The Hots (mxm)

36. The Enemy in The Dark (Sam)

   There is nothing like the late evenings in the countryside at the end of summer. The air is warm and scented of freshly mowed grass, flowers, and hay. The deafening chirping of millions of crickets mingles with the noisy chorus of the frogs, ribbiting in the nearby river. Occasional cow mooing, a horse neigh or sheep bleating can be heard from the neighboring farms. A scops owl, hidden in its hollow, somewhere in the orchard, is releasing a high-pitched whistle in even intervals every few seconds. Big, earthly colored moths are fluttering above the flower beds in the twilight. 

   The night sky is captivating. Once you look up, you can't take your eyes off the endless sea of stars and constellations, the magical mist of the milky way, and the soft glow of the silver moon's waning crescent. There are no bright street lights to interfere with the magnificent view, no cars, no city noises to drown out the sounds of nature. It is only us and the universe.

   Our group is settled on the swing sofa and two hanging egg chairs around the portable barbecue. We are sipping chilled white wine, engaged in a lively conversation, while Alec is preparing skillfully the food. I'm always fascinated to watch him cook. His movements are professional and precise. There is no sign of clumsiness. I keep quiet, trying not to bother him. It is clear that I am at the bottom of every disaster he creates. I can't help but smirk. It's nice to think that my boy, who is otherwise so guarded, loses all his self-control just by being close to me. This has to change, though. He needs to relax and learn to trust me. I must make him understand that whatever he hides so persistently under his shirt will never change my feelings for him. He is the cutest, the most beautiful and lovable person I have ever met. I'm not even going to start about my permanent hard-on since we've been together.

   "Oh, your mommy is a teacher. How nice! Admirable profession!" Rose squeaks. "I loved it when I worked with children. Well, this troublemaker here didn't make it easy at all. Did Sammy tell you how he and his best friend put a mouse in my desk drawer? It gnawed a huge hole through the test sheets of the whole class. Everyone had to do it again."

   I glare at her, but she goes on, paying no attention. Alec and mom are giggling, of course, fueling her enthusiasm. "What can I say! Those two were a ticking bomb, always ready with their next prank. They sneaked into the canteen and poured some laxative in the soup pot. You can't imagine what happened after lunch. The school was..."

   "Rose!" I give her another warning look. 

   "Alright," she chuckles. "You didn't care much, though, what people would say back then."

   "We were kids," I frown. 

   "You haven't told me anything about your best friend," Alec turns to me. "Where is he now? Are you still close?"

   "I wouldn't say so," I shrug my shoulders, trying to sound indifferent. "He's been living abroad for many years."

   "Oh, but you should have kept in touch," Alec stares at me. "It sounds you were really good friends. Something as precious as that should not be lost."

   "And what about your daddy, dear?" Nicol intervenes, capturing his attention. "What does he do?"

   "He's an engineer," Alec answers and turns back to the grill to flip the chicken breasts. "He works for a big construction company and travels a lot. They often have projects abroad. I guess he hoped I would follow his steps, but I was actually pleasantly surprised when I told him that I had chosen another career."

   "Paris!" Rose suddenly shrieks. "Victor went to live in Paris, didn't he? I'm pretty sure he did! I remember him asking you to join him. Am not I right, Sammy?"

   I feel a trickle of sweat, sliding down my temple. Alec peeks at me over his shoulder with a puzzled expression. I can almost sense the gears turning in his head, trying to make the connection. I'm such an idiot to brag about where I bought the damn curtains in my house.

   "The food smells so good! You are an amazing chef, honey," mom beams at him. "Are you sure you don't want some help? You do this at work every day. I feel guilty for making you do it here as well. Have some rest! Rose and I can finish. Go have a glass of wine with Sam!"

   "No, no, no," he protests. "It's my pleasure! I'm almost done. The steaks have soaked in the marinade wonderfully. All I have to do is grill them, and everything will be ready."

   I release the breath I have been holding. It seems Nicol succeeded in distracting him.

  "Barney, no!" she screams the next second. The sly dog has taken advantage of the situation and managed to steal a big steak. He immediately dashes across the lawn to hide his treasure in the tall grass near the fence. Mom is ranting, "He is so silly! The veterinarian said that raw meat is very bad for his sensitive stomach. Barney had quite big problems last time but never learned. I feed him special dry food. He gets some plain chicken with rice only from time to time."

   "Don't worry," Alec pats her shoulder. "I'll catch him and take back the meat."

  He darts after Barney before I can stop him. Oh, dear! He doesn't have a clue. I should have prepared him better for the stay here. My poor baby doesn't know that there's a hidden enemy army of bloodsuckers, lurking in the dark. We are protected by burning eucalyptus coils, scattered in the grass, and repellent torches, spreading citrus-scented smoke around us, but two feet away, and he is doomed. The moment he steps in the grass, a swarm of whining mosquitoes raises like a tidal wave and splashes over him.

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Photo by rrvachov from istockphoto.com

A/N

Hello, at the end of chapter 36!

Thank you so much for reading and supporting! 💗💗💗

Poor Alec has yet to experience the challenges of being in the countryside.

Do you think this will distract him from the new detail he just learned about Sam's past? 🤭

Share your thoughts, ask questions, and criticize if you think it's necessary.

And don't forget to vote if you liked the story.

Love: Anny