Golden Shears Read online

  He didn't hang around. Justin and Pita could be anywhere. Plus he needed some time alone to pull himself together. If he had a bad day tomorrow, he'd be out of the contest. Now that Tan had thrown down the gauntlet, he was determined to be in the finals.

  He swung past the supermarket and bought a pizza. Then, with a sigh, added another pizza, some chips and dips, and a twelve pack of colas. He had no intention of drinking beer. He needed a cool head for the next day, and although a beer buzz would be enjoyable now, he'd pay for it later.

  Back in his motel room, Eric loaded the colas, dips, and pizzas in the fridge, left the chips on the bench top, and headed for a shower. He let the hot water cascade over him. The heat felt good against his back and neck, and the tension seeped from his muscles. Although not all of it was due to the physical demands of shearing.

  Once out of the shower, he padded quickly to his bedroom. He didn’t want to be caught in just a tiny towel by Justin or Pita. Once he was dressed in cut-offs and a T-shirt, he texted Justin asking if he needed to come and get them. He couldn’t help being concerned. His cell phone beeped a few seconds later.

  ‘Been looking for you. Pita has lift arranged. Be back in an hour.’

  A mix of regret and jealousy stabbed through Eric. He wished he’d texted and asked Justin earlier, but he had to get away. He also wished Pita hadn’t found a lift. He glanced at his watch. He’d put the pizzas in the oven about ten minutes before they were due back.

  As promised, Justin and Pita turned up after an hour. Pita was babbling excitedly about the day, but Justin seemed a little withdrawn. Eric pushed down his concern and headed to the kitchen. "I got pizzas if you haven't already eaten," he called over.

  "True? Awesome, bro. Yeah pizza would be cool."

  Pita gave a double thumbs up, and Eric checked the pizzas in the oven. He carried over the chips and dips and put them on the coffee table near the couch Justin and Pita occupied. "Cola okay?" he asked miming a drinking action.

  "Sure thing, bro," Pita said and grinned widely.

  Eric glanced at Justin who nodded. As he headed back to the kitchen, Eric frowned. It seemed perfectly obvious to him that something was worrying Justin, yet Pita appeared either oblivious or unconcerned. But Justin wasn't his to worry over anymore. He got the drinks, grabbed a handful of chips for himself, and sat in his chair, trying to concentrate on the soccer match the sports channel was showing.

  He was aware of the soft murmur of sound from where Pita and Justin sat, but he refused to look over. Whatever the problem it was nothing to do with him. He waited until the pizzas were ready and went back to the kitchen. He cut each into eight pieces and loaded the slices onto two large plates. He put them on the dining table, along with a couple of side plates. "Help yourselves." He loaded three slices of pizza onto his own, and snagged another handful of chips as he passed the coffee table. Then he sat back in his chair and continued to watch the soccer.

  The soft murmur of talk stopped while the pizza was consumed. Eric glanced over at the table. There were still a good number of slices left. The soccer was over. If he’d been on his own, he wouldn’t have cared that the next option was golf. But that wouldn’t keep his attention enough with Justin so close.

  He stood, got another couple of slices, added another handful of chips to the plate, and this time used one to scoop a large dollop of hummus. He headed to the kitchen to get another cola, then towards his room.

  Justin sat up quickly. “You aren’t going to bed so early are you?”

  Eric glanced over at him. Justin seemed overly concerned, but Eric couldn’t imagine why. “It’s going to be a hard day tomorrow. I didn’t score as well as I should’ve today. So I’m going to relax with my book while finishing my pizza. I’ve had my shower. So all I ask is that you don’t make too much noise.”

  “Finish your pizza here, bro,” Pita said.

  Eric shook his head. “Nah. I’m good. If you want a lift in the morning, be up and ready. I’ll be sure and text you when I’m leaving tomorrow, Justin. Have a good night.”

  He headed into his room, a little confused by the couple’s reaction. It almost seemed as though they wanted him there. He shook his head. They were the couple, and he was the third wheel.

