Dance With Destiny

by Sloan Johnson

  “I haven’t said anything because your brother-in-law is the brains behind this concept. He’s been beating me down nightly until I saw through the shit in my own head to see how great it could be.”

  Tony appears on the deck wearing his uniform pants and a tight white t-shirt. He leans over, kissing me quickly before heading out the door. “Love you, baby. I’m on for twenty-four today. If you’re bored later, come on down for a while.”

  Now that Tony’s out to the guys at work, it seems like I spend almost as much time there as I do at the house. We were both nervous the night one of his buddies caught us making out in the alley behind the station, but he took it in stride. I figured that’d be the end of it, but as it turns out, bored firefighters gossip more than old women and our secret was out to everyone by the end of the week. Sure, there are a couple of guys who practically run to the other side of the building when I walk in because they don’t want to catch a nasty case of the gay, but I think that’s to be expected.

  “Okay. Love you, too,” I say, holding my hand to his cheek, forgetting that I’m still on the phone. “Be careful out there. I’ll call you if I’m heading over.”

  Andrew clears his throat, reminding me that he’s listening to every word. “Damn, you have it bad, huh?” He laughs.

  “Yeah, but you already knew that.” I lean over the edge of the deck railing, waving to Tony as he pulls onto the street.

  Over the past few months, I’ve found a whole new respect for anyone who willingly falls in love with emergency personnel. Every day, I make a point of watching him pull away as I try to bury the fear that he might not come home. I’ve even considered finding a meaningless job in town, just to keep me from having so much time to think about what might happen to him.

  “…Dom, are you even listening to me?” Andrew asks impatiently.

  “Sorry, Tony was heading out the door for a twenty-four hour shift. I hate it when he pulls those.” Before settling back in for what will hopefully be a productive call with Andrew, I refill my coffee. “What were you saying?”

  “I said that I think the upstate location would make sense for the next expansion if you’re serious about this.” I pull up the information we’ve found about the team-building resort in upstate New York. At first sight, it was near the bottom of my list because it’s too close to home. Add to the fact that it’d be close to the family I have distanced myself from for more than a decade, they aren’t in the dire straits that some of the other companies are. I’m not sure there’s a good enough incentive to get the current owners to sell.

  “Are you sure?” I ask, needing Andrew to impart his wisdom because if he can sell me on the idea, I know he’ll find a way to sell them. “I was thinking Colorado would be the logical expansion.”

  “Two problems with that,” Andrew responds quickly. “One: it’s keeping the business in the western half of the country. You need to expand this direction and then consider filling in between here and Phoenix.”

  I sit up straighter, starting to see what he’s saying. “Second, Geneva is a more central location. You could easily do one-night groups from Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, and the list goes on from there. Besides, if we’re going to do this, I think it needs to be where we can be a bit more hands-on until it’s turned around.”

  My stomach churns at that thought. It’d be a hell of a lot closer than if I was still in Phoenix, but now that Tony and I have gotten into a routine around here, I can’t imagine being away from him. Yes, somewhere along the way I transformed from a man who’d sworn off needing someone special in my life to a sap who can’t hates spending even a single night away from one another for any reason other than Tony’s job. In reality, I’ve turned into a masculine housewife.

  “Okay, but do you think there’s enough to get them to sell?” Knowing how resistant I’ve been, even knowing Andrew well enough to know that he’d never bastardize what I’ve worked so hard for, I can’t see someone else giving up control easily.

  “Let me make some calls. Find out when Tony can take some time off and we’ll head up there to check it out in depth.” Andrew puts his hand over the receiver long enough to say something to Cara. I can’t make out the words, but I laugh at the tone in his voice. It seems I’m not the only one who turns into a puddle of goo around one of the DeLuca children. “Cara says it had better be soon because she doesn’t want to look like a whale.”

