Independence Day 2

by Christiane France

  Trip knew exactly how it felt to wake up and find himself alone. Tom, the guy Trip had expected to spend the rest of his days with, had done it a lot, and always with the same solid gold reason--according to Tom, the security company he worked for had just called about a break-in and sorry, but he had to go. Of course, it wasn't until much later Trip discovered Tom liked the variety he got by driving around late at night, looking for a little extra action, and that going on calls wasn't and never had been a part of Tom's job.

  When he returned to bed, Nick appeared to have gone back to sleep. Nevertheless, whether awake or asleep, it didn't prevent Nick from tucking an arm securely around Trip's waist and pulling him close the moment Trip lay down beside him.

  * * * *

  The following morning, Nick awoke to the delicious aromas of coffee and frying bacon. The coffee was no mystery--he had plenty of that--but he hadn't bought bacon since he couldn't remember when.

  Pulling on his comfortable, raggedy old jeans, he left the bedroom and padded barefoot down the hall to the kitchen. To his surprise, the table was set for two, the ready light was glowing on the coffee machine and Trip was removing strips of bacon from the pan and laying them on paper towel to drain.

  "You want eggs?" Trip asked without looking up from what he was doing.

  "I don't have any eggs."

  "You didn't have any bread, butter, milk, or tomatoes either, but now you do. I woke early and went shopping."

  Nick scrunched his eyes to focus on the digital clock on the stove. "It's barely seven. It's also Saturday and my day off. Yours, too, I believe."

  Trip slipped an arm around Nick and gave him a brief hug, and what Nick assumed was supposed to pass for a kiss. "That all I get?"

  "For the moment, yes. One egg or two? Toast, yes or no?"

  Nick collapsed into the nearest kitchen chair. "One's fine, and one slice of toast. I didn't know you knew how to cook."

  Trip grinned as he broke an egg into the hot fat and sprinkled it with black pepper. "I live alone and eating out all the time gets tiresome, so I figured I needed to learn a few basics. Nothing fancy, just enough to get me by. How do you like your egg?"

  "Flipped over, thanks."

  "Hey, this looks great," Nick observed a few minutes later when Trip placed a plate before him containing perfectly cooked bacon and one egg, half a broiled tomato, and one slice of buttered wheat toast. "If you get fed up with your present job, you can always find employment as a short order cook."

  Trip poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to Nick. "If we survive all the temper tantrums and everything else that's bound to happen between now and Franco's opening, we may both be ready for a new job."

  Nick swallowed a mouthful of bacon. "Franco's doesn't open officially until the Thursday after the party, so I'd be content to take a few days off. Maybe find myself a nice, quiet beach where I can just laze in the sun, sleep and eat someone else's cooking."

  "Any plans for today?" Trip asked, pushing his empty plate to one side.

  "Nothing much, just our Saturday night poker game. You?"

  "With Franco's launch more or less organized, Silvia has already come up with a new idea she's asked me to consider."

  "Do I want to hear about this?"

  Trip chuckled. "Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. She's found what she says is the best Thai/Vietnamese restaurant she's ever been to, tucked away in a strip mall that's being demolished to make way for something else. Long story short, the owner can't find affordable new premises, so Silvia wants to bring him over here.

  "Before he died, her husband had plans to install a few fast food places in the basement, but, of course, that never happened. Now, instead of fast food, Silvia is thinking of giving the basement over to the Flavors of Asia. This Thai place will be the opening act. Eventually, we can add a sushi bar, then whatever else she comes up with. If you like Thai food, we can have lunch there and check it out. What do you think?"

  "Matter of fact, I love Thai food. Lunch sounds great and so does Silvia's idea." Nick smiled. "Of course, the best part of her idea is that I know nothing about Asian cuisine, so it won't be my problem. Now, would you like a hand cleaning up the kitchen, or can I go have a shower?"

  "Nothing much to clean up. You go ahead."

  After deciding on what he wanted to wear that day and checking his wallet to see if he still had cash or if he needed to make a trip to the ATM, Nick's next stop was the bathroom.

  He'd just closed the shower door and turned on the spray full force when the door opened and Trip joined him.

  Looping an arm around Nick's waist, Trip closed the space between them so his arousal pressed firmly against Nick's butt. "This a game two can play?" he said above the noise of the cascading water.

  Nick bent forward to turn off the water, and Trip moved in even closer, his hands bringing Nick's dick to life, while he licked and nuzzled the smooth expanse of Nick's back.

  "Hey, that tickles," Nick complained with a chuckle, trying pull free of Trip's embrace. "Anyway, in case you've forgotten, it's my turn."

  "Your turn for what?"

  "I bent over for you, so now it's your turn to do the same for me. Unless, of course, you have some objection."

  With a laugh, Trip let Nick go and reversed position, his legs slightly apart and his hands against the tiles. "What are you waiting for?"

  Nick had had a feeling Trip might join him, so he'd put condoms and lube next to the shampoo in the shower caddy. He nudged Trip and handed him one of the foil packets. "Here, since you're in so much of a hurry."

