by T. M. Smith
“Penny for your thoughts?” Squeezing his fingers, Blair gave him a lopsided grin.
“Just thinking about tomorrow, that’s all.”
“Having second thoughts?”
“No, not at all, just a little…”
“Hesitant?” He heard a note of tension in Blair’s voice.
Laughing softly, Mannie lifted their joined hands, kissing Blair’s knuckles. “No, babe. No second thoughts, no regrets, and no hesitation. Excited, nervous, and maybe a little bit anxious, but I know everything will be okay because I’m with you.”
Blair pulled into the driveway of the duplex, killed the engine, and turned to look at him. By the light of the moon, his lover’s profile was stark and vivid. Hair soft brown like the bark of an oak tree, not dark but simply gentle in any light—without red or golden hues, it reminded Mannie of the dry pebbles at the beach before the tide washed in. A smattering of slightly darker hair covered his jaw and upper lip. Reaching up, Mannie cupped his chin, fingers brushing over the whiskers, and smiled when Blair covered his hand with his own, closing his eyes and kissing Mannie’s palm. “I love you. I trust you and you make me feel safe. My home is you now, Blair. Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be.”
Blair leaned into him, his eyes fluttering closed just before he pressed his mouth to Mannie’s softly. When he spoke, Mannie could feel the words on his lips. “You make me so happy.”
A few more tender kisses were shared in the cab of the truck before they headed into the apartment. Exhausted, Mannie took the pile of clothes on his bed, stuffed them into his suitcase and closed it, setting it in the corner. He’d sort through everything in the morning. Right now all he wanted to do was fall asleep in Blair’s arms, something he planned on doing every damn night for a very long time.
Chapter 23
Blair
February 2017
“It’s not too much, is it?” he asked Taylor.
Merging into traffic on the Dallas North Tollway, he cursed when the car behind him honked. “You must be on the Tollway,” his best friend sniggered. “I would never have taken you for the romantic type, Blair. And no, I don’t think it’s too much. Mannie is going to be so surprised, he’ll love it, dude.”
A dozen long-stemmed red roses and a box of chocolates from 1-800-Flowers was probably being delivered right that very minute to Mannie at their apartment. Dinner would be at Reunion Tower—he’d made reservations in January—and for dessert, there was a bottle of the Moët & Chandon Nectar champagne his boyfriend had enjoyed during their hot air balloon ride back in November in Arizona. “Stop worrying. I promise, he’ll love it. I’ve gotta go, need to start dinner for my man.”
“Thanks, Taylor. You’re the best.”
“I know.” The line disconnected before Blair could respond.
The familiar intro to Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be” filled the quiet space in the car. Blair turned up the radio and sang along as he made his way through traffic. Time had flown by since he and Mannie returned from Arizona three months ago. Thanksgiving spent with Mannie’s family, Christmas with Blair’s, and New Year’s just the two of them in their apartment, making love until well past midnight. Mannie had instantly bonded with his parents and simply adored Blair’s niece and nephew. Admittedly though, he was a little bit scared of Rachel. Blair assured him that everyone was a little bit scared of his sister, including her husband. Lewis Cummings had smacked his son on the back of the head after that comment.
Driving into his complex, Blair pulled into his spot under covered parking, grabbing his messenger bag before hopping out of the car. He jogged up the sidewalk toward his apartment, eager to see his boyfriend. Pushing open the front door, he stepped in, inhaling the rich aroma of sandalwood and pine. He could hear the shower and considered joining his man, but he decided against it. If he were to walk in there and see a naked and wet Mannie, they might miss their dinner reservation. A bouquet of Tropicana roses sat in the middle of the bar, an open box of chocolates with three missing beside the vase. Trying to recreate some of the magic from their balloon ride, Blair had not only gotten the same champagne for them, he’d chosen the orange roses that were the same color as the foliage on the mountains during sunset. “Damn, when did I become so sentimental?”
“I happen to think your romantic side is very sexy.” Still-damp arms slid around his waist, warm lips brushing the nape of his neck. “Thank you for the flowers, Blair. They’re beautiful.”
