no
food. I suppose you can bring something you like to drink."
"Okay. Thanks, Sherlane. See ya soon."
"Bye, Butch. Have a safe drive."
He hung up and stared at Roman. "Whatcha
doin'?" Butch walked behind him, seeing the computer screen was
filled with text files.
"Trying to figure out where the location was
in Salt Lake City when we located that cult."
Butch still held the phone and tried to read
the print over Roman's shoulder. "You should have the location
written down. You ATF agents don't miss a thing." He leaned down
and sniffed Roman's hair.
Roman glanced back at him.
Charlie stood at the doorway. "You call
Vernon?"
Butch straightened up, holding up the phone.
"Yeah. I spoke to Sherlane. She said anytime we come is fine. She's
already got the cabins all fixed up. She said all they need is
booze."
"Okay." Charlie stepped into the small room.
"Why don't you wrap the Christmas presents we bought?"
"Now?" Butch asked.
"Why not now?" Charlie asked.
"Why do I always feel like yer tryin' to get
rid of me?" Butch frowned.
"Ya know that ain't it. I just need the
presents wrapped."
Butch looked back at Roman, caught his gaze,
read nothing in it, and left the room.
~
Charlie watched him go. "He's got a crush on
you now more than ever, Roman."
"I know." Roman tapped keys. "Look. Here's
the old file." Roman pointed to it on the screen.
"Any addresses?"
"A few." Roman brought up a new screen and
cut and pasted the names and phone numbers into it.
The sound of Roman's mobile phone chimed from
the kitchen.
Butch yelled, "Ya want me to get that?"
"I'll get it," Charlie told Roman and then
kissed Roman's cheek and walked down the hall. He met Butch who was
holding a pair of scissors in his hand. "I got it." Charlie picked
up the phone and could see it was Phil Dean calling. "Phil?" he
answered, putting the phone to his ear.
"Roman?"
"No. It's Charlie. Hang on." Charlie walked
down the hall, looking back to see Butch locating tape and bringing
it to the living room.
He handed Roman the phone. "It's Phil
Dean."
Roman made a sour face and took it. "What?
Let me guess. Nick asked you to babysit."
Charlie left Roman alone and sat with Butch
on the floor of the living room. He picked up a small box and
placed it on the floor in front of him. Charlie reached for the
green and red wrapping paper and Butch handed it to him. "Roman is
my man. You know that."
Butch spun around to stare at him.
"I mean it." Charlie cut a piece of the
paper.
"I know. I didn't do nothin'. But you boys
let me watch once in a while."
"We did. Not no more."
"'Cause of the wolf thing?"
"That an' I don't think it's right. You need
yer own fella."
"I'm not tryin' to take Roman from ya.
Honest, Charlie."
"But yer keen on him. I see the way you
stare." Charlie folded the edges of the paper, taping it.
"I stare at ya both."
"I ain't stupid, Butch."
Butch blew out a loud exhale. "I can't help
it. He's…he's…"
"I know." Charlie dug through a plastic bag
of bows. "But right now, with the pressure of this wolf thing
coming back, and bein' let off work, he don't need you sniffin' at
his hindquarters."
"So. I can't even watch no more? Can't jerk
off with ya?" Butch tossed a wrapped box aside and picked up
another one.
"I hate to say no, since I think its harmless
fun, but…no."
"She-it, Charlie. I got no sex life.
None."
"Go out an' find a man."
"Are you kiddin' me? In Washoe County? I'll
be strung up. I'd have to go to Reno. I can't date men here. Or in
Heber."
"Have ya tried online stuff? I think there
are gay fellas everywhere. Ya just have to find them."
"Oh no. Not them sites. No way. Some of them
lure gay boys and then kill 'em. No, thank you, kindly." Butch cut
a piece of the wrapping paper to fit the large flat box which held
a scarf for Connie.
"Look, I do appreciate yer attraction to
Roman. He's, well, special. In every way. I know that best. Believe
me."
"I told ya. I'm not askin' to take him."
