by A. J. Blake
Marbell’s chipper voice came up on the other line, “Yes, actually. I managed to make it out half an hour before twelve, are you all at the diner I mentioned?”
“Yeah,” London said, sticking his tongue out at Henry, “We’re right by the window. Are you on your way?”
“I should be there in about five minutes.”
“Good,” London kicked Henry from under the table when the boy began making kissy faces at him. “I missed you this morning.”
“Sorry about only leaving a note, I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“It’s okay, just hurry and get here so you can give Henry detention. He’s picking on me.”
Marbell laughed before he hung up, and as promised, showed up at the diner a couple minutes later. He was dressed in burgundy slacks and a white button down, burgundy/black striped tie clipped down, and black dress shoes. His top fringe was a bit wavier than normal and pushed off to the side, glasses settled at the bridge of his nose. Carrying a beige, designer shoulder bag with him, Marbell slid into the booth beside Henry when Joyce refused sitting anywhere unless beside London.
Henry said, “You’re not serious about the detention, right?”
“I don’t know,” the teacher joked, “I’ll think about it.”
The four ate once their food arrived and then headed out to the destinations Joyce and Henry anticipated the most. Universe Arcade and the toy store. They walked together several blocked, Marbell pointing out everything worth seeing, and the journey was nice, filled with laughs and astonishment, especially when they reached Time Square. In front of a futuristic-type building with a makeshift UFO on top of it, neon lights lined the exterior and inside already seemed jam-packed with people looking for hours filled with gaming and fun. It was three stories high with a sign hung above the entrance that said ‘Today: Collectable Jackpot Tournament’.
“Someone hold me,” Henry said, “I think I’m about to faint.”
Joyce hugged her arms around his leg and giggled happily.
Glancing down at his sister, Henry said, “You want to go in and play with me?”
She shook her head, “No,” and then pointed at the building up the street, the toy store. “Princess!”
Moving everyone out of the way of the sidewalk, Marbell pulled out his wallet and held out a small stack of twenty dollar bills and a couple tens. “Don’t spend it all in one place. Feel free to check out the merchandise department. This should be enough for you, but if you need any more just ask. We’ll be up the street, but call before leaving. I don’t want you on the streets by yourself.”
Henry looked at the money being handed to him, able to count it out as being three hundred dollars even. “Um,” he chewed his inner cheek thoughtfully, “I appreciate it, but that’s a lot of fucking money, Mister Matthews. I have forty bucks in my pocket I’ve been saving, anyway.”
Marbell said, “But you won’t have as much fun in a place like this with just forty bucks. Just take it. Please?”
Before taking the money, Henry looked for an assuring nod from his brother and then tucked it in his front pocket. “Thank you, Mister Matthews.”
“You’re welcome, Henry, and remember to call if you leave. Be careful.”
London kissed the top of Henry’s embarrassed head, “And behave” he added.
When Henry vanished into the massive arcade, London took Joyce’s hand as Marbell walked alongside him. “Sorry we’re a little awkward when being given things, we’re definitely not used to stuff like this. Someone wanting to give us things and take care of us, especially without working for it. The last time there was a convention Henry wanted to go to, he cut grass all summer just to be able to afford himself a ticket.”
Slipping his hand in London’s free one, Marbell gave it a light squeeze. “London, if I could give you and your family even the simplest of joys like a couple hours in an arcade for Henry, and a bundle of toys for your sister, I wouldn’t hesitate to do so. If it makes them and you happy, then I’m willing to do whatever it is without thinking twice.”
London could feel his heart begin to flutter the way it had the first time Marbell had said he was in love with him. They stood at a crosswalk until the light changed, and followed the crowd. “How do you always know what to say to make me love you even more?”
“Magic?”
Once they reached the toy store, the two entered and upon stepping through the front entrance, Joyce pulled impatiently at her brother’s jeans, a silent plea in her eyes asking if it was alright for her to go in. When London smiled and released her hand, the little girl lit up and dashed into the cartoon infested store. Princesses, Princes, superheroes, and other characters inhabiting the building. He watched her inspect almost every toy in sight, and found her attached to a particular doll. Everywhere she went, she lugged the box around with her, before stopping in front of a rack of dress-up costumes.
