by A. E. Via
Bishop jumped up and grabbed his father in a bear hug, and Edison had to dodge out of their path to avoid getting trampled. It was like two lions colliding. “Geez,” Edison said, blinking rapidly as Mike spun Bishop and gripped him from behind. He dropped low as if he was about to do something big that had Bishop grappling to get into another position.
“Don’t you fuckin dump me,” Bishop growled, trying to pry Mike’s large arms from around his waist.
“You’re not getting out of the hold.” Mike muscled Bishop against the wall, sounding like they were about to burst through to the other side. They knocked stuff over—not caring if it broke or not—and tussled around the trailer as if they did it every day. “Give it up, lil homie.”
Edison stood there shaking his head in bewilderment, wondering what the heck the end game was going to be. Both of them kept one-upping the other until Edison got bored. “You guys are insane.”
“See. Now my boyfriend thinks I’m an idiot,” Bishop grumbled. “Get off me before I head butt the fuck out of you.”
Edison spun around and saw that Mike had Bishop wrapped up again, forcing his big arms against his sides. Mike’s arms flexed with the effort to hold Bishop in place. “What’s wrong? Scared your man’s about to see the original is better than the copy?”
Bishop reared his head back as if he was getting ready to slam his forehead into Mike’s nose, when he suddenly let Bishop go.
“Asshole,” Bishop said, falling against the sink, breathing hard from their exertion. “Eddie. If you ever want a man to get the hell off you, then head butt the shit out of him.”
“Sure thing, honey. I’ll have to remember that,” Edison said, not trying to hide his sarcasm at all.
Mike grabbed a couple of cans of beer out of the refrigerator and tossed one to Bishop, who caught it with one hand. Edison placed the paper plate of sliced beef to the side and started on the peppers. “I thought you guys were gonna tear the place apart.”
“It’s used to us.” Bishop pounded his palm against the wall. “She’s built tough.”
“Just like her owner.” Mike nodded and held his beer can up in a salute before taking a long pull.
Bishop pfft’d.
“Don’t be jealous, B,” Mike sing-songed.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
Bishop scoffed. “And why the hell would I be jealous of you?”
Mike stood with his legs braced apart and his arms crossed over his barrel chest. “Because I’m hotter than you.”
“You’re dreaming.”
“I’m bigger than you.”
“I got you by a quarter inch.”
“My lover’s freakier than yours.”
“But she can’t cook to save her life.”
“I cut grass better than you.”
“You’re smoking dope if you think that.”
“My dick’s bigger than yours.”
Bishop flipped his dad off, “It was cold outside that day.”
Mike busted out laughing and soon Bishop joined him. Edison’s mouth dropped open. Well, that was crazy. What kind of… Wait! Go back. How in the world would Mike know about my freakiness… or lack thereof? Edison slapped his forehead. Kill me now, lord. When Bishop said he and his dad had a unique relationship… he wasn’t kidding. Did they really have to discuss everything?
Chapter Forty-Eight
Bishop
He knew Mike was glad that he had let him meet Edison, but Bishop had been worried his dad would start running his mouth and spill some shit that he wasn’t ready to have out there. But, so far so good, and Edison didn’t appear to be too appalled by his and his Mike’s casual relationship. While his dad watched Edison start to combine the ingredients into a round, flat pan, Bishop opened the laptop and clicked on the solitaire app.
It wasn’t long before Edison had their trailer smelling like a Philly steak shop. Bishop’s stomach growled but no one heard it over Mike’s incessant questions.
“Now, how do I know when the meat is done?”
Bishop pressed his fingers into his temples. Now his dad was practically hijacking his evening. He’d hoodwinked Edison into making his dinner for him and now they’d been stuck there an hour and a half. They had to work in the morning and Bishop still wanted some alone time. However, Edison looked completely at ease and laughed and joked around with Mike as if he was having the best date ever.
“It’s beef. You can leave a bit of pink in the center if you want,” Edison said then dumped the plate of onions and peppers into the steaming pan, then covered the pot again. He wiped his fingertips on some paper towels then started shaving the skin off one of the extra red peppers.
