A Little Side of Geek Read online

  “Like a bunch of damned djinn farting trumpets in my head.” Felipe scraped a hand through his dark hair. “So if you don’t mind not banging around out here, I’d really appreciate it.”

  That had to be the most colorful description of a hangover Theo ever heard in his life. Morris came around the corner, took one look at Theo shirtless and sweaty, then at Felipe half-naked and scowling, and stopped with a double take.

  “Now I know I’m dreaming.” Morris’s gaze lingered on Theo’s bare chest and Theo’s cheer rebounded. Maybe they didn’t have much in common on the surface, but Morris was interested. That had to count for something.

  “Tell me about it,” Theo said, giving him the once-over in return. Morris had foregone his usual kilt in favor of cargo shorts that draped him in ways the kilt never could, and a tight Batman T-shirt that showed off his broad shoulders. Theo liked that almost as much. Damn, Morris was easy to watch.

  “Ugh, fine, you two flirt and make gaga eyes at each other.” Felipe stalked back toward the apartment. “I’m grabbing my shit and heading home. I have a costume commission to finish up by tomorrow, and my whole family’s getting together today for a celebration. Fuck me. Fuck!”

  “Go, and take your attitude with you.” Morris shook his head and gave Felipe a friendly push as he went by. Felipe shoved him back, but Theo noted the little smile on his lips and refrained from saying anything. Morris glanced at the backboard mounted over the garage. “You know, I noticed when it went up, but I wasn’t actually expecting anyone to play.”

  “You mean you haven’t heard me almost every morning?” Theo asked as he walked slowly toward Morris.

  Morris looked a little embarrassed. “Sorry, once I’m in the zone, I tune out everything. And I’m usually hard at work by now.”

  “So the myth of the artist sleeping in until the afternoon and working into the wee hours of the morning is just that?” Theo stopped in front of him and tilted his head back to look at Morris.

  “For this artist at least. Though I have pulled the occasional all-nighter and slept through lunch afterward.” Morris glanced back toward the apartment. “Don’t mind him. He’s a little hurt and disappointed right now, and he tends to wear that out where everybody can see it until he gets over it.”

  “No worries,” Theo said easily. “It didn’t seem to be personally directed, so I didn’t take it that way. Some men don’t like mornings.” His curiosity got the better of him. “I take it you had a bitchfest last night? Love problems?”

  Morris blew out a breath. “I wouldn’t go that far. I don’t think Felipe loves Dakota, even if he’s hurt and pissed. If he did, he’d be putting up more of a fight.”

  “Dakota….” Theo tried to remember him among the group of Morris’s friends he’d met. “Stocky guy? A bit heavy on the country twang?”

  “Yeah. That’s him. Felipe and him have been hitting it casually for the last year or so. I think that’s come to a screeching halt.” Morris smiled as Theo touched his cheek. He leaned down and gave Theo a quick kiss with the air of a man greatly daring. Those little moments of shyness were a delight, and Theo suspected they’d disappear once Morris got more comfortable with him. He’d miss them when they were gone. “I was hoping to see you again last night.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to come out. We were slammed.” Theo hooked his arm around Morris’s neck and kissed him in the dappled morning sun. Morris’s lips were warm and inviting, and he deepened the kiss, pulling Morris a little closer.

  “Get a room, you two.” Felipe’s tart voice whipped at them, but when Theo pulled back, a little breathless, he saw the hint of a smile on the man’s face.

  “Hush, you. It’s my driveway. I’ll kiss Morris if I want to.”

  Morris lifted his hand in a wave. “See you at Awesome Con, man.”

  “Yep, and then at your place in a couple weeks.” Felipe pointed a finger at Morris, his eyes narrowing. “You’d better not let me down. I swear it, Proctor, there will be a riot.”

  “Trust me. Shut your trap and trust me. I’ve got this.”

  Theo watched Felipe drive away in his rattling old sedan and turned back to Morris. “What’s going on in a couple weeks?”

  “We have game night every third Saturday we don’t have a con. And I’m hosting the next one.” Morris popped the basketball out of Theo’s arms, caught it, and juggled it from hand to hand. “I don’t suppose you’d mind giving me the recipe for those deviled eggs? Maybe something else that would be easy and impressive? I really need to make up for the last time I hosted. You heard Felipe. If I don’t deliver on my promise, I’m a dead man.”