He turned and ran his hands up Mannie’s bare chest, around his shoulders. “Why don’t you try that again?” Tenderly at first, his lover kissed him, licking his way into Blair’s mouth, tongue dancing seductively. “Whoa.” Head spinning, he leaned back, looking into glassy, blue orbs already full of need. “Rain check? We have reservations.”
Blinking, Mannie smiled. “Yeah, okay.”
Watching Mannie walk toward their bedroom in nothing but a towel only made his dick harder. Blair adjusted himself, thinking about his parents having sex, and his dick shrank in an instant. “Lord, give me strength.” He made a beeline for the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water, twisting off the cap and downing half on his way into the living room. He plopped down onto the couch, pulling out his phone to check his email.
“All right, you ready?” He looked up and gasped. Holy fuck and goddamn…Mannie was breathtaking. His long blond hair hung around his face in loose curls, a bit of a five o’clock shadow and those mesmerizing blue eyes made him look like elven royalty. A white button-down was open to the middle of his chest with a black T-shirt underneath to match the black, wool blazer and severely starched jeans. The cherry on top, or bottom as it were—Mannie’s scuffed and well-worn Doc Marten boots.
“Damn, baby. You look…delicious.” Blair licked his lips.
Mannie snorted and grabbed Blair’s keys from the tall table by the door, tossing them at him. “Oh, no. None of that, or we’ll be stuck here all night.”
“And that’s a bad thing, why?” Laughing, he followed Mannie out the door.
***
“This place is amazing.” Sheer wonder exuded from every pore as Mannie stared out at the Dallas skyline. The Reunion Tower observation deck featured light shows, a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the city, and two restaurants. Sipping a glass of complimentary champagne while they waited for their table, Blair held Mannie close, loving the way his boyfriend pointed things out and laughed giddily.
“Agent Cummings, is that you?”
“Shit,” Blair cursed, turning to see Connie and Claire coming toward them.
“It is you! Look, Con, it’s Blair and, I don’t think we’ve been introduced, I’m Claire Davis.” Rand’s little sister grinned up at Mannie as his long, nimble fingers took her dainty hand and kissed her knuckles.
“Nice to meet you, Claire. I’m Mannie.”
“Well, Agent Cummings, seems you’ve been keeping secrets, you naughty, naughty boy.” Con leaned over, whispering in his ear.
“Shut up, woman.” Blair barked back. “It’s good to see you, Claire. How are the triplets?” Claire, forever teasing her big brother, Rand, had jokingly called him and his partners, Rory and Shannon, “the triplets” once and the moniker stuck.
“Good, good. The question is, how are you, and where have you been hiding this cutie?” Mannie blushed at the compliment.
“It’s nice to see you again, Connie. I for one am quite happy it’s under much better circumstances.” Mannie shook Connie’s hand, cheeks flushing under her scrutiny.
Nothing ever escaped the women’s attention. “Oh yes, quite happy indeed.” Con’s dark eyes sparkled as she grinned at Mannie before turning and giving Blair an evil glare.
“Cummings, party of two!” The hostess shouted to be heard above the music and random conversation.
“That’s us, babe. Good to see you ladies, enjoy your night.” Hand on Mannie’s back, Blair gently pushed him toward the woman smiling at them, leading them to their table.
Whew, that was a close call. Blair still hadn’t told anyone aside from his family, Taylor, and Frank about his relationship with Mannie. At first it was because of how skittish his partner was around people he didn’t know. Their bond was still new and continually evolving, growing, and he wanted Mannie to be completely comfortable not only in a new city, but in his own skin before introducing him to the lovebirds, Con and Claire, and the triplets. He had no excuse for continuing to put it off, he knew that, but he was still hesitant and could no longer reason why.
Chapter 24
Mannie
March 2017
Looking through the throng of people in the baggage claim area, he winced when a loud, shrill voice called his name. “Mannie!” Zoe shrieked, running through the terminal, launching her small body at him midleap.
“Well, hello…I missed you too.” Laughing, he managed to shake her loose, setting her on the ground. “How was your flight?”