Marbell watched on with London as well, Joyce’s enthusiasm filling him with his own hint of happiness. He and London had taken seats at a sitting area in front of a castle play area, London in particular getting a couple strange glances from the mothers and fathers around them with their kids. With his tattoos so displayed, a small handful of people looked uncomfortable to have him around.
Noticing the few wandering eyes upon London, Marbell tried to distract him from noticing them for himself. He hooked their arms together and scooted closer to him, leaning his head on London’s shoulder. “You should let me take you out tonight,” he suggested. “Let me spoil you.”
Keeping his eyes on Joyce, London said, “What, you want to buy me an overpriced meal over something I can cook for much cheaper at home? Or you want to buy me expensive shoes that I can show off to all the friends I don’t have?”
“Please, London? I really wanted to take you to this restaurant tonight. I’m sure Henry would have no problem watching Joyce while we go somewhere. It’s a perfect place for a nice date and I want to take you on another since everything went wrong right after our first one. It’ll be like a restart. Please?”
London kissed Marbell’s temple, “I’d love to go out for another date with you. Just make sure there’s no devastating secrets I could discover once the night is over. That is all I ask of you.”
After a stroll through the best places in Central Park, they all ended up back at the apartment. It was well past six o’clock in the evening and Marbell couldn’t wait to take London out on the town by himself. They’d had a wonderful time with the kids, Henry going on and on about how amazing the arcade had been, having collected many figurines and shirts, while Joyce ran amok around them in her new superhero costume, and London and Marbell carried her playsets. The lot of them couldn’t have looked like more of a family, and secretly it all made Marbell feel like an actual man: the love of this life by his side while cheerful stories were told to him by the kids. He knew he and London were still in the early stages of their relationship, but even with that, these last hours together felt like they’d been together for a good decade, and that feeling was something Marbell never wanted to see himself without.
As Marbell got himself ready for the planned date night, London helped Joyce build her playsets in her bedroom. “I want you to be good for me until I get back, okay?” he told his sister. “Henry will be down the hall in the big TV room, so if you need anything just ask him.” He guessed it wouldn’t matter if he’d said not to make a mess, so he kissed her hair and tracked Henry in the theater.
Laying down the rules of no trashing the apartment, not opening the door for anyone, and to call him if anything happened, London kissed his brother’s hair as well before meeting Marbell in the living room. He was taken aback for a moment as Marbell stood in the archway of the kitchen. The teacher was dressed in a midnight blue tux with a bowtie at the collar, shined, brown wingtip shoes, and his hair was styled back. “Wow,” London said, awestruck by the image before him. He was used to seeing Marbell dressed nicely in business casual looks, but to see
him fitted in complete formal made London appreciate his handsomeness even more. “You look like-.”
“Don’t say a million bucks.”
“-a billion bucks.”
Marbell smiled and grabbed his wallet, “Are you ready?”
London looked down at himself, “My tits have been hanging out all day in this shirt I cut when I was, like, eighteen, and I’m wearing old steel-toed boots. Forgive me if I think I’m a little underdressed for the occasion.”
Adjusting his cuffs, Marbell said, “That’s why we’re making a pit stop at Gents. Believe me, I love that your ‘tits’ have been out all day, and I have no problem with what you’re wearing now. I actually think it’s rather sexy, but this place only allows entry to those in formal wear.”
“So you’re going to play dress-up with me?”
“You can think of it like that, I guess.”
London shrugged and after voicing a loud, “Behave,” they were out the door. Together they were taken by taxi to a clothing shop called Gents. It was a business that’d been built to mimic a Greek temple and was lit dimly inside. Marbell told the taxi driver to wait outside while they ventured in.
