After breakfast, everyone went home except for Andy. He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me soundly.
“What are our plans?” he asked.
“Besides a whole lot more of that?” I asked. Andy nodded. “Um, I have some boring-ass laundry to do. I’m set on groceries until Wednesday. I was going to lie around and read until dinnertime at my folks. Is there something you want to do?”
“I try not to do a lot of anything on Sunday,” Andy replied. “I usually watch baseball or racing.”
“You can do that while I read.”
The afternoon that followed was the most relaxing and peaceful one I’d had since… I couldn’t say. I cuddled with Andy on the couch and read Chaz’s latest book while he flipped back and forth between the Braves and racing. Of course, I made sure Andy knew how disappointed I was that he still chose the Braves over the Reds.
“Go back to reading,” he teased, nipping my ear. “Ouch!”
I looked up to see what made him yelp and saw Alli Cat sitting on the back of the couch. She was slowly retracting her paw like maybe she thought he needed another good swatting.
“I thought we declared a truce,” Andy said to the feline. Alli Cat’s response was to swish her fluffy tail. “Fickle females,” Andy grumbled.
I turned my attention back to my paperback and was immediately sucked back into the story. It wasn’t my favorite trope, but it was Chaz’s creation, and I adored everything he wrote. This one was by far his best, and I felt my body react when things started to heat up in the story.
“Must be pretty hot stuff,” Andy whispered in my ear, jolting me out of the sensual fog I’d found myself in.
I turned my head and looked at him out of the corner of my eye. “Excellent, but how would you know? Are you reading the book over my shoulder?”
“Don’t need to,” he replied. “You’re practically grinding your ass against my dick. We’re starting to get ideas.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat. “It’s definitely hotter than I expected.”
“Is this Chaz’s latest book that everyone is talking about?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “It feels more sensual or risqué than his other books.”
“Yeah? Read it out loud.”
“This isn’t elementary school where we take turn reading paragraphs,” I told him. “Why are you so eager to hear the sexy words that Chaz wrote anyway?”
“No need to get salty,” Andy told me then pinched my ass. “I don’t want to hear them because Chaz wrote them; I want to hear what turns you on.” Andy pulled me tighter into his embrace so that his erection nestled firmly against my ass then he slipped his hand under the hem of my T-shirt to tease the skin above the elastic waistband of my shorts. I was ready to say no until he slid his hand up to tease my nipple. “Tell me a story, baby.”
I cleared my throat and began to read. “Marco dropped to his knees in front of Shamus and slowly caressed the back of his thighs with his skilled hands while staring at Shamus’s proud, leaking cock.”
“Oh, yeah. This is good,” Andy said. “Suck his cock, Marco.”
“Do you want to hear the story or not?” I asked.
“Sorry. Please continue.”
“Marco leaned forward and licked the tip of Shamus’s cock as a second set of hands joined Marco’s on Shamus’s body.”
“Whoa!” Andy exclaimed, earning a playful jab to the gut.
“Rafe seemed every bit as eager as Marco to please their young lover. Rafe parted Shamus’s ass cheeks and licked a path along his crack at the same time Marco sucked the full length of Shamus’s cock into his mouth. The overstimulation made Shamus’s knees buckle, but two sets of firm hands gripped his hips to steady him enough to receive the pleasure.”
“Ever engaged in a threesome?” Andy asked before I could read further.
“No,” I answered truthfully. “You?”
“No,” he replied. “Is that something that you want? Is that why you’ve gone all wiggly?”
I set my book on the coffee table and rolled in the circle of his arms so I could look into his eyes. “I have everything I’ve ever wanted with you, Andy. Reading about something and finding it hot doesn’t mean you want it for yourself.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, Milo, because I would never share you. There will be no Rafe coming in here and rimming you while I suck you off. I might not be able to do both of those things at the same time, but I can do them so fucking good that you won’t care that you have to suffer through enjoying one before I get to the other.”
“Show me,” I challenged. And he did.
My mother was resplendent in some sixties throwback dress complete with a scarf around her head. “She’s channeling Jackie O again,” I whispered to Andy.
“What’s that mean? Hey, how does that work when you channel Marilyn?”
“She threatened to disown me,” I said in mock horror. “Anyway, it means she’s nervous. She wants everything to look perfect.”
“Fuck!” my mom yelled from the kitchen.
“That didn’t last long. Jackie O has left the building, folks,” I announced. “She either burned our dinner or herself.”
“I’ll go check. It’s good to see you, Andy,” Dad said.
“You too, Dennis.”
Maegan and Elijah arrived next with Memphis quickly on their heels.
“Did you have a chance to talk to Emory about the mysterious visitor in town?” I asked him.
“Yeah, he confirmed that Lyric was passing through and—”
“Blissville?” Andy asked. “Who the hell just passes through here?”
“Well, if you want to be technical, Andy,” Memphis said, “he was driving south down I-71 from scoping out a possible film site in Columbus. He called Emory to see if he would be free for a short visit.”
