“Okay, so what was lunch?”
“Cheerioth.”
“Huh?”
“Tito A was watching TV, and then he fell athleep. I got the thereal and ate it from the box.”
“With no milk?”
“Nuh-uh.”
Grier shook his head in disgust and murmured. “Unbelievable… anything since then?”
“No.”
“No wonder you’re starving. Eat as much as you want, buddy. How about a milkshake?”
“Chocolate.”
Grier got the small shake and watched as Luca sucked it up quickly, making horrible noises when he got to the empty bottom.
“Buddy, I’m going away for a few days.”
“Where?” Luca’s eyes opened like saucers.
“To San Francisco with Tito Lil.”
“Can I come?” he whined. “I want to go.”
“Not this time, Luca.”
“Pleath? I promith to be very good.”
“Someone has to stay and watch Bianca.”
“Mommy can.”
“No, we agreed that Bianca is your responsibility.”
Luca nodded in agreement although his dark eyes filled with tears. “I’ll mith you.”
“I’ll miss you, too, but I’ll bring you back a present.”
“What?”
“Something really special from San Francisco.”
“Okay. How many thleepth before you come home?”
“Five or six.”
Luca held his breath and then sobbed out, “Tho long?”
“Come here,” Grier said, pulling Luca on his lap. “It’s okay to be sad, and it’s okay to cry for a little bit. I know you’re going to miss me, but you’ll have lots to do while I’m gone.” Grier held Luca against his chest and listened to the pitiful sobs. It was the first time they would be apart since Grier had returned from college, and he felt the separation pangs as well, but he tried not to dwell on it too much, or he’d change his mind about going.
“You have to clean out Bianca’s litter box every day, Luca, and don’t forget to tie off the garbage bag and put it outside so it won’t stink up your room.”
“Okay.” Luca inhaled a ragged breath. “What about her food?”
“Put some dry stuff in her bowl every morning when you get up, and give her water every day. Kitties get very thirsty, and you need to make sure she has lots to drink and eat. You don’t want her to go hungry like you just did, do you?”
“What elth?”
“That’s all. Be a good boy, and I’ll be back before you even know it.”
Luca clung to his father’s neck, staying in that position until they got to the truck and Grier pried him off gently. “I’m going to give you my phone number, Luca. You call me if you need to talk to me.”
“I don’t know how.”
Grier wrote down his number on a note pad he kept in his truck for emergencies. He tore off the slip and handed it to Luca. “Read those numbers for me, please.”
“One. Eight. Four. Theven. Two. Three. Oh. Thickth. Four. Two. Five.”
“Perfect.” Lil handed Luca his cell phone. “Now, find the same numbers on here and pretend you’re going to call me.”
Luca studied the key pad and slowly started pressing the numbers with his tiny thumb. Grier watched him closely and was satisfied that he’d done it correctly. “I want you to keep this phone number in your room and use it if you have to call me.”
“Where will I keep it?”
“In the box where you have your video games.”
“Will you answer right away?”
“Immediately.”
“You promith?”
“Yes, I promise.”
GRIER’S JOB with Dilorio Trucking had taken him throughout most of the states north, east, and south of Illinois, but he’d never been to the West Coast, nor had he flown before this trip. It was a first for him, and Lil felt justified in spending every outrageous cent on the business-class ticket so they could sit together. He wouldn’t have given up the privilege of seeing the look of wonder on Grier’s face just to save a few dollars. Grier had gripped Lil’s hand in excitement as the plane revved up and taxied into position on the runway. The noise of the powerful engines screaming into full throttle was sweet music to a man who owned a crotch rocket and appreciated the unbridled strength of the enormous machine carrying them across the country. Grier threw himself into the entire experience, reveling in the velocity as the plane lifted. Lil couldn’t keep his eyes off his young companion, and he was tempted to kiss him, but didn’t for the sake of propriety.
“That was fucking intense,” Grier exclaimed, once they’d reached cruising altitude.
“Do you want a drink?” Lil smiled, loving the enthusiasm.
“What are you having?”
“A Bloody Mary.”
“That sounds good.”
The drinks were served quickly, and Lil touched his plastic cup to Grier’s in a toast. “To your excellent adventure.”
“Thanks.” Grier’s smile was dazzling.
“Who’s taking over for you at work?”
“Jake volunteered.”
“You haven’t talked about him much.”
“We were tight when we were younger but started drifting apart in our senior year.”
“How come?”
“I came out to him and things got really weird.”
“In what way?”
“You know how it is. He thought I was going to jump his bones as soon as I told him I was gay.”
“Half the population still thinks we’re a bunch of prowling sex maniacs.”
“Some of us are,” Grier teased, licking the rim of the plastic cup suggestively.
“Stop that, or I’ll induct you into the mile-high club.”
“I’ve heard about that.”
“Don’t tempt me.” Lil quirked his lip. “Tell me more about Jake.”
Grier shrugged. “He’s Jillian’s polar opposite―easy-going, simple, and very low maintenance. His parents realized early on that he didn’t have Jillian’s ambition or drive, so they didn’t push him.”
“You said he’s a mechanic?”
