The Prince of Punk Rock

by Jenna Galicki

  “I just want Tommy to be happy. The situation worked for us. It could have easily destroyed our marriage, but it was a risk I had to take. I needed to push the issue for Tommy’s sake.” She gazed across the table at Tommy. “I’m just glad it paid off, because I couldn’t fathom not having Tommy in my life.”

  After they finished breakfast, Jessi went upstairs to shower. Tommy was relieved that she had a plan for their future relationship, because he had no idea how the three of them were supposed to form a successful union. He still needed to clarify some things with Angel, though.

  “C’mere, A. I need to tell you something.”

  “What’s wrong, my prince? You look upset. I thought we straightened everything out.”

  “Yeah. We did. It’s just that no one knows that we . . . that I . . . you know. That I’m into guys.”

  “You mean that you’re bisexual.”

  Bisexual. Tommy furrowed his brow, cocked his head to the side, and contemplated its meaning. “You think I’m bi?”

  “Yeah. You like girls, and you like boys. That’s what bisexual means.”

  “I never associated myself with that. I don’t want to be labeled.”

  “Tommy, it’s not a label. It’s who you are. I’m not telling you to put a sticker on your forehead. I’m just telling you to love yourself. Who gives a fuck what anyone thinks? Don’t be afraid to be yourself.”

  Tommy studied the word in his head and practiced saying it to himself. Bisexual. Bi. I’m bisexual. That’s who I am. It didn’t sound so bad, but he didn’t think he would ever have the courage to say it out loud, especially to his family. Especially to his father. He anticipated his father’s reaction and it horrified him. “This is a big deal for me. I’m not as comfortable with this as you are. I mean, look at me. I was a jock in college. I played heavy metal for years. I don’t think anyone, besides Jessi, ever had a suspicion about me. I’ve been running away from my feelings my whole life, and hiding them from everyone. Jessi is the only one I let inside, and the only reason I did was because I was scared of losing her. Please, I need a little more time to get used to the idea of telling people about us.”

  “You don’t have to have a formal coming out party, Tommy. Don’t hide our relationship, that’s all. Be open about it. Don’t deny it.”

  Tommy’s stomach churned. He felt pressured. He wasn’t ready for the world to judge him and his face started to twitch from anxiety.

  Angel opened his arms. “I’m sorry.”

  Tommy clung to him. “No, I’m sorry. You’re so patient with me. I just need to do this a little at a time.”

  “I forgot what it was like. I was there once, too. It was a long time ago, but I know how you feel. I didn’t mean to pressure you.”

  “Thank you. You’re the only one who knows what I’m going through.”

  Angel pressed head against Tommy’s cheek and stroked his hair. “Don’t get upset, mi amor. I’m going to help you get through this.”

  Jessi let the warm water from the shower spray onto her face. She was happy. Tommy was happy. Angel was happy. Their much needed talk at the breakfast table set some ground rules. Angel was open to communication and encouraged it. It gave her comfort.

  After she showered, she meandered back to the bedroom, as she towel dried her hair. Tommy and Angel were already naked and in each other’s arms on top of the unmade bed.

  “What took you so long?” Tommy asked, before returning his lips to Angel’s neck.

  Jessi didn’t answer. She wanted to watch. She leaned against the doorway and folded her arms. She watched Tommy kiss Angel with an urgency that she never saw before, and the love that Angel had for Tommy was never clearer to the naked eye than it was right now. She knew they were in love. It didn’t scare her as much as she thought it would. The confidence she had in their marriage overshadowed her fears and doubts.

  Her thoughts were pushed aside by the sound of Tommy moaning and breathing heavily. Angel was stroking Tommy and sucking on his nipples. Jessi let the towel around her body drop to the floor and crawled into bed, on the other side of Tommy. She glided her hand up his back and kissed his shoulder. He immediately turned onto his back, so that he could share himself equally between her and Angel, and he kissed her. Her mouth moved to his chest, and she could feel his heart gently beating underneath her lips. She kissed her way down his torso and her tongue crawled across his skin. It accidentally collided with Angel’s mouth. They both looked up in surprise and shared a smile.

