by A. J. Marcus
After a quick shower, Ed lay with his head pillowed on Adrian’s shoulder, making lazy circles with his fingers through the thick blond hair on the man’s well-defined chest. “Dio, you are so special.”
“You are to me too, Ed.”
“I’m trying to figure out what’s going to happen in a few weeks when the faire’s over. I don’t want this to end.”
Adrian nodded. “I agree. I’ve been thinking about that too. You have your life out in Midland with Eddy, the elephants, and the rest of your family.”
“I want you to be part of that family,” Ed said.
“Would there be room for me?” Adrian stroked Ed’s hair. “Would your family accept me?” There was a hint of fear in the musician’s voice, and remembering what he’d said about how his family had reacted to him being gay, it was understandable.
Ed nodded and kissed Adrian’s chest. “You make me happy. They’ll accept you, just as they have always accepted me. You already know Eddy, Bryan, and the elephants. The only other person of importance is my mother. I think she’ll love you as much as I do.”
Adrian hugged Ed. A drop of water splashed on Ed’s face. He looked up. Water filled Adrian’s gray eyes and ran down his cheeks. Ed hugged him back.
“What’s wrong?”
“Do you really love me?”
Ed kissed his quivering lips as tears started from his own eyes. He nodded. “Yes, I love you. I’ve been hoping that you love me too.”
The hug tightened, and for a moment, Ed was afraid Adrian might break one of his ribs, but it didn’t matter.
“Yes, I love you too,” the musician sobbed. “God, I’ve never said that to anyone since I was a little boy. And nobody has ever said it to me.” They clung to each other on the bed as their tears of joy slowly subsided under their kisses and tender caresses.
Chapter 23
On their way back to the Ren faire site, Adrian’s phone rang. After glancing at it to see that it was Mel, he handed the phone to Ed. “Can you answer it, let her know I’m driving?”
“Sure.” Ed took the phone and hit the button to answer it. “Dio’s phone. This is Ed. Dio’s driving, can I help you?” There was a pause. Ed looked at Adrian. “Is there a speaker on this thing?”
“Yeah.” He glanced quickly at the traffic in front of him, took the phone, and turned on the speaker before handing it back to Ed. “Mel, can you hear us?”
“Sure.” Mel’s voice rang out loud and clear. “So, Dio, Gypsy wants to see you as soon as possible. When can you get down here?”
“We’re heading that way now, but we’re taking the kids to the zoo.”
“I don’t think this will take too long. We’re making stuff in the back room at the booth, so stop in when you get here. I’ll let her know you’re coming.”
He glanced at Ed, who shrugged. “Okay, can you at least give me a hint at what’s going on?”
“It’s a surprise, but I think you’ll be thrilled,” she replied. “See you in a bit.” She hung up before he could ask her anything else.
“I wonder what that’s all about,” he said as Ed handed him back the phone.
“No clue. But if it’s Gypsy who wants to see you, you can bet it has something to do with your performance Sunday. She’s one of the top belly dancers in the country. Her girls work all the faires and festivals around.”
Adrian reached over and took Ed’s hand while he navigated the early morning traffic. Luckily, they were now traveling away from downtown Dallas, so it was lighter. It had taken them nearly half an hour to go the few miles from his apartment past I-30 and clear the downtown exits. “I guess I can stop by and see her after we get the kids and feed the elephants, before we head out to the zoo. I hope it won’t take too long. I don’t want to disappoint Eddy with our first official outing for something bigger than pizza.”
With a strong squeeze of his hand, Ed laughed. “You’re not going to disappoint Eddy. He’ll be a bit impatient to get going. If you want, we can feed the elephants their breakfast while you go talk to Gypsy.”
“But that will cut into my bonding time with Cara.”
“You’ll have plenty of time to bond with Cara,” Ed reassured him. “It’s going really well so far. Missing a meal for something important isn’t going to upset her. She’ll be more upset that I wasn’t there an hour ago to feed her.”