  He stripped quickly, settled on the bed, and ate his pizza while reading his book. His concentration wasn’t fully on the novel. He couldn’t help but occasionally try and hear what was happening. He set his empty plate aside, put down his book, and pulled out his phone. He checked his emails and glanced at the time. It was already eleven o’clock.

  He switched off his light and lay in the darkness for several minutes. A noise from the living room startled him. He’d heard the door of the other bedroom open and close a little earlier. Cautiously, he tiptoed to his door and listened. A low hum of sound suggested that the TV was still on. He opened his door, just a crack, as quietly as possible.

  The TV was still on and just one of the side lamps. Justin was on the sofa, stretched out, apparently watching TV. Eric closed his door again and frowned. Maybe they had a disagreement. It’s really none of my business. However, the validity of the words did nothing to allay the feeling of wanting to hold Justin in his arms.

  Shutting his door as carefully as he’d opened it, Eric padded back to bed. It was going to be another long night.

  Chapter Three

  With a wide yawn, Eric sat up and rubbed at his eyes. His sleep had been fitful. But he had to push that aside. The memory of Justin on the couch made him open his door cautiously, but the young man wasn’t there.

  Snagging his towel and toiletries, Eric wrapped the towel around his waist and dashed to the bathroom. He showered and shaved quickly. He’d clean his teeth in his en suite after breakfast. This time he was eating everything, and his stomach rumbled as if in approval.

  He hurried back to his room and dressed. Then he headed through to the kitchen and flipped on the jug. He dropped a tea bag in a mug and switched on the TV. He frowned to find it was still warm. But if that were the case, then Justin couldn’t have gone to bed until only a short while ago.

  Before he could continue with his train of thought, a knock at the door heralded the arrival of his breakfast. There were a couple of additions on the tray. Extra juice, cereal and milk.

  “The others only asked for cereal. I thought they’d like juice, too.”

  “Uh, thanks,” Eric said as he accepted the tray. He took it to the table and set things out. Going back to the kitchen, he finished making his tea. He set that by his breakfast and then brought over three bowls, a plate, spoons, and a knife. He put the bowls next to the cereal and juice cartons and started on his own cereal.

  “Morning, bro. Hey cool. Breakfast’s here, Justin.” Pita, dressed only in boxers, waved at Eric as he headed to the bathroom. A minute later, Justin, similarly dressed emerged from the bedroom.

  Eric tried not to make his scrutiny obvious. Justin looked tired and a little drawn. He was now certain something was wrong with Justin’s relationship with Pita. However, Justin smiled and waved as he went through to the bathroom. Eric’s eyes narrowed. He’d find time alone with Justin. He wouldn’t just stand by if Justin needed a friend.

  Breakfast passed quickly. For Eric, the only suggestion that something was wrong was Justin’s lack of energy or enthusiasm. The younger man smiled and acted as he had the day before, but his inner sparkle had dimmed.

  There was neither time nor opportunity to spend time with him before they reach the competition, but Eric hoped he’d score a chance once they were there. As he parked his car, Pita was already urging Justin out.

  “Hey, Justin. If you need a friend.” Eric held up his cell phone as he spoke. Justin’s eyes widened for a second, and then he was pulled away quickly by Pita.

  Eric was determined to enjoy all aspects of the competition. There were the men’s wool pressing semi-finals and the senior shearing heats he wanted to watch in the morning, and his own heats were in the afternoon. H
e flexed his fingers and shoulders. This time when he had a sheep in his arms, the animal and his shears would be all he focused on.

  Although he kept checking his phone, there were no texts from Justin. However, by the time Eric entered the shed for his heat, he’d pushed everything but getting through from his mind. As he held the sheep securely, he ran the clippers over its skin with speed and dexterity. This time, pleased with his performance, he waited eagerly for all the results to come through. He punched the air as he saw his score. He’d see Tan in the final all right.

  A flash of red caught his eye. He frowned as he tried to see through the crowd. He was sure it was Justin. But there were too many people moving for him to see clearly. He contemplated texting Justin but felt too much like a stalker.

  Heading outside, he saw Justin and Pita not too far away. They were oblivious to their surroundings. But what struck Eric most was that Justin shook his head. A lot. Whatever Pita was trying to persuade him to do, Justin clearly wasn’t in agreement. He headed over.