  She wasn’t sure what Angel was thinking, but she wanted to kiss him. Fear of rejection made her hesitate, but it was unwarranted. Angel grabbed her by the back of the neck and firmly planted his mouth on hers. His tongue invaded her mouth and bathed its circumference. She was spellbound by the intensity of his kiss. She couldn’t think about anything else except Angel’s warm, authoritative tongue inside her mouth, and she immediately felt warmth and wetness between her legs. Now she understood why Tommy had that dreamy look on his face whenever Angel kissed him.

  Angel withdrew his tongue, but she wanted more and placed a long kiss on his lips, hoping for another visit from his magical tongue. But he just smiled at her, and then moved his mouth back down to Tommy’s belly.

  Tommy pulled her up and kissed her. It was like night and day. Angel’s kiss was forceful and commanding. Tommy’s was slow and soft. She loved the tenderness in which he slowly moved his tongue in gentle, purposeful circles around her mouth, but she found herself still reminiscing over the kiss she just shared with Angel.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Someone once told Angel that the sexual energy two people shared on stage disappeared the moment they slept together, but that wasn’t the case for him and Tommy. It was their dirty little secret, and their sexual chemistry escalated by mammoth proportions. Now that Tommy was his boy toy, the no-touching policy went out the window. Angel was free to spank Tommy’s bottom and let his hands crawl up Tommy’s leg while he knelt at Tommy’s feet. The homo-erotic show they put on sent Angel’s hormones into a frenzy and he was sure his massive erection was going to split the crotch of his pants wide open.

  Naturally, rumors that he and Tommy were having an affair spread throughout his fandom. They loved the interaction between him and Tommy, but no one loved it more than Jessi. She was the one he heard, over the crowd, cheering them on. She was the one who got the audience riled up, and tonight, he was exceptionally horny.

  The one thing Angel wanted to do most was the only thing he couldn’t do – kiss Tommy. Not just kiss him, but ravage Tommy’s face with his tongue on stage and in front of everyone. He fought the urge to take hold of Tommy and give him a big, wet sloppy kiss, but it was hard, especially tonight since the crowd was crazier than usual.

  Jessi was standing right in front of Angel, so he absentmindedly transferred his desire onto her. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and gave her a full on passionate wet kiss. Jessi had no inhibitions. She threw her arms around him and kissed him right back. The audience didn’t expect it. Jessi was Tommy’s wife. They were silent for about three seconds, before the room rumbled with nervous laughter and screams. Shit. He wondered how he was supposed to explain kissing Jessi. What was wrong with him? Why the hell couldn’t he keep his tongue in his mouth? All this went through Angel’s head while he was still kissing her. Luckily, Tommy made light of it by playfully kicking him in the butt to break the hold he had on Jessi. Angel shrugged his shoulders with an innocent smile and said, “Oops!”

  The unruly crowd went nuts.

  When they left the stage, Damien pulled Angel aside. “What the fuck were you doing kissing Jessi? And why wasn’t Tommy pissed off?”

  Angel giggled, and then giggled some more. “It was nothing.” He tried to brush off the incident, but his laughter was a dead giveaway.

  “You can’t put anything over on me, Angel. I know you too long. You’re fuckin’ Tommy. And Jessi. You’re fuckin’ Tommy and Jessi.”

  “No! I’m n

ot fuckin’ Jessi! Are you insane?”

  Damien smirked and nodded. “But you’re fuckin’ Tommy. I knew it.”

  Angel put his fingers through his hair and growled with frustration. “Don’t say anything. Tommy’s not ready to come out.”

  “Didn’t I warn you about keeping your dick in your pants? I can’t believe you’re going to fuck everything up by getting mixed up with Tommy. If you end up breaking his heart, he’s gone. Then what?”

  “I love Tommy. I would never hurt him. And I think he loves me too.”

  “I wanna be pissed off, but you look really happy. Both of you. All three of you.”

  “We are.” Angel was beaming. It felt so good to tell someone. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for someone like Tommy. We connect. I’ve never felt like this about anyone.”

  “But what about Jessi?”

