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by B00ZADKX4A EBOK

  “No, completely normal.” I chuckled and he stuck his tongue out at me.

  I sipped on my coke while Martin and the kids ate their ice cream. I was right next to him and the kids were directly across from us. I watched them all with a smile on my face. Per usual, Peg wolfed his down in mere minutes, not missing a drop. Poppy was far messier and Martin… the way he licked the cone and sucked on the bottom of it, should’ve been illegal. I noticed a drop on his cheek and, without even thinking, I reached over and used my thumb to scoop it off his face then sucked the ice cream off my finger. Martin’s gaze darkened and his lips glistened from the ice cream. My mouth parted and I leaned in. Just a little closer…

  “You should kiss him, Daddy.” It was like cold water splashed on us. Martin jerked back, flushing crimson. Poppy, who had spoken, looked at us over the top of her ice cream. “Innat what grown-ups do when they’re datin’? Mommy and Matthew kissed all the time.”

  “Uncle Boone and Cotton do a lotta kissin’ with their boyfriends,” Peg inserted and made a face. He turned to Poppy and explained, “My uncles both like boys.” She nodded sagely.

  Surreal. This had to be surrealist conversation I’d ever heard. Martin looked at me, obviously struggling not to laugh.

  “Then kiss already,” Poppy drawled and resumed eating her ice cream.

  “Guys, it’s not that simple. I do want to kiss Martin,” I explained, keeping my voice low so I didn’t attract too much attention to us. “But not in public. Not everyone is as understandin’ as our families.”

  “Like Davey Smith.” Poppy nodded. “He’s a butthead and he tried to say mean things to me about you and Daddy, so I smacked him so hard, he ran cryin’ to Mrs. Garcia. But when she called me over and I told her what he said, boy did she get mad! She grabbed Davey by his shirt and took him inside for a talkin’ to. I hope she punished him good… nasty, stinky boy.”

  I stared at her, open-mouthed. Poppy was her daddy’s girl alright and I was enormously proud of her for sticking up for us. Even so, Martin and I had to do the good parenting thing.

  “Poppy, what have I told you about hittin’ people?” Martin scolded her and she flushed pink at his words. “If you have a problem with Davey, you tell a teacher. We’ll talk more about this later.”

  “Am I in trouble?” Her lip quivered and Martin folded immediately.

  “Not exactly, Pops.” He softened his voice and Poppy sighed in relief. “I agree with Avery about kissin’ though, it should be done in private.” Both kids nodded although Poppy looked dubious. “I will tell you two that you will see Avery and me kissin’ when we’re in his house or mine.”

  “Bleah!” Peg scrunched up his nose. “Mushy stuff.”

  “Yup, mushy stuff.” I mussed his hair and chuckled as he ducked away.

  Any remaining tension drained out of me and Martin put his hand on my thigh. He may not be able to kiss me in public, but he would touch me as much as he could in public. I elbowed him and he squeezed my thigh tighter. A bead of sweat raced down my spine to my ass crack. Like it wasn’t already humid and hot enough, he was making my pulse shoot up and I was sweating like a hog.

  “Finish up, guys,” Martin said brightly. “We’re headed home. Avery and I are tired and you two stink!” He set about tidying up. Poppy crunched the last of her cone and took her trash to the can. I stared in disbelief as Peg did the same! I hadn’t expected him to mind Martin. Peg even came back, picked up the tray and chucked the contents in the trash. I watched as Martin wet his napkin and motioned to the kids. They dutifully walked over and he cleaned their faces.

  My son was letting Martin clean his face! What the hell! He didn’t even let my momma do that.

  “All set.” Martin looked at me and frowned. “What?”

  “Nuthin’.”

  He didn’t believe me; I could see it in his eyes... those damn eyes. I hadn’t had a person look at me like that since my Daisy. I swallowed hard. How do I tell a guy I’ve only been out with a few times that I’m falling stupidly and madly in love with him?

  Yeah Myer, tell the man you love him. It’s the magic word that makes all men run for the hills.

  Martin rounded up Peg and Poppy and we head to the zoo’s exit. Overall the day had gone well and, for our first family outing, nothing dramatic had happened.

