I gargled with mouthwash while Vincent brushed his teeth. He was still taking care of his business in the bathroom while I padded out to the kitchen to make us each a cup of coffee. I wore only my long pajama pants and reached for the thermostat to boost the heat in my apartment.
When Vincent appeared in the kitchen, he wore only his boxer briefs. They said, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” with little illustrations of Santa hats and snowflakes. “I tried on a couple of your bathrobes, and they are about three sizes too small for me. They don’t fit around my chest.”
I chuckled softly and handed Vincent a mug. “Here, have some coffee, and you can sit on the couch while I check under the tree.”
I found a festively wrapped box for Vincent, and then I saw a mysterious red foil package with my name on it. “Where did this come from?”
“You said Santa stopped by.”
I handed Vincent’s gift to him and then stared down at the box wrapped in red foil and looked at Vincent again. “The tag says it’s from Santa.”
“I guess he likes you. I think he loves both of us, or we wouldn’t be together this morning. Someone must be looking out for us. I don’t think we could have figured this out on our own.”
Pointing at the end of the couch, I said, “Sit there so I can snuggle up into your lap.”
“You don’t have to ask twice.”
As I scooted up against Vincent’s warm body, I said, “3-2-1, go! Unwrap!”
We both tore into the wrapping paper. Vincent was the first to exclaim, “Oh! Thank you! This is adorable. I guess I should thank Santa. Thank you, Santa!”
I stopped unwrapping and leaned my head back against Vincent’s chest. “What is it?”
“It’s a new gym bag. I can always use those.”
“Rudolph whispered in my ear the other day that you should check inside once you opened your gift. He lives at the North Pole, so he should know.”
“Inside the bag?”
I kissed Vincent’s cheek. “I’m not completely fluent in reindeer-ese, but I think that’s what he meant.”
Vincent unzipped the bag and pulled it open. I watched the rosy color flush in his cheeks.
“What is it?”
Vincent laughed. “A bag full of sexy underwear!”
“I think I deserve a fashion show later.”
“You do, do you? I think it’s time that you finish unwrapping your gift.”
I looked down at the present again and slipped the red foil off. I found a plain cardboard box beneath. Picking it up, I shook it and held it close to my ear.
“Careful there, Desmond. You don’t want to break it.”
“I like to prolong the excitement.” I pulled open the box and gasped first and then smiled.
“I hope you like that.”
“I love it!” I pulled a picture frame out of the box decorated with music notes around the edges. It already had a photo in the center. “How did you get this?”
“I have…I mean Santa has his ways.”
The photo was of the two of us dressed up at the Nutcracker performance. We both had huge smiles on our faces. I said, “This will go right up there in the center of the fireplace mantel.”
I put the photo on the coffee table and turned around to face Vincent. I kissed him deeply and couldn’t think of a better Christmas morning in my life.
As he looked into my eyes, Vincent said, “We’ve got a high standard to beat now. This one will be hard to match.”
“This what?”
“This Christmas morning. I don’t think it could be any better, do you?”
I kissed the line of Vincent’s jawbone. “Well, I don’t think the company could be any better, but if there was a Pacific island outside my front door, that might be an improvement on the setting.”
“Or a Parisian cafe?”
“Or Bourbon Street.”
Vincent asked, “Do you like New Orleans? I didn’t know that.”
“I like to travel almost anywhere. Despite my reputation as a, you know, nerd, I’m rarely fussy about many things.”
“And in contradiction to my reputation as a sort of muscle head, I think I’m a little sharper than most of the knives in the drawer.”
I placed a hand on Vincent’s chest and brushed my nose against his. “Do you know what you are?”
“I’m not sure, but I bet you’re going to tell me.”
“You’re nothing short of perfect.”
Epilogue - Vincent
I almost forgot to make one important call before I left town with Desmond the day before New Year’s Eve. With my cell phone in my hand while we waited for our plane, I punched in Maeve’s number.
“Hey, Vincent! I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I appreciate you fitting me in. I know it’s New Year’s Eve.”
“Well, that’s why I’m calling. My plans changed, and I forgot to tell you about it. I’ll owe you one, and you can thank me when you’re relaxing somewhere with Dot. Ask her if you can sleep in. Surely, the bakery is closed on New Year’s Eve.”
I heard confusion in Maeve’s voice. “What does all that mean? Do I get the day off tomorrow? I’ve been eating so much sweet stuff. I probably do need a rugged workout in the gym.”
“I’m at the airport! Desmond and I are taking a last-minute cruise. I won’t be in town tomorrow.”
“Oh, wow! I’m envious. Where are you going?”
I said, “It’s a quick one to the Bahamas, and we’re meeting up with Desmond’s friend, and his boyfriend. We’ll celebrate the New Year on the ship!”
“I guess I shouldn’t be too jealous. I’m going to dinner and a movie with Dot, and then we’ll ring in the New Year cuddled together with a glass of wine in hand.”
“No, you can’t complain.”
Desmond stood on his tiptoes at my side and said, “Happy New Year, Maeve!”
Maeve said, “You have a fantastic man, Vincent. Tell him I said hi back to him, and I hope the two of you have a wonderful New Year. We’ll take care of the holiday spread when you get back.”
I hung up and said, “She says hi to you, too.”
Desmond grinned. “I can’t believe we’re going on a cruise to celebrate the New Year!”
“I can’t believe we’ve been together for a year already. It zipped by so fast. Now you’re head of your department at the university, and I’ve got two new gym locations on the way. I think we’re good luck charms for each other.”
