“Mmm. Better stop that if you’re hungry.”
“How hungry are you?” Victor couldn’t seem to stop kissing his husband. He had his hand on Andy’s back, fingers running up and down the indent of his spine. He walked backward slowly, bringing Andy with him, around the end of the couch. Sitting on the back of it, with his feet on the floor and Andy between his legs. Pressing him close for another open-mouthed kiss. “Jesus, Andy.”
“Maybe we’d better do this first.” Andy unbuttoned, then unzipped two pairs of jeans. “God almighty, how you feel.” They didn’t stop kissing until they were both spent and gasping. After a minute Andy kissed Victor’s cheek and said, “Did you even think about walking backward just then?”
“No I did not.” Victor glanced down at the seven-inch heels.
“Tomorrow’s rehearsal should be interesting.” He patted Andy’s ass. “And now I’m even hungrier.”
“Me too.” One more kiss, and then they headed for the kitchen.
The next morning they finally both heard from Loretta, in a long email ranting about her ex and raving about Jim. A few updates had come in from Jim, most of them of the minimally-informative ‘not sure I know what’s happening’ variety. After that email Andy and Victor both thought Jim probably was sure now. “I’m going to have to check in with Mom,” Andy said. “I know he was there for a few days. If he got out the door without telling her everything, she is not the woman I grew up with.”
“Want to call her now? Then we can go practice.” Victor turned the kitchen over to Consuelo, and got out of her way. “Let’s go upstairs.” He led the way without even thinking about his shoes. Consuelo gave Andy a ‘Still?
Really?’ kind of look that had him stifling laughter all the way upstairs. It was the buckled boots today, which were probably the ones Victor would wear for their performance. Andy could not help but think that he was actually starting to like them.
Andy was, as usual indoors, barefoot. So when he took the last step and fetched up beside Victor, he had to look up a little to make eye contact. “You are really digging this, aren’t you,” he said.
“Consuelo thinks I’m insane.”
“I think you’re the hotness.” Andy ran his knuckles up Victor’s torso, from his navel to the hollow of his throat, and brushed his ring against the chain. “Why don’t you think about that while I talk to Mom.” He swept his thumb across Victor’s mouth, then dodged away. “Oh no. If I don’t catch her now she’s going to be out beating the pants off her neighbors at bridge.” He heard Victor mutter something about ‘pants off’ and thought, soon, heading straight to the sunroom. “Hi Molly, you feeling all right? You didn’t join us for breakfast. My good girl. My best girl. That was a long walk yesterday, huh. Lazy old lady. Yes pretty girl, go back to sleep.” The creak of rattan, a minute’s silence, and then “Hi Mom.” Victor was on the floor, stretching. He took his shirt and the shoes off, thinking about this apparently insatiable desire. He’d had the idea that with all this time together, they’d eventually cool off. Neither of them were. He tuned in again. “Glad to hear it. Yeah, we got an email from Loretta this morning and it sounds as though things have resolved. Apparently getting a visit from the FBI calmed that dickhead down.
He was like, it was only on the internet, I was just messing around, I didn’t
mean it. He posted this long-ass apology. Loretta linked to it. Yeah, we read it. Sounded pretty sincere. Said things about how someone messed with his own sister online and he should have remembered how it made her feel. Said he was getting counseling. Promised to respect Loretta’s request and stay away. So overall quite positive. No, our friend Jim has not told us anything useful. No.” Andy laughed. “We’re kind of assuming he went from your couch to her bed. We know he was in it at least once before she went home.
He has to be back here by the fourteenth. I know. You said what?” Another laugh; this one went on for quite a while and ended with giggles. “Oh lord.
You are a good woman. No, he didn’t mention that. We’ll give him hell about it when we see him. Yeah, weekend before Thanksgiving for our show. It’s tango again. Because we like tango. Because my hot honey can get me right off my feet. Mom! You have a dirty mind. We’ll do bachata when he’s your age. Oh, thanks Mom. Yes, I’ll be the crypt-keeper by then. Counting down till we see you. Stay out of trouble. I love you too.” A few more residual giggles reached Victor from the sunroom. “Did you get all that?”
“What did she say before you told her she’s a good woman?”
“She said she told Jim to propose. Said, ask her to marry you. You know you want to. A woman likes to know.”
“What did he say?”
“Turned five shades of red and fled the scene.”
Victor laughed. “You’re not going to be the crypt-keeper when you’re eighty-eight.”
“Oh, you don’t think so? Imagine I never put on weight. Imagine I lose my hair off the top, and start doing a comb-over.” Andy was leaning on the bathroom door frame now, watching Victor stretch. “Mom’s father did that. It was not pretty.”
“You can afford a good toupée.” Andy laughed again. Victor finished what he was doing and went over there. “Hey baby. Still like me when I’m short?”
“You’re not short. You’re perfect. You’re always perfect.” Andy stood still, waiting for the kiss, enjoying the hell out of it. “Mmm. Did you think we’d start getting tired of this at some point?”
“I kind of did. I’m not, though. Not even close. Every time I see you, I want you. Want to kiss you, want to touch you. Want