  *

  I’d dropped Martin and Poppy off at their house right before the sunset. It was already late in the evening and all parties were tired and cranky. Poppy had patted her dad on the back in the car and solemnly asked him if he needed a nap. I smothered laughter as he crossly said no he didn’t need a nap. I knew why he was cranky. Besides being hot and tired, Mr. Martin was hornier than hell. I had been furtively teasing him all day. I’d groped his butt, pinched his tit and fondled his crotch whenever the coast was clear. He’d tried to do the same to me, but I’d stayed out of his reach. By the time we’d made it back to the car, he’d jumped like a scalded cat, every time I touched him.

  My phone lit up like a Christmas tree while I was lounging on the couch after I had driven Peg and me home. His text was long and rambling.

  I want you know to know it took all I had not to throw you down on the park bench and kiss the stuffing out of you. All day I’ve caught you sniffing me and smelling my hair. You grabbed my butt and crotch any chance you could get, and I saw you playing with yourself while we were side by side at the restroom urinals! I’m so keyed up I could scream. Poppy’s mom picked her up and took her home. You need to come over and do me—now!

  Yup, guilty as charged. I had done all that and damn if he wasn’t in a tizzy. I liked knowing I was getting to him and Lord, if he only knew how much I was worked up too, he’d get that smug look on his face. The one that makes me want to pinch his cheeks… both pairs. I texted back.

  Horny?

  I waited for hurricane Martin to reply and, all of six seconds later, my phone flashed a message alert. I was not disappointed.

  Horny? Horny! Is that all you have to say? I’m coming out of my skin and all you can text is horny. I swear Avery Myer, you make me crazy. You can’t even fess up to trying to get under my skin at the zoo. You’re just mean. Are you coming over? Because I’m ready.

  What did he mean, he’s ready?

  How are you ready?

  As soon as Poppy left, I cleaned up and worked a butt plug up my ass. I’ve been wearing it ever since. My dick is leaking, my ass is ready and I’m missing a certain lanky, bearded toppy sonovagun. Next move is yours. The spare key is under the potted hydrangea on the porch. I’ll be laying naked, ass in the air, on my bed in fifteen minutes, waiting for you. ‘Bye.

  Fuck me!

  No, fuck him and I surely wanted to. Peg was watching TV on the couch already in dream land. Momma sat next to him and Mawmaw was in the recliner by the fireplace. I was on the other side of Peg. We were watching that new crime show; Elementary.

  “That Red on the line, Sugah?” Mawmaw enquired, her gaze never leaving the screen.

  “Um, yeah.” I muttered.

  Was I that transparent?

  “For a booty call?” She said it innocently but I still wanted to sink into the couch cushions until I disappeared. How did she even know that word? Momma’s eyebrows flew up and she shot me sly look. She chuckled and turned to my grandmother.

  “What ya say, Momma?” she asked. “Do we let him go?”

  I was mortified, excited and nauseated all at once. I watched Mawmaw make a show of mulling it over, plucking at some imaginary lint on her pants before she answered. “I guess so.”

  I quietly and quickly extricated myself from Peg’s grip and stood up. I stopped in my tracks as I suddenly realized I was leaving my child for sex. Momma must have seen the conflict on my face because she said reassuringly, “Avery, it’s alright, just go. I like Martin. We’ll take care of Peg.”

  Relief washed over me and I leaned down to kiss her cheek. I landed a kiss on Mawmaw’s head and hightailed it out of the house like my ass was
on fire. I bounded down the steps and swung into my jeep. Starting her up, I drove into the humid Atlanta night making a beeline for Martin’s house. The moon was just coming up and lit the night sky, the warm breeze tickled my skin. I navigated the quiet streets of east Atlanta, delicious anticipation surging through my veins.

  Turning onto Martin’s street, Chickaree Ave, I pulled into his driveway. I parked, killed the engine, hopped out of the jeep and quietly climbed the stairs to his porch. The house was dark, save for the flicker of a candle on the dining-room table, which I could make out via the front window. My gaze darted around the porch until I spotted a potted blue hydrangea near the porch swing. I tiptoed over and tilted the pot to one side. No key.

  What the fuck! I was… oh it’s taped to the underside of the pot. Calm your tits, Myer. You’re acting like a doof.

