Archive of Our Own

The Due South Alphabet Series

T Is For Talent
by Grey

Ray lay back against Ben’s naked body and ran a lazy right hand back and forth along the forearm wrapped around his neck. God, how he loved morning sex and that delicious connection afterward. ″I wish you had more time off.″

Ben rested his chin on top of Ray’s head. ″I had yesterday off, which was an extra day more than scheduled.″

″I know but this week is going to be super busy because of the holiday on Wednesday.″

″True, but we’ll spend time together on the day. You can be with me before the parade. I’ve also made sure that you can be in the wings during the concert. You’ll have your own pass since I’ve designated you as my personal security.″

″Personal security, huh?″ Ray chuckled. ″Am I allowed to get up close and personal while you’re in the dressing room before the show?″

″I doubt I’ll have my own dressing room, but I’ll definitely make sure to have some personal time between us before I have to report for the fireworks display later that night.″

Ray would take what he could get. He knew Ben would be run off his feet for most of the day, but he’d do everything he could to make sure his partner got some downtime even if he had to kidnap him to make it happen.

″That’ll work. Are you supposed to meet Tracy Jenkins at the airport when she arrives this afternoon?″

″I’m not sure. Ezra is handling those arrangements. I’ll go with him if he asks. However, I’ll see her Tuesday afternoon for practice and again on Wednesday for the concert itself.″

Ray didn’t want to imagine Ben alone with Jenkins, so he distracted himself by asking, ″Did her manager send you the sheet music you asked for?″

″If he did, it’s at the station. He was supposed to fax it from Toronto so I could study it ahead of time. I’ll check as soon as I get to work.″

″Do you think you’re ready for the big time?″

″Big time?″

″You’re doing most of the back up singing. That’s a step up from just the one song.″

″It should be fine. As long as I know the music ahead of the practice, I’ll be ready.″

″And you’re not nervous?″

Ben pulled Ray a little closer. ″No more than I was back in Chicago.″

″But that was singing in front of a small group of friends. This will be performing on stage to a whole crowd of people, strangers.″

″I’ll have to wait and see, but I think it should be fine. Public speaking doesn’t bother me. I wouldn’t think public singing will be any different, at least I hope not. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.″

″You’re braver than me then. I always get stage fright in front of groups.″

″You didn’t when we went to the Ottawa convention. You did an admirable job during our presentation.″

″Well, yeah, but you warmed up the crowd. They were already primed and I was just going with the moment. I guess the trick is to not think about it too hard.″

″So it would seem, yes.″

Ray closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He dreaded the start of the week when he knew Jenkins would be in town to perform at the charity event on Wednesday. He knew there was nothing between Ben and Tracy, but he still hated that he wouldn’t be there when they were together this time. He had a job to do, too, and there were important cases he couldn’t put off. Upcoming trial dates put him up against the wall. Ben wouldn’t be the only one pushing against deadlines.

″I wish I could be with you all this week, not just on Wednesday.″

″I wish you could be, too, Ray, but I understand about how important your work is.″

Ben released his hold on Ray and shifted away so that he could sit on the edge of the bed. ″I should get a shower. I don’t want to be late.″

″Sure. I’ll fix the tea and coffee.″

Ben leaned over and kissed Ray’s bare shoulder. ″Thank you. I’ll be out soon. I’ll fix us some breakfast.″

″I’m not hungry.″

″You’re sure?″

″Yeah, but you can fix something for yourself.″

Ben nodded and then went into the bathroom. Ray lay there against the pillow as he heard the shower start. That was the thing about Mondays. They just started and kept going whether a guy wanted them to or not.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″I think these are yours, sir. I took the liberty of retrieving them from the FAX tray so that I could give them to you personally.″

Ben glanced up from his computer to see Constable Tom Merrick holding out a small stack of papers. The young man was in his early twenties, fresh-faced with bright blue eyes and red hair. He’d come to be a very efficient officer during his probationary six months. At the moment, Constable Merrick was doing his duty rotation as a clerical officer for the next two weeks.

As he reached out to retrieve the papers, Ben asked, ″And these are?″

″I believe they’re from a man named Reese Norman. He said in his note that it’s the sheet music you requested for the Tracy Jenkins concert.″

Nodding in approval, Ben saw that the first paper was a set list of titles. He recognized most of them and the rest he was sure he’d be able to learn quickly. Instead of leaving to return to duty, Merrick cleared his throat to get Ben’s attention. ″Yes?″

″I just wanted to say that I’m looking forward to the concert, sir. I bought two tickets as soon as I could before they sold out. Tracy Jenkins is one of my favorite singers. I had no idea that you sang with her.″

″I officially just do the back up music on one of her songs. The concert is an exception.″

″Oh, there’s no small role in making good music, sir. It’s the back up singers who help with the harmonies and chorus that really make a musical number catchy.″

Ben could tell that Merrick was an avid music fan. He didn’t want to dampen his enthusiasm. ″I stand corrected.″

″At any rate, I just wanted you to know how thrilled I am that you’ll be up there representing the service, sir.″ Then he saluted and walked away.

