Never Enough

by Alexandra Caluen

  Their escort and the theater manager were standing off to the side. “She’s heading over there. I’m getting really curious.”

  “Me too.” One more bow, then they half-ran down the ramp and went to join their escort. After shaking hands with the manager, assuring him they’d

  had a wonderful time, and confirming they’d be out of there promptly, they turned to their escort. She was clearly waiting to introduce them to the other person.

  “Mr. Garcia, Mr. Martin, this is Señora Caterina González Dávila. She is in charge of your appearance in Madrid and would like a word.”

  So we didn’t get back to the hotel until three in the morning because wine bar, Andy wrote to their neighbor Vicky later. We’re due at Amsterdam venue in less than an hour and we are hating life LOL serves you right

  How’s things on the B side?

  Molly is moping. She’s been curled up with the cats gazing mournfully at the door

  Aw poor sweetie. Thanks again for babysitting We like your dog. If you never come home there’s going to be a cage fight with Rory to see who gets her

  Bahaha any news on the disaster next door? Turning that triplex renovation over to Paige, one of the incoming tenants, had been a gamble. So far it was not actually a disaster. Paige and Vicky’s wife Sharon had bonded.

  Between the two of them, it was probably running more smoothly than if Andy had been there micro-managing.

  Vicky confirmed it. The disaster next door is not a disaster, they’re getting shit done. Paige has all of the contractors eating out of her hand.

  Now get off the phone you have to be movie stars Speak for yourself missy. OXO

  OXO

  Dana and Rory got the email from Andy that said Berlin video is up and almost watched it right that minute. Then they remembered they’d promised Vicky and Sharon they would watch it together. They’d all seen Andy and Victor rehearse the number, and for whatever reason it seemed like an event.

  So they synchronized schedules and made a plan to have dinner on the B side of the Faux Chateau duplex.

  “Why do you call it the B side, anyway?” Dana said after they got there.

  “B for Bitches,” Vicky said, in a tone that said that should be obvious.

  Dana and Rory both laughed. The only male creature in residence on that side was a middle-aged (neutered) cat. “And A for either Andy or Alpha or Asshole, depending on the day.” Everybody cracked up. “In case you were wondering, Simka is over at Grandma’s tonight so yay, freedom of speech.”

  “I was wondering,” Dana said. “What a fucking relief.” Vicky snorted. “I mean, your child is an adorable child. But you know.”

  “Oh, I know.” The household’s efforts to manage profanity had become legendary.

  “So I’ve had this feeling that Mein Herr was kind of a big dealio,” Rory said after dinner.

  “Maybe it’s because it’s a step away from tango,” Sharon said. “Andy said he was going to make a break for it with dancing for a while.”

  Dana nodded. “When we were talking last fall he was like, why not, you know. He’s not too old for it.”

  Vicky made a pfft sound. “He kicked all of our asses on that movie. The only one who could really keep up with him was Tomás.”

  “You did pretty damn good,” Rory said. “That thing at the premiere was hot as snot.”

  “Also, Andy never made a final at the Gay Games.” Sharon preened a little.

  “Or threw a 540,” Vicky said, grinning, referring to the big ballet jump she’d mastered for a show a few years back.

  “Or got voted Best Stripper in L.A. two years running,” added Rory. “I mean, while we’re puffing ourselves up.”

  “You guys really are bitches,” Dana said. “I’m going to tell him you’re dogging him out.” She waited for them to stop snickering. “You know what Tanith said?”

  Rory topped up their wineglasses. “What.”

  “She said she was kind of kicking herself for selling the movie so fast.

  Letting them release it at the end of the year. She said, if I had waited, those guys could have been up for some awards.”

  Vicky made a sound of disagreement. “They didn’t care about that. And it kept the momentum up for all of us.” The movie was filmed in July and released in December – a tight schedule, but emotionally satisfying for the

  cast, especially after Victor got shot.

  “Oh, I know. I told her what Andy told me, which was that he was glad.

