Behind the Stick

by K. Evan Coles

  The coffeemaker had gurgled and Kyle had accepted the platter of sweets from Regina, but he hadn’t spoken again until she’d met his gaze.

  ‘I meant that—Luka’s good for me, too,’ he’d said. He hadn’t missed the pleasure in Regina’s eyes.

  ‘I’m glad.’ She’d set the carafe on another tray holding empty cups and tipped her head in the direction of the dining room. ‘We should get back before they think we decided not to share.’

  Kyle flipped the car radio on and turned his attention to the passing landscape. He hoped he’d get a chance to talk like that with Luka’s mother too sometime, but he wouldn’t hold his breath. A dark part of Kyle thought Lydia Padilla would never crack. On paper, Kyle didn’t have much to offer anyone. Outside of Oliver, he had no family. And despite his success with Under, Kyle didn’t consider himself very far removed from living out of a big green sea bag and sleeping on strangers’ couches.

  Somehow, though, Kyle made Luka happy despite Lydia’s disapproval. Kyle planned on doing a hell of a lot of work to make sure Luka didn’t regret sticking with him.

  Like moving closer to Harlem so he’s not forced to drag his ass all over Manhattan just to see you?

  Kyle worried his bottom lip with his teeth as the thought settled in. He’d overheard Luka’s and Cam’s good-natured complaints about the commute into Midtown from both south and north. Kyle and Luka had started spending more time in Sugar Hill since then, particularly because doing so shaved good time off Kyle’s commute to and from work, too. They tried to be considerate of Matías however. Kyle’s work hours could be disruptive and while Matías hadn’t complained, neither Kyle nor Luka wanted him feeling uncomfortable in his own place.

  So maybe…maybe now Kyle could make a move. Chelsea had been his home for years, but who said he couldn’t make a new home closer to Morningside Heights? A bigger place would mean room for Oliver during his visits, as well as space for Luka’s things, if a time came when he’d need it.

  “I can hear you thinking over there, McKee.”

  Kyle blinked and the world came back into focus around him. He turned his gaze on Luka. “Hmm?”

  Luka’s expression softened. “Wow, hey. We’re coming up on the turn off to 111, and I asked if you wanted to stop anywhere first.”

  “Sorry.” Kyle sat up straighter in his seat. “We’ll be in Southampton Village in about twenty minutes. There’s a market and bakery there. Ri asked me to pick up a bagel spread for tomorrow’s breakfast and I need fruit, too.”

  “I assume to go with the boozy wonderland you’ve got stashed in that big brown bag?”

  “Um, duh.”

  Luka laughed. “Cool, just tell me where to stop when I get close.” He turned his attention back to the road and dropped a hand to rest over Kyle’s on the seat. “You okay? I don’t know where you went a minute ago, but you look a little shell-shocked.”

  Kyle flipped his hand and captured Luka’s fingers with his own. “I’m good. Just got stuck in my head for a minute.”

  He smiled. Kyle didn’t want to have a heart-to-heart in the car, but he had the rest of the weekend to find the right opportunity to broach the topic of moving.

  Ninety minutes later, Kyle stood at the island in the spacious kitchen of the beach house, mixing drinks while Riley gave Luka a tour of the property. Music from one of Cam’s playlists filled the air with sultry beats, and Carter stood on Kyle’s right making salad.

  “What time does Jes get in?” Kyle asked Cam.

  Cam stood at the counter behind Kyle, arranging cheese and fruit on a wide plate. “Around six,” he replied over his shoulder. He’d dressed head to toe in black and with his ginger hair, Kyle thought he looked like the lovechild of a ninja and a leprechaun. “Unless something happens with his flight, that is. He’s aggravated the trip kept him out of town because he got a recipe for Japanese curry from his friend Isaac and wanted to make it for dinner tonight.”

  “I’ve had that curry and it’s totally delicious,” Carter said. He appeared extra tall and lean in his cable-knit sweater and dark jeans. “David was happy to switch nights though. He and Will are on their way now, and he has plans for beef stew with Guinness.”

  Cam hummed. “Damn, that sounds great. You know how Jes can be when he gets an idea into that big head of his though.”

  “A complete pain in the ass until he executes, yes,” Kyle said over his friends’ laughter. A gleam of light from Carter’s salad bowl caught his eye and he watched his friend’s motions, spying a slim rose gold band on his right hand.

