Desperate In Sheridan

  “Pecs, buttocks. Maybe puff my lips out a little.” Wendell grimaced.

  “You’re kidding.” Brad traced a finger along Wendell’s perfect, perfect lips. “That’s crazy,” he whispered.

  “Yeah, well, I guess I still had a bit too much Oregon left in me to go for it.”

  “Oregon? So, that’s where you’re from?” That explained a lot, Brad thought.

  “Born and raised. My sisters and parents still live there.”

  “You’re the only boy?”

  “Yes,” Wendell said, “and the baby!”

  They both laughed.

  “The only boy and gay. Your parents are cool about it?”

  “Oh, yeah. They’re free spirited, hippie types. It’s all good.” They laughed at his impression of stoned. “Anyway, I also couldn’t stand being treated like I was a brainless playboy just because I modeled for a living.” Brad looked away guiltily while Wendell kept talking. “Now I just need to figure out what to do next.”

  Brad still didn’t say anything, feeling bad for making the same stupid assumptions.

  “Where are your folks?” Wendell asked.

  “In Arizona, retired, playing golf,” Brad said. He smiled.

  “Nice.”

  “They don’t know.”

  “About? Oh! Seriously?” Wendell said, his face registering shock. “Why not?”

  Brad shrugged. “They’re pretty conservative–but now that Jimmy knows, I better tell them. He’s got a big mouth.”

  “I can just go with you sometime to see them. We’ll sit really close to each other, and you won’t have to say a word.”

  Brad chuckled but was surprised and didn’t hide it. Wendell was not what he was expecting at all. They finally dragged themselves out of bed to go on their hike.

 

  *******

  The trail was high and winding, making it necessary to pay attention. Wendell held Brad’s hand through some of the rougher terrain. The ex-Californian would make quite the knight-in-shining-armor. Too bad Brad was returning to Chicago in a few days and Wendell was just desperate in Sheridan.

  The sun was strong, though the temperature was perfect for the work out. “Want to sit in the shade for a little while?” Brad asked. It was a good excuse to get his lips all over the guy again. Wendell–Wendy–was so sexy, it would be easy to fall one hundred percent infatuated in no time. If he wasn’t already.

  So Brad waited for him to make a move. He didn’t want to seem like he was overeager because of Wendell’s superhuman looks–or like he was a nerd, excited just to be out with one of the cool kids.

  “How are you doing? How are your legs?” asked Wendell.

  “Fine. Jimmy kicked my ass the other day on a bike ride, and I was a little nervous about today, but they’re holding up.”

  Wendell nodded, looking Brad in the eye and then at his lips. Brad wet his own. His mind shut off, and he dove in. Wendell’s lips felt like pillows against his. They kissed for a long time. Maybe ten minutes. Anyway, it seemed like a long time to kiss and not do anything else, but Brad wasn’t complaining. Wendell was a great kisser, nipping just enough and using his tongue to tease in all the right places. Brad’s stomach somersaulted out of control. He wondered if anyone might pass this way and if they could get each other off without a glitch.

  When he opened his eyes, Wendell was looking at him with a sly smile. “Shall we keep going?”

  “Up further?” Brad asked, pointing to the heavens beyond the mountain peak. “If you want.”

  “Well, what do you want?” Wendell asked, seeming grumpy all of a sudden.

  “Um. Whatever you want is fine. Is everything okay?”

  “Sure. Just wish I weren’t the one doing all the work here. Are you not that into me?”

  Wait, what did Wendell just say, thought Brad. “Not that into you? How could I not be into you?” Damn, Brad had messed up. He'd hurt Wendell’s feelings. “Guys probably…I mean I didn’t want you to… Christ, I’m sorry. Aren’t you way out of my league?”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Wendell.

  “Lanie said you were just desperate, that’s why you agreed to go on a blind date.”

  “So, you think I’m desperate?” Wendell asked, practically spitting out the last word. His face fell. He swept his hand through his hair and looked away. “I could get sex anytime and anywhere I want. What I was hoping for was something else.” Wendell stood up and started walking back down the trail toward the car.

