Layers

by Alexander, TL

  “I need to get on with my life, Marco. But I’d hoped that I would have a bit more time. I don’t think I’m ready yet. Fuck the fucking press and the Ryan partners.”

  My stomach growls

  “I think I need to feed you before that happens again. ”

  We eat a wonderful meal. I push my plate away.

  “That was the best meal I’ve had in months. I can’t eat another bite.”

  “Well, you know I enjoy cooking for you, Princess.”

  “I know I lost weigh over the last couple of months. Lester is a wonderful man and an incredible baker, but he’s a god-awful cook. A couple of weeks ago he made meatless Shepherd’s pie.”

  “Good God, I don’t even know what that is, and I’m a chef. Anything with ‘herd’ in it can’t be good.”

  “Exactly. I had that very same thought. Uncanny.”

  Two hours later, Henry joins us.

  Now remember I said I’d cried when I found out Marco was gay. Well, the entire city of New York wept when Henry married Marco—and not happy tears.

  The man is so virile—pheromones weep from his pores. A person could have multiple orgasms from just being near him.

  I’ve never participated in a threesome, but if they asked me, I’d run to the bed and spread my thighs. I’ve had this on-going fantasy—that they asked me to bear them a child and It takes months—no years before I get pregnant. A girl can dream.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Henry says in greeting and pulls me into him.

  I breathe him in, as his muscular arms surround me. I moan internally, and let me tell you, this took years of practice to master. We part, and again I moan—internally. Then he pulls Marco into his arms and they kiss—hard and long. I moan—externally. Okay, so I haven’t completely mastered it. They are just so fucking hot. I get dizzy with need just watching them.

  I drop back down onto the sofa before I pass out.

  Henry picks up an empty bottle of Black Label. He raises his brow. “It looks like the party started without me. You two do realize it’s only half past four?”

  Marco and I look at each other. “And that’s a problem?” we ask simultaneously. Then we crack up.

  Henry rolls his eyes. “You two must have been twins in another life.”

  “I’ve always thought so,” I add.

  Henry hands me the ‘Times.’ “Marco said you already knew about the paper.”

  I look at my picture on the second page of the business section. “You’d think they could have found a better picture. My ass looks huge. What do you think?” I hand the paper to Marco.

  “Definitely…not very flattering.”

  “Marco,” Henry scolds.

  “What? If Lex didn’t want the truth she wouldn’t have asked me.”

  “He’s right, Henry. I count on him to be completely honest with me. If he doesn’t, I’ll know he’s not telling the truth, because I can all but read his mind.”

  “Freaky, if you ask me,” Henry replies.

  “Whatever,” Marco and I say simultaneously again.” We laugh.

  Henry rolls his eyes again. “Dinner?” he asks Marco.

  “Leftovers in the fridge.”

  Henry rubs his hands together. ”Yippie, leftovers.”

  Marco gives him a stern look.

  “Okay, leftovers it is,” Henry says and walks into the kitchen area.

  “Hey, let me look at that picture again.” Marco hands the paper back to me.

  “I’ve seen this exact photo before.”

  “Where?” he asks.

  “Remember I told you about the pictures and e-mails that were sent to me at Ryan?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, this is one of the photos.”

  “How did it end up in the paper?”

  “Good question. Jaxson told me he’d locked them in the safe in his office.”

  “Is he the only one that has access to it?”

  “That’s what I had assumed. ”

  “You don’t think he leaked it do you?”

  “I don’t know what to think Marco. I’m so confused over the whole thing. Something about the whole embezzlement set up just seems off to me. I haven’t been able to shake this feeling that Jaxson’s not telling me everything.”

  Marco raises a brow.

  “Okay…I know, the pot calling the kettle black and all that. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”

  “Okay, we don’t have to.” He stands and takes a bottle out of the liquor cabinet.

  “Another Black Label?”

  “Yeah, let’s get smashed.”

  “Let’s,” I answer.

  Henry soon joins us and an hour later one of us is smashed, the other two—still working on it.

