Body and Soul (Twist of Fate 3)

A rant that seemed to include me.

“A fuckin’ liar. Those are my type. The kind who keep secrets. Like Cocci Borroni. Fuckin’ liar. That asshole stole my designs and put them out as his own, did I tell you? Wait. What? No. The kind of guy I want or the kind of guy I usually go for? Oh, right. The kind I’m looking for. You know… the usual shit we all want. Someone to keep me safe, laugh at my jokes, love my dog, support my dreams. Someone who sees the real me and thinks that guy’s okay.”

The last bit was said with a hint of wistfulness that made my heart hurt for him. God, he really did deserve that kind of guy.

Suddenly, Oz sat up and opened his eyes with a cheeky grin. “Fuck. And if he has a big dick, that’s a bonus, right? I bet Jake’s got a little one. He might act like a big dick, but that doesn’t mean—”

I cleared my throat to get his attention and watched with amusement as he took his time turning around. I swore I even saw him clicking his heels together.

Was he… was he actually trying to pull the move from that Wizard of Oz movie?

When he saw me, I said, “Sorry, Dorothy, you’re not in Kansas anymore.”

All the ladies burst into tipsy giggles.

A bleary-eyed Oz dropped his head to the table. Becky, who seemed just as drunk as Oz, leaned over and said to him, “Then you really would like Russ. He has an enormous package, and it’s uncut too. But you didn’t hear it from me.” When one of the other ladies looked at her in surprise, she added, “What, when you’re the town nurse, you know what all the dicks look like.”

Another titter of laughter followed, but I was still hung up on the name Becky had mentioned.

Russ.

As in Russell Hastings. A man-whore if I ever saw one. The guy had even tried to pick me up a few times, even though he had no way of knowing I was gay. The only ones who even had an inkling about my sexuality were Xander and Bennett, despite me not even having told them as much. Because I hadn’t told anyone. Not because I wasn’t out, but just because I played everything personal close to the vest.

The idea of Russ and Oz together had me seeing red.

Oz seemed to completely forget his embarrassment because he leaned toward Becky and said, “Can you give Russ my number—”

Becky looked confused and was about to say something, but I grabbed Oz’s arm and pulled him to his feet before she could speak.

“Ladies,” I said, tucking Oz up against my side. To Becky I said, “Thanks for calling me for a ride for this one. I assume you all have rides?”

All the ladies nodded and began announcing who was picking them up.

Oz pulled away from my grip, but I didn’t let him go far.

“I’m fine. I can drive myself, thankyouverymuch,” he slurred before taking one step forward and tripping over an invisible obstacle. I grabbed him around the waist to keep him from tumbling into Becky’s lap. “Shit.”

When he realized Becky had reached out to defend herself by pushing against his ass to keep him from landing on her, he swatted her hand away with a cheeky wink. “Sorry, babe. You’re not my type.” Which set the whole table off laughing again.

In an unguarded moment, Oz turned in my embrace and locked eyes with me, revealing the mischief in his expression. His grin was wide open, and he looked free and relaxed for the briefest moment. My heart skittered at the sight of the real man beneath the insecure one from this afternoon in Doc Sharma’s office.

“Hi,” I murmured when we were almost nose to nose. I was so eager to see more of this Oz that I didn’t even consider what I was saying when I added, “Glad you’re having fun. We don’t have to leave yet if you want to stay.”

His gaze flicked from my mouth back up to my eyes before he stuttered his response. “No. I… I want to go. Home with you. I mean I… I want you to take me home. With you. To our house. To my house. To… well, it’s Xander and Bennett’s house I guess, but you know what I mean. Right?”

I bit my lips against the smile that threatened. “Yes, Oz. I know what you mean. Let’s go home.”

He babbled the entire way home about the most random stuff.

“And then she, like… what’s the word? She horked it up. The entire thing, plastic wrapping and all. And there I was, sitting in first class, holding dog puke in my open palm. Has that ever happened to you?”

I twisted my tongue inside my mouth and looked out the window, so he didn’t notice me trying not to laugh at him. I couldn’t help it. He was so fucking cute like this.