Sometimes you have to travel across the country

to mend a broken heart.

When Reed first hears about the new reality

series that will be featured on the biggest LGBTQ
network, he knows it will be the answer to all his
problems. Not only does it seem tailored made for
his survivalist skills, but the prize money will help
him finally open the business of his dreams. Dreams
and reality are often very different, a fact he finds
out when his partner will be none other than Baxter,
the only man Reed ever loved. Baxter was also the
only one who broke Reed’s heart.

As the pair race other teams across the country,

they face many adventures and obstacles. The
biggest challenge will be whether or not they can
stop fighting long enough to reach the finish line.
Will they fail, just like before, or will they end up
winning much more than a measly check?

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of
this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright
infringement,

including

infringement

without

monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is
punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a
fine of $250,000.

Please purchase only authorized electronic editions,
and do not participate in or encourage the electronic
piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the
author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents either are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.

Latitude 45

Copyright © 2012 Stephani Hecht and Jackie Nacht

ISBN: 978-1-77111-253-6

Cover art by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the
reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in
part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden
without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books

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Latitude 45

Season One

By

Stephani Hecht and Jackie Nacht

1

Chapter One

ever trust anybody. That was the first rule in
showbiz. Or at least Reed though it was. He

actually couldn’t be certain since before recently the
closest he’d ever gotten to Hollywood was his fifth
grade field trip to LA. Even then he hadn’t seen much
since he’d caught the flu and spent most of the time in
his crappy hotel room.

Reed knew that rule had to have come from

somewhere. More so, he knew he should have listened
to it. Then again, nobody had ever accused him of being
a shrewd businessman any more than they had of being
smart enough to know when to run for the hills when
everything went from FUBAR to a full-blown cluster
fuck.

As he pulled up to the large field, he tried hard to

ignore all the warning bells and whistles going off in
his head. Letting out a deep breath, he told himself that
everything appeared normal. Or at least he assumed it
did. He’d never been on the set of any TV show, let
alone a reality one, so he really didn’t know what to
expect.

After showing the guard his ID, Reed parked his

ancient VW Bug and paused a moment to take in
everything. The field itself was nothing special, just an

N

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

2

overgrown patch of grass and weeds surrounded by a
ragged, chain-link fence. There were some battered,
wood stadium seats off to one side, showing that the
area was once used as a baseball field.

The field was anything but normal or boring, at least

not anymore. There were huge, tall lights situated at all
corners, with wattage so high that the darkness
appeared to be mid-day, despite the fact that it was
nearly midnight. People ran all over the place. Some of
the crew wore headsets, while others carried clipboards.
More of them manned the numerous cameras situated
about the area.

Just outside the fence, on the opposite end of the

parking lot, lay a row of trailers. In front of them a
small group of people congregated. Since they all
looked as confused as him, Reed assumed they must be
the other poor saps who’d foolishly agree to be part of
this so-called show.

“What in the hell am I getting myself into,” he

whispered to himself.

Hoisting up his heavy, hiking pack, he made his way

over to the group. Along the way, he listed the many
reasons why he’d signed up to be on the show.

“I need the damn prize money. My rent is due and

my work van is about to be repo’d for the fifth time.
My cat is sick of living on generic crap food and is
biting me every time I feed it. I’m tired of buying my
underwear at the Dollar Store.”

By the time he reached the group, he almost felt

better about his decision. That was until he got a good
gander at the sour looks on their mugs. He did a quick
headcount and came to the total of ten. Not one of them

Latitude 45

3

seemed happy to see him.

“Where’s your partner?” an older man sneered.
Since the man had an elderly partner with him, Reed

instantly dubbed them Waldorf and Statler, after the
two cranky Muppets. Sure the real-life version might
not be wearing suits, but these two much worse. What
kind of couples wore matching outfits, much less
khakis and peach-colored Polo shirts? Reed didn’t
know whether to shake their hands or ask when the next
tee-time was.

“What do you mean? I don’t have a partner,” Reed

hedged.

The rest of the contestants exchanged curious looks

and twitters. Before he could press the issue, a producer
came over and ordered them to stand in the middle of
the field.

As they were carefully spaced a few feet apart in a

semi-circle, it became more obvious that Reed was the
only one without a partner. Nervous over the new
development, he tried to ask several times what was
going on. When his questions were met with silence,
unease over this complication shot up to a new level.

Fuck a duck sideways and upside down. He hated

surprises and he had a sneaking suspicion he was in for
a doozy.

Another contestant, a guy around his age, gave him

an are-you-mental glare. It was only then that Reed
realized he’d been humming, One is the Loneliest
Number.

Reed’s face grew warm and he apologized, only to

find himself humming, Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
The kid’s partner, a girl who looked like a live version

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

4

of Sailor Moon glared at him.

“Do you mind?” she snapped.
Reed gave her a onceover. With long, bleach blonde

hair that was pulled into pigtails and an outfit that
consisted of a bright pink t-shirt and shorts, she was
actually questioning his sanity? It didn’t help her case
that her partner had on all blue.

“What is it with you guys? I haven’t seen this many

matching outfits since I accidently went to Cedar Point
on Twins Day.”

It was true, too. Aside from him, they all wore

outfits that looked the same. A pair he was pretty sure
were lesbians had on what could have passed for Roller
Derby wear and the Young Republicans were dressed in
Abercrombie. Those two had to be the worst. Not only
their clothing not fit for the challenges they’d be facing,
but whoever heard of gay Republicans? It was almost
as unreal as a Kardashian earning a master’s degree.

Reed knew his thoughts were overly snarky, but he

couldn’t help himself. Ever since he agreed to be on a
reality show, he’d been a ball of nerves. Now that he
was actually there, getting ready to start, he was about
to jump out of his skin.

The host of the show came out and stood in front of

them. Reed vaguely recognized the guy. If memory
served, he’d been a secondary character on some soap
opera that’d been cancelled a year ago.

Despite his anxiety, Reed had to admit the guy was

hot as hell, in the whole rich, put-together kind of way.
With short blond hair that was swept to the side,
perfectly tanned skin and piercing blue eyes, he could
almost pass for a young Paul Newman.

Latitude 45

5

That was until he opened his mouth to reveal a voice

as soothing as a babbling brook. Despite his bad mood,
Reed found himself instantly attracted to the guy. No
wonder he decided to go into show business.

Giving them all a million-dollar smile, the man

asked, “Are we all ready to start?”

While the rest of the contestants gave a hearty course

of heck, yeahs, Reed raised his hand. A heat came over
his face as he realized the gesture was very junior high,
but he couldn’t think of a better way to get some
attention his way.

When the host nodded at him, Reed cleared his

throat. “Was I supposed to bring a partner with me? I
never saw that requirement in the mounds of paperwork
you sent my way.”

That wasn’t an over-exaggeration, either. There had

been so much of it that his printer nearly overheated.
Although to be fair, the thing was so old it probably had
a walking pterodactyl running it.

The host gave a smile that was all Hollywood charm,

but not one bit convincing. “Who says you don’t have a
partner?”

More confused than ever, Reed darted a quick glance

around the clearing. As if his unknown partner might be
lurking behind a clump of weeds or something.

“But, there—” Reed was cut off when the host held

up a hand.

At the same time one of the crew shouted, “We’re

ready to go live in three…two…”

After a couple more beats, the crewmember twirled

his finger in a circle and then pointed it at the host. The
action had more effect than a gunshot. Straightening up,

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

6

the host began to talk to the camera.

“Welcome to the first ever Latitude 45 race. My

name is Ted Mason and I’ll be your host for this
exciting and groundbreaking competition. Over the next
few weeks, six teams will be competing in a race across
America. Each night we will be bringing you updates
while also showing you some events as they happen
live. Along the way, contestants will be competing in a
series of challenges, as they are pushed to their limits
and beyond them. The race will be grueling and at
times they may want to quit. But they won’t because
they will be competing for a huge reward. The first
team to complete this journey will win the grand prize
of one million dollars.”

All the contestants but Reed broke out in applause.

Not that he wasn’t excited about the idea of winning
that cash, but he still worried about the whole I-don’t-
have-a-partner issue.

“That’s not all that sets this race apart from the

others, though. This contest is only for LGBT
individuals and their close allies. Never before has any
network dared to do something like this.”

Personally, Reed could think of a couple of reality

show contests that met those criteria, but for once he
managed to keep his yap shut. Only because he wanted
to hear what else good ol’ Ted might have to say.

One of the other racers, a young girl that wore a shirt

that read Yes, I am and no, you can’t watch raised her
hand. “Uh, not to be rude, but what about the other
reality shows on your network? They don’t count?”

Her partner, who looked just as young, nodded in

agreement. They both had the cute-as-a-button thing

Latitude 45

7

down pat from their matching rainbow knee socks to
their pixie haircuts. They even wore red bows, the color
sharp against their brown hair. The only difference
between the two was one had blue eyes, while the other
sported big, brown peepers. Oh, and brown eyes
happened to be several inches taller. Reed found
himself already liking them.

Ted, on the other hand, seemed less impressed. He

shot them a murderous glare. “Don’t interrupt me
during a monologue.”

Blue-eyes had been the one who’d asked the

question. Her lips pursed together in anger before she
turned to her partner and mouthed, What an ass.

Reed found himself nodding in agreement. Blue-

eyes caught the gesture and flashed him a grin that
Reed returned. He knew then that he’d found his first
allies in the race.

Ted let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “As I was saying

before, let’s introduce the teams!”

He gestured to Waldorf and Statler. “We have Frank

and Paul, airline pilots who have been together for
twenty years.”

Next he motioned to the Sailor Moon and her buddy.

“Next are Jenny and Tommy. Best friends since first
grade, Jenny helped Tommy come out to his family.”

Okay, maybe blondie wasn’t so bad after all.

Although, she still needed to lose the pigtails.

Ted waved toward another man and woman. They

were dressed in identical Sharon Needles shirts. At least
they appeared to be actual twins, so the matching outfits
made more sense in their case. They even had the same
raven hair and sharp blue eyes. The only difference was

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

8

the female’s hair was a bit longer, reaching her
shoulders. “Meet Lana and Craig. Although they were
born brothers, Lana always knew that she was really
female. Craig helped his sister through her transition
and supported her in every way.”

Reed applauded hard for them. Since his own family

was less than supportive, he found himself respecting
Craig.

Next up were the young Republicans. “Welcome

Aiden and Cliff, stockbrokers who are members of the
Go Proud organization.”

“Shocker!” Reed drawled sarcastically.
That earned him glares from the Go Proud Ken dolls

and Ted.

Ted then waved at the girl who’d dared to interrupt

him earlier. “Say hello to Becky and Jo, professional
roller derby players who have been dating for a year.”

Becky glared at Ted, obviously still stinging from

her earlier dressing down.

Then Reed found himself the center of attention as

every person in the field turned to look at him. A cold
sweat broke out over his body as his mouth grew dry.
Giving a nervous wave, he said, “I’m Reed. Sad, lonely
Reed. The guy that nobody wants to play with. The one
who’s always picked last for dodge ball teams.”

“Do you ever let up with the smartass remarks?”

Cliff asked with a flip of his blond bangs.

Reed shrugged. “No, I’m afraid they’re pretty much

part of the package as far as I’m concerned. I even won
a trophy for my gift of gab.”

“You won it for a spelling bee and it was only

second place,” a familiar voice called.

Latitude 45

9

For the first time in ages, Reed found himself

speechless. A cold pit formed in his gut and he even
forgot how to breathe for a few moments. All the while,
his mind screamed, No! No! No! Is this some kind of
sick joke!

But it wasn’t a joke. It was real and it was happening

to his lame ass. Reed looked up to confirm that his
worst nightmare was actually standing a few feet in
front of him, even though he already knew that it was
true.

Ted was so dead!
There in all his glory stood Baxter. The only man

that Reed ever loved and the only man who’d ever
broken his heart.

Anger surged through Reed as he turned to Ted.

“What in the hell is he doing here?”

Reed tried to ignore the way his question made

Baxter wince. He refused to feel bad for hurting the
jerk. Not after all the pain Baxter had caused him.

Ted had the gall to grin. “Meet your partner.”
Ah, hell no! Reed’s mouth opened and closed

several times as he shook his head. “What if I refuse?”

The host’s smile grew cold. “You signed a contract,

remember? Failure to follow our rules will disqualify
you from the race.”

“So, in other words you have me by the short and

curlies and you have no intentions of letting go,” Reed
snapped as he balled his hands up into fists.

Jo laughed at his comment while Ted’s eyes

narrowed dangerously. “That’s a crude way of putting
it, but yes.”

Looking over at the cameramen filming the scene

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

10

unraveling, he was sure that the producer was going to
have to make major edits to this abysmal introduction.

Reed glanced over at Baxter. Damn it, but the

bastard had somehow managed to grow even better
looking since they’d last seen each other. He now wore
his dark hair longer in the front, so it appeared more
stylish instead of conservative. He’d even ditched his
high-end clothes for jeans and a t-shirt. Reed hated to
admit it, but the clothes looked damn good on Baxter.
They accented his muscles perfectly, the blue shirt
setting off his eyes.

Baxter gave him a timid smile. “How about it? I

know you need the money so you can open that outdoor
adventure company you always dreamed about. Let me
help you make that a possibility.”

Reed wanted to shout that he didn’t need Baxter or

his help. Reed had made it just fine on his own this
long. But the lure of the money proved to be too strong.
Baxter was right—with that cash, Reed could finally
make his dream come true.

“Fine,” Reed grumbled. “I guess I can put up with

you long enough to win this damn thing.”

When Baxter gave a full-out smile, Reed’s heart

thundered in response. He told his body to calm the
fuck down. There was no way anything romantic would
happen between him and Baxter. Reed had gone down
that road once before and he had the broken heart to
prove it.

* * * *

Private Confessional Interview with contestant Reed.

Latitude 45

11

Reed glanced up at the camera, his brown eyes

bright with anger. Even his brown hair, sticking up in
several places from running his hands through it,
displayed his level of frustration.

“So, Reed, tell us. How did it feel to see Baxter?”

the producer asked.

While the producer had been in the business several

years, he’d never seen a person so upset. It looked like
Reed was about to explode. A tiny vein was even
throbbing at his temple. For the first time, the producer
questioned their choice to throw such a twist at Reed.

Reed shot the camera a dirty look. His aggressive

attitude in direct contrast to his t-shirt that had the
words, Love Conquers Hate stitched across the front.
“How do you think it made me feel? I hate the guy and
now I’m going to be stuck with him while we travel
across the frigging country.”

“You didn’t always hate him. Our sources say that

you two were even planning on getting married at one
point.”

Reed glanced down and mumbled, “That just shows

how stupid with love we were. Everybody knows that
Michigan doesn’t allow same-sex marriages.”

“You’re willing to admit that you did love him at

one point?”

“I’m not willing to admit shit. There were a lot of

things I felt for Baxter, but none of them were love,”
Reed snapped.

“But you just said that you were stupid with love,”

the produced reminded.

“Fuck this. I may have to do this game because of

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

12

the damn contract, but my personal feelings are still my
own. You don’t get them, too.”

With that Reed tore off the lapel mic, stood up and

left the room.

Latitude 45

13

Chapter Two

axter could not believe how good Reed looked.
He almost asked the producer for a paper bag to

breathe into so he wouldn’t hyperventilate. That was
how panicked he’d felt when he saw Reed’s piece of
shit bug pull up in the lot where the show was about to
begin.

Keep calm, don’t throw up on national television,

this is going to work out, was the mantra he kept
repeating to himself. However, his mind was working
overtime at second guessing himself for manipulating
Reed to be his partner on the show. When he called, the
producers had eaten up his story like Augustus Gloop
ate from the chocolate river in the Willy Wonka movie.

Had Baxter been an ass by pulling such a deceptive

stunt? Yep, he was willing to admit it. However, he was
also willing to do whatever to get Reed back into his
life, even if Baxter had to get his OCD ass dirty—
wilderness style.

There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t regret

his past decisions for losing Reed. This was Baxter’s
last chance to get his former lover back and he was
going to go all out. He needed to prove to Reed that he

B

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

14

accepted him for who he was and this was the perfect
way to do it. This was Reed’s element and Baxter was
going to immerse himself in it to make sure Reed won,
so he could have his dreams come true.

