Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll

[MaineWriter]

And more Wayne chuckles from Chapter 65:

“What are you askin about the Y for, Ennis?”

Ennis cleared his throat. “Edna said yer doctor told you ta go on a swimmin exercise thing. I was thinkin, we go ta all that trouble an get a Paso Fino horse an you should start swimmin too.”

“Ennis... what are you talkin ta Edna about my back for?”

“Cause maybe... he’s worried about you, Ellery. I know you ought ta go swimmin too, maybe we could go down there together," Wayne interjected.

“Now that I don’t think is such a great idea, Wayne,” Ennis said.

“How come, you don’t want me ta see yer man in a skimpy little swimsuit, lookin at his ass an all?”

“Exactly,” Ennis said, sipping on the Drambuie again and making a face.

“Well if ya want ta know the God’s honest truth, Ennis,” Wayne said lightly, picking up his own glass. “Yer a lot more my type than Ellery. He’s kind a too skinny fer me.”

“That a fact,” Ennis mumbled into his glass.

“You got the nice built shoulders an I bet you got rock hard thighs don’t ya? All that ridin an all.”

“Yeah, I do, Wayne. An you got those flabby arms an hardly any muscles at all which is why you don’t do it fer me in the least,” Ennis snapped back.

“Okay okay! I got somebody I’m with now anyway.”

“Yeah,” Ellery said. “Pete with no spleen.”

[belbbmfan]

Today's chapters 66 - 70 http://louisev.livejournal.com/92942.html

from chapter 66 Wyoming vs. Marigold. More twists and turns...

Mel looked at Wes. “I think it’s time Ellery knew what is at stake here.”

“What a you mean what’s at stake? Amos headin up an extremist group tryin ta shoot me an anybody else that smells queer is high enough stakes fer me,” Ellery said.

“You know the name Willard Friend?”

“City selectman or somethin.”

“Board a Trustees, and Chairman of the Board of Selectmen,” Mel said. “Willard Friend is the man who pretty much hand-picked Amos for his job four years ago, and has had a great deal to say about how we conduct ourselves here since then, much to my chagrin. And Mr. Friend is the one who personally tendered a recommendation for our former A.D.A. Lawrence Dowd. Claimed he knew him personally.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And we are working on getting some search warrants for Mr. Friend’s bank accounts because our search of Amos Marigold’s personal accounts show he has been making regular deposits over the past two years or so into a savings account and drew it all out early last week to the tune of about thirty thousand dollars.”

“When the shootings began,” Ellery said.

“We haven’t got much to go on, but I believe Amos may have been on the take all this time in order to cover up some business deals Friend has been involved in.”

“Ya know what kind they are?”

“Real estate developments that have required County conservation commission variances, easements, and permits. He got all the permits and variances, but from what little we know from making inquiries to the Conservation Commission, no hearings were ever held. Someone has been just rubber stamping the permits.”

“This for them apartment developments on the north side near the 87 turnoff?” Ellery asked, pulling on his lip.

Mel nodded. “Now you know why we haven’t had any arraignments going on the past week, I have had two clerks and a real estate expert looking up permits, property transfers, easements and construction plans.”

“So you think Friend has been payin Amos to spread out some money to get permits written so he can do some real estate developments that ain’t strictly legal.”

“We don’t know yet, just that there’s a little smoke here and a little smoke there. And if we get enough smoke we might find out that Friend was grooming Amos’s replacement for the same kind of duty.”

“I got the feelin we’re livin in Texas, Wes,” Ellery said, bewildered.

[belbbmfan]

chapter 67 Boss Again

This jobinterviewing thing just isn't going how Ennis wants it to! 

Ennis went into the office and sat down, straightening some papers and stacking up a few invoices that had been set down for Ellery to sign and pay the next time he came in. Lauren returned, trailed by a man who must have been only only an inch or so taller than Lauren: about 5’10”, with dark brown hair tumbling over a smoothly tanned forehead, barely concealing the bright silver studs piercing both ears. He wore a sheer pearl-snapped western shirt through which Ennis could see dark, pert nipples poking up the fabric, rounded muscular shoulders and the swell of well defined deltoids. He pulled his eyes away and reached out a hand and stood, bootheels scraping the floor, and focused his attention on the friendly smile made pretty by a full lower lip with the hint of goatee beneath it. “I’m Ennis."