  I peeled the key loose and set the pot back down. The key slipped quietly into the lock and I turned it. The tumblers clicked loudly and the door creaked as I pushed it open. I entered Martin’s house and locked the door behind me then kicked off my flip-flops. The slap of my feet on the pine floor was the only noise in the house. As I passed the candle on the dining table, I blew it out… safety and all.

  Damn, I’m such a parent.

  I followed the small hall to the end and I caught sight of Martin. Another candle flickered in his bedroom, casting a dancing glow of warm light across his nude body.

  As he had texted, he was naked, ass in the air, waiting on me. His ass was spectacular. It was round, plump and the skin shone like a peach in the candlelight. His legs were spread just enough so I could see the black base of the butt plug wedged between his succulent cheeks. My clothes fell into a pile at the door as I stripped and my cock slapped hard onto my stomach with a smack. I crossed to the foot of the bed, taking in the glorious, naked male body before me. I touched his foot and he twitched.

  “Avery?” He whispered my name so softly, I almost missed it.

  “Yes, Martin. It’s me.” I assured him. The deep timbre of my voice filled the room. Sighing, his body relaxed as I knelt on the bed and brought my lips to the crease of his right ass cheek and thigh. Pressing my lips there, I felt him tremble at my touch and my heart soared.

  He trembles at my touch.

  The rest of the night was a blur of kissing, touching and loving. Yup, loving. This bearded fool was falling in love with the chatterbox.

  *

  I sat in the sunshine on a crate behind the shop, smoking my pipe. My boss didn’t care and I only smoked occasionally. I puffed on the cherry tobacco and a pleasant buzz, like happy bees, filled my noggin’. I was as happy as a pig in shit of late. Peg was flourishing at school and Ms. Greco, during one of our parent/teacher conferences, assured me he was doing fine. His marks were good. Her only concern was that he liked to talk… a lot. That’s our boy Daisy! And his new friends, Wally and Rolando, had both been to our house to play.

  On the other front, I was falling for Martin Gaither more and more every day. We were dating as often as we could but, between juggling jobs, kids and family, it wasn’t easy to make time for each other. We tried to meet at least twice a week and sometimes we had sex, sometimes we didn’t. I loved every inch of him. I especially loved smelling him. Martin didn’t mind me sniffing his body, until I snorted his armpits. It tickled and he’d giggled and pushed me away, which led to a wrestling match, which led to mind blowing sex. Ah, ain’t life grand?

  I was puffing my last few on my pipe when Cotton appeared in the doorway.

  What’s he doing here?

  I got up to hug him and clapped him hard on the back, you know, manly style. He looked haggard and I frowned at the dark circles under his eyes.

  “Hey, bro. To what do I owe the honor?” I asked as I sat back down and motioned for him to join me. He remained standing and I could tell he had something on his mind.

  Cotton swirled his foot on the concrete, his gaze downcast. “I might have lost my job at the publishing house.”

  “Aw Cotton.” I was pretty sure I knew why. “Were you drunk?”

  We don’t talk much about it but Cotton likes his beer. A little too much and, coupled with his temper, it made for a volatile mix. He’s swung more than once at me and Boone while drunk off his ass. ‘Course, we’d slapped his scrawny ass down and sat on him ‘til he either passed out or sobered up.

  A flush of red crept up his neck. “Yah and Costings was being an asshole and I kinda shoved him—”

  “Fuck Cotton! He ain’t gonna press charges, is he?” I barked at him and he flinched at my tone.

  This was bad, this was really bad. Cotton was a junior editor for the gay and lesbian section of the publishing house he worked for and he was very good at it. He was also in a protracted feud with Harold Costings. Costings, a republican, right wing, religious nut didn’t like Cotton and the feeling was mutual. He also despised gays and was very vocal about his feelings. Unfortunately, he was also Cotton’s immediate supervisor. I always knew this was going to happen one day and had only hoped, obviously in vain, that my hot tempered brother would keep his trap shut.

