Heading back to his office off the gym’s pool, Mattturned on his computer and Googled “wedding bands.” Bands, not rings, but all the searchresults were intricate women’s rings laden with decadent diamonds.Not what he had in mind. He tried again, typing in “men’s weddingbands” this time, but the results only pulled up matchinghis-and-her sets. Again, not his cup of tea. Some of the men’s goldbands were attractive, to be sure, but he didn’t see Vic donning adiamond any time soon…
With a furtive glance at the pool, where a motherwatched her children play in the shallow end and an adult wateraerobics class exercised a little farther out, Matt typed the word“gay” in front of the others in his search bar. He didn’t know ifit would make it through the gym’s firewall sensors or not, and thefirst porn site it pulled up, he was turning the whole thing off.But he’d seen some pretty sketchy stuff on Roxie’s computer whenshe thought he wasn’t watching—one of her favorite ways to pass alazy afternoon was reading band slash, whatever that was. Mattdidn’t know for sure, but he’d seen the word “fuck” on the screen atime or two, and not used as an expletive, either. Once he’dmanaged to read a paragraph about some pop band called 2ICE, whosemale members were pleasuring each other in great detail, beforeRoxie realized he stood behind her and closed down the browser.
So if the gym’s IT person didn’t get bent out ofshape over that, he didn’tthink a search for rings favored by gay men would do it. Unless thesearch returned cock rings. Then he was in trouble.
But no cock rings came up in the search results,thank God. Instead, he found a ton of cheesy rings—why was the word“gay” synonymous with “crap” to online retailers? Rings withrainbows swirled around them, rings with a double Mars symboletched into their faces, rings with pink triangles in a pattern allthe way around the finger. Rings that would get you in more fightsthan you wanted. Rings that told the world, in no uncertain terms,“I’m queer.”
After the first few websites he visited, Matt gotfrustrated and almost said the hell with it when a banner ad caughthis attention. It was subtle—nothing more than two male hands, oneholding the other, the same gold ring on both. Matt clicked on thead; before the page even finished loading, he saw it. The ring he had to have.
Yes, there wasa triangle on it, in the front of the ring, but it wasn’t gaudy ortacky. Instead, six diamond chips formed the triangle, which wasset in a simple band of polished white gold. It was, in a word,breathtaking. When Matt imagined slipping that ring onto Vic’s lefthand, his whole body tingled with delight. His breath caught in histhroat, his heart began to race, and a fine sweat broke out alonghis nape, just under his curls. This was it. This was the ring thatsaid it all.
Forever.
The price, though, was a bit out of Matt’s range. Onering alone would set him back a month’s salary, and the pair ofthem? Hell, he’d have to take out a loan. But hey, he reasoned,this wasn’t exactly something he’d be dropping money into everyother year or so. These rings, like his relationship with Vic,would last a lifetime.
Still, maybe it was too much, too soon. The men hadbeen together for a few years now, sure, but Matt’s hand trembledwhen he moved the mouse to bookmark the page, and the thought ofactually buying something this…this permanent…well, that terrified him. Not because hedidn’t believe their relationship would last but because he justwasn’t ready to…
What?
He didn’t know. He had to talk to Vic first, beforehe took such a giant step. He didn’t want to do something this bigalone. It had to be a decision they’d make together, and not one hetalked Vic into, either. Getting a pet was nothing compared to exchanging rings.
Matt bookmarked the site a second time, just to besafe, then clicked on the link to email the page to himself, aswell. He loved those rings. Maybe he’d bring it up tonight, justjokingly at first, and see what Vic thought of the idea. They hadtalked of other huge purchases—getting new cars, buying a house—andthey had money in their savings that they tapped into occasionallyfor vacations or weekend trips. Together they could afford therings.
But it would have to be together.
Matt wouldn’t rush things. They had the rest of theirlives to pick out the perfect rings, if they even bothered to getthem. Still, he didn’t see any harm in mentioning it latertonight.
* * * *
After work, Matt headed home. Though it was earlyevening, he wasn’t very hungry and didn’t bother cooking dinnerright away. He liked waiting for Vic, when he could, and his loverusually came in between eight-thirty and nine o’clock. So Mattchanged out of his swim trunks and gym clothes, took a quickshower, and stretched out on the bed they shared, just to rest hiseyes.
Several hours later, he woke with a start.
A glance at the clock on his bedside table showed itwas nine fifteen. Settling back against the pillows, he tried toconnect with Vic’s mind and couldn’t. ::Vic?::
No response.
With a yawn, Matt rolled onto his side, graspingVic’s pillow with both hands and hugging it to him. His lover’sscent enveloped him, clean and strong. He shouldn’t have napped, hethought as his eyes slipped shut again. He couldn’t seem to keepthem open. Now he’d be up all night, and he didn’t even have dinnerready yet…
He shook his head, trying to stay awake, but it wasno use. The pillows around him were too soft, and his eyelids tooheavy, his whole body eager to drop back into sleep. Just anotherfew moments, he thought. Just until Vic came home.
Vic. Whoshould’ve been home already.
Matt opened one eye to glance at the clock again.Nine twenty, damn. He closedhis eyes for a second and the minutes just flew past. Wherewas his man, anyway?
For a long moment, Matt considered retrieving hiscell and calling Vic on his. Just
