Behind the Stick Read online

  Kyle let Masen know he’d be stepping away, then slipped out from behind the bar and into the office where he went to the bathroom and washed his hands. He wasn’t surprised to hear the office door snick open and closed. He’d expected Jesse would seek him out at some point, even if only to bitch him out for working. Still, Kyle was glad he’d shut the bathroom door—he didn’t want anyone watching him huff and puff like a wheezy dragon.

  Quickly, he used the inhaler, taking care to hold the medicine in his lungs for the prescribed ten seconds before he exhaled. A shaky sensation ran through Kyle as he rinsed his mouth, and he pressed his hands together, his eyes on his reflection to ensure he looked human before he faced his friend.

  Kyle found Jesse leaning against the desk they shared, arms crossed over his chest. He surprised Kyle by saying nothing and going instead to the mini-fridge they kept near the bar cart. He retrieved a mineral water, then came back and handed it to Kyle, his face troubled above his fine brown tweed suit.

  “Are you all right?” Jesse asked, his voice somber.

  Kyle cracked open the water. “Yes. I feel fine.”

  “And why is Masen here early?”

  “In case I need to take more breaks than usual. I haven’t. I had a follow-up with primary care today and got the green light to do almost everything I’d normally do.”

  Jesse nodded. “Almost?”

  “No heavy aerobic activity for the rest of the week,” Kyle replied. “I certainly won’t be smoking cigarettes anytime soon. Lucky for me that I quit a couple of years ago.”

  “Your voice is shredded.”

  “It should pass.”

  “And the inhaler?” Jesse asked.

  “I have to use it a couple of times a day for the rest of the week as a precaution,” Kyle said. “My airways are irritated, and that may be as much from allergies as the smoke. The stuff makes me jittery, but it wears off after an hour or so.” He sipped from the water bottle while Jesse focused on his shoes, and the seconds ticked by.

  “Why didn’t you call me last night?” Jesse finally asked. “I mean…I know you’re an independent guy, but text messages from a hospital are beyond the pale. Not that I knew you were in the hospital because all your message said was ‘Got a sec?’”

  Kyle moved to the leather sofa and sat down. “My throat was jacked up a lot worse last night, Jes, and I messaged instead of talking. You wrote back that Cam’s family were at your place for dinner, so I tried Carter and Riley next.”

  “Kyle, come on.” Hurt marked Jesse’s face. “Yeah, we had people over, but I would have left and come to get you if I’d known what happened.”

  Kyle took a turn staring at his shoes. “I know,” he said.

  But did he really? Hadn’t he tried Carter and Riley because he’d felt unsure what Jesse would say if he knew the truth?

  Kyle licked his lips. No way could he say that without denting Jesse’s feelings in a big way. Not to mention the thought was completely unfair. Jesse would have come if Kyle had told him the truth, and Kyle knew that. He drew in a deep breath and fixed Jesse with a steady stare.

  “Honestly, I wasn’t thinking straight last night. By the time the doctor released me, I was so wiped out I had trouble texting at all. I just wanted out of there. The second Carter said he and Ri were home without the kids, I asked him to come get me.”

  Jesse’s expression shifted from hurt to contrite. “Fuck,” he muttered. He straightened up, then crossed the room and sat beside Kyle. “I’m not trying to give you a hard time. I’m…so fucking relieved you’re okay. I’m sorry.”

  “Jes—”

  Jesse shook his head and raised a hand to Kyle’s cheek. “I wasn’t there when you needed my help. If I could do it over again, I would call you right back and ask what you needed.” He searched Kyle’s face, a range of emotions flickering in his eyes—worry and affection chief among them—and Kyle’s throat ached for a whole different reason.

  “Jesus, Kyle.” Jesse knit his eyebrows. “You could have died.”

  “I know.”

  “Are you really okay? Carter sounded pretty freaked when he called last night.”

  “I am,” Kyle replied. “He and Riley took good care of me. They didn’t even make me shower before they tucked me into bed. Which is too bad because I’m sure I ruined the sheets in their guest room. Everything about me smelled like Satan’s sulfuric butthole by the time I passed out.”

  Jesse swept him into a sudden hug, and Kyle’s laugh turned into a groan under his friend’s crushing grip. “Dude. I really am gonna die if you keep doing that.”

