Chapter 2

“I’ve missed breakfast but I can meet you for a late lunch, early dinner. I’m staying local for a few days. I took leave that I had built up. I’m kind of busy right now. Yes, I did say I was just waking up. Come on, Frank, cut me some slack here. I’m busy. Do I have to be more specific?” Andrew gave a throaty and knowing laugh. “Had a good time. Surprised me. What? Having dinner with Jessie’s parents? Sure. Would love to. Six-ish where? Okay, fine. Meet you in the lobby.”

Andrew put the phone back down but didn’t move off or away from Ian. “Frank is having dinner with your parents. So, call them and get an invitation to join them. We can at least start the evening together as well then.”

Ian’s head was swimming. “Does Frank have any idea…?”

“Oh, good God, no! But it is fun to lead him down that path where we are talking about two completely different things. I have practice.”

“And Stephen?”

Andrew’s face clouded a bit. “That was harder. We came through it all right and have remained friends. I offered to step down as best man but Stephen said he wanted me here—to be a part of all this.”

“So, coming out is new?”

“Depends on what you mean by coming out. I never really thought I was hiding anything. As a kid, I dated girls and fucked a few. Sex was just sex but I always knew I was drawn to guys more. Some may say I am bi, but really, I was more of an exploring homo.”

“But Stephen didn’t know?”

“I made a pledge to myself that if anyone ever asked if I was gay I’d be honest. But no one asked much and going into the Marines with “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, I couldn’t really be honest. I had sex enough with women that nobody really suspected. What about you?”

“I was caught sucking the cock of the quarterback in high school, so it became a thing for a while.”

Andrew’s bushy red eyebrows shot up and he threw back his head and laughed a full and vibrant laugh. “Was it worth it?”

“Oh, yeah. He was fun. He refused to blame me and said he enjoyed it and I was better than his girlfriend at sucking cock. Didn’t do anything to him at all. Girls wanted to prove they were better. He was still big man on campus; I was the school faggot. I took the GED to get out of there and start college a little early.”

“I will attest to your skill.”

“You do what you do best,” Ian said.

Andrew rolled off Ian and stayed on his side, arm propping his head, and smiling at Ian. “Call your parents or I’m having dinner with Frank for nothing.”

Ian smiled and reached for the phone. “Hello, Mom. Yes, I’m alive. No. Not in my room yet. Thought I’d check in. Guess I missed breakfast with you guys. Hmm. Okay and lunch, too. So, what about dinner? Ah, with Frank. Can I crash the party? I’ll be good. Who is joining, too? Oh, wasn’t he the best man?” Ian smiled at Andrew who buried his head in the pillow not to laugh out loud. “Oh, sure I can put up with both for dinner. Frank and I had better get used to each other or Christmas is gonna be awkward for him. Okay…seven in the bar. Love you, too.”

“I liked your parents,” Andrew offered for no reason. “They accepting?”

“For the most part. Since high school I’ve tried to keep a lower profile. Living in another city also helps. Jessie and I have always been close. Mom says we should have been twins.”

Andrew got quiet and solemn and then the moment passed. “I’ll be back. Don’t move. I have to pee,” he said as he rolled out of bed and disappeared through the bathroom door. Alone, Ian began looking for his mobile phone through the pockets of the nearest black trousers. They were Andrew’s so Ian went clothing exploring until he came up with the phone. He checked for messages and saw four missed calls from his mother and ten texts from his sister.

Crawling back into bed, Ian scanned the messages and the first few were “thank you’s” and “love you for being there for me’s.” Then there was the “why aren’t you texting back” ones and a couple that disturbed him. One from her said her honeymoon night was spent in an airport waiting for a flight to take off and another about how she had never seen Stephen so angry before. Ian texted back that his after wedding had been better than hers. He had just hit send when the phone buzzed and vibrated in his hand. Jessie was calling.