Page 10 of Sass in the Grass

Mike stammered, “Because, I guess he likes it?”

“Why?”

Kathy whispered, “Shh, you guys, Bernie is about to talk.”

Ignoring her and Bernie on the stage, Jovian simply stared over in the corner at the man who’d stopped the world. The way he leaned was even sexy, but when he scanned the room again, his eyes fell on Jovian and locked with his.

That cold stare, it gave Jovian chills to the point he was shivering. When Cherokee Dixon took his eyes from Jovian, Jovian could breathe again, and the world came back into focus.

On the stage, Bernie was saying, “This is going to be a great summer. We have performances, not one, but two survival camps per camper, parties and more. Thanks for being here, everyone, and please, enjoy the evening! Tomorrow, work begins.”

“What was that?” Kathy asked Jovian while everyone got up from the tables and started for the entrance. Everyone except for the three of them.

“What was what?”

Mike chuckled at Jovian. “That man threw you for a helluva loop, Jovian.”

“What man?”

He was usually much better at being coy, but he’d suddenly lost all his skills. He was still shivering, for fuck’s sake.

“Okay, let him have his secrets. We have ours.”

“Preach that, sis.”

Lou came over to him and handed him a flyer. “We email announcements too, but the Wi-Fi is so spotty here, few get them in time. Old-fashioned way is still the best.”

He ignored her, though he’d taken the flyer, because he was looking through the crowd for Dixon, but he was lost among the many faces there.

“Right, good to see you again too, Jovian.”

Further ignoring her, he started back to the cabin, needing to grab some clothes and shower. The sweat that covered his body wasn’t a great look, and he wanted to look his best. Never more so than that moment.

Back at the cabin, Mike and Kathy were talking to some others that shared the space and introduced him to them. “Jovian, new camper, this is Alan Joviski, Herm Ruben, and Freddy Five Fingers. All he/hims.”

Jovian finally came out of his tunnel vision, hearing the name. “Five Fingers?”

Freddy, who was tall and lanky with a thin smile, held up one arm, wriggling the fingers on that hand, then held up the other, which had no hand at all.

“They call you that? That’s rather rude, isn’t it?”

“I came up with the name. I have a thing for mafia stories,” he said, laughing. “Speaking of which, your name…Masseretti? Are you connected?”

Half his head was still back inside those chilling eyes, so he didn’t catch it. “Connected to?”

“Jovian, here, doesn’t have a huge sense of humor, Fred,” Mike said. “Besides, he has a thing for Dix.”

Jovian’s anger exploded, and it was everything he could do not to slap Mike in the face. “Excuse me? Who are you to say that, and how would you know?”

Mike simply winked at him. “You’re not the first, won’t be the last. The man is a god.” The other guy said, and Jovian draggedhis attention over to him. He was small and cute. Sure, more plain than cute, even so, with his sandy hair and almond-shaped green eyes, he could be Jovian’s biggest competition.

“I suppose you like him too?”

“Who doesn’t?” Alan asked.

With his sights set on Alan, Jovian ignored the other man introduced to him. Herm Ruben said, “I think he’d make me less Ace and gayer again, but no one has a chance with him.”

“Oh? Why?” Jovian demanded.

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