Authors: Shae Connor
Oh yeah. Riley’s.
Evan groaned and buried his face in the pillow, even though it smelled of stale sweat and alcohol. Images of his behavior the night before flipped through his mind like a slideshow, and he cursed his memory. Why couldn’t he be a blackout drunk and just forget it all? Oh, no, he had to remember what a complete ass he’d made of himself.
Dreading the whole idea of it, Evan forced himself to get out of bed and face the music. He sat up first and reached for the bottles. After shaking out three pills, he cracked open the water to wash them down. He forced himself to drink all of the water, slowly, even though his stomach didn’t much like the idea. Then he climbed to his feet and grabbed his jeans, which were draped over a chair against the wall. He had to brace himself for balance to get into them, and he didn’t bother zipping them up, because he’d need a bathroom stop before he went far.
He grabbed his shoes and headed into the hallway. The smell of coffee wafted toward him from the kitchen, equally enticing and nauseating, but he resisted long enough to make his pit stop. The cloth Riley had used the night before still lay over the edge of the sink, so after relieving himself, Evan used it to wash off his face and neck. A travel-size bottle of mouthwash sat on the glass shelf on the wall next to the mirror, so Evan took advantage of that bonus amenity, rinsing and spitting twice before wiping his mouth and bracing himself to face Riley.
He walked into the kitchen in his socked feet, pausing to set his shoes down at the edge of the tile floor.
Riley stood at the stove, stirring what looked like a pot of oatmeal.
“Hey,” Evan said.
“Good morning.” Riley didn’t move. “Help yourself to coffee.”
He sounded normal, but the rigid way he held his back told another story. Evan couldn’t blame him, after the way Evan had rolled in the night before. He moved to the coffeemaker and poured himself a cup, then stirred in a lump of sugar from the bowl on the counter and added a healthy splash of cream from the small pitcher sitting nearby.
No way would he chance black on an empty, post-drunken-night
stomach.
“Thanks for last night.” He leaned against the counter and watched Riley stir the pot. “And for not kicking me out. Sorry for making an ass of myself.”
“Apology accepted.”
Evan heard the words, but he didn’t believe them. He put his coffee mug on the counter and moved the few feet to stand behind Riley, whose back stiffened even further. “I mean it, Riley,” Evan murmured, running one hand across Riley’s hip. “I acted like a complete idiot. Let me make it up to you.”
Riley stopped stirring for a long moment. When the spoon starting moving again, Riley had relaxed maybe an iota. “There’s an event tonight,” he said. “A new exhibit at the art museum. My parents expect me.” He took a breath and let it out slowly. “They don’t expect me to arrive with a date.”
Evan chuckled. “So you want to use me to shake up the folks a little?”
“Maybe.”
“Deal.” Evan leaned in and brushed his lips across the back of Riley’s neck. “Do I need a tux or something?”
“Do you have one?” Riley’s shoulders had lowered from near his ears down to something approximating normal.
“No, but I can find one.” Evan kissed Riley’s neck again and watched as Riley relaxed even more.
“No need. A suit would be nice, but dress pants and a nice shirt will work fine. Nothing showy.” Riley glanced at him then, giving a wry smile over his shoulder. “I’ll take care of that.”
Evan lifted a hand and brushed his fingers across Riley’s full lips. “I should probably go, then. I might need to do some laundry.” He leaned away and lifted one arm to give himself a sniff. “Not to mention take a shower. Or three.”
Riley laughed softly, sounding back to himself by then. “A shower wouldn’t go amiss.” He turned back to his oatmeal. “I made enough for two, though, so you should stay to eat.”
That was an invitation Evan wouldn’t turn down.
O
VER
BREAKFAST
—the super-creamy oatmeal was sweetened with brown sugar and studded with blueberries and walnuts—Riley brushed aside Evan’s attempt at more apologies and instead chatted about Cory’s performance and how much Mikey had enjoyed the night. “I hadn’t realized how little he’d gotten out.” Riley shook his head. “I know his parents are conservative, though I haven’t talked to them in years. I’m just glad he managed to break free. I’m trying not to hover. Let him make some mistakes if he needs to. Maybe it’ll help him figure himself out.”
Evan chuckled. “Cory’s good at that,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for him, I don’t know where I’d be now.”
