Sweet and Sexy

by Jeff Adams

  His voice was stern and I felt bad for not calling sooner.

  “Sorry,” I said softly. Even though I was elated, he was right that I kinda screwed up. “I know I’m in trouble, but we didn’t want to interrupt our own celebration.”

  “Don’t take me so seriously. Geez.” His voice lost its edge and he was back to his normal self. “Congratulations, Leo. Sam, and I are so happy for you. We loved seeing that pop up last night.”

  “Thanks. It’s awesome.”

  Now that I was up and talking, I kinda bounced around the house in happiness.

  “So when’s the big date? Should I be auditioning some dudes to strip at the bachelor party?”

  I laughed so hard that I doubled over for a moment.

  “What?” Ben tried to sound hurt, but he struggled with his own laughter.

  “The idea of you auditioning strippers was more than I could handle before I’ve had coffee.”

  “Only for you, bro.”

  “I love you, Ben. You’re awesome. I’ll keep you posted on the stripper needs. You will be a best man though, right?”

  “Of course. You don’t even need to ask.”

  “Do Mom and Dad know?”

  “Oh, yeah. Mom was beyond ecstatic. Dad said she nearly broke the phone when she saw it.”

  Great, this is the one thing she sees in a timely fashion.

  “When you didn’t pick up,” Ben continued, “they called me and Eric. She had us on a conference call last night before I could tell her about the post. You just didn’t pick up to get in on the fun.”

  I knew how Mom got when she was excited. She tended to bounce off the walls, kinda like I was doing now. I’d seen it when Eric announced his marriage and most recently with Ben. She loved happiness and certainly the brothers Morris were all pretty damn happy right now.

  “I’m glad you guys worked everything out.” Ben paused for a moment, and I recognized his tendency to over think before asking a question. “You did work it out, right?”

  “As much as we need to right now. More changes are coming, but we’re solid.”

  “Good. You and Matty are my role models, after all.”

  I laughed softly. “I don’t think you need us. You’re doing just fine from what I see.”

  “When are you going to come show off your rings? Sam’s eager for an in-person viewing.” As usual, he ignored the compliment.

  “I’ll see if Mom wants us to come to Sunday brunch. Maybe even go to church and let her show us off.”

  “You really want to do that? She had me and Sam do that, and it’s like you’re on display at a zoo.”

  “You didn’t tell me it was that bad.”

  I’d missed that service because I’d been out of town with the Penguins. Now I really wished I’d been there to see for myself.

  “I didn’t think you’d try to do it for yourself. Maybe only do it if she brings it up.”

  I made my way to the kitchen and made coffee.

  “Noted. Although you know she’s going to.”

  “Any word on the reaction from Matty’s parents?”

  It didn’t strike me until now that Matty didn’t mention anything this morning. His parents weren’t on Facebook or anything, so they were even less likely to know. Unless his sister told them.

  “Not yet.”

  “I don’t know how anyone survives without being plugged in. I think we all knew within about five minutes of you posting.”

  “Just because you live like your phone’s hardwired into your brain doesn’t mean the rest of us do,” I said, giving him a good-natured ribbing.

  Ben was usually the first to know anything in the family because of how much he lived online. He texted everyone else to make sure we’d seen whatever he thought was important.

  “Consider me the modern-day town crier.”

  My morning alarm went off, which was piercing since the phone was at my ear.

  “Listen, Leo,” Ben continued, ignoring the klaxon, “I gotta get going for work. Congrats again. Keep me posted on everything.”

  “Will do. Have a good one, bro.”

  “You, too.”

  He clicked off and I stood in the kitchen, drinking coffee. Hopefully Matty was getting lots of love, too, as he spread the news.

  Chapter 12: Matt

  Dad sent me an email while I drove to the office. He wanted to meet for lunch. No word on agenda or purpose, which was unusual for him. Usually any meeting request came with full details. I’d planned to go see him first thing to tell him about the engagement, but decided to wait until lunch.

  I refused to let myself get worked up about this meeting even though it was likely designed to get me to stay. Instead I called Mom when I got to the office.

  “Congratulations, Matthew,” she said after I broke the news.

  It sounded like she meant it, too. She was never good at covering if she didn’t approve.

  “You and Leo must come celebrate,” she continued as I multitasked, sorting through email. “I’ll coordinate that with your father’s schedule.”

  “That’d be great.”

  It would be. Leo and Dad got along well, and Dad would behave for something like this.

  “Have you told your father yet?”

  “He sent me some cryptic email about having lunch. I’ll tell him then.”

  She was quiet, which was odd because she didn’t usually leave gaps in conversation. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but he’s going to make a push to keep you in the firm.”

  My mouth hung open in shock. For her to give up the news though was astounding. I’d never gotten a heads up like this before.

  “I figured it was coming,” I said, suppressing a sigh.

  So much for not getting worked up. Hearing this from her got my mind working overtime, and threatened to consume my happiness. It felt like a black hole in my gut, sucking away at the bright ball of light that was the engagement news.

  “I’m telling you because he’s feeling betrayed and hurt that you’re leaving, especially like you are. I hate you’re going to be hit with that when you’ve got such good news.”