“Shitty. We were delayed on takeoff, and then there was turbulence halfway here, so I only got one damn drink!” Pete grinned, pulling him into a bear hug as soon as he was in arms’ reach.
As promised, he’d made arrangements to fly Zoe out for spring break. When his oldest and dearest friend sent a text questioning why in the hell he wasn’t invited, Mannie went ahead and purchased two round-trip tickets. Tony and Sharon had been worried about Zoe flying by herself, so Pete joining her set their minds at ease. “Where’s Blair?” Pete stood on his tiptoes, looking around.
“Waiting in the parking garage. I’ll text him on our way out—let’s grab your bags.” In his opinion, the worst part of flying was having to check bags and then wait for them at baggage claim. It always took forever and a day.
Forty fucking minutes later, Blair pulled up to the curb, hopped out and popped the trunk. “Zoe, Pete, good to see you.”
Holding the passenger-side door open, Mannie ushered them into the back seat, laughing at Blair once again sprinting around the car, climbing in and putting the vehicle in drive before either his or Mannie’s doors were completely closed. The security guards and airport personnel that policed the arrival and drop-off at curbside did not play around. A driver had roughly sixty seconds to get luggage and passengers into the car before they were yelled at. “Can’t park here, keep moving!”
“Wow. They really are militant.” Pete whistled low, shaking his head.
“Welcome to Dallas.” Mannie buckled his seat belt and reached for Blair’s hand.
Zoe was in awe of the city, Blair taking the long way home so that both of their houseguests could visually explore the landscape of Dallas. “So, is there anything in particular either of you wants to see while you’re here?” Blair asked. “Mannie has a list of fun options, but I thought maybe there might be something specific you want to do.”
Bouncing in her seat, Zoe smiled. “Medieval Times. I looked it up online and it looks super cool.”
“We can do that,” Mannie agreed. It was at the top of the list he’d made, and he was thrilled that Zoe had picked the place. He’d been wanting to go for months. “What about you, Petey?”
“Well, I know you’ve never been a fan of baseball, but it’s opening day for the Rangers. I’d love to go if we can still get tickets.”
“Funny you should ask.” Grinning, Mannie squeezed Blair’s hand.
Lifting their joined hands, Blair kissed his knuckles and Zoe let out a collective aww from the back seat. “My best friend Taylor’s boyfriend is a cop with the Dallas Police Department and they have a box at Globe Life Park in Arlington. He’s holding four seats for us for tonight’s Rangers game.”
“No way! Really?” Pete’s mouth hung open, eyes wide. Zoe clapped and cheered, literally bouncing in her seat.
Mannie wanted to stop for drinks and snacks, but Blair assured him that the suite would be overrun with snacks, food, and both alcoholic as well as nonalcoholic beverage options. “I’ve been to several games over the years and let me just say, the boys in blue seriously know how to party,” Blair promised.
It was a spread the likes of which Mannie had never seen. The suite was huge with sliding glass doors that opened all the way and a short veranda you could walk out on to see the hundreds of fans in the stands. A long table along one wall was set up with food: cheese, meats, crackers, and bread, hot wings, hot dog and hamburger fixings, egg rolls, taquitos, chips with queso and salsa, and pizza bites. A large steel bin full of ice and several different types of beers and bottled water sat in the middle of the room, a small wine fridge under the sink with glasses and cups on the counter. A lovely woman wearing a team shirt and ball cap asked Mannie what he’d like, freeing the dark bottle from the ice, popping the cap and wrapping a napkin around it before handing it to him. “Thank you.” He nodded, dropping a couple of dollar bills into the tip jar.
“So you’re Mannie’s little sister? I’ve heard so much about you. It’s so nice to meet you finally.” Frank shouted to be heard above the two dozen or so people in the suite currently hollering at the large-screen TV in the corner. He took Zoe’s hand, leading her down the three steps to the veranda, pointing something out that left her smiling. They hadn’t been in the room for five minutes yet, and Zoe already had Frank wrapped around her little finger, the cop politely asking one of the servers to please bring them a burger with fries and a Coke.
