Wes and Toren (30 page)

Wes & Toren

225

IT was the middle of December and holiday season was in full swing. I was working extra hours at the store because we opened early and closed late to accommodate the Christmas rush. I was also preparing for the end of the school semester, writing papers and studying for exams. But my mind was a jumble. Ever since Thanksgiving, Wesley seemed a little distant. Scott called and apologized for their parents’ outburst and Wesley was amicable, telling him not to worry about it. But I remembered the expression on his face that night and the way he clung to me like an abandoned puppy. I felt the wedge of his family’s intolerance between us and it was overwhelming at times. With everything running through my mind, I couldn’t concentrate on any one thing longer than ten minutes.

I looked at the kitchen table covered with books, papers, folders, and notebooks, and sighed. Wesley came up behind me and kissed the top of my head. He’d just stepped out of the shower and I breathed in the clean scent of soap and shampoo.

“What’re you working on?” he asked, tugging on the towel draped around his neck.

“History.”

“Still?”

“Yeah. But I just don’t have any motivation right now. This paper’s due on Monday, but I just can’t get into it,” I complained.

226

J. M. Colail

“Maybe you should take a break. We could go out and shoot some pool or something,” Wesley suggested, opening the fridge and looking inside.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Go clear my head and start fresh,” I agreed, leaning back in the kitchen chair and glancing at Wesley. He had a can of soda in his hand and his eyes rounded.

“Seriously? You want to?” he asked, cautiously optimistic.

“Yeah. Besides, I wanna see Kate and Lissa. We haven’t seen them in ages,” I answered, charmed and amused by Wesley’s excitement.

He put the can back in the fridge and pulled the towel from around his neck. “Cool! Let me go get dressed!”

We went to Cue and as we hoped and expected, Kate and Lissa were at a table in the back. They were smiling and laughing and so completely engrossed in each other that they didn’t notice us until we were standing next to them.

“Holy crap! I don’t believe it!” Kate shouted. “Where the hell have you guys been? We thought you died or moved to China or something!”

“Heh, nice to see you too,” Wesley said with a grin.

“I’m serious! Where have you two been? We haven’t seen you in forever!” Kate continued, furrowing her brows and standing with her hands on her hips.

“We’ve been around,” Wesley said, taking off his jacket and holding his hand out to take mine too. “We just haven’t gone out in a while since we got our own place. There hasn’t been a need to,” he added, with a lascivious grin in my direction.

“Oh yeah! That’s another thing!” Kate complained, stepping to the side to let Wesley pass. He hung up our coats and patted Lissa on the back before returning to my side. “You guys moved out forever ago and you never invited us over!”

“I know, I know,” I said with a laugh, holding my hands up as a sign of concession. “I promise we’ll have you over real soon, okay?”

Wes & Toren

227

Kate folded her arms on her chest and pouted, then looked at me with a forgiving smile. “Promise?”

“I promise,” I answered, drawing an X over my heart with my index finger.

“Man, you guys are so lucky. I wish I had my own place,” Kate mused aloud. “I know! Let’s get our own place after we graduate,” she said, spinning around and facing Lissa with a childlike smile.

Lissa’s eyes widened and her face reddened and she stared at Kate for a moment. “O…okay,” she answered. She only said one word, but her expression spoke volumes.

Kate realized the weight of her question on their relationship and glanced at the floor with florid cheeks. Then she turned to Lissa again and smiled wickedly, trying to reduce the intimate tension and exhilaration of the moment. “Then, maybe, we can get that strap-on I’ve wanted for so long.”

“What are you trying to say? My fingers and tongue aren’t enough for you?” Lissa retorted quickly, and then held her breath. She bit her bottom lip in embarrassment and looked at the floor. “I-I didn’t mean to say that…so loud.”

Wesley and I looked at each other with amused astonishment.

They’d only been dating a couple months, but they’d been friends for years. Lissa’s unrequited love was finally returned and Kate learned exactly what love was and what it felt like. The girls smiled timidly at each other until Kate caught us spying on their intimate reflection. She latched onto Lissa’s arm and tugged her forward.