“What are you doing now?” Mike asked.
“Making a garnish,” Edison answered.
“I don’t think I need all that.”
“Of course you do.” Edison shook his head. “You’ll see.”
Bishop kept stealing glances at Edison’s ass in those black jeans, wanting nothing more than to walk over to the stove and press himself against him like he did when they were at his house. Edison loved it when Bishop fondled him while he was cooking. But he’d behave and not embarrass his old-fashioned boyfriend by groping him in front of his only parent. After another twenty minutes, Edison announced that the rice was done, and he could show Mike how to plate it for his lady. He literally said that… and Bishop felt himself falling.
Mike slapped Edison in the center of his back making his eyes shoot open wider. “Nice work. This looks fucking great! But she’ll never believe I made it. No way.” Mike laughed.
“She will if you plate it and present it to her… she won’t question a thing. It’s all about the presentation.” Edison nodded with one brow raised.
Mike appeared intrigued… so was Bishop. He always praised Edison for how delicious the food was, but he didn’t think how much additional effort Edison went into not only making the dish taste good, but also making it look beautiful. It was the way he displayed his affection. Bishop had abandoned his game a long time ago, mesmerized by Edison’s movements as he pulled one of their real plates from the cabinet—not a paper one—and set it on the counter.
“Just watch.”
“Sure,” Mike said.
Edison started with scooping a medium-sized spoonful of fluffy white rice and setting it directly in the center of the plate and curved its edges until it looked like a scoop of ice-cream.
“Can I ask you one final question Edison? Man to man. No bullshit.”
“Of course,” Edison said, not taking his eyes away from his task.
Mike continued to study Edison’s face and he could see his dad gearing up to get a good read on whatever answer Edison would give him. “You and Bishop have been seeing each other for a while, right, a few months?”
“Yeah. Give or take some days.” Edison smiled shyly. He removed the lid off the steaming meat and vegetables and piled a decent portion on top of the rice.
“As you know. Bishop’s my one and only son. I wouldn’t be a good dad if I didn’t ask what your intentions are.” Mike said with all seriousness.
Bishop wanted to bang his head against the table. “Baby, you don’t have to answer that.”
“I want to answer that question,” Edison said, wiping the side of the plate with a napkin where a few drops of gravy had escaped. “That’s actually the easiest question he’s asked all night.”
“Well, let’s see if you’re gonna give me an easy answer,” Mike retorted.
Bishop didn’t say another word and his dad gave him a look that said you might want to shut up and listen to this.
Edison smirked, his eyes on the masterpiece he was designing on the plate. “I don’t know how easy or complex the answer will be, but it’ll certainly be honest.”
“Okay then.”
The room went silent while he and his dad waited for Edison to speak. He’d been bent over the counter with a tiny knife in his hand, cutting the skin of t
he red bell pepper into long slivers. He stood up, appearing to be lost in his own world as he started to intertwine the strings of the pepper and arrange them on top of the meat… giving it a pop of color. Then he began to do the same with the yellow one.
“I think your son is amazing, Mike. He’s the most considerate, generous… intuitive man that I’ve ever met.”
Bishop flexed his jaw to keep his mouth from falling open. Edison sounded as if he was in a trance, speaking in that smooth, calming tone that he used when he read to him. Bishop adjusted himself in his pants at Edison using those big fucking words to describe him.
“I can tell that Bishop cares for me very much. He shows it all the time. And my intentions are to care for him back. To listen to him when speaks. To comfort him when he hurts. Just like he does for me. I want to show him what it means to have a real partner. Someone who’ll stand by his side no matter what.” Edison began to weave the slivers of yellow skin around the red ones like they did on those cooking shows he loved to watch.