  “That depends on her brother,” I remind Andrew, knowing that the comment will likely cause a phone call from one sibling to the other. Since Tony’s family isn’t speaking to her either because she stuck up for Tony when he came out, we’ve somehow been relegated to the shoulder to cry on. Hormones have made that woman downright volatile. If Tony wasn’t so excited to be an uncle to a normal kid as opposed to the pint-sized bigots he currently has, I think he’d be threatening Andrew for knocking her up on their honeymoon. “But I’ll be sure to relay the message.”

  “Sounds good. Look, I have to get going, but I’ll call you later this week to discuss what I find.”

  Five weeks later, Tony and I make the drive up to D.C., once again on our way to New York. I realize what a lovesick fool I’ve become when my heart warms a bit as we walk past the gate where we met. Tony wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close to his body. “No picking up strays if our flight is cancelled this time.”

  “Nah, I learned my lesson on that one last time, I tease, running my hand along his stomach. “There was this one guy I gave a ride because I felt bad for him and I’m still trying to get him to back off.”

  Tony swats my backside, leaning over to kiss me in the middle of the busy corridor. He’s come a long way from the closet case I met the last time we were here. “Don’t hear you complaining when my mouth is wrapped around your cock,” he whispers, nipping at my ear before pulling away.

  Jerk. The khaki shorts I’m wearing do nothing to hide my arousal. I shift so my carry-on is directly in front of my body, as if that’s going to be any less conspicuous.

  Tony leaves his bags with me at the gate and heads off to grab coffee for both of us. When he comes back, I shut down my iPad. This weekend is more business than pleasure, so I want to give him my undivided attention while I can. Taking the coffee from his hand, I lean closer to him, loving the fact that he no longer stiffens when I get the urge to be close to him in public.

  “You know, I was thinking…” Tony starts. He seems distracted this morning and I wonder if it’s because we’re going to be in New York for the first time since his blow-up with his parents. It may be a huge city, but I’d be nervous if I were in his shoes. Hell, I am nervous that we’ll somehow run into them and it’ll cause Tony to pull back into his shell.

  “That’s always dangerous.” Tony glares at me, straightening in his seat as he turns to face me. Apparently, he’s not in the mood for teasing today. “Okay, I’ll quit teasing now. What’s up?”

  I take a sip of my coffee while I wait to see if he’s going to tell me what’s got him in such a mood. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, muttering something under his breath.

  “Baby, I was kidding.” Seeing just how uneasy he is, I start worrying a bit.

  “Okay, I need you to hear me out. Can you do that?” I nod, wishing he’d get on with it before I lose my breakfast all over the terminal floor. Most of the time, ‘hear me out’ is Tony code for something that’s a great idea, but he still seems to be waiting for me to run away from him screaming. “I know you’re the more sensible one of the two of us. I’m impulsive and not known for thinking things through, but this has been on my mind for a while now.”

  Tony slides off his seat so he’s kneeling between my legs. “Dom, the last time we were both in this airport, it changed our lives. Hopefully, you’d agree with me when I say it was a change for the better.” I nod my agreement and Tony lifts my hand to his lips, kissing each knuckle before continuing. “Every night, I say a prayer to whatever higher power is out there looking after us because
there was definitely some divine intervention happening that night. I had all these plans to do this right, but we both know that’s not my style.”

  I lean forward, kissing Tony’s forehead. “Yeah, but I’ve learned to love that part of you as much as the rest.”

  He rewards me with a smile that makes me wish we were anywhere other than in a crowded airport terminal. “I know, baby, and that’s a tiny piece of why I love you. I didn’t think I’d ever find someone crazy enough to put up with my shit. I know we can’t do it right this minute, but the next time we head up to New York, I want you to make an honest man of me. Dominic James Tricoli, will you marry me?” He opens his clenched fist, displaying a simple titanium band with two small diamonds at the top.

  “Never do anything halfway, do you?” I ask, wrapping my hand beneath his chin, pulling him in for a kiss. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  It’s not until applause erupts around us that I remember where we are. A few of the women around us have tears in their eyes, and even most of the men seem genuinely happy for us. A couple of older men seem disturbed, but I choose to ignore them. Instead, I hold out my left hand, looking at the ring Tony picked out. It’s simple and understated. It’s perfect.

