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Chris leaned across a large box of dusty, yellowed books and picked up a cracked paperback. “Here you go.”
Zach took the book and studied the cover. “How To Avoid Huge Ships?” He shook his head incredulously. “This book is for real?” Zach turned it over and started to read the back. “You’ve got to hear this.” Chris leaned closer, chest against shoulder, reading along as Zach read aloud. “Written by an old captain who was tired of running over fools in their pleasure boats and wanted to educate those same fools in a futile effort to save their lives.”
“Wow. That is…special.”
Zach put it under his arm and continued browsing.
“Are you really going to buy that?” Chris asked from another table.
“Seems fascinating. I have to find out what is so important about avoiding huge ships that someone had to write a book about it. It seems kind of like common sense to me.”
“You do realize,” Chris said, “that most of the world is lacking the common sense to tie their shoes, much less avoid huge ships.”
Zach laughed and continued browsing. He picked up a larger hardcover book. “Bombproof Your Horse.”
Chris leaned over and yanked the book from Zach’s hand. “This is a ridiculous title. Look – a subtitle. Even better,” he said sarcastically. “Teach Your Horse to Be Confident, Obedient, and Safe, No Matter What You Encounter. This is exactly what you need, Zach.”
“Yes, because I ride my horse through downtown LA so often. Helps beat the traffic.”
“Oooh, listen to the back.” Chris cleared his throat and adopted a serious tone. “A clearly illustrated manual that shows equestrians how to prepare their horses for the unexpected, turning them into safer, more pleasurable mounts.” He sidled up to Zach and whispered, “I think I have a pretty pleasurable mount right here,” and then slapped his ass.
“You’re a dirty boy,” Zach muttered under his breath.
“You love it.”
Zach looked through another pile of books and picked up a nearly pristine one, then snorted at the cover. “Just for you, Chris.” It was a romance novel with a muscular, bare-chested man in a loin cloth standing above a sexy, long-haired woman.
“Aww, thanks. Lone Arrow’s Pride. And look at the phallic spear on the cover.” Chris slid his finger along the blue spear on the cover. “You know me so well, dear.” Chris opened up the book and scanned the first few pages. He grabbed Zach’s hand, pulled him close, and donned a sexy voice. He began reading. “But although Carolyn might be young, she was not incapable. Using the sun and the mountains to get her bearings, Carolyn had followed a river which she thought might be the Tongue River.”
“The Tongue River?” Zach said dubiously. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope, I swear.” Chris handed the book over to Zach, who skimmed the page.
“Unbelievable.”
“I can show you the Tongue River,” Chris whispered in Zach’s ear.
“You’d do it anywhere, wouldn’t you?”
“Yep.” Chris kissed Zach quickly before taking his books, along with Zach’s copy of How To Avoid Huge Ships to the little old lady taking money. Zach just laughed and followed him.