  “No. I was told by HR that, since I’d complained about Costings’ anti-gay rants before, he was in the wrong as much as me. I’ve been told to attend AA meetings and go to anger management classes. He has to go to cultural sensitivity trainin’ and anger management. I agreed to it, but he refused, so he got suspended until further notice.” Cotton gave me a weak smile. “This is my last chance, Avery. I love my job but—”

  “You love your booze even more.” I scrubbed my hands over my face—shit. “I know how much you drink Cotton and stoppin’ cold turkey’s gonna be rough.”

  “I’ve thought of that.” He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. “There’s a place, outside Raleigh, North Carolina, where people go to detox. HR told me the company would pay for my treatment there.”

  “Raleigh? Why so far away.” I tapped out my pipe and stood up.

  “I have to do this on my own, Avery. I’m not tellin’ Momma and Mawmaw. I’m gonna tell them I’m goin’ away for work.” His pleading gaze met mine. “Please go along with my story, Avery and help me convince Boone to do the same. I-I already ‘caused Momma so much trouble growin’ up, she don’t need any more shit from me.” He wiped his cheeks free of his tears, snuffled and dropped his gaze. “Please, Avery…”

  I reached out and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to look at me. “I don’t like lyin’ to Momma and Mawmaw, Cotton, but I understand. Let me handle Boone. When do you leave?”

  “Next week, and I’m gonna be gone for three weeks total. Accordin’ to what I’ve read from the center’s website, I’m what they call a functional alcoholic. I have to figure out how to be a functional human being without the booze. I’ve booked a flight for Monday.”

  I frowned. “Why not drive?”

  “I don’t want to be able to drive off campus to search for booze. I’m serious about this, Avery.” Cotton folded his arms, his mouth a grim line. “I get so angry and the booze makes it worse. I’ve been in two fights over the weekend and I’m lucky I’m not in jail.”

  I was stunned. I had no idea it was this bad. Hell, I was so wrapped up in raising Peg, I’d not been keeping an eye on Cotton as much as before. “How did ya skirt outta that?”

  Cotton lips twitched. “No self-respectin’ redneck, southern boy is gonna admit to the cops a faggot beat the shit outta him.”

  We both chuckled. He was right. Boone, Cotton and I had been in more than our fair share of fights growing up and very few times did we ever suffer the consequences. Cotton looked miserable, so I grabbed his head and bumped foreheads with him.

  He winced, smiled weakly and his shoulders slumped. “Boone’s gonna be all judgy, isn’t he?”

  “We got you Cotton. Myers stick together, you know that.” I let him go and walked back into the shop, Cotton on my heels. “And of course the fuck he’ll be judgy. It’s Boone!”

  I didn�
�t envy him. Boone could be a pisser at times. I pulled on my boots and stopped to stomp my foot all the way in it. I had taken my boots off to air out my feet but now lunch was over. Cotton groaned and dragged his feet behind me.

  *

  Monday rolled around and I drove Boone, Cotton and I to the Atlanta International airport. The morning was cooler as fall came knocking on our doors and I was enjoying having the top off the jeep. I parked the jeep and the three of us tumbled out of it then strode into the main terminal. People stopped and stared at us as we walked by them. We’re used to it. Identical, lanky, bearded triplets aren’t something you see every day. Cotton checked in via a Kiosk at Cloud Nine Airlines and we accompanied him to the security check point. Boone swung wide steps beside me bumping mine and Cotton’s shoulders as we walked. The lump in my throat got bigger the closer we got to security as the thought of Cotton being alone in Raleigh bothered me. We were all used to seeing each other at least once a day. This was going to suck, because we weren’t even going to be within close driving distance.

  Boone had initially started out pissed and very judgy, until Cotton got teary. Shocked at seeing his brother cry, Boone had hugged Cotton, then smacked him on the head and called him an asshole.

  Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Cotton spun on his heel to face us. To the untrained eye he looked cool and confident, but to us he looked terrified.

  “This is it.” He tried to give some swag and failed badly. He looked lost and I thought he was going to change his mind.

  “Call us as soon as you get in,” Boone said.

  “Gonna miss you, baby brother,” I mumbled and that tore it.

  Cotton’s lower lip trembled and I hugged him, hard. Letting me go, he turned to Boone and did the same. When he let Boone go he rocked on his heels. Fat, unshed tears hung from his lashes and Boone and I weren’t any better.