by GA Hauser
“They do now.”
“Why do they now?”
“I spoke to my cousin. Claire Epstein.” Jordon gloated. Why not? He had a connection.
The look on Tyler’s face was priceless. “Cousin Claire Epstein?”
“Yes.” Jordon rubbed the large bulge that appeared under Tyler’s shorts.
“You’re related to the owner?”
“Her mom and my mom are sisters. She’s my first cousin, and a close cousin, I might add.”
“And… and you got me in with her?”
Jordon loved the awe on Tyler’s face. “I did, pretty man.”
“Oh, my God!”
“She wants you to go for a shoot tomorrow. Want to?”
“Want to? Are you seriously asking me if I want to go to a photo shoot at Spencer and Epstein?”
“One tiny catch.”
“Oh.” Tyler deflated. “What?”
“She wants you to change your name, you know, so it’ll be harder for anyone to… well.”
“That’s no problem.” He perked back up.
“She…” Jordon blushed. “She suggested Tyler Buck. Isn’t she a riot?”
Tyler’s eyes lit on fire. He dove on top of Jordon, pinning him to the couch. “Yes! I get you and your name? Jordon, am I dreaming?”
Jordon gaped at Tyler in astonishment. “You… you want my name?”
Tyler wriggled all over Jordon, kissing his face and neck. “Please. Call me your name. Make me yours, lover. We can’t do it by marriage in New York, but we can do it for the excuse of celebrity.”
Jordon had no idea when he had phoned Claire that Tyler would be so enthusiastic. And the reasons made him want to cry. But he couldn’t cry. He’d never been very good at it.
When Tyler leaned up to see his face, Jordon felt his lip tremble. Why did love come with so much fear? He’d never allowed anyone to make him feel so vulnerable before, and it was petrifying.
“Call me your name,” Tyler said with his lips against Jordon’s.
It finally broke in him. Jordon squeezed Tyler as tightly as he could against him. Tears ran down his cheeks like rivers.
He was so relieved he had emotions in him, powerful ones he thought he had lost decades ago, Jordon rejoiced in his sobs.
“Baby? Have I upset you?” Tyler panicked, trying to draw back to see Jordon’s expression.
“No.” Jordon didn’t let up his grip. “For the first time in my fucking life I feel alive. God, Tyler, take my name. Take my name!”
Tyler snaked his arms around Jordon’s back and rocked him. “I love you. I love you.”
“I love you too, Tyler, with all my goddamn heart.”
Epilogue
“Ew,” Jordon moaned, whispering, covering his eyes. “Tell me when I can look.”
Tyler chuckled. “It’s not just Bryan who’s nude. You’re missing some nice bods, Jordon.”
“I can’t. If I see my brother naked, I’ll barf.” Jordon hid his face against Tyler’s shoulder.
Tyler kissed his hair affectionately. “It’s over. You can look.”
“Thank God.” Jordon spun around in his seat, gazing down their row. His mother, father, and Mr. Adrian Tripp were watching the performance with big smiles on their face.
Well, his brother was fantastic. He had an amazing voice. Jordon relaxed to enjoy the rest of this Sixties revival.
***
They stood out front of the theater waiting for Bryan and Adrian to join them. Jordon held Tyler around the waist, chuckling as he said to his mother and father, “Well, that was more than I wanted to see of my brother in a lifetime.”
“It was dark and quick, Jordon,” Maureen said. “You hardly saw a thing.”
“Is that right, Dad?” Jordon couldn’t contain his laughter at his father’s expression.
Bruce made a grimace of pain. “I agree with Jordon. I didn’t need to see my youngest son in his birthday suit.”
“You’ve seen him naked before, Bruce.” Maureen brushed him off with a wave.
“Not since he was a toddler, Maureen.” Bruce choked.
“Changing the subject,” Maureen said to her husband “Don’t they make a lovely couple, dear?”
“I like Tyler better than Fawn,” Bruce replied, “but I wasn’t going to tell Jordon that.”
“Hello!” Bryan bounded out of the front entrance holding Adrian’s hand. “How was I? Wasn’t it fantastic?”