  “Crap,” Brad said. “Wendell, please, that didn’t come out right!” Brad hurried to keep up with him. Wendell was in much better shape, though, and sometimes going down was trickier than hiking up. He didn’t know if he should keep talking or stay quiet. Finally, within earshot, he said, “Listen, I was just playing it cool, I guess. All right?”

  Wendell turned around and looked at him. “Well, I’m not into game players, so we’ll just leave it at that.” Then he resumed his fast pace. “Careful in this area. It’s difficult,” Wendell called out to Brad when he got to a steep bend with loose stones.

  Brad tried to pay attention, but his mind was rambling too fast now. Had Wendell been considering him a real contender in his love life? If what he wanted was the proverbial nice guy, Brad could be him. But what about the distance? What about the fact that Wendell was stunning?

  Brad’s left foot slid out from under him, and he yelled as his right one fell between two boulders. It was trapped. “Wendell!” he called out. To his embarrassment, his voice sounded shaky.

  “What happened?” His date was about fifty feet ahead of him.

  “I’m stuck! Please come back up!”

  Brad tried to release the wedging of his right foot while dealing with the pain in his left ankle. He started to panic, his heart thumping hard in his chest. He couldn’t see Wendell. Where did he go? All the stories of people dying, falling off these cliffs, or going for a hike never to be seen again, stories he’d heard as a kid, came back to haunt him. A sweat broke out on his brow.

  A voice from his left startled him. “Don’t get scared,” Wendell said.

  “How’d you get there?”

  “I came around on a lower trail because I thought it’d be easier. Longer, but safer. What’s going on?”

  Brad told him he still couldn’t get his foot loose, and his other ankle was throbbing.

  Wendell studied the situation. “How bad is your ankle? Can you put pressure on it?”

  “Not much,” Brad said. Tears were starting to roll down his cheeks, from the pain but also out of fear. If Wendell hadn’t come back for him…

  Wendell grabbed his hand and laced their fingers. “We’ll get you out of this. Don’t worry.”

  “How? How am I going to get down?”

  Wendell leaned forward and untied Brad’s shoe. He managed to get one hand through the split in the boulders to help ease Brad’s foot out an inch at a time. Brad held onto Wendell’s back. “Okay? Does it hurt? Anything broken?” Wendell asked him when they freed it.

  They replaced his shoe after Wendy maneuvered it out, and Brad stepped on his foot. “It seems okay.”

  “Now, how about the other one?”

  Brad shook his head. “I don’t think I can walk on it. Should we try to get onto that lower trail?”

  “No, I don’t think I can carry you down there. Besides, it was easy coming up but looks treacherous going down. We’ll stay on this one, and you can use me like a crutch on this side, okay?” Wendell positioned himself on Brad’s left and held him by the waist. “Take a step and let’s see.”

  A shooting pain traveled up Brad’s leg, and he grimaced. Worse, his right ankle hurt now, too.

  “Not good, huh?” Wendell asked.

  “No, what are we going to do?”

  “Hey, no worries. I promise I’ll get you out of here safely. We’ll crawl if we have to.”

  “Wendell, I’m sorry about before. I’d be thrilled if you’d conside
r seeing me again. Please.”

  “Sure, now that you’re an invalid. Oh, I’m just kidding,” Wendell said, laughing when he saw Brad’s face.

  They continued to take very slow steps. The sun was much lower on the horizon, and that worried Brad, too. He hadn’t even left Jimmy a message about where they’d be. You were always supposed to take those kinds of precautions. How foolhardy! he could hear his father's judgment now.

  Wendell started telling him a story about when he was a boy in Oregon, and he and some friends got lost in the woods for two days before anyone could find them. The story was replete with survival adventures and comic relief. Brad knew exactly what Wendell was trying to do–purposely distract him while boosting his confidence–but that didn’t negate the attempt in the least.

  “Just a little farther, and it’ll be flat enough to piggy back,” Wendell assured him.

  By time they got to the even terrain, it was getting dark. And just when Brad thought he was in danger of falling madly in love, Wendell actually carried him half a mile on his back to the car. Burrowing his face into the crook of Wendell’s long neck, Brad held on a little tighter than he needed to.