Ezra walked up holding a cup of coffee and stared after the young man. ″What was that all about?″

″Apparently Constable Merrick is a Tracy Jenkins fan.″

″Ah, well, he’s in for a treat then. Speaking of which, I need you to go with me to the airport around two. That’s when Jenkins and her crew are landing. Since you know her personally, I thought that would be more appropriate than me just showing up and waving my hat. Are you okay with that?″

″I am.″

″Good.″

Ben put the music down on his desk and stood up before Ezra could walk away. His friend and his wife had been having problems. Ben was curious if those issues had been resolved. ″You look happier than you did on Saturday.″

Ezra nodded. ″I took your advice and went to Yellowknife. We’re going to give it another shot, try to make it here for at least another year.″

″I’m glad you’re not resigning.″

″Not for now anyway. I did make one compromise. I hope it doesn’t come back to bite me in my ass.″

″What’s that?″

″She wants to work.″

″She doesn’t work already?″

″No, she’s always been a stay-at-home wife. We agreed to that when we first married. But now she says she wants to find some more purpose to her life. Says she’s bored and lonely.″

That sounded like a perfectly good reason for change. Ben asked, ″What does she plan to do?″

″She’s got a degree in early education. She’s applying for work at the elementary school. She’s got an interview later today.″

″Has she got any teaching experience?″

″She done tutoring, nothing formal. But she’d be an excellent teacher and she could start in the fall if she’s hired. She’s very excited at the prospect.″

″I wish her luck.″

″I just hope she gets the position. If she does, we’re more likely to stay in Whitehorse. Otherwise we might move to Yellowknife to be closer to her mom.″

″Well, I hope you don’t leave anytime soon. I enjoy working with you, Ezra.″

″Same here, Fraser. Now, I need to get some scheduling done if I’m going to be free to meet Jenkin’s plane this afternoon.″

As his friend walked over to his desk to get started on his Monday routine, Ben sat back down, too. He wasn’t lying when he said he’d miss Ezra Crow if he decided to leave. He’d come to think of the man as a good colleague and friend, something that had been rare in his service. With the exception of Chicago, opportunities for finding partners he could trust on the job had been far and few between.

Ben turned his attention back to the music Reese Norman has sent. He hoped he could do the show with Jenkins and still serve the community as well. It was what Ray called a win-win. He’d do his best to live up to the expectations that others had for his performance.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ben watched as Tracy Jenkins walked down the stairs of the plane to the tarmac. She wore a pale blue pantsuit and had her hair pulled back in ponytail. When she saw him, she waved wildly and rushed over. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. ″Benton Fraser! What a doll.″ She kissed him again and this time when she pulled back, she used her thumb to wipe away the bright pink lipstick from his cheek.

His face red hot, Ben cleared his throat as he stood at attention. He had no idea she’d be so enthusiastic to see him. Thank goodness Ray wasn’t there or he’d have had a conniption at such familiarity. ″It’s good to see you as well, Mrs. Jenkins.″

She playfully batted his arm. ″What did I say about that Mrs. Jenkins malarkey? Call me Tracy.″

″It’s nice to see you, Tracy. It’s good of you to come for our concert.″

″I’m looking forward to it.″ She turned her attention to the speechless man beside Ben. ″And who is this tall, dark and handsome fella?″

It was Ezra’s turn to blush as Ben introduced him. ″This is Staff Sergeant Ezra Crow. He’s the man in charge of the charity event on Wednesday. It was his idea to have a talent show for the homeless shelter and food pantry.″

Tracy held out her hand and Ezra shook it vigorously. ″I’m your biggest fan, Mrs. Jenkins.″

″Enough of the Mrs. stuff. I’m just Tracy to you, too, Ezra. May I call you Ezra?″

″Oh, for sure. Thank you, Tracy. It’s so wonderful to meet you.″

″You, too, Ezra.″

Ben had expected her to bring her whole entourage, but she was alone instead. He asked, ″Where are the rest of your people?″

″They’re flying in tomorrow morning. Reese, my manager, had to make some different arrangements at the last minute. But they’ll be here in time to rehearse and perform. Don’t worry about that.″

Ezra spoke before Ben could. ″I’m not worried. Everybody knows you’re a woman of your word.″

″Why thank you, Ezra. That’s so sweet of you to say.″

Tracy turned back to Ben. ″Now, Benton, you and I have unfinished business. Let’s let Ezra fetch my bags from the carousel and we’ll talk while you buy me some soda.″

She handed Ezra her luggage tickets and the man ran off back into the airport building. Once they were alone, Tracy latched onto Ben’s arm. Confused, he asked, ″I’m not sure what unfinished business you’re referring to.″

″Don’t you?″

″No, I really don’t.″

″You didn’t call me because you wanted an excuse to see me again?″

Ben suddenly had a sinking feeling that he might have made a huge mistake in reconnecting with Tracy Jenkins. ″I thought it’d be a great opportunity for you to do something nice for charity.″

″And that’s the only reason?″

″It’s an excellent reason.″

Tracy’s smile slipped, but she still held tightly to his arm. ″Let’s get that soda. We need to talk.″

″About?″

″My deadbeat ex-husband, our relationship and your future career.″

″Oh, dear.″

″See, calling me dear. That’s a good start.″

Ben opened his mouth to argue, but she pulled him toward the building. ″Come on, Benton. I’m dying of thirst here.″

It was at that moment that Ben realized how glad he was that Ray hadn’t come to the airport with him. He really didn’t want to arrest his own partner for mayhem once he found out that Tracy had unwanted intentions.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

They sat at the small round table alone in the airport cafe while Ezra lugged her three huge bags to his jeep. ″We don’t have much time, Benton.″ Tracy reached over and put her hand over his. ″I’ve been thinking about you nonstop since I got the call and we talked the other day.″

Ben pulled his hand away and readied himself. He had to speak up, nip the whole romance thing in the bud as Ray would say. ″I’m sorry if I ever gave you the wrong impression.″

She sat back, no longer smiling. ″Wrong impression?″

″Yes. I merely wanted to ask if you’d do the charity show. I do like you as a friend, Tracy, but nothing more than that. There can never be anything romantic between us.″

″Never say never.″

″No, never is the operative word here. I’m in a committed relationship.″

Her eyes rounded in shock. ″What?″

″Yes. Do you remember my partner Ray from Chicago?″

″Ray Vecchio?″

″Well, it’s really Ray Kowalski...″

″I’m pretty sure he said it was Vecchio before. I’m good with names and faces. I have to be in this business.″