  “Oh, shut up,” Jesse huffed. His voice sounded strained, but Kyle heard a thread of laughter, too. Kyle couldn’t say anything himself, though, because then Jesse’s mouth was on his.

  Kyle closed his eyes. Jesse kissed him deep, just the way Kyle liked, and Kyle pulled Jesse in tighter. Jesse pushed him back against the couch and heat coiled in Kyle’s groin.

  “Mmm, baby,” Jesse whispered against Kyle’s lips. He teased his fingers under the collar of Kyle’s black shirt and cupped the side of his neck.

  Kyle nipped at Jesse’s upper lip and relished the rasp of stubble against his skin, but he forced himself to break away when a low noise rolled through Jesse’s chest.

  “Your timing is shit,” Kyle groused. He rubbed Jesse’s back to lessen the sting of his words. “There’s a room full of people out there and more on the way. I can’t do this right now.”

  Jesse pressed his forehead to Kyle’s “I know. Not sorry, though.” He sat back and stroked Kyle’s shoulders, his touch possessive and rough. The intensity in Jesse’s gaze spoke volumes to Kyle, as did the tight set of his jaw. He looked stressed, so much so it read like anger, and Kyle’s gut tightened in understanding. Jesse was scared.

  Before Kyle could wrap his head around that extraordinary fact, a knock sounded at the door. He raised his hands so he could grasp Jesse’s forearms. “We’ll talk more later, okay?”

  “We’ll talk tonight,” Jesse said, his tone firm. He visibly reined himself in before he let Kyle go. “I’ve got my car and I’ll take you home after work. Cam’s going to hitch a ride with Carter and Ri. He knows not to wait up.”

  “Okay.” Kyle frowned. He had no idea what to make of Jesse’s mercurial mood, but now was not the time for figuring his friend out.

  He stood and crossed the room to open the office door and found Masen leaning against the frame. Masen’s bright green eyes flashed with good humor.

  “Sorry to bother, boss,” he said. “Jim says the paramedic he talked with yesterday just called. She and some of the squad from the firehouse are on their way down. You okay to come back out?”

  Energy fluttered in Kyle’s gut. His nerves were shot now that the time to thank his rescuers had arrived. Comping their drinks in exchange for saving his life seemed ridiculous a day later. Ugh.

  “Absolutely,” he said to Masen. Kyle glanced back at Jesse, who gave him a small smile. “C’mon, babe. We’ve got guests to entertain.”

  Masen headed back into the speakeasy while Kyle and Jesse followed close behind. Kyle saw people filing in past Jim at Under’s door, but before he could get to his station, a beautiful young woman with long dark hair bounced into his line of vision and made a beeline toward him. Kyle’s jaw dropped.

  “Oh, my God, it’s you!” he blurted, and the girl he’d been trapped with during the fire at Burger Barn threw her arms around his neck.

  Kyle wrapped her up in a gentle hug, not at all surprised when she trembled against him. Seeing her—safe and seemingly healthy—sent Kyle’s emotions into overdrive, too. His eyes stung and his breath got caught somewhere between a laugh and sob as they held each other close.

  “Are you okay?” Kyle and the girl asked each other at almost the same time, and they broke apart laughing, still connected in a loose embrace.

  “Holy crap, I’m a mess,” she said, her voice raspy in the way Kyle’s had been since the fire. She s
miled wide and her big dark eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I’m so glad to see you again!”

  Kyle chuckled. “Me too. The nurse who took care of me said you were okay when I asked. I meant to come over and check on you once we were at the hospital, but I was zonked.”

  “Dude, same!” the girl replied. “My friends practically poured me into their car yesterday. Oh! My name is Charita, by the way. Charita Singh.”

  “Kyle McKee,” he said with a laugh.

  Charita nodded approvingly. “Now I can call you something other than ‘the cute guy in black!’ Well, you’re still in black, hah, but you look a lot better than the last time I saw you.”

  “He looks less like death, that’s for sure,” someone drawled in a dry tone.

