vehicle, and the familiar light-footed stride accompanied by the patter of Molly’s paws. “Hey there.”
“Hey yourself.” Andy leaned over to kiss his gorgeous husband. So did Molly, before going to her usual spot behind the lounger. “Dana fed me cookies. She said please take some home with you so I don’t eat all of them, so here.”
Something landed on Victor’s chest. He smiled without opening his eyes, lifted the small package off and set it by his hip. “I was talking to Robyn about our first night. Something’s bothering me.”
“Oh yeah? Can I help?” Andy stretched out beside him, certain that Victor’s choice of the double was some kind of invitation. It usually was, especially after a session with the counselor. They didn’t always talk to each other about those afterward, but they almost always wanted to be close.
“The third time, after the pictures, when you put me up against the wall.
You did that thing with your hand.”
Oh. Andy wondered if his husband had gone into detail about the sex. If so, that was interesting, especially in view of their mutual insatiability this year. He was positive it was linked to the shooting. Everything seemed to be, and he knew they had to air it all out sometime. But maybe not today. “This thing.” Andy did it to him.
“Jesus, Andy.” Instant arousal. Never failed. Then that mouth on his again. Victor reached for him, got an arm around his neck for a long, enthusiastic kiss. When Andy shifted away Victor opened his eyes. It was not nearly dark enough to be doing this outside. Not dark at all, in fact. Andy was smiling at him. “What did you say? You said something right after that, before you started to get in. It’s really bugging me that I can’t remember.”
“Ah. Let me think.” Andy stared back at him. He had Victor’s hand, absently stroking the inside of his wrist. “There were a lot of things I was trying not to say. You were so beautiful, that whole night was such a dream.
At first I thought, you know, this was going to be a casual thing. Serendipity.
Make the most of it.”
“That’s what I thought too. But the first time was magic, and I didn’t leave. Then the second time was magic, and I couldn’t leave. When we started again you seemed different, like you were going to take everything.
And for a minute I thought I was about to pay for the rest of it. Then you did that thing and I was like oh my God, how. Help me Jesus.” He smiled a little.
Andy kissed him again. “I was going for everything. I was like, God damn you for being this way and never being here before. By that time I thought there was a chance this wasn’t casual.” He leaned his head against Victor’s and spoke very softly. “It didn’t feel casual. And the way you reacted when I did that … the only word I ever found for it was surrender.”
“Mmm.”
“I said, how can you be so perfect.” Victor made a small, pained sound.
“You were. You are. It wasn’t only the sex, you know it wasn’t. Not then any more than it is now.”
“I know.” Victor set his free hand on Andy’s face, stroking a thumb up his cheekbone, then running his hand through the shaggy hair and down his neck. “I wish I had been a little bit braver.”
“So do I. But you were brave enough to come back. For all you knew I was going to throw a drink in your face, make a huge scene, blow your cover and ruin your life.” Andy kissed him lightly, smiling again.
“I knew you weren’t going to do that. You had four months and a photography exhibit you could have used to do that.”
“I’m still dying to put some of those pictures up on a wall somewhere.
Not to mention a few I’ve taken since then.” Victor giggled. Andy felt relieved. “How do you think Reggie would like those?”
“Let’s wait till we need a good scandal to jump-start our careers,” Victor suggested.
“Or until we redecorate. We could put a mural of you in the guest bathroom.” Victor laughed. Andy kissed him again. “Let’s go inside, I’m hungry.” He sat back, swung his legs off the lounger, and stood up, holding out a hand for Victor. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Don’t forget those cookies.”
Chapter 10
August 2019
Toward the end of their second week back, when Andy and Victor were starting to be almost accustomed to it – to not having anything they absolutely had to do, to being free to do nothing if they so chose – they were starting down the stairs from doing something other than nothing when they heard Loretta talking. They glanced at each other, quickly deducing that she was in the living room, on her phone. They hung back for a second because they heard their names.
“Oh my God yes. I know. Andy came out on location with this beard and ay papi.” She laughed. “No no no. He never wanted a woman in his life. You should have seen Victor though. Oh my God and the producer. The production assistants, everybody, it was hilarious. No, everybody’s that way about Victor too, oh of
