notes/disclaimers
Ray cursed as he steered the Riviera through the
streets of Chicago. Damn Benny anyway! Where was he?
Ray cursed again. He actually had a pretty good idea
of where Benny was.
Instead of taking a taxi or the El home, or waiting
for Ray to get off of work like any normal human being
would, Benny was most likely walking home through the
pouring rain.
Sure enough, two blocks later, he spotted a figure in
jodhpurs, a tan shirt and a Stetson walking casually
along the sidewalk. Ray pulled the Riv over to the
curb and jumped out. “Benny!” He yelled.
Ben stopped and turned around, an expression of happy
surprise on his face. “Ray! What are you doing
here?”
“What am I doing here? What do you think I’m doing
here?” Ray asked, walking over to him. “I came to
give you a ride home. Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“You were working late tonight, and we both agreed
that I would find my own way home.”
“That was before the monsoon hit.”
“You’re being silly, Ray. This is just a normal
rainfall.”
“It is pouring out here, Fraser. You’re soaked to the
skin. Did you ever hear that expression ‘doesn’t know
enough to come in out of the rain?’”
Ben grinned at him. “You’re standing in the rain too,
Ray.”
Ray shook his head helplessly. “So I am. But in my
case I have a good excuse- I was chasing down a
demented Mountie.”
“This is not dementia, this is perfectly acceptable
behavior. It’s even logical.”
“Logical?” Ray asked, clearly very skeptical of Ben’s
statement.
“Yes, Ray. Perfectly.”
“Tell me how it is perfectly logical to be walking
around in the pouring rain as if you didn’t have a
care in the world,” Ray said, running a hand over his
face to wipe away the water.
Ben looked at him for a moment, then removed his
Stetson and placed it on Ray’s head.
“Thank you,” Ray said grudgingly.
“You’re very welcome.” Ben smiled at how cute Ray
looked in his Stetson, but decided not to mention it
to him. “It is perfectly logical for me to be walking
in the rain because it feels good, Ray.”
“Excuse me?”
“It has been so hot lately, and so humid, with the air
not moving at all. This rain is a blessed relief.”
Ray opened his mouth to speak, but Benny didn’t let
him.
“I know what you’re going to say, Ray; but there is
absolutely no danger of me catching a cold. For one
thing, the idea that you can catch a cold from being
out in the rain is merely an old wives tale. And even
if it weren’t, it wouldn’t matter anyway. This rain
is actually quite warm. I find it refreshing and
invigorating.”
“Invigorating?”
“Yes.”
“So you find it invigorating to be walking around
soaking wet, with your clothes soaked through and
sticking to you…” Ray’s voice trailed off as he
looked at Ben.
Benny was indeed soaked to the skin, and he looked
wonderful. His hair was already drenched, and it was
plastered to his head in an unruly manner very much
unlike the usual neat-as-a-pin Mountie.
Ben was carrying his suit jacket over his arm, and his
shirt was soaked through and clinging to his arms and
chest. Ray could see the outline of Ben’s nipples,
even through the shirt and undershirt, and he
swallowed heavily.
Ben saw Ray eyeing him; and his reaction. “Yes, Ray,
I feel invigorated,” he said; an odd catch in his
voice.
Ray smiled and stepped closer to Benny. “Come on,
we’d better go home and get you out of those wet
clothes.”
“Good idea,” Ben whispered. He reached out and
removed his Stetson from Ray’s head, then leaned in
even closer. Wrapping his arms around Ray’s waist, he
drew him into a kiss.
Ray responded eagerly, and the two men stood on the
sidewalk kissing as the warm rain continued to fall on
them.
THE END