  “I appreciate you letting me know. I’ll make sure no one finds out.”

  “Thank you. I try to keep what your father tells me to myself. I couldn’t this time.” She shifted topics quickly, as if to give her some distance from the small betrayal. “So do you have a date in mind?”

  I spun around and leaned back in my chair so I could focus on Mom rather than the email on my computer screen. Looking out at the skyline also relaxed me.

  “I figure we’ll start talking about that any day now. Last night it was all about asking the question and celebrating.”

  “Let me know so we can help out. I won’t be the nagging mother, but I’ll help where you’ll have me. I suppose, beyond having you two over, we should get together with his parents, too. We haven’t seen them in a couple years.”

  It was true. The parents got along, but they didn’t run in the same circles or work in the same industry, and they lived more than an hour apart. Getting everyone together had never been much of a priority.

  “That would be nice. A merging of the families celebration.”

  “I’ve got his mother’s number. I’ll give her a call.”

  “Great. She loves wedding planning so I’m sure she’s going to love talking about this with you. Thanks, Mom. I should get going so I’m prepared to talk to Dad.”

  “Thanks for calling, Matthew. Give Leo my love.”

  She clicked off and I took a moment before I turned back to my desk. It was another beautiful winter morning outside, clear and crisp. The snow on the rooftops sparkled in the sun. It was great she told me about Dad so I could figure out now how to deflect some of the flak I was sure to get. I knew what he was like and, based on what Mom said, I expected to get a full-court press.

  The phone rang in my hand. It was Margaret in Miami. I picked it up and got congrats from her, too.

  * * *
*

  Not surprisingly, it felt like it took days instead of hours for lunchtime to arrive. Dad’s assistant told me he was ordering out at his favorite sandwich place. She added my order to his. At least there’d be food while I found out how bad of a son I was.

  I arrived at his office precisely at noon and was announced by his assistant. He proceeded to make me wait for twelve minutes, which was amusing because if I’d been late I would never have heard the end of it. I suspected this was part of his tactic. I passed the time texting with Jimmy as he passed on the news that Peter was finally getting out of the hospital this afternoon. I welcomed the good news since I was waiting for the firing squad.

  The weird thing was that I wasn’t nervous anymore. I’d managed to lose the dread I’d felt when Mom told me what was planned. I actually felt empowered because I was doing what I wanted. I couldn’t imagine Dad would have anything to say that would sway me.

  When I was allowed to go in, I found Dad at the small conference table in the corner of the office, taking a bite from his sandwich. Mine was waiting, across from him, with a bottle of water next to it.

  “Hi, Dad,” I said, taking the seat. I left the sandwich alone for the moment, waiting to see where he would take things.

  “I understand congratulations are in order,” he said, after he swallowed. “I heard from your mother and Margaret that you and Leo got engaged last night.”

  “Yes, sir, we did. Sorry you picked up that news secondhand. I’d planned to tell you now.”

  “No matter. Congratulations to you both. Your mother says we’re having dinner soon to celebrate. I look forward to that.”

  He took another bite.

  “She sounds excited to plan it,” I said.

  He nodded and made sounds that seemed like he agreed.

  “So, this nonsense about you leaving the firm.” And just like that we were off on a new topic—the real topic. “You said it had nothing to do with Leo, but it seems suspicious that your engagement comes at the start of your last week. I think you should reconsider. Think about what you’d be giving up, the security you’re giving up.”

  I leaned forward, careful to keep my body language loose. “While Leo didn’t tell me to quit, he did give me permission to.”

  “Permission? Who is he to give you permission?”

  “The man I share my life with. I’d imagine you’d ask Mom before you decided on a significant change. In fact, based on our last conversation it sounds like you and Mom talk about this sort of thing all the time.”

  “We do, but I don’t ask for her permission. Of course, I don’t make foolish choices, either.”

  “His permission was more about the fact that I could quit and we’d still have money to live. If he’s going to be paying all the bills for a while, he should have a say in that.”

  “You can’t quit.” He said it as if he was saying that I couldn’t go to the movies when I was a teenager.

  “I’m afraid I can. When I get back from Miami at the end of the week, that’s the end of it. Everything will be transitioned.”

  I was proud that I remained calm while he was getting agitated.

  “Did you hear me?” Now he sat forward. “You can’t quit. I won’t allow you to throw your life away.”

  “Throw my life away? It’s not like I’m about to become homeless. I’m giving up a job I don’t want.”

  He got up and crossed to his desk, leaving his sandwich and drink behind.

  “You’re giving up a future, too. Do you realize how much there is to inherit with this company and our estate? I’ve worked hard to make sure you and Margaret are set. If you walk away, I’ve got no reason to give you any of it, because you won’t have earned it.”

  This was his version of hardball. I knew I’d lose everything related to the firm. I didn’t consider he’d disinherit me, too. I tried to keep the shock off my face. I had no idea what kind of money that involved. Maybe it didn’t matter, since I wasn’t factoring it in anyway.

  “I can tell by your silence you hadn’t considered that. Walk away, and it’ll change the terms of your inheritance immediately. Think of the impact that could have on the future you and Leo are planning.”