  “How bad was it?” Theo asked, remembering Morris’s description of the contents of his freezer.

  “They haven’t let me live it down and it’s been six months.” Morris swung the ball behind his back as Theo made a halfhearted swipe for it.

  “Sure, come up with the menu you want, and I’ll lay out instructions for you. Make sure you give yourself plenty of prep time. When you’re doing several things for a party, it can get crazy.” Theo wished he didn’t have to work on Saturdays. He hadn’t had a good game night in ages. “What kind of games? Poker? I play a mean hand.”

  Morris stared at him blankly for a moment and tucked the ball against his hip. “Poker? Hell naw. Tabletop games, or role-playing when we can, but we lost our GM so it makes it difficult.”

  Theo was almost afraid to ask because he had no idea what Morris was talking about. Role-playing sounded like a sex game to him, and he was sure it wasn’t that. “So like Monopoly? Or is it dressing up in costumes?”

  “Felipe is our costume guy. I only get dressed up for the Ren Faire, or maybe some conventions if we get a group going. Role-playing, like Dungeon & Dragons. That’s the one most people have heard of, though we play all kinds. You make a character, sit around a table with other players and their characters, and the GM, gamemaster, comes up with the game scenarios.” Morris tossed the ball in the air and cast a wary look at Theo. “Dressing up wouldn’t be a deal breaker with our fling, would it?”

  Dungeons & Dragons. Theo was sure there had been a club at his high school that played the game. It sounded like something Lincoln would love. “Nope, wear whatever you want. Just as long as you don’t expect me to dress up. I don’t think I can pull it off as well as you and Felipe.”

  “Don’t be so sure. I think you could absolutely pull off a kilt during the Celtic Celebration weekend,” Morris said as Theo reached for the ball. He held it up over his head with a teasing grin. “You’ve got to do better than that.”

  Theo had played this keep-away game many times before. His teammates in high school had been sure a short white guy couldn’t hang with them. He jumped up and swatted the ball out of Morris’s hand.

  “Hey!” Morris leaped for it at the same time Theo did, and Theo shouldered him out of the way. Grabbing the ball, he swiveled, only to find Morris blocking him. Theo grinned, his heart pumping strongly both at the thought of a decent opponent and by Morris’s nearness. Theo feinted and dashed around Morris as the taller man tried to steal the ball. Damn, those long arms had a killer reach. He went for the shot, and Morris blocked it again. Theo scrambled for the ball, caught it, and threw it from the far side of the driveway.

  Morris put his hands on his hips and shook his head as the ball swished through the net. “You’ve got some sick moves. I can’t believe it.”

  “Did you ever play?” Theo asked as he trotted forward to snag the ball before passing it to Morris.

  “Not really,” Morris said, dribbling as Theo faced off against him. “After my first major growth spurt, no one would shut up about me playing, so I did for a bit. Mostly with friends at the park. Never made the team at school, though. Coach was more likely to find a pencil and sketchbook in my hands instead of the ball. He told me to come back when I got my head out of the damn clouds.”

  “Coach told me I couldn’t play, said I was too short. But I ke
pt showing up for tryouts and practices anyway.” Theo made a grab for the ball, and Morris bobbled it before recovering.

  “Let me guess, you wore him down.” Morris tried to go for the shot, and Theo jumped up to block him.

  “Yeah. Played my junior and senior year, went to state,” Theo said as Morris went for the shot again, bounced it off the headboard, caught the rebound, and sank it the second time. “Nice job.”

  Theo caught the ball and glanced at his watch. As much as he regretted it, it was time to go in and get washed up for work. “I’ve got to go. When you get that list together, drop it off upstairs. If Lincoln’s off, he’ll hold it for me.”

  “Before you go….” Morris stopped him with a hand on his arm. “You still interested in a day outing?”

  Theo eyeballed Morris even as his heart thumped in anticipation. Morris had called this a fling several times, which Theo took to mean he wasn’t looking for any kind of a commitment. And as much as he wanted the challenge of getting Morris to agree to more, it was probably for the best. Theo wasn’t in a position right now to offer that to anyone. A fling—he liked the sound of that—a nice, hot, exciting fling.

