by A. J. Marcus
Ed chuckled. The term was reflex for him even though he’d been out to friends and family since high school. “Sorry, guys don’t want to settle down with the strange guy who hangs out with elephants. My mother agreed to help me raise a child until I found someone, so I agreed if we could try to have two. It was all very clinical, and both embryos took on the first try. A few months after the twins were born, Trish and Sam got really busy with traveling around to the different faires, and I haven’t seen them until last weekend. I think it will be good for Eddy to get to know his mother and sister a bit. I hope from here on out they will see him more often than every four years or so.”
“Wow, I never thought about being a father.” Adrian took the food the serving wench handed him. “I don’t mind kids. You just don’t run into many in the orchestra world, other than the rare child prodigy. But it seems to suit you.”
Taking his food, Ed chuckled. “You’ve known me less than an hour, and you already say that.”
“It was obvious when we were talking at the party. Your son means the world to you. When you talk about him, you get a glow.” Adrian shrugged. “I don’t know how else to put it.” He glanced around. “Why don’t we sit over there?” He gestured toward an empty table under a huge oak tree.
“You’re not the first one to notice that. Dale’s told me that before.”
“The jouster guy?”
“Yeah, that’s him. We’ve been friends for a while now. When we first met, there were lots of sparks, but he wasn’t the settle-down kind of guy then. Now he says when you meet the right guy, you know it. He’s great to talk to. Even though we didn’t mesh romantically, he’s a good friend.”
Adrian chuckled as he got comfortable on the bench across from Ed. “Can I trade you Dale for Sebastian?”
Ed thought about that for a moment before answering. He didn’t want to come out and say he had problems dealing with effeminate flamers like Sebastian. “Hmmm, not sure about that. Dale and I may not have hit it off, but he’s still nice to look at when we talk.”
“See, you figured me out already.” Adrian smiled. “Yeah, Sebastian may not be much in the sexy world, as far as I’m concerned, but he’s still a good friend. He got me the gig here.”
“Then I may have to thank him for that.” Ed paused and chewed his food while Adrian did the same. Now was a good time. This little lunch was going well. The positive vibes kept flowing off the flutist. “So, Adrian, any chance of us going out sometime, away from faire?”
Adrian nodded thoughtfully as he finished chewing on his sausage. “I think that would be fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on an actual date that was planned out ahead of time.”
Ed thought he knew what Adrian meant, but opted not to ask. “Me too. To be honest, I haven’t been out much the past few years, what with Eddy and the elephants to look after. The last time I even went out to a real restaurant was a few months back for Eddy’s birthday, and we all went out for pizza.”
“Then we’ll do better than that,” Adrian said. The smile he’d worn earlier broadened. “Since I lost my job at the orchestra, my weekdays and nights are free. When would you like to go? I’ll take care of setting everything up.”
“You don’t have to go to a lot of trouble. I was thinking dinner, maybe a movie or coffee afterwards.”
Adrian reached across the worn wooden table and touched Ed’s hand. It sent shivers through him. “Like I said, it’s been a while since I was on a real date. I don’t mind. It will be fun.”
Ed nodded. “Okay, I’ll leave it up to you. I’ll check with Trish and see if she and Sam can watch Eddy for me. She wanted to spend time with him this week. I bet she will next week too.”
Adrian squeezed Ed’s hand before letting go and returning to his eating. “So, does Eddy know you’re gay?”
“I don’t think he really understands yet. I’ve explained it that I like guys the way his uncle Bryan likes girls. But he’s five and has never seen me with another guy. I think hanging out with Trish and Sam will help too.”
The flutist laughed. The sound was nearly as musical as his flute playing. “Lesbians help make everything better, don’t they? That’s it. I need to trade Sebastian in on a lesbian. It would definitely be more butch.”
“I don’t see how it could be less butch.” Ed joined the laugh as he finished his drink. “Do you want to walk with me to find Eddy? I like to check in on him during my lunch. I think most of the parents are just glad to be rid of the kids while the faire is going on, but I miss him.”
