by Greg Herren
I smothered a laugh. “Maybe if you ask nicely.”
“I’ll beg!”
After fifteen minutes of nonstop abuse (the Kid really was a pro) Frank finally pinned him to jeers and catcalls from the audience. They were throwing empty cups and things at him as he climbed the ropes, flexing his arms and swearing back at them. I had to stop Mom from going after a woman in the row behind us when she called him a “cheating dirty son of a bitch.”
“It’s part of the game, Mom,” I whispered as I forced her back into her seat. “They’re supposed to hate him.”
“I guess.” She scowled and looked back over her shoulder. “But that bitch better hope she doesn’t see me in the parking lot!”
Frank thought that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard afterward, when we all went out for a celebratory dinner. “Oh, Mom, I wish I could have seen that,” he said, wiping at his eyes.
“I’d have snatched her bald-headed.” Mom winked at Frank and hoisted her wineglass. “To Frank.”
We all clinked glasses, and I whispered to him, “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, I love you,” he whispered back, and added, “Was Colin serious when he said he wanted me to put him in a torture rack?”
I nodded and tried not to laugh. “I think the three of us are going to have a lot of fun when we get back to the suite.”
And we did.
They finally fell asleep, our sweat-soaked bodies entwined, around about two in the morning.
But I couldn’t sleep, because I knew what the morning was going to bring.
Colin had another job and had to catch a flight to Paris in the morning. He was supposed to have already left, but he told Angela flat-out he wasn’t going to miss Frank’s ring debut. We knew nothing, of course, about the job or where he was going, or how long he was going to be gone. Angela had promised to keep us posted, to let us know he was okay—or if he wasn’t.
It was going to be hard. But the people who loved cops, soldiers, and firemen had gotten through it all for centuries, and found a way to live with it. Frank and I also had each other—and my family. I knew my heart would sink every time the phone rang when he was out on a job. I knew my sleep would never be as deep as it would be when he was home with us and safe.
Life never gives you anything you can’t handle—it’s how you handle it that matters.
Life had given me this incredible life, so who was I to complain about it?
I had two wonderful men I loved, and who loved me back. I had a great family. I lived in an awesome apartment in the most fun and crazy city in North America. I had lived through one of the worst natural disasters in the history of this country.
If New Orleans could survive that with her head held high, I knew I could survive anything.
The alarm went off at six, and Colin got up and into the shower.
Frank’s hand crept into mine underneath the covers, and squeezed it hard.
Tears welled up, but I bit my lip and forced them back down.
“We can’t cry,” Frank whispered. “Not until he’s gone, okay? He can’t be worried about us or he won’t be able to do his job.”
I nodded. And if he wasn’t focused, he could make a mistake—and be killed.
So we made small talk—light idle chatter while Colin got dressed. We joked about Frank’s future with the WWE, and how maybe we all three could go through the training—we would make a hot three man tag-team, and become household names…and the room phone rang. Colin picked it up, said “Thanks,” and hung it up. “My cab’s waiting,” he said, hoisting his bag over his shoulder.
He hugged us both at the door, and I couldn’t help it. I whispered, “Be safe, please.”
Colin didn’t say anything, he just nodded and broke free of us and gave us that grin we loved so much. “See you soon,” he said, his voice breaking for just a moment.
And the door shut behind him.
I took a deep breath and my eyes filled with tears. Frank and I hugged each other, and we put our heads down on each other’s shoulders and cried.
Finally, I wiped at my eyes. “Okay, enough sniveling!”
“Right,” Frank said, wiping at his own face.
“We’ll see him again, and sooner than we think.” I hopped back into the bed. “Come on back to bed, Hot Daddy.”
Frank lay down beside me, and we put our arms around each other.
He would come back to us.
I knew it.
About the Author
Greg Herren is a New Orleans–based author and editor. Former editor of Lambda Book Report, he is also a co-founder of the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival, which takes place in New Orleans every May. He is the author of ten novels, including the Lambda Literary Award–winning Murder in the Rue Chartres, called by the New Orleans Times-Picayune “the most honest depiction of life in post- Katrina New Orleans published thus far.” He co-edited Love, Bourbon Street: Reflections on New Orleans, which also won the Lambda Literary Award. He has published over fifty short stories in markets as varied as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine to the critically acclaimed anthology New Orleans Noir to various Web sites, literary magazines, and anthologies. His erotica anthology FRATSEX is the all-time bestselling title for Insightoutbooks. Under his pseudonym Todd Gregory, he published the bestselling erotic novel Every Frat Boy Wants It and the erotic anthologies vHis Underwear and Rough Trade (released by Bold Strokes Books in 2009).
A longtime resident of New Orleans, Greg was a fitness columnist and book reviewer for Window Media for over four years, publishing in the LGBT newspapers IMPACT News, Southern Voice, and Houston Voice. He served a term on the Board of Directors for the National Stonewall Democrats, and served on the founding committee of the Louisiana Stonewall Democrats. He is currently employed as a public health researcher for the NO/AIDS Task Force.
