The Prince of Punk Rock (24 page)

Tommy jerked himself to a sitting position. “What are you
doing? Where are you going?”

“I’m . .
. I don’t know.
 
I’m going home, I
guess.”

“No
you’re not.”
 
Tommy scooted over to the
center of the bed, flipped the covers over and patted the empty space next to
him.
 
“Get back in bed.”

A smile
reappeared on Angel’s face, and he climbed in bed next to Tommy.
 
“This is nice,” he said, as he settled in and
snuggled up to Tommy.
 
“You’re letting me
sleep on your side of the bed.”

“It’s
your side, now, A.
 
Why were you
leaving?”

“I don’t
know.
 
I felt like I was in the way, all
of a sudden.
 
This is a little weird for
me.”

Jessi
picked her head up.
 
“You’re not in the
way, Angel.
 
We both want you here.
 
This is where you belong.”

“I’m not
really sure what we’re doing.”
 
Angel’s
face was a mixture of uncertainty and disquiet.
 
“Are we going to talk about it or—”

“Not
tonight,” Tommy said.
 
“But we
will.”
 
He kissed Angel, and then he
kissed Jessi.
 
Then he laid his head down
on the pillow and let out a long, contented sigh.
 
He couldn’t remember being happier than he
was right now.
 
Everything fell into
place the moment Angel entered his bed.
 
Angel was the missing piece of his heart that he endlessly searched for,
yet always escaped him.
 
There were no
longer empty spaces or gaps of nothingness that begged to be filled.
 
Now he was whole.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Angel
woke up with a massive hard-on.
 
For a
brief second, he thought last night was a dream, until a blond tuft of hair
tickled his nose.
  
His eyes immediately
went to Tommy, asleep and serene with a hint of smile on his
strikingly-handsome face.
 
He finally
bedded his sweet prince.
 
Angel could
hardly contain his excitement and giggled under the covers.
 
He watched Tommy sleep, and lightly caressed
his cheek.
 
Tommy’s peaches and
cream complexion was pure and unblemished, with a subtle glow.
 
His fingers moved to Tommy’s shoulder and
down the center of his chest.
 
Virtually
hairless, except for the blond lion’s mane that fell past his shoulders, Tommy’s
skin was as soft as butter.
 
He could
stroke it all day.
 
His face broke out
into an animated smile.
  
He still couldn’t believe he was laying in bed next to
Tommy Blade, the man of his dreams.

Angel
rested his lips on Tommy’s cheek, then on his mouth, without disturbing his
slumber.
 
He looked over at Jessi.
 
She was also asleep, nestled up against Tommy’s
other shoulder.
  
Maybe this was how it
would be – Angel on one side, Jessi on the other, and Tommy in the middle
bestowing his love on the both of them.
 
It was a situation that could work.
 
Maybe.
 
Angel looked back at
Tommy.
 
It
had
to work.
 
There was no other choice in the matter.
 
It was too late to turn back.
 
He might have been able to close off his
heart, seal up his emotions, if they hadn’t slept together. Now it was too
late.
 
There was no way he was living his
life without Tommy at his side.

Angel
kissed Tommy’s cheek again.
 
You make me
so happy.
 
“Te amo.
 
¿Me amas?”

Tommy
opened his eyes, halfway, and smiled.
 
“What did you just say?”

“Nothing.
 
Go back to sleep, mi amor.
 
Let’s stay in bed forever.”

Angel
didn’t want to leave the house, as if by doing so, it would somehow negate last
night.
 
It was stupid, he knew, but he
had so many questions.
 
He made breakfast
for everyone – huevos rancheros, just like his dad used to make when he was a
kid.
 
He pretended that he wanted to show
off his skills in the kitchen, but he really wanted to create a platform so
they could sit down and discuss their future.
 
He had no idea what was expected of him or how this scenario was
supposed to play out.

He
watched Tommy and Jessi eat, while he tried to figure out where to start.

“Why
aren’t you eating?”
 
Jessi was devouring
her eggs and the refried beans.
 
“Don’t
tell me you’re not hungry after last night, you fuckin’ animal.”