“Oh gosh.” Adrian pushed down the gas pedal. “We better hurry.”
Ed laughed at him again. “We’ll be even later if you get stopped for speeding. Relax. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Adrian slowed the car down. “I just want everything to be great with everyone in your life. I don’t want to cause any problems.”
“You’ll be fine. Everyone will love you, just like I do.” Ed brought their entwined fingers up to his lips and kissed Adrian’s. “I love you, Dio.”
“I love you too, Ed.” The warm, fuzzy feeling from the night before washed back over him. “I’m not sure I’ll get tired of hearing you say that.”
“Good, because I don’t think I’ll get tired of saying it any time soon.”
About half an hour later, Adrian pulled into participant parking. It being the middle of the week, they were able to get close to the back gate. After he turned off the car, he leaned over and gave Ed a long, passionate kiss. A couple of minutes later, they parted with mutual sighs.
“Let’s go get the kids,” Ed said as they climbed out of the car. “Then you can stop by Gypsy’s, and the kids and I will get the elephants fed and make sure that we’ve got folks still watching them.”
“I thought the jousters were taking turns keeping an eye on everything.” Adrian followed Ed as he set out for the campground.
“They are. And I trust Dale’s folks, but with the possibility that those nut jobs are still lurking around, even with the extra security, I’m a bit nervous about the girls and Ciro.”
“I understand.” Adrian reached over and patted Ed on the shoulder.
“Daddy!” Eddy cried and ran toward them as they entered the campground.
Ed caught his son up in a big hug, lifting the little guy off the ground. For a moment, Adrian wondered if the boy would ever greet him with that much enthusiasm. He hoped Ed was right and that his family would accept him as part of Ed’s life. He hadn’t realized how much he missed having a family around him until he saw the way Ed interacted with Eddy. This is the way a family is supposed to act.
Trish stepped out of her tent, which was on the outskirts of the campground. A smile graced Trish’s delicate face. “You’re running a bit later than I figured.” A knowing sparkle glinted in her eyes.
Ed glanced at Adrian as he set Eddy back down. “Things ran a bit long.” He chuckled.
Trish sighed. “Aren’t they supposed to? So are you ready for the kids? They’ve had their showers and breakfasts.”
“I need to go feed the critters, but Eddy likes to help with that. Adrian needs to talk with Gypsy.”
“Gypsy?” Trish raised a black eyebrow. “What does the queen of the belly dancers want to talk to you about?”
Adrian shrugged. “No clue. I just got the call on the way down here.”
“I know you caused quite the stir with your music last weekend.” Samantha appeared carrying a damp towel, still wringing water from her long blonde hair. “Maybe she has a job offer.”
“I guess I’ll find out in a few,” Adrian replied.
Samantha hung the towel over a branch just outside their tent, alongside three other towels. “She’s one of the most stable acts on the faire circuit. If you can get in with her, it’s a good thing. You’ll have work as long as you want it and as long as you can keep up with her schedule.” Her sharp blue eyes bored into his. “If I recall, you’re looking for a regular gig.”
Trina came out of the tent with a pink backpack in her hands. “I’m all ready,” she announced before Adrian could reply.
Trish went over and gave her daughter a big hug. “Now you be go
od for Daddy and Adrian today, okay? Have fun at the zoo.”
“I will, Mommy.” When she released her mother, she hugged Samantha before walking over and taking Ed’s hand. Her tiny fingers were lost in his larger ones. “Okay, Daddy, let’s go.”
“I guess we’re going.” Ed chuckled. “We’ll bring the kids back after dinner.”
“We’ll be here,” Trish said. “If she gets to be too much before that, just call me.”
Something about walking across the fairgrounds with Ed and the kids made Adrian feel complete.
The back room of the belly dancers’ shop was organized chaos. Half a dozen women, mostly in shorts and halter tops, sat around making the belts, bracelets, and anklets they sold in the shop. Jade sat in one corner, busily working on her laptop, when Adrian entered.
“Hey, Adrian,” Mel called. With her lap full of small silver coins, she didn’t try and get up.
