Page 19 of Truth or Spare
“Just like that,” he said, cutting her off. “I’ve known Theo for almost a week and I still can’t figure him out. Why would you assume he’d want to know or care?”
She drew back and glared. “First of all, you better believe that your health and well-being are my business! Imagine tellingmenot to worry about you, after everything you’ve done for me and Bryce.” She gave him a hard look, daring him to argue with her.“Exactly,” she said with a defiant snort. “I can see that Theo has a good heart and he’d take all of this a lot more seriously if he knew the truth.”
“I don’t need him getting even more overzealous because he feels sorry for me. Who knows what Theo might break or how he’d hurt himself.”
That got a sympathetic groan out of Cassie. “At least he’s trying. You had a hard time just getting the kids you hired to show up every day.”
“True,” Dewey agreed. “He does help, in his own way,” he added before he wandered off to check the soda fountain and make sure all the candy was stocked.
Dewey wasn’t going to tell her about Keith calling himself “sir” or how much of a relief it was to have someone else on hand to fill in on league nights. Or, how thrilling it was just to be in proximity to another queer man for the first time in his life.
It didn’t really matter that Dewey didn’t have a chance with Theo. He reveled in his own stilted, silent way at simply being able to exist with someone who understood and accepted him as a bisexual. Or, possibly a pansexual. The easy banter and harmless flirting was both liberating and refreshing after years of being mocked and doubted.
Theo hadn’t rolled his eyes and said “Sure he is,” the way everyone else did when Cassie told him that Dewey was bi. Instead, Theo had taken Dewey’s side and treated him like a fellow queer person.
He had even said that Dewey was a catch.
That offhanded compliment had rolled around the inside of Dewey’s brain like a lonely marble, distracting him and giving him wild ideas. It had him asking weird questions that he didn’t need to ponder, like what Theo’s ass tasted like and what else he might be into.
“Damn it, Cassie,” Dewey complained and forbade himself from thinking about Theo’s ass for the rest of the night.
Theo and Cassie had their heads together and were giggling when Dewey returned to the front desk at closing time. The last of the blue hairs were leaving and Cassie had her phone out.
“See? He’s a looker without the beard, too,” she said as she pointed at the screen and passed it to Theo.
“I’m not sure which I prefer, Brooks” he said and held the phone out as he studied Dewey. “I could happily sit on that face with or without the beard.”
“Stop that!” Dewey hissed and waved but it was too late, Keith was appalled as he stomped over and slapped his shoes onto the counter.
“I don’t want to see all of Doobie’s face. He looks like a giant baby without a beard.”
“There you go,” Dewey said, surprised and relieved, nodding at Keith as he left.
Dewey went to make sure the parking lot was clear. “Hope you’re happy. He won’t shut up about that for at least a month,” Dewey warned but Theo flailed dismissively.
“I could do a lot worse.”
“Than a giant baby who runs a bowling alley in the middle of nowhere? I don’t think you could,” Dewey said, making Cassie groan in protest.
“Don’t say that! You’re a successful businessman and a community leader, who kind of looks like a baby without a beard,” she conceded and mouthed an apology at Dewey.
Theo shook his head. “I do not agree, but this reminds me of a funny expression we have in German: am Arsch der welt. It means: the ass of the world.”
“That’s appropriate,” Dewey said. “It feels like this bowling alley is at the ass-end of the world. I’m leaving, lock up behind you,” he told them, bone-tired and confused to his core.
He was afraid of—and anticipating—the havoc their beard debate was likely to unleash. There was no telling how many jokes Keith would make and Dewey could already hear that stupid song playing in his head. Dewey had a strong feeling that when he closed his eyes that night, he’d be dancing with Theo and sticking his beard in low places.
Not that Dewey was all that upset at the prospect or would do a damn thing to prevent it. He might not have an actual chance with the real Theo, but at least a guy could dream.
Chapter Nine
The bowling alley was closed on Sundays so Theo had spent the day in the Winnie, reading a Stephen King novel for more English practice and snacking on the provisions he had acquired from the vending machine and the convenience store. It was closed on Sundays too and there were no restaurants or grocery stores within walking distance.
Theo could cook a small repertoire of his and his brothers’ favorite foods. But only in the case of an emergency—he preferred to leave it to someone else and couldn’t stand messes in the kitchen. So far, he was surviving happily on the lunches Cassie brought to the alley and the snacks he gathered throughout the week.
Mostly, he was bored on Sunday and was relieved when the alley reopened and he had something to do and someone to talk to. So far, it was an extremely slow Monday and Dewey had given Theo those days “off” too. He explained that they probably wouldn’t see any customers except Keith, who usually turned up around two. Theo couldn’t drive and had nowhere else to go so he used the time to wash his bed linens and his laundry in the machines in the bowling alley’s storage room.
The bowling alley was still abandoned and quiet when Theo was done so he started the jukebox and went to hang out at the front desk. He sang along with the Rolling Stones until a newer country western song began. Theo didn’t recognize it and was in more of a classic rock mood so he reached for the jukebox’s remote and punched one of the keys to wake it up but nothing happened.