“I know she looks all sweet and innocent, but she’s really a pervert at heart,” Kate announced with a grin, perhaps appreciatively. Lissa glanced up at us and turned an even brighter shade of red.

“Heh, sounds like someone else I know,” Wesley said, bumping into me. He and Kate laughed while Lissa and I shared embarrassed shyness.

Kate pulled Lissa closer to us and then grinned with a sparkle in her eye. “I’ve been wanting to ask this for a while and since the subject 228

J. M. Colail

came up,” Kate prefaced, smiling salaciously, “what’s it like? When it’s two guys?”

“Oh, it’s great! The best thing ever!” Wesley answered without the slightest bit of modesty.

I gaped at him and then glanced at Kate who smirked at me.

“But…doesn’t it hurt?”

I remained silent and slack-jawed and Wesley pulled me closer and smiled devilishly. “Well, yeah, it did at first, but it felt good too. Really good,” he emphasized with a sly smile.

Kate and Lissa stared at us with wide eyes until Kate shook her head in disbelief. “What? No way! I thought for sure you would be the top!” Kate said loudly, looking at Wesley. “Are you serious?”

“Hey now, don’t underestimate this guy,” Wesley said, completely amused with himself.

The two girls exchanged glances between us and I took a deep breath. Even the tips of my ears felt red-hot. “No, it’s not like that. It was only once. And to answer your question: yes, it did hurt. Like hell. But, it felt good too,” I said shyly, unable to look up from the floor.

“See? I knew it!” Kate shouted giddily. “The idea of two guys together is so hot! Lissa thought that you would switch back and forth, but I knew Tor was the bottom,” she said, laughing and relying on Lissa to hold her up.

“You mean you thought about it?” I blurted out, turning from bright red to hot pink.

“Of course! You guys are both so cute and it’s a total turn-on when two good-looking guys get it on,” Kate explained happily.

I was so embarrassed that I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. Kate went on to say that some of her favorite books were gay erotica and that there was even a whole genre of Japanese comic books devoted to “boy-love,” which she said was called
yaoi
. Wesley kept asking questions about the erotica and yaoi books and Kate said she would be happy to loan some to us.

Wes & Toren

229

Eventually, we got on to playing pool, though I couldn’t look at Kate or Lissa without blushing for the rest of the night. But it was fun and heartwarming to see Kate and Lissa so happy together. It was obvious from their expressions, glances, and gestures that they were really in love with each other. It was silly, but I was prideful, and maybe a little arrogant, that I helped them get to where they were. Their relationship started as precipitously as Wesley’s and mine. If Lissa hadn’t made the first move, would they be together?

Wesley came up and hugged me from behind after the third game and I knew how lucky I was to have a man strong enough, brave enough, and confident enough to make the first move. I was indebted to him forever and I was just fine with that.

230

J. M. Colail

“HEY, babe. I’m home,” Wesley said, walking in the front door.

“Hi! How are you? How was work?” I asked, leaning back in the kitchen chair. I stretched my arms over my head and inadvertently yawned.

“Good. Busy as hell though,” he answered, taking off his coat and hanging it on the hook behind the door. “At least it made the time go by fast. How about you? How was your psych final?” he asked and kissed the top of my head.

“I think I did pretty good,” I answered, relaxing as he rubbed my shoulders.

I was almost done with finals; I just had my calc test left. I was sick of studying and with Christmas only three days away, I couldn’t concentrate on anything.

“Have you eaten yet?” Wesley asked, opening two buttons of his navy work shirt.

“No, I was waiting for you,” I said, looking back to my calc book on the kitchen table. “What do you want?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll make dinner. You just keep on studying,” he said, opening the freezer and looking in.

“I thought maybe we could just get a pizza.”

“I don’t think I have any cash,” he said, closing the freezer and pulling coins from his pocket. “Nope, just eighty-two cents.”