Butch reached for the tape
food. I suppose you can bring something you like to drink."
"Okay. Thanks, Sherlane. See ya soon."
"Bye, Butch. Have a safe drive."
He hung up and stared at Roman. "Whatcha
doin'?" Butch walked behind him, seeing the computer screen was
filled with text files.
"Trying to figure out where the location was
in Salt Lake City when we located that cult."
Butch still held the phone and tried to read
the print over Roman's shoulder. "You should have the location
written down. You ATF agents don't miss a thing." He leaned down
and sniffed Roman's hair.
Roman glanced back at him.
Charlie stood at the doorway. "You call
Vernon?"
Butch straightened up, holding up the phone.
"Yeah. I spoke to Sherlane. She said anytime we come is fine. She's
already got the cabins all fixed up. She said all they need is
booze."
"Okay." Charlie stepped into the small room.
"Why don't you wrap the Christmas presents we bought?"
"Now?" Butch asked.
"Why not now?" Charlie asked.
"Why do I always feel like yer tryin' to get
rid of me?" Butch frowned.
"Ya know that ain't it. I just need the
presents wrapped."
Butch looked back at Roman, caught his gaze,
read nothing in it, and left the room.
~
Charlie watched him go. "He's got a crush on
you now more than ever, Roman."
"I know." Roman tapped keys. "Look. Here's
the old file." Roman pointed to it on the screen.
"Any addresses?"
"A few." Roman brought up a new screen and
cut and pasted the names and phone numbers into it.
The sound of Roman's mobile phone chimed from
the kitchen.
Butch yelled, "Ya want me to get that?"
"I'll get it," Charlie told Roman and then
kissed Roman's cheek and walked down the hall. He met Butch who was
holding a pair of scissors in his hand. "I got it." Charlie picked
up the phone and could see it was Phil Dean calling. "Phil?" he
answered, putting the phone to his ear.
"Roman?"
"No. It's Charlie. Hang on." Charlie walked
down the hall, looking back to see Butch locating tape and bringing
it to the living room.
He handed Roman the phone. "It's Phil
Dean."
Roman made a sour face and took it. "What?
Let me guess. Nick asked you to babysit."
Charlie left Roman alone and sat with Butch
on the floor of the living room. He picked up a small box and
placed it on the floor in front of him. Charlie reached for the
green and red wrapping paper and Butch handed it to him. "Roman is
my man. You know that."
Butch spun around to stare at him.
"I mean it." Charlie cut a piece of the
paper.
"I know. I didn't do nothin'. But you boys
let me watch once in a while."
"We did. Not no more."
"'Cause of the wolf thing?"
"That an' I don't think it's right. You need
yer own fella."
"I'm not tryin' to take Roman from ya.
Honest, Charlie."
"But yer keen on him. I see the way you
stare." Charlie folded the edges of the paper, taping it.
"I stare at ya both."
"I ain't stupid, Butch."
Butch blew out a loud exhale. "I can't help
it. He's…he's…"
"I know." Charlie dug through a plastic bag
of bows. "But right now, with the pressure of this wolf thing
coming back, and bein' let off work, he don't need you sniffin' at
his hindquarters."
"So. I can't even watch no more? Can't jerk
off with ya?" Butch tossed a wrapped box aside and picked up
another one.
"I hate to say no, since I think its harmless
fun, but…no."
"She-it, Charlie. I got no sex life.
None."
"Go out an' find a man."
"Are you kiddin' me? In Washoe County? I'll
be strung up. I'd have to go to Reno. I can't date men here. Or in
Heber."
"Have ya tried online stuff? I think there
are gay fellas everywhere. Ya just have to find them."
"Oh no. Not them sites. No way. Some of them
lure gay boys and then kill 'em. No, thank you, kindly." Butch cut
a piece of the wrapping paper to fit the large flat box which held
a scarf for Connie.
"Look, I do appreciate yer attraction to
Roman. He's, well, special. In every way. I know that best. Believe
me."
"I told ya. I'm not askin' to take him."
Butch reached for the tape
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