  Kyle glanced to his right and met the gaze of a slim woman with short dark hair styled in a glossy pompadour. She was watching him and Charita, along with several other people, including Luka, who appeared both curious and amused. The woman who’d spoken, however, stared at Kyle with clear challenge in her expression.

  “Shit, the two of you together are like a live-action romcom,” she said and raised an eyebrow when Kyle shook his head.

  Charita turned a frown on her. “Lane, don’t be weird.”

  “That’s…yeah, that’s not what’s happening here,” Kyle said. He let Charita go. Great. This Lane person was probably a friend of Charita’s, and now she and Luka and everyone they’d come with would think Kyle had been looking for a hook-up.

  Ugh.

  Quickly, Kyle cleared his throat and stepped forward with his hand outstretched. “I’m Kyle,” he said and offered a tight smile to Charita’s friend. “This is my place, and I’m happy you all could make it tonight so I could thank you in person.”

  “Ah, don’t mind Hawkins,” Luka said, his eyes kind. “She’s just mad because your hair looks cooler than hers.” He poked the woman—Lane? Hawkins?—with his finger.

  Laughter rolled through the squad, and Kyle smiled, the knot in his belly loosening when the woman grasped his hand in hers. She had the grace to look abashed.

  “Sorry, man. First day with the new sense of humor.” She gave Kyle an impish wink. “Your hair looks fly though.”

  “I’ll give you my guy’s number if you want it,” Kyle promised and chuckled as she bumped his fist.

  “Okay, you know Charita, and I’m Lane Hawkins,” she said. “I’m a paramedic and I ride with Engine 47. This is my partner, Michaela—you might remember her from the ride because she sat in back with you while I drove.”

  Kyle exchanged a grin with Michaela, a cute redhead who did look familiar now that he thought about it.

  “Back there are Felipe and Marco,” Lane continued. “They’re from another house, but they took Charita in their rig. That’s Munson next to Mike—we call him Mikey Bag of Donuts, by the way—and Ricky, Stephan and Luis. And Luka, of course, who says you guys met a while back.”

  Kyle shared a smile with Luka then nodded at the faces around him. He found them all friendly, Luka in particular. Goddamn, he was tall and broad and that smile of his was about a hundred times more attractive than Kyle had even remembered.

  Jesse made a low noise in his throat then, and Kyle’s cheeks flooded with heat. His friend had been standing there watching everything the entire time, and Kyle had been so flustered he’d fucking forgotten all about him.

  “This is my business partner, Jesse Murtagh,” Kyle said. He turned to include Jesse in the circle. “He’s the brains behind this operation.”

  Jesse snorted. “An operation that wouldn’t exist without you, babe.” He cast a glance at the squad from the firehouse who were looking on with amusement. “Kyle had the idea to open a bar in the first place, and he’s one of the best bartenders in the city.”

  “Way to put the pressure on,” Kyle grumbled.

  Jesse just smiled. He knew it was all for show—Jesse and Kyle filled specific roles within Under’s confines, and Jesse enjoyed playing consummate charmer while Kyle worked his own magic with his bottles of spirits.

  Kyle waved a hand at the bar. “Please, folks, step up and I’ll get behind the stick,” he called. He made a point of reaching out to Charita again as people started moving.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said. “Truly.” Charita nodded, her expression somber this time.

  “Me too. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there, Kyle.”

  “I feel the same. We’re damned lucky those guys were looking out for us.” Kyle squeezed her hand and led her toward the bar where Jesse was introducing everyone to, well, everyone.

  Over the next hour, Kyle got his groove on. He filled orders for his friends and the firehouse squad and made a point of stopping to chat whenever he had the opportunity. He learned that Charita and Hawkins had come together, and while neither could say they were dating, it seemed clear from their mutual flirting that they would be soon. Kyle also learned that Munson, Marco and Mike were big into fishing while Luis and Ricky played in a range of recreational sports leagues. They, along with Stephan, were the party guys of the group, and all of them were familiar with Ember, the nightclub where Cam worked part-time as a DJ.

  Then there was Luka, a lieutenant in Engine Company 47, ‘The Pride of Morningside.’ Luka was friendly with everyone in the firehouse squad but close with both Hawkins and Munson. Kyle also discovered Luka shared an apartment in Morningside Heights with a couple of guys named Matías and Robbie. Younger than some of his comrades and congenial, Luka hit it off with Malcolm and Cam almost immediately. Kyle found him more serious and thoughtful than the others and suspected—hoped—Luka seemed more than a little interested in Kyle, too.