  “Jes said he’s taking a chopper from the city to Easthampton,” Cam said then, and Kyle almost dropped the jigger of gin he’d been pouring over ice.

  “What?” Kyle tipped his head back and laughed hard. “That man is turning into a total diva!”

  “What do you mean ‘turning’?” Cam asked. “Jesse is a born diva and proud to show it every chance he gets.”

  “Very true.”

  Kyle added sloe gin and apricot liqueur to his mix and followed with fresh lemon juice. He’d covered the shaker with a bar glass when Luka, Riley and Malcolm strode in. Kyle only had eyes for Luka, however, whose face was alight with curiosity and delight. He came to stand on Kyle’s other side, while Riley and Malcolm sat together across the island.

  “You were right on both counts,” Luka said to Kyle. “The house is beautiful and Riley loves it even more than you love your apartment.”

  Kyle winked at Riley, who beamed.

  “I’ve known this house almost my whole life, so you can’t compare the two.” Riley’s eyes reflected the faded blue of the old chambray shirt he favored during these beach house weekends. “I don’t see Kyle staying in the shoebox forever, by the way, no matter what he says on the topic now.”

  “Oh, Lord,” Kyle muttered and rattled the shaker. Odd the way Riley’s words echoed his own earlier thoughts. All his friends had an opinion on his teeny one-bedroom, ranging from amused acceptance to blatant disdain. Kyle wondered what kind of uproar he’d cause voicing his ideas about a move. He caught Luka’s eye, who smiled.

  Luka’s voice slipped under the others’ talk. “What’s that face for?”

  Kyle rose up on his toes and stole a kiss. “Tell you later,” he said and busied himself filling six of the cocktail glasses he’d taken from the bar cart in the living room. He topped each drink with a splash of champagne, then topped them with curls of lemon peel. He set the first in front of Luka.

  “Great color,” Luka said. “Smells fantastic, too. Is this one of the apricot things you put up before Thanksgiving?”

  Kyle nodded. “Good nose, Lieutenant. That’s the apricot liqueur, but I brought the brandy, too.” Kyle handed glasses round to the others. “This is a Lita Grey,” he said. “Named for one of Chaplin’s wives. I can mix Charlie Chaplin Cocktails with the brandy, too, but they’re a bit sticky for my taste.”

  Malcolm hummed around a sip. “No need, as far as I’m concerned,” he declared and fingered the zipper on his hoodie. “These are delicious. Which is funny because I don’t even like apricots.”

  “That’s how these weekends often play out,” Cam said to Luka with a chuckle. “Kyle makes potions we’ve never tried, oops, we love them, and oh hell, what day is it?”

  “Jesus Christ, it’s not even dinnertime—what the hell have you guys been up to this afternoon?”

  A dog barked, sharp and excited, and Will appeared in the kitchen door, cloth grocery bags in both hands. His brown hair was windblown, but he looked somehow stylish in his designer sweater and jeans, and he gave them all a broad smile. David followed just behind with more bags and Mabel, their Inu-Husky mix, who wagged her tail madly.

  “I see a shaker and a bunch of Kyle’s unmarked bottles,” David said, “so clearly you’ve all been up to business as usual.” He grinned at Carter, who’d come around the island with Riley to greet them. “Hope you don’t mind that we let ourselves in,” he said. “Is your cat here somewhere
?”

  “Of course, we don’t mind.” Riley exchanged a quick kiss with Will, then David. “Where’s the rest of your stuff?” he asked.

  “By the door,” Will replied. He handed off half the sacks to Riley and they moved them to the counter. Riley then made a beeline toward the front of the house.

  “Miss Zebra is in our room,” Carter said to David.

  Jesse had found Miss Zebra one weekend in Brooklyn during his and Cam’s early dating days and given the cat to Carter and Riley’s children. The kitty got along well with Leo, the kids’ Australian Shepard, who was older and mellow. Miss Zebra was not a fan of Mabel however. So, while Mabel adored every hair on Miss Zebra’s gray and white head, thus far, her love remained unrequited. Carter and Riley made special efforts to maintain peace between the animals by keeping Miss Zebra on the second floor and Mabel on the first.

  “We bought a pet gate for the stairs, so don’t worry about Mabel getting up there when your back is turned,” Carter said. He lifted the groceries out of David’s hand.