The first thing Baxter noticed as he approached were

Reed’s brown eyes shining with so much anger that
Baxter thought he might reduce to cinders on the spot.
While it hurt, Baxter knew he deserved that and so
much more.

Trying to be inconspicuous, Baxter did the full up

and down on Reed. He had a nice golden tan but too
much of it was covered by a worn out pair of cargo
shorts and an old t-shirt saying, Love Conquers Hate.
His dark hair was a complete mess from him running
his fingers through it in aggravation. Apparently,
Baxter still had the touch of frustrating Reed until he
wanted to pull all his hair out.

Ted walked over to all the teams. Baxter was having

a hard time not laughing. The guy had so much stage
make-up on that it was going to take a pickaxe to get it
off at the end of the night. “You’ve all read the rules
before coming here but for the sake of our viewers, I’d
like to go over a few of the basics. A vehicle will be
provided for you after the first challenge. That vehicle
will be yours for the remainder of the race, so take good
care of it. Some challenges may only need one team
member to participate, while some may require both of
you to work together. If you have a run in with the law
for speeding or breaking any other traffic laws, your
team will be docked five hours, ticket or no ticket.”

Most of the contestants were nodding while Reed

just stood there, gritting his teeth. Becky was shaking

Latitude 45

15

her head and whispering to Jo, So, flashing your boobs
to the cops won’t help. Jo laughed loudly and tried to
cover it up with a cough. Ted gave them another
vicious stare before continuing.

“At this time I need you to pick the person who will

go through the first challenge to get the keys to your
team vehicle.”

Before Reed could say anything, Baxter shouted,

“I’ll do it!”

Baxter thought this could be his first step in showing

how willing he was to give it his all.

Reed looked over at him exasperatedly, “Do what?

You can’t even do your own laundry. You have it
serviced out.”

“By the way, I have a pair a socks and a few of your

t-shirts that you snuck into my laundry a year ago.”
Baxter gave him his best shit-eating grin, knowing it
would get Reed riled up.

“You bastard! Look…” Reed blushed looking over

at the camera.

Everyone was staring at them, so Baxter realized it

was time to put an end to the discussion that was hitting
far too close to home. “Trust me I’ll take the first
challenge, get a great car for us while you sit here and
simmer down a little.”

If looks could kill, Baxter would be a dead man. He

quickly jogged over to the five other contestants who
were waiting to begin. Derby girl Jo gave him a little
wave while Go Proud Aiden stood stoic, waiting for
further instruction. Baxter recognized that stance and
loathed it. There were countless hours where he stood
like that in front of his father’s desk, being told what a

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

16

disappointment he was because he wouldn’t use his
personal life to close a merger for business.

Lana stood next to Frank, biting her bright red nails.

Frank finally took her hands and jerked them down by
her sides.

“I can’t hear the instructions with all that racket!”

Frank shot Lana a scathing look.

Lana’s eyes widened before she whispered, “Sorry.”
Baxter took a couple steps closer until he was

shoulder to shoulder with Lana in order to give her a
little reassurance. Lana gave him a weak smile in
return. There was no way in hell he was going to see
other people treated poorly here, show or no show.

Ted interrupted them all, “Okay, everyone. Let’s get

over to the start line.”

Everyone followed much like a group of

kindergarteners walking single file on their way out to
recess. All that was missing was holding each other’s
hands. Funny how nerves often reduce people to
playing Follow the Leader.

Once they got to the starting line, Baxter noticed that

about a hundred yards off in the distance were six
brightly colored boxes sitting on a wooden fence. Most
of the contestants had a toe on the line like they were
Usain Bolt starting the hundred meter dash. Baxter just
shrugged, was two seconds really gonna make that
much of a difference when it came to going all the way
across the country?

Ted stood on a platform in front of them,

“Contestants, your clues will be in boxes that will
provide you a map to either your next challenge or
destination. Good luck to you all.”

Latitude 45

17

Looking over to the side where all the other

contestants were, Baxter zeroed in on Reed. Gone was
the anger in his eyes and what now lingered there
nearly broke Baxter’s heart. There was so much pain in
Reed’s eyes. Baxter could see all the times he had hurt
the man he loved in just the briefest glimpse. It was a
look he never wanted to see on Reed again. He was
going to do everything in his power to make sure that
Reed would be happy going forward.

Ted recaptured his attention when he yelled out on a

megaphone, “On your mark, get set, go!”

Baxter felt all his nerves and adrenaline hit him at

once. He took off as quick as his jean-clad legs could
carry him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that
Jo and Aiden were matching him stride for stride. The
other partners were cheering on their partners, Tommy
being the loudest cheering on his BFF, Jenny. He could
even hear the other grumpy old guy, Paul telling Frank
to get his ass moving.

The three of them made it to the boxes at the same

time. Baxter grabbed a bright green box and proceeded
to open it. The next thing he knew a loud bang went off
as a burst of air mixed with something else hit him in
the face. Baxter tried to figure it out, but was having
trouble since he was temporarily blinded.

“What the fuck!” His green eyes were watering

uncontrollably, trying to get the foreign objects out of
his eyes.

He could hear Jo scream, “Glitter bomb!”
Baxter could hear Aiden spitting next to him. He

could only assume that Aiden had taken their precious
package in the mouth. Frank was cackling halfway

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

18

across the field. Reed was laughing uncontrollably in
the distance.

Rummaging through the box he found a map of the

field they were in with a note that said, This little piggy
went to the market, this little piggy had roast beef, and
this little piggy had the keys for you to go wee wee wee
all the way across the country. Wow, clues didn’t get
any more lame than that. Underneath it was a map to
their next destination after they retrieved the keys.

Aidan and Jo took off and Baxter followed them

closely behind, noticing his map must have matched
theirs. They ran for about a quarter mile when they
came upon a mobile petting zoo full of tiny little
piglets. They had adorable rainbow colored collars with
jingling keys dangling from them.

The enclosed pen that housed the pigs was covered

in mud, hay and from the smell of it, shit. Baxter knew
he was going to have to get dirty if he was going to
enter a wilderness competition, but couldn’t they have
started him off with something a little less disgusting.
He was kind of hoping for a challenge where he had to
do a hide and seek for his keys. He’d thought worst
case would be pulling up a rock or two and eureka.

Jo immediately jumped in while Aiden proceeded to

take his shoes and socks off. Baxter followed Aiden.
While he wanted to get a head start on everyone, he
didn’t want to offend his partner all the way across
America with his only pair of shoes covered in pig
dung.

After rolling up his jeans, Baxter jumped into the

pen. Nothing could have felt grosser than feeling the
mud ooze between his toes. For sure he was going to

Latitude 45

19

have nightmares about this for the rest of his life, he
shuddered. Or maybe this was just what the doctor
ordered. Every day, people got over their fears by
facing them. Maybe his next challenge would be to pick
up two clown hitchhikers with one’s face in a perma-
grin and the other’s sad.

The trick here was to get in and get out as quickly as

possible. By now, most of the contestants had entered
the pen. Their partners surrounded it by standing on the
first wooden rung to encourage them. Reed—the ass—
knowing how hard this was on Baxter, was bent over
laughing, with tears running down his cheeks.

Jo was running circles around him, chasing a tiny

little piglet. She was laughing and having the time of
her life. These little guys were slippery as hell. Baxter
couldn’t seem to get a grip on one of the muddy little
oinkers.

Frank was the last to arrive. He slowly climbed his

way over and scowled at the closest little piglet.
Crooking his finger, the little piglet came to him slowly
with eyes huge, all but giving him the damn keys.
Every person stopped their chase in total amazement.
Did piglets sense evil?

Frank bent over, grabbed the keys, “Now let’s get

the hell out of here.”

As Frank slowly climbed out, everyone still stared,

slack-jawed, as he and his partner climbed into a brand
new convertible sports car and drove off.

The sound of the car spitting gravel prodded

everyone back into action. Everyone seemed to be
getting a set of keys. Even all muddy, Jo hugged Becky
before they jumped into an SUV. Aiden took a moment

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

20

to hose off while Cliff stowed the packs in a luxury
vehicle. Figures they get that car. Tommy snagged a
compact car for him and his best friend.

Finally, all that remained were Lana and Baxter. She

didn’t look any happier to be in the pigpen than he did.
Looking at the rail, Baxter saw Reed was getting
impatient, even going so far as to give him the hurry up
signal with his hands.

It took another five minutes before Baxter caught his

piglet. He carefully removed the keys only to groan. He
knew this type of key, had seen it many times in his
dorm room. Jumping out of the fence, he silently
handed Reed the keys.

“You let Waldorf and Statler beat you?” Reed

accused.

Now that Baxter thought about it, the two older men

were the spitting image of the two puppets, right down
to the way they laughed.

“Did you see the way he stared at that piglet? That

little guy knew if he didn’t hand over the keys, Waldorf
was going to order him up next to the hash browns and
eggs come morning,” Baxter grabbed a hose and began
hosing down.

“You need to hurry up. We’re losing ground,” Reed

stood over him like that was going to make the smell
come off him any faster.

When Baxter reached over to his PocketBac Holder

to squirt out a generous amount onto his hand, Reed
ripped it off his pack and threw it away, “Come on, we
really don’t have time for that. Get a shower when we
hit our first break.”

What an asshole. Baxter couldn’t believe how mean

Latitude 45

21

he was being. Reed knew Baxter had problems with
cleanliness, he just didn’t know how severe it had
become in the year apart. Was the old Reed lost to him?

Baxter and Reed made their way over to an ancient

VW Beetle. It was the exact make and model of Reed’s
except this one was brown, like the shit he had just
mucked through.

Reed began loading his pack in the trunk, “What?

This car is a classic.”

Pulling Wet Ones out of his pack, Baxter mumbled,

“It isn’t that.”

Reed lifted his arms up in exasperation, “Then what

is it? You always had an issue with my Bug. You never
wanted to be seen in it.”

He Gulped. “Serial killers drive these cars.”
Walking over, Reed grabbed a Wet One out of his

hand and began wiping smudges off his face.

“Do I look like a serial killer to you?” Reed sighed.
“Why did you have to have a yellow one?” Baxter

shoved his pack into the backseat since his didn’t fit
into the trunk.

Reed looked at him over the tiny hood with sad eyes

before ducking into the car.

* * * *

Private Confessional Interview with contestant Baxter.

“So how did it feel to see Reed after such a long

time?” the producer asked.

“It was,” Baxter rubbed his brown glittery hair,

“really good. I miss coming home and seeing his face.

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

22

He looked really good, didn’t he?”

Smiling, the producer said, “Yes, he looked pretty

good. Do you think you made any headway in possibly
getting back together?”

Baxter bent over and rested his elbows on his knees

while he blew out a breath, “Have you ever heard the
quote, One step at a time. And so the most arduous
journey is completed?”

The producer shook his head. “Okay, explain.”
Baxter looked up with bloodshot eyes and glitter

stuck all over his face, “It means that Reed is not one to
forgive lightly, you might want to get some hot coals
for me to run through on one of the challenges. Better
yet, just get everyone to take a shot at me like that
hysterical lady on Airplane. I’m going to have to go
through hell to get him back and I deserve every bit of
it.”

The producer looked at him thoughtfully, “Did Reed

ever stop to ask you why you were always so guarded,
had OCD, and was worse after a visit with your
father?”

Baxter got up, ripping the tiny mic off his t-shirt. He

pointed at the producer angrily, “Nothing was Reed’s
fault. I was the problem, not him. He’s the best thing
that ever came into my life and I screwed it up.”

The producer looked at him innocently, “So, I take it

he never asked.”

Baxter walked out, slamming the door hard behind

him, the following silence so ominous that it took the
producer several moments to compose himself.

Latitude 45

23

Chapter Three

eed rubbed his hands together in glee as he stared
at the Bug that would be their ride for the duration

of the trip. While he knew Baxter hated the things, there
was no other car that Reed liked better. Okay, so maybe
a serial killer or three had used them, but Reed found
the cars to be dependable, plus it was always easy to
find a parking spot because they were so small.

He and Baxter climbed into the front as a

cameraman got into the back. The guy was painfully
thin, but he had to be well over six-foot five. Reed
wondered how the guy was going to fit in the tiny car,
let alone the backseat. He deliberated if he should give
up the front seat and save the poor sap a few pulled
muscles. While Reed usually got car sick if he sat in the
back, he still would be a lot more comfortable than the
crewmember. Reed turned to offer up just that, but the
cameraman shook his head.

“You’re not supposed to look directly at me,” the

guy ordered.

A sheen of sweat had built up over the man’s brow,

making his dark hair stick to his skin, so Reed cranked
up the air to give him some relief. He then turned and

R

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

24

glared right into the camera lens. Call him a stinker, but
he liked to be a rebel from time-to-time.

“Why? Will I turn to stone if I do?” Reed quipped.
The cameraman gave a nervous smile. Or at least

Reed thought he did. It was kind of hard to make out
much since the guy’s face was hidden behind his
equipment. “No, but it will take away from the
authenticity of the show. We want to make sure we
look as professional as possible.”

Baxter cleared his throat, then cocked a brow, the

move so familiar that it tugged at Reed’s chest.
Emotions nearly overwhelmed Reed and he had to close
his eyes for a moment, so he could get himself together.
Remember, he left you. You can want him all you want,
that doesn’t mean he’ll ever return the gesture. If
anything, he’ll just throw it all back in your face like
the last time.

“Yes, because we wouldn’t want to neglect the

standards that we already set with the pigs,” Baxter
drawled in that cute, yet annoying way of his.

Reed bit back a laugh, before he said, “Fine, I

promise not to stare at you or your precious camera, but
you have to at least tell us your name. The last time I
had a guy in the backseat of my car and I didn’t get that
basic information, he didn’t have the decency to call the
next day after getting a blowjob from me.”

It gave him a bit of satisfaction to see a flash of

jealousy pass through Baxter’s brown eyes. Ha! See,
I’m so totally over you, buck-o! Honest…I am. It didn’t
matter that it happened his senior year in high school
before he met Baxter.

The cameraman finally moved his face, but only so

Latitude 45

25

he could gape at Reed. The crewmember’s cheeks
turned ten different shades of red before he stammered,
“Did…you…really?”

Reed shot Baxter an evil grin. “Oops. I think I

already broke him. Ted is going to be so pissed.”

“My name is Angel.”
“Not a word,” Baxter cut in quickly. He even

pointed a finger in Reed’s direction.

Reed threw on his most innocent expression while

pulling the car out of the parking lot. “I wasn’t going to
say anything.”

“Please, like you would let an opportunity like that

ever slip away.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Reed

even added a few coy bats of his eyelashes.

“Are you kidding me? He tells you his name is

Angel and you’re not going to fire off a million jokes or
bad puns?”

Reed pointed a who-me finger at his own chest. “I

would never do anything like that. Besides, what could
I possibly make up? Angel is a perfectly good name.”

Baxter rolled his eyes. “So, you mean to tell me that

you’re not going to say, Baby, if you ever get sick of
being an Angel just call me. I can bring the devil out in
anybody.”

“No way would I ever use that line.”
“Riiiiight, just like you wouldn’t say, Hey sweetie,

why don’t you let me help you tarnish that halo?”

“Now you’re just being plain insulting.”
“Hi, Angel. My name is Reed, but my nickname is

incubus. I think we were fated to be together.”

“Is it me or the Situation you’re supposed to

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

26

mocking,” Reed snapped.

He didn’t use lines that cheesy. At least not for a

while. He’d grown up some in the past year. Sure he
might still be a smartass, but he now did it with style.
One could almost say he had it down to a fine art.

“First off, I don’t even know who the Situation is—”
Reed snorted his disbelief. Despite what Baxter liked

to say to the contrary, Reed knew the guy was secretly
addicted to reality TV.

Baxter ignored him and kept talking, “Second, we

both know that you were going to say all those things
and more.”

“I wasn’t, honest!”
Baxter rolled his eyes. “Sure, you weren’t, and I’m

Mother Teresa.”

“You look pretty good for a dead, holy woman.”

Reed gave the other guy a teasing onceover.

In truth, Baxter did look good. Too good for Reed’s

own good. All he could think of was how nice it had
been to wake up every morning in Baxter’s arms. Since
Reed had always been the first to rise, he’d allowed
himself the pleasure of watching Baxter sleep. It was a
daily ritual that, while sappy, Reed had loved. Until that
moment, he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it.

