under it.”
“Oh, cool.” Odis grinned. “A scavenger hunt.”
“Yeah, I guess. Didn’t know what the key was for until the next postcard came. It told me to check in the upstairs linen closet. And I found a small lockbox that the key fit. Inside was a pawn ticket.”
“This is sounding very elaborate. Who was sending the cards?”
“Never found out. At first I thought it might be Sharon, but she was at a business thing in Baltimore, and the cards were postmarked from New York. I asked her about it, but she didn’t know. She seemed as surprised as I was, but agreed it was exactly the kind of thing Nate would do.”
“So, the pawn ticket?”
“Was for a book, Woke Up In a Strange Place . I found a note stuck between pages thirty-eight and thirty-nine.”
“Ah, your age. I admire his cleverness. But I never heard of that book. What’s the story about?”
“It’s about a gay guy who wakes up in the afterlife and the journey he goes through to reconcile with the life he lived.”
“Oh. Well, fuck. That’s almost a kick in the nuts.”
“Exactly.” Bobby drained his mug. “Although it was a great book. I sat and read it all that night.”
Odis kept trying to catch Bobby’s gaze, but the other man’s eyes stayed aimed at the table as he sipped his mug.
“Had to go through several more steps before I found your receipt, with a plane ticket and a note to come out here and pick up the sculpture.”
“Humph.” Odis got up and brought the carafe over to fill Bobby’s mug. He set the empty carafe down on the table after topping off his own.
“Yeah, humph. Not only did he set all of that up, there’s the thing with preordering the bust too.”
“I’m sorry,” Odis apologized. “Knowing all that now, I might have screwed up another surprise of his. He prob’ly set up another little thing for the anniversary.”
“Well, I’m through with surprises. I’m trying to get past all this, move on, ya know. But Nathan keeps showing up and yanking me back down, it feels like.”
“Humph,” Odis replied. It seemed more like Nathan was kicking Bobby in the butt to get him moving again. It was kind of a harsh thought, though, so he didn’t say it aloud.
Bobby gazed over at him. “We’re out of coffee,” he said, pointing to the table.
Odis stood up and started gathering dishes. “Suppose we should get ya on that plane, then.”
Bobby started to say something about getting kicked out but clamped his mouth. “Can we at least cuddle first?”
“Cuddle? Or do ya just mean that as a starting place?”
Bobby laughed. “Caught me.”
“Well, call Gertie and set up a flight. We’ll see how much time there is ’til you hafta get to the airport.”
“Why Gertie?”
“She has connections with workin’ the B and B. Plus she loves doin’ that kinda stuff.”
“Shit, the B and B. I’ve still got stuff over there.”
“Is it anything you need?”
“Not really, just some clothes and toiletries.”
“Then don’t worry about that. I can fetch it over here next time I’m in town.” Odis pointed at the wall phone by the kitchen area. “Pound key then one will speed-dial Gertie.”
Bobby picked up the phone as Odis disappeared into the bathroom. He updated Gertie on the situation, and she promised to call right back with details.
Odis returned from the bathroom, carrying Bobby’s dirty socks.
“She’ll call back in a few minutes when she’s done.”
Odis walked up to Bobby and gave him the socks and a warm kiss. Bobby thought it tasted too much like minty toothpaste but enjoyed the kiss anyway. Odis pulled away. “You know I don’t want ya to go, right?”
“I know. But you’re right. I’ve been putting this stuff off, and it’s time to deal with it. Once I get it out of the way, we can see where things are….”
Odis’s eyes hardened. “What do you mean? That sounds like a maybe.”
“But….” Bobby looked away. “I’m just—after I’m gone a few days, you might decide this was just a fun,
“Oh, cool.” Odis grinned. “A scavenger hunt.”
“Yeah, I guess. Didn’t know what the key was for until the next postcard came. It told me to check in the upstairs linen closet. And I found a small lockbox that the key fit. Inside was a pawn ticket.”
“This is sounding very elaborate. Who was sending the cards?”
“Never found out. At first I thought it might be Sharon, but she was at a business thing in Baltimore, and the cards were postmarked from New York. I asked her about it, but she didn’t know. She seemed as surprised as I was, but agreed it was exactly the kind of thing Nate would do.”
“So, the pawn ticket?”
“Was for a book, Woke Up In a Strange Place . I found a note stuck between pages thirty-eight and thirty-nine.”
“Ah, your age. I admire his cleverness. But I never heard of that book. What’s the story about?”
“It’s about a gay guy who wakes up in the afterlife and the journey he goes through to reconcile with the life he lived.”
“Oh. Well, fuck. That’s almost a kick in the nuts.”
“Exactly.” Bobby drained his mug. “Although it was a great book. I sat and read it all that night.”
Odis kept trying to catch Bobby’s gaze, but the other man’s eyes stayed aimed at the table as he sipped his mug.
“Had to go through several more steps before I found your receipt, with a plane ticket and a note to come out here and pick up the sculpture.”
“Humph.” Odis got up and brought the carafe over to fill Bobby’s mug. He set the empty carafe down on the table after topping off his own.
“Yeah, humph. Not only did he set all of that up, there’s the thing with preordering the bust too.”
“I’m sorry,” Odis apologized. “Knowing all that now, I might have screwed up another surprise of his. He prob’ly set up another little thing for the anniversary.”
“Well, I’m through with surprises. I’m trying to get past all this, move on, ya know. But Nathan keeps showing up and yanking me back down, it feels like.”
“Humph,” Odis replied. It seemed more like Nathan was kicking Bobby in the butt to get him moving again. It was kind of a harsh thought, though, so he didn’t say it aloud.
Bobby gazed over at him. “We’re out of coffee,” he said, pointing to the table.
Odis stood up and started gathering dishes. “Suppose we should get ya on that plane, then.”
Bobby started to say something about getting kicked out but clamped his mouth. “Can we at least cuddle first?”
“Cuddle? Or do ya just mean that as a starting place?”
Bobby laughed. “Caught me.”
“Well, call Gertie and set up a flight. We’ll see how much time there is ’til you hafta get to the airport.”
“Why Gertie?”
“She has connections with workin’ the B and B. Plus she loves doin’ that kinda stuff.”
“Shit, the B and B. I’ve still got stuff over there.”
“Is it anything you need?”
“Not really, just some clothes and toiletries.”
“Then don’t worry about that. I can fetch it over here next time I’m in town.” Odis pointed at the wall phone by the kitchen area. “Pound key then one will speed-dial Gertie.”
Bobby picked up the phone as Odis disappeared into the bathroom. He updated Gertie on the situation, and she promised to call right back with details.
Odis returned from the bathroom, carrying Bobby’s dirty socks.
“She’ll call back in a few minutes when she’s done.”
Odis walked up to Bobby and gave him the socks and a warm kiss. Bobby thought it tasted too much like minty toothpaste but enjoyed the kiss anyway. Odis pulled away. “You know I don’t want ya to go, right?”
“I know. But you’re right. I’ve been putting this stuff off, and it’s time to deal with it. Once I get it out of the way, we can see where things are….”
Odis’s eyes hardened. “What do you mean? That sounds like a maybe.”
“But….” Bobby looked away. “I’m just—after I’m gone a few days, you might decide this was just a fun,
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