Slice Of Life 2016 Read online

  “For what?” Micah was truly perplexed. His efforts were so meager in comparison to their sacrifices.

  “Remembering.”

  For information on how you can volunteer to put flags on the graves of our Veterans this Memorial Day, visit the National Cemetery Administration at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

  June 2016

  Greg’s Birthday Surprise hosted by Foxylutely Books

  It was barely dawn when Greg picked his way around the boxes piled up in their new living room and headed for the kitchen. They’d returned to Florida a few months ago and had been shacking up in a furnished month-to-month rental while they waited to close on their new house in Naples. They’d finally gotten the keys a couple of weeks ago, the painters and cleaners had done their thing, and he was so relieved when the movers delivered all their belongings yesterday.

  As much as he loved their big adventure, Greg hadn’t really felt like they were building a life together until they signed off on a thirty-year mortgage and a house in Naples. This was their home and he was itching to start blending their belongings, like that would be proof they were committed to the long term. Maybe that was ridiculous, all things considered, but it was how he felt.

  Greg didn’t think they had that much—his old apartment hadn’t been large and Gene had been living under cover for years—so he didn’t know how the hell they’d filled up so many boxes. Luckily, he’d been smart enough to pack the coffee pot and supplies in a box that was marked on all sides in big bold letters. It seemed fitting that he would unpack that box first and he started up a pot before setting up his little coffee station. He’d probably rearrange things ten more times before he was satisfied, but for now he was thrilled to see that little spark of life in the otherwise barren space.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” Gene’s early morning grumble made him instantly regret getting out of bed. After more than a year together, he still couldn’t get enough of his big, bad biker and he knew the feeling was mutual.

  “Sorry, the boxes were calling me.” Greg glanced over his shoulder and smiled when he saw that his man was still naked. They didn’t have blinds or curtains up, but his man didn’t have a bashful bone is his body. Not that he had any reason to, Gene was worthy of being on display and Greg realized he wasn’t jealous of anyone who looked. They were human, they couldn’t help themselves, and it gave him a thrill to know that Gene was all his. Boy, had he come a long way.

  Strong arms came around him and Gene pouted as he propped his chin on Greg’s shoulder. “Guess you’re not interested in a little first-morning-in-our-new-house-nookie, huh?”

  “Technically, we did that a couple of hours ago.” And a couple of hours before that and last night before they passed out and right after the movers pulled out of the driveway. Not that he was complaining at all!

  “I wasn’t aware we were on rations now.” Gene made a derisive sound as he slipped a hand into Greg’s shorts, found his growing erection, and squeezed. “But you go right ahead and watch the coffee brew.”

  Gene didn’t know the meaning of fair play. Trapped between the counter, that hard body, and his own bad decision, Greg could only stand there as Gene leisurely stroked him. It wasn’t nearly enough to get him off, but more than enough to wonder when or even if that would happen. His lover liked to tease, liked to draw out the finale, and normally Greg liked when they edged each other until they were both crazy for it.

  Usually he broke first and Greg was okay with that. Hearing him beg always flipped a primal trigger in his lover, taking him quickly from gentle Gene to aggressive Snake. It was a combination that never failed to completely destroy him in the best possible way.

  “There are still some things in the box.” Gene nuzzled beneath his ear, his warm breath making him squirm. “You shouldn’t stop what you were doing on my account.”

  Not knowing what game Gene was playing, but eager to find out, Greg tugged the box closer and stood on tip toe to see inside. Immediately, Gene’s was tugging down the back of his shorts just enough to slide his hot, hard erection between Greg’s legs.

  He instinctively shifted his stance, squeezing his legs together just as he felt a gentle nudge against his balls. Gene was quick to lock him place, bracing his own tree trunk size legs on the outside of Greg’s, and using his free arm to keep them together. All the while, he kept up that leisure stroke, and matched it with an unhurried thrust. It was crazy torture to feel Gene’s cock sliding between his legs like that and the confinement of his own skewed shorts and Gene’s big body were only making it worse.

  Greg looked over his shoulder, needing to see the look of desire on Gene’s face. He no longer doubted that desire was really for him, and seeing it for what it actually was only made it hotter. Gene smiled knowingly and curled tighter around him, taking his mouth in a messy kiss before nudging him back just an inch.

  “Did you find my Superman mug?” When he just blinked in confusion, Gene’s smile grew. “You’re the one who wanted to start unpacking.”

  With a grumbled curse, Greg forced himself to focus on the box and was instantly rewarded. It seemed that with every unpacked item, Gene’s movements increased in speed and strength until they were both frantic. Greg was teetering precariously on the edge and knew he’d only get what he needed by completing the seemingly inane task.

  The simple blue and red mug was nothing more than a cheap knockoff, and it wasn’t even Gene’s favorite. If this wasn’t so obviously a sex game, Greg might have thought to ask why it was important. As it was, any kind of logical thought went out of the window the minute he saw Gene naked.

  Gene ground against him, hips jerking and hand flying, and Greg suddenly didn’t care if he had to break everything else in the box to get what he needed. Mugs and tins rolled dangerously across the counter as he practically tossed them aside in his quest until finally, with a triumphant shout, he held the mug up victoriously.