Memphis’s cousin, Emory, moved to Blissville following a series of psychic visions. Emory was one of the country’s most famous psychics, not for the work he did with law enforcement agencies helping them solve cold cases, but for the episodes he filmed with Paranormal Whisperer. The show, and all the cast members, had quite a following. Emory wasn’t a series regular, but he was still popular.
“So, what did Em say about them filming here?”
“Lyric sounded interested. He drove by the house and was impressed by the outside. He’s itching to see the interior as soon as Maegan can get that arranged.” He nodded to Maegan. “Your mom wasn’t exaggerating. Lyric called Emory on his way out of town and told him how excited he was to explore the Bliss House for possibilities.
“I have mixed feelings about it,” Maegan confessed. “I’m excited to show the house to him, and I’d really like to solve the mystery of Anthony Bliss’s disappearance.”
“But with one T,” I prompted.
“But, I don’t like the idea of strangers tromping through my house. I don’t think Anthony will like it either.”
“Maybe that’s what it will take to solve the mystery. You have to make him uncomfortable enough to take action.”
I realized that everyone was looking at me with their mouths hanging open.
“What?”
“Peach, you practically ran out of that house like your ass was on fire,” Andy said.
“How would you know? You were up in the attic.”
“I heard about it from someone.”
“There was only one ‘someone’ who witnessed me calmly walking out of the house.” I narrowed my eyes at Memphis when he snorted. “Who are you to talk?” I asked him. “You were right beside me.”
“Well, if that ghost had appeared, I would’ve knocked you down so that I could escape. I didn’t have to be the fastest runner, I just had to be faster than you.”
“You would sacrifice me like that?” I asked dramatically. “Your new best friend?”
“Hey, you know what it’s like to be in love. Not all of us can say that.” Memphis’s cheeks turned red from embarrassment. He opened his mouth, an
d I could tell that he was going to try and laugh it off or walk it back, but he was saved when my parents came out of the kitchen carrying dishes.
“Who’s ready to eat?” Dad asked.
“Me!” we all replied.
My mom’s cooking was hit or miss; it would either be the best thing you ever had or the worst. Luckily for us, especially her since she went to a lot of trouble, the meal was exceptional. I saw how much it meant to my mom when Andy happily devoured her cooking in between praising her skills.
“Thank you, dear,” she said. “Save room for dessert, Andy. I made peach cobbler from scratch. It’s the one thing I never fuck up.”
Andy wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I always have room for peach anything.” He shot me a playful wink when no one was looking, and I nearly asked for ours to go. Instead I leaned forward for a quick kiss and settled into his side when he wrapped his big arm around my shoulder. I wouldn’t deprive my mom of hearing Andy fuss over her dessert.
Later when we were leaving, Mom held me tight and whispered in my ear, “Fall is a lovely time for a wedding, Milo.” When I pinned her with an incredulous look, she just smiled broadly and said, “You can’t blame a mother for trying.”
On the way home, I realized my mom was absolutely right. Fall was an amazing time to have a wedding.
Over the course of the next month, my life took on a dream-like state. I’m not talking nightmares; I mean the kind of perfect fantasyland where you want to stay forever. I started a dream project of rehabbing an old, mysterious home, nearly completed the apartment renovations for the Miracle twins, and fell deeper in love with Milo every single day.
As a horny teen, I was enthralled with all the physical things I liked about Milo. As an adult, our sexual chemistry burned hotter because I appreciated all the other aspects of his personality a lot more. I couldn’t imagine a day without him zinging me or making snarky comments about something. I didn’t want to spend a night that didn’t include long, hot kisses and me wrapped around him while we slept. How had I lived fourteen years without him? The truth? I hadn’t truly known what I lost until we reclaimed one another. He was the cinnamon in my French toast, the chipotle in my barbecue sauce, and the 7UP in my Captain Morgan—well, fruit punch these days. He was sparkly, sweet, spicy, and that extra something that made the ordinary extraordinary.
Everything was as it should be with one exception—Ollie. Things felt awkward between us since the bowling night, and I wasn’t sure how to fix things, or even if I should. As the weeks passed, he seemed a little friendlier, but not the way he was before he met Milo. I suspected Ollie hadn’t realized how serious I was about my boyfriend until he saw us interact together. Hurting my friend was never part of my plan, but he needed to know that Milo was it for me. I hated the rift between us, but I thought it was best to let things go. If our friendship was meant to be, we’d find a way to work it out.
“Pastor Ollie,” Rebecca, a new member, said, “why do you hold weekly meetings?”
“Well, it’s kind of like how people attend church every week. They do it to remind themselves of God’s love, to feel refreshed and renewed, and to connect with people who think like them so that they don’t feel alone,” Ollie replied. “By coming to NA meetings each week, you meet with people who share your same struggles. They inspire, encourage, and lift you up when you need it. Now, some people have lived with their addiction longer and choose to meet bi-weekly or even monthly, which is fine. I’ve established a flexible program within the guidelines to meet a variety of needs. For those who are newly sober, I strongly recommend you attend as often as you can.”
“Thank you, Pastor Ollie.” She bit her lip nervously and looked down at her feet.
