Page 88 of Sass in the Grass

“Can I ask you to maybe not say anything to the camp leaders? I don’t want to bomb out and disappoint anyone. If we raise some, but not enough, I hoped to maybe find another place for the camp.”

“I’m sure you’ll raise it. The community of people that frequent Chaps, they’re generous. My best friends adopted a sick little girl years ago. She needed a bone marrow transplant, and it didn’t look like they’d ever find her a donor. Some other friends of ours got every member of Manacle, the other club we owned, to come and get tested. One was a match for her, and now she’s a beautiful girl of twelve, ready to become a teenager.”

Damn tears that seem to spring to his eyes so easily lately. Well, they came. “That’s sweet!”

“Yes, so I know you’ll get the help they need, but I’ll respect your wishes. No one will tell a soul until it’s over.”

Travis came walking in and announced, “And whatever extra you need, if you don’t get enough, I’ll cover.”

Jovian just stared at him.

Lonnie told his husband, “I knew you’d say that.”

“Well, I’m paying for the open night already, so why not? Armand wouldn’t think of it until I said that.”

“I didn’t want you to have to…I mean, I would have tried to get that money!”

“Fifteen thousand? And I talked him down from thirty.”

“Th-thirty thousand for a night?”

“The club can make twice that on these special events. Not to mention the vendors, like Slutae, for the clothes, the juices at the bar, you name it, and on special nights, the private rooms are money grabbers. Usually they’re free, but not for these events.”

“Will the club keep all that?”

“No. He tried,” Travis said, laughing, but I got you a 50/50 cut.”

He was surprised, and so happy. “That’s amazing. Thank you, Travis, Lonnie!”

“The contract should be here soon. Please, stay for dinner. We can discuss more about the camp and when the contract comesto my email, I’ll print it and then you can sign it, and I’ll fax it back to Armand.”

Jovian thought of missing the class, of missing Cherokee, but this was too important to take a chance at not getting the contract signed right away. “Okay, yes, thank you.”

He had a wonderful time eating burgers and fries with the family, hearing their banter around the table. Lane was a very serious kid, always picking at his little brother for his lack of table manners.

When it was almost seven, the contract finally came into Travis’s email, and he printed it and Jovian signed it quickly after Travis assured it was what they discussed.

“You’re set for this weekend. Short notice, but I have some friends that could round up a bunch of people, too.”

That was when it hit him and hit him hard. The Survival Camp was next weekend. The last weekend of the camp, or so they thought. “This is great. I can’t thank you and Lonnie enough. I have to get back, though. Can you give my thanks to Lonnie?”

“Sure, he’s just giving Dennis a bath. I’ll tell him after he’s done cleaning the bathroom for the second time today.”

He made it back to the camp just before nine, and he knew Cherokee would be steaming mad. He walked up to the cabin right off, hating walking at night by himself, but his fear of Cherokee’s anger was more frightening to him than any bear or snake.

And, when he got to the cabin, he wished a bear had come and eaten him. He knocked, but the door was open, and Cherokee lounged on the couch, reading. He ignored Jovian completely.

“Hi,” he said timidly.

“There you are,” he mocked. “What the hell happened to you? I was worried.”

“Didn’t Alan tell you? I had an errand to run.”

“He told me, and he looked damn guilty when he did,” Cherokee said as he swung his feet to the floor and set the books down hard on the trunk that doubled as a coffee table. “What the hell is going on, Jovian?”

Jovian went to him, kneeling on the floor by his feet. “I swear, it was nothing bad.”

“Then tell me. You can’t take off in camp, Jovian.”

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