  David’s face fell. “You didn’t buy a gate just for Mabel?” He hugged Carter, then Malcolm, who stepped up next. Mabel whined and bounced on her paws until Malcolm knelt to greet her.

  “We did not,” Carter replied. He carried the sacks to the counter. “We wanted one anyway for when the kids bring Leo with them. Sometimes, Riley just needs a break from our collection of wild animals, human and otherwise.”

  “I heard that!” Riley called from somewhere outside of the kitchen.

  “I swear, he has bionic hearing,” Will muttered. “It’s a wonder he sleeps at all when everyone’s here.” He reached up and hugged Carter. “Hey, big guy—thanks for having us.”

  Greetings and laughter filled the kitchen for the next few minutes, along with lots of fawning over Mabel, who made a point of checking in with everyone.

  “She’s really well behaved,” Kyle said to Luka, who, he’d noticed, had been slower at squatting down than everyone else. “David and Will keep a close eye on her if you’re not into dogs.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind.” Luka smiled when Mabel approached him. He stayed still, his hands loose on his thighs. “The animals I encounter when I’m working are usually scared and that can translate to aggression,” he explained. “I’ve learned to let them come to me if I can, but that’s not always possible on scene.”

  Mabel sniffed Luka’s hands, then stepped right up into his space, her tail wagging harder and her tongue hanging out of her smiling mouth. She uttered a groaning grumble when Luka rubbed her shoulders.

  “She’s a love bug,” David said to Luka. His navy sweater stretched tight across his broad chest when he crossed his arms. “I can see she definitely loves you.”

  Luka scrubbed Mabel’s ruff with his fingers. “Ye-e-a-h, Mabel.” He watched Kyle hand off the cocktail he’d just poured for himself to Will. “What are you doing?”

  Kyle raised his eyebrows. “Oh, um. Force of habit, I guess. I always serve myself last.”

  “Mmm, you work too hard.” Luka petted Mabel a final time and stood. “You’re supposed to be taking time off though, so why don’t you take a break?”

  “What? Like go sit down?” Kyle laughed when Luka held up his hands.

  “Don’t go too far. I need you to tell me what to do!” He pointed at the stools on the other side of the island. “You can sit that bubble butt of yours down right there though, and let me mix you a drink for a change.”

  * * * *

  Later that evening, following Jesse’s chopper ride and a long, fantastic dinner, Kyle mixed up Black Russians, and Luka set out the tartlets he’d brought from his cousin’s bakery.

  “Good Lord, these are good,” Will got out around a mouthful of lemon curd. He sat at the foot of the table, David on his left and Malcolm on his right. “Are there more for tomorrow?”

  “Sadly, no,” Luka replied. “But Malcolm said something about making cookies tomorrow?”

  “Is that a euphemism for having sex?” Jesse asked. He looked travel weary in his long-sleeved black T-shirt and faded jeans, but he smirked at Malcolm over the laughter that rang out.

  Malcolm scoffed. “No, you pervert. I plan to make actual chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chunk, to be more specific, and maybe caramel chip.”

  “Oh, yes.” Kyle rubbed his hands together and looked past Luka to Malcolm. “Your cookies are amazing, dude.”

  “I can attest to that,” Carter chimed in from his place beside Riley at the head of the table. “He brings them to work sometimes and they are profanity delicious.”

  “Thank you.” Malcolm smiled. “Everyone is welcome to help me, by the way. Especially you, Kyle. Because by help I mean supply me with drinks to keep me cheerful while I’m up to my elbows in dough and chocolate.”

  “I’ll help.” Luka raised his hand. “I never say no when chocolate is involved.”

  Jesse waved too. “Ha-a-a-y. Same. I hope you brought straws,” he said to Kyle, “so I can drink without having to handle glassware with greasy hands.”

  Carter slid his eyes Riley’s way. “I fear for the safety of your kitchen.”

  Riley raised a brow. “I think you mean our kitchen,” he said, his words teasing but his voice gentle.

  “You still do most of the cooking,” Carter said with a shrug.

  “And you still do most of the cleaning,” Riley replied. “This place has been as much yours as mine for a long time now.”

