Vacation Therapy by Lance Zarimba Page B

temperature was warm enough, I wouldn't have to...” Logan balled his fingers into a fist and straightened them out, wiggling them as if he was typing on a keyboard.
    "Just because it's warm down here, doesn't mean your body won't hurt if you overdo or work in a bad position."
    "Enough shop talk,” Sergio interrupted. “Let's discuss something more interesting.” He turned to Tom. “So. What did you do all afternoon?"
    Tom turned to Sergio. “We can talk about that later, I'd like to hear more about what Logan's working on. I must've missed it this morning when I was napping."
    Sergio scrunched up his face, but said nothing.
    "I'm working on a new mystery,” Logan began. “Have you heard of the Axel Bolton and Bruce Abel mysteries? They're my detectives."
    "I hate stereotypes. Are they gay?” Sergio asked, quickly. “Are you?"
    Subtle Sergio, real subtle, I mused.
    "Oh, no,” Logan's face flushed a bright red, “we're not, I mean, I'm not.” He took a breath. “Not that there's anything wrong with being gay, but..."
    "What about your characters? Aren't they gay? I love Grant Michaels. He writes about a hairdresser, who just happens to be gay,” Sergio pressed.
    "I've read him. He has a fun series, a bit stereotypical of the profession.” Logan looked at Sergio. “Don't you think?"
    "Well, if the shoe fits...” Sergio said.
    "I guess, but in my new book, I'm sending my character Bruce on vacation."
    "And he's the gay one, right?” Sergio burst out into laughter. “Well, that's a stupid question. Aren't all Bruces gay?"
    We all stared at him. Talk about stereotyping, Sergio.
    Becoming defensive, Sergio huffed. “Well, they are, aren't they?"
    Tom and Logan broke out into laughter at Sergio's perceived joke. I smiled to myself and shook my head. I bet Sergio really believed it.
    Logan continued, “Bruce is very straight. He's going on vacation, away from his partner, Axel.” Logan looked at Sergio, “They're partners in a detective agency, but that's it. Anyway, I'm calling this book, Kill Me! Kill Me! Kill Me! (A Man After Midnight) . Bruce's vacation plans get mixed up somehow, and he finds himself at a gay resort in Mexico. As luck would have it, he finds a body in his bed, and then it disappears. Later on, he'll stumble across it again."
    Sergio coughed, spitting a mouthful of water that he had been drinking across the table. Embarrassed, he wiped his mouth. “I'm so sorry."
    Sergio glanced over at me, but I refused to make eye contact. I knew what he was thinking. I prayed, “Please don't say anything.” I felt with all the prayers I'd been saying on this trip, it was quickly becoming a religious retreat.
    Tom stared at me, and I read the same question in his mind.
    Logan glanced from me to Tom to Sergio. “What's going on here with you three? You all look like you've just seen a ghost."
    "It's difficult to explain,” I said, trying hard to decide if I should tell him the truth.
    But before I could say another word, I heard, “There, they're over here. Come on. I'm sure they won't mind if two more join them at their table."
    All eyes watched as a couple wove their way through the tables. The skinny guy from the jungle cruise wore a red and yellow Hawaiian shirt. His friend, a portly balding man with a red face, which may have been from sun or exertion, followed close behind.
    "Hi. Do you remember me?” the skinny guy said to me.
    Oh crap. I looked at him, shaking my head no, hoping to prevent them from joining us if I seemed not to remember him.
    "I was on that boat this afternoon. You two were there, right?” He pointed from Tom to me.
    Before I could answer, he continued. “I'm David, and this is David. Most people call us David and David."
    "These two saved my life today,” Skinny David said to Chubby David, pointing from Tom to me. “Not that they were the two that actually removed the snake from around my neck. Two other guys did that. No, actually one did. The other one slapped me