Page 54 of Henri (Confessions 5)

Which made him wonder: what kind of childhood must Henri have had to be relieved that his father was dead? Not a very good one, that was for damn sure. Death provoked a vast array of emotions in people, something Bailey had learned both on and off the job. It was best to let them feel it and experience it exactly the way they needed to.

“In that case, I’m happy for you. Am I allowed to say that?”

Henri smiled. “Yeah, I guess you are. It’s kind of weird, though.”

“What is?”

“Me being happy.”

The casual way Henri said it was one of the most heartbreaking things Bailey had ever heard. But instead of pointing that out, he decided to take this thing between them one step at a time. Lighten things up. He didn’t want to scare Henri off. “Stick around. Maybe you’ll get used to the feeling.”

Henri sat back on his stool and winked. “That’s the plan, right? But I got to tell you, you’ve got your work cut out for you, officer.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. You see, I’ve never been really good at sticking around.”

Deep down, Bailey had known that. But something told him that this time around was different, and if he wanted Henri, then he was going to have to be daring enough to tell him.

So with a boldness he didn’t know he possessed, Bailey said, “Maybe you’ve just never been tempted before.”

Henri made a slow leisurely sweep of Bailey. “And how do you plan to tempt me?”

Bailey flashed a smile and made a promise that he knew he’d have no problem keeping. “Stick around and I’ll show you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

CONFESSION

Even when I try to stay out of trouble,

it always manages to find me.

A DATE…

I have a date. Well, technically a second date, Henri thought, as he stared at the message on his phone later that morning, which had the time and place of where he was going to meet Bailey before his shift started this afternoon.

He still wasn’t sure what the hell he was doing making time with a cop, but since he couldn’t seem to stay away, he’d decided to just embrace it. Ever since he’d met Bailey, Henri had been in a constant battle of wills with himself. One minute wanting Bailey, and the next trying to stay away. But when Henri stepped inside that kitchen and saw Bailey waiting for him, he knew he was done resisting, and one cup of coffee later, he was agreeing to a date.

It was amazing how your life could change course so drastically in a handful of hours. But now here he was, unable to stop thinking about the way Bailey had looked at him and said, “Maybe you’ve just never been tempted enough to stay?”

Well, mission accomplished—he was more than tempted now, and once they’d finished their coffee, and Bailey had told him that he needed some sleep before his shift tonight, Henri had been the one asking when they could see each other again.

If someone had told him a month ago that he would not only be sleeping with a cop but trying to date one, he would’ve told them they were insane. But regardless of whether it was a smart decision, he didn’t think there was anything on the fucking planet that could put him in a bad mood today.

Victor was dead, Henri was going on a date, and okay, what he was about to do wasn’t something he would’ve usually picked to kick-start his perfect day. But he figured the sooner he got a jump start on Detective Dick’s work, the sooner it would be over, and it might also stop him from staring at his phone like a lovesick pup all day.

As he turned down one of the grungy streets that paralleled Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, Henri looked at Bridge #6 over the river and noticed that not much had changed in the last few months.

The first time he’d been in this neck of the woods was one he rarely looked back on. Not because he was ashamed of what he’d done and why, but because he was afraid if he examined it too closely, he would enjoy it far too much.

That night with Big Jimmy… That snapshot in time seemed like a lifetime ago now. It was a part of himself that Henri hardly recognized, but knew was there. He’d locked it far, far away from the civilized world, where nobody but him could see it, and that was where it would stay for as long as he lived.

Henri scanned the dilapidated buildings along the riverfront, searching out the one he’d come looking for.

Scooter—as he was known around here—was a twenty something-year-old that looked like a teen, and played the part like the pro he was. He brought in big bucks when it came to men trolling the back alleys looking for a quick suck or fuck, and was well known in the area for being able to get you anything you need, from G to E to H to the Big O. He was also the first one to tell you to get lost if you came anywhere near his turf.

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