“Sure, I’m good for a little while.” Adrian rose and picked up his and Ed’s garbage before Ed could move to get it. “So, where do you guys live? Obviously not in the city, since you have elephants and camels.”
“And horses, goats, a donkey, and two dogs,” Ed filled in. “We live out near Midland. It’s dry as a bone, but the land was cheap and nobody bothers us.”
“Wow, that was a drive to get here.”
Ed nodded and set out to find the kids. “Yep, all night. But all night is good. Cara travels better at night than she does during the day. Even with Ciro at her side, she slept through most of the trip. You don’t want an elephant moving around in the trailer while you’re trying to haul her across the state. Can make for a bumpy ride.”
“I bet. So do you haul her around much?”
Ed shook his head as they crossed the bridge heading toward the east side of the fairgrounds. “Not really. We do the renaissance faires here in Texas and a couple of the local county fairs. It helps the elephants pay for themselves.” Searching through the thick crowd while talking was awkward, but he liked talking to Adrian.
“I bet they eat a lot,” the flutist said.
“A couple hundred pounds a day, between the hay, fruits, and vegetables.”
“And you make enough to feed them by giving elephant rides. I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be,” Ed sighed. “After feeding the critters, there’re some years there’s not much left. Luckily, we grow a fair amount of the hay that we use. The way the price has been rising, I’m not sure we’d survive if we didn’t. I also make arrangements with some of the local farmers to buy in bulk or take things that aren’t exactly grocery store perfect. An elephant doesn’t care if a watermelon has a blemish, as long as it’s still fresh and ripe.” He spotted the trail of kids moving along the south side of the faire and changed their angle to intercept them.
“That’s cool that you can make deals like that to help cut cost. I figure most people don’t understand about elephants. I know they’re new to me. I mean I’ve seen them at zoos, circuses, and of course here, but I never stopped to think much about them.”
“Elephants are incredible creatures.” Ed always felt more comfortable when talking about his critters. For a second, he wondered if that was obvious to Adrian. “There are a lot of people that just think they are big dumb animals, but they have the same range of emotions humans have, without all the judgmental crap that so many people have. An elephant can tell what’s inside a person better than any human I know.”
Adrian laughed again. Ed still found the sound pleasant. “Then I better hope your elephants like me, huh?”
With a sincerity he hoped didn’t sound too harsh, Ed replied, “Yup. If the elephants don’t like someone, there’s something wrong with them, and they don’t stay around.”
They caught up to the kids. “Hey, Eddy,” he called to his son.
Eddy turned, grabbed Trina’s hand, and ran toward them while Dru stopped the rest of the kids. “Hey, Daddy. We’ve been being really good for Dru. Haven’t we, Trina?”
Trina nodded shyly. The girl was nearly the same size as Eddy, but a bit stouter. She’d clung to either Trish or Samantha when they’d first met yesterday, but had taken to Eddy instantly, and he to her. After a couple of hours, it was like they’d never been separated.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Trina?” Ed squatted down and asked her.
She nodded.
“Yes, sir. Eddy and the other kids are really nice. We just left the mud pit. That was a lot of fun.”
“Trish stopped by a little while ago.” Eddy took over the narrative from his sister. “She’s really nice.”
“Of course she’s nice,” Trina butted in. “She’s my mom.”
Ed straightened up and reached out to ruffle both kids’ hair. “Okay then, you two be good for Dru and I’ll see you later.” He looked at the young woman watching the kids. “If there’re any problems, you let me know.”
“Will do, Mr. Costa.” She herded the kids back into a line and continued to their next destination.
“So that’s how Ren faire day care works,” Adrian said as they turned back toward the western side of the faire.
“Dru picks each kid up in the morning, and they wander the grounds. Some days they go back into the camp and hang out back there, but most of the time, they just meander about taking in the shows, and she brings everyone back to their respective parents about the time the cannon goes off.”
