This Time Around (Road to Blissville, #4)

by Aimee Nicole Walker

  One week later, I pulled around the back of the high school and drove to the furthest corner of the parking lot near the ball diamonds. The school had agreed to let us use their field for practice and home games if we maintained the diamond and grass. Tucker, who was our team captain, put together a practice, game, and field maintenance schedule for us all to follow.

  I was the first to arrive for practice, but I went ahead and grabbed my gear and headed onto the field. That diamond wasn’t just a place of memories; it was ingrained in me. I’d spent countless hours working to improve my skills, earn that scholarship, and help my team win a state championship. I glanced over at the dugout where Milo had kissed me the first time during a football game. Neither of us had cared about the outcome of the game and only wanted to be together, so we snuck off and hid in the dugout. That kiss changed everything for me.

  “Hey there, Andy,” a voice said from behind me. “Reliving fond memories?”

  I turned and faced my high school coach. I wanted to believe that Red Baker was a good man, and that he hadn’t set out to make me feel ashamed of myself all those years ago. The thing was, I had never planned to tell him the negative ways he impacted my life, but I realized that I owed it to the young, naïve Andy I used to be.

  “You could say that again, Coach.”

  “What’s your favorite memory? That grand slam to clinch a playoff berth that eventually led to a state championship run?”

  Now was my chance. I pointed to the dugout where the home team sat for every game and said, “I learned exactly who I was right there.” Coach stood straighter like he was bracing himself to receive accolades. “It was the first time I kissed Milo and realized there was absolutely nothing wrong with me. What I felt for him was true and real and as much a part of me as my blue eyes. I was never ashamed of my feelings for him, and I didn’t think you were either.” Coach broke eye contact and looked down at his feet where one of them was leaving a line in the dirt as he moved it from side to side. “You were wrong to tell me to hide who I was, Coach.”

  Coach looked up and met my gaze after releasing a deep breath. “I thought I was looking out for your best interest. I truly believed that those colleges would take a pass on you if they knew you were gay.”

  “We’ll never know, now will we?” I asked. “That wasn’t a call you should’ve made.”

  “I’ve regretted it,” Red Baker said slowly. “I’m truly sorry, Andy. I hope you can forgive me someday.”

  I wanted to tell him it was all water under the bridge, but I wasn’t there yet. I hoped to arrive at that place eventually because holding a grudge and clinging to negative memories wasn’t a conduit to sober living. It was better to acknowledge the pain, come to terms with it the best I could, and move on.

  Not sure what else to say, Coach patted me on the shoulder and said he would see me around. The rest of the team showed up shortly after he left, and we got to work. I made sure to put any worries to rest that I was a dried-up has-been, or that I thought I was too good to play with the rest of the guys. By the time practice was over, we were all sweaty and filthy. As I made my way off the field, I noticed a certain handsome brunette sitting in the bleachers. The smile Milo sent my way made me feel a lot less tired and sore.

  “I guess you showed them you still have it, Slugger,” he said when I approached the bleachers. Milo climbed down and handed me a bottle of Gatorade. “Oh, look,” Milo said, smiling wistfully. “It’s our special spot.”

  I grabbed his hand and led him over to the dugout to show him that I indeed still had it.

  Watching Andy have so much fun doing something he used to love made me realize how much I missed performing on stage. Some might say that I hid my sorrows when I put on those gowns and became Peach. I didn’t see it that way. Sure, I was able to forget the things that bothered me while I performed, but Peach also taught me how to be more confident and graceful. A person could question just how those two traits helped me start successful businesses with my sister.

  Well, I sat straight and proud to disguise the inner quaking when Maegan and I took that leap and applied for startup funds at our local bank. I called upon Peach’s elegance when I had to go back and forth between coffee machines and pastry display cases to feed our ravenous customers. I used the confidence to settle disputes between employees and my flexibility to rock Andy’s world. Peach wasn’t my alter ego, she was well and truly part of me.