  And that he asked Raquel not to even query him about other TV or film projects. He’s willing to look at stage stuff, but he was like nope nope nope with everything else.”

  “What did she say?” Rory hadn’t heard this before. “When was this?”

  “Oh, like last week. She pinged me about something.” Dana swallowed some wine. “Anyway I told her he was up for anything with her and especially if Victor was involved, but everyone else could go fuck themselves.” She smiled at her wife. “She said oh okay. Once they’re back from tour, he’s going to want you in the studio.”

  “I’m busy,” Rory said crossly. “Tomás is working me and Ricky over with the thing for next month.”

  Dana gave her a look. “You’re going to have plenty of time between that and the June show.”

  “Rodeo,” Vicky said, grinning at the Underground Cabaret’s June theme.

  “I have to confess, I’m expecting Tomás to throw me something completely batshit crazy for that. Did you know he’s working on an album with that Janis chick? Two pianos and cello, tango versions of standards. He was like, you know what, this is cool. The Argentine version of that.” The conversation took a detour for a while. Then it was coffee and dessert, and eventually they all decided to transfer to the living area.

  Sharon opened YouTube on the big screen. “I don’t know why it took us so long to do this. Now we can watch the Cabaret channel on here, Andy’s stuff, the DanceSport stuff. It’s so much better than watching on the laptop.

  One stupid little cable.” Vicky was snickering.

  Rory and Dana had the same setup at home. Rory said, “When you do your thing in Buenos Aires, will that be on Andy’s channel?”

  “No doubt,” Vicky said. “All three of those guys are so psyched. Tanith was a little worried, like ugh, we have to find two local guys to fill out the six-way, but Tomás did that thing he does, you know.” She frowned.

  Everybody else laughed. “And she said yeah I probably don’t have to worry about you finding two good Argentine tango guys in Buenos Aires, do I.”

  The video was cued up. “Here we go.”

  It started with an almost-black screen. There was some commotion from

  the live audience as the curtain went up. Then a spotlight faded in on Andy, posed downstage center in that showstopping copy of Liza Minnelli’s costume. “Oh my fuck,” Rory said gleefully. The crowd was going wild before he even moved.

  “Those fucking legs,” said Sharon. “God, why could I not be six feet tall.” Vicky leaned in, buried her face in her wife’s hair, and said something.

  Sharon laughed.

  The first verse was a solo for Andy, and not much like Liza’s choreography. It was flirty, dirty, jazzy, and hilarious. The crowd never stopped laughing, whistling, and cheering. “How did he even hear the music?!” Vicky turned up the sound; it didn’t help.

  Victor – onstage but seated, straddling a cabaret chair upstage - stood on

  ‘when I’m through’ and walked up behind Andy, taking his hand on ‘Toodle-oo.’ When the first chorus started, they began to move in shadow position. It was a blend of tango and jazz and burlesque. “He’s singing along, isn’t he,”

  Dana said, smiling. “Oh my God he’s having fun.”

  “Look at Victor.” Sharon was grinning too. “He’s all, I don’t care how tall you are, baby, I’ve got you. Hee hee!”

  “He’s good.” Dana wasn’t surprised. Andy and Victor had done a few memorable performances together in
the past. Victor had great stage presence, and he picked up choreography well. But this one was definitely a showcase for Andy. In the fast final chorus the routine turned into a frenzy of tango and Charleston. As it wound up Victor was playing a literally supporting role while Andy did a series of tricks. Their ending position had Victor standing at center stage, legs apart, with Andy in a full split on the stage in front of him. The camera operator held on that for a couple of seconds, panned to show the audience on its feet, then returned to the stage.

  “Ow!” Sharon said. “How can he do that?!” Rory hooted. “I mean he’s fourteen years older than me and he’s a guy and he’s not supposed to be able to do that. Ow ow ow.” On screen, Andy folded his legs and got gracefully to his feet, with a minimal assist from Victor. “I can’t do that either. Fuck him.”

  Vicky laughed. “Oh my God. Coolest landlords ever.”

  “Look at Victor now,” Dana said. “How much did he love that?”

