by Lily Harlem
Remembering a bottle of muscle-relaxing shower gel in the bathroom cabinet, I set it in the cubicle. Perhaps he’d just like a gentle, soapy massage to soothe away his aches and pains. It would be hard to touch him and not take it further, but we’d both waited this long, what difference would one more night make?
Todd was due to land at four. Just as I glanced at the clock my cell rang. It was him. He’d been delayed and wasn’t even boarding for another ten minutes.
My heart sank though I tried to be upbeat that he’d still make it for seven. But when the guys arrived at six-thirty, dressed up and ready for their first glass of champagne, I struggled to stay optimistic.
“Don’t fret, Matthew,” Raymond said. “There’s still thirty minutes to go.”
“I bet he’s not even landed,” I said, admiring the purple-and-red polka-dot tie and cummerbund he’d added to his tux. “I’ve spent so long looking forward to this and now I don’t want it to come. Not until he’s here.”
Gareth popped the cork on a bottle of Moët. He looked great in his tuxedo. It suited his broad shoulders and tall, slim frame. “We won’t leave until he gets here, simple as that. We’ve got plenty of bubbly to keep us going.”
“And this is after all your night,” Joel said, squeezing my arm. “Nothing is going to happen until you’re there.”
“But Carmen will have a fit. She’s spent weeks planning tonight down to the very last detail.”
My intercom rang.
I rushed over and snatched it up. “Hello.”
“Hey, is that Matthew?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s Colin. Is, er, Raymond there?”
“Oh, fabulous, it’s Colin, let him in, let him in.” Raymond leapt up and pressed the button to open the front door of my building.
“Oh, fabulous Colin is here,” Joel said in a teasing voice to Raymond.
Raymond ignored him, dashed to the mirror and checked his appearance. “Yes, thank God, because he’s so damn cute. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to get through the night without completely molesting his hot little ass.” He turned to me. “No offense, Matthew, I’m sure the photographs are going to be fascinating and all that.”
I managed a smile even though my hopes had just been raised and dashed in an instant.
Raymond met Colin at the door and brought him in to meet us.
“Everyone, this is Colin. Colin, this is Gareth and Joel, the guys who own Rizzles, and this is Matthew. He’s the star of the show tonight.”
“Hi,” Colin said a little shyly.
He was Raymond’s height but with a slighter frame. His arms and legs were a little on the thin side and his chest delicate rather than tough and broad. Not my type at all. Which was just as well, because the way he leaned into Raymond for a hug made me think that he’d had his heart stolen already.
“How was the trip from Chicago?” I asked, sipping on the glass of champagne Gareth handed me.
“It took forever, I was so excited to get here. Raymond has been talking nonstop about tonight and what a brilliant photographer you are and I’m dying to see your work.”
“Ah, stop it, you’ll make me blush.” I tried to laugh but it sounded forced even to my own ears.
“He’ll be here soon, sit down,” Joel said to me. “You’re going to be on your feet for the rest of the evening, save some energy.”
I looked at my watch again, sat, stood. “I can’t sit. I’m too on edge.”
“He’s waiting for his boyfriend,” Raymond said to Colin. “Todd Pretty Carty.”
“I swear if you call him that, you know what happened to Butler, that’ll be you.” I gripped the stem of my champagne glass.
“Oh, I’m just winding you up,” Raymond said with a flick of his wrist.
“Drink,” said Gareth, topping up my glass. “It will calm you down and you’ll be able to filter out Raymond’s nonsense.”
Raymond pouted and put his hand on his hip.
“I’m sure everyone is going to love your work,” Colin said, nibbling on his bottom lip and glancing nervously between me and Raymond.
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” I said. “This has turned into an event about my relationship with a hockey player, and to be honest, I don’t even want to share him tonight, I just want to make sure he’s okay after the fight on Thursday night.”
“Damn, I saw that. Jesus, he gave as good as he got though, didn’t he?” Colin said, widening his eyes.
