HAUNTED MANSION

Chapter 12

The older trucker climbed out of his truck trying to calm his nerves. He was shaking almost as bad as Tim was.

"Are you alright?" The concerned trucker asks.

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Tim says as he begins to pick up the scattered shopping bags.

"Son, you need to pay attention to where you're going. I could have killed you." The old man says.

"He's .. He's fine." Adam nods as he helps Tim pick up some books that had fallen out of the bags.

The trucker shakes his head as he climbs back into his truck.

Adam grabs Tim's hand and leads him back over to the table at the cafe.

"Honey, what were you doing out in the road?" Adam asks after catching his breath.

"I went to see what that thing was." Tim says.

"What thing?" Adam asks.

"That." Tim answers as he points.

"Baby, that's a traffic light." Adam answers after looking to see what Tim was pointing at.

"How the hell was I supposed to know? F*ck, you have large metal birds that fly without flapping their wings. And stupid little gadgets that you spin between your fingers for entertainment." Tim says with irritation in his voice as he runs a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry about forcing you to come." Adam says as he hangs his head.

Tim suddenly feels bad about his ranting.

"It hasn't been that bad." Tim says as he lifts Adam's chin with his finger. "I've actually seen a lot of interesting stuff."

"So do you want to go home?" Adam asks with a sad look in his eyes.

"No." Tim answers. He wanted so much to say 'yes' but the sadness in Adam's eyes broke his heart.

"I know what." Adam says as he begins to smile. "I believe there is a museum just down the street that we could check out. Maybe it will give you an idea of how some things have progressed through the years."

"Okay. That sounds interesting." Tim nods with a smile.

"Can I trust you to sit right here so I can run and put these shopping bags in the car so we won't have to tote them around?" Adam asks.

"Trust me. I've learned my lesson. I'm not moving from this spot." Tim chuckles.

"Okay. I won't be long." Adam says as he gives Tim a quick kiss.

Adam hadn't realized that he had parked so far from where they were at the cafe. It was taking him longer than expected.

"Sir? Do you plan on ordering anything?" A male voice asks.

Tim looks up to see a man that he guessed might have owned the cafe.

"Uh, no. I'm just waiting for my boyfriend to come back." Tim answers.

"Well, sir, we have paying customers waiting on tables." The man says as he points behind him at an elderly couple.

"Oh. Well, he should be back just any minute." Tim says. "He just..."

"Sir, we need this table." The man interrupts him in a stern voice.

"Oh, okay? Sorry." Tim says as he slowly stands up and backs away from the table. Where was he supposed to go? He told Adam he would stay right there.

Looking around he sees a bench along the wall next to the cafe. It was empty so he thought he would sit there and just try to watch for Adam.

"Well, hello there, gorgeous." A girl smiles. "You look awfully lonely."

"Not really." Tim answers as he eyes the young lady. Tattoos covered her arms and she was wearing a nose ring and an eyebrow piercing. The skirt she was wearing barely passed her crotch area and her blouse looked to be three sizes too small. It was apparent that she was a prostitute. His thoughts went to Jenika and how much classier she was compared to this girl.

"Oh, come on." The girl says as she sits down next to him, placing her hand on his leg. "I'll make it worth your time and money."

"You're barking up the wrong tree, lady." Tim growls as he pushes her hand off his leg. "I happen to be waiting on my boyfriend."

"Well, have you ever been with a girl" The prostitute asks with a raised brow.

"No, but I've been with a lady and she was much prettier and classier than you." Tim says with a slight smirk on his lips.

"You asshole!" The girl says as she quickly stands and slaps him hard across the face before walking away.

"D*mn." Tim chuckles and shakes his head as he rubs his jaw. "She's got one hell of a punch."

He had been distracted by the girl and didn't see Adam as he passed by in the crowd.

"Oh, sh*t." Adam's eyes widen in fear as he sees the elderly couple sitting at the table where Tim was supposed to be. "Excuse me but was there a guy sitting here with long brown hair?"

"Yes, but the manager made him leave." The old man answers.

"What!! Oh, dear God!" Adam says as he begins frantically looking around for his missing cowboy.

"Sir?" The elderly lady tugs on Adam's jacket. "I believe I saw him go that way." She points toward the cafe. "There's a bench over there."

"Thank you." Adam says as he makes his way over.

A wave of relief sweeps over him as he sees Tim sitting on the bench watching the people walk by.

"Thank God." Adam says as he sits down next to the cowboy. "I thought I lost you again."

"When did you get back?" Tim asks.

"Just now." Adam answers.

"I was watching for you but I guess I got distracted by the whore." Tim smiles.

"Whore? What whore?" Adam asks as jealous stirs in the pit of his stomach.

"Don't worry. She wasn't much to look at." Tim says with a slight chuckle. "I think I might have offended her because she slapped the sh*t out of me."

"Really?" Adam says as he rubs the cowboy's red cheek. "I'm sorry I took so long. The car was further away than I thought it was."

"Do you want to go check out that museum now or do you need to rest some?" Tim asks.

"No, I'm fine." Adam smiles as he takes his lover's hand. "Let's go."

Adam pays their way inside. Tim looks around with amazement as they begin to walk through the museum. There were replicas of the first airplane and the first telephone among many other things.

"Wow, this is totally blowing my mind." Tim says as he looks and reads about all the inventions. "It's just amazing how far mankind has progressed in the last hundred or so years. It's fascinating but yet scary at the same time."

"You're right. Maybe this area will make you feel more at home." Adam smiles as they walk into 'The Old West' room.

A huge smile comes across the cowboy's face when the first thing he saw was a covered wagon.

"These things were so d*mn uncomfortable." Tim chuckles as they walk up to a stagecoach. "You're ass would be numb by the time you got to where you were going."

Adam loved the excitement in his lover's brown eyes whenever he saw something that either he or his parents used to have.

"Oh, my God, Adam. Look at this!" Tim says with excitement as they walk up to a display of wanted posters. "Frank and Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Belle Starr, Cole Younger, Butch Cassidy. I remember all these people. D*mn, I'm old."

*******

Please, don't forget to VOTE and leave a COMMENT!!