Wes & Toren

231

“I’ve got cash,” I said, staring blankly at the textbook.

“All right. Pepperoni okay?” he asked, picking up the phone and taking a pizza menu off the fridge.

I nodded and listened while Wesley ordered the pizza. It would take about twenty minutes so Wesley hopped in the shower while we waited. I yawned again and stared at my calc book; I couldn’t concentrate anymore. I took several deep breaths and refocused my attentions to the matter at hand—but I needed to do some laundry tonight; I didn’t think I had any clean work pants. I sighed as my mind wandered to everything except math.

Wesley got out of the shower and came into the living room without a shirt on. I was beginning to think he did that on purpose, knowing full well that I couldn’t keep my eyes off his naked chest. But I took a deep breath and returned my gaze to the calc problems in front of me. The doorbell rang and Wesley happily answered it with a growling stomach and no shirt.

“Hi. How ya doin’? It’ll be eleven sixty-four,” the pizza-man greeted.

“Oh yeah,” Wesley said, thumping his head. “Hey babe, you got the money?” Wesley called to me, feeling his empty pockets.

“Oh, here,” I said, pulling a twenty from my pocket and handing it to the cute delivery boy. He looked at me, then at Wesley, and fumbled with the change as Wesley took the pizza into the kitchen. “Oh, six in change is enough,” I added and got a five and a one in return.

Wesley was getting plates out and I went over and punched his arm. “Don’t answer the door without a shirt! Now, go get dressed before you catch a cold,” I scolded.

“Why? He was kinda cute. Do you think he would’ve went for it if I said I didn’t have any money?” Wesley asked.

“You’re mine and I wouldn’t let you prostitute yourself for pizza.

Now go put on a shirt,” I said, pulling two slices onto a plate.

Wesley put on a T-shirt and we sat down at the kitchen table to eat.

He looked over the problems I’d done, pulling the textbook closer as he 232

J. M. Colail

ate his pizza. I watched him as he reviewed the chapter and I wondered again why he didn’t want to go to college. He would be a great engineer and, with a degree, any car company would be lucky to have him.

However, he was loyal to Gus and the shop and we already knew that Wesley would get fifty-percent ownership when Gus retired. I smiled and sipped my soda and realized again that I was in love with a truly remarkable man.

“Geez, I can’t believe Christmas is only three days away,” Wesley said, leaning back in the chair and patting his full belly.

“I know. This month has flown by,” I agreed, picking up the empty plates and dropping them in the sink.

“So, did you get my Christmas present?”

“Yeah,” I said, sitting down again and pulling my textbook closer.

“And you’re gonna love it!” I said, picking up my pencil and brushing my hand over my notebook. I was really excited about his gift; he didn’t ask for it, but he had been dropping very subtle hints.

“What is it?” he asked plainly.

“I’m not telling,” I answered, just as plainly.

“Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“Yeah, and on Christmas Eve ’til five. Well, we close at five. But, remember, we’re going to my mom’s around seven,” I said, looking at the papers in front of me and trying to remember where I left off. Wesley nodded and I looked at him for a long moment. “Are you gonna drop by your parents’ house on Christmas Eve?” I asked quietly, knowing I was treading dangerous waters.

Wesley looked at me sharply and furrowed his brows. “Why the hell would I do that?”

“Well, it’s your first Christmas away from home, and I thought….”

“If I did, they would just yell that I wasn’t their son, that I was a fag, and that everything’s your fault. Why would I subject myself to that? Besides, my brother’s not gonna be there, so….”

“Scott’s not going?”

Wes & Toren

233

“No, he’s spending Christmas with his girlfr—his fiancée’s family.”

“That’s nice.”

Wesley went to the bathroom and I refocused on studying with a lighter heart and a full stomach. I wrote down a sample problem in my notebook and tried solving it, looking back at the textbook every five seconds. Wesley returned and sat down at the table, holding his chin in his palm and staring at me. I got through one problem, but Wesley’s deep brown eyes were distracting.