I smiled. “Yeah, he did.” I knocked back my champagne. “I’m just going to get some water.”
I went into the kitchen and drank a big glass of Evian then decided to use the bathroom. Afterward I washed my hands and checked my new super-short haircut, I applied a little more aftershave and straightened my bow tie. I looked good in my tux. Which was just as well. It had been made to measure and cost a packet. Shame I was beginning to feel hot and bothered in it. But I was sure once I was with Todd my fretful nerves would settle.
If only he’d hurry up and arrive.
I went back into the living room. The four men were silent, sipping champagne and not catching my eye.
“What?” I studied them suspiciously.
“Nothing,” Gareth said then glanced at me then Joel and shifted from one foot to the other.
I heard a noise in the hallway, a bang then loud footsteps. Suddenly, in the doorframe, Todd appeared. All broad shoulders, mussed-up hair and battered face.
“You’re here,” I gasped, raising my hand to my mouth.
His eyes were narrowed and tired, his lips tight and he had an angry bruised swelling on his right cheekbone. “Yeah, finally.”
“I didn’t hear the intercom.”
“Someone else let me in.” He didn’t take his gaze from me.
“Me. I did,” Raymond piped up.
Todd took several ground-eating paces across the living room. He dropped a plastic-wrapped tux over a chair then his arms were around me.
I melted into him. Allowed his mouth to find mine and wound my arms into the inner section of his fleecy jacket. He tasted of Todd and everything I’d been missing in my life. He tasted of everything I wanted for the rest of my life.
Our tongues tangled and our bodies pressed together. Everything felt right with the world. My nerves settled, my heart beat fast but in a good way and my problems were halved.
“Ah fuck, be careful,” he said on an expelled breath. “Not broken ribs but hurting-like-hell ribs.”
I released my frantically tight grip but didn’t stop kissing him. I wanted to go nowhere now. Just stay here with him. He was all I ever needed. I ran my hand down his spine, squeezed his damn fine ass through his jeans and was aware of my cock getting heavy and hot.
“Hey, you two,” Gareth said. “Don’t forget we’re in the room.”
Todd broke the kiss, gave me his devil-may-care grin and turned to my friends. “Hey, I’m sorry. We haven’t even been introduced.”
“Yes, well I’m—” Raymond said.
Todd kept one arm around my shoulders and held the other hand up. “No, don’t tell me. You’re Raymond.”
“Yes, yes I am, and I have to say, a huge fan, like one of your biggest ever.”
Todd grinned, stretching the darkly bruised patch of skin over his cheek. “Glad to hear it. And you must be Gareth.” He pointed to Gareth, who stood hand in hand with Joel.
“Yep, pleased to finally meet you, Todd. Your name has been banded around a lot lately.”
“All good I hope.”
Gareth smiled, but there was a flash of steel in his dark-blue eyes. “So far.”
Todd laughed. “I intend to keep it that way. And you’re Joel.”
Joel grinned. “Yep, huge Rangers fan and actually, a huge Matthew Foster fan too.”
“I can see we have common interests,” Todd said, squeezing me a little closer.
“And this is Colin,” Raymond said. “He’s just flown in from Chicago.”
�
�Hey, Colin,” Todd said. “You and I can compare notes on the miseries of air travel later.”
Colin looked more than a little starstruck.
The intercom rang.
“Jesus, it’s like Grand Central Station in here,” Raymond said, half walking, half skipping to the door. “Hellooooooo.”
“Limousine for Matthew Foster and guests.”
“Ah, shit, yes. Two minutes,” Raymond shouted, turning to me with wide eyes then back to the intercom. “Two minutes, just wait, okay, don’t go anywhere, Mr. Limousine Man.”
“Certainly, sir. Whatever you say, sir.”
“You’d best get changed,” I said to Todd. “I take it that’s your tux in there.”