  So, on Wednesdays while Andy was meeting with his NA chapter, Peach returned to the stage. For my first performance, I put on a big blonde wig to make any fan of the eighties proud and sang Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” with so much heart and feeling that the crowd gaped at me for several seconds before they cheered and whistled. The following week I performed “Shadows of the Night” by Pat Benatar, which had them on their feet throughout the entire performance. If I had a penny every time my mom blared that song in the car, I could’ve retired. I made sure it was recorded so I could show it to her and earn some brownie points.

  I stayed for a few performances after mine then left so I could meet Andy and the gang for burgers, fries, and shakes. I didn’t go the previous week because I worried that my presence would throw off the chemistry in the group. The other reason was Ollie. He’d apologized to me for what he said, and I accepted. I was still nervous that things would be awkward. I knew I couldn’t avoid him forever, so I agreed to meet them after my Pat performance. I was still pretty high—for lack of a better word—from the crowd’s reactions, so I was all smiles when I walked confident and proud to the table at the back of the restaurant. Thank you, Peach.

  There was an extra guy, who I presumed was Keeton, sitting across from Andy. His eyes widened as I approached the table, alerting the rest of the gabbing guys of my arrival. As I got closer, I heard music and singing coming from one of their devices and recognized my own voice. Apparently, Andy decided to play the link I sent him for everyone to see. He quickly shut it off when he looked up and saw me coming. I could tell by the grin on his face that he really liked my performance.

  “Hello, boys,” I said dramatically.

  “Wow, Peach,” Andy said, sounding breathless. “Where the hell have you been hiding those leather pants?”

  “You like?”

  “I bet you’d know the answer to that if he stood up,” the new guy said.

  “Keeton, don’t be crude,” Ollie admonished. He offered an easy smile, but his cheeks were flushed from embarrassment.

  “I heard all about how you enjoyed the private performance you got for your birthday that one time, Reverend.”

  “Keeton.” Andy’s tone held a stern warning that the younger guy was about to cross a line.

  “Sorry, Padre.”

  Ollie just shook his head. Andy told me how Keeton liked to address Ollie by every title except the correct one. Hell, he was already a reverend and a padre in the two minutes since I arrived.

  “What are you performing next week?” Adam asked me.

  “Heart,” I replied before digging in the food that Andy was nice enough to order for me. “I’m just not sure which songs.”

  Brent whipped out his phone and pulled up YouTube. “Let us help you, Peach.”

  “Which sister will you dress as?” Ollie asked me.

  “Definitely Ann,” I told him. “She is the one with the pipes.”

  “Oh! ‘Alone’ would be amazing,” Tyler suggested. “That’s a badass song. Filled with longing and lust.” I raised a brow, and he just shrugged and grinned mischievously.

  “That’s a contender, although I don’t quite have the range.”

  “What about ‘All I Want to Do’? That’s a newer song at least. Sexy too.” Adam suggested, waggling his brows.

  “Something more dramatic,” I replied. “I’m thinking ‘Magic Man’ would be a fun one to perform.”

  “Nice,” Andy said.

  “Why don’t you sing something a little more modern?” Keeton asked. “I’v
e never heard of this band.”

  “Child,” I said dramatically. “In a world where every Britney, Beyoncé, and Christina song has been performed a million times over, this queen wants to do something different for her time on the stage.”

  “Madonna or Cher then? They’re kind of old, but still cool. Sorta.”

  The rest of us gasped around the table.

  “Old?” Ollie asked in shock. “You mean timeless?”

  “They were our allies long before Brit Brit and Queen B were,” Andy pointed out.

  “I’ve already done those two fabulous divas a dozen times,” I said.

  “Did you wear the pointy bra or pretend to masturbate in the center of a bed on stage?” Keeton asked. Was he trying to rattle me? Pay attention and take notes, cutie pie.

  “Who was pretending?” I asked sassily, earning cheers from everyone but him. Game. Set. Match.

  “So, when are we going to bowl again?” I asked the fellas, changing the subject.

