“This is Wes Stewart in the penthouse suite.I want to speak to the manager.Now!”He paused.“I don’t give ashit what time it is.One of your staff let someone into my room,without my permission, invading my privacy.Now you either call thepolice and get your manager up here, or I will!”Wes slammed downthe phone and grabbed Kieran by the arm, shoving him toward thedoor.“I’m pressing charges against you.Don’t ever contact meagain.Out!”
Wes opened the door and threw the clothes,and a nude Kieran, into the hallway, not giving a shit who saw thespectacle.Several other doors opened, and curious guests poppedtheir heads out, their faces either shocked or amused when theycaught sight of the naked man.
“Wait, wait!Wes, I need a couple thousanddollars.I got kicked out of my last place.The old fucker I livedwith cut me off.Come on, you owe me.”
Wes slammed and locked the door, ignoredKieran’s banging and wailing.Eight minutes later, the policearrived along with the manager, and Wes gave his full account.Kieran was finally allowed to get dressed and was escorted out ofthe building.The hotel offered to comp everything if Wes didn’tsue, and since he was still a nice Canadian guy, he agreed.He wastoo tired to care at this point.
When everyone had left, Wes checked hisphone.No text, voicemail, or missed calls from Ryker.Then hechecked his call log.Ryker had called at one twelve AM.The callhad lasted for one minute and ten seconds.
Wait.Wes hadn’t talked to Ryker, and thatwas over an hour ago, when he was in the shower.
Oh, fuck.
Wes dialed Ryker.Voicemail.Again,voicemail.Shit.
“It’s me, please, please call me back.Mycrazy ex bribed his way into my hotel room.I had him arrested.Ijust finished talking to the police.I don’t know what he said toyou, but it’s total bullshit.Nothing happened.I kicked him out assoon as I saw him.Please call me back,” Wes pleaded.
He sat down slowly on his bed, leaned backagainst the headboard, and closed his eyes.
The warmth of the shower was long gone,replaced by a cold awareness that had nothing to do with thetemperature and everything to do with the fear that Ryker wouldn’tcall him back.
****
Ryker
Love sucked.And not in the good way.
Ryker tossed and turned for most of thenight, unable to sleep, and finally rolled out of bed at six thirtyAM.He went through his usual routine: walk Spock, feed the beasts,make coffee, eat food, work, check his e-mail, all the whileignoring his phone.He knew he couldn’t put it off forever and wasbeing dramatic, so he finally sat down around noon and listened toWes’s voicemail.
Ryker knew in his heart that Wes was tellingthe truth.That wasn’t the issue.The incident had, however, madeRyker aware of how quickly he’d become invested in Wes, how much itmight hurt if—when—things ended.He’d always avoided intimaterelationships for that very reason.His mother had been so strickenwhen his father left, it was like she’d grieved his death.Evenwhen he was a little boy, years after his father’s departure, Rykerwould sometimes find her crying in her bedroom, repeating his name.He knew he never wanted to go through that kind of pain.Andopening his heart to Wes would mean he’d have to face thatpossibility.Maybe it was already too late.
Was he strong enough?
Ryker could admit he was in love.But was heready for this relationship?The reality was, they lived in twodifferent countries.How would the long-distance thing work?Andwhat about Wes’s penchant for publicity?Would he want theirprivate life posted all over social media?Ryker needed time tofigure out what he was able to give and how much he was willing totake.
Ryker:I got your voicemail.I believeyou.I’m sorry you had to go through that.I just need some time tomyself and will contact you soon, I promise.
Wes:Okay.I miss you.Please reach outto me, day or night.
He was relieved that Wes hadn’t pushed himto get on the phone, like he’d instinctively known Ryker would beskittish at the first sign of relationship trouble.As it turnedout, the crazy ex was just the beginning.The next morning, Rykerstepped out with Spock for his usual walk, only to be ambushed byreporters in front of his building.
“Ryker Desoumas!”
“Over here!”
“You were seen with Wes Stewart at a coffeeshop early Thursday morning.Are you two an item?How did youmeet?”
Between the camera flashes and the yelling,Ryker’s anxiety took over, and he ran as fast as he could to getaway from whoever was following him.He managed to yell “Nocomment” and kept going, lifting Spock into his arms to protecthim.Fuck, this was just the type of thing he hated—and why henever publicized who he was.Now that he was with Wes, was thisgoing to be his life?
An hour later, Ryker returned to hisbuilding and managed to get back inside without incident.Headvised the concierge about the reporters, called his agent, andnotified Mac to be on guard, but Mac just shrugged it off.
“I’m used to it, Ry.New York paparazzidon’t faze me much at all.They’ve been following my family fordecades.You shouldn’t be bothered either.You know what it’slike.”
“Sure, I was on the other side of the storyyears ago, but I never harassed people about who they were dating.This personal shit, it’s so invasive,” Ryker muttered.
“You might as well make peace with the factthat today, everyone is watching your every move.It’s not just thepress.Anyone with a smartphone acts like they’re the paparazzinow.Just keep living your life and don’t let them get to you.Oncethey find another celebrity to follow, they’ll leave Wes, and you,alone.”
“They haven’t left you alone,” Ryker pointedout.