  Before he reached them, however, Pita saw him. By the time he joined them, both men were smiling at him. But Justin’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  “What’re you two up to?” He kept his voice light. He fully intended to get Justin on his own at some point.

  “We’re just about to go watch the trans-Tasman wool handling tests,” Pita said. “Coming?”

  “Sure.” Eric followed them as Pita tugged on Justin’s hand, paying careful attention to their body language. There was no bumping or brushing of their arms as they walked. Eric frowned. Now he was looking, he wasn’t seeing any of the usual tell-tale signs of a couple. No touches, no looks, no secret smiles. Just what the fuck is going on here?

  He relaxed a little as Justin and Pita got enthusiastic about the wool handling. There was no sign of any animosity between them, but something had definitely pinged Eric’s radar and wasn’t going away.

  “How about we stop off for burgers for dinner?” Pita asked as the session finished. “My treat.”

  “Sounds great. Eric?” Justin looked over at him.

  Eric nodded. He still had an idea in mind. He wasn’t worried when they decided to eat in the fast food restaurant. He enjoyed his burger and fries, and Pita regaled him with tales about working in Napa Valley and then the Barossa Valley. Justin seemed happy enough to leave Pita talking.

  By the time they got back to the motel, Justin and Pita were talking about Napa Valley, and Eric let is just wash over him. Then he turned to Pita. “You know? I could really do with a nice cold beer. How about I give you my keys and you go get us some? Justin, you can have the first shower.”

  Justin and Pita glanced at each other, and then Justin shrugged. “Sure. Beer would be good, and I could do with the shower.”

  “Sure thing, bro,” Pita said and caught the keys Eric tossed at him. “Should be no more than twenty minutes.”

  Eric waited for him to head out of the door and then turned to face Justin. Only Justin was right there and stumbled back a little. Eric reached out. But he didn’t stop there. Once Justin was in his arms, he pulled the younger man close. The feel of him, the scent of him, sent Eric’s senses out of control, and he possessed Justin’s lips with a searing intensity.

  Justin didn’t resist. Instead he melted against Eric, and it was everything Eric ever remembered about their relationship, the passion, the heat, the lo—

  With a flood of shame washing over him, Eric shoved Justin away. “What the fuck are we doing? I’m not your boyfriend. Pita is. Fuck it. I’m going. I’ll get John to collect my car keys. I’ll sleep in there tonight.”

  “No! Eric, please. Wait!”

  Eric ignored Justin’s plea. Shaking his head, he strode to the door.

  Chapter Four

  Pita almost collided with him coming back inside as Eric tried to head out.

  “I forgot to ask what kind of beer. What’s happening, bro?” Pita asked looking from one man to the other.

  “Nothing. I just decided I need some fresh air. Now if you’ll excuse me?” Eric tried unsuccessfully to get around Pita

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Pita said, holding up his hands and barring Eric’s way out. ‘This is my fault. Okay, bro? My fault. Entirely. Just sit there. Give me two minutes, and I’ll explain everything. I mean it,” Pita added and dropped his voice. “Don’t make me come after you.”

  Feeling torn apart, his head spinning, Eric sat on the settee as far away from Justin as possible. He glanced over at him, and Eric’s heart ached. Justin sat on one of the chairs at the breakfast table, misery etched on his face.

  Less than a minute passed and Pita returned with John and his wife. All three looked between Justin and Eric. With a ‘tut’, Hine headed over to Justin, hugging him and glowered at Eric.

  “Right, okay. This is the thing,” Pita said. “This is New Zealand, bro, and the normal six degrees of separation don’t apply here. You know that. It’s much less. Justin did six months in the States, in the Napa Valley, working in a vineyard that I visited. We became great mates. He told me he was going to Oz to do at least six months in the Barossa Valley. So I met up with him there. He told me about you, and that he still loved you, but was worried about just turning up. You know, in case you didn’t feel the same?”

  Eric blinked. Did he just say Justin loved me?