  They suddenly couldn’t figure out when they would be available again. They had such busy lives and stuff.

  “We can draw names so it levels out the playing field a little bit more,” I suggested.

  “It does sound fun,” Adam admitted. “Do you bowl, Keeton?”

  “I’ve bowled a few times. I’m not very good at it though.” He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but it seemed to me he was bracing himself for rejection.

  “Yeah, right,” Adam said then snorted. “That’s the same bullshit that Peach pulled with us the first time.”

  Brent and Tyler groaned while Adam laughed.

  “Glad you thought it was funny,” Brent said.

  “I thought it was hilarious,” Ollie told them.

  “Yeah, because you were on the winning team,” Tyler pointed out.

  “What happened?” Keeton asked, looking around the table.

  “I might’ve led them to think that my wrist was so limp that I could barely roll a ball,” I explained. “They assumed I wasn’t good at bowling, and I wanted them to continue thinking it until it counted. I deliberately bowled horribly during warmups.”

  “Andy was all ‘it’s okay, baby’ and then BAM! Milo kicked our ass. Twice.”

  “I wish I could say that I was faking a lack of talent, but I’m seriously no good,” Keeton said.

  “We would still love to have you join us.”

  “Could I bring a friend to even the teams out?” Keeton asked, sounding both hopeful and anxious.

  “Absolutely,” Ollie said. “You guys email me with your open nights for the next few weeks, and I’ll set something up.”

  “Can’t wait,” I said excitedly, rubbing my hands together. Look, I was a competitive person. Drag queen competitions could be ruthless, and I was no shrinking violet.

  When we got home, Andy surrendered his dreams to me, and I made them come true in the end, just like the song said.

  “Oh my God, could you be any perkier?” Maegan asked when she arrived at work fifteen minutes after I did. “Tone it down a little bit. The overhead lights are glaring off your teeth.”

  “Someone sounds awfully sour this morning,” I said. “Is the ghost interfering with your sex life?”

  Maegan snorted. “Only the world ending could keep me away from Elijah,” she said wryly. “Even then, I’m going out with a bang.”

  “You mean during a bang?” I asked.

  “There’s nothing wrong between Elijah and me, or problems with my new lovely house.”

  “Then what is it?” Maegan wasn’t one to get down about much, and she was clearly upset about something.

  “It involves Elijah, but it’s nothing that he’s done wrong. I shouldn’t even be upset about it.”

  I handed Maegan a chai vanilla latte and a blueberry scone. “Tell your big brother what’s wrong. Maybe I can help you fix it.”

  “Older by a few minutes,” she reminded me.

  “Those few minutes made a significant difference though, didn’t they?” I asked. “We don’t even share a birth month, let alone a birthday.”

  “Well, I’m light years ahead of you in the maturity department,” Maegan said smugly. Then her face fell. “Then again, maybe not when it comes to this.”

  “What ‘this’ are you referring to?”

  “I closed Books and Brew last night while Bonnie closed Curious Things. Just before we were ready to leave, Katie from the animal shelter shows up. I’d forgotten to lock the door. She didn’t want to buy anything, she had a favor to ask. Katie said that they were organizing the photoshoot for the annual calendar to raise money for the animal shelter.”

  “Oh, that’s a big hit each year. I wonder what sexy men will appear?” I started growling playfully.

  “Katie wanted to know if we would be willing to sell the calendars in our bookstore for them. I agreed, of course, and that’s when she dropped the bomb on me.”

  “Bomb?” I thought I knew where this was heading, but for once I let Maegan get to the point at her own pace.

  “Katie said it was great since Elijah agreed to do the shoot.”

  “And you’re upset because you felt blindsided by it, not because Elijah is a grown-ass man and can make his own decisions,” I said.

  “Of course,” Maegan scoffed. “I would’ve preferred to hear it from him, but he had just agreed to it. She caught him off guard when she approached him about it while he was picking up dinner at Emma and Edson’s diner.” A smile slowly crept across her face. “The best part is that he didn’t know he would only be partially dressed in the photo.”