“Lance,” said the visitor as he shook Ennis's hand, voice sultry, reminding Ennis uncomfortably of Ellery’s voice when it grew deep and sexy. “I thought I was meetin... Ellery somebody.”

“He is runnin late, so ya got me. Also ya know about the background check I suppose.”

Lance nodded, taking a seat at Ennis’s gesture. Ennis sat down again, his eyes once again wandering, forcing himself once again to focus. “Sure. I imagine that’ll take a while.”

“He could a got it today but he had ta go ta Cheyenne, but that’ll be squared away tomorrow. I supposed ta do the interview here. So I guess, yer supposed ta tell me about yerself or somethin.”

“Well, lemme see, I’m twenty nine years old, worked on the oil rigs fer a while... work is gettin pretty scarce up there. Came down an did some construction fer that new hotel when they were layin the foundations an puttin up walls, but I ain’t no carpenter so that sort a dried up... then got somethin with the carpet company, puttin in industrial carpets, and lookin fer somethin I can do in the evenings cause that don’t pay fer shit.”

“So... uh... how do you know Simon?”

“Oh, I put in some carpet for em an we got talkin an became friends. That was a couple months ago I guess. He has given me some leads on some new customers for the carpet company too so my bosses are real happy.”

“So you been at this carpet company fer couple a months?”

Lance nodded, smiling. “Not goin nowhere, but construction pays a whole lot better an I can hardly afford a new pair a Calvin Kleins on that paycheck.”

“Sure enough. That what those pants are?”

“Yeah, I wear the drawers too, ya know, with the name sewn in.”

Ennis shook his head. “Never seen any a them.”

Lance was out of the chair and had his zipper half down before Ennis had a chance to draw breath, tugging on the waistband of some luxurious grey briefs stitched with the name “CALVIN KLEIN.” Ennis's eyes bugged out. “See? Real nice fit too.”

“Yeah.” Ennis barely managed the syllable, and felt sweat break out on his forehead as Lance rezipped and sat down as though nothing unusual had happened. “Should get me some a those.” He gulped on a dry throat, his face flushed.



   I'd love to be a fly on the wall in Laramie!

[belbbmfan]

chapter 68 Assault at the Stallion

Let's start with a conversation between Dupree and Mr. Oblivious 

Ellery went into the office with Lance and closed the door, and Ennis slouched down onto a barstool next to Dupree. “So you get all your stuff done down in Cheyenne?”

“Yeah, but I’m hungry as hell cause Ellery wouldn’t stop for food. He was worried about gettin back,” Dupree said. “Did you see what that boy said ta me?”

Ennis shook his head. “I think I was still blinded by his drawers.”

“He mentioned that too come ta think of it.”

“That’s what I mean, Dupree,” Ennis said, dropping his voice. “He... he was talkin about needin a job so he could buy some Kevin Kline jeans...”

“Calvin Klein, I think it is Ennis.”

“Right. Then right there he stands up an unzips an shows me these fancy grey drawers with Kevin – Calvin knitted right in, an I think I went blind.”

“Oh come in Ennis,” Dupree laughed. “Relax. He probably thought you was gonna compare Wranglers and Calvin Kleins with em. He’s a clothes horse. Worse’n Wayne.”

“Huh.”

“What, did you think he was comin on ta you?”

“Well, I dunno...”

“No, Ennis, he was comin on ta me.”

“How do ya figure?”

“Cause he shakes my hand an says “Hello there sailor.”

“I thought you was in the army, not the navy.”

“That ain’t the point, Ennis, don’t you know what ‘hello there sailor’ means?”

“It means he thought you was in the navy?” Ennis scratched his head.

“No, Ennis, it’s a come on line.”

“I got ta remember that, then.”

[belbbmfan]

chapter 68 Assault at the Stallion

But things get really nasty...

Where’s Lauren?” Dupree asked.

“Hm, dunno, I thought he was settin up,” Ennis said. He slid off the barstool and walked into the backroom, then opened the back door. As he did, he saw two men, heads obscured with balaclavas, let go of Lauren and raced down the alley toward the street. Lauren slumped against the side of the building, gasping, his face wet with tears. Ennis hurried to him, helping him to stand, then turned and shouted “Dupree, get out here!” then turned to Lauren. “What happened, boy?”

“Those guys... they...” he gulped, gasping for breath...”they said they was gonna take me an ...” he sobbed.