  “How turned on does he look?” Rory said. The video finally faded out.

  “You know, his Velma Kelly was awfully good but this might be my favorite thing I’ve ever seen him do.”

  “Me too. God I hope they can pull that Broadway thing off.”

  Sharon, Vicky, and Rory said simultaneously, “What Broadway thing?”

  After they got home Dana sent a text to Andy. She didn’t even remember where the guys were right now, but she knew it was a whole lot of time zones away. Hey big brother your neighbors are gung ho about your Broadway thing with Victor. btw that Mein Herr video was awesome. You were having some fun. Victor seemed to enjoy it too

  The reply took a while, as expected, but it landed when Dana was awake and had nothing else to do. She was on the soundstage waiting for her next thing to happen, and wasn’t technically supposed to have her phone on: That hotel room will never be the same

  Andy didn’t get a reply immediately. When he did, it came from Rory: Uh wtf are you guys doing or maybe never mind. That text of yours ruined a take. Dana cracked up on set

  This time his reply came straight back: wtf is exactly what we’re doing.

  Making a little series of home movies

  OMG LOL I want to know but I don’t want to know Well it started at home after a rehearsal with that number, Victor accidentally left a camera running

  Oh yeah accidentally insert rolling eyes here Bahaha anyway it was kind of inspiring. The next non-X-rated video will be going up soon, Madrid asked for Mano a Mano. We planned it this time What else happened in Madrid?

  Broke the desk in the room. Great episode though!

  OMG LOL for real. R U srsly making a world tour porn movie??

  Wouldn’t you? By the time that last text came in, Dana was home. They read the whole series together, stared at each other, and cracked up again.

  They sent back a line of nothing but eggplant emojis, which made Andy laugh so hard Victor woke up. “Sorry catnip. The girls wanted to know how the tour was going.”

  “I suppose you told them.” Victor took the phone out of his hand, turned it off, and set it on the nightstand. “Get some sleep, hot stuff.”

  “Well, now that you’re awake.” Andy couldn’t help giving it a

  suggestive spin, though he wasn’t even half serious. The most recent episode had been fairly athletic.

  Victor was laughing silently, one hand over his eyes. “I think you’ve worn me out, you nympho.”

  “But we haven’t broken anything in this room yet.” He only said it to make Victor laugh again, which it did. Andy leaned over to kiss him. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” Victor pulled him down. Andy let himself go, head on Victor’s shoulder and an arm across his chest. A few minutes later, Victor was asleep again. Andy listened to him breathe, thought about dancing, and gradually went under.

  Chapter 3

  February 2019

  Buenos Aires was every bit as romantic as they remembered. Nothing much seemed to have changed in the fourteen-or-so months since their honeymoon, except for the fact that they were there to work this time. “We definitely have to come back here when we can stay a couple of weeks again,” Victor said while they were getting dressed. “It’s cool to be here with Tomás and the others, though.”

  “I wonder how the local guys are feeling about it.” They’d done two rehearsals for this appearance. It was a big one. Andy and Victor would dance together twice, and their co-stars Tomás and Vicky were dancing twice. Then the four of them would dance with two local tangueros, re-creating a number from the film. “They seemed pretty chill this afternoon.”

  “I’m sure it helps that we can all talk. Well, all but Vicky.” All five male co-stars of Tanith’s movie spoke Spanish, but Vicky didn’t. She was getting along fine thanks to the guys. Sharon was getting along fine thanks to Rosa, Tomás’ wife, who’d made the trip to Buenos Aires with their son Fidelio so he could meet his Argentine grandmother.

  “There is no sign that our locals are having trouble understanding Vicky,” Andy said, then snorted. “Trouble keeping their hands off her, maybe.”

  “She said she thinks they view her as a challenge.”

  “Yeah, she also said if someone’s hand lands on her ass one more time she’s going to accidentally on purpose spike him with her heel.” He straightened his collar, then turned to look at Victor. “For the record, I am having more fun on this trip than I think I’ve ever had in my life. You are spectacular.”