  “She asked him to pose for the animal shelter calendar and he agreed without asking questions?”

  “Pretty much. Now he’s wishing he had asked for time to think about it first.” I suspected Mae meant talk to her about it first, but I didn’t bring that up. “I won’t pretend that I’m not a little hesitant for all the ladies to see what my guy rocks beneath his clothes, but I’m mature enough to handle it.”

  “As you should be, Mae. It’s obvious to anyone who sees you together that Elijah is crazy about you. Have faith in your relationship, and it will all be okay.”

  “I’m so glad you feel that way, Big Brother.” That wry smile became downright evil.

  “What have you done, Maegan?”

  “What’s with the tone?” She laughed wickedly then. “Okay, I might’ve told Katie before she left that Andy would probably love to pose for the calendar too. I mean, it is for a great cause. You should’ve seen how big her eyes got. She was hearing the serious coins she was going to make off Beefcake Andy’s hot body.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “I did,” Maegan said proudly. “I even told her that you had mentioned what a good idea it would be if the opportunity presented itself.”

  “That’s just mean, Mae.” I didn’t want all those people objectifying my man. Andy was a humble guy, and I didn’t think he’d like the attention. Young Andy would’ve, but not the Andy I shared a bed with each night.

  “It’s no big deal, Milo. You’re secure in your relationship with Andy. Everyone can see how much he adores you. Believe in your relationship and just go with it.”

  “I will get you back for this,” I assured her. “It might not be today, this week, this month, or even this year, but I will make you pay for this.”

  It wasn’t long before the rest of our crew showed up, followed by our eager customers. I got so busy that I forgot all about the calendar debacle until Andy showed up late morning looking very unhappy with me.

  “I’d like to speak to you in private,” Andy said softly. It felt like the calm before the storm. “I’ll just wait over there.” He pointed to the empty table he used to watch me from when we were still in the hissing and spitting stage.

  “You got me in trouble,” I hissed at Maegan.

  “Honey, that’s your middle name. You don’t need my help.”

  I had hoped for an abnormally busy Thursday, but it was the exact opposi
te. Too soon, Andy was heading around the counter and through the door to the kitchen. He didn’t stop there but continued out the back door and over to the apartment entrance. Uh oh, he must’ve really been pissed if he didn’t want witnesses.

  “Why the fuck did you volunteer me for that calendar? How am I supposed to say no after you told her I’d love to do it?”

  “I didn’t tell her that, Andy. My troublemaking sister did after she found out Elijah agreed to it without speaking to her first. She got the last laugh though because he didn’t realize that he would be posing bare-chested.”

  “Wait! What did you say? I have to take my clothes off for this thing? I don’t fucking believe this.”

  Andy started pacing angrily in the nearly finished apartment. His biceps strained beneath his shirt, and his stomach looked tight from all the tension in his body. I couldn’t let him go all day in that condition, so I perked him up the best way I knew how. Andy looked stunned when I dropped to my knees in front of him, but quickly got with the program when I reached for his belt. Blowing Andy ranked up in my top two favorite things to do in the whole world, but I didn’t take my time to draw out his pleasure like I normally did.

  Andy came down my throat after I let my teeth lightly graze the underside of his cock. Then he yanked me to my feet so he could return the favor. Afterward, we grinned at the blissed-out expressions we wore on our faces.

  “Could we be any more obvious?” Andy asked then chuckled.

  “Do you care?”

  “Not in the least,” he answered. “About this calendar thing. Are we okay with it? I mean, I’m not so big on strutting around shirtless unless it’s to entice you to jump me.”

  “You’ll get to cuddle an adorable animal, maybe one that you want to adopt.”

  “I’m not sure Alli Cat would like a brother or a sister,” Andy told me.

  “She’ll quickly learn that the world doesn’t always revolve around her.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell her that you feel that way so it’s your stuff she destroys,” Andy said. “Oh, and by the way, Maegan’s future kid is getting the most obnoxious drum set on his or her birthday.”