Desmond kissed me lightly on the cheek. “We’re perfect for each other.”
While we waited in line on the jetway to board the plane, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket to put it in airplane mode. “Desmond! Oh my God, you have to see this message!”
Desmond leaned over my arm and read the screen. “See! I told you that Alan said he’s a slimeball. Now we know for sure. I hope they send him away for a good long time.”
The message from Maeve explained that she thought about calling me again, but she figured we would have plenty of time to read the news when we got home. Apparently, local authorities arrested Sal Whetstone after undercover investigations revealed he was defrauding his own company. Investors were out more than a million dollars, and the company owed back pay to most of its employees.
Desmond added, “And instead of worrying about what happens to him, let’s think about all of the happy things. We’ve got plenty of that to consider.”
We met Jerry and Alan on the ship. They were already relaxing on lounge chairs on one of the decks when we found them. Desmond hugged Jerry and a small tear appeared at the corner of his eye. Alan’s university hired Jerry away midway through the year. He began the new school year living with Alan. We were both happy for them, but I knew that Desmond missed his friendship with scatterbrained Jerry.
All of us exchanged our hugs, and I said, “I need to talk to Alan privately for a moment. I hope that’s okay.”
Desmond said, “No problem here. I can catch up with Jerry.”
I asked Alan, “Are you read
y for this? I need to position myself so I can catch Desmond if he decides to faint. I’m worried that might happen.”
“Are you sure that he doesn’t know?”
“He doesn’t have a clue.” I asked, “What about Jerry?”
“I did all the planning when he was off in a cave looking for microscopic life in the water. He loves stuff like that. I get claustrophobic. I could never spend a lot of time in caves.”
I laughed softly. “I’m sure you find plenty of other activities to share.”
“Oh we share some fantastic activities. If you know what I mean.”
I slapped Alan on the shoulder and said, “Let’s do this! I predict it will lead to a very happy New Year.”
We turned in unison toward Desmond and Jerry. It felt a little like a football team breaking a huddle. I was ready to throw the pass for a touchdown.
Desmond said, “Why don’t we get drinks, and then we can all four hang out by one of the pools.”
I said, “We’ve got something else first.” I turned toward Alan and asked, “Are you ready?”
“Ready here.”
We each pulled small boxes from our back pockets. Desmond didn’t know in advance, but it didn’t take him long to figure out what was happening. His eyes opened wide and he mumbled, “No!”
Jerry was silent and merely watched as the events unfolded.
Like we’d practiced it together a hundred times, Alan and I fell to one knee and looked up at our respective boyfriends. We opened the boxes simultaneously to reveal glistening gold rings.
I said, “I think Alan should go first.”
Desmond whispered, “I don’t know if my knees will hold out for that long.”
I said, “Lean on my shoulder if you need to.”
In his thick, rugged voice, Alan asked, “Jerry, will you make me the happiest man on the planet and marry me?”
Jerry was silent, and for a moment I didn’t know what he would say. Desmond thumped him on the shoulder, and Jerry said, “Oh, damn, yeah. Of course. Sorry, I’m in shock. Get a doctor if I collapse.”
Alan chuckled and slipped the ring on Jerry’s finger.
I said, “Now it’s my turn.”
Desmond poked his glasses up his nose as I stared into his eyes. I asked, “Desmond, will you make me the happiest man on the planet, even happier than Alan, and marry me?”
Desmond muttered, “Oh, God! This is ridiculous. I can’t believe this is happening.”
Jerry growled, “Just say yes.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry, yeah. A million times yes. Please marry me, Vincent!”
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The Weighting Game
Reviews
“This was a fantastic, poignant, engaging, beautiful, sweet, slow burning, and emotional story. I was hooked from beginning to end, and personally identified with both Gabe and Logan's struggles to lose weight.”
“On this journey, their lives have intersected and they learn more than just what to eat, what not to eat, and which exercise is the most effective. They also open their hearts, and minds, to new relationships and career opportunities.”
“This whole book has such a ring of truth to it and it's nice to read a story set in today's world. This is an excellent commentary on health issues and how one can face them and win in the end.”
In their battle against post-retirement weight gain, a former football star and a former hockey star meet in a hush-hush counseling group for celebrities.
Soon retired pro football player Gabe Finch is working on trash-talking his way into Logan Peterson's heart.
Logan was an ice hockey star. Selected as league most valuable player in four different seasons, he retired after fifteen years as an eventual shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Then he took a break. It was his time to let down and enjoy life. He didn't know that the good times would catch up with him as a coach two years later when he found himself lying in a hospital bed after collapsing on the ice.
To all but those who knew him well, Gabe was the least likely of quarterback heroes. He trash-talked his teammates, bad-mouthed the media, and he was gay. However, with a football in his hand, Gabe achieved greatness. Three years after retirement, out of shape, overweight, and aimless, he didn't know where to turn for his next act in life. Then he met Logan.
Saving the life of the man he might love is finally reason enough for Gabe to commit to turning his own life around. The only hitch is Logan is divorced, has two daughters, and has never loved a man before.
Read The Weighting Game
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About the Author
Declan Rhodes is an author of gay romance. He is fascinated by exploring male/male relationships in a world changed by worldwide progress in lgbtq civil rights.
He is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and loves men, cooking for friends and family, travel, and long walks along the shore of Lake Michigan not necessarily in that order.
[email protected]
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