“Yeah.” He stepped away, tugging out of his fleece jacket as he moved toward the chair. Within a second the fleece was off and he was peeling a Rangers polo shirt over his head.
Raymond sat hard on the sofa. I heard his sigh of expired breath from across the room. And who could blame him? The sight of Todd’s delectable chest, even if there was a string of bruises splattered around his left side, was enough to make my knees go weak—and I’d seen it many times before. Familiarity didn’t make him any less soul-achingly beautiful.
“Won’t take me long,” he said, undoing the zipper on his pants, oblivious to the effect he’d just had on Raymond.
He shoved his pants down to his ankles, kicked them away and straightened, wearing just a pair of sinfully tight black boxers with a white waistband.
Joel sat on a footstool, well, more like crumpled. I knew him well enough to know he’d be mentally pinching himself—was one of the Rangers really undressing in front of him? Or was it a dream?
“Matthew,” Todd said, “can you get my tux out the dry cleaning plastic shit they put around it?”
“Er, yes, of course.” I suddenly realized I’d been standing there as dumbstruck as everyone else.
Quickly I began to rip at the thin polythene, my fingers digging and tearing.
Gareth moved over to help then passed a crisp white dress shirt to Todd. “Here.”
“Thanks.” Todd slipped it on and I moved over to help him do the buttons while Gareth unhooked the pants.
“You’ve got a string of bruises on your side.”
“They’ll go in a few days.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “Don’t worry, I don’t break easily.”
“Good, because I was hoping you’d stay here later, with me.”
“Where the hell else did you think I’d stay?”
I wondered if perhaps, like Joel, I too should pinch myself. The heartache I’d gone through with Tony had been like being buried alive; I couldn’t move or breathe. I’d been to hell and this, here and now, was my version of heaven. Together Todd and I could face the world and all the hellish insults and crap it wanted to throw at us.
Damn, the champagne is making me soppy.
Finally, Todd was dressed and looking like the Armani model he was—well, apart from the swollen cheekbone. And it probably hadn’t taken more than a minute and a half, the bow tie being the time-eater, though luckily Gareth was a dab hand.
I blinked back a tear that had irritatingly formed in my eye. Grabbed my cell and keys and marched everyone to the doorway so they couldn’t see my moment of emotion.
“Whoohoo, let’s go show the world Matthew’s talent,” Raymond shouted, waving his arms and kicking his heels behind him as he danced into the elevator.
“Hope this damn thing doesn’t break down again,” I muttered, following him in.
Todd tipped his head to mine. “Yeah, no privacy for fun.”
His breaths were hot in the shell of my ear and a delicious tremble shivered down my neck and tickled across my shoulder. Yes, now I was looking forward to every minute of the evening and the night that would follow.
*****
Stepping out of a limousine onto a red carpet was a surreal experience. Cameras flashed wildly, creating a mini electrical storm around us, and the many people calling both my and Todd’s names was disorienting. It made me want to swing my head this way and that to see who was trying to get my attention.
But Todd was cool, as were my friends. I could see Gareth and Joel out of the corner of my eye and was aware of Raymond and Colin nearby. Todd had a tight hold of my hand from the moment we stepped out of the car. “Just grin and let’s get this over with,” he said with a sexy sparkle in his eye. “Because this seals the deal that we’re together and the world will just have to accept it.”
I was glad of the Dutch courage the champagne had given me.
“Todd, Todd Carty, what do your teammates make of you publicly kissing a man?” A reporter with curly ginger hair thrust forward a fluffy microphone.
Todd paused, tightened his grip on my hand and smiled. “They’re only concerned with me getting the puck in the back of the net.” He laughed.
“Do you think you’ll still get top rankings this year, now you’ve admitted you’re gay?” another reporter asked, nodding at our joined hands.
“What the hell do rankings have to do with my love life?”
“And what exactly went down with you and Butler at the game on Thursday?”
“We had a fight.” Todd shrugged.
“But what did he say to make you so mad?”