Jordon caught Adrian’s wicked smile as Jordon told his brother, “You were too naked for my liking, Bry.”
“One second?” Bryan protested. “I’m nude for a millisecond and that’s all you have to critique?”
“You were delicious,” Adrian said, kissing Bryan’s cheek.
“Thank you, Adrian.” Bryan grinned.
“Aunt Maureen! Uncle Bruce!”
They all spun around to see Claire rushing toward them. After she kissed everyone in greeting, introducing Jenine, her partner, she said, “Good job, Bryan. I had no idea you could sing so well.”
“Thank you, Claire.” Bryan stuck out his tongue at everyone else. “At least she could see past the nude scene.”
“Er, no. Not really.” She laughed. “Oh, Tyler,” she said, grabbing his arm, “I have great news for you. Before I left the office today, I got an offer for your bod.”
“Fantastic!” Tyler squeezed Jordon tighter.
“You standing next to a big Ford truck.” She used a deep voice teasingly, folding her arms over her chest and puffing up. “Big macho manly man.”
“Thank you, Claire,” Tyler replied excitedly.
“Good money. Quit your day job,” she gushed, elbowing him.
“Congratulations, Tyler.” Jordon spun him around to hug.
“Yes, congratulations,” Maureen echoed. “How wonderful!”
Jenine piped up, “Tyler Buck will be the next big model in Times Square.”
Jordon took a quick look at everyone’s confused expressions. That cat wasn’t out of the bag yet. It was now.
“Are you two married?” Adrian covered his smile.
“Well…” Tyler's cheeks went crimson.
Claire burst out, “Yes! They wanted to have the same name, isn’t it adorable?”
Jordon knew she was helping Tyler hide his past. Besides, how many people needed to know? It wasn’t Claire’s fault nearly everyone in their inner circle already did.
“Do you want to get married?” Maureen asked seriously.
Jordon gazed at his lover. “I do one day. We’ll have to find a wedding planner. The one I know isn’t in that line of work any longer.”
Tyler urged him closer, grinning at him affectionately. “He may not be in the business, but he knows damn well how to throw a party.”
Jordon took a quick look at his family first, found their proud smiles, and whispered to Tyler, “Kiss me, you handsome fool.”
Tyler dipped him low on the city sidewalk, giving him a passionate smooch.
“Wow!” Bryan coughed in surprise. “And I thought I was tonight’s star attraction.”
Once Jordon was set back upright, he blinked in awe at the intensity of the kiss. “You can have your fame, Bryan.” Jordon gripped Tyler to his side. “Tonight is yours to celebrate. I have the rest of my life to celebrate mine.”
“Champagne!” Claire shouted, waving her arms. “My treat!”
As they followed the sidewalk along Broadway’s crowded avenue, Jordon snuggled against Tyler. “Would you marry me, Mr. Tyler Buck?”
“I would and… ‘I do.'” Tyler’s light eyes gleamed at him.
Bryan teased, “Maybe we should be singing Here Comes the Pride…”
“Yes, perhaps,” Adrian replied softly.
Jordon rested his head on Tyler’s shoulder as they walked. He knew he’d found his life’s partner and fallen in love in one fell swoop. “I love you, Mr. Tyler Buck.”
“And I love you too, Mr. Jordon Buck.” Tyler kissed him.
“Plan that
party now, baby. Plan it now.” Jordon squeezed him tight.
“You got it.”
They grinned wickedly at each other.
“New York Rangers, or New Jersey Devils?” Tyler asked teasingly.
“Rangers! Come on!” Jordon laughed.
“Good.” Tyler pecked his cheek.
“Devils? Sheesh.” Jordon shook Tyler. “I only need one devil in my life.”
“Damn straight. I got my angel.”
“You do say all the right things, Mr. Wedding Planner.”
“It’s my job, Mr. Stockbroker.”
“Not anymore.”
“Thank you.” Tyler held Jordon back a moment. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Exchanging adoring smiles, they caught up with the rest of the family.
The End