″It’s Kowalski, but that’s a long story for another time.″

″But why would he have a different name now?″

″That’s not important at the moment, Tracy. The important thing is that Ray and I are together, domestic partners. He left his job in Chicago to live with me here when I got the transfer to Whitehorse.″

Tracy shook her head in disbelief. ″Ray, the pretty blond guy from Chicago, is your boyfriend?″

″He’s more than that, Tracy. He’s my life partner.″

″Seriously?″

″Seriously.″

Tracy Jenkins crossed her arms and then studied him hard. ″You’re not joking?″

″I am not. I love Ray Kowalski.″

The woman took a long deep breath before she snorted in amusement. ″Well, that’s me getting the wrong end of the proverbial stick, eh?″

″Indeed.″

″Well, I have to say this is a shock, but it explains so much.″

″How so?″

″Well, I thought we had some chemistry back in Chicago. But when you said no to my offer so quickly, I was confused at the time. Now I understand. It makes perfect sense that you’d not be interested in me when you’re not into women.″

Ben didn’t bother to correct her. He might be bisexual, but it didn’t matter. He’d was with Ray for the rest of his life. He wanted to keep things simple. ″I’m sorry for the confusion.″

″That’s my fault, I guess. I’m usually a lot better at reading people. So, how long have you and Ray been together?″

″For a while.″

″When you sang with me before?″

″Yes.″

″Wow. I totally missed it.″

″I’m very sorry if I mislead you in any way.″

She waved a hand. ″Forget about it. I misled myself looks like.″ Tracy saw Ezra headed their way. ″What about the big guy? Is he single?″

″I’m afraid not.″

″Too bad. He’s a looker.″

″I suppose.″

″Oh, come on, Fraser. It’s just us girls here. He’s handsome. Admit it.″

Slightly embarrassed, Fraser shrugged. ″He’s a friend. I try not to think about him in that context.″

Before she could respond, Ezra stepped close to the table. ″Are you ready to go yet, Tracy? I can drive you to wherever you’re going.″

Tracy stood up and patted Ben’s cheek. ″Thanks for setting me straight. I’ll see you at rehearsal tomorrow, three sharp.″

″I’ll be there.″

Then Tracy turned her megawatt smile on Ezra. ″And you, Mr. Good Looking, let’s go.″ She slipped her arm through his offered one. ″I’m staying with a friend, Lisa Marshall. I’ll let you drop me off and then I’ll hire a car for the rest of this little visit.″ She gave him the local address.

″You don’t need to hire a car. If you want, I could have one of my men assigned as your driver while you’re here. It’s the least we can do since you’re donating your time.″

″Really? That’s excellent, Ezra. You’re a sweetie.″ She rubbed his arm and grinned back at Ben. ″You Mounties know how to treat a girl right.″

Ezra practically giggled. ″I’ll meet you back at the office, Fraser.″

Ben couldn’t help but be amused. His colleague was definitely falling under Tracy Jenkin’s spell. He hadn’t realized before how obviously manipulative the woman could be. He had no idea how he’d missed that back in Chicago. ″Later.″

As soon as they were gone, Ben picked up his cellphone and dialed Ray’s number. His partner answered after just two rings. ″Ray Kowalski.″

″I love you, Ray Kowalski.″

″Ben? What’s wrong?″

″Nothings wrong. I just wanted to hear your voice and tell you that I love you utterly and completely.″

″Okay, now listen. Have you been drinking? Did someone slip something in your tea? What gives?″

Ben couldn’t help but grin. His partner was nothing if not suspicious even of a simple impromptu I love you. ″Nothing like that. It’s just that I wanted to hear your voice and tell you how I feel.″

After a short pause, Ray asked, ″Tell me what that woman did. Did she make a pass? Ask you to run away on tour? What?″

Ben chuckled. ″I’ll tell you tonight.″

″Tell me now. Otherwise, I might just end up making a scene at the station.″

″You wouldn’t do that.″

″I might do that if you don’t tell me what’s going on. You met Tracy Jenkins at the airport, right?″

″I did, yes. She apparently thought my asking her to do the concert was a ploy to renew a romance that was only in her own mind.″

″Fuck. I’ll set her straight. Let me at her.″

″There’s no need, Ray. I told her about us. She accepted it rather well considering.″

″Considering what?″

″Considering she went on to ask if Ezra was single.″

″Jesus.″

″It’s all right. I think she’s just lonely.″

″Lonely or horny?″

″Now, Ray, that’s a bit harsh. Apparently she’s divorced now.″

″On the rebound, huh?″

″It appears that might be the case. But never fear, I let her know in no uncertain terms that we’re committed.″

″And if she decides that she wants to test that?″

Ben got more serious. ″Do you trust me, Ray?″

″With all my heart.″

″Then it doesn’t matter what she does. I’ll always be true.″

″Glad to hear it. Jesus, you and your sex appeal. It drives everybody crazy including me.″

″You’re the only one that matters.″

″I love you, too, by the way.″

″Good to hear it. I’ll see you tonight. I’ll stop and get dinner on the way home.″

″Sounds good. Good bye until then. Oh, and if you see Jenkins again between now and then, tell her to keep her mitts to herself or else.″

There was a click and Ben closed out the phone call. Standing, he reached for his uniform cap and put it carefully on his head. He really missed wearing his Stetson sometimes. It always made him feel taller and more settled in this own mind. Heading out to the car, he could hardly wait to get home to Ray. He suddenly felt the urgent need to hold and kiss the man he loved with all his heart.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Here are the reports you asked for. I’ve put them in order by the date of the hearings or trials.″

″Thanks, Ray.″

Gus glanced up and frowned. ″What’s wrong?″

″What do you mean, what’s wrong?″

″Your face says you’re pissed. Did something happen?″

Ray knew he was never good at hiding his emotions, not lately anyway. He used to be when he went under cover, but he was out of practice. Still, he didn’t want to talk to his boss about the whole deal of a big star hitting on his partner. If he got started, he might not quit and he’d definitely incriminate himself. ″Nothing I want to talk about. It’s personal.″