  “Baby, time to wake up,” I nudge Dom, chuckling at the scowl he gives me when he opens his eyes. “We’re about to land, you need to put your seat up.”

  “That’s a stupid rule,” Dom grumbles. “It’s not like I’m any less likely to die if I’m sitting upright or reclined two inches.”

  Dom has no problem with being up in the morning, but I learned within a week of living together that he will never be happy about being awake until about thirty minutes after opening his eyes. “Yeah, yeah…” I reach over his body, pushing the button to adjust his seat. “But that flight attendant is crabby as hell this morning so you’d better not piss her off.”

  Thirty minutes later, we’re standing at baggage claim when a pregnant belly presses against my back. “I swear, I didn’t do it,” I joke, putting my hands in the air in mock surrender. “Dom, you know I haven’t been out banging any women. I swear!”

  “Eww, that’s disgusting,” Cara squeals. I turn around to give her a kiss on the cheek. She’s one of those pregnant women that I would assume makes all other women hate her. If not for the basketball under her shirt, you’d never know she’s a little over a month from popping out my little niece or nephew.

  “You look good,” I say, rubbing my hands over her Buddha-belly.

  “I feel like crap, but thanks.” Cara curls herself under my arm while Dom retrieves our bags. We follow Andrew and Dom, who are already talking about the buyout they’re considering, to the parking garage so we can hit the road to Rochester.

  Cara squeals as Andrew unlocks the doors, causing all three of us guys to rush to her side, asking if there’s a problem with the baby. In return, my demonic sister doubles over laughing. If I didn’t love her so much, I’d slap the hell out of her. “Guys, if you’re going to freak like that, I might just have to stay home this weekend. I mean, it’s cute, but really, not everything in life is caused by the baby.”

  “Then what was that little outburst caused by?” I ask, annoyed beyond belief with my big sister.

  She points to the bag Dom’s carrying, hand over her mouth to stifle the fit of giggles she’s broken into. I suspect she’d be jumping up and down if not for the fact that she looks kinda like a Weeble right now. Whatever’s gotten into her, my sister is on the verge of a manic episode.

  “What, babe?” Andrew asks, oblivious to cause of her hysteria. I look down and it hits me.

  “When? How? And why in the hell did you not tell me? I thought you were going to wait and do something amazing for him?” Cara rapid-fires questions in my direction, punctuating each one with a smack to my arm.

  “I would have told you, but I just did it at the airport before we left to come here and figured I’d tell you in person.” I take the bag from Dom’s hand, allowing Cara to fawn over the ring as only a woman can.

  “Someone want to clue me in?” Andrew asks as we try to shuffle suitcases around so there’s room for ours.

  “I proposed to Dom.” Wow, there’s something I thought I’d never say, especially not so casually.

  “And he said yes?” Andrew scratches his head, seeming confused. “I thought he was smarter than to rope himself into married life.”

  Now he’s the victim of Cara’s playful abuse. I’m not sure if it’s marriage or pregnancy, but she’s much more violent than I remember. She’s also much more laid-back, so the cause doesn’t much matter if this is the result.

  Andrew places his hands on his wife’s shoulders, holding her at arms’ length. “Wait, you knew about this and didn’t tell me? I thought we weren’t going to keep things from one another.”

  I cringe, hoping this isn’t the start of a fight between them. Had I considered the fact that she’d technically be keeping a secret from her husband, I wouldn’t have begged her to not tell him. “Andrew, that’s my fault,” I apologize. “I didn’t want her blabbing to you and you accidentally saying something to Dom before the time was right.”

  “And you thought that sitting in an airport was the right time?” Andrew laughs. He opens the passenger’s side door for Cara, reaching across to buckle her in before closing the door. It’s sweet enough it gives me a bit of a stomach ache, but I’m happy that she has such a loving man to share her life with. “And I thought I sucked in the romance department. How long did it take you to come up with that epic proposal?”