  What a trip it had been so far. Other than the rendezvous with Phil at the reunion, he hadn't felt this excited about someone in ages. The distances made neither guy seem like a long-term possibility, but at least Brad saw a light at the end of the single tunnel he'd been stuck in. Besides, one never knew. Jimmy was in Sheridan. It would be an excuse to come back more often. He just wished Wendell didn't seem too good to be true.

  When they got to the car, Wendell let him down easy on his right foot. “Okay, let’s see if either of us has phone reception,” he said.

  Brad didn’t, but Wendell had a faint one bar. They called Jimmy and told him to meet them at the hospital in town.

  *******

  Brad signed the paperwork that was presented to him from across the emergency admissions desk. He wasn’t sure he had much choice. The whole incident could end up costing him this year’s vacation funds.

  “So, we’ll take a two hundred fifty dollar co-pay for today,” said the clerk.

  “Well, that’s not too bad,” Wendell said. He handed her his credit card.

  “Wait, what are you doing? You don’t have to do that,” Brad said. He pulled a card out himself, but the woman had already swiped Wendell's and handed it back to him.

  “It’s the least I can do. I shouldn’t have walked ahead of you like that.”

  “Go ahead and take a seat,” the clerk directed. “We’ll call for you when it’s time for the X-rays.”

  “Thanks,” Brad mumbled to the lady. Wendell helped him to a chair while both his ankles throbbed.

  He stared at Wendell’s hand and hoped the attraction was still mutual, that he hadn’t crushed his chances by “playing it cool” and then getting injured. He was startled out of his thoughts when Wendell took his hand and squeezed it. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Other than both my ankles.” Brad didn’t want to let go of Wendell’s hand, but he felt a little self-conscious when an elderly couple looked over at them. “I never liked hospitals. They’re depressing.”

  Wendell threw his head back and laughed. “You have no idea.”

  Brad winced. “Jesus, I’m so sorry we ended up in the ER on our date. You must be sick of these places.”

  “That’s for sure.” Wendell looked at him. “So, what’s your story, Brad?” He hesitated before he continued. “Are you interested in getting to know me? I want someone in my life who likes me–not just my body, but me. Someone who doesn’t look down on me because I didn’t finish college. If there's no chance of that, I'd appreciate it if you told me now.”

  Brad felt shocked that Wendell had such insecurities. “Not at all. I mean, yes, I’m totally interested. I was interested before you saved my life, but now I’m just head over heels,” Brad said. It was an attempt to deflect Wendell’s intensity with a bit of humor. Although he was feeling a bit giddy over the guy.

  His knight grinned at him.

  “Anyway, what were you studying before you quit school?” Brad asked.

  “Oh, mostly English. I wanted to be a journalist.”

  “Journalist? Really? I was an accounting major–because I liked to hide behind numbers. At least that’s what my ex used to say about me. I ended up doing finance because it was more interesting and riskier. Sometimes I wish I had stuck with the safer choice.”

  Wendy cocked his head. “Why?”

  Before Brad could answer, Jimmy burst through the door, “What the HELL?” he bellowed. “Don’t you two know any better than to go off without so much as a first aid kit?” Jimmy directed most of his venom toward Wendell–like an angry father toward his daughter’s date. “God, man. What did they say?” Jimmy asked Brad.

  “They haven’t even taken the x-rays yet, so nothing,” said Brad, disentangling his hand from Wendell’s and feeling his date stiffen beside him.

  “Why not? It doesn’t look like they're that busy in here. Hello,” Jimmy beaconed to the staff.

  “We’ll be right with him,” she said without glancing away from her computer screen.

  “Well, you can take off now. I’ll get him home,” Jimmy said to Wendell as he turned back.

  “Oh,” said Wendell. He looked at Brad.

  “Yeah, you probably don’t want to hang out here any longer than you have to,” Brad said. His face flushed as he fidgeted. Jimmy had to notice how close he was sitting to Wendell.

  “Um, sure, or I could get us coffee. Anyone want some?” Wendell asked.

  They both said no.

  Wendell arched his eyebrows. “Great. I guess I’ll go.”

  “Wait, Wendell. Thanks for today, and I’m sorry for being so…clumsy. Could I call you tomorrow?”

  “Sure,” said Wendell. He exited the side door to the parking lot.

  “That guy’s an asshole. Was he even looking out for you?” Jimmy said as sat down.