Gus held up a hand. ″Enough said. So any highlights you need to give me before I go through these?″

″The Hornbeck case needs immediate attention. I think it’s a mistake to go to trial. You need to see if you can get a deal instead.″

Digging through the files, Gus drew out the red one and opened it. ″Why’s that?″

″Because this is his third DUI.″

″I’m aware of that.″

″Well, are you aware that Grimm has a hard on for convicting and putting away as many DUI people as he can right now? I don’t know if he’s thinking about running for office or what, but I checked his case load and he’s going out of his way to lock up as many drunk drivers as he can even first offenders. I’m not opposed to that to be honest, but he’s going for the maximum sentences on each case and he’s getting it, especially if he goes in front of Judge Thatcher.″

″I didn’t ask you to check that.″

″No, but I just noticed a pattern on his list of cases. He’s acting like it’s a personal mission or something. We had prosecutors like that back in Chicago. You don’t want to take this case to him for trial. He’s got all the wins and no losses for all the DUI prosecutions.″

Gus studied the file an extra beat and made a quick notation. ″You’ve got a good point. I’ll ask again if Hornbeck is willing to do rehab, lay out all the facts. If he is, we can make a deal to have his trial postponed. That would give us some leverage at getting probation and avoid jail time. Good catch. Anything else?″

″The Grawmeyer case.″ Ray reached in, pulled the file and opened it. There was a disk inside. ″You should check out the video file. He swore he didn’t vandalize the girlfriend’s car. I just got this from Buddy who got it from a friend who knows the girlfriend. Apparently, a neighbor set up a security camera. They’ve got him on tape wrecking the car.″

Gus looked decidedly unhappy and complained, ″And we’re just hearing about this now?″

″Her lawyer apparently wanted to use it as a surprise in court. Thanks to Buddy, he convinced her not to do that. So, you need to plead the case, make him pay restitution, or drop Grawmeyer.″

″Wow, you and Buddy have been busy. Anything else?″

″Not right now. I was hoping to get off early tonight.″

Gus glanced at his wrist watch. ″Not a problem. I think you’ve earned your check today.″

″Thanks.″

″Not so fast.″ Gus pulled out a slip of paper and held it out to Ray. ″I bought tickets for the Tracy Jenkins concert for all of us. I didn’t know if you’d get in for free or not, so I bought you one, too.″

Ray took it and checked it out. It was a front row seat. ″Wow, how did you score seats so close?″

″I’ve got connections.″

Ray put the ticket back on the desk. ″You should give it to Cheri for her mom so they can go together. I’m working backstage.″

″You’re sure?″

″That’s what Fraser told me, so yeah. I’m supposed to be his security.″

″He thinks he needs security?″

For the first time since he’d been standing there, Ray smiled. ″Well, security blanket more like. He won’t admit that he’s nervous, but I think having me there might help make it easier for him. I know it’ll make it easier for me.″

″I still can’t believe your partner is the guy who sings on her record.″

″I know. It’s kind of freaky when you think about it. But he’s a good singer.″

″I’m looking forward to seeing him on Wednesday.″

Personally, Ray dreaded the whole thing even if it was for charity. He thumbed toward the door. ″Well, I’m heading out. I’ll see you tomorrow.″

″Sure. And thanks, Ray, for the news on Grimm. I would’ve totally missed that.″

″He’s a sneaky bastard.″

″He is that.″

″Later.″

Ray walked to his office, patted his leg to get Dief’s attention and then headed out to the truck. The sooner he was home, the sooner he could hug and kiss Ben and let him know he belonged to Ray and nobody else.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″The food’s likely quite cold.″

Ray kissed Ben’s chin. ″Do I look like I care?″

Ben chuckled. ″Not a bit.″

″Good observation.″ Ray closed his eyes and hugged Ben’s naked body even closer. He loved the heat and weight against his own as Ben lay on top, his knees resting between Ray’s spread legs. Who needed food anyway? Not Ray. ″I love you.″

″I love you, too, Ray.″

Ben shifted to slide away, but Ray held on tight. ″Not yet.″

Not resisting, Ben relaxed. He rested his head on Ray’s shoulder. ″Are you sure? I’m heavy.″

″Not that heavy.″ After a few quiet moments, Ray whispered, ″I want to stay like this forever.″

″Diefenbaker might complain. We’ve already ignored letting him inside for several hours now.″

″He’s a grown wolf. He can fend for himself.″

Ben rubbed his late day whiskers against Ray’s chest and then lifted his head. ″I’m all yours, Ray. We don’t have to be glued together to prove that.″

″I″m not proving anything. I just like being with you, alone, naked, well fucked. I’m too tired to move anytime soon.″

Ben ran his fingers along Ray’s cheekbone. ″I like it, too, but to be honest, I’m a bit hungry.″

″You’re a man who’s a slave to his belly.″

″You’re probably right, but I missed lunch. I bought us beef stew and biscuits for supper. I also got a blackberry cobbler.″

Ray grinned. Ben knew those were some of his favorite things. ″You trying to butter me up, Mountie?″

″I think I already did that.″

Ray laughed out loud. Ben had definitely done his best to please him when they’d gone to bed right when they got home. He’d taken his time to finger and get Ray ready. Then he’d fucked him from behind, the way Ray liked it, hard and fast before changing up the rhythm to make it last longer. ″You did.″ Ray kissed Ben’s nose and then thrust up slightly. ″Okay, you can move now and we’ll heat up the stew.″

Ben didn’t move right away. Instead, he kissed Ray, taking his time to tongue fuck his mouth as he rubbed and rocked against Ray groin. Then he suddenly stopped and rolled off. Ray was half hard again. ″Fuck. You’re just going to get me started and take off?″