Almost on instinct, he found himself leaning closer,

in the hopes of drinking in Baxter’s scent. He used to
wear this cologne that Reed loved. After Baxter
dumped him, Reed even tried to buy it. He’d been so
upset to find that like everything else in Baxter’s life, it
was way too expensive for Reed’s meager income.

When his nose encountered the lingering stink of

pigs, Reed was reminded of how bad his short-term

Latitude 45

27

memory could be at times. Only he would actually try
to sniff somebody who’d just cuddled with a pen full of
oinkers.

Reed rolled his window down a crack, angling his

head up a bit so the fresh air blew by his nose. To say
that Baxter was a wee bit stinky would have been an
understatement. In fact, Reed’s eyes were beginning to
water and he found himself wishing that Baxter had his
usual, ever-handy bottle of air freshener.

The mean side of Reed wanted to tease his ex about

that fact. Baxter always had a mortal fear of germs, dirt
or anything that was less than one hundred percent
sterile. In other words, all the things Reed usually
wallowed in. So, it would have given him pleasure in
pointing out how much Baxter reeked like outdoors and
hard work.

He worried that if Baxter realized just how dirty he

was, the uptight man would have to pull off the road
and find the nearest, hot shower. Or, knowing Baxter, a
shower followed by a long soak in that anti-bacterial
junk he always insisted on keeping handy.

“So, where are we supposed to go?” Baxter asked.
When Reed just looked blankly at him, Baxter gave

an exasperated sound. “Are you going to look for our
next clue, or do you just want me to continue to drive
around aimlessly?”

A heat came over Reed’s face as he realized that for

a moment he’d nearly forgot that they were in a race.
Which just showed how much of an emotional mess he
was, considering the fact that Angel was recording their
every move.

“Right, the next clue,” he muttered. “They didn’t

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

28

have anything around or on the pigs?”

“Just keys and those ridiculous collars.”
“Well, they probably thought you were ridiculous,

too. Especially when you let an old, grumpy man beat
you.”

Baxter threw a hand up in the air. “I told you—”
“Yes, yes, the pig was scared of the big, bad, gray-

haired dude. I heard you the first time you used that sad
excuse.”

“Just find the damn clue and shut up.”
Reed turned back to the camera. “Do you see what I

have to put up with? No wonder we didn’t make it as a
couple.”

When Angel started to sputter, no doubt because

Reed had once again broken the no-looking rule, Reed
turned back around and shot a dirty look at Baxter.
“Fine, I’ll find the clue. But only because that puts me
one step closer to being away from you, this time
hopefully for good.”

As a brief look of pain flashed in Baxter’s eyes,

Reed didn’t take any satisfaction. If anything, he felt a
bit sorry for his comment. He knew that he should
apologize, but then he had an image of the day that door
closed behind Baxter for good. That only made Reed
more determined to never to make the same mistakes
again. And falling for Baxter once more would be a
huge one.

Reed glanced around the car, reaching under the

seats and then even pulling down the visor. He finally
found a rainbow envelope tucked into the glove box.
Opening it they both cringed as the song I Want Candy
filled the air.

Latitude 45

29

Baxter smiled. “I used to have the biggest crush on

Aaron Carter.”

“You and every other young, gay boy,” Reed

muttered, recalling the posters that used to adorn his
room.

“What do you think it means?” Baxter asked.
“Well, it has to be a place along Latitude 45 and I’m

guessing it has to do with candy. These clues are
anything but subtle.”

Reed found himself wishing for his iPhone, but since

they were forbidden to carry them during the race, he
might as well have been wishing for Sarah Palin to
support gay marriage. They fell into a contemplative
silence for several moments before Baxter got an ah-ha!
expression on his face. “There’s that famous candy
place that’s only a few hours from here.”

“What’s it called?”
“45th Parallel’s Candy World.”
Baxter seemed so proud of himself that Reed was

half-tempted to ask him if he wanted a cookie as a
reward. Or maybe just a good, yet nasty blowjob—just
for old time’s sake.

Reed shook that thought away. Since Baxter had

made it clear a year ago that he wanted no part of Reed,
the last thing he probably wanted was Reed to make
lewd suggestions.

“Do you know how to get there?” Reed asked.
Damn it. What he would give to have OnStar. While

the show had supplied them with a map, it was so
outdated that it had probably been made in the
seventies. He even checked the thing closer to see if
there were ads for Palmolive that screamed You’re

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

30

soaking in it!

Reed sighed, the fact that he even knew about that

ancient commercial showed that he spent way too many
nights staying in and watching Nick at Night. He really
needed to get a social life. Before it had been Baxter
who’d planned their evenings out, but ever since they’d
broken up, Reed had turned into a near social recluse.
The only times he ever had fun was when he was hiking
or rock climbing and, as much as he loved those
activities, he knew it wouldn’t help him meet anybody
new.

Baxter grinned. “Of course I know how to get there.

You know how I love sweets.”

Reed snorted. “I think the exact term I used to

describe you was candy whore.”

“It’s better than all that granola crap you eat. I used

to feel like a fucking horse or rabbit every time you
made breakfast.”

A snort of laughter sounded from the backseat.
“If we’re not allowed to look at you, then you can’t

laugh at Baxter’s piss-poor cut downs,” Reed sang.

“You’re just saying that because you know it’s true,”

Baxter accused.

Reed rolled his eyes. “Fine, candy is so much better

for the body than granola. I’ll make sure to send Dr. Oz
an email alerting him of that fact, since he built his
whole empire around the stuff I eat.”

A heavy silence filled the car, then Reed finally got

pissed off enough to ask the question that’d been
nagging him ever since he saw Baxter. “What in the
hell are you doing here anyway? It’s not like you need
the money and I sure as hell know that you don’t want

Latitude 45

31

to be around me.”

“Who ever said that?” Baxter challenged.
“You’re family pisses money, they’re so rich. A

million dollars is nothing to you.”

Yet, that same amount of cash had the power to

change Reed’s life around. It was like an analogy of
their relationship. If the irony wasn’t so painful, he
might have been tempted to laugh at it.

“No, I meant who said that I didn’t want be around

you?” Baxter corrected.

A flash of anger passed through Reed. How could

Baxter be so cold as to act like their painful breakup
was just a small blip in their lives? Especially since the
hurt was still so raw and fresh for Reed, even a year
later. He curled his fingers up into fists, but strove hard
to keep his face as free from emotions as possible. He’d
die before he gave Baxter the satisfaction of knowing
just how devastating his leaving had been.

“You did when you dumped me and went running

back to daddy,” Reed spat.

Oops! So, much for keeping his emotions in check.

Then again, Reed always did have the worst poker face.
Reed tightened his grip on the steering wheel and
directed his attention solely on the road. Reed thought
his last comment was going to be ignored.

Baxter spoke, “I have regretted doing that to you

every single day this past year. In fact, I would do
anything to take it back.”

How Reed wished he could believe that. He really,

really did. An ache even built up in his chest as a deep
longing filled him. But he couldn’t afford to allow
himself to go down that path again. He’d barely

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

32

managed to recover last time. He didn’t think he’d be
able to survive having his heart torn apart like that
again.

“You could have fooled me. It’s not like I changed

my cell phone or email address, so you could have
contacted me at any time,” Reed said.

“I was afraid that you’d hang up on me, or worse,

tell me how much you hated me.”

That confession almost broke through Reed’s

carefully erected shields. It was only by reminding
himself how final it had seemed when Baxter had shut
the door to their dorm room that Reed was able to
strengthen his resolve.

“Yeah, well that ship sailed and it’s never going to

turn back,” Reed said.

It may have been a crappy analogy, but it seemed to

get the message across. Baxter didn’t say anything
more, he just left Reed alone, to stare out the window
and think about better times.

* * * *

Private Confessional Interview with contestant Reed.

“So, how have things been going with Baxter?” the

producer asked.

Reed flashed the camera a look so scorching it could

have started a wildfire. “How do you think it’s going,
Gary? Things are just ducky. That is if the duck was a
sadistic bitch who enjoyed watching me suffer.”

“You’re not supposed to use my name during

confessionals.”

Latitude 45

33

“And I’m not supposed to look at Angel. Don’t you

guys realize that every time you make up a stupid rule,
I’m going to do everything I can to break it. What are
you going to do, throw me off the show? Go ahead, I
don’t care about the damn money anymore. I’ll find
another way to open my business.”

Sam nervously cleared his voice. “We couldn’t do

that even if we wanted to.”

Reed let out a sigh. “I know, I signed that damn

contract and now I’m your bitch.”

“It’s more than that. You do know that we air some

of the events live and the others are done during the
nightly telecast?”

“Yeah, I think I remember reading about that in the

mass of paperwork you guys sent me. So, what of it?”

“You and Baxter have already become quite

popular.”

Reed’s brows creased in confusion. “What? But

how?”

“Everybody enjoys a love story.”
“Baxter and I don’t have a love story. What we have

is a shared past that’s beyond fucked up,” Reed argued.

“Be that as it may, you are still the most popular

couple on the show. In fact, if you were to leave, we
think our ratings would take a serious blow.”

“Well, we couldn’t have that now, could we?” Reed

drawled.

“Are you being sarcastic?”
“Yes, but don’t worry. I won’t leave. I promised to

finish this race and I’m not going to bail on you. Unlike
others, I know how to stick by my commitments.”

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

34

Chapter Four

eeing the sign to the 45th Parallel Candy Store,
Baxter got out of the car with stiff legs. Looking

into the back seat, he could see he was the lucky one.
Angel looked like he might never be able to untangle all
his limbs, reminding him of a spider that had an
untimely encounter with a raid can. Recognizing a few
vehicles in the parking lot, they weren’t the first team to
arrive.

They opened the front door where a bell rung from

the top, signaling their arrival. There were huge wooden
barrels full of saltwater taffy that spread through the
entire store. Jenny was cheering on Tommy as he stood
in the middle of a bunch of empty black wax wrappers
around his feet. On the other side of the room Cliff was
digging into one of the barrels while Aiden was flirting
with their cameraman. Nice. In the middle of the room
laid a barrel with empty wrappers all around, but no
team. Someone had already finished and left to the new
destination.

Becky sat at the counter with her mouth covered in

fudge, while Jo rubbed her back in a soothing manner.
By her green complexion, she looked like she was

S

Latitude 45

35

going to blow chunks at any moment. If that happened,
Baxter was going to follow in her footsteps.

A lady came over to them holding one of those damn

boxes that indicated a challenge and the map to the next
destination. “Welcome to the 45th Parallel Candy Store,
here are your next instructions.”

Reed gave him the go-ahead gesture and Baxter

shook his head, “No thanks. You can get a bunch of
glitter in the face this time.”

“Seriously,” Reed grabbed the box and proceeded to

angle it away from his face as he opened the box.
Instead of a bunch of glitter spraying out this time, a
bunch of rainbow colored snakes shot across the room.

Reed looked over at him with raised eyebrows,

“Guess that would have sucked for you since you hate
snakes.”

Clearing his throat, Reed read, “Why was the tomato

blushing? Answer: Because she saw the salad dressing.
Okay…that was really bad. I think season two they may
need some new material.”

Obviously Reed had never had a piece of taffy

before, Baxter let out a sigh. “It’s a Laffy Taffy joke.
They are on every wrapper. Keep going.”

Shrugging, Reed continued on, “You must retrieve a

ticket for entrance to your next destination, a ferry that
will take you and your vehicle across the lake. Eat two
pounds of fudge or take a chance and eat the taffy. You
open until you find your ticket.”

“I’ll do it since you hate eating anything that would

destroy your precious temple,” Baxter said. So, Reed’s
comments in the car hurt in more ways than he could
ever know. There was no way Baxter was going to let

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

36

Reed eat candy when he hated it though.

“No, I got this one. I’m going to do my part in this

competition too. Now set your ass down over there and
let me get started,” Reed pointed over at the corner
where it was away from all the mess.

This was a whole new Reed that Baxter was seeing.

The man had encased himself in layers of anger and
hurt. Baxter was beginning to doubt he would ever get
past all the barriers Reed had erected around him.
Going over to the corner, Baxter leaned up against the
wall before he slid down to sit on the ground. Reed
walked over to the taffy barrel and began unwrapping
one piece at a time.

“This is pretty good actually. This isn’t going to be

so bad.” Those were Reed’s famous last words.

After ten minutes of Reed opening wrappers, Baxter

couldn’t help but laugh a little. There was a pattern that
Reed was developing. He would open a wrapper, look
into it, choose from a range of curse words, then
proceed to gag on the sticky candy.

“Motherfucker!” Reed shouted.
“Not going too well, sweetheart?” Baxter needled

him.

Becky was over at the counter reduced to tears,

trying to finish off her last bit of fudge. Team asshole
had left, trailing vomit in their wake. Craig and Lana
had just arrived. Craig took one look at Becky and how
the fudge challenge had made her a hot mess, then
made his way over to the taffy barrels. Baxter assumed
they must have gotten lost since they had left the pig
challenge before he and Reed.

Reed turned and gave him a scathing look. Well, it

Latitude 45

37

would have been scathing had it not been for all the
different color taffy juices running down his chin. “Shut
it,” he gummed out.

“I told you I would do it, Mr. Whole Foods. You had

to be stubborn and now you look like you might throw
up a candy rainbow. Bet the producer would love that,
actually,” Baxter poked back.

“This is no time to add your commentary, asshole,”

Reed gagged as he shoved another piece of taffy in.
“Fuck, how do people eat this shit?” Reed coughed.

Baxter looked over at the owner of the store after

Reed’s comment to see her laughing at his predicament.

Craig laughed into his barrel of taffy, mumbling, “I

concur.”

Baxter shrugged, “Well, usually they eat one piece at

a time. They don’t shove an entire barrel down their
throats. Even you said it wasn’t bad in the beginning.”

Reed looked back over at him with chipmunk cheeks

filled with taffy as he shoved another one in.

Baxter shook his head, “You have the worst luck.”
With his mouth full of taffy, Reed replied, “Tell me

about it. I dated you, didn’t I?”

Ouch, Baxter walked into that one. It hurt though,

badly. While things were rough at the end, Baxter
thought they had a great relationship. He loved Reed
and remembered all the amazing times that they had
together. Was there no hope of getting back there? One
step at a time.

Baxter got up from his sitting position and walked

over to the counter where they had several metal napkin
containers. He pulled out a few and proceeded to walk
behind the counter and wet a small stack of them.

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

38

Walking over to Reed, he gently took him by the chin,
and began wiping his face.

“What are you doing?” Reed tried to back away.
“I don’t want to sound mean, but you don’t look so

hot. I thought this might make you feel a little better.”
Baxter brushed the napkins across Reed’s forehead.

“I don’t think you’re allowed to do that.” Reed tried

to back away again.

“All the rules say is that I’m not allowed to help you

in the challenges. I’m not eating the taffy or
unwrapping them for you, therefore I’m not helping.
Are you okay?” Baxter whispered the last part.

Reed seemed to drop his shield for a moment when

he looked at him vulnerably, “I think I’m going to be
sick,” he whispered back.

“Just a couple more, I know you’re going to find that

ticket soon.” Baxter got behind Reed and began
massaging his shoulder as Reed opened up five more.
The sixth one had a tiny ticket inside.

Reed handed it to him with shaky fingers. Baxter

handed the ticket to the shop owner who proceeded to
hand him three tickets. Two were seats for the two of
them for the Ferry to cross Lake Michigan and the other
one was for the bug to have a spot on the vehicle deck.

“Thank you.” Baxter turned and put his arm around

Reed who was holding his middle and guided him out
the front door. He tucked Reed into the front seat and
took out one of his baggies from his pack. If Reed
needed to be sick, he could use this until he had a
chance to pull over. Poor Angel managed to tuck his
way into the backseat again.

The drive was only thirty minutes, but Baxter had to

Latitude 45

39

pull over three times while Reed emptied the contents
of his stomach. Each time Baxter jumped out with a
bottle of water and cloth to make sure Reed had
something to rinse his mouth and wipe his face.

Finally they arrived at the dock and saw all the

leaders’ cars already there waiting to get on the next
ferry. Somehow they’d managed to catch up. Baxter let
Reed rest in the car while he got out and walked up to
the sign that posted departure times. The next ferry
wasn’t leaving for another three hours. There was a
distinct possibility that everyone would be on the boat
crossing the lake together.

