A/N The story continues directly from the last chapter with Greg and Jess in the motel room getting to know each other.
Greg watched the light and excitement drain out of the boy’s face as Jess closed in on himself again.
Without making any comment, Greg spread a bath towel across the bed cover and when he looked up again saw a child with big scared eyes, curled up in the corner of the sofa drawing his knees as far into his chest as his injury allowed. The bright, cheerful, intelligent Jess of moments ago was not there any longer. In his place was this small, frightened and moody little boy.
Greg put his hands on his hips in exasperation
‘Do we have to go through this every time. I told you I’d dress your leg when we came out of Doc Finch’s. If you’re worried about me seeing your butt again, you can cover it with a cloth.’ Greg tossed a kitchen towel onto the sofa.
Jess’s eyes seemed to grow even larger. He leaned forwards and pulled a cushion over his front, as if trying to hide behind it and his face had paled to an unhealthy grey colour. There was no confidence in his voice as he asked
‘Greg, .. . where’s your … your wife and family? ... Why aren’t they here with you?’
Greg made sucking noises with his lips. His expression sagged and he nodded slowly.
‘We’re back to that old chestnut yet again are we? You know, it’s disappointing and hurtful that you still don’t trust me. I’ve made no move on you like that and anytime I do you can walk right out the door. I won’t stop you. Now I want to dress that leg, so get your shoes, socks, pants and shorts off and get yourself laid out on that bed.’
Slowly and nervously Jess undressed. He kept his hand over his boyhood as he lay face down on the bed. watching Greg all the time with large, pleading, ‘don’t hurt me’ eyes.
Greg took in the white translucent skin of that young body and it’s firm physique as the shoulders narrowed to a trim waist that rose in two tight buttock mounds and then fell away in perfect symmetry to long, slender legs. It was a nice body, still not fully developed, hairless and with clear skin. Only the angry and violent colours of the bruises that he had inflicted spoiled a body that could serve as a model for any sculptor. If men had propositioned Jess he could understand why. Jess not only had a nice body, but was a good- looking kid with an attractive personality. Greg pulled himself away from admiring the boy to wring out and collect the first cold towel from the sink and said brusquely.
‘Roll more onto your good side and let me get at the bruises.’
‘What’re you doing?’ Jess blurted out shyly, slowly rolling more onto his side and covering his crotch with both hands as it became more exposed to view. Greg ignored the boy’s sensitivity and laid the iced towel over his injured leg.
Jess jumped up in shock gasping as the ice-cold towel was laid over his bruises. ‘What the…?’
Greg pushed down on Jess’s shoulder. ‘Keep still and be quiet. It’s a cold compress, it’s good for contusions.’
Gently, Greg palpated the leg through the towel and Jess gradually settled down and relaxed under Greg’s careful ministrations.
The room darkened as the sun dipped below the horizon; Greg switched on the bed lights giving the room a cosier atmosphere.
He pulled off the towel when it had warmed up and applied the other, colder towel from the sink.He carefully manipulated the leg through the cloth and asked ‘Is that OK?
Jess turned his face towards Greg and said with a broad smile. ‘It’s nice.’
Greg continued to lightly massage the leg through the towel and threw out a light hearted question for conversation.
‘Tell me, if we go to all this trouble to keep you in school next year, our time and effort won’t be wasted will it? I mean you’re not a dunce or anything, are you?’ Greg said it with a teasing ripple of laughter that Jess responded to, rolling further on his side to face Greg with mock indignation on his face.
‘No I am not! I’ll have you know I’m consistently getting good grades and in the top half of the class .’
‘Well that’s nice to know, but what about sports, do you play any sports.’
‘MMM,’ Jess murmured, ‘ the big game at school is football, but they reckon I’m too small so I play soccer and I’ve gotten to like it.’
‘Are you any good?’
‘Coach says I’ve got potential as a mid-fielder, but there’s still not many teams we can play.’
Greg kept up the tease. ‘You know what puzzles me. With you being so good at sports and schoolwork, how come the only real friend you’ve got is that latter day prophet, my God she’s scary.’ Greg laughed to show he was still speaking in a light-hearted vein. Jess rolled more to his side again to look into and examine Greg’s face.
‘You mean Melissa, she can get carried away with her Bible studies at times, but she’s a good sort and she helps me a lot. Her boyfriend is a College football hero.’
Greg burst out laughing.
‘What’s so funny? Jess looked bemused.
Greg lifted the towel and began drying the boy’s leg with lint.
‘Oh I was just wondering how they manage to get it together on a date. Her carrying all that religious baggage.’