  “I’zz never knownz twoz peoples thatz can drinks likes yuv twozz,” he slurs.

  Marco and I smile at each other. Henry’s a bit of a lightweight, but we still love him.

  “One morez of yuv weird connectionesses,” he slur-pouts.

  “I’m not sure about our connectionesses, but we do have a weird connection,” I say with a smile.

  “I love yuv guys.” He drunk-pouts.

  “We love you too.” Marco smirks.

  “Oh, I almost forgot your anniversary gift. I better show you before one of you passes out. And you know who you are—Henry.”

  I go to the entry closet and grab my bag and take out an envelope. I walk back into the front room and hand it to Marco. “Happy anniversary. I wanted to give it to you in person, so it’s a bit late.”

  Marco gives me a half smile. “Lex, what is this?”

  “Go sit next to your man and open it.”

  Marco sits next to Henry and opens it and removes the documents. They both look at it, or at least Marco does. I watch, as their eyes grow big. Marco looks up with tears in his eyes.

  “Princess you can’t do this.”

  “Hey, I’m a princess and I can do whatever the hell I want. Marco, you and Henry love the villa. And I love you, so the deed is yours. Besides, it’s about time it gets a proper name.

  “Fucks mes.” Henry adds. And we all laugh.

  MIAMI HEAT

  A week later…

  “Are you okay?” Jules asks me as I rejoin her and Marco by the pool.

  “You’ve been puking your guts out all week.”

  “Better, now that I have no more guts.”

  “Do you think you have the stomach flu?” Marco asks with concern.

  “I don’t think so. I think I just have a bad case of food poisoning. I ate a spinach salad at the airport and I haven’t felt well since. Where did Nick and Henry go?”

  “Golfing,” Marco answers.

  “I didn’t know Henry could golf.”

  They both pull down their sunglasses and give me that duh look.

  “Is there anything he can’t do?” I ask.

  “I haven’t found one yet, “ Marco smirks.

  “Did you tell Lex, that you…”

  Marco cuts Jules off and shakes his head.

  “Okay, tell me what?”

  “Jules, you have the biggest mouth,” Marco huffs.

  “You are the only guy that’s ever complained about the size of my mouth.”

  I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses—for sure Marco, joined me.

  “Just tell me—I’m a big girl.”

  “Jaxson came into Polo yesterday—for lunch” Marco answers.

  “Well, the man does eat and he likes your restaurants.”

  “But, there are like thousands of restaurants in the city” Jules adds.

  I bite the baited hook. “So how did he look?”

  “Good.” Marco answers.

  “Of course he did.” I pout. “And I know he didn’t ask about me. I must have left him twenty message and texted him fifty times. He doesn’t want anything to do with me, and I don’t blame him. He said he didn’t know about us, so he’s done.”

  “Well, then he’s the stupidest and biggest asstard ever.”
/>   “Thanks Jules. But I’m the asstard.”

  “I said he looked good—I didn’t say happy,” Marco adds.

  “Let’s just not talk about him. This is the first morning that I haven’t woken up without a cry hangover, and if we continue to talk about him, I’ll be crying all day again.”

  “Okay princess, we won’t talk about him unless you want to.”

  “Thanks, Marco.”

  “Jules, my dear,” Marco says. “Thanks again for having us. Nick has a beautiful home.”

  “Well it’s not Villa Marco and Henry, but I guess it will do.”

  “Jules,” I huff.

  “I’m not jealous or anything,” she teases.

  She so is.

  We lounge by the pool for a while. By noon we’d had enough of the sun so we move our little party to the veranda and read our Kindles.

  “Uggggg” Jules cries, as she snaps the cover of her Kindle shut.

  “What?” I ask.

  “This damn book it’s so frustrating. The man is the biggest asswad. Ever. The woman is all but begging him to fuck her. But does he? Nooo! He won’t even kiss her. If I wanted to read a Austin novel, I would have downloaded an Austin novel.”