“I’m not gonna repeat it.” Todd scowled and turned to the opposite side of the roped section.
I moved with him, grateful he was doing the talking.
“Todd. Jen Williams, Daily Herald, is it true you and Matthew are getting married?”
“Well, I haven’t asked him yet,” Todd said, pulling me close, his fingers twisting tighter with mine. “So no comment.”
I smiled, not knowing whether Todd was just performing for the press or speaking from the heart.
Marriage?
“And what about your father. How has he taken the news that you’re homosexual? He’s always been your greatest fan.” She shoved her microphone across the rope again.
“And he still is. He supports me in all my decisions.” Todd held out his free hand, toward the door of the gallery. “But this night isn’t about me, it’s about Matthew, and we’re going enjoy an exhibit of his work. You should all do the same.”
“Can I have a personal interview tomorrow?” the female reporter asked.
Todd hesitated then leaned toward her. “Speak to my agent, Max Horton. He might be able to set it up for next week.”
“Oh, thank the good Lord above,” Carmen said as I stepped into the gallery. “I was beginning to lose the will to live.”
“I’m not that late,” I said, glancing at the sea of faces before me.
“No, I guess not, but every second past seven o’clock was like an hour for me.”
I gave her a peck on the cheek and accepted yet another glass of bubbly from a waiter in a smart black suit. “This is Todd Carty,” I said.
“He needs no introduction,” Carmen said, batting her long fake lashes. “It’s lovely to meet you, Todd.”
He dipped his head. “You, too. This looks great. It must have taken a ton of effort.”
“Oui, but worth it. Matthew’s work needs to be shared with the masses.”
“Yeah, it does.”
“Would you like to mingle?” she asked. “I have some Japanese customers to attend to who are looking to buy several pieces. I gave them a last-minute invitation to meet you in person. Trouble is they don’t speak a word of English, so they’re feeling a little out of it.”
“Do you speak Japanese?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“Oh, okay.”
She grinned. “The press in here are all from art and photography magazines or review sites. You’ll be their main focus, Matthew, not Todd, so you can relax now.” She rested her hands on my shoulders and pressed down. “And take that terrified stiff smile off your face, too.”
“I’m cool,” I said, “just give me a minute to recover from running the gantlet out there.”
> “Ah, it wasn’t that bad,” Todd said.
I sucked in breath. “No, I guess not. They’ll certainly have plenty of pictures of us now though.”
“And quotes, which is good. It means we won’t be nearly so interesting.”
Somehow I doubted that, but tonight I was going to have a night off from worrying about it, and it seemed Todd was, too.
Chapter Fourteen
The launch party went by in a flurry of interviews and conversations. I remembered hearing the words talented, beautiful, remarkable and courageous a lot, which stroked my ego and made me pleased with the selection of photographs I’d chosen to display first.
Carmen had been right and the press inside the gallery was interested in me, my inspiration and the equipment I used. There were very few questions about my relationship with Todd and he seemed happy to take a backseat, hanging out with the guys by a chocolate fountain for some of the evening then quietly standing at my side while I answered endless questions and soaked up a tidal wave of praise. I kept touching him whenever he was near. Just to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. That he really was with me.
That he was mine.
Eventually, though, my need to be alone with him got the better of me. It had been eating away at me all evening and now the clock had reached midnight and the gallery was nearly empty. It was time to go.
At my building, we bid good night to the guys, who were in great spirits and enjoying their ride home in the limousine. Joel was on a high because Todd said he’d give him an interview.
We headed up to my apartment.
“You look exhausted,” I said as I dropped my keys and cell on the hall table and hung up my jacket. “I knew tonight would be too much for you. You’re only just out of hospital.”
“Huh, it’s not like I was there because there was anything wrong with me, it was just observation.”
Very gently, I touched his bruised cheek. I wished I could take it for him. Make the swelling and discomfort go away. “But you’ve been through a lot this week, physically and emotionally.”