Still naked and shiny from sweat, Ben grinned. ″It was just a tease to let you know what’s coming later.″

Ray groaned and then complained. ″You could finish it now and then we could eat.″

″I could, but I’d rather eat first and then finish.″

″I don’t get a vote?″

Ben cocked his head to the side, still looking sexy as hell. His voice was suddenly husky again. ″Well, you could always finish it up yourself.″

Ray put a hand on his dick and kept staring at Ben. He loved when his partner watched him play with himself. It was just part of that whole voyeur thing Ben had going on. ″You saying you want me to take care of business?″

Ben sat back down on the end of the bed, his eyes dark with desire. ″You know what I like.″

″I do.″

And he did know what got Ben off. Completely hard, Ray played with the tip of his cock, spreading the precum, making it as slick as he could. He didn’t really need lube, just thrust into his hand a few times before he could feel the pressure building, that quick tightening in his groin. He closed his eyes to focus on the sensation, but he heard masterful Ben’s voice, ″Keep looking at me, Ray.″

Shit, fuck, that voice, that command voice really put a zing through Ray’s middle. He opened his eyes to see Ben lick his lips and give him that hungry look, that need that went right to Ray’s cock. Ray grunted and jerked a few times as he came, arching his hips upward, the heat flashing all over his body as the rush filled every cell with the thrill of coming. ″Jesus. Fuck.″

″You’re beautiful.″

″Look who’s talking.″

″I mean it. I love watching you bring yourself to completion.″

Ray rolled over on his side and stared at Ben’s flushed complexion. He saw that Ben’s cock was hard again, too. ″You want me to help with that?″

″But you just came.″

″Doesn’t mean my hand or mouth is broken. Or if you wanted to do me again, that’s fine, too. You pick.″

Ben got up, his erection bobbing in front of him. ″No, you pick.″

Ray motioned toward the bedside table. ″Get a condom and fuck me again.″

″You’re sure?″

″Don’t make me beg, Ben.″

His breathing a bit more ragged, Ben nodded and got the supplies. ″You’re a hard man to satisfy, Ray Kowalski.″

″And you love me for it.″

″I do. Now on your back.″

Ray lifted an eyebrow. They didn’t normally fuck that way, but Ray was up for anything as long as Ben was happy. ″You’re sure?″

″I want to see your face as I make love to you.″

″Works for me.″ And it did.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ray paced at the rear area behind the curtain. He heard Tracy singing and Ben’s voice joining in on stage. They’d sung the same song a half dozen times so far. He’d be bored senseless if he had to do that kind of repetitious shit for a living. A stranger dressed in a dark blue suit walked up. ″You’re Kowalski, right?″

″Yeah. You?″

The man was about six foot tall, thin and had brown hair and eyes. He was nothing special to look at, but he had a toothy grin. It was like his bright white teeth were all just a little too big for his mouth. He held out a hand and spoke in a voice that was a lot deeper than Ray expected. ″Reese Norman. Just call me Reese.″

Ray shook and then released the man’s hand. ″Nice to meet you. You’re the manager, right?″

″I am. So what do you think about our set up so far?″

Ray had seen the other musicians trail into the theater and go to different positions on stage. There was a keyboard player, a drummer and some guy on a guitar who also played bass. There were also two guys who apparently dealt with sound and lighting. Everyone seemed to know what was what and knew their places without a lot of instructions. ″Seems like you’ve got them all trained.″

Reese laughed. ″That’s down to Tracy. She’s got a good team, worked with the same group for ages. I’m lucky she had enough faith to take me on after she fired Dwight. I do the bookings and press, contracts, that kind of thing.″ With the music still going in the background, Norman studied him. ″So, you’re with the Mountie, right?″

″Yeah.″

″And when I say with, I mean with with, right?″

Ray crossed his arms, suddenly wondering where the guy was going with the question. ″We’re partners. You got a problem with that?″

″Me? No. I work with musicians. We’ve got more gays in this business than we can count. No, I was just asking because I thought Tracy told me that she took this gig to see your partner again. She apparently had a thing for him back in Chicago.″

″Maybe, but Fraser and I have been together before she met him.″

″But you two weren’t out in Chicago.″

Irritation rising, Ray stated the obvious. ″It was Chicago, so no.″

″Well, that’s one thing Canada does better than the States. We don’t give a shit about the gay thing. I only mentioned it because I was confused.″

″Don’t be.″

″So, they never had a thing?″

″She might have been interested, but nothing happened between them. It was a miscommunication. Fraser set her straight yesterday.″

″Good. That’s good then.″ Norman stepped closer to the stage where Tracy and Ben were standing together going over the music for the next piece. ″She doesn’t seem too upset about it which is also good. The thing is, well, she asked me to ask you something.″

″Yeah? What?″

″She wanted to know if you thought your partner might be persuaded to go on tour. I know she asked him before, but he said no.″

So that was the game. The woman never gave up, but she was fighting a losing battle if Ray had anything to say about it.

″And he’ll say no again. He’s a Mountie through and through. This singing thing is just for charity.″

″But he’s good, professional good. I could get him a great contract.″

″He’s a better Mountie than a singer.″

″Hard to believe.″

″Believe it.″

Norman lost his cheery voice and stepped closer to Ray again. ″Look, Tracy wants him on tour. What Tracy wants, Tracy usually gets. She’ll even offer you the head of security deal. You’ll make excellent money, at least three times what you got with the cops in Chicago.″

Ray wondered why the guy wasn’t getting the message, so he used his tough cop voice, the one he used on idiot scumbags. ″Neither of us are interested in a new gig. You can tell Tracy that or I can. You pick.″

Norman swallowed hard and lifted both hands in surrender. ″No reason to get hostile. I get the picture. I’ll let Tracy know, but I’m telling you now she won’t be happy.″

Ray snorted, like he gave a fuck about Tracy Fucking Jenkins. ″You think that matters to me?″

