Page 13 of Only One Bed: Anthology Vol. 1
“This is exactly what I get. Fucking karma and--”
The rap of knuckles against the glass of driver door made his jaw tighten and he would have bit right through his tongue if he had caught the thing just then. He took in a deep breath and this time it was his jaw that ached when he threw the car in park and turned his head to look at Remi.
Grant’s breath shuddered at the sight of one rain-soaked Remi. His shirt was nearly transparent and Grant felt his gut clench at the white material that could have been poured, not fitted, to Remi’s body. Every muscle ridge, dip, and godforsaken plane of flesh was on display for an audience of one. If Grant had entertained any thought that he’d be thinking of anything else but Remi that night, it was over and done. His jeans were slung low on his hips, waterlogged and weighed down until it exposed a strip of tan and muscled skin to him. Grant licked his lips and when Remi threw out his hands gesturing at him in a move that could only be classified as “What the fuck?” he sighed and rolled down the window.
“Yeah?” he said.
“What the fuck?” Remi threw his hands up.
Grant rolled his eyes. “What?”
“Were you tryin’ run my ass over or were you not paying attention on your own damn road?”
“You’re one to talk! You’re the one in the middle of the fucking road, Remi! I went off the road trying to miss you.” Grant jabbed a finger at Remi. He scoffed and raised a hand shoving his hair back out of his eyes and glared at Grant.
“Because when was the last time you had this road graveled huh? It washed out! A goddamn cup of water woulda washed this thing out!”
Grant bit his lip and said nothing. He had him there.
“It’s on my list!”
“Sure it is!”
Grant opened his mouth to shout at Remi but then shut it with a snap and inhaled deeply. Why the hell was he screaming at Remi in the middle of a thunderstorm? “Look,” he said, after he had taken a beat to calm himself, “let’s get out of here. Does your truck start?” he asked.
“No. Engine got flooded. I’m stuck until I get a tow.”
Grant hooked a thumb at his cab. “Get in then. We’ll come back for it after the rain.”
Remi gave a quick nod and strode around the truck. A second later he was climbing into the cab and he shut the door with a slam. Neither of them said anything, both men sitting in the stillness with the rain thrumming overhead. Grant took in another deep calming breath and glanced out towards Remi’s truck. It was at a low point of the road, the water high there, and he shook his head at the sight of it.
“You’re right. I should have been concentrating more on maintaining this road. This is on me.”
Remi snorted but said nothing and leaned back in his seat. Grant took it as an acknowledgment of his apology and he once more made to reverse onto the road, except that once more the truck failed to move.
He cleared his throat and turned the wheel choosing to try again and made no progress. Remi turned towards him then arched an eyebrow and had what Grant knew to be a smug look on his handsome face.
“You’re stuck,” he said matter-of-factly.
Grant shook his head and cranked the engine again trying to drive forward, but his wheels spun uselessly kicking up mud in vain.
“Grant, you aren’t going anywhere.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You’re dead in the water.”
“Like hell.” Grant floored it, and this time the truck lurched but it wasn’t forward. Instead, it was to sink down into the soft red Georgia mud and he growled in frustration. “Fuck.” He slammed a hand on the wheel and glared with unseeing eyes ahead of him. He was still glaring ahead of them, eyes focused on the rain-splattered windshield when the sound of Remi’s low chuckle began. Grant’s fingers flexed on the wheel. “Something you’d like to say?” he asked.
Remi scoffed and shook his head. “Come on, let’s get a move on.” He threw open the door and exited the truck, all the while still laughing. Grant didn’t want to follow suit, but he knew it was the only way they were going to get out of this. Reception was horrible and even if it wasn’t there was no way they would be able to call a tow while the storm continued to rage. No one was going to come get them, not this far out of town and not on this beat up and washed out road. He sighed and followed Remi out of the truck. They were walking all right but when he turned in the direction of town he saw that he was the only one.
“Where ya going?” Remi called out to him and he spun around to see the other man walking in the direction of the greenhouse.
“To town!” Grant yelled. He threw his hands out in frustration when Remi showed no sign of slowing down. “Where the hell are you going, Remi? Come back here!”
Remi kept walking, not even sparing a glance at Grant which meant he was going to have to go after the man. “Fucking hell,” he muttered, stomping after Remi. He swore when he nearly went sprawling in the mud. Perhaps stomping was a bit ambitious, given the mud he was trying to navigate. He righted himself and took in a deep breath, willing himself to be calmer, but it was no use; the confusion and anxiety he had suffered at Remi’s treatment had been transformed into anger and it was with the burning hot edges of it itching at his skin, that Grant continued on after Remi.
He only slowed when he caught up with him at the base of the hill his truck had struggled to traverse only minutes before. “Why are we going this way?” he grit out between clenched teeth.