She said
it so matter-of-factly, like she just called him honey or by his name, that he
burst out laughing.
 
“I’m sorry.
 
I’ve never done anything like this before.
 
Well, I’ve had threesomes before, and a
foursome once.
 
Or twice.
 
But that was with a bunch of guys, and they
were one night stands.
 
It was just sex
with a bunch of strangers. Well, they weren’t all strangers.
 
I knew some of them, but some of them I just
met and—”

He
realized he was rambling like a schoolgirl and abruptly stopped talking.

Tommy and
Jessi were both staring at him, with their forks suspended in the air.

“I’m
sorry. I’m a little lost here.
 
How is
this supposed to work?”
 
He looked at Tommy,
but Tommy looked at Jessi.

“Why are
you looking at me?”

“Because
you’re the one who always wants to talk about everything,” Tommy said. “I don’t
know how this is supposed to work, either.”

Jessi
shrugged.
 
“Together.
 
Like this, I guess. There’s no clear cut
formula.
 
No one wrote a book called,
How
to Live with My Boyfriend and his Wif
e.
  
We take it one day at a time and if we have any issues, we talk about
them.”
 
Jessi paused.
 
“I just don’t want to be left out, that’s all.”

“What are
you talking about, left out?” Tommy asked.

“You
know.
 
You guys are new and all starry
eyed, and I don’t want to feel like the third wheel.”

“Oh,
sweetheart, I don’t want you to feel like that.”
 
Angel didn’t realize she probably had the
same fears and ambiguities he did.
  
They
were alike in many ways, including being in love with the same man.
 
“I’m the one who feels like the
outsider.
 
You two have all this history,
and you love each other so much.
 
I don’t
ever want to get between that.
 
If you
have a problem with me and Tommy—”

“A
problem?”
 
Jessi snickered.
 
“Did I look like I was having a problem last
night?”

“No, but
is it just sex?
 
Is that all this is?”

“Of
course it’s not just sex.”

“Helloooo.”
 
Tommy waved his hand in front of them.
 
“Do I get a say in this, or do you two get to
make all the rules?”

Poor
Tommy.
 
He was never going to get a word
in edgewise.

“I care
about you, A.
 
You know this isn’t just
sex.
 
I want this to work, and I’ll do
whatever I have to.
 
I don’t want there
to be any jealousy between you and Jessi.”

“I’m not
jealous.
 
I’m a little envious of the
bond you and Jessi share, but I hope one day we can share it too.”
  
He slowly looked across at Jessi.
 
“Are you jealous of me?
 
Tell me the truth.”

“I always
tell the truth.
 
My cards are always on
the table.
 
I’ve never been jealous of
other men.”
 
She put her fork down and
moved her plate away.
 
A crease formed
between her brows and her eyes lost some of their luster.
 
“But you’re not just another man, Angel.
  
This is new.
 
It’s a relationship . . .
 
and it
has me worried.
 
I don’t want to be
excluded.
 
I don’t want to be pushed out
of the bedroom.
 
I want the three of us
to be a couple.
 
That’s the only way this
is going to work for me.
 
I’m not saying
you can’t have your alone time together.
 
Of course, you should be able to spend time alone with Tommy, but I don’t
want to be sitting on the couch listening to the two of you in the bedroom, or
sitting home strumming my fingers on the table imagining you two off on some
sexual escapade.
 
Just do it when I’m
working late or not around.
 
I don’t want
you to specifically exclude me, that’s all.”
 
She paused again.
 
“It can’t be
you and Tommy, and me and Tommy.
 
We
can’t take turns.
 
It needs to be
predominantly like it was last night.
 
The three of us, together.
 
And if
anything’s bothering you, like you’re feeling slighted in some way, say something
and we’ll talk about it.
 
We need to be
equals. OK?”

Angel
nodded.
  
Jessi made it sound so
simple.
 
She really did have all the
answers.
 
“The three of us, together. I
like that idea.”

Tommy sat
back in his chair, pleased at the arrangement.
 
“I’m glad.
 
Now, someone needs to
kiss me, because I need a lot of lovin’.
 
You two are gonna have your work cut out for you.”