Saying Goodbye (20 page)

~

Alex held
a
script and schedule in his hand. They had one day off a week. And though he was relieved
to have time off;
he had nothing to do, and no one to do it with.
And the day off varied according to their shooting schedules.

He scuffed his
feet
into the Regis
h
otel lobby and tried to function. He was so exhausted he could barely
make it
to the elevator.

“Alex.”

At hearing his name, Alex spun on his heels. He could not believe what he was seeing. “Oh my God!”

Jack and Steve were in the lobby, sitting on the overstuffed gilded furniture, carryon bags near their feet.

Alex raced to them, hugging them both and choking up with tears. “You came!”

“Alex, is your father here?” Jack asked, pushing Alex’s hair behind his ear affectionately.

“Dad?” Alex touched Steve’s chest over his jacket, held Jack’s hand. “No. Is Dad coming?”

Steve and Jack exchanged looks.

“I don’t know if he’s here.” Alex looked around the lobby. “I mean, this hotel is off limits to everyone but the cast and crew.” He looked up at Jack. “How did you guys even get in here?”

“We name dropped you.” Jack cupped Alex’s jaw.

“Then Dad could have gotten in.” Alex looked around the lobby. “Did he say he was coming?” Alex began walking to the concierge desk. Before the men joined him, Alex leaned on the desk and asked the man behind it, “Has Mark Richfield, my father, come to this hotel?”

The man gave Alex a curious look and then tapped keys. “He is part of the film?”

“No. No, he’s my dad.” Alex looked behind him to see Steve and Jack, their bags on their shoulders, waiting for an answer.

“No. No one check in with Mark Richfield’s name. No. Only cast and crew.”

Alex spun around. “I guess not. But maybe he found a hotel that had a room.”

Jack caressed Alex’s cheek. “Can we go someplace private to talk?”

“Sure. My room.” Alex grinned
excited
ly at them as he led the way to the elevator. “My God! You came
.
I am so happy!”

Steve appeared slightly worn out, unshaven and his eyes bloodshot, but Alex knew it was a long flight, and both he and Jack must be tired.

He poked the elevator button
. “I had a great day today. I think I’m finally getting the hang of this. I mean, wow, it’s so much more intense than the TV show.”
He entered it and the three men rode up.

Alex waited as the door opened to his floor and took his card key out of his wallet as he led the way to his room. He
slid his key card in
the lock and pushed back the door. The room was immaculate since he had been gone all
day
filming and the maids had done their job.

“Wow.” Steve stepped into the posh suite with its Regency style
furnishings
, long
heavy draped windows and three rooms, including a bathroom big enough to place a bed inside.

“Check your phone, Alex.” Jack put his bag on the floor and took off his jacket.

Alex nodded and also took his coat off, toeing off his shoes. He turned his phone on and it beeped with messages.

Steve vanished into the bathroom and Alex sat on the bed, staring at Jack. “Just Billy.” Alex checked his emails and missed voicemail messages. “No. Nothing from Dad. He said he was coming here?”

Jack put his hands on his hips and walked to the balcony, pulling back the curtain to see outside.

“Some view, huh?” Alex laughed. “This place would be amazing if I had time to enjoy it.”

Steve exited the bathroom and asked, “Anything?”

Jack shook his head. “No.”

Standing,
Alex suddenly grew concerned. “Wait a minute. You don’t know where Dad is?”

Steve noticed a wet bar and poured himself a shot of something amber. “No. We assumed he’d come here.”

“Why? Why would Dad just show up without telling me he was coming?” Alex watched Steve hand Jack a glass of alcohol and pour another.

Jack said, “Alex, sit down.”

Alex sat on the bed, tucking one leg under him.

Steve drank the shot down a
s
Jack sat beside Alex. “Your dad wasn’t home when Steve, Adam and I
went
back to LA.”

Alex nodded, waiting.

Steve glanced at Alex, pouring himself another shot.

“And?” Alex asked.

“He…” Jack looked into his glass. “He and Billy may have…”

“Fucked.” Alex nodded. “Yeah. Well, I figured.”

“Huh?” Steve gave Alex a confused look. “You figured?”

“Yes. Billy and I Skyped and not only did Billy not want to jerk off with me, he told me he took Dad with him to a SWAT exercise. Duh. What am I? An idiot? Dad nearly came in his pants at Billy’s promotion ceremony and made out with his fucking uniform while it was on a hanger.”

Steve set his glass down. “And? You’re good with that?”

“Good with it?” Alex narrowed his eyes. “No! But I figured the two of them would event
ually screw. Christ, Dad’s hard-
on for uniforms is pathetic. And you guys let everyone stick their cocks in his mouth and come on him.”

Jack asked. “Do you hate Billy?”