Grier nodded and sipped his drink. “He works for a Toyota dealership in Schaumburg.”
“Does he know that you’re Luca’s father?”
“I already told you; nobody knows.”
“He must have noticed Jillian’s obsession with you.”
“Sure he did, but like everyone else, he played along. Until I announced I was gay. Then he told her to stop stalking me.”
“And she ignored him.”
“Jillian honestly believed that the only reason I said I was gay was because I’d never had sex with a woman. She was going to set me on the right path.” Grier laughed ruefully.
“Was she a virgin?”
“She said that she was, but I don’t know for sure.”
“Do you think she went through with the pregnancy hoping you’d change your mind?”
“Maybe? It’s hard to say, Lil. I know her dreams were shattered when I told her I was still gay, even after we had sex, and all her plans for a perfect future went up in smoke.”
“But you offered to marry her?”
“Under duress.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t jump at the chance.”
“I guess her brain finally kicked in. She knew it would be a sham and came up with Plan B.”
“What would drive someone to claim rape? I still can’t understand her solution.”
“Have you seen Slumdog Millionaire?”
Lil nodded. “Why?”
“According to the stories I’ve heard from Enteng and Nita, they were that poor. I mean scrounging-for-your-next-meal poor. They told Jake and Jillian that the slums in that movie were just as bad as the ones in the Philippines, where they’d come from.”
“You’ve got to be kidding?”
“It’s true. Nita only got through nursing school because her m
other worked as a servant for a rich family who helped with the tuition. Enteng didn’t have a formal education at all and learned how to cook by being a helper in some mansion in the Philippines. It’s very third world, and hard to believe, but coming to America was as big a deal to them as winning the contest was to that character in Slumdog.”
“I’m trying to figure out where you’re going with this story.”
“Maybe understanding Jillian’s parents will clue you in to her way of thinking.”
“I doubt it, but do go on. This story is fascinating.”
“Apparently, when Enteng and Nita arrived in Chicago, they had nothing but the clothes on their back. They worked two jobs apiece to make ends meet. You couldn’t find a harder-working couple. My mother would help out with the twins as often as possible because the Garcias usually worked double shifts. Each success and new acquisition was one step further away from their humble past. Owning their own home and business, and having kids grow up in the kind of luxury they had only dreamed about, was the culmination of years of struggling. My family became their role models, and they tried to emulate my parents in almost everything. My mother was Nita’s idea of the perfect American woman.”
“So how do you factor into this?”
“I’ve mentioned to you once before that they love Ali and me almost as much as their own kids. They wanted Jillian to marry one of us, and since she seemed interested in me from an early age, they encouraged her. Nita would play along with Jillian’s fantasy of becoming my wife. As much as she pushed education, because success in school was synonymous with a good life, finding the right partner was equally as important. Each guy Jillian dated was scrutinized and shot down for the simple reason that he wasn’t me.”
“What was the big deal about marrying you? Not that I don’t think you’re perfect in every way, but didn’t they come to their senses when you announced you were gay?”
“No one took me seriously. I was into football and bodybuilding, so they were sure the whole gay thing was my idea of a joke.”
“Who would joke about that? Seriously, are these people that naïve? Didn’t you ever set them straight?”
“I didn’t want to upset my father any more than necessary. He about had a stroke when he was informed that I was engaging in lewd behavior with one of my fellow students.”
“Translate?”
“Blow job on school property.”
Lil howled. “You didn’t?”
“Hey, I was in the shower, and Johnny got down on his knees in front of me. Was I supposed to push him away when my dick was wagging in his face?”
“Absolutely not,” Lil said, grinning. “I would have done the same thing.”
“Well, it got me into a shitload of trouble. Following that incident, I thought I’d lay low and play along with everyone’s plan. Jillian and I became an item around school, and my father and her parents were encouraged.”
“What about your mom?”
“I think she saw through my performance but remained silent for my dad’s sake.”
“And it blew up in your face when she got knocked up.”
“Yup.”
“But rape?”
“In fairness, I think she was between a rock and a hard place. After the prom, I told her point blank that I didn’t love her the way a man loves a woman. Things got very uncomfortable, and she must have flipped out when she found herself pregnant.”
“But you offered to marry her.”
“I was angry at her for being so stupid and getting knocked up in the first place. My marriage proposal wasn’t exactly romantic. I sort of shouted my offer.”
“At least she didn’t take you up on it.”
“I wish she had. Even if we had gotten a divorce nine months later, I would have been Luca’s legal father. Now I’m nobody.”
“You can change that.”
“Not without a huge fight.”
“Isn’t he worth fighting for?”
“I don’t want him to get hurt, Lil. I want Jillian to come to her senses without involving the court.”
“I don’t think that’s possible. Not from everything I’ve heard so far.”
“Maybe not, but I’d like to try.”
“Shall we put this decision on hold for this week?”
“Yes,” Grier nodded. “I want to enjoy my vacation.”
“I can’t wait to show you my city.”
“I can’t wait to explore. I want to see so many things.”
“Like what?”
