Christmas at Bennett’s (Breakfast at Bennett’s #4.5)

2. Colby

CHAPTER 2

COLBY

Managing a gym and owning one, as it turned out, were two different animals entirely and Colby was at his wit’s end with the business of owning. He wanted to be on the floor helping people, not locked up in his office dealing with the books and the vendor for the bathroom tissue, and a million other things that had cropped up since he took over the gym a couple of months ago.

The old boss had wanted out from under it, and he’d sold it to Colby at a decent rate. Colby later discovered that his boss had given him a great deal because his divorce had gotten messy and his soon-to-be-ex-wife demanded the sale. It explained why he’d let it go at such a reduced price that Colby couldn’t possibly walk away, and the venomous woman who’d shown up not long after Bruce handed over the keys.

An alarm on Colby’s phone chimed and he wasted no time shutting the computer down for the day and ignoring the ever-growing to-do list in favor of meeting Milo for dinner.

Between work and Milo’s volunteer efforts, they’d been like two ships passing in the night lately. And when they were together, Milo was unsettled and fidgety. Colby hoped that there wasn’t anything more serious happening. Either way, Colby had made Milo promise to meet him for dinner at The Anchor. They were going to have a couple of drinks and a nice meal and unwind together.

While Colby had been locked away in his office, the snow had started and he walked out of the gym into a winter wonderland. He shot off a quick text to Milo telling him that he was on his way. Colby didn’t mind the snow, but he’d often wished that snow fell everywhere else except for the roads.

The drive to The Anchor was slow and slushy. The first snow of the year always felt like driving on slime and Colby had always been a careful driver. Even so, he still beat Milo to the bar. He peeled his coat off and laid it on the booth next to him before ordering a beer and waiting.

And waiting.

No texts. No missed calls. Nothing.

And finally, when worry was a knot in his stomach, Milo entered the bar looking harried and out of breath. He’d seemed increasingly frazzled lately and Colby was sick to his back teeth of Milo pretending everything was fine. Colby might have been oblivious about his sexuality for a long time, but he wasn’t so dense that he didn’t notice when someone he loved was clearly floundering.

Milo all but collapsed into the seat opposite him. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

He unwound the scarf from around his neck and unzipped his coat.

“I was texting you. And calling you.” It wasn’t like Milo to just not answer, so Colby had spent the past twenty minutes trying not to imagine the very worst case scenarios.

Milo grimaced and pulled his phone from the inside pocket of his jacket. He set it on the table with a frown. “I dropped it. In a mountain of slushy snow. It’s cracked and wet and might as well be an actual brick. Now I have to go to the store tomorrow and see if they can repair it. I don’t have the money or the time for a new phone, and did I mention that I’m so fucking sorry I’m late?”

Colby’s distress was only mildly eased now that he saw Milo was unharmed. But he was more flighty and frantic than usual.

“I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried.”

Milo’s expression softened from annoyed to apologetic. He reached across the table and took Colby’s hand with his icy fingers. Colby frowned and wrapped his hands over Milo’s.

“Why are you so cold? Where are your gloves?”

“They got soaked when I was digging through slush mountain for my phone.”

“Is that why you’re late?”

“Partly. Mostly it’s because I took one more client when they promised it would be a quick last-minute thing.” One of Milo’s old drag friends was a photographer and they often referred people to Milo if they wanted their hair and makeup styled before a shoot.

“It was a family shoot, and one of the sisters, who originally thought she couldn’t make it, flew in at the literal last minute. I couldn’t just not help her. And I thought it would be a quick thing like the other girls said, but they left out the fact that this sister is like the bridezilla of family Christmas photos.” Milo paused to order a drink and Colby ordered dinner for them both with another beer for himself.

“Christmas can make people crazy.” Colby rubbed his hands over Milo’s still cold one, then made him switch for the other.

“I mean… you’re not wrong. But I didn’t mind. I just feel bad that I was late, and I was about to text you when I dropped my stupid phone. And tomorrow I’ll have to deal with getting it fixed or getting a replacement, and it’s a nightmare. I’m swamped. I don’t have time for this.”

Colby took a good long look at Milo. Dark circles ringed his eyes and his complexion wasn’t glowing the way it usually did. Milo wasn’t looking after himself.

“I’ll take care of your phone tomorrow.” Colby grabbed the broken phone and dropped it onto his coat before Milo could protest.

“You already have so much going on with the gym. You don’t have time either.” Milo slumped in his seat and dragged a hand over his tired face.

“I’ll make time.” Colby wanted to get out of there, away from the blinking Christmas lights and glittery snowflakes that were hung everywhere and take Milo home so he could look after him, but their food arrived and Milo’s face lit up at the sight of it.

“I’m starving. Oh, my God.” Milo tucked into his fries right away, shoving a few in his mouth. He grabbed his burger next and took a bite.

Had Milo stopped to eat anything that day? Colby had his suspicions, but he kept them to himself for now. Milo had finally started to relax now that there was food in front of him.

