Chapter 2

“Oh, you.” He blushed, but I hadn’t seen him look this happy in all the time I’d known him.

So he made reservations and we went to dinner, and I’d liked Micajah from the moment I met him, although it was strictly in a platonic manner, since, unlike Ron, I had no doubt about my sexual orientation. I loved women in all their many permutations.

Micajah and I both came from the same social and financial strata—we were strictly on the low side of middle class—while Ron’s family had more money than God. He was a good guy, though, and never flaunted his wealth or connections.

I never saw anyone as in love as Micajah was with Ron, and before long, they were a couple. I was happy for them, and truthfully, a little envious. I played the field, but the girls I dated never lasted longer than a few months at best, whereas my friends seemed in it for the long haul.

After Ron and I got our master’s, we rented a house together with Micajah. Ron had his MBA and had taken a position in a prestigious brokerage firm in Boston, I worked on my doctorate, while Micajah, after doing rotations in emergency medicine and then general surgery, decided to specialize in cardiology.

The next few years were busy and happy, although every once in a while I found myself wondering what it would be like to have a relationship comparable to theirs. However, it was only once in a while. Like a bee, I preferred flitting from flower to flower.

But as time passed and Micajah became more and more involved in his specialty, the less he was at home. I could see Ron becoming despondent…almost retreating into his shell—a repetition of his occasional behavior in high school, so I decided to drop a word in Micajah’s ear.

I found him in the kitchen nuking a cup of coffee from that morning. “Rough day?”

He gave a tired smile and raised his mug to his lips, and I knew whatever challenges he’d faced, he’d overcome them, hopefully successfully.

I hated like hell what I had to tell him, but it had to be done. I began speaking. “Ron’s becoming depressed.”

“What?”

“He’s questioning your commitment to him, to your relationship—”

His eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack, man.”

“Dammit.” He turned pale, and I caught the mug before it fell from his grip. “I can’t miss this seminar.” He was about to leave for Logan to catch his flight to Rochester, Minn. The Mayo Clinic was offering it, and it was important to his career.

“Think about it, okay?”

“I will. Thanks, Leo. You’re a real friend.”

As it turned out, I wasn’t as much of a friend as I’d intended to be, not to either of them. I was working extra hours in order to finish my dissertation in preparation of defending it, so I was rarely at home and had no idea what was going on there.

Two days before Micajah was supposed to come home, he called me. “I’m cutting short my stay here. Can you pick me up? I’ll be flying in to Logan at five.”

“That’s great. I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, Leo. And don’t tell Ron, okay? I’ve got something important to talk to him about, and I want to surprise him.”

“You’ve got it, buddy.”

Air travel being what it was, Micajah’s flight arrived forty-five minutes late, but that was okay. I’d been tracking it, and I was there in time to meet him.

“So can you tell me what the surprise is?” I asked once I’d gotten his suitcase in the trunk and we’d both buckled up. I was hoping it would be a proposal. And I would get to be best man—whether to Ron or to Micajah made no difference.

He looked serious. “I met someone at the seminar—”

“You weren’t cheating on Ron, were you?”

“What? Of course not! I’d never—why would you even think such a thing?”

I put the car in drive and left the airport. “You said you met someone.” Why hadmy mind gone directly to that?

“Another doctor.”

“You can’t cheat with a doctor?”

He bit back a laugh. “I’m sorry, I’d better explain. This doctor works in hospice, but he used to be a cardiologist.”

“So you got to talking shop?”

“In a manner of speaking. He was as driven back then as I am now, and between what we talked about and what you told me before I left, I came to the conclusion I’d better cut back or I’ll lose Ron.”

“So that’s what you’re going to do?”

“Yes. You know how Ron’s always wanted to vacation on the French Riviera? Well, I booked a flight for us while I was in Minnesota, and as soon as we get home, I plan to tell him we’re flying out next week. We’ll be spending a month there.”

“I…you’re the best boyfriend, Micajah.” I risked a glance at him, sending him an approving grin.