“Adrian!” Jade set her laptop on a box next to her and ran over to envelop him in her arms and ample bosom. “This is so cool. Come on! I’ll take you to Gypsy.”
The rest of the women smiled at him. A couple waved demurely.
“So what’s this all about?” Adrian asked as Jade claimed his arm and led him out of the back of the booth toward the stage across the lane. “Sorry, can’t tell you,” Jade all but giggled. “But it’s really cool!
This could all be so much fun.”
Up on the stage, the leader of the belly dancers stood in animated conversation with a man whom Adrian barely recognized in mundane clothes. He was shorter than Adrian figured he’d be. The juggler that shared the stage with the belly dancers was normally on stilts when he moved around the fairgrounds.
“I still think we need to have these trees trimmed,” the man said as Adrian and Jade got within hearing range.
“I hate to lose the shade,” Gypsy replied.
“Well, I’m tired of having to duck when I walk down the aisle,” the little man snapped. “I’ll pay for it.”
As she nodded, the sun sparkled off the ruby that Gypsy had on her forehead. “Fine, pay for it. Just make sure they clean up after themselves and don’t disrupt the shade coverage too much. Just take out the low-hanging stuff.” She caught Adrian’s eye and nodded again. “Anything else right now?”
The juggler shook his head. “No. I think that covers it.”
Gypsy jumped gracefully off the stage. “Then I’ll see you Saturday.” She strolled toward Adrian and Jade.
“I heard you wanted to see me,” Adrian said, offering her his hand. She took it, and in classic renaissance fashion, he bent and kissed her knuckles.
“You’re learning quickly,” she replied. “Jade, why don’t you go back to working on that website of yours while Adrian and I talk?”
“Sure,” Jade replied. She patted Adrian’s arm before releasing it.
“So, Adrian.” Gypsy sat down on a bench in the back row of the stage seating. She patted the spot next to her, indicating he should join her. “I suppose I don’t have to tell you what a major success our little merger was this past weekend.”
He settled down on the bench. “According to Mel, it was the most tips you’ve gotten in several years.”
“That’s right. I’d like to keep that up. Mel and Jade tell me this is all new music you’ve written yourself.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Since starting here I’ve found myself inspired and written a fair amount. After meeting the elephants, I’ve written some things that they’ve inspired. The song that got the best response is one of those pieces.”
“So that’s why we had elephants making so much noise during your performance.” A thoughtful look crossed her face. “What I’d like to know is, would you be interested in working with us? If you were able to regularly practice with the girls, they’d be able to tailor their dances to certain melodies.”
“I don’t know. At the moment I’m supposed to work with Paul and Holly at the ceramic shop until the end of faire.”
“I’m sure we can come up with an arrangement with them. They’ve been working faire for a number of years. They know how things go.” Gypsy smiled at him. “I’m also wondering if you’d be interested in traveling with us. We go to festivals all over the country. We have things going ten months out of the year. I can keep you busy. If tips keep coming in like they did Sunday, I can pay you very well.”
Adrian’s mind raced. A gig with the belly dancers would mostly be on the weekend. He could still work on trying to get things out online and do his own recording and albums during the week. In the distance, an elephant trumpeted. He couldn’t tell if it was Gwen or Cara. It made him think of Ed. They were talking about a life together, a family. How would working with the belly dancers affect that?
“I’ll need to think about things beyond Scarborough. If we can talk Paul and Holly into losing me for a few hours a day, I’d be thrilled to perform with you over the next few weeks.”
Gypsy nodded. “You think about things. Do you have plans this afternoon?” “I do.”
“Then how about the rest of the week?”
It would give him another reason to spend even more time with Ed.
“The rest of the week is flexible.”
“Good. We’ll see if we can run down Paul and Holly tomorrow, and after that if they agree to let you free for a while each day, you can start practicing with the dancers so they can come up with complementary moves to the music. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get video of some of the shows and post a few things online. Jade handles all aspects of my web presence and thinks this could be the next Internet sensation.”