“Okay, another newbie question. Camp?”
“Over beyond the back road that runs along the outside of the fairgrounds, there’s a camp where participants can either pitch a tent or travel trailer if they don’t have lodging in their booth or don’t want to pay for a hotel. The faire still charges them, but it’s not too much.”
They crossed the bridge, and Ed waved to Rudy where the huge man stood decked out in leather that was almost the same shade as his dark skin. Rudy took one hand off his massive battle-axe to wave back before he glared down at a family with three small children trying to walk past. One of the little girls shrieked and dashed behind her mother while her brother laughed.
“So where do you stay during faire?” Adrian asked halfway across the bridge.
“We’ve got a trailer out behind the arena. It’s part of what the wall back there hides. Since I’ve got the elephants and camels, the faire lets me stay close to them. Johan, the falconer, has the same arrangement with his birds, as do the jousters and the petting zoo. I like it because, in addition to keeping an eye on everything, it keeps Eddy away from a bunch of the partying that goes on in camp.”
The flutist nodded. “Sebastian has told me about some of the parties that happen out here. They sound like they can get a bit out of hand at times.”
Ed laughed, feeling more at ease than he had in a very long time. “The cops only get called once or twice a year.”
Adrian glanced around. “We’re out in the country. They must get pretty bad if the cops get called a couple times a year.”
“That they do.” They were approaching the ceramic shop. “I think I brought you back to work.”
“Looks like you did.” Adrian smiled again. “Thanks for the lunch talk. I might wander over later with the girls, officially meet the elephants, and see if they think I’m a nice guy.”
“That would be cool. I had fun. It was nice talking to you, although I think I talked a bit more than you did.”
Adrian smiled and shrugged. “Then I’ll try and talk a bit more when we go out for dinner.” He spread his arms.
Ed stepped forward for a hug. The tingle he’d felt earlier spread through him. It was stronger than when they’d hugged at the party, like there was something growing between the two of them. “I’ll let you know what day tomorrow. If I don’t find you, come looking for me after cannon.”
“Will do. You have a good day.”
“I will, you too. Keep that beautiful music flowing.” Ed turned and walked off toward the elephant ride. He felt lighter and happier than he had in a long time. As he eased through the fence, he looked back and saw that Adrian was still standing in the lane watching him. The sight warmed him almost as much as the man’s smile did.
Chapter 11
Mel and Jade appeared at the ceramic shop a few minutes before the final cannon sounded. They surprised Adrian by already having changed out of their belly dancing outfits into their regular street clothes.
“Aren’t you two running a few minutes early?”
“We didn’t have to go stand on the wall this afternoon,” Mel explained. “All the gals in the troupe take turns joining the main cast in the catcalling on the wall. We’ll do it in the morning. It’s a real hoot. You should come.” The cannon blasted in the distance, sounding the end of the day.
“I think Sebastian was saying something about that last week.” He began pulling instruments off the wall. “If we get ready to open in time tomorrow, I might go with you gals.”
Jade grabbed his hand and batted her long eyelashes at him. “It would be so nice if the master satyr could accompany us little defenseless women into the throng of all those menfolk.” She giggled and sent Mel into a peal of giggles as well.
Adrian went back to putting instruments away, carefully stacking the delicate ceramic so they wouldn’t break on the cow horns. “So did you guys have a good day?”
“Decent,” Mel replied. “We only had to call security once to haul off a drunk who got a little pawsy.”
“You girls have that problem?”
Jade sighed and leaned against the wall the instruments were coming off of. “Yeah, one of the problems with serving alcohol to so many straight guys and us parading around in our little ‘skimpy’ outfits.” She added air quotes. “Men just can’t help themselves.”
“You know that you ladies even tempt us gay boys with all that flesh you flaunt around.” Sebastian appeared with a laugh.
“Is that your problem, Bastian? You just need a good woman to show you the errors of your ways?” Mel laughed as she grabbed his hand and batted her eyes at him while pushing her breasts toward him.