  “It can’t be that bad.”

  “It is” she says and picks up her Kindle and turns it on. “Listen.” Jules reads from her Kindle.

  “I’m so mad at you I can barely see straight,” he says as he clenches his fists and paces like a caged bull.

  “I’m so sorry John. Please forgive me. Please. John, I love you.”

  “You love me!” he shouts.

  “John, please, I need you. Please just hold me,” she whimpers.

  He gives her a look filled with hate and disbelief. “I can’t believe you just asked me that.”

  She falls to her knees. “John, I’m down on my knees. I’ll do anything you want. Anything.”

  “What a loser. The woman is down on her knees, for Christ sakes. Saying she’ll do anything. Anything. He must be a gaywad. No offence, Marco,” Jules says.

  “None taken. I agree. What straight guy would pass up a woman down on her knees and begging?”

  “Maybe he’s just really pissed,” I comment.

  Jules rolls her eyes. “Even pissed guys wouldn’t pass up a BJ.”

  “I have to agree with Jules on this one,” Marco adds.

  “It gets worse” Jules says and begins to read again.

  “Anything?” he huffs.

  “Yes, anything. Please, John.”

  “Then, crawl to me,” he shouts.

  She looks up at him in disbelief. Where is the man she fell in love with? But she would rather die than not have him. So she gets on all fours and crawls to him.

  “You make me sick, down on your knees and crawling on the dirty floor like some animal.”

  She stops crawling and bows down at his feet. “Please, John.” She begs.

  He looks down on her one last time then walks out the door.

  “He’s a total prick and she’s a fool.” Jules huffs. “I keep on picking out books that I never want to finish.”

  “Did you read the synopsis?” Marco asks her.

  “I never read those, I want to be surprised.”

  “Okay,” Marco says and gives me a knowing look—one that we often share when it comes to Jules.

  “What about the reviews—do you read those?” I ask.

  “No. Why would I care about what other people think?”

  “Then how do you choose a book?”

  She sighs with impatience and gives me a, duh look. “By its cover.”

  “You pick a book, strictly by its cover?” I huff.

  “Yes. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Jules” I say and flip my sunglasses down.

  “You don’t fool me. Behind those enormous sunglasses, you’re giving me that look.”

  I smile. “Yeah, I think I am.”

  Jules closes her eyes. “Whatever. I’m done reading. I’m just going to take a nap.”

  I flip my glasses back up and continue to read.

  “So, what are you reading?” she asks.

  That was the shortest nap ever. Right?

  “Are you sure you want to know. It didn’t really have an interesting cover.”

  “Smart ass. Yes, I want to know.”

  “It’s called ‘My Life In Pictures’. It’s a memoir of a documentary filmmaker. She makes documentaries about the lives of women. How each woman is different—but how we all share common traits and bonds.”

  “Sounds interesting.” She snorts.

  “It is. I’m reading about when she first started. She was surprised and thrilled that she got clearance to film in Afghanistan.”

  “Okay, I was done at it is.”

  “You asked.”

  “Yes, I did. I don’t know how you read that crap. It’s not very entertaining. I was bored as soon as you told me the title.”

  I pull down my shades.

  “Don’t even think about giving me that look,” she adds.

  Too late bitch I already did.

  Marco laughs.

  “Something funny in your bromance?” I ask.

  “Yeah, this couple…Stan and Pete, just moved in together and they fight over some of the same things that Henry and I did.”

  “Like what?” Jules asks.

  “The usual stuff like: drinking from the carton, Sports Center on in every room, using each other’s aftershave and soap.”

  “Why is sharing soap a problem?” I ask.

  “Because you don’t want to be with, or sleep with a guy that smells just like you do. You might as well sleep alone, and just jerk off.”

  “Okay. Noted.”

  “What about you Jules?” I ask. “What do you and Nick fight about?”

  “Why would you assume that we fight?”

  “Sorry, I just think that most couples who are intelligent and passionate about each other—fight.”

