The Lockdown

21

The next morning Andy threw himself into work. They made a lot of progress in the bar and his uncle was satisfied. When he was done early afternoon, he went back to his apartment and saw a familiar truck on his street. Billy was sitting on the steps leading up to his building. He walked over and sat down next to him.

"How is he?" Andy asked the giant quietly.

"Not good. He is lying on the couch all day, he hardly eats anything and he wouldn't talk to anyone. He said exactly four words ever since he showed up.

"You know Sarah. When he came into the room like a lost puppy all sad and shabby, Sarah quickly worked up a steam as she is wont to do. Cam refused to talk to her and Sarah started ranting about what an asshole you were and instructed me to go and beat you up. Cam grabbed my shirt and said 'You don't touch him!' and he wouldn't let go until I agreed."

"Can I see him?" Andy asked desperately.

"Sarah thinks it's a bad idea.... But I disagree.

"Did you know that she broke up with me once? We were in college and I was head over heels in love with her, when out of the blue one day she just told me that it was over. I was broken, moping around all day, missing practices and classes. It got so bad that coach came to my room and threatened to kick me off the team. And then she just showed up, sent my roommate scampering with one look. She told me she got scared because she never felt anything like this before. We talked all night and we have yet to spend a day separate ever since." Billy stood up and offered a hand to Andy to help him up as well. "Get in the truck, I will take you to him."

As they walked up the stairs, Billy looked apprehensive for a second. "I have never done anything against her will. But I will handle her and you take care of him." Andy nodded in agreement. He opened the door and Sarah immediately started walking towards them, her eyes throwing daggers. Billy just picked her up wordlessly and took her to their bedroom banging it loudly behind them.

Cam was lying on the spacious couch small and all alone in the world, his back turned to the room. Andy was looking at him silently his heart bursting with emotions. He tried calling out to him softly but the boy did not appear to hear him. Andy took off his jacket and lied down behind the youngster putting his arm around him. Cam smelled unwashed, a little bit sour but underneath Andy detected the intoxicating scent he would have now recognized anywhere.

Cam sighed deeply. "I missed this."

Hearing his voice again made Andy's heart swell but he tried to contain his emotions. "What happened?"

"I needed some time. I think I am losing you," he said tearing up.

Andy pondered this for a second his heart aching for the boy. With the exception of Sarah, Cam had been treated very badly lately. His parents rejected him and threw him out on the street. His boyfriend hurt him. His agency fired him. Andy had to make him somehow understand that he was not like anybody else.

"You will never lose me," Andy said with emphasis. "Cam, would you turn and face me?" The boy wiggled around until he was looking into the older man's eyes. "You have turned my life upside down in the past few weeks and I've never been happier. Every minute of the last three days was miserable. I miss everything about you. Your touch, your smell, your voice, your laugh and even your tears. I love the way you scrunch your nose like now when you disagree with something. I couldn't even sleep in either of our beds because I was reaching out every few minutes and you weren't there."

"I got an email from the agency on Monday. They asked me to come back starting next month."

"But that's great, that's everything you wanted."

"Sure," Cam said bitterly, "I will have my job, and you will have your bar. And we will see each other maybe an hour a day."

"I don't have to have the bar. I will call my mom and tell her not to buy it. I will get a normal job with normal hours and we will have a normal life" Andy said and he meant every word.

"I won't let you do that. The bar is your dream, you love it much more than I could ever love working for the agency. You told me you wanted it."

"I want you."

"I thought about what I could do instead. I tried to do a broadcast on Monday but I couldn't even take my shirt off because you weren't there to undress me. Maybe I could find something with late hours. I don't know... a night guard maybe. Do you need a bouncer?"

The mental image of the small boy trying to bounce a drunken frat guy made Andy laugh, but it gave him an idea. "Not really, but I will need an assistant manager."

"I don't have any experience with bars, I haven't even been totally drunk once in my life."

"You haven't missed much, believe me, and I can teach you everything you need to know. Would you, at least, consider it?"

Cam buried his face into Andy's neck and whispered "Take me home, please."

This time Sarah drove them back, Billy was apparently in the doghouse. Cam stayed in the truck with her after she pulled up in front of their building.

"Thank you, Sarah, for everything. Sorry for the silent treatment." he said sheepishly.

"You can always come back to us, Cammie, no questions asked" she hugged Cam tightly.