It’d be a lie if London said he wasn’t a little overwhelmed when entering the fancy establishment. He looked like the kind of person who’d never even laid eyes on a Rolex before, and here he was standing in front of a collection of tuxedos that he was sure cost well over a thousand dollars. He didn’t think there would be a time when he got used to this, the money, the pampering Marbell insisted upon. Going from living at the poverty line with a deadbeat dad and a druggie mom, to “living the life” with a boyfriend that wanted to spoil and treat him, there was no way someone like London could just become accustomed to it all.
Upon stepping through the doors, the two were quickly approached by a rather flamboyant African-American man in purple trousers and a colorful floral top, and he had a head of short, tamed dreads styled half-up half-down. He reminded London of a boy he’d spent a lot of time around after running away from home. His boyfriend had actually been the one to do a lot the tattoos covering him today. “Hello, I’m Navier,” the man said cheerfully, “Can I help you two fine gentlemen find anything?”
Marbell touched softly at London’s back, guiding him further into the shop when his feet seemed stuck to the entrance. “Yes, please,” he said, “my boyfriend, here, needs a tux for our date tonight.”
The man looked London up and down with inspiring eyes, “Oh, yes, honey, I can hook him up real good for you. But, first question, are you on a budget?”
“No, sir.”
“Good, because I have got the best thing that will make your fine piece of man extra delicious. Come with me, please.”
They followed the man into the measuring room and waited for him to return with a rack of tuxes. He pulled one off for London, and said, “This is my personal favorite of mine. I think the tone of fabric will compliment your skin and hair color very well.” It was a Phthalo green shirt with a jet black, herringbone stitch blazer and slacks to match, along with a black vest and hickory brown tie.
“I like that one, too,” Marbell voiced.
London thought it looked nice, but wasn’t good at picking out formal wear, so felt like he hadn’t much of an opinion on it.
“Don’t be shy, honey,” Navier said, “Why don’t you try it on?”
When Navier led London back into a fitting room, he pulled on the tux and tied down the dress shoes that came with it. Before stepping out, he studied himself in the mirror, a little pleased with the man staring back at him.
There was no lie. He looked damn good in an outfit like this.
Coming out from the fitting room with his hands tucked in the front pockets, London waltzed out and showed himself off to Marbell, giving a little turn on his heels.
“London, when’s the last time you wore a tux?” the teacher asked.
“Um, never,” London scoffed.
Navier clasped his hands together in glee, “He looks amazing, doesn’t he. Of course, you can still see that tattoo of his inked onto his neck, but I think it gives a bit of a sexy edge.”
“Aw, man,” London pouted cheekily, “I want to look fierce.”
“Oh, if you wanted to look fierce, baby, all you had to do was say so.”
“I’m totally kidding,” London laughed, “I think I’ll settle for this one. If you guys like it, then what’s the problem?”
“Are you sure?” Marbell asked, just to be certain.
When London nodded, the two headed to the checkout counter, London still dressed in the tux since their next stop was going to be the restaurant. Taking out his card, Marbell gestured to a grey ogee patterned bag on display behind Navier, and said, “Can you throw that in as well? We’ll need something to hold the clothes he changed from.
Standing beside Marbell, London watched on as the price of everything grew higher and higher, stopping at $4500.00. “Jesus Christ,” he said, “That’s so fucking much.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Marbell swiped his card.
“I know,” London argued, “And you keep saying that, but you just dished out close to five thousand dollars for a tux I’m only going to wear for a couple hours.”
Taking his receipt from Navier, Marbell thanked the man and slipped it in his wallet and tucked it away. “No matter what you say, you’ll never stop me from treating you like royalty. Now, let’s go, our reservation is waiting.”
Dropping into the taxi they arrived in, London slid in first as Marbell followed. The drive was slow given the traffic, but moved moderately enough, giving them enough time to seal in a nice make-out session in the backseat. They were taken toward the apartment, only a block away from it, and dropped off finally in front of the restaurant, directly across from Central Park.