  “Nice save.” She puffs.

  “I thought so.”

  Jules contemplates for a minutes. “It’s not so much about what we fight about. It’s how we fight.”

  “How so?”

  “It’s one-sided. He lays it out and leaves before I even get a rebuttal. I mean, for a former prosecutor, that’s just wrong.”

  “Maybe he’s just tired of fighting because that’s what he does in a courtroom all day.”

  “That’s a pretty lame excuse, Lex. I’m his lover, not the opposing counsel.”

  “You’re right. Poor excuse.”

  “I’ll give you an example. A few weeks ago he came over to my place for dinner. Halfway through we were talking about nothing really and then he says, and I quote, ‘I don’t understand how an intelligent woman can be so stupid.’ He’s called me ‘silly’ a few times, but ‘stupid’ was harsh.”

  “I agree…that is harsh.”

  “And he just left before you could respond?” Marco asks.

  “Yeah. I sat there for a few seconds, stunned. Then he grabs his plate and puts in on the counter and leaves.”

  “Did you bring it up later?” I ask.

  “Yeah. He apologized but he didn’t want to talk about it. I know I’m different. Maybe I’m a savant.” She sighs.

  I smile. “I don’t think you’re a savant, Jules. Like you said, you’re just you, you’re unique. Sometimes you’re a little bizarre, but you’re not stupid.”

  “Definitely not stupid,” Marco adds.

  “Some of the weird and strange things that you’ve done or said are some of my best memories. Wouldn’t you agree Marco?”

  “Hands down. Some of the best” he answers.

  “Really? Wow, thanks guys”.

  “Maybe I have—what is that called…assbugers?”

  “It’s Asperger. And no, Jules, you don’t have it.”

  The next morning Jules and I are watching Henry do laps in the pool.

  Jules sighs. “This is heaven Lex. Lounging by the
pool with my best friend, drinking a mimosa, and watching God part the waves.”

  “Pretty damn close to it.” I sigh.

  She puts her hand over mine. “Lex, if Jaxson is worth fighting for, then fight for him. Fly to London, talk to Gram and make things right. Then come back and fight.”

  “You’re naïve if you think it will be that simple.”

  “Of course I don’t think it will be simple or easy. It will be hard and messy. Lex, you’ve stepped on the line. Now you’re either going to have to step back or step over it. I love you, but things are changing for all of us. Marco has a life with Henry, Nick is my life and, well…you?”

  “Yes, me.”

  “Good morning” Nick says and gives Jules a kiss on her cheek. I smile.

  “Lex.” He nods.

  “Nick.”

  He pulls down his shades and sits in a lounger next to Jules.

  “I was wondering what you two were doing out here,” he says as Henry turns for another lap. “Can’t blame you. If I were a man’s man, I’d be all over that.”

  “Marco is one lucky bitch,” Jules replies.

  “Yesterday at the club,” Nick says, “well let’s just say it was an experience. Even the straight men where drooling. Freakin’ unbelievable” he says and shakes his head. “I never thought anything could be crazier than golfing with Ryan.”

  Jules elbows him.

  “Fuck, sorry, Lex.”

  “Nick, don’t be—he’s your best friend.”

  “Lex, can I be frank?”

  “I’d rather you be yourself, but…”

  “Walked right into that one.”

  “Yeah, you did. I’m sorry. Continue.”

  “Jaxson loves you like crazy. But he’s going to fuck up a lot because he doesn’t know how to play the game.”

  “The game?”

  “You’re the only woman he’s ever pursued. The only woman that’s ever said ‘no’ to him. Women have always come on to him; he’s never had to make an effort. He has no skills when it comes to being the pursuer. He’s a rookie, and rookies fuck up.”

  “I appreciate what you’re saying Nick. But Jaxson being a rookie isn’t the problem. The problem is, well…me. Me not wanting to be me.”

  “Well, I don’t really understand what that means, but I want you to know that I love Jules and she loves you and I would never make her have to choose sides.”