  “Aw, Jimmy, calm down. I’m an adult. This wasn’t Wendell’s fault. In fact, if it weren’t for his strength and nerves of steel, I wouldn’t have made it back.”

  Jimmy shook his head. Brad felt bad for contributing to his best friend’s burdens, but Wendell was the best guy to come along in a while, maybe ever. Jimmy was going to have to get used to the idea. Brad wasn't just gay in theory.

  “I really like this guy. If I have even an itsy-bitsy chance with him,” Brad said, holding his fingers up to show half an inch, “I want to take advantage of it. Please will you be nice to him?”

  “What do you want me to do?” Jimmy said as he sighed.

  “Call Lanie, and we’ll all have dinner again tomorrow night. How about that?”

  His best friend nodded but looked uncomfortable.

  But the next day Brad felt too sedated by painkillers to go out. He'd never taken a narcotic before. He’d been told at the hospital he'd sprained both ankles. Lanie hadn’t gotten hold of Wendell, anyway, so Brad convinced Jimmy to go out with Lanie while he slept.

  Jimmy woke him about eleven o’clock that night. “Guess what?” he was practically jumping on Brad’s bed.

  “What?” Brad groaned.

  “Two things. First, Lanie offered to make us dinner at her place tomorrow night.”

  “That’s nice.”

  “Brad! Wake up!”

  “Right. What?”

  “The good news? Lanie said she’d marry me. Said I’m the most romantic guy she’s ever known.” Jimmy hollered and hooted down the hallway and came back in with his cell phone. “Look,” he said, flipping through the apps. He showed Brad a picture of Lanie’s hand with a ring on it.

  “Aw, that’s fantastic, Jimmy. Why didn’t you tell me you planned to pop the question?”

  “I don’t know. Didn’t want to jinx it. Look,” he said, flipping to another pic. “This is how I asked.”

  Studying the photo, Brad made out what seemed to
be a carving in wood that read, Lanie, will you be mine today and always? He wasn’t sure what he was looking at and asked.

  “That’s our favorite table at our favorite bar. I carved the question over the past two weeks. I pointed to it tonight, and when she looked back up, I held the ring out.”

  “And she said you were romantic?” Brad slurred, half asleep.

  “Yeah.” Jimmy grinned then with the excitement of a two year old.

  “Man, Jimmy, she really is a keeper.” Brad closed his eyes against the intrusion of Jimmy’s animation.

  “You’ll be my best man, right?”

  “Will you be mine when I get married?” Brad asked, popping one eye back open to gauge his friend’s reaction. When Jimmy looked like he was pinned against the wall, Brad said, “Just kidding. Of course, I will be.” But he felt sad that Jimmy had looked so torn at the idea of being Brad’s best man someday–at his gay wedding, as they were called. Still, there was time to help his friend come around.

  Brad slept till past noon again. He called Wendell, but the phone went straight to voicemail, so he left a message.

  Today he would have to wash. He used his arms to slide out of the bed, which was pretty low to the ground, and then crawled to the master bathroom. The doctor had said he should be able to stand on his feet long enough to shower, but Brad had always been a bit of a baby when it came to not feeling well.

  He took a bath and then crawled back to his bed smelling fresh. Two hours and another snooze later, he was wide-awake and wondering if he had screwed things up with Wendell–who hadn’t called back yet. Brad had always messed stuff up when it seemed too good to be true. Not this time, he told himself. He sent Wendell a short text saying he was sorry and that he wanted to see him again. What was the worst that could happen? He could feel rejected? It wouldn’t be the first time. And maybe actually being rejected while pursuing someone wasn't as powerless as feeling rejected while passively waiting around.

  Then Lanie called and told him to get dressed, that she was picking him up to go to her place for dinner. She told him he needed to get out of the house. He thought to ask about Wendell but put it off. They weren’t in middle school, after all. But Wendell hadn’t texted back, and Brad was starting to feel disheartened.

  *******

  When they reached Lanie’s place, Brad left his crutches at the door and sat on the kitchen stool to shuck corn. He gawked appropriately at her diamond after realizing he’d actually forgotten that Jimmy got engaged. No more narcotics, he told himself.