  That snapped me out of my silence and only steeled my resolve.

  “I can’t believe you’d do that. You’re not willing to make the job something I’d stay for, but you’re willing to make changes that aren’t even related to my work. Unbelievable. I’ll take my chances.”

  I stood and headed for the door.

  “Doesn’t Leo get a say in that? Permission and all?”

  “I’m pretty sure I know what he’d say.” I opened the door. “You’ll have my final transition documents by the end of the week as planned.”

  I walked out and closed the door gently behind me.

  I knew Dad had a ruthless streak, but that was far more than I expected. Walking back to my office, I knew that whatever I did next, it would show Dad exactly what I was capable of.

  Chapter 13: Leo

  Monday morning, and Matty wasn’t bolting out of bed. It was nice to see after the stressful week he’d had. We got home within a half-hour of each other last night—me from a few days of East Coast road games and him from Miami.

  While I was merely tired, he was wiped out. After a brief, but soothing shower together, we fell into bed. There was little talking, but a whole lot of comfortable silence as we cuddled and then drifted off to sleep. I’d forgotten how perfect and satisfying that sort of silence could be. We’d clearly spent too much time over the past few months, maybe even a couple years, not saying everything that was on our minds.

  I watched Matty sleep, his face peaceful and beautiful. Luckily, I didn’t have to be anywhere until noon, so I didn’t have to disturb him.

  It wasn’t long, however, before his eyes fluttered open and a sleepy smile played across his lips. Without a word, he pushed himself across the bed and snuggled against me.

  “You been awake long?” he finally asked, his voice muffled since his face was buried in my chest.

  “Twenty minutes or so.”

  “And you decided to just stare at me?” He draped an arm and a leg over me, pulling us closer.

  “One of the best things to look at.” I ran my hand through his hair and he sighed in contentment.

  “How long do we get to lie here?”

  “I’ve got a couple hours before I have to go.”

  “Nice.”

  He managed to press himself against me even more and we lay there quietly for several minutes. I knew Matty wasn’t sleeping since his breathing hadn’t changed, but I couldn’t see his face to know if he was relaxing or thinking.

  “When should we get married?”

  I hadn’t expected that question to come from him, at least not this morning. It was great he was thinking about it, though.

  “If we do it near our anniversary, we’d be waiting almost a year,” I said. “We could do a traditional spring wedding.”

  “Or we could go to the courthouse and be married by the end of the week,” he said, as he looked at me. “I looked it up. All we need to do is fill out the paperwork, wait three days, and with the self-uniting license, we don’t even need an officiant. We’d be husbands before the weekend.”

  It was awesome he was checking out what we needed to do. But, self-uniting? That’s not what I had in mind at all. He must’ve seen the disappointment on my face as I didn’t say anything.

  “Not what you wanted?”

  At least he didn’t sound annoyed, although he shifted so we were looking at each other.

  “Well, I was thinking something more traditional, in the church, with our friends and family around. Plus, it sounds like our families want to be involved. I know my mom does, and you’d mentioned your mom wants to help, too. The self-uniting route cuts out the people we care about and who want to be there.”

  “I don’t know about the church. I mean, I’ve never been all that religious.”

/>   “You go to church with me.”

  “Usually only Christmas and Easter. And yeah, I enjoy those because there’s beautiful music and, at least at Christmas, the church is gorgeous.”

  He’d mentioned not necessarily being into a church wedding before. I don’t know why I thought his opinion would magically change.

  “It’s important to you, isn’t it?”

  I didn’t want a fight. But I had to say what was in my heart.

  “Yeah.” I said it in a way that made me sound apologetic for it. I hadn’t meant to do that, but I guessed I was trying to lessen the blow. “My family’s gone to First Congregational forever. Ben, Eric, and I were all baptized there. Eric and Sean were married in California, but their union was blessed there, and Ben will marry Sam there. I suppose we could go the blessing route, because it does sound kinda great to become Mr. Blackwood sooner rather than later.”

  “You want to take my last name? After all the crap my dad’s pulled in the past week, being such a dick?”

  “I actually don’t know. It sorta just spilled out. What do you want to do?”

  “Well, there’s keeping our own, which is what Sean and Eric did,” he said. “We could hyphenate like Simon and Alex, but, man, that’s such a mouthful. Or, we could take one or the other’s name. I wouldn’t mind being Mr. Morris or you could be Mr. Blackwood. For something really different, we could be completely out of left field and create a new last name for ourselves.”

  “Oh, that could be fun,” I said enthusiastically. “We could go for some historic figure, or name ourselves after a celebrity.”

  “Or, or, oooh, here it is,” Matty said, sounding like he might burst with excitement, “we drop last names completely and just go with first names.”

  I laughed loud and he joined in. The laughter quickly got out of control. As soon as one of us tried to stop, the other would get louder and the cycle started over again. Matty raised the stakes by lightly tickling my ribs, which caused me to get even more hysterical as I tried to brush his hand away. I usually hated being tickled. Even though I was having a hard time catching my breath, I wasn’t pissed. There was something sorta fun and carefree about it.