“I understand he’s your one and only son, Mike.” Edison smiled fondly. “He’s my one and only too. To answer your question. I intend to be faithful to him… and true. And I’m gonna feed him, every part of him that’s hungry. Because…” Edison turned and came to him with the plate of food that looked like it belonged on a magazine cover. “Because I love Bishop. I do… I love him very much. And honestly, there’s not much I wouldn’t do… ” Edison gently set the plate in front of Bishop and gazed in his eyes. “… for your son.”
Bishop caught Edison by the wrist after he released the plate. He heard his dad’s footsteps retreating down the hall, but he and Edison couldn’t take their eyes off each other. He stood, his heart beating so hard it was scaring him. He cupped Edison’s face and tenderly brought their mouths together. Bishop wanted to let his kiss speak for itself, but he knew Edison needed to hear his words. Needed him to say it out loud. He loved Edison back—he knew he did. But, fuck, he’d never been so afraid in all of his life, not even on his first day in prison. The kind of all-consuming feeling he had when he was with Edison didn’t even compare to when he was with Royce. And he knew that if he ever lost Edison—ever lost his unicorn—he wouldn’t survive it.
Edison was shaking in his arms and Bishop held him tighter. “I hope you’re not upset I said that in front of your dad… but I said I’d be honest.”
Bishop could feel the creases in his forehead, the tension in his biceps, as he tried to pull Edison almost inside him. His voice was hoarse when he finally said, “No. I’m not upset.” Bishop cupped Edison’s chin and eased his face from buried against his throat. He needed him to look at him. To see his heart spread open. Edison’s eyes were so full of kindness that Bishop felt his chest loosening enough that he could breathe. He stared intensely at the man who’d just called him his one and only. He smoothed his thumb along Edison’s lips. “You are so damn fine.”
Edison’s eyes fell shut, his long brown lashes lying against his flushed cheek. Bishop felt Edison’s soft lips on his palm, nudging at his hand to open wider. His dick got so hard anytime Edison showed his innocence in this way. Bishop had to say it now because he didn’t think there’d be a better time, didn’t think he’d feel it any stronger than he did in that moment. “Edison. Hold your head up so I can see you, baby.”
Edison’s breath ghosted over his throat as he tilted his head up to meet his eyes. Bishop could see the want, the emotion… the love Edison had for him. It was shown in every way that Edison knew how, in every sweet thing that he did for him, yet he still hadn’t been afraid to say the words.
Bishop pressed his forehead to Edison’s and whispered in his mouth. “I love you too, Eddie. So much that I’m…”
“I know.” Edison placed his fingertips over Bishop’s lips. “I’m scared too.”
Bishop shook his head, feeling devastated to admit this truth. “You have nothing to worry about, Edison. You’re the one with all the power here. Not me.”
Edison looked confused but Bishop didn’t explain. Edison was a smart man; he was sure he’d figure it out. Instead Bishop kissed him until Edison was whimpering and rubbing against him.
“Hey! You two done with your true confessions? The food’s getting cold,” Mike yelled from the back.
Edison chuckled against Bishop’s cheek. If Edison felt anything like him at the moment, then he was feeling high as a kite.
“Shut up!” Bishop hollered back.
“Oh, come on, B, that’s not fair. I’m starving and it smells so good.” Mike sounded worse than a kindergartner missing his snack time. “Edison, I want some garnish stringy things on my plate too.”
“Embarrassing,” Bishop murmured.
“It’s okay, let him come eat. I made enough for everyone.”
“But I want you,” Bishop moaned, gripping Edison’s thick ass cheeks. “Alone.”
“Mmmm. Me too.” Edison rocked into Bishop’s hardness. “Let’s eat so we can get home.”
Bishop raised his eyebrows in surprise as Edison stuttered to amend his words. “Not like… I-I mean… my home.”
“Sounds good.” Bishop released his hold when Mike popped his big head around the corner.
Edison fixed another plate, again showing Mike how to present it to his girlfriend and they sat at the small dinette table and ate together… like a family.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Edison
“While you guys clean up the dinner dishes, I’m gonna go snoop around in your bedroom, Bishop,” Edison said cheekily.