  “Found it!” The words were nothing more than a stutter when Gene slammed hard against him. Greg scrambled to brace himself and watched in fascination as the mug tumbled out of his hand, bounced a few times, and broke against the granite. It shouldn’t have been important, shouldn’t have penetrated the sex-fog, but there was something else there. Something that had Greg reaching out.

  Gene grabbed a handful of his curls and yanked him back, taking his mouth in a savage kiss. All thoughts of mugs or anything else evaporated, and Greg felt his orgasm right there…right fucking there. “Gene!”

  There was an answering shout, the jerk and shudder as they found their release, and a gentle whisper that took their sex game to a whole new level. Greg was still trying to catch his breath, still trying to process what he thought he heard, when Gene reached around him to grab the strange item that was in the Superman mug.

  As it slid across the counter toward him, the shape of the little box becoming more distinct, Greg felt himself breathless for a whole other reason. Could this really be happening?

  “I was going to wait until your birthday, but it seemed more fitting to do this on our first official day in our new home.” Gene spoke softly, his words completely confident, as he lifted the lid to reveal the rings inside. “You saved me more times than I can count, loved me even when you didn’t believe it was possible, and have made me happier than I’ve ever been in my life. Say yes.”

  Greg looked between the rings and Gene’s face. All the emotion he needed was right there for him to see, to feel, and to believe, and there was no question of what his answer would be.

  July 2016

  Red and Bull’s Anniversary hosted by BFD Book Blog

  On January 6, 2015, Florida became the 36th state to officially lift the ban on gay marriage, but Miami couldn’t wait that long and began issuing marriage licenses ten hours before the rest of the state. You’d think I would’ve had my boys race to the courthouse on 5th, right? No for two reasons. First, Red deserved more than a quickie courthouse wedding scene and second, because I was
lucky enough to be in Ireland in the week leading up to their own marriage equality vote. When I needed a wedding date, it seemed fitting that they would exchange vows on May 22nd while Ireland was voting, and what better place for them to honeymoon than in a country that was literally celebrating love and equality.

  Tying two of my favorite characters to one of my most memorable vacations in a location that was actually heralding in their own real life equality ruling was…a privilege, truly, but there was more good news to come here in the states.

  On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality for all and I was once again traveling. My oldest son called me shortly after I landed in New Orleans to give me the news and to hear the sheer happiness in his voice is something I’ll never forget. So instead of a wedding anniversary or birthday trip, Red and Bull have chosen to celebrate the first anniversary of marriage equality in the US, in the place where I first heard the news. And since July 26th marks a year since Their Reason hit the shelves, it made the perfect scene for this month’s stop on the tour.

  Enjoy!

  “Did she tell you where they were standing?” Red asked as they found a table at Café Du Monde within view of Jackson Square. They landed in New Orleans just after nine that morning, dropped their luggage at the Omni Royal on St. Louis Street, and raced back out the door to follow in Jessie’s footsteps.

  “She said they were between the entrances of the park and the cathedral.” Bull set out their coffees and pulled the map they grabbed from the hotel out of his back pocket while Red unwrapped their beignets. “Can we just take a moment to be grateful that they thought to stop here first?”

  Red grabbed his cup and tapped it against Bull’s in agreement. The coffee was a little more bitter than he was used to, but it went perfectly with the sugary treat. “Damn, that’s good. I thought it was gonna be all hype, but wow, I could eat these all day.”

  Bull leaned in and took a quick kiss, licking at the powdered sugar that clung to his lips. “Hmm, tastes even better on you. Let’s get a dozen to take back to the room.”

  “I can’t tell if your serious right now?” Red peered over, but Bull just shrugged. Food had yet to find a way into their bed, though that was more a lack of culinary inspiration than real aversion. Normally, he was up for anything Bull wanted to try, but the potential embarrassment of having the maids find powdered sugar in their sheets had him wrinkling his nose. “Remember when you left the lube on the room service cart?”

  The poor guy who came to remove their cart spotted the bottle before they did, took one look at their haphazard state of dress and started to squirm. The pale blush that had been riding the guy’s cheeks when Bull smiled at him, became a raging inferno when Bull plucked the bottle off the cart and said, “We’re gonna need that for later.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone turn quite that shade of purple,” Bull laughed.

  Sure, they could laugh now, but there was a real tense moment when they feared the guy was going to pass out. “Okay, now imagine the look on the maid’s face when they find powdered sugar in our sheets.”

  “This is New Orleans, I’m sure they’ve found worse things in the sheets.” That had Bull tilting his head thoughtfully. “What if they think its drugs and called the cops?”

  Red gaped for a second until Bull started laughing again. “Consider me officially out of this adventure.”

  “Why don’t we pick up one of those boxes of beignet mixes to take home…?” Bull let the thought trail off with a leer.

  “Well,” Red considered, though they both knew what his answer would be. In the privacy of their own home, the only limit was their imagination. “I could be persuaded.”