  Once they were both wearing protection, Nick turned Trip back to face him. Cupping Trip's face in his hands, Nick began to kiss him deeply, his tongue tangling with Trip's and then exploring his mouth in the hope he could imprint every corner and crevice in his mind. They were both highly aroused, and with their hard cocks playing some kind of prod and poke game, Nick moved his hands slowly down Trip's back to squeeze and stroke his ass cheeks.

  As he continued to kiss Trip, he inserted a finger in his hole and moved it slowly back and forth. Kneeling down, he took Trip's cock into his mouth and sucked hard, but the moment Trip tried to fuck his mouth, he stopped and turned Trip around so he was once again facing the wall. Pushing Trip's legs a little farther apart, he ran a finger down Trip's crack and followed it with his tongue. Nick smiled to himself as he heard Trip groan with delight and then give a surprised gasp as Nick used a little spit and inserted two fingers into his hole while he squeezed Trip's balls with his other hand.

  Trip was much tighter than Nick had expected. If this was something Trip didn't like to do, though, Nick figured he would have said by now. Since he hadn't, he could only assume Trip's sex life wasn't very active. Maybe he didn't even have one.

  Reaching for the lube, Nick inserted the nozzle into Trip and pressed.

  "Jeez, that feels like liquid ice," Trip said, his muscles tensing.

  "Then hold on tight, cuz I'm about to warm you up," Nick promised as he carefully positioned the head of his shaft and pushed in very slowly. "Feel good?" he asked. With Trip's ass positioned against his belly, Nick reached around his body and stroked his cock.

  He'd wanted to take it slow, stretching out the enjoyment. However, with Trip's butt rocking against him, urging him on, and Trip's cock bucking against his hand, he had no choice but to speed things up and bring them both to a much faster conclusion than he'd planned.

  As Nick withdrew, Trip turned around and gave him a big wet kiss. "That was great, babe. Fantastic. Best ever."

  "Really?" Nick snagged Trip's gaze and hung on tight. "It was good. But great? If we had more time, I know we could do a whole lot better."

  "Well, for me it was really great. For me--" Trip stopped speaking and looked away, giving Nick the impression he'd already said more than he intended.

  "It's okay. You don't have to explain a thing," Nick said, meaning every word. As he knew from personal experience, some things were
just too painful to talk about to anyone.

  "Thanks." Trip hesitated. "There's really nothing much to tell. Like you, I fell for someone who was more concerned with his wants and needs than he was with mine. I'm just glad I've met you."

  "I'm glad you have, too." Nick laughed as he reached out and ruffled Trip's blond hair, then hugged him close as he felt a shiver run through Trip's body. "Sounds like we've both had lucky escapes. Except if we don't finish showering and dry ourselves off, we're liable to find ourselves in the hospital with a bad case of pneumonia."

  * * * *

  The next few days leading up to the opening party at Franco's became one long, continuous blur in Nick's mind of checking and rechecking that nothing had been forgotten, mislaid, or overlooked. Still, he needed to be certain that everything possible was being done to assure the opening party's success, even though it was starting to stress him out. Not too surprisingly, tempers flared at the least provocation and tears of frustration were the order of the day. There was even an incident when two of the kitchen workers almost came to blows over a piece of equipment that had mysteriously disappeared.

  To Nick's relief, his order of fresh crab had arrived right on time and exactly as promised, so he knew the huge dish of cioppino he was planning would merit its place as the focal point of the buffet table.

  During those preparations, what little free time Nick and Trip were able to snatch from their busy schedules, they spent enjoying their new life as lovers as well as friends. One night they'd spend at Trip's place and the next at Nick's, talking, making love, and trying to fit in a few hours of much-needed sleep.

  Then, finally, Saturday dawned clear and bright and Nick was a bundle of pre-party nerves. Screwing up was something he didn't dare think about, but even so, he spent most of the day trying to ignore the pack of butterflies that had taken up residence in his stomach. However, the moment he took up his position at one end of the buffet table dressed in his white chef's hat and jacket and black-and-white checked pants, the nausea and uncertainty vanished. With his confidence restored, he was back to feeling like his normal self again.

  He glanced slowly around the room at the tables with their black linen cloths and white napkins, the cutlery and glassware glinting in the candlelight, and the simple centerpieces composed of soft pink and pale mauve flowers. Everything looked even more perfect than he'd hoped and, as the guests began arriving, he felt a heady surge of excitement. This was it! His big moment had arrived.

  Just then, Trip appeared at his side and discreetly squeezed his hand. "Good luck, babe," he whispered. "Silvia sends her love and says from what she's seen so far, she just wishes Frank could be here to enjoy it all with us."

  "You told her we have singing waiters?"

  "No." Trip smiled happily. "She didn't ask, and I didn't tell."

  "And no one but you and I know about Enzio, right? I made him promise not to say a word."

