Trouble in Paradise

Dust flew through the summer air as hoots and hollers mixed with some off-key singing came from the rumbling, tumbling red Corvette speeding down the street. Off to the right was the wooded area that surrounded the resort. 

“Here we are, boys!” Billy licked his lips, thinking about all the fun he was going to have now that Steve would be at his beck and call. 

A balding man with giant sunglasses came to open the door for the young man as the others just hopped out of the convertible. 

“Mr. Hargrove, it’s so wonderful to have you back.”

“It’s great to be back, Murray,” he said, shaking the man’s hand. “Tell me what’s going on this year.”

The trio followed listening to the older man. 

“Well, Mr. Clarke is back with a new musical…something about rockstars and L.A. I’m not really sure on that one,” Murray explained, leading them into the lobby area where Billy caught his reflection in the decorative mirror. Twirling a curl in front of his face, he watched as it bounced up into place. 

“Sounds good. Go on.”

“They decided against the pottery and art classes from last year,” he said, bringing them past the remodeled rooms. 

“Good those were awful,” Jason groaned.

“Yes,” Murray continued. “So, this year we have d-”

“Dance classes?” Billy asked.

“And yoga classes.”

“You can keep extra flexible for Harrington,” Tommy dug his elbow into the other man’s ribs, earning a quick shove and a “shut it” in return. 

“Speaking of…” Murray cut in.

“You said that was taken care of.”

“Yes, and he should be here this afternoon.”

“Perfect,” he smiled. “Nice work, Bauman. I’m starved…boys?”

The pair glanced at each other with a shrug before scampering off behind the other man.

🌈

This wasn’t always a resort. Once upon a time, it was a few cabins owned by a few different families. His mother Nelly had met Susan who had a little redheaded daughter, Max. The two women fell fast for one another. They moved both Billy and Max to Hawkins, buying a house in Loch Nora and a summer cabin at the lake. Max was so little it didn’t matter much to her, but Billy had to leave his friends behind in California. So, when he met one of his neighbors on the beach, he latched on, sucking as much attention he could out of little Steven Harrington like a blood-sucking leech. They would play cops and robbers on the beach, sometimes racing each other to the big rock that stuck up in the middle and back. It was fun, and what was even better was when they went to school. Billy learned Steve went to the same school as him. They were inseparable - building blanket forts in each other’s basements during the cold months and trying to get higher than the other on the swings during the nicer months. It was great. It was everything Billy could have wished for. During middle school, he realized his feelings for the other boy weren’t exactly platonic. He didn’t act on them though, but when little Steve had asked Nancy Wheeler to be his date to the Snow Ball, everything changed. 

“Hey, Billy! I got a new game, and I wa-” Steve was cut off by a scoff.

“Games are for babies, Harrington. Are you a baby?” the young boy asked as he bounced the basketball around his driveway. 

“Games aren’t for babies. Well…some are, b-but this one’s not.”

“Look…why don’t you go show your game to your girlfriend,” there was so much venom behind the word, it left a bad taste in his mouth. But he chose to ignore it in favor of staring the other boy down. 

“But I thought we cou-”

“Don’t you know how to take a hint? There is no more we or us - not since you chose her…just go away.”

The tanned boy’s head hung low as he walked down the street to go back home. 

That was the day Billy lost Steve, and he’s been working to get him back ever since. That’s why this summer was going to be perfect. They could hang out again, just the two of them, and with any luck, he could make the brunette fall for him.

“Have you seen Carl around here anywhere?” the dark-haired man questioned as he stuffed his face with pepperoni pizza. 

“Not yet,” Jason responded with his own mouth full of curly fries. 

“You two are gross. Ever heard of not talking with your mouth full,” Billy said with so much disdain in his tone the other two actually caught on. 

“What’s got your panties in a bunch,” the sandy-haired man squinted at him. 

“Nothing…” he said. “Carl’s probably by the pool. You know how much he loves to tan.”

His freckled face turned bright red at the thought, but it didn’t stop his mouth from moving, “I wonder if he’s already found his summer fling.”

“Well, you better hurry up before he starts humping one of the cabana boys,” Billy shooed him, and the man rushed off, presumably for the pool. 