  “About two minutes. I’ve been carrying the ring around since the beginning of February, trying to wait long enough that he wouldn’t flip out,” I respond as I take the seat behind Cara. Once everyone’s in the car, conversation dies. That’s a good thing because now I feel like shit for not giving Dom a decent proposal. It’s not the type of thing I think he’ll care about, but it matters to me.

  Once we’re out of the city, Dom and Andrew start talking about tomorrow’s site visit. It turns out that Andrew’s already talked to the current owner, an older gentleman who thought it would be easy to get a team-building business up and running in New York. He’s right in that the start-up isn’t so bad, but it also requires a lot of forward thinking and long hours. The guy doesn’t have the former and doesn’t seem to understand the latter. His methods may have worked ten or twenty years ago, but today’s execs are looking for something more.

  They try pulling me into the conversation a few times since I was the one who pushed for Dom to do this in the first place. While I appreciate the acknowledgment, I’d rather leave this to the two of them. Much like my sister, I’m just looking forward to a weekend away with the people who mean the most to me.

  I’ve heard Cara talk about the vacation home outside of Rochester that Andrew bought as a wedding gift, but this is the first time I’ve seen more than pictures. Even though it looked impressive in the emails she sent me the first time she was up here, I’m in awe of the spacious home. You’d think that would have worn off quickly after the grand tour yesterday, but nope, it’s still just as awesome this morning.

  Even better, it sits on acres of land that Andrew’s eager to show Dom and me later this morning. It turns out my brother-in-law isn’t nearly as stuffy as I once imagined he’d have to be to get along with my family. They welcomed him just fine thanks to the size of his bank account and reputation, but I’m pretty sure he only tolerated them for Cara’s sake.

  Behind the house, he has a garage with four ATVs and a boat that he’s dying to pull out and use. Dom bristled at that idea, saying he’d prefer not going out on the water. Andrew quickly realized the error in his ways and said we’d just have to make up for by it playing on the four-wheelers.

  Spending time with the people I love more than anything was incentive enough for me to take a bit of time off work, but knowing that we’d get to play around makes this the perfect weekend. I’m not a pro on an ATV, but knowing how much fun
we have on them in the park during festivals, I can only imagine what it’ll be like to get out on the trails and fields just to open up the throttle a bit.

  By the time I shower and get dressed, Dom and Andrew are already out on the deck discussing the site visit they have planned. Dom asked if I was going to join them, reminding me that it’s because of me that they’re even considering this. He does that frequently and it makes me a bit uncomfortable. Yes, I am the one who suggested he expand rather than sell, but that’s as far as I want my involvement in the venture to go.

  “I’m happy for you,” Cara says as she joins me at the window overlooking the wooded backyard. “Dom’s a great guy. I’m just glad you got your head out of your ass before it was too late.”

  I wrap my arm around Cara’s shoulder, tucking her close to my side. It’s hard to believe that this is where my life is today, when not even a year ago I was certain I’d never get to the point where I could even consider thinking about seriously dating. Now, I can’t even imagine a life without Dom in it and can’t wait to become Mr. Anthony Tricoli. I haven’t told Dom about that little detail, but given how my family feels about me at this point, I can’t wait to rid myself of anything that ties me to them.

  “Everyone has to grow up sometime,” I respond, kissing the top of her head. “And in case I haven’t said it, thank you.”

  Cara looks up at me, her brow knit in confusion. “You’re welcome?” she says, more a question than a statement. “But just so I can mark it properly in the favors book, what did I do this time? Have to know how many you owe me.”

  As if he could sense our presence, Dom turns his head slowly, blowing me a kiss before turning back to Andrew. “I’m not sure you can count that high,” I say wistfully. “If you hadn’t said yes to Andrew, I would have never met Dom. And even though we had a few rough starts, I don’t even want to think about what my life was like before him. Sure, I had my job and the guys at the firehouse, but compared to now, I feel like I wasn’t living back then. Now, I can’t wait to get home after my shift because I want to be with him, even if we just veg out on the couch all night.”