Ennis put a protective arm around him, holding his frail body up. “It’s okay, Lauren, you just come in an sit down, we’ll call emergency, okay?”

“Oh god,” Lauren murmured, voice soft. “Simon is gonna be so mad...”

Dupree raced out through the door. “Two guys were muggin em,” Ennis said. “They ran that way.”

“S’okay, I got my gun, go in an tell Ellery an call Emergency,” Dupree said, and set off at a run down the alley.

“They weren’t muggin me, Ennis...” Lauren said, as Ennis guided him back in through the door, fumbling with his shirt, which was untucked, and then Ennis noticed his pants were unzipped, his belt open.

“Jesus Christ Lauren. They do anythin to ya?” Ennis was shocked. Robbery and beating were one thing... sexual assault was something he had never imagined would happen to a queer man.

[mariez]

Good Morning and Good Afternoon - it's probably lunchtime for you, Fabienne! 

Thanks for the great quotes -

Let's start with a conversation between Dupree and Mr. Oblivious 

[/i]

Good one, Fabienne!  He really can be, can't he?  Oblivious is adorable on Ennis! 

It just hit me -  when Nick first walked into the bar, Lance used the "Hello sailor" line on him, too - only this time he was right!  LOL!

Something else that just hit me during the re-read back in Chapter 66:

“Mr. Ruskin will be right with you,” said the clerk, a sour-faced youth who looked like a college student.

“Tell em the Sheriff is waitin, son.”

“Right, I got that,” the boy said, pouting, and Ellery looked a little closer. Hair a little longer than regulation but not flowing like Ellery’s, dark brown eyes and an olive complexion – he looked very familiar, but Ellery couldn’t place him. Suddenly he was aware that the boy was staring back.

“Can I help you with somethin?”

“Excuse me fer starin, you just looked familiar.”

The youth shook his head, his frown deepening. “I know who you are Mr. Cantrell, but that is only from the newspaper.”


The first time we meet Larry Esteban - now we know what that frown is about!

Thanks!

Marie

[belbbmfan]

Something else that just hit me during the re-read back in Chapter 66:

“Mr. Ruskin will be right with you,” said the clerk, a sour-faced youth who looked like a college student.

“Tell em the Sheriff is waitin, son.”

“Right, I got that,” the boy said, pouting, and Ellery looked a little closer. Hair a little longer than regulation but not flowing like Ellery’s, dark brown eyes and an olive complexion – he looked very familiar, but Ellery couldn’t place him. Suddenly he was aware that the boy was staring back.

“Can I help you with somethin?”

“Excuse me fer starin, you just looked familiar.”

The youth shook his head, his frown deepening. “I know who you are Mr. Cantrell, but that is only from the newspaper.”


The first time we meet Larry Esteban - now we know what that frown is about!

Thanks!

Marie

You're right Marie. Somehow I completely overlooked that.

[MaineWriter]

From chapter 68:

Lance went over to where Lauren was seated, looking dazed. Lauren looked up at him. “I guess somebody don’t want us ta open back up again,” he said slowly. “Could ya get me the brandy? It’s right up there on the third shelf, that half full bottle right there.”

“Sure,” Lance said, picking up one of the shot glasses Lauren had been polishing, and poured him a double shot, setting it in front of him. “I guess you guys really do need some security here.”

“Never used ta be this way,” Lauren said, accepting the glass and sipping on it.

Ennis hung up the phone, his face still registering shock “Lauren what’s yer number, I’ll call Simon an have em come down.”

“No! No... you do that he won’t let me work here no more.”

“Maybe that ain’t such a bad thing,” Ennis said doubtfully.

Lauren looked at Ennis. “I would a thought you of all people would understand, Ennis. After those Lang boys broke in an grabbed you, did that tell you it’s time ta move out a Ellery’s house an go back where ya came from?”

“Well, no, but that was...”

“Same damn thing,” Lauren said, raising his chin. “It’s the same damn thing. There’s some kind a anti-queer crime spree here an runnin away from it won’t solve it.”

They all froze when they heard a gunshot. “Oh Jesus,” Lauren whispered.

“We probly shouldn’t go out there,” Ennis said, his voice quavering.

“No, we shouldn’t,” Lance said, nodding, his own face pale with anxiety.

Then they heard a police siren.