  “More than interested.” Theo tucked the ball under his arm. “I have a late shift next Tuesday. I don’t have to be in until four.”

  “Tuesday’s good. That’ll give me some time to set things up and I won’t be worrying about this weekend’s big con.” Morris smiled slowly. “You’re not the type to get seasick, are you? Have a deathly fear of water?”

  Theo shook his head. “Water, not so much. Bridges tend to give me some trouble if they’re sprung on me. Why?”

  “It’s a surprise. I’ll text you the details if I can get them worked out.” With that Morris turned and walked toward his apartment, leaving a mystified Theo to stare after him. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what Morris had planned. His gaze dropped to the way those cargo shorts draped his fine ass as Morris glanced over his shoulder and caught him ogling.

  Morris raised one eyebrow. “Enjoying the view?”

  “What can I say?” Theo snagged his T-shirt and tossed it over his shoulder. “I’m only human. If you want to keep providing me eye candy with the kilts and the tight T-shirts and the cargo shorts, I sure as hell am not going to complain.”

  “Speaking of clothes, wear a bathing suit. You’re liable to get wet.”

  That sounded even more promising. “Hey, Morris.” Theo paused as Morris turned back to him again. “Any chance for privacy on this wet and watery outing so I can get my greedy hands on you?”

  Morris’s dark eyes lowered in that shy, seductive look he got. Theo wondered if he was even aware he did it. “I think I can guarantee that.”

  Whistling, Theo tossed the ball in the air as he headed around to his half of the house. Tuesday couldn’t come fast enough.

  Chapter Nine

  THE MAIN warehouse-sized room of the DC Convention Center was packed end to end with vendors and those hawking their personal creative endeavors, whether it was art, books, or crafts. Cosplayers and attendees crowded the walkways as staff in their Awesome Con T-shirts wielding walkie-talkies added to the cacophony. Brenden loved the whole mad spectacle as much as he loved the quieter shows only the die-hard attended.

  He surveyed it all from behind his little table, where he was promoting the next Chessie Con. One day, Chessie Con would be this big. He’d made a name for himself in the Chesapeake Bay area, but after seeing Awesome Con explode, he realized the area was ripe for megacons. Why the hell not aim big? Brenden fully intended to leave his stamp on the local scene he loved.

  He caught a glimpse of Dakota making his way toward the table, juggling a water bottle and some sodas. His chest tightened as he felt the unwelcome, oh-so-familiar tug of love and desire.

  He’s your brother.

  The voice that nagged him had the tone of his foster mother, and Brenden looked away from the constant temptation. Problem was, ever since they’d met, Brenden never thought of Dakota as a brother. A continual burr under his skin, oh yeah. His oldest and most constant friend that he relied on, check. The man that haunted his dreams…. Brenden sighed. The universe hated him. It had taken the man who was perfect for him, who balanced him in every way, and made him his foster brother.

  Didn’t matter anyway. Dakota was taken, by that pain in the ass Felipe, whom Brenden desperately wanted to hate but couldn’t quite bring himself to. He should thank Felipe for occupying so much of Dakota’s attention and getting him out of Brenden’s hair. Brenden couldn’t find it in him to thank Felipe either.

  He had to get used to the idea of them being a couple because Brenden hadn’t known Dakota to stick with one guy until that kid came around. What was there not to like? Felipe was good-looking, insanely creative, and had enough attitude to keep Dakota engaged. He could be annoying, but he wasn’t a bad guy. The truth was most of Brenden’s annoyance came from the fact Dakota couldn’t seem to quit him.

  Dakota paused in front of the table, staring at the setup with a frown. Brenden’s gaze slid over him, caressing the blocky shoulders and stocky frame, before lingering on his face. He’d never be pretty like Felipe or have the smooth good looks of Morris, but Brenden loved his face with its too square jaw, hard mouth, and equally uncompromising nose. Dakota’s face revealed everything about the stubborn man… and dammit, Brenden was not going to stare at him.