  “She’s OK with it.” He let out a small chuckle at the vivid memory of Jessi’s wide-eyed, curious gaze when she watched him and Tommy in bed together. “She’s more than OK with it. I would never do anything to break up their marriage. Jessi’s part of the deal, and if that’s the only way I get to be with Tommy,” he shrugged, “I can deal with it. But I have a couple of questions. I don’t feel right asking Tommy, since Jessi’s his wife.” He leaned closer to Damien and lowered his voice. “I want to know about how a man pleases a woman in bed.”

  “Why do you want to know?” Damien elbowed him in the gut. “You sure your not hittin’ Jessi, too?”

  “Of course not! I’m just not used to seeing everything so . . . up close.”

  “Up close? You mean you watch Tommy and Jessi?”

  “I can’t help it. She’s in the mix.”

  “I thought you would just take turns. Share Tommy.”

  “We do everything together.” He curled his upper lip. “It’s really weird. I feel uncomfortable sometimes. I don’t like watching him go down on her.”

  Damien laughed. “So why do you?”

  “I can’t help it. Most of the time when I’m making love to Tommy, he’s –”

  “Stop.” Damien put his hand up. “I don’t need that visual. I don’t want to picture my friends fuckin’ each other.”

  Angel rolled his eyes. “When he goes down on her, sometimes curiosity gets the better of me, and it distracts me from . . . what I’m supposed to be doing. Especially since he really enjoys it.”

  “Ahh, nothing like dining on a sweet, little pussy.”

  “That’s disgusting.”

  “You should try it.”

  “I am not eating pussy, Damien. I’m gay.”

  “So then why did you ask me about it?”

  “Because, Tommy gorges himself on that thing like a starving man getting his first decent meal in months. He devours that thing and she flails around and moans like he’s killing her.”

  Damien’s eyes twinkled. “Now that’s a visual I can get on board with.”

  “Stop it. Doesn’t it taste bad? The smell isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but isn’t it sour or fishy?”

  Damien licked his lips. “It’s the nectar of the gods.”

  “Not my god.”

  “It’s an acquired taste.” Damien clapped him on the back. “But if you’d rather swallow a guy’s load, go right ahead.”

  “Thank you. I will.”

  “So you’re in bed with Jessi, naked, and you don’t touch her at all?”

  “We make out a little. Sometimes. But that’s it. It’s awkward, though, because I have to be careful. I don’t want to accidentally touch anything.”

  “Aren’t you curious what a pair of tits feel like? Or what it’s like to fuck a chick?”

  Angel titled his head to the side and squinted an eye. He never contemplated a heterosexual act before. “Maybe. A little. She’s got a really cute ass. And you know I’m an ass queen.”

  “Well, the next time you guys do it, seize the opportunity. Rub her ass or grab a tit or something.”

  “I couldn’t do that!”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s go before someone hears us.” As they walked toward the back room of the bar, Angel wondered if Tommy would get mad if he wanted to touch Jessi’s breast.

  Jessi and Alyssa were at the bar, still laughing about the look on Angel’s face after he realized he kissed Jessi on stage. Alyssa didn’t ask any questions and Jessi wondered just how much she knew.

  Audra and Kira, the two girls who were infatuated with Angel, came running over, bouncing with excitement and demanded details.

  Jessi was unsure how to answer. Should she tell them that Angel’s kisses were intense and ferocious? Or that if Angel wanted a kiss, he took it? That there was no resisting? Should she say that he explored every inch of your mouth with his tongue? She decided that was a little too much information. “It was fierce.”

  Kendall pushed her way between Audra and Kira and stood directly in front of Jessi, with her hands on her hips. “What are you doing kissing my boyfriend?”

  Jessi glared at her. Kendall was drunk and slurred her words. Her eye make-up was runny, and her hair was a frazzled mess. The girl disgusted her, and Kendall’s one-sided, self-fabricated friendship with Angel, annoyed the hell out of her. “He’s not your boyfriend.”

  “Relax. You don’t have to get snotty. I’m just messing with you.”

  “Well, knock it off. Don’t think I forgot that you ripped my garment. You don’t want to screw around with me, Kendall.”

  Kendall leaned forward and pointed her finger at Jessi. “Oh, no, Princess. It’s exactly the opposite. You don’t want to screw around with me!”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Angel settled in on his side of the bed and snuggled up to Tommy. “Am I crowding you?”

