Page 55 of Out on a Limb

“Hey, Walker,” Cameron said cheerfully. Henry mimed a blow job, so Cameron gave him the finger.

“Hey. How’s it going?” Walker asked. He was not having as much fun as Cameron, that was easy to tell.

“Geez, Walker. Don’t be so pedestrian.” Cameron chuckled at his joke. It’d been in his head for a while. He was glad he got to use it, finally.

“Cameron, I need to ask you for a favor.”

“A sexual favor?”

“A real one. It’s serious.”

Cameron got up and stood in the kitchen. He put on his serious face. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m supposed to pick up Hobie from gymnastics practice in a half-hour, but I have to work late. We’re having an emergency meeting, and I can’t get out of it. Are you able to pick Hobie up and watch him at your apartment until I’m done?”

“Um…” Cameron was not expecting that. Not at all. Was sexual favor still an option? “I don’t have a car.”

“You can take a cab. I’ll pay you back.”

“There’s nothing to do at my apartment for kids.” Not unless Hobie wanted to play a live-action game of 99 bottles of beer on the wall.

“You have a TV. You can order a pizza. Add it to my tab.”

I’m already ahead of you, he thought. He leaned against the counter and spun his bottle opener. Cameron felt a headache coming on. He was being forced to sober up too fast. “Can’t another parent in his class watch him?”

“I don’t have their phone numbers.”

“Doug probably does.”

“I’d rather not go that route if I don’t have to.”

A tense silence coated the line. Walker probably did have their numbers, and those parents definitely had Doug’s number. Cameron didn’t know parenting could be so political.

“Cameron, please. I know how absurd this sounds, that I’m even asking you at all. But Hobie feels comfortable with you, which doesn’t happen with most adults. And I trust you.”

Cameron wasn’t sure if he trusted himself.

“I’ve never baby-sat before.”

“I’ve seen you with him. You’re a natural.”

“You’re just trying to butter me up.”

Walker didn’t come back with a retort. Cameron heard a woman calling his name in the background.

“Walker, I don’t know if I can. I’m…” kinda wasted. But he stopped himself before saying that. Walker needed him, which stirred something in his chest that overrode his buzz.

“Cameron, please.”

“Okay,” he said.I can do this, Cameron told himself.

Walker exhaled a relieved breath. “Thanks. You saved me, Cameron.”

“I’m getting my wings next week.”

“I…” Walker stopped himself. Cameron had an inkling what he was going to say.

“You owe me one.”