  “You need a new banner,” Dakota said, handing Brenden the water he’d asked for. “No… not so much a banner, a new logo, something a little more eye-catching and creative. We’ve been using this one for years now.”

  Brenden twisted around to stare up at the banner. It was a little plain. A new logo might be a good idea. Then they could sell T-shirts at shows too. It would make their staff seem more like a cohesive unit. “I’ll give it some thought.” He scooted over as Dakota joined him, vitally aware of every move Dakota made. “Anything interesting going on?”

  “Always. I ran into James Marsters. He lost his badge and the idjit at the gate didn’t recognize him.” Dakota rolled his eyes. “Which makes me think if we’re going to do this con of yours, we’re going to have to quadruple our staff and volunteers. Marsters was cool, though. We had a great conversation while we were waiting for his handler to show up to vouch for him.”

  Dakota bounced from one topic to another as thoughts came to him, and it always amazed Brenden he was able to stay on topic for a podcast. “You ask him to be on Geek Wars?” Brenden knew Dakota well. The man was always hustling a new angle.

  “Yeah, but he’s flying out midafternoon tomorrow. I won’t have time to pull something together. Can you imagine if Boreanaz was here too? We could do a Spike versus Angel. Fuck, that would’ve been awesome.” Dakota shook his head with a regretful sigh and rocked on the hind legs of his chair. “But he’s letting me interview him in his room tonight.”

  Dakota had an innate knack for being in the right place at the right time. Two Awesome Con staff members went by, heading toward one of the curtained-off panel rooms. They looked harried. Dakota had a point; they would need more people. Brenden would start with his usual team and take recommendations from them for others. He was going to have to relinquish some authority and control if this was going to work. It would be utterly impossible for one man to handle all the details. The thought of relinquishing authority and control made Brenden twitch. The only one Brenden trusted with authority in his name was Dakota.

  “I think you’re right.” Brenden narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of Felipe through the crowd. The young cosplayer had outdone himself again, dressed in a dark blue jumpsuit, splashed with white ichor. Brenden wanted a closer look at what Felipe had come up with for the rest, but he was a sad, terrible human being because he did not want to see Felipe and Dakota together. He should be happy for them, not covetous.

  “Of course, I’m always right.” Dakota smirked as Brenden raised a brow at him. “You know I am, so which part are you going to
praise me about now?”

  “Your ego needs no stroking,” Brenden said dryly. “I was thinking about the staff and volunteers.”

  “And the banner,” Dakota pressed. “You should have Jackie design it.”

  Brenden shook his head. “I know she’s your buddy, and I’ll admit she did a kickass job for you, but her style doesn’t suit me.”

  “Are you for real?” Dakota scoffed. “What do you know about style? Her images pop. That’s what you want, a pop.”

  “I’m not saying she’s not talented, and she’s got a uniqueness all her own, but her art lacks a little elegance, which—”

  “Elegance?” Dakota snorted, and Brenden pressed his lips together, holding back the edge of his temper. Dakota knew which tone to use to get Brenden’s blood simmering. “Your mascot is a damned mythical water monster. Are you fucking kidding me? Elegance he says, fuck me.”

  Brenden turned toward him, bristling. “Elegance can be eye-catching.”

  “Do you two morons ever give it a rest?” Felipe said in a tart, acidic voice. “How come you haven’t killed each other in the last fifteen years?”

  “Believe me, I’ve considered it.” Brenden took in the rest of Felipe’s costume. A rent in the side of his jumpsuit had ivory ropes of synthetic guts spilling out and a facehugger was wrapped around his arm. “Not a bad job, Suero. Where’d you buy all the props?”

  Felipe drew himself up. “Buy? Bitch, I made this. Designed the molds and the jumpsuit.” He held up the facehugger for closer inspection. “Did all the painting for this sucker.”

  The guy had talent, and he knew his craft. Brenden bet people would show up to his panels if he gave Felipe a slot, but his tendency to flout the rules made him hesitate. Be honest with yourself, at least. Brenden sighed inwardly. The only reason he shoved Suero away was because for the last year Dakota had been chasing him and letting himself be chased. Dakota never stuck with one guy that long. It was jealousy, pure and simple. And Brenden had to let it go before it ate him alive.