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
Wind and Bones by Kristin Marra. Jill O’Hara, award-winning journalist, just wants to settle her deceased father’s affairs and leave Prairie View, Montana, far, far behind—but an old girlfriend, a sexy sheriff, and a dangerous secret keep her down on the ranch. (978-1- 60282-150-7)
Nightshade by Shea Godfrey. The story of a princess, betrothed as a political pawn, who falls for her intended husband’s soldier sister, is a modern-day fairy tale to capture the heart. (978-1-60282-151-4)
Vieux Carré Voodoo by Greg Herren. Popular New Orleans detective Scotty Bradley just can’t stay out of trouble—especially
The Pleasure Set by Lisa Girolami. Laney DeGraff, a successful president of a family-owned bank on Rodeo Drive, finds her comfortable life taking a turn toward danger when Theresa Aguilar, a sleek, sexy lawyer, invites her to join an exclusive, secret group of powerful, alluring women. (978-1-60282-144-6)
A Perfect Match by Erin Dutton. The exciting world of pro golf forms the backdrop for a fast-paced, sexy romance. (978-1-60282-145-3)
Truths by Rebecca S. Buck. Two women separated by two hundred years are connected by fate and love. (978-1-60282-146-0)
Father Knows Best by Lynda Sandoval. High school juniors and best friends Lila Moreno, Meryl Morganstern, and Caressa Thibodoux plan to make the most of the summer before senior year. What they discover that amazing summer about girl power, growing up, and trusting friends and family more than prepares them to tackle that all-important senior year! (978-1-60282-147-7)
In Pursuit of Justice by Radclyffe. In the dynamic double sequel to Shield of Justice and A Matter of Trust, Det. Sgt. Rebecca Frye joins forces with enigmatic computer consultant J.T. Sloan to crack an Internet child pornography ring. (978-1-60282-147-4)
The Midnight Hunt by L.L. Raand. Medic Drake McKennan takes a chance and loses, and her life will never be the same—because when she wakes up after surviving a life-threatening illness, she is no longer human. (978-1-60282-140-8)
Long Shot by D. Jackson Leigh. Love isn’t safe, which is exactly why equine veterinarian Tory Greyson wants no part of it
—until Leah Montgomery and a horse that won’t give up convince her otherwise. (978-1-60282-141-5)
In Medias Res by Yolanda Wallace. Sydney has forgotten her entire life, and the one woman who holds the key to her memory, and her heart, doesn’t want to be found. (978-1-60282-142-2)
Awakening to Sunlight by Lindsey Stone. Neither Judith or Lizzy is looking for companionship, and certainly not love—but when their lives become entangled, they discover both. (978-1-60282-143-9)
Fever by VK Powell. Hired gun Zakaria Chambers is hired to provide a simple escort service to philanthropist Sara Ambrosini, but nothing is as simple as it seems, especially love. (978-1-60282-135-4)
High Risk by JLee Meyer. Can actress Kate Hoffman really risk all she’s worked for to take a chance on love? Or is it already too late? (978-1-60282-136-1)
Missing Lynx by Kim Baldwin and Xenia Alexiou. On the trail of a notorious serial killer, Elite Operative Lynx’s growing attraction to a mysterious mercenary could be her path to love—or to death. (978-1- 60282-137-8)
Spanking New by Clifford Henderson. A poignant, hilarious, unforgettable look at life, love, gender, and the essence of what makes us who we are. (978-1-60282-138-5)
Magic of the Heart by C.J. Harte. CEO Susan Hettinger and wild, impulsive rock star M.J. Carson couldn’t be more different if they tried—but opposites attract in ways neither woman can resist. (978-1- 60282-131-6)
Ambereye by Gill McKnight. Jolie Garoul is falling in love with her assistant. The big problem is, Jolie is a werewolf. (978-1-60282-132-3)
Collision Course by C.P. Rowlands. Tragedy leaves Brie O’Malley and Jordan Carter fearful and alone. Can they find the courage to take a second chance on love? (978-1-60282-133-0)
Mephisto Aria by Justine Saracen. Opera singer Katherina Marov’s destiny may be to repeat the mistakes of her father when she becomes involved in a dangerous love affair. (978-1-60282-134-7
Battle Scars by Meghan O’Brien. Returning Iraq war veteran Ray McKenna struggles with the battle scars that can only be healed by love. (978-1-60282-129-3)
Chaps by Jove Belle. Eden Metcalf wants nothing more than to flee from her troubled past and travel the open road—until she runs into rancher Brandi Cornwell. (978-1-60282-127-9)
Lightbearer by John Caruso. Lucifer dares to question the premise of creation itself and reveals that sin may be all that stands between us and living hell. (978-1-60282-130-9)
The Seeker by Ronica Black. FBI profiler Kennedy Scott battles ghosts from her past, deadly obsession, and the evil that haunts her. (978-1- 60282-128-6)
Power Play by Julie Cannon. Businesswomen Tate Monroe and Victoria Sosa are at odds in the boardroom, but not in the bedroom. (978-1-60282-125-5)
The Remarkable Journey of Miss Tranby Quirke by Elizabeth Ridley. When love enters Tranby’s life in the form of a beautiful nineteen-year-old student, Lysette McDonald, she embarks on the most remarkable journey of all. (978-1-60282-126-2)
Returning Tides by Radclyffe. Insurance investigator Ashley Walker faces more than a dangerous opponent when she returns to the town, and the woman, she left behind. (978-1-60282-123-1)
Veritas by Anne Laughlin. When the hallowed halls of academia become the stage for murder, newly appointed Dean Beth Ellis’s search for the truth leads her to unexpected discoveries about her own heart. (978-1-60282-124-8)
The Pleasure Planner by Larkin Rose. Pleasure purveyor Bree Hendricks treats love like a commodity until Logan Delaney makes Bree the client in her own game. (978-1-60282-121-7)
everafter by Nell Stark and Trinity Tam. Valentine Darrow is bitten by a vampire on her way to propose to her lover Alexa Newland, and their lives and love are placed in mortal jeopardy. (978-1-60282-119-4)
Summer Winds by Andrews & Austin. When Maggie Turner hires a ranch hand to help work her thousand acres, she never expects to be attracted to the very young, very female Cash Tate. (978-1-60282- 120-0)