″No, not at all. Just be cool. We’ll get through this concert tomorrow and we’ll be out of your hair.″

It couldn’t be soon enough for Ray. ″Anything else?″

″No, not from me. I’ll tell Tracy what you said. But don’t be surprised if she tries to pressure your partner.″

″She can try. He’ll tell her the same as me, well, not the same.″

″How so?″

″He’ll be polite about it.″

″And you won’t be?″

″Ask anybody. I’m polite until I’m not.″

″What’s that mean?″

″Keep pushing and find out.″

Norman sighed. ″Well, I tried.″

Ray heard the another song start. This one was different from the others. He heard Ben singing alone before Tracy joined him. ″Are they doing a duet?″

″Yeah. Pretty, eh? It’s her new one. It’s called ‘Hostage to Love’. It’s the one she wrote for your partner. It’s going to be a huge hit and make him a star. All he has to do is say yes.″

Well fuck.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Of course I said no, Ray.″

″Are you sure?″

Sitting on the sofa together, Ben wrapped his arm around Ray’s shoulders. ″What do I need to say to convince you that I’m not interested in a singing career?″

″Norman was saying Jenkins wrote that song for you and that you could be a star.″

″It’s a lovely song, but I’m not interested in notoriety.″

″But...″

″Ray, stop. Tracy already talked to me about this. I said no to her and I’ll say no anytime she asks. I’ll sing the song at the concert tomorrow, but I won’t record it and I definitely won’t go on tour to promote it. She’ll need to find another lead singer.″

Relieved, Ray still couldn’t believe how resistant his partner was to such temptation. ″It’s a big deal to be a star.″

″Is it?″

″To a lot of people, yeah.″

Ben studied him and then asked, ″Would it be important to you to be famous?″

″They’re not asking me to be famous.″

″No, but would you want to be?″

Ray snuggled closer to Ben on the sofa. ″I used to dream about it. I’d be a big baseball player and everyone would know my name. All the girls would be chasing after me and wanting my autograph.″

″When was this?″

″When I was a kid.″

″And do you still have such a dream?″

Ray chuckled. ″Of course not. I grew up, but that doesn’t mean that the idea of people knowing your name and thinking you’re cool isn’t tempting.″

Ben sighed and rested his head against Ray’s. ″It’s odd.″

″What is?″

″My father was famous, but he never wanted to be. He considered it a nuisance. I fear I must have inherited that trait. I don’t care if strangers admire me. I do care if the people I love do.″

″That’s because you’re a modest guy. You never think of yourself as special even when you are.″

″Special in what way?″

″Fishing for compliments?″ Ray felt Ben’s body tense slightly, so he immediately added, ″No, I know you’re not fishing. But you have to know that you’re special, Ben. We’ve had this discussion before. You’re smart and kind and fair. Those are rare things in the modern age.″

″Not that rare. You’re fair and kind.″

″Smart didn’t make the list, huh?″

″You’re smart in a more nontraditional way.″

″I’m street smart and I can read people. But a lot of guys can do that. I’m just saying that you’ve just never appreciated how special you are.″

″I’m special to you and you’re special to me. That’s all I care about, Ray.″

″Sounds right. So, bottom line, you’re not tempted by the limelight?″

″More like dreading the limelight. I have to admit that I’m growing a little anxious at being a lead singer tomorrow. There’s a lot more pressure than just singing back up.″

It was Ray’s turn to calm his partner down. ″You’ll do great. I listened to the whole rehearsal and it’s going to be fantastic. You might not go on tour, but you’ll be the star of Whitehorse before this is over. They’ll be trying to get you sing at weddings if you’re not careful.″

″Weddings?″

″Sure. Speaking of which, I’ve been thinking.″

″About?″

″I was thinking it might be time to have some kind of ceremony. I know we can’t officially get married, but it would be nice to have some kind of commitment deal in front of friends.″

Ben’s arm tightened around him and pulled him closer. ″I would like that. After tomorrow, we’ll do some planning. We’ll find someone to do the ceremony and have a nice reception. We’ll make a guest list and find a venue.″

Ray grinned. ″Sounds like you’ve been thinking about this, too.″

″I have. I remember when we exchanged rings, we said we’d do it at some future juncture. We need to follow through.″

Ray’s eyes stung and he took several deep breaths. ″Let’s set a date, the sooner the better.″

″I’d actually like it to be in a few months in early fall after the tourist season is over. That way we could have some days off.″

″Days off?″

″I do believe it’s traditional to have a honeymoon. I thought we could perhaps do something special in that regard.″

″Sounds like a plan to me.″ Lifting his left hand, Ray stared at the golden band. ″About time we made it official.″

″Absolutely.″

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ray straightened the lanyard holding his ID and security pass around his neck. He’d already walked the entire parade route twice and helped put up some of the barricades at crosswalks. Ezra was doing most of the directing, making sure all the bases were covered to help contain the crowds. He had a clipboard and everything. People seemed to forget that holidays were fun for everybody but the cops.

