the ground.

"Just thinking about the past," I said. "Family wedding, y’know? Hard not to."

"What’s the groom like?" He asked, really actually listening.

"Honestly? He's nice. Lily deserves someone like him. Successful and kind and he's fairly attractive. You can tell me when you meet him if you agree."

"I will." He smiled. "Let's get in. It's started to snow."

He's right. So I nodded and stepped from the car and made my way around to the boot to grab our bags and met Walker as he came from the drivers side, but my wet shoes had no purchase, and I ended up flailing and grabbing his waist before I fell to my knees in the snow. "Ahh, fuck!" I looked up at him looking down at me grinning. "Don't you dare laugh." I bit.

"I'm laughing inside my head," goddamn he was smiling so big I almost wanted to laugh. "Here, I'll help you up."

I grabbed his warm hand as he helped steady me. I gaped after him for half a beat. "The bags."

"Yeah, the bags." He replied. I rolled my eyes and popped the boot. And he grabbed the bags and offered his hand again. "I'm the pretend boyfriend, remember? So hold my hand Marcus."

"Really? Now?"

"Yeah, right now."

I huffed out a breath that fogged the air between us and I had lost all feeling from the knees down thanks to my wet jeans. The snow kept falling, unrelenting in the oddly pink night sky, and I wondered which of us would break first. But it was me. "Fine." And I snatched his hand.

"That's better, at least I can catch you if you decide to fall again."

"Or I'll just drag you down with me."

"Ooh, as much as frolicking in the snow sounds. I'd rather be in a warm bed."

"Seriously Walker, no more talking," He laughed like I was the most hilarious person he's ever been near and it made me smile. "Oh, just thought," I chimed as we made our way in. "What's the extra bag you got there?"

He smiled and winked. "Secret," Oh for fucks sake. So Ignored his childish reply and went up to the desk to get the room key and sign off that I'm here for the wedding. Walker wanders a little, marveling at the place. It really was some five star place. They even had a grand piano that sat under a huge glass chandler in the restaurant. My sister had taste, very expensive taste. "Hey," Walker flinched when I tapped him on the shoulder. "Key." I dangled it in front of his face, when I suddenly heard a high pitched squeal and I spun around to see Lily.

"Oh my god, Marcus," she said and ran up to me, not leaving it a second before wrapping her arms around me. "I'm so happy you're here," she whispered. "I really thought mom and dad would have put you off."

I pulled away. "Nothing would ever keep me from watching you get married."

"Oh, hey….Walker," My sister was a ball of bright sunshine. "I'm glad you came."

"Oh yeah, this one here was practically dragging me." He pointed my way.

"Really? Marcus. It's about time you settled down."

Wait….what the fuck? Settle? "Oh...no, no, no...it's...well, not exactly like that," They both stare at me. God, this was awkward. He is meant to be my pretend boyfriend, but only where my parents were concerned, oh and Dana. "Ahh, man...I'm so tired, can we do this tomorrow."

Lily giggled. "Yeah sure. Get settled. We have that dinner tomorrow."

"Alright," And I leaned in and kissed her warm rosey cheek. "See you tomorrow, maybe for breakfast?"

"Oh yes, definitely. Set your alarm for eight and I'll meet you with Darryl for breakfast."

"What about…"

"Mom and dad? Probably them too, sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I will see you in the morning."

"Night you two. See you both in the morning."

I gave her another kiss and me and Walker made our way to the room. It was silent. But not really awkward anymore, although my eye kept catching that extra bag he was carrying. "Seriously what's in the bag?"

"I told you, it's a secret," I hope to god it's not a bag full of lube and condoms. That would be weird. Tomorrow is going to be weird. This whole week is most likely going to be weird. But until then, I'm showering, ordering room service and laying my ass down. "Holy mother of god, this room is huge. Look...even a fireplace and sofa."

I looked around and thought the same. This was crazy and maybe a little romantic. Walker glanced at me, a soft, warm smile on his face. Something in the pit of my stomach did a backflip. That… was new. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, putting the bags down. "So, how's all this going to go? With your folks and all?" Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Walker was right. We really should have talked about this earlier. "I’ll go along with whatever you want," he said. "Drunken New Year’s blowjob included."

Despite myself, I laughed again. Nothing worried him. I wished I could have his level of calm in the face of stress. Although, he wasn’t the one about to lie to his parents, was he? It was a little easier for him to be calm. "I’d want to have been dating you longer than that," I said. "New Year’s was a week ago."

"Ooh, so this is a long-term deal?" He said, wriggling from his thick knit cardi. "Are we in love?"

"I…" I’m not sure what to say. I absolutely couldn’t admit to Walker that I wasn’t sure I’d ever been in love at all. Even with Tom. I don't know what the fuck that was. God. What would he think of me? What would he think if he really knew the Marcus I once was. The depraved dominant asshole who liked dishing out pain to make myself feel….less hurt. "I don't know, let's eat and chat soon." I needed a little more time to think about my approach. Although whatever way I put things to my parents would be wrong or disgusting. So I guess it doesn't really matter. I might as well enjoy myself.