  “No.” He pulled Angel closer. “I love being sandwiched between you and Jessi. It’s the best place in the world.”

  Jessi peeked up at Tommy. “Your mom called me today. She’s been trying to reach you for a couple of days.”

  “I know. I’ve been meaning to call her back. What’d she say?”

  “She wanted to make sure we were coming to your brother’s party next Saturday.”

  “We don’t have a show that night, right?”

  “I haven’t checked the schedule, but I think I left it open. Either way I told her we were going.”

  Angel picked up his phone from the night stand and started scrolling through it. “No. You left that date open for a family function. What kind of party is it?”

  “It’s his 21st birthday.” Tommy smiled with pride. “He’s at Rutgers on a football scholarship. Word has it that my little brother’s gonna make pro. You’re coming, right?”

  “Where? To your brother’s party?”

  “Yeah. I want you to meet my family.”

  Angel stared out the window and watched the traffic crawl by on the BQE. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, the traffic was always congested on the well-traveled expressway. For once he was grateful that the short ride out of Brooklyn took twice as long as it should. He was stressed out about meeting Tommy’s parents and the delay would give him time to shed some of his anxiety. He glanced to his left at the Freedom Tower. Thirteen years later, and he still expected to see the majestic twin towers of the World Trade Center soaring above the New York City skyline.

  Tommy took his eyes off the road long enough to smile at Angel. “Don’t look so nervous.”

  “I can’t help it. I want your parents to like me. What have you told them about me?”

  “I told them you had a voice as smooth as honey and that you were a born star. I told them that you had a heart as big the moon and that you were a master chef in the kitchen.”

  A broad smile appeared on Angel’s face and his anxiety was quieted by Tommy’s loving words.

  Jessi tapped the back of his seat. “Don’t worry. They’re going to love you. Just be yourself.”

  He wished Jessi wouldn’t have sat in the back seat. He was boldly conspicuous sitting in the front passage seat next to Tommy, and it wasn’t the way he wanted to greet Tommy’s family.

  Tommy glanced at him again. “A, I need to tell you something. I hope you don’t get upset, but I’m not telling my parents about us today. My family has no idea about me. It’s going to be a real shock. Plus, I want them to fall in love with you first.”

  “I understand. I guess introducing your gay lover at a family celebration can be less than ideal, even though that’s the way most people do it.” They shared a smile, and Tommy took his hand.

  The next thing he knew, they were pulling into Tommy’s parents’ driveway in Howard Beach. It was one of the nicer areas in Queens and the properties were spread out, unlike the shoulder to shoulder buildings in Brooklyn. The greenery of the artistic landscaping and manicured plush lawns took him by surprise. It was unexpected among the concrete and asphalt and it reminded him more of Long Island than Queens.

  Clusters of mylar balloons, branded with the number 21, floated freely up to the ceiling in the corners of the living room of the Blade residence. Sports memorabilia dominated the walls. Football jerseys were framed in shadow boxes and on display.

  The predominantly middle-aged people, most likely aunts and uncles, that occupied the house quickly gathered around Tommy and Jessi. For a few awkward minutes Angel felt out of place, a stranger in the midst of a family reunion. Then a small semi-circle opened around Tommy and everyone turned to look at him.

  “This is Angel Garcia.” Tommy draped his arm across Angel’s shoulder, and let it remain there. “He’s the lead singer in my band, and my best friend.”

  People started stepping aside to allow an older couple, obviously Tommy’s parents, to make their way across the room. Tommy abruptly dropped his arm from around Angel, and took a step back as soon as he saw them.

  Tommy’s parents, along with most of the other people in the room, shared the same blond hair, fair complexion and light eyes. Tommy’s parents monopolized his attention, and Angel began to feel out of place again. He was about to make conversation with one of Tommy’s aunts, when Tommy introduced him to his parents. Confusion as to why a stranger was at a family gathering passed across Tommy’s father’s face. He was a big man, over six feet tall and broad in the chest and shoulders. He was an athlete in his younger days, no doubt. He crushed Angel’s hand in a firm handshake.

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