  “Pita contacted me,” Hine said. “His mother is my cousin. He knew you always stayed here when competing in the Golden Shears competition. We knew we could set a watch by you for turning up each year. So when Pita contacted me and asked if we could play along by saying there was a double booking, I said ‘yes’. I’m a sucker for helping whanau and for happy endings.”

  “I thought if we pretended to be a couple, we could see if you were jealous. The way I looked at it, if you didn’t love him you’d have answered the e-mails and texts. You only ignore someone like that for two reasons. You hate them, or you’re doing it because you think it’s best for them. Because you love them.” Pita shuffled from foot to foot. “I’m sorry it went wrong. Please don’t blame Justin. He wasn’t sure this was the best thing to do. But, well, I can be really persuasive when I put my mind to it.”

  Eric sat for a moment digesting everything. The way everyone had worked to bring him and Justin together. Pita was right about the jealousy. About everything. He stood and faced Justin. “I’m still a farmer in Masterton.” He was surprised by the huskiness of his voice but continued on. “Whereas you—”

  “I have a job as a viniculturist in Masterton,” Justin said. “I hoped I was doing the right thing when I applied for the job. My heart said I was. I was so angry with you to start with, but then I realised you were right about the OE. I learned so much in California and in the Barossa. So when I applied for the job here, I got it. The other thing I learned was that no one could fill the gap you left. But I was just too nervous to simply turn up on your doorstep.”

  Eric walked slowly over to Justin, aware of three sets of eyes boring into the back of his skull. “All this. So much planning.”

  Justin nodded. “We started planning this four months ago when I knew I had the job.”

  Eric shook his head. No one had ever done anything like this for him. He saw the slump of Justin’s shoulders and realised his gesture had been misunderstood. He pulled Justin into a tight embrace and kissed him. This time he pressed his tongue insistently against Justin’s lips, and as they parted he thrust his tongue deep into depths he’d thought he’d never taste again.

  Justin’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer as their tongues slid against one another. Lost in the feel and taste, it took a moment for Eric to register the loud coughs from behind him. Reluctantly he broke the kiss but kept an arm around Justin’s waist.

  Hine and Pita were hugging one another, and John wore a broad grin. “Well then,” he said. “All’s well that ends well. As I’m not overbooked, I suppose I need to find you another bedroom?” He slapped Pita’s back.

&n
bsp; “He’s whanau,” Hine said. “He’ll stay with us.”

  “Two minutes to pack and I’m outta here, bro.” Pita dashed past into the bedroom and emerged no more than a minute later with his overnight bag. “So, see ya in the morning? For a lift to the competition? I wanna see you wipe that smug smirk from that Ozzie’s face.”

  Eric laughed. “There’s nothing like a healthy trans-Tasman rivalry to get the adrenaline flowing, eh? I’m up for it.”

  “Sweet.” Pita grinned and held up both thumbs.

  “Let’s leave them alone,” Hine said, pushing Pita toward the door. “They have a lot to talk over.”

  “Talk. Yeah. Right.” Pita gave an exaggerated wink that made Justin snort.

  Once the door was closed, Eric hurried to lock it and then returned to Justin.

  Justin leaned against him. “Talk.”

  “Hmm. I can think of better things your lips can be doing.” Eric pulled Justin into another kiss. He slid his hands under the baggy T-shirt and stroked warm, smooth skin. He drew his hands around Justin’s body and over his chest, thumbing already taut nipples the way he remembered Justin loved.

  A soft whimper escaped Justin, and he tried to arch his chest into the caress. Eric stepped back a little and pulled the T-shirt off, tossing it aside. Pinching one nub between his fingers, he sucked and nipped at the other. He rubbed the growing bugle at Justin’s groin.

  Eric tugged at the flesh between his teeth before releasing it to a soft whine of disappointment from Justin “You always loved having your nipples teased. I got you off one time just by sucking and biting them.”

  “Only you. Only ever you,” Justin murmured. “Fuck me. Take me to bed and fuck me.”

  A deep, wordless rumble was all the reply Eric could give. Then a notion struck him. "Rubber. Lube. I don't have any."