“That’d be fine. If Jade thinks she can get us more coverage, that’s great.”
Gypsy stood up. Adrian did as well. She offered him her hand and smiled. He again kissed her knuckles. “Adrian, my boy, I think this is the start of something that could be really big for both of us.”
Chapter 24
Parrots screamed out above them as Ed and Adrian sat on a bench in the aviary while the kids tried to find all the birds pictured on the informational display next to them.
“I’m really enjoying this,” Adrian said.
Ed smiled at him. The day that had started so wonderfully with him waking up in Adrian’s arms had just continued getting better. “Me too. Getting out with my two favorite fellas is even better than yesterday was.” He ached to take Adrian’s hand, but really doubted the other zoo visitors would appreciate it.
“Hey, Daddy, how do you say this one?” Eddy asked from the display. “Trina says it’s fishers, and I say it’s fiskures.”
“Let me get this,” Adrian said, standing before Ed could. He walked over and looked at the sign. “I think she’s right and it’s Fischer’s lovebird, even though it’s spelled different.”
“Sorta like elephant isn’t spelled with an f?” the boy asked.
Adrian nodded. “Exactly.”
Eddy turned to Ed. “Okay, Daddy, I think we spotted all the birds. Can we go look at the gorillas again? And where are their African elephants? I wanted to see if they are really bigger than our elephants.”
Ed chuckled as he stood up. “Okay, let’s go see the gorillas again, and then we’ll try and follow the signs to the African elephants.”
“Ah, Dad, I’m thirsty. Can we get something to drink?” Trina asked as they walked out of the aviary.
“If I remember the map, there’s a little restaurant right near the African elephants,” Adrian said. “Can you wait until we get over there? It’s not very far away.”
Trina walked over and stared up at him. “Are you my daddy’s boyfriend now?”
Adrian looked at Ed uncertainly. Ed didn’t see any reason to lie to the girl. She was raised by two lesbians; she knew about same-sex couples. He nodded. Adrian looked relieved.
“I think I am,” the musician replied.
Eddy pulled on Ed’s hand. “When were you going to tell me?”
Ed’s heart sank at the look of disappoi
ntment on his son’s face. “We were going to talk to you about it later. But I don’t want to lie to Trina.” He squatted down right there on the walkway in the middle of the zoo and looked Eddy directly in the eyes. “I think we just decided last night that we are really boyfriends. You knew we were dating, right?”
Eddy nodded. “Like Uncle Bryan and his girls.”
“Like Uncle Bryan and his girls,” Ed agreed. “But Adrian and I are thinking about something a little more long term than Uncle Bryan normally does.”
“You mean like Mommy and Sam.”
“Yeah, like Mommy and Sam.”
Eddy turned and looked at Adrian. “So you want to be my daddy too?”
Adrian’s face lit up as he knelt beside Ed. “If you’ll let me.”
For a moment, Eddy scrunched up his face. It was a look Ed knew meant his son was thinking about something. Finally, the boy sighed. “Well, Cara likes you, so you have to be okay. I guess we can try it. If I don’t like it, I can still have Cara stomp you.”
Ed let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He hugged Eddy to him, and his son hugged him back. Then the boy reached out and wrapped an arm around Adrian’s neck and hugged him too.
“If you’re going to be my daddy too, or maybe you’ll be Daddy t-wo, you’re going to have to give me hugs when I need them.”
“I’ll be there whenever you need them.” Adrian’s voice cracked as he hugged the boy. Ed didn’t say anything about the single tear that ran down the man’s cheek and disappeared into his goatee.
“Can we go see the elephants now so I can get something to drink?” Trina asked with all the impatience of any preadolescent girl.
Ed glanced into the backseat at the two kids asleep in their car seats. It was a sight he had dreamed of seeing, but one he hadn’t been sure he’d see after Trish and Sam went their separate way with Trina. He looked over at Adrian as the flutist navigated them through the ever-thickening traffic heading south.