When they stepped into the establishment, London felt like he’d stepped back in time. Everything about this place from the carpet to the light fixtures reminded him of the Victorian era. The guests looked rather old fashioned, the tables and chairs, as well as the waiters dressed in butler uniforms. Kindly, they were led back to a candlelit table, which Marbell blew out for some reason, with napkins folded delicately into swans on empty, painted plates.
“You order for me,” London said, “Last time we went to a fancy place like this, I ended up regretting the traditional American food. I’m sure you know the menu better than me, anyway.”
Marbell nodded, “Only if you tell me a little story about yourself.”
“Deal.”
After ordering something with a name that sounded Italian, London sat back and thought. “Pick an age,” he said, “I’ve got tons of stories. I’ve lived a very interesting life up to now. Like a couple weeks ago I met this billionaire sex addict that just so happens to be my brother’s sophomore math teacher. Did I mention he’s married? Crazy, right?”
Cheeks high in delight, Marbell hummed, and said, “Seventeen. Who was London Dawncraft at seventeen?”
The tattooed boy didn’t have to think very hard. “Well,” he started, “I was staying at those dorms I told you about at the time on Northwest. Literally about half the fucking the school knew I wasn’t a student, but couldn’t have cared less. Majority of the kids weren’t as wild as movies and television makes college out to be, but there were still parties and shit like that. All of which I was invited to as that good looking kid who stayed with Joey Farmers. Oh, oh,” London lowered his voice a little more, “This one time I was going across campus to pick up some ‘E’ for the guy I was rooming with, and I walked in on a full blown orgy.”
By the smug look on London’s face, Marbell asked, “Did or did you not join?”
“Oh, god, no,” London grimaced, “Not one of those teenage idiots were using a condom.”
“Eww...”
“Yeah, eww. The only time I’ve never gone a night without one was my third night with you, and let’s just say I didn’t go home with any regrets that night.”
> A smile lifted Marbell’s lips and he lowered his voice as well, “Can I admit something to you?”
“What?” London asked, curious.
“When you came to me that first night in the hotel, you were the first man I’d ever slept with.”
“Seriously?” London was pleasantly surprised, “I thought when you said it was your first time, you were referring to calling in an escort. I mean, you seemed practiced at it.”
“It’s called porn, my dear.”
With their food arriving, London was glad he let Marbell take control of his order. He still couldn’t pronounce it, but there was chicken and pasta in it, and tasted like it’d been made within the gates of heaven. While they were out like this with just one another, there was something on London’s mind that he wanted to ask Marbell. It wasn’t dealing with Vivian, and what stories he could tell about her, this was something much more personal, something he was sure Marbell probably wouldn’t want to talk about.
Twirling his fork in the center of the dish, London said, “Would it be alright if I asked...how you got that scar on your chest? I’ve been wondering. If you don’t want to, then I’ll understand completely. You’re not obligated to tell me anything that’ll make you uneasy.”
Marbell kept his mouth closed for a moment, and then proceeded, “When I was attending university in the UK,” he started, fret and discomfiture in his tone, “I was in a fire that devastated one of the study halls. I was working on a report late at night when suddenly the whole place went up in flames. I became trapped when a portion of the ceiling collapsed on me, burning that disgusting stain on my chest. I woke up in the hospital the next morning.”
“Holy fuck,” London breathed, “Thank god just a burn was all that happened to you. If it’d been any worse you probably wouldn’t be sitting here with me, right now.” London touched Marbell’s hand, closing his atop it, “Without you in my fucked up life, I wouldn’t have anyone to show me what it’s like to love someone else...or even be loved by someone else. It’s still hard for me sometimes to grasp just how much you care about me, but there’s never a moment that goes by where I don’t appreciate that you want to love me the way you do. I’ve always had such a hard time when it comes to honestly opening up to people, but I want you to know me for every inch of the person I am, the good and the bad. To think you possibly couldn’t be sitting here tonight scares me. Whatever it is that led you to me, whether it be fate, luck, or even chance, I’m glad to have you.”