Baxter walked over to the ticket counter.
“How may I help you?” the ticket agent asked.
“I was wondering if it was possible to get a spot on

the vehicle deck where we would be the last to get on
but the first to get off?” Baxter was hoping none of the
other teams had done this yet.

“Yes, it looks like we can do that for you.” He

turned his computer around and showed that there was
a spot that allowed them to be the first ones to leave the
ferry.

“Thank you, can I reserve that spot?” Baxter asked,

handing over the vehicle registration and his license.

“Certainly.” The agent took his information and

began to process what Baxter hoped might give them a
leg up for the first time in the race.

* * * *

Private Confessional Interview with contestant Baxter.

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40

“So, you caught up with the leaders. How does that

feel?” the producer asked.

Baxter brushed his dark hair off his forehead. The

dock by the lake was pretty windy. “It feels pretty
good.”

“You seem preoccupied.”
“Ugh, yeah. Can we do this later? Reed’s not doing

so hot and I just want to go check on him. Maybe a
ginger ale would help settle Reed’s stomach. There was
a newsstand not that far away. Maybe I should go pick
up a couple cans for him.”

“That was pretty good the way you took care of him.

Your mom teach you that?” the producer prodded.

“No, my mom didn’t come near me when I was sick.

She confined me to my room while our cook would
come up and bring me my meals like I had the plague.
No, Reed taught me. We’d been dating six months
when I came down with the flu pretty bad. My
roommate at the time had class with Reed and let him
know I was sick when I didn’t show up for lecture. That
afternoon, he came over with ginger ale and noodle
soup. He stayed all night helping me through it. I had a
fever of 102 and he kept wiping my arms and head with
a cold cloth. When it reached 103.5, he filled the tub at
the end of the hall with ice water to help me break my
fever.”

“That was nice of him.”
“Actually, that’s just Reed. I fell in love with him

that night. I’m not even sure he remembers doing that
for me. Can I go now? I need to go check on him and
get some things before we leave the dock,” Baxter
brushed his hair back again while rising. He did need to

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get back to Reed with the ginger ale

“Sure.” The producer stood, wiping his eyes, as the

wind blew directly into them while he helped Baxter
take his microphone off.

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42

Chapter Five

eed curled up on his side, using Baxter’s backpack
for a pillow and wished that his stomach would

stop rolling, if even for five minutes. The ferry’s gentle
rocking did nothing to tame his already upset stomach.

His mouth felt as if it’d been coated with wax and he

shuddered over the mere thought of ever having to see
another piece of taffy, let alone eat one. Worse, the
stuff seemed to be expanding in his gut, so no matter
how much he hurled, there was more to take its place.

“I really should have chosen the pigs instead,” he

moaned to himself.

Baxter walked over, a can of ginger ale in his hands.

“You could have always eaten the fudge instead. But I
know how much you hate chocolate.”

A twinge of pain went through Reed and this time it

had nothing to do with the damn taffy. Until Baxter,
nobody had ever given enough of a damn to learn
Reed’s likes and dislikes. Even his parents couldn’t be
bothered. Reed’s father had never been able to
understand a son who would rather save the whales
than hunt them. While Reed’s mother always insisted
on comparing him to his older brother. Reed seemed to

R

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43

come up the loser every time.

He’d do almost anything to be able to have just a

piece of what he and Baxter had together. He felt his
eyes water up a bit as he allowed that statement to fully
sink in his brain. It was by sheer will alone that he
managed to pull it together and get his emotions in
check.

“I didn’t think you’d remember something that small

about me,” Reed said as he sat up and took the ginger
ale.

Their fingers brushed during the exchange, Baxter

even took the time to run the pad of his thumb over the
back of Reed’s hand. An unwanted shiver of desire shot
through Reed from that simple touch. It made him wish
for the time when he’d been free to caress Baxter
whenever the mood struck them.

“Did you mean it?” Reed whispered.
They were both still holding the can. Reed glanced

down to where their fingers were touching, his heart
racing. Fearful of the answer, since it could very well
break his heart all over again, Reed found that he had to
know the answer. If for nothing else, so he could finally
get on with his life, however dull it may be.

Baxter finally moved his hand, but it was so he

could cup Reed’s cheek. Giving him a look that was so
tender and full of love that Reed’s breath momentarily
caught in his throat, Baxter whispered, “If you mean
did I really regret leaving you, then the answer is yes.
The whole reason I’m doing this race is to show you
that I’m willing to do anything to get you back.”

Despite Reed’s best efforts, his bottom lip must have

trembled because Baxter ran his finger over it.

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44

“I’m so scared of being hurt again,” Reed admitted.
There, he’d laid everything out. The next few

minutes would decide the whole course of his life—
good or bad.

Reed knew he should be terrified, but strangely

enough, while under Baxter’s gaze all Reed felt was a
sense of peace and belonging that he’d been missing for
far too long.

“I’m scared that I’ve lost you for good,” Baxter

countered gently.

“Why did you leave me?” Reed forced himself to

ask.

“My father didn’t approve of our relationship.”
“You mean because you’re gay?”
Sorrow filled Baxter’s usually warm, brown eyes.

“No, he has no problem with me being gay, so long as I
end up with the right type of partner.”

“You mean somebody who’s rich and powerful? Not

some outdoorsy, hippie wannabe,” Reed asked, his
voice a bit brittle.

He couldn’t help it, though. It hurt to know that he

didn’t measure up to Baxter’s father’s snobby
standards. It’s not like Reed came from an
embarrassingly crappy family. While his relationship
with them might not be the best, they were all
hardworking and had never been arrested or anything.
Okay, maybe his Aunt Lola had a few black spots on
her record, but they were mostly for drunk and
disorderly.

“I hate to admit it, but yeah that’s what he said.”
“Are you afraid to admit it because you partly agree

with him?” Reed challenged.

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“No, I’m ashamed that I let him bully me around. I

should have told him how I felt from the start, but I was
a fucking idiot.”

Reed’s eyes grew wide. “I don’t think I’ve ever

heard you say the king of all swear words before. You
must really be upset.”

“You have no idea.” Baxter fanned his thumb over

Reed’s cheek. “I’ve hated him ever since. It just took
me this long to stand up to him.”

Off in the distance, a horn sounded from another

boat. The wind began to kick up again, bringing with it
the scent of fish and seaweed. Reed found that he didn’t
give a damn. All that mattered to him was the man
sitting next to him.

“Does he know that you’re on this show?” Reed

asked, before he tilted his head back.

Sure, it might make it look as if he were begging for

a kiss and maybe he was. In the end, he knew it would
never happen. No matter how much Baxter professed to
care, there was no way in hell he’d kiss somebody
who’d just thrown up.

Baxter nodded to the can. “Take a few drinks and I’ll

tell you.”

When Reed began to obediently sip the drink, Baxter

replied, “I don’t know if he’s aware of my new career
in television or not. I haven’t talked to him in three
weeks.”

“Why so long?” Reed took another swallow of the

fizzy beverage.

“He kicked me out. That was right after he told me

that my real mother was some maid he had an affair
with. The worst part was it only took a few thousand

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46

dollars to convince her to basically sell me to my father
and walk out of our lives.”

Reed nearly sprayed the drink all over in his shock at

that revaluation. His gut clenched as he recalled all the
times he’d called Baxter a bastard. Never had Reed
hated himself more. “Oh, damn. I’m so sorry. I never
would have called you bastard all those times had I
known. While I may have been mad at you, I wouldn’t
cut that deep. You have to believe me.”

“I do.” Baxter gave him a tender look.
“Is that why he kicked you out? If so, why wait this

long?”

“It wasn’t that.”
“Then what was it?”
“I told him that I wanted you and you only.”
All the air came out in a swoosh as the implication

of those words hit him. Struggling to recover, Reed
managed to get out, “He kicked you out for that?”

“Yes, he disowned me, too.” Baxter gave a small

smile that did nothing to hide the hurt in his eyes.

“It’s not the money that you miss, though, is it?”

Reed surmised.

He recalled Baxter’s driving need to gain his father’s

approval. It’s all the guy could talk about sometimes.
To have any possibility of that ever happening taken
away must have destroyed Baxter.

Baxter gave a small nod. “I wouldn’t take it back,

though. Even if you don’t still want me, at least I know
that I made a stand and fought to be my own man.”

Reed reached out and ran a hand up and down

Baxter’s arm. A heady thrill went through him over
being able to touch the other man again. “Then when

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you finally do come back to me, I act like a huge jerk
toward you.”

Baxter’s lips curled up into a crooked smile. “That’s

okay. I deserved it.”

“No, you didn’t. I should have given you a chance to

explain it first. It just threw me when I saw you
standing there, and then when I found out that we’re
partners I got a bit overwhelmed. I still can’t believe
that you volunteered for this. You’re the last person I
expected to be on a show like this.”

Baxter shrugged. “As soon as I saw them advertising

for contestants, I knew you would sign up. Once the
producers heard our story, they couldn’t book us fast
enough. The only hard part was keeping it a secret from
you.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me before it started?”
“Because I knew that if you found out, you’d never

agree to do the show.”

Reed hated to admit it, but Baxter had a point there.

If not for the contract and his pride, Reed would have
left before the race started. Now, he was happy that
he’d stuck around.

“Can I ask you a question?” Baxter asked.
As Reed took another sip, he caught the glimpse of a

couple different cameras pointed in their direction. It
surprised and unsettled him to realize that he’d almost
forgotten they were there.

Looking back at Baxter, Reed replied, “Of course

you can. We’ve pretty much spilled our guts as it is.”

Bringing his face in closer, Baxter’s eyes grew dark

with passion. “Can I kiss you?”

“Not that I wouldn’t love that, but I’ve been

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48

throwing up.”

“So? It’s from the candy, not anything contagious.”
A heat came over Reed’s face. “True, but I know

how easily that kind of thing grosses you out.
Remember that one time I had that massive hangover?
You wouldn’t even hug me until I had two showers.”

“I’m different now,” Baxter assured, inching closer.
Just as their lips were about to touch, a high-pitched

scream filled the air. A flurry of angry yells followed.
They jerked apart and glanced around for the source,
only to find that the upper deck was empty save for
them.

“Don’t you fucking touch my sister!” a voice yelled.
“Shit, that’s coming from downstairs,” Baxter

exclaimed.

“It sounds like Craig, too,” Reed said, already

jumping to his feet.

They ran to the stairs and quickly made their way

down. Along the way, they passed Aiden and Cliff who
were just sitting there with bored expressions on their
mugs.

“What in the hell is wrong with you guys? Don’t you

hear that?” Baxter demanded.

Another scream ripped through the air. The blonde

men just shrugged. “It just sounds like a tranny issue to
me.”

Reed gaped at them, so horrified and shocked by

those words that he was actually struck stupid.

Luckily, Baxter’s mouth still worked, “You’re such

assholes.”

He then turned and ran toward the sounds of the

screams, after shooting Aiden and Cliff a fuck-you

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49

glare, Reed followed. As they ran away, Cliff called
after them, “Just remember that any delay for them is a
plus for you.”

“Wow, just when I thought he couldn’t get worse, he

goes all Lord of the Flies on us. Next he’ll be trying to
poison our water bottles,” Reed groused.

They turned the corner and finally found the

confrontation. Lana and Craig were surrounded by a
half-dozen men. Just one look at their thick, muscular
bodies and angry glares was enough for Reed to know
that they were in trouble.

That still didn’t stop him from jumping in. There

was no way he’d desert Lana and Craig. Baxter must
have felt the same way because he quickly stepped in
and put his body between Lana and the goon squad.

“Is there a problem?” Baxter asked in a deceptively

calm voice.

“Yeah, this fag was trying to go into the women’s

room,” the biggest guy yelled, spittle flying from his
mouth.

“First of all, her name is Lana—not fag, queer, freak

or whatever other slur your thick head can think of.
Second, she is a woman, so she has every right to go in
there,” Reed countered.

He almost let out an audible sigh of relief when

Jenny and Tommy came over. Jenny went over and put
an arm around Lana while, Tommy came to help and a
few moments later Becky and Jo joined them, and while
Reed had only just met them, he could tell by the fire in
their eyes that they were ready to kick ass.

“I can just use the men’s room,” Lana spoke up in a

tiny voice.

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50

Craig shook his head, his hands balled into tight

fists. “No, you’re not a man, so you shouldn’t have to
go in there just to accommodate these assholes.”

“Like we want that freak in with us,” another man

snarled. “He might try something funny with one of
us.”

Reed gave them a deliberate onceover, before he

made a yuck face. “Trust me, that’s not going to be a
problem at all. No one I know would touch you with a
ten-foot python.”

“I should kick your ass for that comment,” the man

yelled, taking a threatening step forward.

“You could try, but I seriously doubt you’d succeed.

First off, I can tell by the ten pounds of extra flab on
your stomach that you don’t take care of yourself. Plus,
I’m a black belt in karate. But if you want to try, be my
guest.” Reed gestured to the cameras. “I’m sure your
friends and family are going to be so proud to see a gay
man hand you your ass.”

The air grew tense and for a brief horrifying

moment, Reed thought they were going to call his bluff.
Then finally, one of them spat at their feet. “Forget it. I
don’t need to get into trouble on account of a bunch of
weirdoes like you.”

After the goons left, Reed turned to Baxter. “Did he

actually use the word weirdoes?”

Baxter let out a small laugh as he wrapped his arms

around Reed. “I know! He sounded more like a grade-
school girl than a bigoted jerk.”

Craig shook both their hands. “Thank you so much

for coming to help. I don’t think I could have handled
them all on my own.”

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51

“Any time,” Reed answered sincerely.
Jo narrowed her eyes at Reed. “Are you really a

black-belt?”

“I still have the one I wore that year I went as the

Karate Kid for Halloween. Does that count?”

Jo broke out into a huge grin. “I think I’m going to

like you.”

Craig shot them nervous glances. “I know it’s still

early in the race, but do you guys want to strike up an
alliance?”

“Are you kidding? I would love for us to find a way

to get rid of the Go-Proud Ken dolls, plus Statler and
Waldorf,” Baxter said.

Reed nodded. “They need to learn what happens

when you don’t stick up for others in our community.”

Lana let out a small gasp. “Oh, my gosh! Are those

really the nicknames you gave them? We’ve been
calling them the same thing.”

Becky tilted her head to the side. “I still like the

names we came up with, old bastards and tight-asses,
but I guess we can go with what you guys came up
with.”

They all shared a laugh before Jo asked, “So, is it

official then? Are we an alliance?”

They all put their hands in the middle, as if they

were a football team rallying for support before the
kickoff of a big game. As they raised them back up in
unison, Craig yelled, “Let’s beat those assholes.”

Lana nervously cleared her throat. “That sounds

great to me, but I still need to go to the bathroom first.”

Jenny grabbed Lana’s hand. “Come on, we can go

together.”

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52

When Jo and Becky joined, Reed could have kissed

them. It was nice to see that Lana was given the support
she deserved.

Once they were out of sight, Craig seemed to

crumple a bit. “It’s so unfair that she has to go through
all that. Why can’t people just leave her alone? She
never did anything to hurt them. If anything, Lana is too
kind.”

Reed put an arm around his shoulders. “I know, it’s

not right or fair. I wish there was some way I could
make a difference for her.”

Shooting him a grateful look, Craig replied, “You

just did.”

* * * *

Private Confessional Interview with contestant Reed.

“So, the ferry ride was pretty eventful for you,” Sam

said.

Reed let out a slow breath. “I guess you could say

that.”

“You and Baxter seem to have finally made up.”
“It’s a start. I don’t know if we can ever get back to

the way we were, but for the first time I have hope.”
Reed began to nibble on his bottom lip as his leg
bounced nervously.

“Doesn’t that make you happy?” Sam pressed.
“Yeah, but it also scares the shit out of me. What if

he leaves me again?”

“What if he doesn’t?”
Reed ran a hand through his brown hair, messing it

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53

up a bit. “I guess you have a point there. For now, I’ll
just take things one step at a time.”

“Let’s talk about the other incident on the ferry.

How did it feel to see Lana being discriminated
against?”