They both laughed and Greg began rubbing camphor cream gently into the bruised leg, first with lint and then with his fingertips. Greg liked the feel of his finger-tips on the smooth silkiness of Jess’s leg and the sensation of the firm muscles underneath as they rippled in response to his touch.
They talked small talk about the Community College, football, the town and local entertainments for another ten minutes. Greg learned that Jess liked motor sport- especially Indy cars – and filed it in the back of his mind as something they might go and watch together for weekend recreation.
Greg urgently needed to find out about those three lads that had bumped into him on the street corner. He believed they had just come out of the motel car park and were his prime suspects for putting acid on his tyre. He judged that with Jess now in a more relaxed mood that this was the moment to probe, but he needed to stay cool with his questioning.
He pulled out a large globule of cream from the jar and began rubbing it gently into Jess’s leg.
‘Did I hear you say everybody played sport this afternoon?’ Greg asked the question in a casual manner.
‘Not everybody,’ Jess replied, ‘but all of the junior high and senior school play sport Tuesday afternoons. I had to work the scoreboard ‘cos I couldn’t play on the wing for my team today- we lost 4-2.’ Jess sounded bitter about the loss and Greg made a clucking noise at the back of his mouth.
‘That’s funny, ‘cos I bumped into three of your lads, seniors I expect, as I came back here this afternoon.’
He began to describe Kyler and watched Jess stiffen with tension as he spoke. Greg realised with grim satisfaction that Jess had recognised the boys from his description.’
‘Do you know who they might be?’ Greg again asked the question as if it was just in casual conversation.
‘Why? Is there something wrong,’ Jess had turned around suddenly; his lips quivering. Greg now knew that Jess not only knew who these persons were but was bothered by them. His heartbeat increased, but Greg kept control of himself and forced himself to appear nonchalant.’
‘Nothing really, we just came around the corner at the same time from opposite directions and nearly bumped each other. I just thought it was strange for them to be out of school. That’s all. I suppose they bunked off sports. Do you happen to know who it was?’
Jess put his face into the pillow and muttered through the down. ‘Sounds like Kyler, he often bunks off sports.’
Greg’s adrenalin flowed on hearing that name again. That was the name that Jess had mentioned and instantly regretted saying last night at dinner. Greg continued massaging the boy’s leg, but now spoke extra softly, so as not cause Jess alarm.
‘Who is Felix Gleitner?’
Jess jumped up as if he’d been electrocuted and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Greg saw the boy’s chest heave as he cried.
‘What did you say? Where did you hear that name? What’s the problem? Why all the questions?’ Jess had become instantly distraught and showed it in the pallor of his face and the hurried, awkward way he began pulling on his clothes.
Greg kept his cool and cleared away the medical debris to the bathroom and said nonchalantly.
‘No problem. It’s just when you said that the boy’s name was Kyler, I remembered where I’d heard it before. You mentioned his and Felix’s names yesterday when we had dinner. That’s all. I just want to know who is this Felix character? He seems to bother you. What does he do?’
Jess was uncomfortable with this line of questioning and spoke through the side of his mouth, without looking at Greg as he fastened the belt on his jeans.
‘He’s a really little guy that drives a big blue Buick and hangs around the College and the Truck Stop. He calls himself a facilitator. He can do and get things. I’d better go now. Thank you.’
This reaction surprised Greg.
‘Do you have to go right now?’ He asked. ‘ I thought about sending out for some pizza. Don’t you want any pizza?’
‘No thanks, I’d better go. I just remembered I have things to do before tomorrow.’
Jess couldn’t seem to get out of the room quick enough and Greg decided it was best to let him go. ‘baby steps, baby steps,’ he said under his breath and then to Jess with an indifferent shrug.
‘OK, it’s your loss. Same time tomorrow then? We’ll have the internet connection by then and we’ll be able to get to work on that aircon unit and other deals.’
‘OK Mr. Mitchell, thanks. You did say four bucks an hour right?’ Jess moved to the door
‘That’s right, and call me Greg. Hey! Don’t you want me to drive you back to College?’’
‘No thanks Mr. … I mean Greg, see you tomorrow.’ Jess quickly left and slammed the door closed behind him.
Jess was plainly rattled by the mention of Kyler and Felix. Greg stood looking at the closed door convinced now that he knew who had doctored his tyre. What he didn’t know was why? These boys had done his tyre and they’re close to this Felix facilitator. Not only that but Jess is running scared of them and that also bothered Greg.
‘I’d best check out this Mr.Gleitner.’