Riley raised an interested eyebrow. “You mean doing porn?”
The tone of the question had Evan reconsidering. Maybe it wasn’t his drunken escapade that had Riley acting weird. Evan had completely forgotten about the little porn revelation the night before.
He swirled his coffee, unsure where to start that conversation. “I….” He trailed off, realizing he’d never told Riley about his military background. “I used to be in the Marines, until they found out I was gay.” He wasn’t about to bring up Lucas. “And let’s just say things didn’t go well when I got home. Cory knew my brother from way back, and he kind of stepped in after Charlie died. When he found out what was going on, he offered me a place to stay. He and Jimmy had just started trying the living-together thing back then.”
Riley nodded. “And they brought you in as a third?”
Evan chose his words carefully. “Not exactly. I mean, yeah, we had sex some, but it wasn’t any kind of formal thing.” Steeling himself, he lifted his eyes to meet Riley’s gaze. “Doing porn was their idea. Jimmy was just retiring from the industry, so he knew people, and he’s pretty savvy, so he also knew what not to do.” He shrugged. “It’s a living. I’m good at it, and it pays the bills.”
Riley tilted his head. “I don’t mind the job, honey, if that’s what’s worrying you.” He lifted his coffee mug. “It just caught me off guard. I….” He paused, mug held in front of his mouth, and his next words were so soft Evan had to strain to hear them. “I don’t often hang around long enough to get into details about day jobs.”
Evan knew that feeling, but before he could say more, Riley swallowed his mouthful of coffee and smiled again. “So you’ve known Cory and Jimmy a while, then?”
Evan accepted the obvious change of subject. He could revisit the rest later. “Cory played high school football with my brother,” he said, pushing aside the flash of pain thinking of Charlie always gave him. “And he is a mother hen like you wouldn’t believe, so swooping in to take care of me was just second nature.” He smiled. “He and Jimmy are good people.”
Riley scooped up a spoonful of oatmeal. “Okay. But if they’re a committed couple—”
“They are,” Evan interrupted. He reached for his coffee again. “They love each other completely. But they love twinks too, so sometimes, they’ll pick one up to share.” His mouth twisted. “They’ve only had a long-term third once, for about a year, but they found out he’d been secretly fucking other people. And they might not be completely monogamous, but they don’t hide things from each other.”
Riley nodded. “So Cory taking Mikey home…?”
“…would not include full-on sex. And if it lasted for any length of time, it would end up as Cory, Jimmy, and Mikey.” He watched Riley’s face closely. “Would you have a problem with that?”
“I don’t really know.” Riley stirred his coffee idly. “I’m trying to stay hands-off and let him find his own way, but Mikey’s just so new to all this. That sounds like diving into the deep end before you learn how to doggy-paddle.”
Evan smiled. “Yeah. But they’re good guys, and they’re very protective. They’ll be careful with him. Especially since they know you already.”
Riley nodded and finished off his coffee. “Well, I need to get things moving for the day,” he said, pushing back his chair. “Can you be ready at six thirty? Preshow cocktails start at seven, and if I’m going to freak out the parents, then I’d better be on time.”
“Sure.” Evan took the one last sip of coffee and set down the empty mug. “Should I come here, or…?”
“I remember where you live,” Riley said. “I’ll pick you up.”
“I’ll be ready.” Evan stood and stepped up close enough to kiss Riley’s cheek. “Thanks again for putting up with my drunk self last night.”
Riley’s cheeks pinked. “You’re welcome,” he murmured. “Try not to have quite so much tonight?”
Evan laughed. “I’ll be on my best behavior. Scout’s honor.”
Riley eyed him. “Why do I doubt you were a Boy Scout?”
“Oh, but I was,” Evan replied. “But that’s a story for another day.”
He gave a final smile and headed for the door, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. He had an actual date with Riley, even if he’d have to put up with stodgy, artsy-fartsy types and apparently Riley’s parents.
Shit
. He’d better find his suit fast and make sure it would be okay….
R
ILEY
’
S
BMW
pulled up to the curb outside Evan’s apartment at 6:29, less than five minutes after Evan got downstairs. His suit had needed to be pressed, but thankfully, the dry cleaner down the street had been able to do that in less than an hour. Evan paired the charcoal gray with a medium-blue dress shirt and one of only three ties he owned, this one a deep blue paisley. He’d polished his dress shoes with military precision, until even his old drill sergeant wouldn’t have been able to find fault.
