“Holy fucking Christ,” Andy said faintly, a minute or two later. Victor was lying motionless, still pinioned. Andy let go of his wrists. They were somewhat glued together.
“Mmm.”
“That was a thousand-dollar massage right there.” Victor laughed silently. “Is the camera running?”
“Mmm.”
“Good. I want to see that.”
“Me too.” Victor peeled himself off. It took him two tries to get on his feet and over to the camera to shut it down. “How much do you think a porn site would give us for this masterpiece?” Andy laughed. “Maybe we could buy that shitty building on the other side of ours, and tear it down.”
“Stop. We haven’t even finished the triplex.” Andy sighed, stretching contentedly. “Shower before pool, or go down there like this?”
“Oh, honey, I think we need to shower.” Victor leaned over to lick Andy’s flat belly. He’d meant it as a joke, but after a minute he set his hands down and said, amazed all over again, “Or I could clean you off this way.”
“Wow, you are really degenerate today.” Andy lifted his head to watch, then propped himself on his elbows. “And oh my God, I really am a nympho.
Turn that camera back on.” One more swipe of his tongue, then Victor did.
“On your front, catnip. My turn to give you a massage.”
They didn’t make it down to the pool until sunset. Dinner was delivered out there. Victor watched Andy eat, smiling. “It’s unbelievable.”
“I know.” Andy set down his fork and leaned back. As usual, he’d put away half again as much food as Victor. “It’s probably offensive.”
“No way, not when I know exactly how you’re burning it all off.” Andy laughed. Victor drank some cold white wine, squinting up at the sky. “God, what a great day. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. Think we can have a day like this here and there while you’re on location?”
“I should have had it written into the contract.” Victor put his head back and closed his eyes. So tired, he thought, so happy. Something he’d been thinking about since September finally crystallized. His agent had been sending him things; there were half a dozen potentials. None of them looked better than this. “Once that thing is done, I’m taking a vacation. Like, no jobs.
The new movie start date is looking like July of next year.” It was going to be a romantic thriller, very different from the ‘Countdown’ series of action comedies.
Andy stared at his husband. He was admiring the perfect profile and the eyelashes, but also wondering if he’d understood correctly. Victor had taken breaks before, since they’d been together, but not long ones. Their summer trip four years ago had been the longest. Since then it had been a full schedule, never more than a month off at a stretch in between the months of TV or movie filming. Even those months had been interrupted with promotion, or fill-in work, or other business. Most recently, of course, with recuperation from a near-fatal bullet wound. All those sixty-and seventy-hour weeks. Andy always had his own projects, but always wished they could have more time together. He’d found Victor after so many years alone. “The whole time? This August to next July?” He knew his voice must be communicating deliriously happy disbelief. He wasn’t trying to mask it.
Victor opened his eyes and gazed back at Andy. “Think you can turn me into a real song and dance man with that much time?”
“Oh honey, it won’t take that much time. Oh my God.” Andy blinked, sniffed, swallowed. Nearly lost it when Victor set his hand on Andy’s wrist, stroking up his forearm and back down to his hand. Their hands gripped hard for a few seconds, then relaxed. Victor didn’t let go, though.
The next morning Victor came out of the bathroom, rubbing lotion on his freshly-shaven face, to find Andy sitting cross-legged on the bed with the laptop open in front of him. “You’re not supposed to be working right now.
It’s wine-tasting day.”
“Oh don’t worry, I’m not missing that.” They had a car coming to take them to an airstrip, where a private plane would fly them to Hunter Valley.
“Look at this crazy shit that Red and Niall did.” He turned the laptop around after tapping something.
Victor watched the video. It was a swordfight with dialogue, outdoors with the ocean behind them. “I’ll be damned. Macbeth and Macduff.” Their friend Red was a hunktastic action star with a long history as a weapons expert. Niall more than held his own with a broadsword. “You’re going to grab some of that for your show, I suppose.”
“Have to. Fucking have to! And now I want Red as Macduff solo and Mary as Lady Macduff, but in my version she doesn’t die because give that bitch a sword.” Victor laughed. Red’s wife could definitely handle a sword.
“You know it’s the one Shakespeare play I’ve actually seen live on stage. I would like it so much better if she gets away with their boy. Shows up at the end when Macduff is busy handing Scotland to the other guy and thinks his life is over. Tweak the Lady’s scene. It wouldn’t even need any new dialogue, really.”
Victor agreed. “Just a big, cathartic kiss. Though I’m sure Tanith would jump on writing it. Man, the audience would feel like all that angst was worth it, wouldn’t they?” Andy made a sound of agreement. “You could get Theo to play the boy.”
“Jesus, he’d