Familiar arms wrapped around him and Mannie sighed, leaning back into the warmth of Blair’s body. “Well, it looks like Zoe has a new best friend.” His lover chuckled, kissing him on the cheek.
“Where’s Petey?”
“Over there with Taylor and Caleb.” Frank’s partner on the force, Caleb Knight, was an imposing man at roughly six two with wavy auburn hair and an almost constant “fuck off” expression on his face. Taylor wasn’t quite as mean-looking, but he could be intimidating nonetheless. And there Petey was, standing in between the two men, laughing at something Taylor said.
Still not in complete control of his emotions at all times, Mannie sucked in a deep breath, tears stinging his eyes. “Hey, easy now, it’s okay.” Blair led him over to a corner, gently pushing Mannie against the wall, lifting his chin with two fingers. “Look at me, baby. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I…shit…I’m sorry.”
Shaking his head, Blair ran his thumb over Mannie’s cheek, wiping away a stray tear. “You have nothing to apologize for, love, nothing at all. Now, do you want to tell me what’s wrong? Or we can talk about it later. It’s your call.”
And he knew Blair would push no further. It was one of the things Mannie loved about the man, his infinite patience and ability to read Mannie like an open book. There would be no secrets between them, but wasn’t that the definition of a relationship? Of course, there were things Blair wouldn’t be able to tell him when it came to his work, but Mannie had come to terms with that. This right here, this was the real deal. “It’s just, seeing Frank with Zoe and Taylor with Petey, it’s…they don’t even know them but they act as if they’ve been friends for years. Your friends are so kind, Blair. It’s something Zoe and I never had until we went to live with Tony and Sharon, something we never thought was deserved. But your friends, they accept us, act like we’ve been part of your circle all along. It’s unnerving and a little bit confusing, and yet, it feels natural. I guess I’m still learning how to accept all this, is all.”
“Okay.”
He waited, staring into crystal blue eyes that saw right through him, down deep in Mannie’s soul. He’d never be able to hide from Blair. As if he wanted to. “Okay?” Mannie squinted. Was Blair truly giving up so easily?
Nodding, Blair smiled, kissing the tip of his nose. “We have all the time in the world to talk, babe. Right now, let’s go watch the Rangers kick the shit out of the Atlanta Braves.”
***
Four days went by way too fast: Medieval Times, the Rangers game, dinner with Frank and Taylor afterward at a Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, everyone leaving in a food coma after devouring p
robably ten pounds of shrimp. A day spent at Six Flags, the next at Hurricane Harbor, and finally visiting the site of the JFK shooting, the School Book Depository, and the Grassy Knoll leaving them all both mentally and physically exhausted. Zoe and Pete’s last night was spent on the couch in Blair and Mannie’s living room eating takeout from their favorite Thai place, three orders of spring rolls and several variations of vermicelli, while watching the original Star Wars movies on DVD.
“Are you ever coming back home, or are you going to live here with your boyfriend all the time?” Yawning, Zoe scooted closer to Mannie.
It was a question he’d asked himself more than once and as confident as he was with his answer, he didn’t want to hurt his family in the process. “I think that wherever Blair is will be where I live for the foreseeable future, Zo. Is that okay?”
Eyes that held far too much pain for the few years she’d been alive stared up at him. “I’ll miss you, Man, not seeing you every day. But I see the way you look at him, the way he looks at you. It’s like when Sharon and Tony forget there’s anyone else in the room and, like, eye-fuck each other. So, yeah, I’m okay with you staying with Blair, but I hope you’ll come visit us in Arizona as often as you can.”
Laughing, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled Zoe close, kissing the top of her head. “I will, Zo. I promise you, I will. And you can call me anytime and if you need me, Blair and I will be on a plane and on the way with the snap of a finger.”
Burrowing into him, she sighed. “I like the way everything is you and Blair now, not just you. That’s how I know you’ll be okay. Man, you’re not alone anymore.”
Chuckling, Zoe grabbed the remaining spring roll and stuffed the entire thing into her mouth, cheeks bulging as she chewed. “Hey! No fair, I always get the last one,” Mannie joked, tickling her ribs.