Ray figured he should report in. ″The route seems fine. The crowds are already showing up. Anything else I should do before the parade starts?″

″There’s nothing else, no. I appreciate your help, Ray. I’m surprised you didn’t go to the barn to be with Fraser.″

Ray pushed down his own embarrassment and confessed. ″Horses and me? Not a good mix. Fraser loves the nasty things but they’re too big and unpredictable for me. Plus they stink.″

″Really? Who doesn’t like horses?″

″Me, that’s who.″ Ray didn’t go on to explain how much they scared him. ″Dealing with the wolf is bad enough. I’m not taking a chance on some wild horse stomping me to death.″

″You just have to be careful, that’s all. There’s hardly a more loyal animal than a horse.″ Ezra held up his board. ″If I weren’t stuck doing this, I’d be riding next to Fraser. I haven’t had a chance to ride in forever.″

″Same with Fraser. I think that’s one reason he was so excited to get to do it today.″

″He’s lucky. The Inspector picked only three people to ride.″

Ezra’s walkie-talkie buzzed and a distorted voice came through the air. ″Cassidy here. We need another two officers. People are spilling into the road in front of the station. Over.″

″On my way. Over.″ Ezra turned to Ray. ″I’m heading out. You want to stick around here? You can help direct people. If they ask, let them know that the parade should start in another twenty minutes. Can’t be soon enough for me.″

″I’ll stick around.″ Ray waved the official ID. ″Might as well put it to good use.″

″After the parade starts, use your own judgment. Just keep your eyes open if anyone decides to disrupt or get rowdy. You’ll know what to do. There should be someone close enough if you need help.″

″I was a cop, remember? I’ve done parade duty and crowd control before. I’ll be fine. Go take care of business.″

″Thanks.″ Ezra ran off back toward the station. More people were milling about the edge of the street and small groups were collecting as they waited. One man had a small boy on his shoulders waving a Canadian flag. Everyone seemed to love a parade.

″Hey, Ray.″

He turned to see his assistant Buddy Frank standing just off to the side of the main road. ″What are you doing here?″

Buddy rolled his eyes. ″I heard there was a parade, man.″

Ray chuckled and walked over. ″Yeah. I heard the same.″

″Fraser’s got you working security?″

″I’m just helping out, that’s all. You like parades?″

″It’s something different to do. It’s not like I’ve got a lot of big plans.″

Ray frowned. ″You’re not coming to the concert later?″

″I am, but like I told you before, I’m not a fan of country music. I’m only going because Fraser’s singing and Gus got me a free ticket.″

″Reason enough. Give it a chance. You might like it.″

Buddy’s chin was up and he gave him a defiant stare. ″You want to bet?″

″Nope. At your age I would’ve hated it, too. Anyway, between now and then, you should just have some fun. After the parade is over, there are some vendors selling all kinds of food and drinks. There’s some kind of arts festival, too.″

″Yeah, I know. This isn’t my first Canada day.″

″Just thought I’d mention it.″ Ray studied his young friend, noticed the tight lines and dark circles around his eyes. ″You okay? You look tired.″

Buddy shrugged. ″Just working hard for a living. Speaking of which, I wanted to thank you again for going to Gus about the scholarship. I’ve already picked a couple of classes to take for the fall. I thought I’d start with the basics and get those out of the way.″

″That’s great. I’m glad.″

″And Cheri’s talking about maybe enrolling in some business classes, too. That’ll depend on her mom though.″

Ray heard a slight edge to Buddy’s voice. ″Why would it depend on Cheri’s mother whether she takes a class or not?″

Buddy sighed and shrugged again. ″I shouldn’t say anything, but you should probably talk to Cheri about that.″

Ray suddenly got a bad feeling. ″Something wrong with Cheri’s mum?″

Shoving both his hands in his jeans pockets, Buddy shook his head. ″Talk to Cheri, Ray.″ Then he motioned to the tent on the corner away from the parade route. ″I’m going to get something to drink. I’ll see you later at the concert.″

As he walked away, Ray thought back over the last few days. Their usually happy receptionist had been a lot quieter than usual, not smiling like normal. He hoped to hell his gut was wrong and Cheri’s mum wasn’t sick or worse. Well fuck.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The parade was a big hit. When the RCMP section showed up with the marching men followed by the three flag bearers on horseback, Ray’s heart swelled with pride. They were all dressed in red and for the first time in a long time, Ray had to remember that Ben was not just his Mountie, but that the man he loved belonged to a much bigger thing. He was all about loyal service to his country. Ray had even wiped away a few tears. God, he was such a sentimental idiot sometimes.

Despite his fear of horses, Ray went to the barn and waited outside. It took nearly forty five minutes before Ben finally came out. He smiled when he saw Ray leaning against the fence. Ben drew him into a quick kiss. ″You didn’t have to meet me.″

″I wanted to. You looked great in the parade, super handsome.″

″Thank you.″

″Did you hear everyone cheering while you and the others went by? They didn’t do that for all the groups.″

″It was appreciated.″

″I brought the truck over. You want to go back to the station or to get something to eat before you have to go over to the theater?″

″Definitely get something to eat, but I fear with all the crowds, getting into our regular place will be impossible.″

″I thought of that. I put an order for sandwiches in this morning and all we have to do is pick it up. I thought we could do that and tailgate.″

″Tailgate?″

″Find a place to park and eat on the back of the truck.″

″And that’s called tailgating?″

″They do it all the time back home.″

″Really? I’ve never heard of it.″

″Well, you have now. If that doesn’t suit you, we can take it home and eat there.″

Ben grinned. ″I fear if we were to go home, we might not make it back for the concert in time.″

Ray had the same fear. They’d been making out like crazy with every free moment lately. ″You’re probably right. Tailgating it is.″

″And where do we plan to do this tailgating thing?″

″Don’t worry. We’ll find a free spot.″

As they walked to the truck, Ben took off his hat to run a hand through his damp hair before putting it back on. ″I’d forgotten how much warmer it was to wear the red serge in summer.″

″Is this when I say I told you so?″

″I’d rather you wouldn’t. I’d actually change, but Tracy told me yesterday she wanted me to be sure to wear the dress uniform.″

Ray climbed into the truck and waited for Ben to get in beside him. His partner put his hat on the dash. Dief woofed from the back and Ben turned. ″I know, but I can’t help that.″

Ray asked, ″What’s he on about?″

″He says I reek of horse.″

″I didn’t want to say anything, but he’s right. What’s Dief’s problem with it?″

″Wolves don’t really like the smell of horses.″

″They do stink.″

″They do not stink, Ray. However, they are prey animals and so the smell does make Diefenbaker a bit on edge.″