Alex thought about it. He glanced at Steve and instantly imagined the phone sex. “I don’t know. But I do know I want revenge sex.”

“Oh, boy.” Steve
appeared upset and
backed up
to
lean against a dresser.

Alex glanced from Jack to Steve. “Why didn’t Adam come?”

“He couldn’t get away from work, and
…
we wanted him in LA in case he found Mark.”

“So, Dad’s just vanished?” Alex leaned back on the bed.

“He took his car after the incident with Billy,” Steve said, “And now we can’t get him over the phone.”

“Huh.” Alex thought about it. “So you figured he’d come here?”

“Yes.” Jack nodded.

“Why didn’t you just call me?”

“We did. When we couldn’t get you…”
Jack and Steve exchanged glances again, looking slightly sheepish.

Alex laughed.
“Ahh, I see revenge sex was on your minds
,
too.”

Steve shook his head. “This is too weird. Mark isn’t here. Where the hell is he?”

“Mayb
e he went to London,” Alex said,
“I mean, even though Grandma’s an ass, a guy sometimes needs his mom.”

Steve and Jack met gazes. “He could have,” Jack said.

Steve tilted his head and gave Jack a look of disbelief. “Mark? Go to his mom? No. Not buying it.”

“Did you call Grandma?” Alex asked.

“Can you?” Jack asked.

“Me?” Alex lay on his side on the bed, propping up his head in his palm. “Why? Are you two afraid of her?”

“Yes,” they both said at the same time.

Alex chuckled. He checked the time. “No way I can call now. She’s probably in bed. And waking up that monster?” Alex shook his head. “Uh uh.”

Steve laughed. “Oh, Alex. You are something else.”

“Yeah…” Alex gazed at the two men. “You guys do realize there are no rooms left in this hotel.”

“We know.” Jack nodded. “We enquired. Ford took it over. Like I said, if we didn’t drop your name, we would have been escorted out.”

“Ha. So funny. So, umm.” Alex patted the bed. “Looks like you’re both bunking here.”

“Can you call your dad?” Steve walked closer. “Maybe he’ll answer the phone for you.”

“Sure.” Alex picked up his phone and dialed, sitting up and patting the spot opposite where Jack was sitting. He said to Steve, “Voicemail,” then into the phone, “Dad? It’s me. Are you in London? Steve and Jack are here with me in Rome and they thought you’d be here. Where are you? You know how worried they get when you vanish. Be good. Call me.” He hung up and shrugged. “He’s probably just pouting somewhere.”

“Fuck.” Steve fell back on the bed with a bounce.

Alex looked from Jack to Steve and smiled. “My oh my. I would never believe this day would come.”

“What day?” Jack asked.

“When you two would be stuck in Rome, with nowhere to sleep but in my bed.”

Steve rubbed his face and moaned.

Jack caressed Alex’s long hair. “Is that something you want, Alexander?”

“Oh, He-man.” Alex gave him an expression of ecstasy. “Are you kidding me? Especially now that Dad and Billy screwed?”

Another moan came from Steve.

“I am so fucking horny from a week without fucking I’m going crazy.”

“Oh God…” Steve sat up and climbed off the bed. “I need a shower.”

“A cold shower.” Jack shook his head.

“And an enema?” Alex asked, “Or is that going to be just for me?”

“
Ohhh
, God…” Steve scuffed to the bathroom and shut the door.

Jack cupped Alex’s jaw and whispered, “Just you.”

Alex leapt on top of Jack and toppled him backwards to the bed. He straddled him and went for his mouth, kissing him.

Jack dug his fingers into Alex’s hair and opened his mouth for a deeper kiss.

Alex ground his hard cock into Jack’s and yanked Jack’s shirt up to see his body. He gave Jack’s huge pectoral muscles and shoulders a good ogle. “Oh, my God. I finally got Jackie-blue to screw.”

Jeff stood at his locker, taking off his uniform and hanging it up. Behind him Mickey was doing the same. It was finally their ‘Friday’ and they had the next two days off. After putting on his jeans and a T-shirt, Jeff hung his waist pack with his gun around his hips and shut the locker. He spun around and watched Mickey
,
making sure his
duty
gun belt was tucked into the locker before, he too, shut the door. They met gazes.

Jeff led the way to the exit of the men’s locker room, saying goodbye to some of the men he knew. He felt Mickey’s presence behind him and pushed the outside door to the fresh cool air and walked with Mickey to his car. Mickey fell in beside Jeff and asked, “What are we going to do about Mark?”

“I wish I fucking knew.” Jeff headed to the parking lot the officers used for their personal vehicles.
H
e h
ad not heard back from anyone concerning
Mark’s whereabouts.

He pointed his key fob at
his car
and the lights blinked as he unlocked the doors. Mickey sat beside him on the passenger’s seat and they stared at each other. “Something is wrong, Jeff. I don’t think I can sleep tonight until I find out he’s okay.”