  He covered Carter’s hand where it lay on the table with his own and another glint caught Kyle’s eye, just as had happened in the kitchen earlier that afternoon. Kyle’s stomach did a funny flip this time, though, because he saw a slim rose gold band on Riley’s right hand, too. A ring that matched Carter’s, right down to the cluster of thin grooves carved into the surface of the ring.

  “Kyle?”

  Kyle forced himself to look away from his friends’ hands and met Carter’s gaze across the table. Carter’s heavy eyebrows were knitted, and concern mixed with puzzlement in his expression.

  “What’s up, babe?” he asked. “You look kind of weird right now.”

  “Um.” Kyle blinked, aware of Luka’s hand coming to rest on his shoulder. He shifted his focus to Riley, who beamed at him. Riley gave Kyle a tiny nod. Kyle’s throat went tight.

  “I thought maybe you and Ri had something to tell us, Car,” he prompted, his voice rough. “Something to do with those rings you’re both wearing?”

  The room went quiet, and Carter’s cheeks flushed deep red. He gave Kyle a shy, absolutely beautiful smile, then glanced around the table at the others.

  “I asked Ri to marry me last night.” Carter turned his focus on Riley, whose blue eyes were shining as bright as Kyle had ever seen. “And he said yes.”

  The strains of Troye Sivan’s delicate synth pop filled the silence that continued, and no one moved for a long moment. Then Luka’s grip tightened on Kyle’s shoulder and Kyle covered it with his own. He sought out Jesse’s gaze across the table and chuckled at his huge grin.

  “Holy shit!” Kyle and Jesse said at the same time.

  They were on their feet and swarming toward their friends an instant later while the room echoed with a chorus of congratulations. Kyle pulled Riley out of his chair and Jesse hauled Carter up and the four of them pulled each other into a big group hug. Will and Malcolm joined the huddle a beat later, and though Cam, David and Luka hung back, waiting their turn for hugs and handshakes, all three were laughing and contributing to the chaos. Everyone spoke at once, and Mabel raced around the table, excited by the humans’ behavior.

  “I’m so happy for you guys,” Kyle told Carter over the din. Carter didn’t reply, but Kyle saw he was simply overwhelmed. Carter pressed his forehead to Kyle’s temple instead and curled a hand around the nape of Kyle’s neck. Kyle pressed a kiss to Carter’s cheek and held on to everyone a little tighter, his heart warm and full.

  * * * *

  “This is a hell of a start to a
weekend,” Luka said as he and Kyle climbed the stairs to the second floor. They’d bade the others good night after Carter and Riley had gone to bed and Jesse had pulled out Cards Against Humanity. Even now, raucous laughter echoed up from the living area. Luka chuckled, too. “Not sure anything can beat that dinner and a proposal.”

  “Both were outstanding,” Kyle said. “We didn’t even get the actual proposal! That’s very Carter and Riley though. They like to keep that kind of thing to themselves until they’re ready to share.”

  Luka nodded. “I get it. They pop up in the gossip columns quite a bit.”

  “Well, there’s more to it than that,” Kyle said. “Getting to where they are today was hard on them and their families for a long time.” He stopped in front of the door and turned to Luka. “When I met Carter, he was still getting over the split with his wife and coming to terms with his sexuality. He struggled with all of it. He and Riley were barely friends at that point and he’d given up hoping they could ever have a relationship.

  “Riley didn’t have it easy either. He tried to make things work with Will and put his friendship with Carter back together but doing both at the same time didn’t pan out. It sounds like his father made his work life hell.” He sighed. “Carter and Riley lost their families and all because they didn’t fit into a straight-guy mold. Carter was terrified his ex would bar him from seeing his kids, or that his parents would figure out some way to cut him out of Sadie’s and Dylan’s lives.

  “Seeing them together tonight, knowing they made it despite everything that happened …I don’t know.” Kyle smiled and shook his head. “I just think it’s an amazing thing.”

  Luka caught him off guard with a heated kiss. “I love the way your mind works,” he said when they’d surfaced again. He backed Kyle up against the door, both breathless. “And I love the way you care about everybody.” The gleam in his eyes sent a jolt of need straight through Kyle.

  God, Kyle wanted this man so much. Every day, every night and any damn place for as long as Luka wanted him too. Fuck, Kyle hoped Luka wanted him around forever because that was where Kyle saw this thing between them going, if only he played his cards right.