The Ajay Kavanagh Detective Series on Kindle

Book One:Tapping Darkness

Book Two:Fortune's Lightning

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously.

Not So Perfect

Published by Bon Publishing Company in association with Produx House, Corp.

P. O. Box 3847

Ft. Myers,Fl.33918

www. bonpublishing.com

Not So Perfect

“Aunt Lizzie?” Devon repeated nervously. ”Why have I never heard of her, before?”

“Moved to the midwest when I was fourteen,” Ajay explained as he checked the crease in his black pants and the buttons on his white dress shirt yet another time.”She likes to drop in unexpectedly for a visit.”

Devon had taken his que from Ajay and had dressed conservatively, muted blue sweater, buttoned down white shirt, and pale cream pants. He had braided his hair tightly down his back, and was wearing a minimal amount of jewelry. It was still far more than most men wore, though.

Devon and Ajay were both trying to see themselves in the bedroom dresser mirror. Devon looked aside at ajay and had to ask, “You look like you're going to meet a firing squad and you want to make a good impression.”

Ajay made a visible effort to relax. “She can be... difficult,” he admitted.

“Difficult,” Devon repeated and smiled. “I doubt that she can be as difficult as anyone in my family.”

Ajay frowned. “We aren't a perfect family,” he replied. “We have our...well... problems, just like everyone else.”

“How is she a problem?” Devon wondered, beginning to feel nervous now.

“I don't want to prejudice your opinion,” Ajay replied. “I'll let you discover the facts of the matter.”

“This isn't a case, Ajay, this is family.”

“She might not want to be family,” Ajay admitted.

Devon felt his mouth go dry. “Oh, it's like that. She doesn't know about you, about us?”

“No,” Ajay replied as he reached out, slid a hand around Devon's waist and pulled the smaller man close. “When you meet her you'll forgive ma for not telling her. She can be very cutting in her opinions... and loud.”

“Do I get examples?” Devon wondered.

“If I give them, you may not want to go,” Ajay sighed as he kissed the top of Devon's golden head.

Devon turned and sat on the edge of the dresser, hooking fingers into the belt loops of Ajay's pants. “If I'm not prepared I might not react well.”

Ajay chewed on his lip, thoughtfully, and then decided to tell him, “She often points out that I'm adopted, that my parents were foolish to take in a child when they hadn't known anything about my real parents. She usually says this when I've done something disappointing. She had a great deal to say when I left the police force.”

Devon's mouth opened in shock and anger was in his blue eyes. It made Ajay feel good to see Devon obviously ready to be outraged on his behalf. Devon finally said, “Then I don't see why we should visit. If she's only here for one day, it won't be a problem avoiding her.”

“Kavanaghs don't run,” Ajay intoned and smiled at Devon's annoyed frown. “We especially don't run away from family. Aunt Lizzie will always be Aunt Lizzie. She wouldn't visit if she didn't enjoy it. She just finds it difficult to show it.”

“That sounds like your mother,” Devon snorted.

“It was, and it's good advice,” Ajay replied as he checked his tie again. “Personally, I think that she does care about everyone, she just has a bad way of expressing her opinions.”

“Like questioning the quality of your parentage?” Devon wondered and sounded angry again.

“She expects me to rise above it and do well,” Ajay said thoughtfully.”She cares about my future.”

“You always see the better side of people,” Devon pointed out as he patted on a cologne. “I'm not like that. I may have a few choice words for Aunt Lizzie.”

later that night, they returned home, tossed their coats and sweaters aside, and pulled open restricting buttons and ties as they both sat on the couch. They were very quiet for several moments and then Devon admitted, “She scared me.”

“Aunt Lizzie has that effect on people,” Ajay sighed and pulled Devon against him. “I was impressed by how quickly you recovered.”

“I don't remember much after she pulled out that art book, flipped to the page where I was photographed covered in cake, and eating a red cherry, and backed me up into a corner, demanding that I sign the page for her.”

“Aunt Lizzie, a fan of yours,” Ajay said in soft disbelief.

Devon seemed lost in the memory, maybe replaying it, and trying to figure out whether he was dreaming, or not.

“She was impressed by me,” Ajay said as if relishing the moment. “For the first time in my life, Aunt Lizzie approved of something that I had accomplished.”

“Becoming my life partner,” Devon remembered. “She really looked at me as if I was a rock stars, a famous man, that her nephew-”

“She didn't even say, foster nephew, this time,” Ajay remembered with pleasure. “She was that happy that I had chosen to be with someone of your caliber.”

Devon looked at Ajay in concern, “You don't mind? That could be a criticism of you as well.”

Ajay leaned to kiss Devon deeply and then, looking into his blue eyes, he said, “Being with you is one of my greatest accomplishments. She didn't need to tell me that.”

They were quiet again, just enjoying each other and then Devon had a thought. He grimaced.

“What's wrong?” Ajay asked in concern.

“Well,” Devon struggled over the wording, but then just came out and said, “You don't think that she was looking at my picture because of the artistic composition, do you? I mean, I'm not sure that I want to imagine a gray haired, older woman, with horned rimmed glasses and a flowered hat, staring at me and, well....”

“She is my aunt Lizzie,” Ajay replied, feeling disturbed as well. “Perhaps we should just forget that tonight happened?”

“I'm almost sure it's some sort of nightmare, anyway,” Devon replied approvingly. “The kind of nightmare where you find yourself naked in school or, wait, that's not helping....”

“No, it's not,” Ajay sighed and levered himself off of the couch. He headed for the bedroom.

“I hope that you don't mind if we don't do anything sexual in the next few days?” Devon asked nervously. “I need to get her out of my thoughts.”

“That's your decision,” Ajay called back from the bedroom. “I'm showering.”

Devon heard the shower go on and imagined Ajay under the spray of hot water, soaping up his hard muscles, and shaking that head of dark hair so that droplets went everywhere. When he thought of a big hand, reaching down to wash a hard on, Devon was off of the couch and pulling off his own clothes. Ajay definitely needed company to help him... wash. Even the discomfort of imaging an older woman, an older relative, ogling his photo, couldn't keep him from wanting the man that he loved.