  “This place is beautiful,” Luka said to Kyle. “When you mentioned a speakeasy, I imagined something out of a noir movie, but Under is sleek.”

  “Exactly what we aimed for,” Kyle replied. “We want it to feel welcoming, too. Warm and inviting.”

  “You’ve got that. I’m comfortable, even though your furniture is a hundred times nicer than mine.” Luka appeared amused. “What did you mean by ‘get behind the stick’? Is that code?”

  Kyle set a highball glass down in front of Luka and admired the way his light brown shirt set off the gold in his skin and made his blue eyes pop. “Mmm, no. Behind the stick is bartender nerd slang. It just means going behind the bar to do my work.”

  “Well, hey. I learned new stuff today.” Luka picked up the fresh drink. “What’s in these margaritas, by the way? They are delicious.”

  “It’s called a Smoke & Ember. Don Julio Blanco Tequila, lime juice, smoked agave nectar and fresh raspberries, with some lava-smoked salt around the rim. I’m glad you like them,” Kyle added.

  “I do.” Luka sipped. “Pretty cool you looked up a bunch of recipes for us, too.” He gestured around the room. “A lot of your friends are here and there’s us firehouse guys, but the rest are paying customers, right?”

  Kyle nodded. “Yes. People sign up for our nightly guest list through our website. There are a certain number of slots—usually thirty—and people on the list get a password each day to let them in the door. Friends of Jesse’s and mine don’t need to be on the list though. They can just call ahead to say ‘Hey, I’m coming tonight’ and they’re greenlit to come in. Our friends also tip the staff, even though their drinks are on the house.”

  “Got it. Even when you guys have private parties like tonight?”

  “Yes, though tonight was kind of spur of the moment.” Kyle cleared his throat, which had grown more ragged as the night progressed. “We cut the regular guest list in half and turned away the rest so there’d be room for your squad. If we’re having a true private party, the bar is closed for the night except to friends of Jesse’s and mine. We do that once a month.” He paused again and coughed, and when he looked up, he caught Luka watching him with a frown.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Luka asked.

  “Yeah, I’m good. A bit hoarse, b
ut eh.” Kyle grabbed another water from under the bar and cracked it. “My emotions are kind of all over the map. I got sort of weirded out this morning in the hallways, but I’ve been back and forth a couple of times since then and felt fine. I made everybody in the building review the fire safety rules and set up an inspection for Under and the pub upstairs, too.” He sipped from the bottle and grimaced. “But other than the voice and having to use the inhaler, I feel decent.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Luka replied. “I’m just sorry that fire exit was blocked, and you guys got stuck in the first place.”

  Kyle frowned. “I stopped by the Burger Barn and checked on Maya and Nestor. They’re upset for a variety of reasons. They’ve been in that space a long time and never had anything like this happen.”

  “I know. They always pass their inspections, too,” Luka said. “There’s no telling how long that door has been blocked, so I think it’ll take a while for them to straighten everything out.”

  Kyle nodded, then glanced across the bar when Masen called his name. “Excuse me a sec,” he said to Luka just as Malcolm and Cam turned up.

  “We’ll keep an eye on him for you,” Cam said. His teasing smile made Kyle roll his eyes.

  Hopefully, he’d get back in time to prevent Cam from talking Luka into a group scene with Jesse and himself. Then again, that didn’t sound half bad if the group included Kyle. He hadn’t yet sussed out whether Luka liked men but had no doubt Cam would manage before the night’s end.

  Cam and Malcolm appeared to have done that very thing when Kyle rejoined them ten minutes later because Luka was relating a story that sounded like it involved both of his roommates and very few clothes. Well, that figured. If he hadn’t been so disappointed at learning Luka was already involved with at least one man, Kyle would have been intrigued.

  “Yeah, well, Robbie has no regard for anyone’s privacy, of course,” Luka said. “He just barges into the bathroom like we’re not even there. He got in the shower with me yesterday.”

  Malcolm laughed. “No shit? Where was Matías?”