Lauren reached out a trembling hand and rested it on Ennis’s arm. “He’s okay, Ennis.”

Ennis smiled faintly at Lauren. “Hope so.”

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 70...you know, Lance was an okay guy at the beginning...

Ennis looked around quickly, but Dupree had gone in the Gents to wash up and change, and Lance was nowhere to be seen. He came around the bar and up behind Ellery, slipping his hands up his elbows and resting on his shoulders, mouth close to Ellery’s ear.

“I hope you ain’t too tired fer a little gettin fancy.”

Ellery’s breath quickened and he leaned back into Ennis’s half-embrace. “You know that is pretty hard ta turn down, sweetheart.”

Ennis nibbled lightly on Ellery’s earlobe. “Good. Then you can sleep in tomorrow.”

Lance came in through the back door, giving Ennis just enough time to step back from the embrace, but the look on their faces told him he had interrupted something. “Sorry, folks. I hope everythin went well tonight.”

“Yeah with the exception a my bartender gettin assaulted everythin was fine. I’ll get on that background check in the mornin an barrin any surprises if you don’t mind showin up between six an one Tuesdays through Saturdays you can have Sundays an Mondays off, or if ya just want part time ya can do Thursday Friday an Saturday, those are when we’re busiest.”

Lance smiled. “I do appreciate it, that’s gonna really help me out a lot. I’ll take the full time if ya can use the help.”

Ellery nodded. “Sure can, looks like we chased everybody out now, so you can go home.”

Lance reached out and shook Ellery’s hand, then Ennis’s. “I appreciate it. And I just wanted ta say... I think you two make a great couple.”

Ellery smiled, and Ennis blushed. “I always thought so,” Ellery said. “But thank you.”

“Do you know... has Dupree got anybody special right now?” Lance’s voice dropped.

“He just broke up with somebody... he’s a little...vulnerable,” Ellery said, straight-faced.

“Ellery,” Ennis said, warning in his voice.

“Ya might want ta give em some time,” Ellery added, looking sidelong at Ennis.

Lance nodded. “Sure, thanks for the advice. I’ll keep cool an see how things go.”

[MaineWriter]

Okay, so I jumped the gun a little bit, re-readers, but only because chapter 71 has some of my most favorite scenes of all...

71-75 is the assignment.

http://louisev.livejournal.com/94387.html

Ennis smiled, but there was worry in his eyes. “Let’s not have the intimate chat under the shower, Ellery, come on now.”

“Sure,” Ellery picked up the soap and began to lather himself, then turned the shower head to spray down over Ennis’s back, rinsing Ennis first and then himself. Ennis hopped out of the shower and rubbed himself down in his practiced five-minute routine. Ellery was somewhat slower, washing his hair and then rubbing it into a damp tangle once Ennis had gone into the bedroom.

As usual, Ennis had made the bed with fresh sheets, and had turned it back neatly. When Ellery saw the crisp look of the bed, he was always tempted to make a quip about there being no mints on the pillows, but he enjoyed Ennis’s attention to bed-making so much he didn’t want to joke about it and discourage him.

Ennis combed his hair back in three or four easy strokes of the comb and hung up the towel, sitting down on his side of the bed. Ellery came in, fighting with his hair, and Ennis said “C’mere boy, lemme do that,” and pushed back on the bed, opening his knees. Ellery sat down on the floor, lotus-style, and Ennis took his comb from him, gently tugging at the damp locks to untangle and smooth them, as Ellery leaned back with a soft sigh, rubbing his hands down Ennis’s shins and feet, resting them there.

“You like me combin yer hair?”

“Yeah, I feel like Cinderella gettin ready fer the ball,” Ellery said with a chuckle.

“Yer more like Rapunzel gettin ready fer the Prince ain’t you?”

“Oh yer gonna call me Rapunzel now, huh? Ain’t my hair a little dark ta be Rapunzel?”

“I dunno, why can’t ya have a black hair Rapunzel?”

“Because she had golden hair, Ennis.”

“Well you ain’t a beautiful young girl neither, so I can still call ya Rapunzel. There, yer all combed out.”

Ellery reached up to smooth his hair back, and turned to peek up at Ennis. “You don’t seem to be in too wild a mood, I thought you’d be rarin ta go an yer just sittin there combin my hair like my grandma.”

“I dunno... I guess I’m feelin lucky, want ta just sit here an be with ya.”