“By that do you mean the guys who refused to let

her in the bathroom or our own race members who
refused to come help because she’s a tranny?” Reed
shuddered. “God, I hate that word. It’s so mean and
hateful. I never thought that I’d hear another gay person
say it, yet at the same time I realized I should have
known better.”

“Why do you say that?”
“Sometimes the worst hate comes from our own

community. Especially toward transgender people,”
Reed sighed.

“How do you feel about transgendered individuals?”
“I respect the hell out of them. Not only do they

have the gay stigma to deal with, but they have whole
bunch of other layers of prejudices to battle. Take today
for example, Lana can’t even take a piss in public
without putting her life on the line. That’s bullshit.
Lana is who she is and that’s nobody else’s business.
Why can’t people just stop being so judgmental and let
others live their lives in peace?”

“I wish I could answer that for you. I do. The only

thing I can think up is it’s human nature to hate.”

Reed shot a look of disgust at the camera. “Yet,

we’re supposed to be so evolved and advanced. The
way I see it, most people are no better than animals.”

A long silence followed before the camera finally

shut off.

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54

Chapter Six

axter pulled into the city park in Minneapolis,
Minnesota that was their next destination point.

This clue they’d gotten via a dancing clown that had
been waiting for them as they left the ferry. Baxter
didn’t know which had been funnier, the clown’s bad
attempts at breakdancing, or the look of fear in Reed’s
eyes as he stared at the performer. They had a mutual
dislike of clowns but Reed had a full blown phobia of
them.

Pulling up next to him was Jenny and Tommy,

followed by Derby girls, then Lana and Craig. After the
four teams struck an alliance on the ferry, it was
determined that Jenny and Tommy would always be in
the middle of the caravan, just to make sure they didn’t
go down a one-way street the wrong way again. They
got so lost that they almost didn’t make it to the ferry
on time.

It had been fun caravanning on this leg of the race

especially when Waldorf and Statler got stuck behind
them. The four teams staggered their cars so that they
weren’t able to pass until eventually the old guys ran up
the dirt side of the road cussing up a storm at them as

B

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55

they passed them by. It was kind of a too little, too late
for them since they were only two miles from the park.

Reed got out and stood next to Baxter, waiting for

everyone to group up. “I’ve been to Lake Calhoun back
when I was six. My family went canoeing and camping
here.”

There was no way Baxter’s family would have ever

camped when he was growing up. Roughing it was
staying at a hotel that didn’t have five stars. Looking
back, it might have been nice to at least go to Disney.
Instead all their trips pretty much consisted of grooming
Baxter to take over the business. Yeah, that was really
fun for a ten year old to crunch numbers while on
vacation.

Everyone grouped around the back of the car,

scanning the area until they saw a blonde girl with
glasses surrounded by several boxes that would contain
their next challenge and map to location.

“Shall we?” Reed gestured and led the eight of them

over to the boxes.

Reed, Tommy, Craig and Jo all grabbed a box like it

might contain a venomous snake.

“What do you think it will be this time?” Jo asked.
“I’m not sure, but I’m all for ladies first,” Reed said

looking expectantly at Jo.

“Never mind, it’s a pie in the face,” Craig started

laughing uncontrollably.

Tommy furrowed his brow in confusion, “How do

you know that?”

Craig pointed over their shoulders. “Look at Statler.”
Baxter turned to see the old man ranting and raving

while wiping whip cream from his face. Man, was there

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56

ever a time when the guy wasn’t pissed. The guy’s face
took on different shades of red by how angry he got.
Right now, his face looked purple under the white
sticky mess.

The four holding the boxes pointed them toward the

ground before unwrapping the bow at the top.
Unexpectedly, the pie came out of the bottom, getting
everyone in their midsection.

“Son of a bitch,” Reed gritted out while trying to

wipe the front of his pants.

Baxter couldn’t resist, “Looks like you creamed all

over yourself.”

He started laughing until Reed began advancing on

him, “You think this is funny? Come here, I know you
want it?”

Backpedaling, Baxter shook his head, “I don’t think

so, you can be the one to walk around all day like you
had an accident.”

Catching up to Baxter quickly, Reed wrapped him

up in a tight hug while rubbing his crotch into Baxter’s
to make sure his front would look just as bad as Reed’s.

Trying to push him off, Baxter chuckled, “This is so

gross.”

“I’m just getting my cream all over you.” Reed

rubbed more in and, if Baxter wasn’t mistaken, they
were both having reactions to their sticky embrace.

“Seriously, that is such a lame perverted statement.

Even from you,” Baxter finally pushed Reed away. It
was either that or they were about to have a very public
display in front of the teams and camera crews.

Reed must have been thinking the same because

when he looked over at the other teams, a blush crept

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57

into his cheeks. He bent over and grabbed the clue that
was packaged in a plastic baggy to protect it from
getting ruined by the whip cream.

Reed began to read the clue out loud, “Double

challenge. What day of the week do fish hate? Answer:
Frydays. Really, who’s coming up with this shit.”

Baxter shook his head in mutual disappointment to

the cheesy clues, “Just go on please. Put us out of our
misery.”

“Could they get any worse though? I feel like I’m

back in the first grade all over again. Anyhow, It’s
Friday Fish fry and you have a group of twenty to feed
by lunch. Can your team catch and gut enough fish to
feed them all? But don’t eat too much yourself, because
the both of you will have to bungee jump in order to
receive the map to your next destination.”

Baxter knew going in he was pretty much going to

be green at every challenge they did, which was fine by
him. However, much like Reed’s fear of clowns, Baxter
was so afraid of heights he didn’t like to look out his
second story window. Looking into Reed’s eyes, he
knew the man was thinking there was no way in hell
Baxter was going to be able to complete this challenge.
What Reed didn’t know, is that Baxter would overcome
any fear to make him happy.

“Aww shit, look, we can take a penalty if you want,

Bax. I think we lose five hours, but I can go ask just to
make sure.”

Baxter took a deep breath and tried to hide the fear.

“No, we’ll fish and then we’ll jump.” Apparently, he
wasn’t very good at hiding his fear since he squeaked
out the word jump. It was a lovely time to pull a Peter

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58

Brady.

Reed must have seen the resolve in his eyes. “Come

on we need to go and get the bait and poles and get
started. We only have about three hours before lunch.”

Thirty minutes into their fishing, Baxter was really

getting the hang of it. It wasn’t too much fun baiting,
but he snuck on a pair of clear latex gloves that most
people used when applying first aid. Baxter used them
to bait the worms, thankful that the protection kept him
away from all manner of guts and slimy worm poop. In
all honesty, he was having a great time on his inaugural
fishing trip. So far he had caught five fish while Reed
had caught six.

“So, what are your plans if we win the money?”

Reed said while casting out the line.

Baxter quickly reeled in another fish. “Give you the

funds to start up your adventure business, of course.”

Reed caught another one, too. “No, I mean what do

you want to do with your half.”

Baxter fidgeted uncomfortably. “I guess pay the

taxes so you have enough funds to start your camp
then.”

Reed looked over at him with a one raised eyebrow.

“You want to give me all the money. You were just
disowned. How are you going to go to graduate
school?”

Baxter shrugged, “With my bachelor’s degree I can

get a job and after showing a company loyalty, a lot of
them will pay for an employee to further their
education. Trust me, I want to work for something once
in my life without it being handed to me because of
who my father is.”

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59

“I still think we should split the funds after taxes,”

Reed mumbled.

“We can discuss this if we win, it’s kind of a moot

point right now.” Baxter’s words trailed off as his
attention turned across the lake where Aiden and Cliff
were fighting rather loudly in their boat. Eventually,
Aiden pushed Cliff right into the water.

Shaking his head, Baxter observed, “Those Ken

dolls really are assholes.”

“It’s probably because one of them got caught giving

their camera guy a blowjob. They’ve both been flirting
with him. The producer finds out and they’ll be
disqualified.” Reed started to row them farther away
from the chaos.

“You didn’t say anything to the producer?” Bax

asked.

“No and I won’t. I want to beat those guys soundly

and not by a technicality. They really pissed me off on
the ferry.” Reed’s face grew angry.

Baxter felt the anger grow inside him, too. To just

turn your back when someone was in need went against
everything he stood for. “Yeah, they pissed me off, too.
I can’t stand to look at them.”

Within an hour, they were on their way to the picnic

area where they had to gut, clean and fry the fish for the
campers. Becky and Jo were just starting to get into the
flour even though their fish still looked untouched.
Their clothes and faces were white powdery messes as
they laughed while tossing it at each other. Their table
of hungry campers looked on in confusion, probably
thinking there might not be enough flour left for a fry.
They could be having grilled fish instead.

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60

Reed found them an open grill and the group by it

began cheering them on. He opened up the cooler
containing the fish. “Look, I think the fastest way to do
this is an assembly line. I gut and clean, you flour and
cook. What do you think?”

Bax saw right through this, “I can gut and clean, too.

I’ll do my share, dammit.”

Pointing the knife at Baxter’s gloves, Reed said,

“There isn’t enough soap in the world that will get you
through this. You are doing your share by flouring and
cooking.”

“Look, I’m trying to get over this OCD. I want to

face it. It’ll be good for me,” Baxter was hanging on by
a thread. He had been thrown into the deep end, but he
wasn’t going to be a hindrance for Reed.

“I think you’re doing an amazing job, but you have

even more to overcome today and I don’t want it to get
to a point where you have a panic attack. I hate cooking
anyway, you know that.” Reed began gutting the fish in
front of Baxter.

Baxter couldn’t argue with Reed’s logic. Early on in

their dating, Baxter had several panic attacks. Most of
them had to do with displeasing his father, but it
sometimes had to do with the inability to cope with his
environment.

“I hate being weak,” Baxter mumbled.
Reed stood up, looking almost angry, “You are not

weak. You have a disorder that you fight like hell to
overcome daily. I’m proud of how hard you try and
when you have a bad day, that’s okay, too. We all have
bad days, no one should expect you to be so perfect. I
love your imperfections. It makes you who you are.”

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Baxter’s eyes went wide, “Did you…” But he didn’t

get the question out, Becky threw a flour ball at the side
of his head.

Baxter was trembling so hard his teeth were rattling.

Looking over the edge, he thought he might just throw
up all over the spectators below. Reed was able to gut
that fish like the pro he was and got them to the bungee
rig first. He said it would make it easier on him if he
didn’t get psyched out watching the others jump first.
Sound logic, total bullshit.

He was trying to keep it together enough so Reed

wouldn’t put a halt to it and take the penalty. Trying to
keep breathing even when a guy was hyperventilating
was tough business.

“Look at me, don’t look over there,” Reed grabbed

his chin while the attendants were harnessing both of
them in and strapping their ankles.

Reed must have seen raw terror on his face because

he said, “I think we should take the penalty.”

Shaking his head stubbornly, Baxter argued, “No,

we do this together.”

Putting his arms around Baxter, Reed rubbed his

back soothingly, “Then let me help you get through
this.”

“Ooookay,” Baxter stuttered out. Some guy beneath

them just hooked the bungee cord to the stand. It would
be go-time at any moment.

Leaning forward, Reed kissed Baxter, completely

taking him by surprise. He encouraged Baxter to open
his trembling mouth. Baxter wrapped his arms around
Reed and enthusiastically returned the kiss. He had

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62

been

waiting

months

to

taste

Reed

again.

Unfortunately, that was also the moment the asshole
decided to take them over the edge of the platform.

Baxter screamed at the top of his lungs and on the

peripheral of his awareness, he thought he heard Reed
laughing his ass off. The first tug had Baxter praying
that the bungee wouldn’t snap under the strain of their
combined weight.

“Fuck!” Baxter screamed out as they catapulted back

up. Reed continued to hold him while laughing. The
second bounce wasn’t as severe as the first and Baxter
was finally able to breathe for the first time since the
plunge. What came out was totally unexpected, he
gurgled out his first tension-relieving laugh. Once he
got going, he couldn’t have stopped if his life had
depended on it.

Reed smiled. “This is a first for you, the first step to

making your life your own.”

Baxter smiled back. “Yeah it is.” Then he took the

initiative and kissed Reed.

* * * *

Private Confessional with contestant Baxter.

“So?” The producer leaned forward in his seat.
It looked like Baxter wasn’t going to give up the

deets that easily. Cocking a brow, he echoed, “So?”

“Well, it looks like you and Reed are getting along a

little better.” The producer leaned back, a grin on his
face.

A blush crept up Baxter’s neck and cheeks. Gary

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was fully aware of what Baxter was thinking. He had to
know that everything would be caught on camera, but it
still was a little embarrassing when one had to go into
detail like a teen girl at a slumber party.

“Umm, I think we’re getting along better, but I don’t

kiss and tell.” Baxter tried to go for charming.

Baxter got the smackdown when the producer said,

“You don’t have to tell me anything, your microphones
caught everything.”

Smug bastard.

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64

Chapter Seven

or the first time ever, the thought of sleeping
outside in a tent made Reed nervous. Not because

he’d developed a sudden fear of bloodsucking
mosquitos or even because their tent happened to be
situated next to the Ken dolls. No, it had to do with
something scarier, so much so that Reed didn’t know
whether to run or pee kittens.

He would be sleeping all night with Bax, the only

thing separating them were a couple of inches and their
sleeping bags. Just the thought of being so close to the
man he loved…and yeah, Reed was willing to admit he
still loved Bax…was enough to make Reed sick with
nerves.

Reed paused, mid-thought as he realized that

sometime during the past few hours, he’d slipped back
into calling his former lover by his nickname. And it
was only Reed who used it. Bax’s family was so uptight
and proper, that if they were ever to hear the moniker,
they’d probably get heart palpitations and then swoon.
Hell, they’d even throw one arm over their faces for the
proper Southern Belle effect.

I do declare, our blue-blooded offspring shant have a

F

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name like that. It would be so…common. Perish the
thought. Next, he will be wanting to work a job where
he actually breaks a sweat.

Shame filled Reed as he realized that up until hours

ago, he’d believed that Bax was the same as the rest of
his family. Now Reed understood how unfair he’d been
and it made him wonder how many other times he’d
been too hasty to jump to the wrong conclusions.

He shifted his feet, his shoes making scraping noises

against the gravel. Several feet away stood their tent.
He’d had to do most of the work in putting it up, since
Bax had never camped before. That still hadn’t stopped
Bax from jumping in and trying his best. They’d even
laughed a few times and it’d felt like old times. Before
things had gone to shit.

Reed held a hand to his chest as he wondered if he’d

had more to do with their breakup than he’d even
wanted to admit. There had been times when he’d seen
Bax struggling. Reed wasn’t proud to admit that many
times he’d gotten annoyed at Bax’s OCD.

He should have done more, tried to understand, to

find out why Bax had his issues. Instead, Reed had
ignored them and in the end that may have been the true
wedge that had finally driven them apart.

“Standing there all night isn’t going to fix things

between you,” a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

Turning, Reed found himself facing Lana. Even in

the dark, he could see a small bruise marred her right
cheek, showing that one of the bigots must have gotten
off a shot before he and Bax had intervened. The sight
of it made Reed angry all over again.

She reached out and patted his arm in an almost

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66

sisterly fashion. “I’m okay. I’ve had worse.”

“It should have never happened in the first place,”

Reed bit out.

“True, but there’s a lot of shit in this world that

sucks. We can either get so mad that we become
incapable of doing anything but hate, or we can fight to
make a change.”

Reed paused, so touched by her words. It wasn’t lost

on him that it applied to both of their situations as well.
Although, a part of Reed felt like he didn’t even have a
right to equate the two issues. His problems seemed like
nothing compared to what she faced every day.

“You are so brave,” he said.
She smiled. “Some days I think so. Then there are

others when I wish that I’d been born like everybody
else.”

“Yeah, me, too,” Reed agreed. “Don’t get me wrong,

I wouldn’t change being gay for anything. But when I
was thirteen and I realized that I wasn’t like all the
other boys, I would have done anything to be normal.”

She reached out and lightly slapped his arm. “You

are normal. You just happen to like dick. Don’t let the
rest of the world’s expectations make you feel
otherwise. If you do that, they’ve won.”

As Reed rubbed away the hurt, he thought about

something else. “Bax told me that his dad doesn’t care
that he’s gay. Just so long as he finds a partner who is
wealthy and powerful.”

Lana gave a sad, yet knowing smile. “Let me guess.