  "All Silvia knows is that Roberto will be coming down to sing a couple of songs both before and after his regular show," Trip said, referring to Roberto Ventura, Silvia's nephew and The Neapolitan's resident star singing attraction. "The rest is all one big surprise...and I think she's about to find that out," Trip added as the maitre d' escorted Silvia and her party to their table and one of the waiters broke into song as he stepped forward and pulled out Silvia's chair.

  Then the other waiters began moving between the tables, taking orders for drinks and special requests, and as one song finished, another one started somewhere else in the room.

  After the first rush to sample the delights of the buffet table had died down, to the delight of everyone present, Roberto Ventura came through the kitchen door, dressed as a waiter, carrying a jug of water, and singing "Quando, Quando." After following it with "Amore, Scusami" and promising to return later, Roberto went back the way he'd come, through the kitchens.

  "I think the last time I saw so many famous faces present at the same time was when I was watching one of those award shows on TV," one of the assistant chefs muttered in an aside to Nick as he replaced an almost empty bowl of house salad with a fresh one. "I can't wait to tell my mom."

  Nick wasn't much of a celebrity hound, but he was pleased when he recognized one of the stars from his favorite TV show. Even more pleased when the man came over and told him personally how much he was enjoying the food.

  Then the high point arrived that Nick and Enzio had been planning all week. Trip, who was in on it and was sitting at Silvia's table, stood up and clapped his hands a few times to get everyone's attention.

  "If you're all wondering what happened to dessert, well, wonder no more." Trip pointed toward the kitchen door as it opened and Enzio came through, singing "Volare" in an amazingly clear tenor voice and pushing a serving cart on which reposed a massive Sicilian cassata that was about the size of a small ice floe and was flanked with piles of Enzio's freshly baked sfogliatelle.

  While the guests enjoyed dessert and coffee, Roberto returned to sing "Ciao, Ciao Bambina", which everyone who worked at The Neapolitan knew was Roberto and his wife Dani's special song.

  After Roberto left for the second time, Silvia came over and congratulated Nick on a successful evening and said she'd been absolutely delighted by the inclusion of the singing waiters. It reminded her of a place her family had taken her to when she was a child. Then, the guests began to drift away until the only people left in room were Nick and Trip.

  "I guess we did good," Nick observed as he sat down on the nearest chair and regarded the mostly empty dishes on the buffet table. "Not enough food left to worry about, so I'm sure that makes you happy."

  "You make me happy," Trip said softly, reaching for Nick's hand and stroking the back with his thumb. "Remember what you said to me about taking the next couple of days off?"

  Nick frowned. "Vaguely."

  "Well, before she left, Silvia said she was so pleased with tonight she insisted we both take the next two days off to rest and relax so we're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for Franco's official opening to the public on Thursday."

  "Those were her exact words?"

  Trip laughed and gave Nick a quick hug. "The bright-eyed and bushy stuff? Absolutely. She also said she knows we're friends, and to make sure we follow her orders, she gave me this." Trip handed Nick a letter-size envelope.

  "What's in here?"

  "Plane tickets to L.A. and the key to her beachfront place in Malibu."

  "Oh, wow! You mean I'm gonna get sea, sand, sleep and--"

  "Sex, babe. Lots and lots of sex. I'm gonna have you screamin' for mercy before I'm through with you."

  Nick leaned forward and kissed Trip on the mouth. "Oh, yeah. If that's a challenge, my man, you'd better watch out. Could be I'll turn the tables and have you eating those words."

  Trip laughed and grabbed Nick's leg, just above his knee. "You really think you're that good?"

  "No, lover. I know I am. And once we're inside that beach house, you're gonna find out just how good."

  Christiane France

  Christiane truly believes that love makes the world go round, so she likes stories with both happy and bittersweet endings. Christiane has been writing romance for the past twenty years and lives near Niagara Falls with her husband and The Boys--two black and white Persian cats.

  * * * *

  Don't miss I'm Sorry, by Christiane France,

  available at AmberAllure.com!

  Misinformation and misunderstandings drove Chad Varaday and Reese Harmer apart and shattered their dream of a new life together...

  Ten years later, the men meet again in Las Vegas, and try to figure out what went wrong between them. Reese, however, tells a completely different story to the one he gave back in New York, and now Chad's convinced that what he heard was true and Reese is lying. The problem is, he still loves Reese, and Reese says he feels the same way.

  But can love overcome all the hurt and the pain and give them a second chance at happiness?

  Amb
er Quill Press, LLC

  The Gold Standard in Publishing

  Quality Books

  In Both Print And Electronic Formats

  Erotica

  Horror

  Romance

  Fantasy

  Mainstream

  Young Adult

  Science Fiction

  Suspense/Thriller

  Action/Adventure

  Non-Fiction

  Paranormal

  Historical

  Western

  Mystery

  GLBT

  Buy Direct And Save

  http://www.AmberQuill.com

  http://www.AmberHeat.com

  http://www.AmberAllure.com