Kairos - Blood (MxM) | Book 2 | ✅

11.Not Your Job

Elegant lines fell and rose in glimmering pastels. Now, this was a motorcycle. I ran a finger tracing the bends in its fairings.

Bill's bike. He's going to buy this and I'll ask him for a ride sometime.

"This is new," Ginny's voice pulled me out of my useless string of thoughts.

"The bike?"

"No, doofus. Your sudden fascination with them."

Oh, that's right. I had never mentioned my love for motorcycles to anyone other than Bill. I had been ashamed about it. Why? Not Steve had no clue why.

"It's not sudden and it's not new, missy. It's a side of me I've never shown." With a shrug and a smile, I hoped to make my words sound and feel lighter than they were.

Ginny smiled back, but her eyes were glazed by concern. Fuck, I told her not to come when she called this morning.

"What are we really doing here, Steve?" she asked looking around with opened arms.

The three-story-tall showroom encased us in a glass bell, allowing for plenty of light to shine in and spotlight every one of the jewel pieces exposed - high-end motorcycles for all tastes.

Bill's choice was the classiest and it would have been my choice as well.

"Nothing. I told you I was going to waste time today but you insisted on joining me."

"I thought you meant Barney's," she said with a pout.

"Where's Richard? Go pester your boyfriend, missy," I spoke in jest and flicked the tip of her small button nose, but meant every word.

"Business trip." She stepped back from me rubbing her nose. "And screw you, Steve, you're going through something," Ginny reproached with crazy waving gestures in my direction.

That made me snicker.

"I'm fine."

My gaze returned to the beauty on display and I touched it reverently. The handles seemed just the right size and at the right angle. When this motor burned it made a glorious ruckus. Would I ever dare mount up a bike to drive it?

Ginny's silence compelled me to turn around. She was still there, watching me with that same worried air.

"Ever loved something but been too afraid to get too close to it?"

"Like?"

"Like this," I made a flourish with my hands pointing at the bike. "I want to ride it, but what if I'm not good enough?"

"You can learn, I guess?"

"I'm not a biker. I just like bikes," I heard myself say. When did you decide this, Not Steve?

"Is this about Jack?"

I gawked at Ginny. "Why would you ask that?"

She laced her arm around mine and with a sigh spoke lowly, "You only get this weird when it's about Jack."

Ginny was probably right, but I had no idea how to translate my apprehension into words.

"I'm too far down the rabbit hole," I muttered.

"See what I mean?" she observed with a giggle.

My glasses felt heavy so I pushed them up and nodded with raised brows. Yes. I was speaking nonsense.

"Last night Jack said the three big words."

"Me so horny? I got hard? Lick me, handsome?"

"Just what's going on in your twisted imagination, woman?"

She batted her eyes at me putting on the school girl act. "You guys are hot and I can't help myself."

"And you think I'm weird?"

"Hey, you were the ones that started it. Showing off your sticky, dirty kisses in the Underworld. Even your roleplaying-" she made a hissing sound shaking her hand as if it got burned.

"Should I be afraid of you now?" I asked guiding a giggling Ginny to a strolling pace among the many motorcycles.

A cigarette was in order so we were better off outside the glass dome.

"Did you say it back?" From her jaded tone, she already knew the answer.

"The thing is... More complicated."

"I love you. There. It's so damn simple, mister."

How could I convey my concerns without giving out any details? Lie, Mr.Finley. Lie.

"You know how Jack works with the rich and famous?" I started and lit up my cigarette.

Fresh air was overrated and I parked my ass in the smoking area. Cold and windy, but at least I got to smoke.

"Go on," Ginny encouraged.

"I'm not the social type. But he is. Can I just dive into his world and see where the chips may fall? Or should I try to change? Prepare myself for... to have his back. In erm, social gatherings."

"Never try to change. Just be yourself. I'm sure you'll be fine." Ginny sat by me on the bench and rubbed my back.

My scabby cut shoulder blades didn't hurt anymore, even though I wished they did.

"What if I suck at it? Consequences could be dire. Jack could lose his... business."

She laughed and waved my fears away, "He'll be all right. In fact, the more you worry, the more I think, he'll worry and before you know it you'll both be stuck worrying over nothing."

"Over nothing, eh?" I asked with a smirk.

The cigarette sure helped keep my eyes off Ginny. Else she might have seen the fear.

"What is it you're not telling me?" she inquired in a motherly tone.

Ah, Ginny saw it anyway.

"Jack has a business rival, I guess. Every move Jack makes could be his last. In the business, I mean. So how can I help him? How can I make sure Jack doesn't die? His business, I mean."

Face-palm, Not Steve.

Ginny shrugged and patted my back, "You don't help him." Her words dripped with certainty and acceptance.

What the fuck, Ginny?

I was glaring at her before I could compose myself once again.

"That's not your job," she explained. "You're his lover, not business partner. Be there for him. That's all."

That made sense. As much as I hated to admit it, I was useless to Jack in all ways but one.

I pushed my glasses up and rubbed my eyes in annoyance. Some fucking dog I am? Anyway, that's just a stupid promise I've made over Jack's dog dying. We were kids.

"You're basically saying to keep my distance."

"Huh?"

"From his business thing."

Ginny shrugged. "Unless he asks for your help, you just be there for him."

"He's never going to ask for my help," I scoffed and set my glasses back on.

"Then you're safe," she concluded.

I cackled and shook my head. Yes, I was safe.

"Being weird again, mister."

My mouth opened to spring out a retort but a 'ding!' in my coat pocket startled me.

Finally. I was staring at the message.

"Who's Dionysus?" Ginny perked a brow at me.

I hid the phone. "Jack. I'm supposed to meet him somewhere. Mind giving me a lift home? I've got some things to pick up first."