A man who’s a rock-climbing, vegetarian doesn’t fit
that bill.”

“No, that’s why Bax left me. Because I wasn’t good

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enough for him.”

She tilted her head slightly to the side. “Yet Baxter

is out here, sleeping in a tent, fishing and tangling with
pigs. All to impress you.”

A heat came over Reed’s face. “He did tell me it was

to win me back.”

“You want to be with him again, don’t you? Don’t

even try to deny it. I can tell by the way you look at him
when you think nobody is watching.”

It didn’t even enter Reed’s mind to argue. There was

something about Lana that let him know that while he
could trust her with all his secrets, she wouldn’t hesitate
to tell him if he was being an asshole. Which in Reed’s
eyes made for the perfect friend.

“I want it so bad that I can’t even think straight. I’ve

wanted him back from the day he left me a year ago.
I’m just so afraid of being hurt again.”

Just confessing that aloud made Reed feel ten

pounds lighter. He even let out a long sigh of relief as
his shoulders relaxed. Lana stepped forward and
wrapped her arms around him. Reed allowed his head
to rest against her chest and soak in the comfort.

“Maybe you will be hurt,” Lana said.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Reed

asked, his voice slightly muffled because she did have
impressively sized breasts.

She ignored him and went on. “Or maybe you will

end up being with him and the two of you will share a
very, long happy life. The thing is you will never know
unless you give him another chance.”

Reed let out a dry laugh. “I guess I shouldn’t be

afraid. Anything I face won’t even begin to compare to

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68

what you have to deal with.”

She pulled away and put her hands on his shoulders.

“Do you always do that?”

“What?”
“Care so much about others?”
Reed smiled. “Only the ones I like.”
“Then I guess that makes me one lucky gal. For what

it’s worth, Craig and I both adore you and Baxter, too. I
don’t even want to think about what could have
happened if you hadn’t helped on the ferry today.”

“It was the right thing to do,” Reed replied simply.
“Not many would agree with you.”
“Yeah, well after the Twilight and McRib craze, I

pretty much lost all faith in humanity,” Reed teased.

She laughed before her face grew troubled. “I just

wish that I could understand why the other teams
ignored me. I know I should know better, but I thought
we were all supposed to support each other. And I don’t
just mean the contestants in this race.”

If that wasn’t the million dollar question… If Reed

could figure out why there was so much hate in the
world, then maybe he would be a lot closer to solving
so many of his own problems.

“The other two teams don’t even deserve to breathe

the same air as you, let alone claim to be part of our
community,” Reed replied.

“I know I shouldn’t care what those old Muppets

and Ken dolls think of me, but it doesn’t stop it from
hurting.”

Reed thought about Bax’s OCD and need for

perfection. Looking at things from a more mature, new
prospective, Reed now realized that came from the fact

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69

that Bax thought he was never good enough. By making
sure to have everything in order and by washing away
all the germs in his life, gave Bax found some
semblance of control.

In truth, Reed wasn’t much different. Just instead of

hand sanitizer and impeccable housecleaning, he went
on long hikes to retreat from problems. How many
times had he left Bax alone for days at a time? It must
have made Bax feel so alone and abandoned. More so,
it must have hurt Bax that Reed didn’t trust him enough
to turn to him in times of need.

Lana gave him a soft smile. “Why do I have the

feeling that you realized that the troubles in your
relationship weren’t one-sided?”

Reed leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the

cheek. “Where were you a year ago when I needed
somebody to talk some sense into my thick head?”

She cupped his cheek. “You were hurt, too. Baxter

was equally at blame. You two just need to work
together to find a place where you can both be
comfortable and happy.”

“Are you a shrink or something?” he teased.
“Actually, I’m close to getting my degree in

psychology. I want to be able to help kids who are like
me to realize that there’s nothing wrong with them. If I
had somebody to tell me that when I was just a scared,
thirteen-year old boy who thought that I was defective,
it would have saved me so much hurt.”

Reed wanted to continue the conversation, but he felt

a desperate need to get to Bax. Lana must have realized
his predicament, because she made a waving gesture
with her hand. “Go, and don’t fuck it up.”

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70

“Yes, RuPaul,” Reed replied, since that was the drag

queen’s famous line.

He almost ran to the tent, even tripping a few times

in his haste. When he reached the entrance, however, all
those discouraging voices in his head began to roar.

What if Bax really didn’t want him? Just because he

agreed to be on the show wasn’t a guarantee that he
wanted Reed back. It could just be that since he was
disowned, Bax needed the money and he knew Reed
would be the best partner for the show.

Reed shook away those negative thoughts. Bax

would never do that. Even when Reed hated the man,
he always could count on Bax to be honest. After all, he
hadn’t hid his reason for dumping Reed, even though it
had made Bax look like the biggest asshole in the
world.

With trembling fingers he unzipped the door to the

tent and crawled in. Disappointment flooded Reed
when he saw Bax wrapped up in a sleeping bag and
sound asleep.

Sighing, Reed started to go over to his side of the

tent, when Bax turned. While the only lighting came
from a small lantern, Reed could see from the frown
and tight press of Bax’s lips that he was upset.

“Did you mean what you said to Lana?” Bax asked.
Reed froze, wondering if he was in for an argument

or a deep, emotional conversation. Either way, he did
know that neither of them would ever be the same
again.

“What part of it?” Reed hedged.
“How you’re afraid to give me your heart again

because you’re afraid I’ll break it all over?”

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The way Bax’s voice shook almost made Reed want

to deny it, but he knew that they were past such games.

“Yes, I’m terrified of being hurt again,” he

confessed. He then took a deep breath and continued,
“But you feel the same way about me, don’t you?”

Bax nodded. “I know I was an ass for walking away

from you.”

Reed reached over and put a finger to Bax’s lips. “I

did the same thing to you, only I left emotionally. I
thought that if I cared enough, loved enough that I
could fix you and your OCD. Instead, I made you feel
worse about yourself. It’s a wonder you didn’t bail on
me sooner.”

“I just wanted to be perfect for you and my father.”
“And how about now?”
“I want you to be with me, lumps and all. As for my

father, I couldn’t care less what he thinks. I’m not just
saying that, either. I really mean it this time.” Bax let
out a deep breath. “Actually, when I decided that, I had
never felt freer and happier in my life. The only thing
missing was you.”

Reed moved his finger so he could brush their lips

together. “I never stopped loving you.”

“And I never stopped loving you,” Bax replied.
Pure joy blossomed in Reed’s heart, even as his cock

grew hard. Stretching out over Bax, Reed thrust his hips
forward. “I think a year apart would make for the most
amazing makeup sex ever.”

Bax laughed before he grabbed Reed by the back of

the head and brought him down for a hard kiss that was
all tongues, love and pent-up need.

“As much as I would love to fuck you, I have a

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72

feeling the cameras are directed our way. I want our
first time since we’re back together to be a bit more
private.”

While that disappointed Reed, he understood. That

still didn’t stop him from pouting a bit. Bax gave
Reed’s lip a playful nip. “You can be such a brat at
times. How about we zip our sleeping bags together, so
we can snuggle?”

Reed cocked up a brow. “Can it be naughty

snuggling? We don’t have to go all the way, but a little
hand job never hurt anybody.”

Bax gave the same wicked grin as always when he

knew an orgasm would be trotting his way. Working
together, they quickly adjusted the two sleeping bags
until they formed one comfy nest.

Bax rolled them over until he was on top. Gazing

down with such love in his eyes that Reed’s heart
skipped a beat, Bax asked, “Can I kiss you again?”

“If you don’t, I’m going to get more pissed off than

the time Ted’s makeup person showed up late. Don’t
think I forgot about that promised hand job either.”

Bax dipped his head down and pressed their lips

together. Reed sucked in a deep breath. First, because it
sent jolts of pleasure down his body. Second, because
the sensation of being intimate with Bax again made
Reed’s head spin with joy.

One kiss became two, then three and soon they were

making out. At first it was a bit awkward, but soon
enough their bodies found their old rhythms and they
were moving perfectly together again. One anticipating
the other’s next move so easily that Reed didn’t even
think twice when Bax reached between their bodies and

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lowered each of their flies.

Taking out their cocks, Bax wrapped his hands

around both and began to stroke them off. It wasn’t the
best jerk off he’d ever given. Some lube would have
been nice and Reed could practically hear the
cameramen breathing, they’d moved so close to the
tent.

Shockingly, that last little tidbit was a quite a turn

on. Not that the cameramen could see anything other
than Reed and Bax’s silhouettes and even then they
were covered in the sleeping bags. Still, going by the
moans and gasps of pleasure Reed and Bax were letting
out, it didn’t take a nuclear physicist to figure out what
was going on.

Reed let out a loud groan when a thumb rubbed over

the head of his cock. That’d always been one of his
trigger spots and damned if Bax hadn’t remembered.
Bax did it a few more times. At the same time he
lowered his head and began to suck and bite at Reed’s
neck, leaving behind a mark for all to see.

That alone was the last thing Reed needed. Crying

out Bax’s name, he came, his cum splattering between
them. A moment later, Bax followed, his spunk adding
to the sticky mess.

“Oh, for the love of god. Keep it down! Some of us

are trying to sleep!” Frank yelled from two tents over.

“You’re just jealous because you’re not getting

any!” Bax called back.

Reed laughed so hard that he gasped for breath.

Once he calmed, he started to get up, only to have Bax
pin him down even more. “Where do you think you’re
going?”

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74

Reed gave a duh look. “I know that you want to get

cleaned up. You always hated waking up with dried
cum on you.”

Bax just snuggled in deeper. “We can worry about

that in the morning.”

Secretly pleased, because he knew this was a big

step for Bax, Reed still asked, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, besides we have to get our rest. Who knows

what they have planned for us tomorrow.”

Reed tensed. He already felt pretty certain what it

was going to be and Bax wasn’t going to like it. “One
of the big attractions here is climbing.”

If Reed didn’t know better, he’d think that the

producers were setting up tasks geared toward Bax
failing. They seemed to always pick on his phobias and
use them against him.

Bax tensed. “Why do I get the feeling that you aren’t

talking about a simple set of stairs?”

“Because I’m not. I’m pretty sure they’ll pick the

easiest course. But I know how you feel about heights.”

Bax gave Reed a tight hug. “You’ll help me through

it. I’m not worried.”

“Not even with your fear of heights?”
“Just go first and I’ll be too busy looking at your ass

to glance down at the ground.”

Reed rolled his eyes. “You really are impossible

sometimes.”

“Just shut up and go to sleep.”
Reed smiled. “I love you, too.”

* * * *

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Private Confessional with contestant Reed.

“So, do you want to share what happened with you

and Bax last night?” Gary asked.

Reed gave a smile that was equal parts wicked and

bashful. “Now, now, Gary. You know I’m not the type
of boy to kiss and tell.”

“You did a lot more than that. In fact, the footage of

that encounter has already gone viral.”

“Are you fucking with me?” Reed demanded, his

face going pale.

“Don’t worry, it was all from outside of the tent, so

all they got were a few shadows and a lot of audio.”

“Great! My grandmother is going to faint when she

sees it. That is, if she doesn’t have a heart attack first.”

“Does she have something against two men having

sex?”

Reed snorted. “Please, I swear that lady has a

lifetime membership to Cockyboys. In fact, she’s the
only family member who supported me when I came
out. That still doesn’t mean that she wants to admit that
her own grandson gets down and dirty with anybody, be
they guy or girl.”

“Maybe she’ll feel better when she finds out that a

certain outdoor, extreme sports company has become
your unofficial sponsor.”

“What do you mean?”
“Win or lose this contest, they want to invest in your

company. The only catch is you have to do an ironman
contest as their official contestant. Is that something
you could be interested in?”

“Just so long as it doesn’t take me away from Bax

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76

for too long.”

The producer paused for a moment before saying,

“You really do love him, don’t you?”

“I don’t think I ever stopped. He’s the one for me

and this time I’m not going to let him slip from my
grasp. This is forever and nobody, not even his father or
my own fears, are going to keep us apart.”

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Chapter Eight

he first thing that Baxter became aware of when he
woke up the next morning was the crusty, itchiness

covering his stomach. The result of not bothering to
wash up the night before. Which was odd for him, since
he usually took a bath first thing in the morning and
then again right before he went to bed.

Then he became aware of the warm body he held in

his arms. Even without opening his eyes, he knew it
was Reed. Nobody else had the same wonderful scent
as the man that Baxter loved more than anything. It was
a mixture of the organic soap he always insisted on
using and patchouli.

Even though the OCD part of Baxter was screaming

for him to go wash up, he found that more of him
wanted to stay and continue cuddling with Reed. Baxter
even buried his nose in the crook of Reed’s neck so he
could inhale the scent better.

“What time is it?” Reed mumbled sleepily.
“It’s six in the morning.”
Reed cursed under his breath. “We better get going

then. The rules say that we can’t leave until seven, but I
know you’re dying for a shower.”

T

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78

“The shower can wait for a few more minutes.”

Baxter rained several soft kisses along Reed’s neck.

Reed let out a small chuckle. “I never thought I’d

hear you say that. I’m proud you.”

“I’m trying. I can’t promise I won’t have tough

times ahead.”

Reed shook his head. “No, I realize now that I could

have done so much more to understand you. If I had
been more astute, we’d probably still be together.”

Baxter pulled back so he could gaze down at Reed.

“I thought we were back together.”

Had he missed something? Read too much into the

previous night’s encounter? Disappointment crashed
into him and it hurt more than anything his father could
have ever said or done.

Reed reached up and cupped Baxter’s face. “Do you

really want us to be back together?”

A flicker of hope blossomed in Baxter’s chest when

he heard the longing in Reed’s voice. “I want it more
than anything. I’ll even try to work harder on my OCD
if that’s what it takes.”

Still staring up at him, Reed replied, “The whole

OCD thing was because of your father, wasn’t it?”

For a moment Baxter thought of denying it. After

protecting the family reputation for all his life, it still
felt taboo to talk openly about them. In the end it was
his love for Reed that won out. “It was a major factor,
yes.”

Reed briefly closed his eyes. “I was so blind and

stupid. How could I not have noticed it back then?”

Leaning down, Baxter brushed their lips together. “I

think it’s time that we both own up to our past mistakes

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and get past them. All I care about now is having a
future with you.”

Reed gave an impish grin. “You do have that fancy

business degree of yours. Or at least you almost do.
How about you put it to good use?”

Baxter frowned. “Surely, you can’t be suggesting

that I work for my father.”

“Of course not and stop calling me Shirley,” Reed

quipped, quoting Airplane!, their favorite movie. “What
I was going to ask is if maybe you would be interested
in being my partner in my business.”

A few months ago, Baxter would have laughed at the

idea. Being part-owner of an outdoor adventure
business? It sounded crazy, yet he felt a heady thrill of
excitement.

“That would be awesome!” he exclaimed.
“Are you sure? If you don’t want to do it, I promise

not to get mad.”

Baxter gave Reed another kiss. “I have never been

more certain of something in my life.”

“We still have to win this thing first or else we won’t

have the start-up money,” Reed warned.

Baxter got up, the sleeping bag making it so he had

to wiggle around a bit until he got to his feet. “Well, in
that case, we better get showered so we can do some
planning.”

Standing, Reed gave an evil laugh. “Why, Bax, you

sound like the next wicked mastermind.”

They quickly showered, making sure to stand far

apart from each other, so as not to give into temptation.
After they grabbed a quick breakfast, they found that it
was time to join the others at the meet-up point.

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80

When Baxter noted it was at the base of a huge

formation of rocks, he let out a groan. Even though he’d
suspected their next challenge would be climbing, he’d
hoped that maybe just once he’d get a break.

Reed glanced over, his mouth already opened to

protest, but Baxter cut him short with a wave of his
hand. “We’re not taking a damn penalty. I can do this.”

“You’ve never even climbed before and you’re

terrified of heights,” Reed argued.

While his concern was touching, Baxter refused to

be swayed. “I can do this.”

Before they could say anything else, Lana glanced

around the group. “Where are Waldorf and Statler?”

Baxter looked around as well, surprised to see that

the older pair was indeed missing.

Craig snickered. “They’re still asleep. Look at their

tent.”

They all turned and Baxter let out a sharp bark of

laughter when he saw the zipper of the tent still up.

