LOVE UNDERCOVER

Chapter 7

Chairs were now being placed on tables. Floors being mopped. Waiters casting them side glances as they went about the business of closing Earth's Mix.

Thyme did tip all of them incredibly handsomely but he doubted that meant they could stay much longer - this was still a bar and not a hotel.

He did think about just driving them back to his apartment, he had the car keys anyway. But Thyme was really scared that the place was bugged. He had hosted many an art party there, giving the cartel plenty of opportunity to install mics and cameras. They most probably had footage of him already but he could not jeopardize Kavin's career and safety by bringing him there now.

Thyme sighs. Kavin will hate this but there was no choice but to go back to his place instead. He glances beside him to the man still asleep on his shoulder, snoring like there was no tomorrow. Thyme shakes his head and finds himself smiling. Perhaps this was payback for all the trouble he dragged Kavin into when they were kids. Lord knows Kavin had taken care of him when he first discovered beer.

Thyme fishes out Kavin's phone from his pants pocket. Why is a police detective wearing such tight trousers? How does he even pull out a whole gun from these pockets?

When he finally gets hold of it, he holds Kavin's hand in his and swipes the sleeping man's thumb across the screen.
Thyme quickly goes through the contacts, hoping that by some miracle Kavin had his home number listed. But nothing came up under the words home or pad or my place. There was one landline number though that had been saved without a name.

It was worth a try to call it. There was literally nothing to lose. Thinking about it, even if it were the right number, who would even be there to pick it up?
As the phone rang, Thyme thought about the nearest hotels. Perhaps, if he rented the penthouse of the Hilton, it would still be available at this hour. Or his friend Billy still ran the Marriot right?
Their security is pretty discreet, they could probably help him get Kavin to the suite without -

Thyme's train of thought gets interrupted by a man's groggy voice speaking on the other end of the phone : "Kavin, where the hell are you? It's 3am."

Thyme could not get any words out. Kavin was living with someone?

"Kavin? You there? Are you okay?"

Wait a minute, he knows that voice. "MJ?!"
Kavin was living with MJ?

- - -

"Since...when...you..living...with...Vin..."

MJ shoots Thyme a withering glare. "Can...talk..later? Heavy..."

Thyme grunts in response as he and MJ continue to lug a still sleeping Kavin up the stairs. Why are drunk people so much heavier?

Finally, with some deft maneuvering they arrive at the second floor of the loft and MJ kicks open a bedroom door.

They lumber forward and with one big push Thyme deposits Kavin on the bed. Would have been all around successful too if only Kavin kept still. But out of nowhere, the drunken man pulls on Thyme's shirt and he too collapses on the bed. Kavin rolls over and Thyme is now trapped underneath Kavin. He tries to escape, pushing Kavin off but he was too heavy.

"Help me!", Thyme hisses at MJ who was laughing his ass off and taking photos.

"MJ! Quit laughing and help me," Thyme hisses again, trying to get his one free arm to get a hold of his useless high school friend.

"Oh come on, Thyme. As if you two haven't slept together before."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Thyme's volume made the room shake but amazingly the man on top of him didn't even move.

"The two of you were like this every time you get drunk."

"We are not in high school anymore," Thyme says through gritted teeth.

MJ smirks. "It kinda looks like we are."

A beat of silence ensues and MJ moves towards the door except Thyme suddenly speaks.
"I get it. You're jealous."

"What now?"

"I mean you've always had a crush on Vin."

MJ's eyes look panicked. He checks that Kavin remains out of it. "I didn't have a crush on him."

"Yeah you did. And this is payback because he always hung out with me. And years later, he bunks with you but who does he go out with? Me."

MJ rolls his eyes. "You know what, fine. In third year high school, for one year, I had a crush on Kavin. But you know who had a crush on him the entire time?"

"70% of the student body?"

"You."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!," Thyme shouts for the second time that night.

MJ cocks his head. "Don't tell me you didn't know you liked him?"

"I was in love with Gorya, you weirdo."

MJ rolls his eyes and makes a disbelieving noise. "I can't believe we ever made you leader of F4."

Thyme starts thrashing about. "Why you...come here. Get me out of here and fight me like a man."

"Good night Thymeeeee..." MJ starts walking towards the bedroom door.

"Wait no. Wait! Why are you and Kavin living together?"

"He didn't want to alert his family that he's here."

"He's Kavin, he could buy a house or lease his own building if he wanted."

"He's not going to be here for long you know."
MJ's face suddenly contorts into a wide grin. "Unless you stop him. Get down on one knee and - "

A phone case hits MJ's chest.

"Just get out," Thyme says exasperated, resigned to his fate.

MJ is laughing as he leaves the room.

Thyme tries to shake Kavin off one last time but Kavin simply groans and remains immovably on top of Thyme.

Thyme closes his eyes. He can live with this. There were worse ways to fall asleep.