Free Gemini by Chris Owen Page B

good at it."
    "Yeah. But—"
    78
    Gemini
    by Chris Owen
    "Fuck this, Gent. I can die walking to work. Hell, I work at City Hall. You know how many disgruntled city employees there are? Stop being stupid and think. "
    I look at the floor. Jamie gets down in front of me, hands on my knees. "Gent."
    I look into his eyes and all I can see is trust. And that just blows me away after last night.
    "You take every precaution there is, right? You're careful.
    You're smart. There's guys out there who don't work with blood who take far more chances than you. I've seen you looking at your hands. You're obsessed with being safe."
    I nod. Fight the urge to check my hands.
    "So don't do this, okay? Go afternoons only if you want, but please, don't go out and get some crap job you hate just
    'cause you're scared for us. Hell, I get cut up more than you just playing sports. See me after pick up basketball? Think, Gent. Do what you love."
    "But I don't want you to get sick."
    "Keep being as careful as you are. We won't. You won't."
    I sit back in the chair and close my eyes. Think. Feel Jamie's hands on my legs, Paul's on my shoulders. I feel like I could sleep for days.
    "Okay." I take a breath and think for a minute, or at least try to. "Afternoons only. See how it goes. Might have to get a night job somewhere, though. Maybe pull beer at the Edge, yeah?"
    Hear a soft sigh and then Paul's kissing me. Hand at my neck turning my head and then Jamie's there and we've got 79
    Gemini
    by Chris Owen
    one of those wonderful and strange three way kisses going on.
    I'm just so tired.

    * * * *
We all go down and get tested. We all go down and get the results. And then we all go home, clean and healthy, and get really, really drunk.
    Not sure what it is about being shit scared that make us all want to get shit drunk, but we do it. Don't even do anything else, just stare at the TV and drink beer, then rum. Eventually we order some Chinese food and try to get a little sober.
    We talk about me going back to work again, but not for long. I'm still adamant about only working part-time and Taff gave me a job at the Razor's Edge so I'm making the same amount of money—a little more, actually, with tips.
    Jamie still thinks I'm wasting my talent, and Paul still thinks I should do what I have to do for now, but hopes I'll go back fulltime soon. He misses me on the weekends, he says, but I suspect he agrees with Jamie.
    "I just ... I can't take knowing I can pass something on to you as easy as that," I try to explain for the seven hundredth time.
    Jamie sighs and passes me the fried shrimp. "Nothing's changed, Gent. Nothing at all."
    "I know," I say, gesturing with my chopsticks. "But that's the point. We were fucking reckless, boys, and I won't do that again. We gotta be more careful, not just go on like we were."
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    Gemini
    by Chris Owen
    They exchange an uneasy look and Paul looks at me out of the corner of his eye and shrugs. There are times I hate that secret-twin-language thing.
    "Um, Gent?" Jamie says slowly. "Wanna run that by us again?"
    I set down my plate and lean forward. "We have to take better care of ourselves."
    "Break it down a little more."
    I sigh and Jamie shakes his head. "Just fucking humor me, will you? What precisely are you suggesting?"
    I look at him, then at Paul and back again. "Condoms. All the time, not just when we fuck."
    Jamie's eyes do this weird thing, they go really wide and then really narrow. Paul just looks unhappy.
    "No way," Jamie says. "In fact, I think we should ditch the rubbers altogether, now that we all know we're clean for sure and provable."
    My jaw drops. "Are you insane?"
    "No, but I'm beginning to think you are." He stands up, angry vibes just rolling off him. Paul looks less unhappy and more freaked than anything, his eyes darting from Jamie to me and back. Like he's watching the worst tennis game ever and knows it's going to end in carnage.
    I stand up too. "Jamie, you can't be serious."
    "I am. And I think