“Should we wake them up?” Lana asked.
Craig snorted. “Hell, no. Not after the way they

treated you.”

“No, the twinks right,” Aiden cut in nastily. “It’s a

game and they fucked up not setting an alarm..”

Baxter cocked a brow. “Really, and here I thought

you guys were in an alliance.”

Cliff made a sour face. “Please, we’re only in this

for ourselves. The rest of you can be all buddy-buddy,
but we all know that only one team can win this. If the
geezers want to fuck things up by sleeping in, that’s one
less threat we have to worry about.”

“Well, aren’t you just a little ray of sunshine?” Jo

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drawled.

Cliff’s upper lip turned up into a sneer. “Don’t you

have an Indigo Girls concert to go to?”

Becky let out a mock sigh. “The only thing worse

than a dick, is a self-hating one.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cliff demanded.
He took a threatening step forward and Baxter

rushed forward to stand between them. Putting a hand
on Cliff’s chest, Baxter replied, “It means that if you
don’t lose the attitude, I’m going to dump you off at the
first Right Wing church we find. Let them have to deal
with you and your jerk of a partner for a while.”

Before the situation could get totally out of control,

Ted and the camera crews converged on them. When
Reed broke one of the major rules by waving directly at
Angel, Baxter had to hold in a laugh. He’d almost
forgotten how much fun things could be with Reed
around. The guy could make a Catholic Mass a comedic
event.

“Good morning, racers,” Ted called.
Even giving the early time, Ted looked as

impeccable as ever. It made Baxter hate the guy all the
more. Nobody had any business being so chipper and
handsome before ten in the morning.

“Where in the hell is our coffee?” Reed grumbled.
The beverage had been missing from the catering

table that morning and Reed had been a bit of a bitch
ever since finding out. The guy didn’t have many vices,
but his early morning cup of joe was one of them.

Cliff blinked innocently. “Oh, I drank the last of it.

There wasn’t that much left. It barely filled my mug.
I’m so sorry.”

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“Liar!” Jenny pointed a finger at him. “The huge

thermos thingy was full of it and you dumped it all out
before Reed got there. I saw you do it.”

“Thermos thingy?” Cliff rolled his eyes. “I’m sure

they’ll believe you. With your low IQ, you have both
Britney and Jessica beat in the duh department.”

Reed lunged forward, ready to attack, but Baxter put

an arm around his partner’s waist and held him back.
“Now, now, now, cupcake. If you smack him around,
we’ll get disqualified and then we won’t have a chance
to beat him fair and square. Afterward we can rub both
of their heavily made-up faces in the sand.”

“Can we help?” Jo asked, her eyes glinting with

rage.

“Everybody is welcome. Well, maybe not Waldorf

and Statler. They’ll probably still be sleeping.”

Ted let out a sigh, as if he were the one who had to

deal with all the crap. Sure, he may have to deal with a
bit of mouthyness, but other than that, he spent the rest
of his time in a nice, air-conditioned trailer.

“Can we get today’s event started?” Ted asked.
When they nodded, he pointed to a box that held the

envelopes containing the clues. Since Reed, Baxter, Jo
and Becky had tied for first the night before, they got to
run to the clue box first.

Tearing it open, Reed read, “I see London. I see

France. You better hope you didn’t wear a skirt today
or else I will see your underpants.”

They all groaned in unison.
“These clues are just getting worse,” Becky

grumbled. “I swear they’ve been written by a twelve-
year old.”

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Baxter barely heard her. He was too busy looking up

at the massive wall of rock that they would soon be
climbing. Already, the crew was getting out the rigging
and whatever the hell the rest of the equipment was.

Jo put a hand on his shoulder. “Have you ever done

any climbing?”

“Does the pole at the local gay club count?” Baxter

replied.

Usually it would be Reed who came up with a

smartass comment like that, which just showed how
nervous Baxter truly was. Jo gave him an understanding
smile before she waved Reed over.

“Becky and I are pretty experienced at this and, from

what I’ve heard, so are you. So, why don’t you lead the
way and we’ll follow Baxter. That way, he’ll have
support on both sides.”

Relieved that he would have so much support,

Baxter gave her a huge hug. They pulled away and
began to quickly suit up. The other teams were now
reading their clues, so they would catch up quick if
Baxter’s group didn’t get a move on it.

Baxter started to gaze up at the wall again only to

have Reed pull him in for a hot, lingering kiss. Once
they were apart, Baxter’s body buzzed with passion so
much that his phobia had taken a backseat.

“You keep doing that on purpose,” Baxter accused

lightly.

Reed’s smile was unapologetic all the way. “It

works, doesn’t it?”

Baxter nodded. He had to give the brat that much.

Then before he could get himself worked up again,
Reed led the way over and they began to climb.

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Baxter kept his gaze focused on Reed and his ears on

Jo. They both coached and called out words of
encouragement. There were a few times where the
footholds appeared impossibly small, or the grips too
far apart. Each time, Jo and Reed talked him through it
and before he realized it, they were at the top.

Letting out a whoop of happiness he cupped both of

Reed’s cheeks and brought him in for a hard kiss. Then
Baxter finally peered over the edge. It gave him a ton of
satisfaction to see Cliff and Aiden struggling, while
Jenny and Tommy were already near the top. There was
still no sign of Waldorf and Statler. Baxter’s only regret
as far as that went was that he would be long gone by
the time they woke up. He was going to miss the looks
of horror on their faces when they came out of their
tents and found everybody else missing.

Reed wrapped Baxter in a tight embrace. “I knew

you could do it.”

“Thanks to you, Becky, and Jo.”
“Don’t count yourself short. That was the second

time you faced one of your biggest fears and refused to
back down. I’m so proud of you.”

Baxter gave off his best impression of one of Reed’s

cocky smiles. “Hey, it’s a piece of cake. I can’t wait to
see what they throw at us next.”

* * * *

Private Confessional with contestant Baxter.

“How did it feel to face your fears?” the producer

asked.

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“Do you mean my phobia of heights or me finally

confessing everything to Reed?” Baxter asked. He still
had a bit of resin on his hands, and when he brushed his
face, a smear was let behind.

The producer leaned forward. “Let’s go with both of

them.”

“It feels great. After living this long always being

afraid of being less than perfect, it’s nice to show my
weaknesses for once. Still a little shaken with the
heights, though. I don’t think I’ll be doing a repeat of
that anytime soon if I can help it.”

“Somehow, I don’t think your father would agree

with you.”

Baxter snorted. “Are you kidding? He would be livid

to find out that I even hinted that I may have some
faults. All the men in my family are expected to be
perfect and nothing less will suffice.”

“Reed doesn’t care about your faults. At least not

anymore,” the producer mused.

“No, he and I both realized that we have things to

work on. This time we’re going to help each other
overcome them instead of judging each other.”

“Do you really think that will work?”
Baxter grinned. “It did today. I never would have

thought it possible that I would rock climb, let alone
bungee jump, but I managed to do both. That’s not my
biggest accomplishment, though.”

“Okay, then what is?”
“I got Reed to admit he loved me.”
“We heard that. In fact, all of America did. I didn’t

think it would be possible, but you’re more popular
than ever. It seems like you gain thousands of fans

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every day.”

Baxter shook his head. “I still don’t get that. We’re

just a couple of normal, everyday, gay boys.”

“That’s precisely why the public has fallen in love

with you. You’re everything that they see in
themselves. In short, you’re what they want to be.”

For once, Baxter didn’t have a reply.

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Chapter Nine

losing the door behind a dusty Becky and Jo, he
knew he owed them big time. Without having much

time while Bax was away at his confessional, Reed
collected the two women in hopes that they would help
him clean the small cabin that he and Bax were staying
in tonight. It was a nice cabin, it just had enough dirt in
it to keep Bax distracted for hours. Reed wanted tonight
to be special, not filled with Bax going in search for the
nearest cleaner.

Everyone had grown to love Bax, which was why

Becky and Jo didn’t even hesitate when Reed asked for
their help. They just wrapped their hair in colorful
bandanas and set to work on scrubbing walls and
washing counter surfaces while he tackled the floor.
They had found two hidden cameras in the loft Reed
and Baxter would be sleeping in tonight. Becky took
them with a smirk and put one in the Ken dolls’
bedroom and kitchen area. Although they did sign a
contract that cameras could be placed in the room, it
still gave Reed the willies at thinking that someone
would have seen his naked ass on television.

A knock came at the door and Reed went over to

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open it, surprised to see Lana standing there. “Hey,
what’s up?”

Lana walked in, shaking her head, “That’s too easy.”
Reed chuckled, “Okay, what’s with the bag? I

thought I told the Schwan’s guy that I would be out of
town for a few weeks and wouldn’t be able to get my
fire-baked spinach and mushroom pizza.”

She gave him a cheeky smile while walking over

with the shopping bag to the dining room table. “I know
what’s up. That’s why I went over to the cabin offices
and brought you back fresh sheets. Here’s some take-
out for you two. Here’s a little lantern since we can’t
have candles in here. Here’s Febreze to spray the
sheets. Bax will love that…oh, and condoms and lube.”

A blush painted Reed’s face. “Thanks, Lana, I don’t

even know how to repay you, but I did have the
condoms and lube covered.”

She carried the neatly stacked sheets and supplies,

then began climbing the ladder to the loft. “This is just
in case you two go all night long.”

Lana began making the bed while humming the

Lionel Richie song. It was funny watching her shake
her hips while bending over to keep from hitting her
head on the ceiling.

Looking in the paper bag, Reed pulled out paper

plates with flowers lining them. He went to work
plating the two pasta dishes, chicken for Bax and
vegetables for him. Lana was too good to them,
remembering how he was a vegetarian. He set the
lantern in the middle. Bax would be back any minute
and he hadn’t even had his shower yet.

“Good job, that looks terrific. He should be back any

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minute now. I’m going to get out of your hair before he
gets back.” Lana picked up the empty bag and stood
next to him.

Reaching over, Reed gave her a peck on the cheek.

“You’re too good to us. I wish we could keep you and
your brother when this is all over.”

Lana shoved him away with a watery smile, “Don’t

worry, Craig and I already said we were going to
kidnap you two when the show was done.”

Reed walked her to the door, “You can’t kidnap the

willing.”

Bax was walking up, completely lost in thought,

while Lana, still laughing, was making her way down
the same dirt path. At the very last moment he spotted
Lana and moved in to pick her up and hug her while
twirling her in the air. Lana shrieked out a laugh and
then slapped him on the arm. She staggered away
laughing. It was an amazing look on her. She had gone
from an intimidated, shy woman to the carefree,
outgoing, sweet person that he had come to really care
for.

Bax continued toward him up the path while still

chuckling. “Hey.”

Reaching out to touch Bax’s cheek, Reed noticed his

arms were still dirty from cleaning and climbing. “Hang
on a minute and let me go get a shower.”

Bax looked at him longingly, “Can I come, too?”
“Sure, but it’s pretty small so it will be a tight

squeeze or we can use the outdoor shower and run the
risk of the cameramen joining us.” Reed could
practically feel them going all Austin Power on them
while watching them bathe. Yes, yes, you’re an animal,

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90

you’re a tiger, you’re Tony the tiger. And I’m spent.

Shaking his head, Bax replied, “I think I’ll take the

tight confines of the indoor shower, thank you. I’ll
probably enjoy it far more anyway.”

Leading the way, Reed entered the house, pulling

Bax by the hand toward the tiny bathroom located off to
the side. He almost groaned when he got in there. There
were flower petals sprinkled on the clean floor. Bax
would see through this immediately, he would have
never given flowers to Bax.

Turning around to apologize, he saw Bax standing

there, looking on in amusement. “Okay, who did you
get to help you out? You would never in a million years
have done something so…oh come on, it’s flowers.”

Reed began scooping up the offending petals, “I

think it was Becky. Sorry about this. I was kind of in a
rush to clean the place for you. The place was in a
mess.”

Bax grabbed him into a hug. “Thanks for cleaning

the place for me. That means a lot.”

“I want tonight to be special for us. I don’t want you

worrying about all the flies I found on the windowsill,”
Reed chuckled when Bax shuddered in his arms.

“Eww…that’s just gross. You can say whatever you

want, but no one would want to sleep with that next to
their head.”

Bax reached into the tiny circular shower and began

messing with the nozzles to adjust the temperatures.
After testing the water a few times, Bax must have
deemed it just right. He turned and began removing
Reed’s shirt and cargo shorts. Kneeling down, Bax
slowly lifted each leg until Reed stood before him

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completely naked. Instead of rising like Reed expected
him to do, Bax leaned his forehead to rest on Reed’s
stomach while wrapping his arms around his middle.

Bax whispered, “I missed you so much. It was the

little things that seemed to kick me in the stomach after
you were gone. The way you laughed at Monty Python,
how your eyes would light up when you had a good day
out in the wilderness, how you reached out for me in
the night when you were fast asleep. You may not
believe this, but I was better when you were around.
After you left, I began lining everything up again,
cleaning and kept checking the locks. I never felt safe
with you gone.”

Reed pulled Bax to his feet and began removing his

clothing one item at a time. “I’m here now and if you
want, when we’re done with the race, we can go
together and talk to someone.”

Reed led Bax into the shower and began rinsing his

dark hair. It was a tight squeeze, they wouldn’t be doing
anything in here. There was barely enough room in
there to fit the two of them and slide the door closed.

“I just started seeing someone a couple months ago.

She was the one that said I could handle going on the
show without having panic attacks. I have an open
communication with her throughout the show. If I get
too stressed, I can call her but I haven’t needed to. I
really feel like I’m free for the first time in my life and
can take a deep breath.” Bax began rubbing soap into
Reed’s hair.

“That’s wonderful. You really are taking control of

your life now.” Reed rubbed soap on the small of Bax’s
back.

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Turning around, Bax looked back at him with long

dark wet lashes. He didn’t say anything, he just reached
for him and began slowly kissing him. Bax immediately
opened his mouth and returned the kiss with an
enthusiasm that almost brought Reed to his knees. Reed
embraced Bax, pressing their wet slippery bodies
together. The hot water only added to the kiss and the
friction of their hard bodies. Both of their erections slid
together and if they weren’t careful this was going to
end quickly.

Reluctantly, Reed pulled away. “I think we need to

take this to the loft. Let’s finish up and get up there.”

Trembling a little, Bax agreed with a shake of his

head and began to efficiently wash his body head to toe
in record time. Reed followed his actions and was done
just as quickly.

They were still wet when Bax started to climb the

ladder followed by Reed. He kept taking small little
nips of Bax’s ass, which slowed their progress, but they
did eventually make it to the top. The ceiling was low
so both of them had to crawl into the large bed that took
up the entire loft.

Reed watched Bax lift one of the two boxes of

condoms with a raised eyebrow.

“I was prepared, but Lana wanted to make sure we

were, too. Who knows, maybe we’ll make up for lost
time.” Reed crawled toward Bax.

“Not if you want me walking tomorrow. Who knows

what they’ll have for us next.” Bax opened up the box
and retrieved a foil packet and a new tube of lube
before scooting over to the center of the bed. Bax
looked at him with complete trust and love as he

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handed over the supplies.

Suddenly, all the nerves that Reed had about tonight

disappeared. This was Bax he was about to make love
to—the love of his life. He took the supplies and laid
them next to the pillow. He wanted to take his time
relearning Bax.

Reed kneeled over Bax and began kissing his neck,

trying to find all the little spots that used to drive his
lover crazy. He found the first one at the base of his
neck and began sucking on it until it left a small mark.
He made another small mark when he found the spot
behind his ear. The viewers were going to know by
morning that Bax now belonged to Reed.

Moving down, Reed trailed kisses along Bax’s pecs

and rippled stomach. He sucked on both of his nipples,
making Bax squirm on the covers. Reed took his time
on every inch until he had Bax moaning and his skin
was raised in goose bumps.

Usually, Reed would skip and move onto the legs,

but Bax’s erection was weeping pre-cum and he wanted
to taste it. Grabbing the base with one hand, Reed
began laving off the cream at the top of the head,
making Bax release a low groan. Bax’s sweet taste
exploded in his mouth, making Reed take him deeper
into his throat in search of more.