“The winding street, the colorful Victorians that are always featured on postcards, the Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley, the ocean,” Grier said excitedly. “I want to see the Pacific Ocean and the giant Redwoods.”
Lil couldn’t help but grin. “We’ll do all of that and more.”
“What else?”
“You’ve got to see the Castro.”
“Hell, yeah.”
“And the Art Institute of California.”
Grier frowned. “Lil, I can’t.”
“There’s no harm in checking it out, is there?”
“I guess not.”
Lil knew that Grier’s thoughts had automatically reverted back to Luca. He’d gotten pretty good at reading Grier’s facial expressions, and there was a certain look in his eyes whenever he thought about his son. Lil couldn’t begin to comprehend the kind of responsibility it took to raise a child. He’d had a little taste of it in the few days he’d spent in Luca’s company, but it was a formidable task, and his admiration for Grier’s devotion to his son had increased with every new piece of information he uncovered. Grier’s choice to put Luca’s needs above his own was more significant than having his name on any birth certificate, and it spoke volumes about the kind of man Lil had fallen in love with. He hoped that this week in San Francisco would deepen their bond, and he had every intention of presenting Grier with a few options he would have never had before meeting him. Lil had been doing his research, and one of the places he planned to show Grier was the inside of a lawyer’s office.
THEY TOOK a cab from the airport, driving into the city on the Bayshore Freeway, exiting at Sixteenth Street and turning right on Van Ness up toward California Street, where Lil’s apartment building was located. He’d moved to this part of town a few years ago, leaving the Castro area behind, because he’d wanted something bigger, with easier access to his office, which was in the financial district. He’d also wanted a place with a garage since he often made trips to job sites in the East Bay and could no longer get away without owning a vehicle. He’d toured the skyscrapers surrounding the Embarcadero area and had been sorely tempted by the panoramic views, but his inherent fear of heights, and niggling thoughts of fire and earthquake, had prevented him from making the leap to high-rise living. Instead, he’d found an older apartment building that had been gutted and converted into high-end condominiums. His three-room apartment was on the top floor, giving him a nice view of Lafayette Park and the surrounding areas.
“I thought you were all about modern?” Grier asked, standing in front of the twelve-story building, which must have been built at least fifty years ago.
“Wait until you get inside.”
IT WOULD be several hours before Grier had a chance to really investigate the interior design of Lil’s apartment. At the moment, all he noticed were the accent lights strategically placed throughout the bedroom and the sixty-inch wall-mounted plasma TV. His determined blond had slowly navigated him from the front door to his bed without taking his mouth off Grier’s lips.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since we left Chicago.”
“Why didn’t you?” Grier panted, breathless from Lil’s assault.
“We would have been thrown off the plane.”
“Disgraced,” Grier quipped, running both hands underneath Lil’s shirt and pulling it off in one swift move. He latched onto Lil’s nipple and began sucking the puckered skin, running little circles of wet heat around the brown nub.
Lil hissed. “Yes.”
“You like this, don’t you?” Grier said softly, moving onto the other nipple and sucking it so hard Lil cried out and canted his hips off the mattress.
“Uhh….”
Grier stripped Lil, throwing his jeans across the room, followed by his boxer briefs, leaving the blond splayed and vulnerable. He sat on his haunches in between Lil’s legs and stared at the blue eyes that were burning bright with desire.
“I want you, love.”
“Soon,” Grier answered, removing his own T-shirt.
Lil reached up and traced the red and blue tattoos down Grier’s right arm, murmuring soft endearments. His fingers feathered over Grier’s chest, stopping to tweak each nipple, but moving down steadily. He unfastened Grier’s jeans, passing the buttons through the grommets slowly, torturing them both with his glacial pace. When the last button came undone, and he parted the denim, he sucked in a breath, overjoyed by the sight of the black lace thong. “I was hoping….”
“I almost didn’t,” Grier said as he bent down and kissed Lil. “I had visions of being strip-searched at the airport.”
“You would have caused a riot,” Lil teased, hardly able to keep the excitement out of his voice.
“Not everyone is into leather and lace.”
“Fools.”
“Lil.”
“Let me.” Lil changed position, shifting around so now Grier lay supine. He grabbed both hems and pulled the jeans off Grier’s long legs, throwing the heavy fabric off to the side. Grier tucked his hands under his head like a pillow, so he could watch Lil, who was intent on tasting every inch of Grier’s body, starting with his armpits. Lil burrowed into the soft spot, inhaling the musky scent and moaning with pleasure. He tugged at the short hair with his teeth, only letting go when Grier cried out and shifted position. He left a trail of saliva across Grier’s chest, following the starry cascade down the taut stomach muscles until he got to the thong and began nibbling at the garter like a mouse with cheese.
“Please,” Grier begged.
Lil bypassed the garter and began sucking on Grier’s cock through the black lace. He sneaked his tongue past the edges and toyed with Grier’s swollen shaft, lapping at the silky organ until it was bathed in saliva, and then he moved back to nuzzle the bulge through the fabric, driving Grier mad with the dueling sensations. Grier began begging in a voice rough with need, pulling on Lil’s hair and rutting against his face.
Dreamspinner Press Year Four Greatest Hits Page 145