  “Luckily, we have this afternoon free, so there’ll be plenty of time to convince you.” Bull wiped off his hands and laid the map out on the table. “Okay, so if we go by Jessie’s vague calculations, the timestamp on their receipt was eleven ten and they people watched for a bit while they enjoyed their breakfast.”

  Red looked over the map and pointed out the restaurant right across from where they were sitting. “Then they crossed over toward Monty’s and her hubs stopped to light them a cigarette.”

  “We’ll skip that part.” Bull quickly interjected. “But they stood there for a few minutes talking to one of the horse drawn carriage drivers. She said it was a two cigarette stop, maybe ten minutes.”

  “That’s a weird way to mark time, isn’t it?”

  “She created us and this world, so I never thought of her as normal.”

  “True.” He couldn’t argue with that logic and Red was forever grateful that Jessie created a world where they got to live happily ever after, so he let it go. “Okay, from there she said they turned right onto St. Ann and headed toward Chartres because she wanted to make a dinner reservation at Muriel’s.”

  “Where she said the food was really good, but not as good as Coop’s Place, which is over here somewhere.” They both hummed over the map until Bull pointed to the intersection of Decatur and Ursulines where the hole-in-the-wall, adults only, bar/restaurant that Jessie gushed about was. “We’re here for five days, so we have plenty of time to try them both.”

  Red glanced at the time on his phone and started cleaning up the table. “We should start walking.”

  When Bull took his hand and guided him across Decatur, Red noticed an older couple frowning at them. It wasn’t anything new. He knew he was gay at a young age and even though there wasn’t anyone to come out to or anyone who wanted to date him, the kids in school seemed to know just by looking at him. It was just one in a seemingly long list of things to bully him about.

  As an adult, he never bothered to hide it and Bull was proudly out, so there was never any thought of keeping their relationship low key in public. Not that they were humping each other on the street corner, but if a man and a woman could hold hands, why the fuck couldn’t they?

  Seeing that frown today, of all days, pissed him off. It was the first anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that made same-sex marriage a right nationwide. So not only did he have the right to hold Bull’s hand in public, he had the right to wear the ring that declared to the world that they were legally wed, a family, and how dare she frown at his family?

  “No matter how far we come, there will always be someone who wants to keep us down.” Bull’s voice was low as they cleared Decatur and stopped under the wrap-around patio on the second floor of Monty’s. “We’ll never change everyone’s mind. What we can do is continue the fight for rights and acceptance as a world-wide community, not just for today, but for future generations.”

  “You’re right, I just wish she wouldn’t sneer her opinion so loudly.” Red couldn’t hold back his disdain. “Why is that open disapproval okay if we can’t openly show our affection?”

  Bull tugged him close until they were standing chest to chest. “Why can’t we? If I kiss you right now, who’s going to stop me? No one has the legal right to do so and anyone who tried would learn a very quick and painful lesson.”

  To prove his point, Bull leaned down right there to kiss him and it wasn’t some chaste brush of lips. No, his caveman declared to everyone waiting in line for a beignet or a horse drawn buggy that they were together. There was a smattering of applause, a couple of suggestions on where to get a room, and few derogatory remarks—none of which mattered at all when Bull was kissing him.

  “Let’s get this done. I have an urgent need to see if our hotel room is ready.” The teasing whisper was accompanied by a gentle nudge of Bull’s hips and Red couldn’t help but chuckle. In another second, they would be humping on a street corner.

  When Bull took his hand to tug him down St. Ann’s, Red put everything else out of his head. They were here to celebrate the milestone ruling and each other, and no old frowny face was going to bring him down. He was loved and accepted by the only person who truly mattered, and hit the jackpot with their extended family. Why should he concern himself with th
e opinions of total strangers?

  The area around Jackson Square was busy with tourists, street performers, and artists selling their wares, and they took their time browsing just as Jessie did. Finally, they reached the corner of Chartres and Bull pointed out a guy setting up metal drums on the far side of the park entrance. “Didn’t Jessie say it was hard to hear what her son was saying at first because a guy was playing the drums?”

  “Yep.” They started to walk in that direction and then Red pulled up short, pointing at the women reading someone’s fortune. “She said there was a tarot reader too.”

  “Amazing.” They continued to look around for markers that Jessie provided and when the drummer started tapping out a few test beats, they were standing right between the entrances to the cathedral and the park. “This seems about right, doesn’t it?”

  “I think so.” Red smiled a little. They planned out this little adventure so they could be in roughly the same spot Jessie stood at around the same time she heard from her son. It had all seemed so fitting since their love wouldn’t have been possible without her. Now though, with no one calling them, it seemed a little anti-climactic.

  Bull gave him an encouraging smile, pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked to the heavens. “Jessie, surely you’re going to make my phone ring now, right?”

  Red laughed right up until the phone rang. “Okay, that was freaky. I’m almost terrified for you to answer.”

  “Jessie wouldn’t fuck with us.” (Boy, does he know me or what?) Bull slid the little green circle from left to right to accept the call and then hit the speakerphone so they could both hear. “Speak to me.”

  “Bull?” The muffled voice was cut off by the sound of laughter. Happy children’s laughter that they both knew very well. “Hey, man, sorry to interrupt the vacay, but they kids’ want to tell you guys something.”