Reed heard the rustling of sheets and glanced up to

see that Bax had a white-knuckled grip on them. Bax’s
abs and buttocks were tight with tension to hold back
the release that Reed was working him toward. Popping
his lips from around Baxter’s cock, Reed quickly
grabbed the lube and uncapped it.

“Can you hang on, Bax, and let me get you ready? I

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94

want to be inside you when you go.” Reed put a large
dollop on his fingers and set to work pressing his first
finger inside Bax.

Groaning and tossing his head, Bax replied, “I think

I can, just hurry please.”

Reed began working in a second finger, scissoring

them so that Bax would stretch faster. By the time Reed
was working in the third finger, Baxter was losing
control.

Sitting up quickly, Reed unwrapped the condom.

“Come on, Reed, I’m about to pop.”

Reed pulled out his fingers and wrapped his erection

in the latex. Lining up his cock, he finally began to
push inside of Bax. He searched Bax’s eyes for any
signs of discomfort as he got past the first ring of
muscles. Bax’s pupils were blown wide and his lips
slightly parted. There was no trace of pain on his face.

“You okay?”
Bax whispered, “Perfect.”
Reed finally bottomed out inside of Bax and took a

few moments to collect himself. With Bax being so
warm and tight, he was close to losing control. While
they both enjoyed rough sex in the past, they also
enjoyed the gentle lovemaking.

Pulling out slightly, Reed began a slow, gentle

lovemaking. It was amazing how after being apart for
so long they were able to remember the little touches
that drove each other to orgasm. Reed could feel the
orgasm building in his lower stomach and the
tightening in his ass. There was a tingling in his legs
that told him he couldn’t hold on much longer. He
reached down to grab Bax’s erection and within a

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couple strokes, Bax was yelling out with his release.
Bax tightened his muscles, making Reed follow him in
their mutual bliss.

Reed pulled out gently and fell over to the side of

Bax. “You okay?”

Bax looked over at him with a satisfied sleepy grin

on his face, “I’m great. You?”

“Happy.” Reed chose that moment for his stomach

to grumble loudly. “I left our dinner downstairs. I’ll go
and get it and we can have a picnic up here if the
roaches haven’t walked away with it yet. I’ll get us
something to clean up with, too.”

“Roaches? Are you serious?” Bax looked at him

with wide eyes. He looked absolutely adorable with his
dark hair all messed up and marks all over his neck.
There was no other way of saying it other than Bax
looked well fucked.

Looking one last time, Reed descended to go collect

their meals. They would need their strength for the
morning. Tomorrow they would reach the finish and all
teams were still in the race.

* * * *

Private Confessional with contestant Reed.

The producer sat down with his freshly brewed cup

of coffee and a pissed off expression. “So, what
happened last night?”

Reed gave a smug smile, obviously proud of the way

he’d managed to find, then move, the hidden cameras.
“What? You didn’t get it on film?”

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96

Gary gave him an irritated glare. “You know I

didn’t. All I got was a view of a dead fly on a window
sill. The other one, I got was a little more interesting.
Aiden and Cliff won’t be making it into the final today.
After the threesome they had last night, they’ve been
disqualified and I had to fire their cameraman.”

Reed blinked a few times in shock. “I would have

liked to beat them on our own and not through
disqualification. I’m sure that footage won’t make it
live.”

“No, it won’t. Not unless we want America to go

blind. The stuff I heard and saw on that film last night
still has my jaw dragging on the floor. So, tell me about
you and Bax since we didn’t get the footage.” The
producer gave a mock pout.

“We’re back together for sure but I’m not going to

go into details about last night. We’re happy and that’s
all that matters,” Reed smiled, no doubt reliving the
encounter in his mind.

“Good luck today. I know America is really rooting

for the two of you.”

Shaking the producer’s hand, Reed looked into the

camera. “Thanks and thank you, America. See you at
the finish.”

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Chapter Ten

his was it—the end—the moment the constants and
all the viewers had been waiting for. By the end of

the day, they would know what team was the winner.

As they assembled outside of the cabin, Reed

couldn’t hold back his smile. As far as he was
concerned, he already was the winner. Not only did he
have Bax back in his life, but Reed had grown so much
in the past few days. No longer did he think that the
word revolved around him and his needs. He now
realized that he was just a small piece in the puzzle that
was his life. Thanks to Bax, their new friends and the
show, Reed finally felt he held enough of the pieces to
put it all together and make sure he was a much better
person.

As soon as they were asked to put on jumpsuits,

Reed had a sinking feeling. He’d gone skydiving plenty
of times and every time, he’d always worn a similar
outfit. He decided to share the information with Bax at
the last possible moment. While his lover was doing
great, Reed didn’t want to send the guy into a panic
attack.

The ride was silent. The old geezers were so far

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behind from the day before, that they wouldn’t even be
able to start the next leg for three more hours. Since the
Ken dolls were gone, that left only their alliance.

If any of them knew what task lay ahead, they all

kept quiet about it. No doubt for Bax’s benefit. Reed
then knew that he was lucky in so many ways. It wasn’t
often that a man found others that he could truly trust,
and here he had a van full.

It wasn’t until the drive was almost over that Craig

tapped Reed on the shoulder. “The rest of us were
talking last night.”

“I’m sure you were,” Reed teased, waggling his

eyebrows.

Craig gave a soft laugh before continuing. “We

know how big of a venture it is to start up a new
business and you’re going to need all the help you can
get.”

Reed didn’t even bother asking how they all knew

what he needed the money for. He already realized
there were going to be no secrets with the nosey bunch.

“What are you getting at?” Reed asked, wondering if

they were going to try to talk him out of it.

“We want to invest in your business and work with

you to make it a success.”

Reed blinked, emotion welling in his chest. “Are you

serious?”

He glanced at the rest of the group. Even Angel

broke protocol and gave a thumbs-up.

Lana added, “We made a vow last night. No matter

who wins, the money is going into your business.”

For a moment, Reed was too overcome to talk. To

know that these people who he’d just met were willing

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to sacrifice so much just for him to have his dream,
humbled him and made him feel so loved. Bax put an
arm around Reed’s shoulder.

“See, you’re never going to be alone again. Not only

will I be there for you, but so will the others.”

Reed took a few breaths to center himself before he

added, “Okay, but only if we all agree to be equal
partners. I think we should also figure out a way to get
Latitude 45 in the name of the place. After all, that’s
what brought us together.”

They all reached in their hands for the classic go-

team gesture. It was a bit awkward, given how some of
them had to lean over two sets of seat, but they
somehow managed.

Once that was settled, they arrived to the sight of

their final challenge. When it was an airstrip, Reed
wasn’t surprised. Neither was anybody else, given the
sighs of resignation that filled the van.

They all got out, none of them showing an ounce of

their earlier excitement. Reed got the feeling that
maybe Bax wasn’t the only one who wasn’t looking
forward to jumping from a plane.

Ted bounded over, his hair perfect and his makeup

so thick that he could have passed for Tammy Faye’s
bastard son.

“Are you guys ready for your final challenge?”
When only a smattering of applause met his

question, Ted frowned. “Come on, you can do better
than that. In a matter of a few hours one team will be
millionaires.”

“Not really, taxes are going to take a huge chunk of

that away,” Bax grumbled.

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100

Ted didn’t seem too impressed with that comment,

he even mumbled to Angel, “Make sure to edit that
out.”

Angel gave an evil grin. “Sorry, this part is live. So,

the viewers have already heard it.”

Ted shot the poor cameraman a glare, as if Angel

were the one who controlled the production schedule.
Ted then turned back to the contestants. “We saved our
best challenge for last. One member from each team is
going to go up in the plane. Then, while going in
tandem with an instructor, you will skydive. At the
same time, the other member of your team will be on
the ground, putting together a life-sized puzzle. The
first team that has their skydiver land on the completed
puzzle wins.”

Reed raised his hand. “I’ve gone through AFF

training and have over twenty jumps under my belt. Do
I still have to go tandem?”

“Yes, we have to make it fair to the rest of the

contestants,” Ted answered.

“Well, then if I have to act like the rest of the gang,

then it’s a good thing the Ken dolls are gone. I would
have hated to scream and pee in fear like they did rock
climbing. The poor instructor strapped to me would
have gotten a tad messy.”

“Damn it, doesn’t your mouth ever stop?” a voice

off-camera chided.

“Gary, Gary, Gary,” Reed admonished in a way that

had almost become ritual to them. “What fun would I
be then? You know you love my snark. It makes people
like me, because I say the stuff that they only dare to
think.”

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After that they huddled in a group to decide who

would be jumping and who would stay on the ground.
Bax’s ashen face, looked anxiously at Reed. “I don’t
mind doing the jump.”

Reed leaned in and gave Bax a tender kiss. “You

don’t have to prove yourself to me anymore. In case
you haven’t noticed, I’m not going anywhere. You’re
stuck with me for good. So, I think we should take this
challenge a more logical way.”

“What’s your plan?” Bax asked all business.
“Since I have experience at skydiving it will give us

an advantage, even if I still have to do a tandem jump.
You, on the other hand, have always been awesome at
puzzles. So, I say that we go with what we each do best
and trust each other to succeed.”

Bax pulled him into a tight hug. “Now I know for

sure that we’re going to make it this time and I don’t
mean just this challenge, either.”

Joy soared through Reed. “I think so, too. Nothing

can stop us now. Plus, I’m not going to be stupid like I
was a year ago. If you try to run out on me again, I’ll
chase you down and drag you back.”

“Ditto,” Bax whispered into Reed’s ear.
They parted ways as the two groups were led into

different direction. Reed only had time to turn and
mouth one last I love you, before being directed into a
rusted out hanger that had been converted into a
classroom of sorts.

After a few moments, Reed realized the instructor

knew less than him about skydiving. So, that allowed
Reed’s mind to wander as he pondered where they were
taking Bax and what kind of puzzle they had to solve.

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102

Reed swore that if it was yet another rainbow he was
going to retaliate by running over and messing up Ted’s
hair. That would teach him.

All the while, Reed wondered where Bax was and

what instructions he would be getting. A large part of
Reed was happy that Bax would be able to remain on
the ground. He’d already faced his fear of heights
enough. There was no need for him to have to go
through it again.

It wasn’t until everybody stood that Reed realized it

was time to go. He boarded the plane with the others
and then waited, his heart hammering in his chest. Not
from fear of the jump, but that they would lose. While
the other teams might have promised to join in the
business, they could always change their minds.

Then Reed reminded himself that he’d already won

the biggest prize of all—Bax. A sense of calmness
washed over Reed and he knew that if he lived to be a
thousand years old, he would never, ever take Bax for
granted again.

* * * *

Baxter stood in the middle of a huge field. They had all
the contestants evenly spaced out, a huge burlap bag at
their feet. Each one of the sacks were a different color,
Baxter’s was blue. Since it was Reed’s favorite color,
Baxter decided to take that as a good omen.

The usual crewmembers were there, but there were a

surprisingly large amount of locals, too. Somehow,
word of the final finish line must have leaked out and
fans were showing up in droves. Security personnel

Latitude 45

103

were holding them back, but Baxter could still hear the
crowd shouting their support.

He was amazed to hear his and Reed’s name being

shouted the most. Some fans had even made up signs.
They said things like Reed and Bax! True love forever!
Reed and Bax! Will you marry me? Who needs Prince
Charming? Reed has Bax.

Then the whistle blew, indicating they could start,

and Bax blocked everything out. As he worked the
knots on the bag, he wondered what he would find
inside. All they had been told was that they had to have
their puzzle assembled by the time their partner landed.
The first team to fully complete the task won.

Dumping out the contents, Bax found several,

humongous puzzle pieces. A heady feeling of victory
came through him. Ever since he’d been small, he’d
loved puzzles like this, only on a smaller version. They
were a part of his OCD. He’d always taken comfort in
the soothing sensation of taking something that was a
mess and putting it in order again.

He immediately set to work. At first he had no idea

what the final picture was supposed to be. Then he took
a closer look at the black and red curved stripes and
realized it was a bulls-eye. In the center was the show’s
logo with the words Latitude 45.

Bax began to frantically put the pieces together. He

didn’t know how the others were doing, nor did he hear
anything. He’d gone into what Reed had always called
The Bax Zone and all that mattered at the moment was
making order of the mess in front of him.

Since he still wore that stupid suit, sweat began to

dribble down his back and face. He didn’t take time to

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

104

wipe it away, too intent on finishing. He started with
the middle and worked his way out. Most people liked
to go for the corner pieces first, but Bax wasn’t like
others. Plus, the puzzle was going to be a circle when it
was finished, so there really weren’t any corner pieces.

He didn’t know how much time passed, but he

finally slammed in the last piece. Once that was done,
he looked up and saw parachutes approaching. Like the
bags, each of the ‘chutes were different colors, so he
knew the blue one was Reed.

Now, all Bax could do was stand in the center and

wait. He glanced over, amazed to see that only Lana
had finished. The others were letting out curses of
frustration as they glanced down at their half completed
puzzles.

Out of the corner of his vision, Bax saw the Ken

dolls standing next to Ted. The dolls didn’t look happy
to be there. They must have been forced due to contract
obligations.

The roar of the crowd grew louder. Now it was just

between Bax and Lana. They glanced at each other,
exchanged a smile, then gazed back up to the sky.

For a moment, it looked like Reed would lose. Then

at the last moment, he seemed to gain a burst of
momentum. Bax tried to brace himself, but when Reed
hit him, they both went down.

Or rather, they all three went down, since Reed was

still strapped to the dive instructor. It was a bit
awkward until the third wheel unstrapped himself and
took several steps back.

Once freed, Reed wrapped his arms around Baxter

and they hugged each other tightly.

Latitude 45

105

“We did it!” Reed exclaimed.
“I’m so proud of you.”
They exchanged a hot kiss as the rest of the

contestants were reunited. Then they were all brought
back to the real world when Ted stepped forward and
gestured for Reed and Baxter to stand. Once they did,
the announcer said, “After traveling hundreds of miles,
in a rusted out VW Bug, no less—”

“It’s a great car. Don’t diss it,” Bax cut in.
In fact, he decided that he was going to buy one of

his own the first chance he got.

Ted continued, “And now you, Reed and Baxter, are

the winners of the first ever Latitude 45 race.”

A loud cheer sounded. As soon as it died down, Cliff

snarled, “At least Lana and Craig didn’t win. I would
have never been able to live with myself if I had lost to
that freak.”

A loud collective gasp filled the air. Craig, Tommy,

Reed and Baxter all stepped forward to give the asshole
the pounding he deserved, but Angel beat them to it.
Dropping his camera, the crewmember turned on Cliff
and punched him square in the jaw.

Cliff dropped to the ground as another round of

cheers filled the air. Then Angel turned to Ted. “Now
that the race is officially over, is the rule forbidding us
from mingling with contestants lifted?”

When Ted gave a dazed nod, Angel went over to

Lana and put his arms around her waist. “You have no
idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”

He then gave her a soft, tender kiss. When they

broke apart, Lana raised a hand to her lips. “Did you
want to do it because you like me, or because you

Stephani Hecht & Jackie Nacht

106

wanted to know what it felt like to kiss a freak?”

Cupping her face with his hands, Angel replied, “I

did it because I’m falling for you—hard. In fact, I have
never met a more beautiful or brave woman in my life.”

Reed whispered in Baxter’s ear. “Oh, my god. How

cool is that? Did you even see this coming?”

Lana and Angel were kissing again. Bax decided he

wanted some of his own loving. Pulling Reed closer to
him, Bax replied, “Life is full of surprises and now I
know that I can’t control them. I’m just going to have to
go with them and hope that I don’t stumble along the
way.”

Reed gazed at him lovingly. “If you do, Bax, I’ll

always be there to catch you.”

About the Authors

Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two.
Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all things about
the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red
Wings hockey team. You can usually find her snuggled
up to her laptop, creating her next book.

Contact her at:
Email Address:[e-mail]
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StephaniHecht
FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profil&id

=1109353859

MySpace:
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Listhttp://www.myspace.com/stephanihecht

Jackie Nacht is happily married to her husband for

over nine years. She is currently a stay at home mom
where her days are spent playing blocks, dinosaurs, and
taking her little ones to the park. At night, she is
typically curled up reading a book or on her laptop
writing, while her feet are tucked under her hubby to
keep them warm.

Contact her at:
No [e-mail]
Facebook:
No Listhttps://www.facebook.com/#!/jackie.nacht