to this show, or maybe someone putting me in my place. When I showed up, they all of a sudden didn’t need my comedy shtick. That’s why I cooled my heels in the back while you wowed ’em all with your death-defying stunts. I’m a washed-up has-been, Jonah Bratton, two steps away from being booted out on my ass.” He continued to hold Jonah’s wrist loosely in his hand. “But I’ve never thought of you as a whore, not by any means.”
Jonah’s eyes welled with tears, and he looked away as he pulled his hand back. “Then you must be the Lone Ranger, man.”
Max sighed in frustration, and he sat back on the couch, running a hand through his short hair. “Look, son, I was your age once. I know it’s rough.” A muscle tensed in his jaw. “Wish I was there when they tried that shit, because believe me, I’d like to set a few of them assholes straight about a few things.”
Jonah remained silent, but Max could see his shoulders shook just a little. The soft spot in his heart, the one he had to keep hidden from Seth lest he be tormented about it, grew and he could feel Jonah’s anguish. At last, Jonah raised a hand to his face, and Max watched as he struggled to regain his composure.
“They don’t want to be set straight, though,” Jonah mumbled at last. “They’ve been doing it forever.” He turned red-rimmed eyes on Max. “Wouldn’t much appreciate having their fun squelched.” He shrugged. “I can handle it though.” His cheeks quivered a little as he smiled. “I’m damn good at it, so they don’t give me a bad time. Hell, sometimes they even pay me.”
Max’s eyes closed, and he gritted his teeth. “It ain’t right, Jonah; no one should be treated that way.”
“Forget about it. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Jonah sighed and sat up straight in the chair. “I just, well,” he paused, biting on his lip for a moment, “I guess I just envy what you have with Seth.”
“It ain’t what it looks like,” Max said. Immediately after, soft color stained his cheeks and his eyes fluttered open. “I mean, fuck. I guess I shouldn’t have said anything, either. Seth’s been bitter ever since IEW let him go with best wishes on his future endeavors.”
Jonah grinned over at him ruefully. “Well, we make a lovely pair then, huh? Christmas Eve, we’re in the armpit of the world, and we’re making asses of ourselves with each other.”
Before he could stop them, the words were out of Max’s mouth. “Couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather do it with, though.”
Jonah gasped, color draining from his face.
“Shit, Jonah, I didn’t mean that like it sounded,” Max said, dropping his feet to the floor.
“How did you mean it, then?” Jonah asked quietly.
“I mean….” Max ran his hand over his hair again, looking agitated. “I like you. I always have.” He stopped, swallowed hard, and then gripped his hands together in his lap.
Very slowly, Jonah slipped out of his chair and crawled the short distance across the floor toward the couch. He knelt by Max’s feet and gazed up into his eyes.
“I like you, too, Max. Truth be told, if I envy what you have with Seth, it’s because I envy Seth.” He reached up and put his hand on Max’s knee. “You know Seth and I don’t really see eye to eye. We came on the circuit around the same time, and even though he’s a foot taller and seventy-five pounds heavier, we did the same flipping twists off the ropes. He thinks I stole the move from him, but truth is he stole it from me.” He was silent for a moment, “After a while, when I realized that you and Seth were together, that was just one more thing to make me hate him all the more.”
Very slowly, Max unclasped his hands. He reached out and cupped the side of Jonah’s face gently, his eyes speaking volumes. “Listen, son,” he said very softly, his vodka-scented breath whispering past Jonah’s cheek, “I don’t want this to look like I’m taking advantage of
Jonah’s eyes welled with tears, and he looked away as he pulled his hand back. “Then you must be the Lone Ranger, man.”
Max sighed in frustration, and he sat back on the couch, running a hand through his short hair. “Look, son, I was your age once. I know it’s rough.” A muscle tensed in his jaw. “Wish I was there when they tried that shit, because believe me, I’d like to set a few of them assholes straight about a few things.”
Jonah remained silent, but Max could see his shoulders shook just a little. The soft spot in his heart, the one he had to keep hidden from Seth lest he be tormented about it, grew and he could feel Jonah’s anguish. At last, Jonah raised a hand to his face, and Max watched as he struggled to regain his composure.
“They don’t want to be set straight, though,” Jonah mumbled at last. “They’ve been doing it forever.” He turned red-rimmed eyes on Max. “Wouldn’t much appreciate having their fun squelched.” He shrugged. “I can handle it though.” His cheeks quivered a little as he smiled. “I’m damn good at it, so they don’t give me a bad time. Hell, sometimes they even pay me.”
Max’s eyes closed, and he gritted his teeth. “It ain’t right, Jonah; no one should be treated that way.”
“Forget about it. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Jonah sighed and sat up straight in the chair. “I just, well,” he paused, biting on his lip for a moment, “I guess I just envy what you have with Seth.”
“It ain’t what it looks like,” Max said. Immediately after, soft color stained his cheeks and his eyes fluttered open. “I mean, fuck. I guess I shouldn’t have said anything, either. Seth’s been bitter ever since IEW let him go with best wishes on his future endeavors.”
Jonah grinned over at him ruefully. “Well, we make a lovely pair then, huh? Christmas Eve, we’re in the armpit of the world, and we’re making asses of ourselves with each other.”
Before he could stop them, the words were out of Max’s mouth. “Couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather do it with, though.”
Jonah gasped, color draining from his face.
“Shit, Jonah, I didn’t mean that like it sounded,” Max said, dropping his feet to the floor.
“How did you mean it, then?” Jonah asked quietly.
“I mean….” Max ran his hand over his hair again, looking agitated. “I like you. I always have.” He stopped, swallowed hard, and then gripped his hands together in his lap.
Very slowly, Jonah slipped out of his chair and crawled the short distance across the floor toward the couch. He knelt by Max’s feet and gazed up into his eyes.
“I like you, too, Max. Truth be told, if I envy what you have with Seth, it’s because I envy Seth.” He reached up and put his hand on Max’s knee. “You know Seth and I don’t really see eye to eye. We came on the circuit around the same time, and even though he’s a foot taller and seventy-five pounds heavier, we did the same flipping twists off the ropes. He thinks I stole the move from him, but truth is he stole it from me.” He was silent for a moment, “After a while, when I realized that you and Seth were together, that was just one more thing to make me hate him all the more.”
Very slowly, Max unclasped his hands. He reached out and cupped the side of Jonah’s face gently, his eyes speaking volumes. “Listen, son,” he said very softly, his vodka-scented breath whispering past Jonah’s cheek, “I don’t want this to look like I’m taking advantage of
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