The Bellingham Mystery Series Volume 2 by Nicole Kimberling

Author:Nicole Kimberling [Kimberling, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Lgbt, Mystery & Detective, General, mystery, Gay
ISBN: 979935560616
Publisher: Blind Eye Books
Published: 2018-10-03T18:49:51+00:00

Chapter Six

Being a liberal midsized city, Bellingham had a gay bar. Or rather at it had a bar that had at one time been gay, but had since morphed into what could be more accurately described as a mixed dance club. Secrets Cabaret occupied a big airy building on the same block as the Farmer’s Market.

Warm summer wind rolled off the bay. Overhead stars twinkled in the mostly clear sky. Peter thought that it might not rain on Nick’s bachelor party, which was good. As he slid his keys into his pocket, he heard Evangeline shout his name. She wore a dress entirely covered with pink sequins and heels so high and so spindly that Peter wondered how they held her up. It warmed the cockles of his ancient and cynical heart to see how she’d gone all-out for him.

He sauntered toward her, dodging clots of restless, indecisive college students and wending his way through parked cars.

Evangeline caught him in an enthusiastic hug. “You look sexy.”

“Right back at you,” Peter replied.

“Did I just see you get out of Nick’s car?”

“That’s right.”

“You aren’t seriously going to drive back to the Castle tonight, are you?”

“That’s the plan,” Peter said. “It’s my motivation to stay sober.”

“But everybody’s going to want to buy you shots,” she complained. “The whole staff of the Hamster is coming. The guys want to do a round of Peruvian goat fuckers.”

“You’ll just have to take mine for me,” Peter said.

Evangeline rolled her eyes. “Okay, but don’t fight me later when you get drunk and I have to take your keys. Anyway before everybody gets here, I wanted to show you. I finally have your present.”

“Thanks.” Peter held out his hands.

She shrank away from him. “I’ve been working all night to finish it.”

“That’s a lot of work.”

“Yeah.” She clutched the present to her chest.

“Can I have it?” Peter asked.

“The thing is, when I started I thought the idea was really cool and hip and ironic. And then I started working on it and working on it, and now I’m worried that it’s really ugly.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “That’s how you feel about everything you’ve ever made.”

“But Nick is a fine artist. And I think he might hate this.”

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he said. Then at her expression added, “We look through the eyes of love.”

“I think that even I might hate this, and I made it.”

Peter sighed. “Just hand over the present and let me decide for myself, okay?”

“Okay, but I won’t be mad if you want to throw it away.” She handed him the box.

Nestled inside shredded paper packaging were two three-inch fimo grooms. Great care had been made to create the grooms in his and Nick’s likeness. The hair color and height-weight proportions were well rendered. The faces, however, were ugly. Really ugly. Phantom of the Opera-level unpleasantness.

“Oh God, Nick’s head’s on crooked. He looks like a hunchback.” She reached out and tried to tweak the figurine. The head fell off in her hand. She gazed up at Peter, an expression of abject apology on her face.

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