Ray glanced back at the wolf. ″Really? Does that mean horse smell makes him want to chase and eat the horse?″

″The olfactory sense is a strong motivator for the prey drive, so yes.″

Ray had to admit the smell was a lot stronger inside the truck than it was out in the open. ″You know what?″

″What?″

″Forget the tailgating. I think we should get our food and go home. You can change into your spare red.″

Ben raised an eyebrow but then brought his arm to his nose. Then he nodded. ″Agreed. I wouldn’t want to offend anyone or make Diefenbaker any more anxious.″

″Dief is anxious?″

″It’s the horse as well as all the crowds. He’s been complaining quite a bit more than usual lately about all the human interaction he’s having. In fact, since we’re going home anyway, I think it might be best to leave him at the cabin when we come back into town.″

Once again, Ray glanced back while he drove over to the restaurant to pick up their food. ″I had no idea. It guess if he wants to stay home, that’s fine. I just wish he’d told me.″

″I think it’s just been a gradual thing. Then today with the parade, it’s been a matter of sensory overload.″

″I get that.″ And he did. All those people pushing and shoving and making all that noise got on his nerves, too.

As they neared the restaurant, Ray knew he’d have to park across the street and walk over. ″Looks like you were right. No parking means no getting inside to sit. Good thing I ordered ahead.″

As soon as Ray parked, he turned to Ben. ″I’ll rush inside. Won’t take long.″ He leaned over and kissed him before getting out. Dief woofed some more. ″Shut up, wolf. Get your own sweetie.″

Ben barked a laugh. ″Sweetie?″

″You know what I mean.″

″I do, Honey Bear.″

″Jeez, stop.″

″Understood, Dearheart.″

″I get the point. Fuck. Sorry.″

As Ray dashed across the busy street, he glanced back to see Ben chatting away with the wolf, smiling and having a great time. What a life he had, living with a real Dr. Dolittle and Ray wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Oh, dear. It’s a full house.″

Ray heard rather than saw the rising panic as Ben peeked from behind the curtain at all the people filling up the theater. He stepped next to his partner and put a hand on his shoulder. ″It’s going to be fine.″

″I don’t know, Ray. It’s one thing to sing in rehearsal, but all these people paid good money to hear a professional show. Tracy is used to this, but I’m not sure I’m at her level.″

″You’re more than her level.″

″But what if my voice breaks or, heaven forbid, I forget the lyrics?″

″Have you ever forgotten anything before?″

″There’s always a first time. I could embarrass myself or worse bring disgrace upon the service.″

Ray took Ben’s arm and pulled him back behind the curtain and to a more private part of backstage. He grabbed both of Ben’s arms as he spoke. ″Listen, this is just a little stage fright. You’re a beautiful singer and you’re going to do a great job.″

Ben was obviously not convinced. ″But all those people.″

″Forget about all those people. You’re going sing to just one person.″

Ben finally lifted his head and met Ray’s gaze. ″You?″

″Yeah, me. Whenever you look out, just imagine me standing right by the curtain watching. Forget the crowd and focus on me. Got it?″

Taking several deep breaths, Ben finally stood a bit straighter and nodded. ″Got it.″

″Good. You’re going to knock it out of the park and get a grand slam.″

″Knock what out of the park?″

″It’s like in baseball when all the bases are loaded and you’re at bat. You hit the ball out of the park and everybody gets a home run. It’s a grand slam. That’s what you’re going for. You can do it.″

″Grand slam. I like that.″ Ben fussed and straightened both his lanyard and his Stetson.

A stage hand came over and touched his arm. ″You’re on in less than 60 seconds, Sergeant. Tracy’s about to announce you. Be ready.″

The look of horror was back and Ray just leaned in and kissed Ben’s cheek. ″Just sing to me. I love you.″

Ben turned and nodded before they both heard his name being called from the stage. Applause broke out and Ben took another deep breath before walking out into the limelight.

There was another round of applause and then Ben bowed and stepped to the microphone about six feet from Tracy’s. The music began and the concert started. Ray beamed with pride as his partner hit every note and sounded like he’d been singing in public all his life. Song after song, it all went perfectly.

The applause and cheers got louder with the end of each number. Then it came to the final song. Tracy Jenkins stepped up to her microphone. ″Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m here to announce this new number, ″Hostage to Love.″ Many of you might not know this, but Sergeant Fraser and his partner back in Chicago saved my life. I’ll admit that I had a big crush on the guy, but he let me know that I was wasting my time. Even so, he inspired me to write this song for him. He’s going to sing it for us now.″ She turned to Ben. ″Whenever you’re ready.″

Ben gave the signal to the band and after a short intro sang his heart out. Ray heard and felt every word was aimed right at him. By the time Ben finished, the whole audience was on their feet, clapping and yelling ″Bravo!″ His partner took a deep bow but then turned and smiled at Ray.

Then he returned to waving at the audience who had switched it up and were shouting, ″Encore! Encore!″

Tracy took over. ″All right, all right. Settle down. We’ll sing one more.″

She signaled to the band and then walked over to Ben. She whispered something in his ear and then he nodded. He spoke into the microphone. ″This is one of our favorites.″

Both Ben and Tracy started out together singing ″Amazing Grace″. Ray smiled. He knew that Ben loved that song and would often sing it when he thought Ray was sleeping. He sounded angelic especially since he and Tracy were harmonizing. He was kind of jealous that he couldn’t sing like that. His talent was appreciating Ben’s talent.

When they finished singing, the crowd was back on its feet and everyone in the band lined the front of the stage along with Ben and Tracy to take a bow. Once they did, Tracy left by way of the other exit while Ben came directly to Ray. He kissed him and then hugged him. Ray whispered, ″You were fantastic. You’re a star whether you want to be or not.″

Ben pulled back and grinned. ″I’m your star, Ray, and that’s all that matters.″ Then he gave him another kiss, the first of many to come.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&The End