  “It’s kind of great, isn’t it?” Victor smiled at him from across the room.

  “Were you afraid we’d get tired of each other?”

  “Fuck no. I’ll never get tired of you.” Victor crossed the room to kiss him. Andy held him close for a minute, strongly inclined to mess up their clothes and hair and everything else. “I remember that trip up the coast. At the time that was the best vacation ever. Then our honeymoon was the best.

  And now even though we’re sorta kinda working, this is the best.” One more

  kiss, then he reluctantly stepped back. They had a red carpet to get to.

  It was a long evening, at the end of a long day. First the screening, then the performance, then a party for which tickets had been sold out a month ago. They were all invited to a milonga afterward, and they all went (including Rosa and Sharon). It was very late, or very early, when they got back to the hotel. Victor double-locked the door and started to strip. Andy simply took off his shoes, threw his suit jacket on a chair, and collapsed on the bed. “Officially feeling my age, catnip.”

  “Good thing we have another night here. This project needs a Buenos Aires episode.” Victor stretched out beside Andy and took his hand. Andy turned his head and smiled. Victor wriggled close enough for a kiss. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Andy woke up to broad daylight and a hushed exchange that he diagnosed as Victor and room service. He blinked up at the ceiling, then squinted down his own body. Still on top of the bedspread, still dressed, and apparently hadn’t moved since he got there. He turned his head to see Victor, who’d thrown off the robe he must have had on to deal with breakfast. He was now wearing nothing, except for that silver chain he’d been wearing all the way through the tour. Andy stretched, squirmed a little, and sat up.

  “Wow. I really crashed.”

  “You don’t do that often. Did this wake you up?”

  “I don’t think so.” He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, rolled his neck, then walked over to his gorgeous naked husband. Ripped as hell from all that dancing, and everything else they were doing. “You look good enough to eat.” He gave Victor a kiss. “Mmm. Hold that thought.” When he came out of the bathroom he was naked too. He threw his clothes at the chair where his jacket had landed the night before. “Is there anything there that I can eat off your ass?” Victor cracked up. Andy made a few progressively-more-obscene suggestions while he was setting up the camera.

  “Before breakfast?” Victor said eventually, still laughing.<
br />
  “This won’t take long.” Andy eyed him for a few seconds. “I’m feeling very energetic.”

  “Yeah, I see that.” Victor stretched out on the bed, on his back, and got

  himself in hand. “Everything in frame?”

  “Look at you. Yes. All of that perfection is perfectly in the frame. God almighty.” Andy got on the bed, bent to kiss Victor – taking his time over it -

  then crawled down. “Want this.”

  “Jesus!” Victor took half a minute to appreciate being in Andy’s mouth, but there was no way their position was an accident. He put his hand, and then his mouth, on Andy’s cock. Enjoying the sounds of pleasure, and making his own. They set a speed record. After a minute to recover, Andy patted Victor’s leg. Victor sighed, stifling a laugh.

  “What’s so funny.”

  “I was going to say something about are you ready to eat now.” Andy laughed. Victor rolled halfway over, kissed a thigh, and crawled off the bed to shut down the camera.

  Vicky and Tomás (and their wives) were back in Los Angeles the next week for the Underground Cabaret’s show at Chrome. “Jesus I’m glad we started working on that so long ago,” Vicky said at the after-party. “In September I was like are you nuts, but it all makes sense now.”

  Dana laughed into her drink. “A lot has happened since then. How fun was Buenos Aires?”

  “So much fun,” said Sharon. “I’m so glad I got to go. And I’m glad Rosa was there, because the glamazon was busy.”

  “Yeah. Sorry about that.” Vicky leaned over to bump her shoulder against Sharon’s. “At least we got to go to that milonga. And you danced great.” They exchanged kisses. “I watched your thing on the monitor, Rory. It looked even better tonight.”

  “It felt great. I can’t believe the shit I’m doing these days.”

  “Ever since ‘Virtual Insanity.’ It’s been so fun watching you do your thing.” Dana was smiling at her wife.