Bishop waved him away while he dried the dishes in the rack. “Last door on the right.”
Edison walked inside Bishop’s small bedroom. He was surprised to find it so tidy. There wasn’t much to see besides an unmade double bed pushed against the wall. There was a small flat screen television sitting on top of a tall chest of drawers on the opposite wall. But Edison’s eyes zeroed in on the one night stand littered with colored pencils, erasers, and a big sketch pad. He picked up the few loose sheets of paper, staring at the brilliant colors of fall flowers Bishop had drawn around the small landscape of a restaurant. Wow.
“That’s a couple ideas I drew up for Manny. He’s been getting us a lot more commercial jobs,” Bishop said, coming up behind him and wrapping him in his arms. Bishop laid his chin on his shoulder, staring at the papers.
Edison turned around. “I thought your passion was residential?”
“It is. Which I meant to tell you. Mike and Manny want to get some pictures of your backyard when it’s done and create a website or some shit. And I think he wants your yard like front and center in hopes to bring in more residential contracts for me to do.”
Edison’s eyes got wide. “My yard? Like on the homepage?”
Bishop shrugged. “Um. Yeah, I think. Manny’s son does that kind of work.”
“That’d be great! Sure. Once people see your skills, they’ll shut down the site trying to sign on with you, honey,” Edison said.
Bishop tilted one side of his mouth, shaking his head as if Edison was exaggerating, but he wasn’t. He didn’t need to stroke Bishop’s ego—his talent spoke for itself.
He slanted his head when Bishop leaned down to kiss him. His big hands tangled in his hair, pulling at the length, forcing his head back, and Edison knew things were about to heat up. He ground his aching cock against Bishop’s hard thigh the second he eased it between his legs. “Where’s your dad?” he gasped when Bishop let him up to breathe.
“He’s—”
“He’s standing right here and he’s about to take a nap, so you two keep it vanilla, cool?” Mike interrupted, standing in Bishop’s door watching them. “These walls are thin.”
“Oh god.” Edison turned around and ducked his head, his face flaming as Bishop pushed Mike out into the hall.
“I’m not making any promises.” Bishop smirked.
“Look, my girl gets off at eleven and then I got hours of work to put in when she does, y
ou feel me? I need my rest.”
Edison couldn’t believe it when Bishop and Mike bumped forearms before he closed the door and came back to him as if that conversation was perfectly normal.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just joking.” Bishop frowned. “Kinda.”
“I’m so embarrassed. I was practically humping your leg,” Edison said with a hushed groan.
“Eddie. It’s okay. He’s not offended because we were touching.” Bishop ran his hands down his back and gripped his hips, “You just told me you love me. He’s fully aware of what’s about to happen.”
Edison thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. This was crazy. He urged, “I can’t do it in here with him listening.”
“Babe. Do you know how many times I’ve heard Mike fucking a chick in the next room?” Bishop scoffed. “Do you know how many times I’ve been in the damn room when he was fucking?”
Twilight Zone. Edison rubbed his forehead. He and his father had been best friends too. But they had boundaries. God, Edison still blushed when he thought of the second time his pop caught him jerking off to a Gordon Ramsey cooking show.
“If it bothers you that much we can leave and go back to your place,” Bishop said calmly.
Edison took a deep breath. No. Bishop obviously wanted to stay, and it wasn’t fair for Edison to insist when Bishop was always at his place. “No. We can relax for a while.”
Bishop smiled and kissed him again, this time softer, easing Edison into the sensation. He made sure to bury his hushed moan against Bishop’s throat.
“I have something to show you.” Bishop let him go and went inside the top drawer of his nightstand. He pulled out an envelope that’d already been opened and handed Edison the single sheet of paper that was folded inside.
He frowned in curiosity, wondering what Bishop was showing him, but after a quick glance at the Virginia Beach Health Clinic emblem, he knew. Edison read Bishop’s negative test results for any and all sexually transmitted diseases. He smiled up at his boyfriend with the paper clutched tightly in his hand. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for doing this.”