“Tell me about your day,” Colby prompted. “It had to be better than mine. Mine was atrocious. I hadn’t realized what a shit show Bruce left, but I think the bulk of the mess is behind me.”

Milo’s expression turned tender the way it did often when he looked at Colby. “You’ve worked your ass off. I’m so proud of you.”

Milo ate another fry and took a sip of his drink before he continued. “Except for the sister-from-hell, my day was fine. Oh, and my phone breaking. That was less than fine. Tomorrow, I’m volunteering at the shelter, and then some of the girls want help with their makeup. And I told one of them that I’d fix part of their costume. Plus I have to get some shopping done.”

No wonder Milo looked like he was ready to crawl into bed and sleep for a week. “Is there anything else I can do to lighten your load?”

A sly smile spread across Milo’s face. “Lighten my load, huh?”

Colby shook his head, “You’re incorrigible. And you’re trying to distract me.”

“Is it working?”

“If you have to ask, I think you know the answer is no. Come on, Milo, let me help you.”

“You’re already taking care of my phone. That’s plenty. I promise.” Milo’s sentence was punctuated with a jaw-cracking yawn. His whole body seemed to join in, tensing up only to go limp all at once when the yawn ended.

Colby grabbed his card from his wallet and flagged down a server. “I think it’s time to get you home. Get your coat. I’ll drive you.”

“I have things in my car that I can’t leave.”

“Then I’ll drive your car.” Colby saw Milo’s protest building and it made him want to shake his boyfriend. “Milo, you’re dead on your feet. I’ll leave my car here, and we’ll take yours.”

“You’re up earlier than I am to open the gym. You need your car.”

“I’ll sleep in and have someone else open tomorrow.”

Milo’s eyes shone with affection. “Really?” He blinked away the glassy look to his eyes, the sudden flood of emotion telling Colby that it was very possible that they’d both gotten caught up in life lately and forgotten to make time for little things like sleeping late and making breakfast together.

“What do you say?” Colby held out his hand and his heart soared when Milo dropped the keys into his palm.

The drive home was slow because the snow was falling with a vengeance.

“The first snow of the year is always gross to drive on.” Milo wound his scarf tighter even though they were in the car with the heat cranked.

“Are you cold?” Colby asked, his concern for his boyfriend growing by the minute. Milo was wearing himself down to the bone. He had a big heart and it was something Colby loved about him, but he wasn’t happy that all the love in that big heart didn’t leave any room for Milo himself.

Guilt stabbed Colby in the stomach. Milo was his boyfriend, but he’d been so busy with the purchase of the gym that it must have left Milo feeling like Colby didn’t have time to help him. That he couldn’t go to Colby and put another thing on his plate. But when it came to Milo, he had to know that Colby would clear his schedule for him no matter what. He could get someone else to open the gym. To close the gym. To run the programs that Colby had built himself. He was replaceable in several of his roles and responsibilities, but not when it came to being Milo’s boyfriend.

When they pulled into the parking lot of the building they now shared an apartment in, Colby got out first and went around to the passenger side to open the door for Milo. He smiled at Colby in a sweet, sleepy way and allowed Colby to help him out of the car.

Colby tugged Milo into his arms and slanted his mouth over Milo’s. The kiss was soft, gentle like the falling snow, and just as unhurried. Colby kissed him until Milo finally pulled away. His cheeks were red, and his eyes were brighter than they’d been all night.

“What was that for?” Milo asked.

“For being you. For being wonderful.” Colby kissed him again. “Now what do you need brought inside?”

Milo sagged into Colby’s embrace. “My makeup cases. Some garment bags because I promised a couple of the girls I’d do some mending for them. The gift bags.” Milo groaned. “Why do we live in a stupid apartment building? We’re home, but we’re still so far away.”

“Then let’s move.”

Milo’s head snapped up. “What?”

“We’ll move. We’ll find a cute little house to rent. Or even like a duplex or something. Some place with no elevator.”

“But you love the stairs,” Milo teased. Pulling away, he went to the trunk and waited for Colby to press the button on the fob to open it. “I know you take them for fun.”

“I can live without stairs. Plus, I own a gym. I have as many flights of stairs as I want to have.”

“Those machines are the devil.” Milo hefted the makeup cases out, leaving the garment bag and gift bags for Colby.

“I’m serious, Milo. Did you want to move? We could find a nice little house somewhere. Wherever you want to live.”

“The idea of moving right now gives me hives.”

“We can start looking after the holidays. I’d have to be insane to want to move during the holidays.”

“You really want to move? I was kidding about the whole being home but so far away thing.”

“I think it would be nice, don’t you?” Colby asked.

Milo looked at him as they were both too laden down with bags and things to get close enough to kiss, but Colby could see the softness in his mouth like he wanted to be kissed, frequently and with fervor. Kissed forever. Or maybe that was Colby’s own wishes clouding his perception.

“I think it would be very nice.” Snow swirled around them, landing on Milo’s head, the flakes stuck to his hair. Milo shifted his bags out of the way and crushed himself against Colby for one more kiss.