Sebastian stepped back in mock horror. “Oh God! The mounds of creamy white flesh are going to consume me. Make them go away!”
“You guys got everything secure in there?” Adrian asked, putting the last cow horn into the plastic tub.
“Yeah.” Sebastian nodded. “So if the girls are here, what are we doing this evening?”
“Going to see the new baby elephant,” Mel announced. “Ed said we could pet it if we came back after the cannon.” She gave Adrian a devious look. “The way he’s acting, he might even let Adrian pet something else if he asked nice.”
A blush rose in the flutist’s cheeks. Oh my God, I’m blushing! How long has it been since I blushed? “Don’t worry, I won’t be asking to pet anything other than the elephant,” he snapped.
“Oh my, he’s blushing!” Jade screeched. It just made the blush even worse. Adrian picked up the tub and walked toward the back of the shop.
After changing from his satyr costume to his regular jeans and a grape polo, he returned to his friends.
“Are you going that way?” he asked Sebastian, gesturing to his friend’s Ren faire garb.
“You guys go on over and play with the pachyderms. I’ll help Paul get things closed up and come over so you don’t forget to give me a ride home.” Sebastian shooed them off with a couple of limp flourishes from his narrow hands.
“So did you and Ed have a nice lunch?” Mel asked as they walked toward the elephant ride.
“Yeah, I asked a lot of questions, and he did most of the talking,” Adrian admitted. “He sounds like a really nice guy.”
Jade nodded. “He is. We don’t know him as well as we do his brother, Bryan, but he treats his employees and his animals well, from what we can tell.”
“So when are you two going out?” Mel asked. “Or are you going to skip the dating and just get right to the sex part?”
Adrian laughed to hopefully keep the blush from rising in his cheeks again. “He’s going to let me know about the date. You know, you two ask a lot of questions.”
“Oh, Sebastian didn’t warn you that we belly dancers are all about the gossip?” Jade giggled again. “He’s a source for so much for us. He doesn’t mind kissing and telling.”
Mel cut in before her friend could finish. “And last year, he did a lot of both.” She
looked thoughtful for a moment. “There was the leather daddy, the juggler, the swordsmith’s apprentice, the boot maker—”
“Oh, and don’t forget about that one football player.” Jade cut Mel off when she stopped for another thought.
“I heard about the football player,” Adrian said as they reached the railing for the elephant ride. Ed was working with the other guys to get the seats off one of the elephants. The other one was already cleared of her tack.
“Yeah, it’s a good thing we don’t have a gossip blog.” Mel got a faraway look in her eyes. “You know, it might not be a bad thing to do. That way we could keep the world apprised of the things that go on behind the banners.”
“Mel, that would even be a great name for it, Behind the Banners.” Jade made a wide cinematic motion with her hands. “I might just have to see if that website name is available. It might be a lot of fun. With all the faires we visit, think of the stuff we can dig up. We’d be the Perez of the Ren faire world.”
Adrian held up his hands. “Just keep me out of it. I have enough problems in my life right now without you two spreading my name all over the Internet.”
The girls each clung to an opposing shoulder.
“But, satyr boy,” Mel cooed.
“It would be soooo much fun.” Jade echoed her friend’s tone.
“We could make a name for you,” Mel continued.
“Nope.” Adrian playfully pushed them off. “I’m remaking myself right now—”
“Are these two giving you a problem?” Ed interrupted. Adrian looked up and gave him a big smile.
Jade chuckled. “We’re just trying to make him the star of the new Ren faire gossip website we’re thinking of starting. Don’t you think he’d make a wonderful star for it?”
Ed shook his head as he leaned against the top fence rail. “Not if you’re going to include my name in any of that.”
Mel frowned playfully. “You two are no fun at all. We’ll just make Sebastian the star. He’s all for exposure.”
Adrian couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, Sebastian’s all for exposure.”