The burgers were pretty good. Max’s little boyfriend must still be working in the kitchen. He came from a poor family, but for some reason, Susan loved him. So, she gave him a full-time job. The resort was open all year round with limited staff during the winter time, so there was always work for a line cook. It also gave Max extra time with him since she decided to live at the resort and not in Hawkins. 

“You know this plan of yours with Harrington is going to work, right?” Jason asked. 

“I know,” he said so confidently he almost believed it. 

The hardest part of this whole thing was that Steve seemed to genuinely love Eddie. It was infuriating, but it was also adorable. 

“Think I’ve got a shot with Heather?”

He chuckled at that thought, “Absolutely not. She is so, so very gay.”

“You think?”

“Well, there’s only one way to know. She’s probably still teaching tennis.”

With that, Jason left with a hopeful pep in his step. Even if Heather was gay, that’s alright. Patrick was looking mighty fine nowadays, and that boy was as queer as they come. 

Billy wiped his mouth, moving to stand up when he saw him. The man of his dreams walked into the dining room wearing khaki cargo shorts and a yellow and white striped polo. It reminded the man of a banana, and he wanted to take a little nibble. Steve raised his hand, and Billy smiled, lifting his hand for a wave. That was when he realized his hazel eyes were not set on him, so he turned to see none other than Eddie Munson standing just behind him. What the hell was he doing here? He flung his hand up in the air at the revelation the metalhead was in an apron with the little cart the busboys use to clear the tables. His hand just so happened to smack the waitress’ tray, sending it flying into the air and landing all over him. 

“Ahhhhh!” he yelled, looking down at his now beer-stained white tank top. He brushed an ice cube off his shoulder just as a group of people rushed over to him. 

“Billy?” 

That voice caught his attention. When he looked up, he was met by the prettiest pair of hazel eyes. 

“Are you a member here?” Steve asked.

“My parents own the place,” he said, looking over the other man’s shoulder only to find the tanned man’s posse of misfits and weirdos he hung out with at school. What the fuck? 

🌈

“How could you,” he yelled, rushing into the older man’s office after washing the alcohol smell from his hair.

“What?” Murray asked, his boyfriend was sprawled across his desk. It was lunchtime, and he was on break. Besides, he didn’t answer to Billy much, so who cared if he saw Alexei in his office, snacking on chocolate-covered strawberries?

“I told you to hire Steve, not the entirety of my high school.”

“You didn’t say I couldn’t hire other students. Your only request was to make sure Steve is here, and Steve is here. So, I did my job,” Murray took a bite of the fruit his boyfriend held out to him. 

“Ugh!”

“All of the new hires were approved anyways, so I figured you knew.”

What? Approved? That could only mean…dammit!

“You mean?”

“Yep,” the older man said with a pop.

🌈

“Mommy!” he screamed, bursting into her office where she was spread out on her desk, skirt hiked up with a redhead between her thighs. “Oh for the love of god!”

He turned around, covering his face and trying to scrub that last image from his brain. A rustling sound came from behind him, and he slowly turned around, assuming they had gotten into a decent position. 

“Mom, they can’t be here,” he whined.

She looked over at her wife with a smirk, knowing they’d pick up right where they left off in a few moments. 

“Who?”

“Nancy, Jonathan…Eddie Munson. They can’t be here.”

“But they’re your classmates. It could be good for you to branch out from Tommy Hagan and that little prick Jason.”

“Mom,” he gasped as the redhead laughed quietly. “They’re going to ruin my chances with Steve.”

“Take a chill pill, bubs. Everything will work out.”

He groaned, mumbling under his breath the whole way out.

🌈

Moments later he was back, swinging open the door to the older man’s office. This time though, Alexei had found a chair. It just so happened to already be taken. The pale man was straddling balding man, lips attached to his collarbone. 

“For fuck’s sake!” Billy shouted.

“Ever heard of knocking?” Murray scolded him as Alexei moved to stand up, fixing his shirt in the process. 

“I don’t care what you have to do, but I want Munson gone. You got it?”

“But your mother, s-”

“Cut the shit, Bauman. She doesn’t understand the situation. Get rid of Munson, capiche?”

“Capiche.”