In short, he’d cleaned up nice.
He slid into the passenger seat of Riley’s car and gave Riley a smile. “How’d I do?” he asked, waving a hand down his body.
Riley’s lips curved up. “Very impressive,” he said, checking the street before pulling out from the curb. “I hope you like beef Wellington. I didn’t think to mention the menu for dinner earlier. They do have a vegetarian option, so if you’d prefer that, I can inform the catering staff when we arrive.”
Evan lifted an eyebrow at Riley’s formal turn of phrase. “I didn’t realize dinner was included, but yes, that’s fine. More than fine, actually. I haven’t had beef Wellington in years.” Not since his brother’s high school graduation dinner, actually. His parents had spared no expense when Charlie graduated near the top of his class, unlike for his own graduation four years later. He tried to tamp down the lingering resentment. He’d graduated by the skin of his teeth, and that week had been the anniversary of Charlie’s death. Of course his parents hadn’t been up for a big celebration.
Evan forced his mind away from that line of thinking and took in Riley’s appearance. He’d slicked down his blond curls, making him look older and much more formal than usual, which went well with the slim-cut black suit he wore. It wasn’t a tuxedo, but close, and he’d worn a pale peach shirt and a tie swirled with a rainbow of pastel colors. A subtle statement, Evan guessed, one that few would likely pick up.
But his parents would get it, and that was the point.
“You look great,” Evan said. “I like the tie.”
One corner of Riley’s mouth turned up. “I have one that’s bright, wide stripes,” he admitted, “but I thought I’d let my choice of date speak for itself.”
Evan laughed. “Well, I’ll be on my best behavior, then.”
“I can’t promise that, but I’ll try to keep the snark to a minimum.” Riley stopped at a light. “Have you been to the museum before?”
“Once, many years ago, on a school field trip. They had a special exhibit on local artists, mostly folk art and things like that.” Evan thought for a second. “I do remember being entranced by a painting of a nude man. I guess that should’ve told me something, huh?”
Riley chuckled. “Well-done art can draw you in no matter your usual preferences, but yes, that might have given you a bit of a clue.” He turned left and then almost immediately right, bringing the car to a stop next to a man wearing black pants, a crisp white shirt, and a bow tie. After a moment, Evan’s door opened, and a similarly dressed man stood there.
“Nice service,” Evan remarked as he slid out of the car. He stood and looked around, noticing the nearby valet lot appeared stuffed full of high-end vehicles, uniformly shiny and mostly black. Riley’s dark blue coupe wouldn’t stand out even among the sea of sedans and SUVs.
After an exchange of keys and retrieval of tickets, Riley joined Evan on the curb. “Shall we?” He gestured toward the entry, which featured a traditional red carpet leading up to the door but lacked the flurry of paparazzi that usually would accompany it.
Feeling a little reckless, Evan crooked his elbow at Riley. “We shall.” Riley’s lips curved up, and he slipped his hand through Evan’s arm. They walked inside arm in arm, heads held high.
“O
H
MY
God.” Riley collapsed into giggles as soon as they got back into his car a few hours later. “Did you see the look on old Dr. Bancroft’s face?”
“Was he the one with the Trump-worthy comb-over and the Barbie doll trophy wife?”
“That’s the one.”
“He took one look at us and turned green around the gills, I swear.” Evan snorted. “Nearly put him off his beef Wellington to have a couple of
fags
at his table.”
“The irony,” Riley said, getting himself under control enough to start the drive back home, “is that I know for a fact that he’s in the deepest, darkest reaches of the closet. I know at least three guys he’s hooked up with. For money, of course,” he added. “I don’t know anyone who’d sleep with him for free.”
“They earned their fees, that’s for sure.” Evan shook his head. “It’s always the closet cases who yell the loudest about
the gays
.”
Riley sighed. “Sometimes I almost feel sorry for them. They hate themselves so much.” He giggled again. “I wonder how someone like Fred Phelps would’ve turned out if he’d just given in to the draw of the dick.”
Evan shuddered. “Ugh. That’d be so much worse even than Dr. Comb-over. Can you imagine sticking your dick in that dried-up thing?”