“You can just call me Ollie or Oliver if it makes you feel more comfortable,” he said kindly. “I’m not here to convert any of you to religion, and I’m not here to judge you. I simply want to help you stay sober.” He smiled when he looked around the room, but I noticed he didn’t meet my eyes. “Who wants to go first this week?”
“I do,” I said. Ollie looked surprised that I spoke up. I couldn’t blame him since I never volunteered to speak first. “My name is Andy, and I’ve been sober for thirteen years now.”
“Hello, Andy,” they all said.
“What’s going on with you this week?” Ollie asked. His tone was friendly, but his eyes lacked the warmth I was used to seeing.
“Nothing has changed since last week. I’m still working on the same projects, still in love with the same guy, and I feel happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“Then why are you still coming?” Keeton asked. He was also attending for the first time. “If everything is so perfect, why come here? To brag and make us feel worse about ourselves?”
“Not at all, my friend.”
“We’re not friends,” Keeton fired back.
“I’m not your enemy either, pal,” I said peacefully. “I come here for the reasons Ollie mentioned. I’ve made lifelong friends who share this journey with me.” I nodded to Adam, Tyler, Brent, and Ollie. “We’ve formed a tribe, if you will, and I’m stronger with them than without.”
“Goodie for you,” the younger guy said sullenly.
“Even when I’m feeling at my strongest, I show up because others might need to pull from that strength just like I did from them during some of my most difficult times. That’s what we do here.”
“That’s nice. I could really use that in my life right now,” Rebecca said softly, earning a glare from Keeton.
“We all can,” Adam told her then winked at me. “Always got your back, Boo.”
I smiled when I thought about Milo calling Adam, Brent, and Tyler the frat boys. They did come across as rowdy guys out for a good time, but they were incredibly smart men with careers that no one would have picked for them judging by their appearances. By day, they were an engineer, doctor, and CFO; by night they were jokesters who wore their ball caps backwards and said silly things like calling me Boo. Half the time I thought they did it to tease me, but maybe it’s how they balanced their stressful careers. On the surface, we appeared to have nothing in common, but beneath the skin we were very similar. Each of us got involved with drugs during our college years for various reasons, and we wanted to live clean, happy lives.
“One of the reasons I think Ollie’s meetings work so well is that they’re geared to us in the rainbow community. We can sit and discuss the problems that every single one of us has dealt with. I can mention that I have a boyfriend and not worry that I’m going to be harassed for it.”
“Dude, you’re built like Johnny Fucking Bravo. No one is going to mess with you,” Keeton said hostilely.
“You think that all threats come in the form of a physical attack?” I asked Keeton. “People don’t have to be able to kick your ass to get you fired. Cyber bullies are every bit as threatening, maybe more so, than a physical threat because they can hide behind their computer screen. Sometimes the bullying comes from someone you love, and it’s delivered in a way that makes you think that person is doing you a favor.”
“Huh? Dude, you lost me.”
“College baseball scouts started looking at me when I was only a freshman in high school. In addition to the school team, I played in a competitive traveling league that helped get my name out since scouts probably had never heard of Blissville High School. Rumors began circulating during my sophomore year that I could have my pick of colleges.”
“You must’ve been really good,” Keeton said, sounding a little more interested.
“I thought I was exceptional because that’s what everyone told me,” I said wryly. “Especially my high school coach, who expressed on numerous occasions that he only wanted what was best for me. I believed him too. I had no reason to doubt Coach when he suggested that I delete my social media accounts because they could be used against me when a school made a final decision on a scholarship. I thought he meant my grammar was shitty or something.” The other me
mbers in the group chuckled, but not Keeton. He knew where this was going.
“Yeah, what he truly meant was that he didn’t want the scouts to see that I was openly gay. It was something I had never tried to hide. Milo often came with my family when I traveled for games. He was my prom date for both my junior and senior years. It never occurred to me just how hateful the world could be. I was naïve to say the least.”
“Did you do what the coach said?” Rebecca asked.
“I did. I was so excited about the possibility of playing ball for a Division I school that I didn’t think through my actions. I didn’t realize how much I hurt the person I loved. Milo stayed silent about his feelings because he wanted what was best for me and wanted to make me happy. Coach took me aside before graduation and told me that it would be best for me not to let on to my team that I was gay. He recommended that I get a feel for their attitude before I let them know. He worried that it would impact their acceptance of me, and my playing time.”
“Did you tell him to shove his stupidity up his ass?” Keeton asked.
“No, I didn’t. I listened to him. I explained the situation to Milo, and I knew it upset him, but he seemed to be on board with it. Looking back now,” I told them, “I can see now that our relationship was doomed to fail under the circumstances I created.”
“Because you were a dumbass,” Keeton grumbled.
“Keeton, this is a judgment-free zone,” Ollie reminded him. “Talking about these things is one of the ways we work through our urges to do drugs or drink booze.”
“Or sell your body to buy the drugs and booze,” Rebecca whispered. I just wanted to hug her.
“Don’t expect me to open up and share my sob story with any of you,” Keeton said somberly. I think we all felt like that when we first arrived, but Keeton would share when we earned his trust.
This Time Around Page 17