Jeff nodded, taking out his phone. He called Steve. It went to voicemail. “Steve, it’s Jeff. Mick and I are off duty, but we’re willing to keep looking for Mark. Has anyone heard from him yet?” He disconnected it and said, “Fucking voicemail?”

“Try someone else.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know. Alex?”

“Alex is in Rome, and if he doesn’t know his dad is missing, then the last thing I want to do is tell him.” Jeff scrolled through the numbers on his phone. “Billy?”

Mickey made a sour face and sneered.

“I don’t have Adam or Jack’s number.”

As Jeff watched Mickey call
ed
someone
,
put
ting
the phone to his ear. “Blake? It’s Mick.”

Jeff stared at Captain Sharpe’s phone number
on his phone
and listened to Mickey’s side of the conversation.

“Hey, do you have Adam or Jack’s phone number?”
Mickey cupped the phone. “Do
they
know Mark’s missing?”
Jeff asked Mickey.

Talking into his phone, Mickey asked, “Blake, do you guys know where Mark is?” Mickey put the phone on speaker so Jeff could listen.

“He went back to LA the first day we
were at the estate
. Then Jack, Steve and Adam
left as well
.
We were stuck waiting for Mark’s Learjet.
”

“Mark’s missing.” Mickey glanced at Jeff.

“What do you mean, ‘missing’?” Blake asked.

Jeff said, “No one knows where he is. Steve called us to ask us to look for
Mark’
s car while we were on duty. We’re off now.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No,” Mickey replied.

“Jesus! I know th
e
estate gets to him but no one said he was missing.”

“I can’t get a hold of Steve,” Mickey said, “And I don’t have Adam or Jack’s number.”

“
I have them
.
Hang on, let me text it to you.
”

“Just tell me. I’ll have Jeff type it in.”

“Okay,” Blake said.

Mickey looked at Jeff. “Get ready to copy when he does.”

Jeff nodded and held out his phone, ready to type the number in.

Blake
got back on the line. “Got it
. Ready?”

“Shoot.” Mickey held the phone up and Jeff typed the number into his phone and called it immediately.

Blake said, “Can you keep me up to date?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Fuck,” Blake said, “He probably passed out and is lying somewhere. Jesus Christ.”

Jeff put the phone to his ear. “Adam?”

“Yes?”

“It’s Jeff. Has Mark been located? I tried to call Steve but he didn’t answer.”

“No. He hasn’t. I take it you guys haven’t had any luck.”

“No. We’re off duty and figured we’d keep looking, but
…
any idea where?”

Mickey said goodbye to Blake and hung up, focusing on Jeff’s conversation
,
which Jeff put on speaker phone.

“No. I checked WeHo, I checked his office
parking
lot, the studio he models in
…
Steve called the hospitals
…
I am at a total loss.”

“Blake thinks he may be passed out someplace. You know the guy doesn’t eat.”

“Hopefully he’s in his car,” Adam said.

Jeff ran his hand over his hair. “All right, well, call if you come up with anything. Is Steve hanging out for him at home?”

Silence hit and Mickey asked, “Did we lose him?”

“Adam?” Jeff
moved the phone closer
to him.

“Steve and Jack headed to Rome. They thought Mark
might have gone
to see Alex.”

“And?”

“No. He’s not there.”

“They flew all the way to Rome?” Mickey choked. “Are you kidding me?”

“Look,” Adam said, sounding weary, “I appreciate your help. Thanks. I’ll call you if I get any ideas.”

“Okay.” Jeff disconnected the phone and gaped at Mickey in exaggeration. “Steve and Jack
…
in Rome with Alex?”

“Without Mark? While Mark is missing?”

Jeff started the car and shook his head. “Something happened. Something they’re not telling us. That is too fucked up.”

Mickey slouched in the seat and rested his hands on the heavy waist pack on his lap. “Wow. I’m having very odd thoughts right now.”

“Like?” Jeff pulled out of the lot and onto the city street.

“Like Mark pissed Jack and Steve off, and they headed to Alex to get some kind of revenge.”

“Or, maybe they wanted to tell Alex Mark was missing in person.” Jeff glanced at Mickey when he could.

“You know the one missing ingredient from this plot?”

“No.”

“Billy Sharpe.”

Jeff slowed for a red light and stared at Mickey. “Billy and Mark?”

Mickey shrugged. “Sharpe
…
a captain? Alex
…
in Rome?”

“No.” Jeff began to get furious
…
and jealous. “No way Sharpe had Mark. No way!”

“Wanna pay the captain a visit? We have some unfinished business to discuss with him anyway.”

Jeff turned the car in the opposite direction and headed to Bel Air.