Bishop

by A. E. Via

  Bishop watched him through half-lidded eyes as if he was close to falling asleep. Edison wondered what it’d be like to stay in bed with Bishop all day. Simply talking, eating, maybe even reading, between exploring each other. Edison ran his fingertips through the mess they’d made, knowing he needed to get up and shower, but wanting to leave the smell of Bishop’s come on him as proof that he was no longer alone. He kissed Bishop once more before he climbed out of bed.

  “Where you going?” Bishop asked, turning to watch him walk away.

  “Where do you think?” Edison laughed. He turned on the light in his bathroom and got the shower going. “I feel great! I’m gonna go cook.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Bishop

  “Damn… what’s this called again?” Bishop asked around a mouth full of eggs and cheesy potatoes. He was shoveling the hot food in so fast, he thought of asking Edison for a bigger spoon. Or a pitchfork.

  Edison folded his Virginia Pilot newspaper over, laughing each time Bishop asked another question. “For the third time, it’s a bacon, egg and potato skillet. It’s just a one-pot meal.”

  “It sure doesn’t taste like it.” Bishop drank the rest of his orange juice, then wiped his mouth. After he’d cleaned up in Edison’s nice bathroom, he’d gotten his bag out of the truck and dressed in his overalls to put in some work on the backyard. It was going to be a hot one today, but there was no way he’d waste all this beautiful daylight. The yard was really coming together and he’d even been able to add some upgrades as well, but Edison wouldn’t notice until everything was finished. Bishop was hoping Edison would go to the nursery with him so they could get the flowers and the perimeter bushes ordered. He was determined to have his boyfriend’s reading oasis complete by the time his favorite season rolled around.

  Bishop peeked at Edison when he went back to his newspaper, his smooth forehead crinkling as he appeared to be reading something interesting, or disturbing. Bishop was tempted to ask what it was, he was curious as to what was going on in the world as well, but the last thing he wanted was for Edison to hand him the paper and ask him to read something. While he’d never, ever, lie to Edison, he wasn’t ready to admit this truth.

  “I’m gonna put some of the foundation together for your overhang. Trent’s gonna help me build it at the end of the week, and then we can order the patio set.” He inched closer and slid his arm around Edison. “Do you have plans today?”

  “No, not really. I need to do some work here at the house. I have to finalize some details on an emergency petition for one of Presley’s clients. If it’s not filed by next Wednesday, the bank is going to foreclose on her house. This Chapter 7 is the only way to save her home.”

  Bishop stared at the side of Edison’s soft face as he spoke so nonchalantly about saving a woman’s home for her, all while he read through his morning paper. His Eddie was a hero. Bishop wondered how he’d ever measure up, how he’d ever earn what he so badly wanted. “That’s amazing you can save people like that, baby. Bankruptcy must really suck.”

  Edison gave him an appreciative smile then laid his paper to the side. “Struggling financially definitely sucks for anyone, I’m sure. But, when our clients are no longer being harassed and bogged down with stress from their creditors, it makes me feel good about my job. So, it’s not really me saving them. It’s the process of filing that puts them in bankruptcy protection. It’s the law that does it, not me.”

  “But you have to put it all together.”

  “True.”

  “So, what exactly does your lawyer do if you prepare all the paperwork and have meetings with her clients?” Bishop wondered.

  “She goes to court. Presley is one of the most aggressive bankruptcy attorneys in this area and the creditors know her well. She gets results for her clients. Believe me… I couldn’t do what she does. And she can’t prepare a sixty-page petition as meticulously as I can. So…” Edison shrugged. “We make a good team.”

  “You’re so smart,” Bishop whispered. He ran his hand through Edison’s hair, liking it with no product to keep it from falling out of place. He kissed Edison’s cheek, then took his chin and turned his head so he could claim his mouth fully. Kissing Edison had quickly become his favorite thing to do. His lips were so tender and sweet, and right now his tongue tasted like the Italian sweet creamer he’d put in his coffee.

  Edison moaned into his mouth then sucked on Bishop’s tongue in the way he wanted his pretty mouth on his dick. He couldn’t resist inching his hand down Edison’s back and under the elastic waistband of his track pants. Bishop caressed the swell of that fine ass, just what he could reach while he fed Edison more of his tongue. Bishop teased the top of Edison’s crease, just enough to let him know that he was still on the job. His full time position of making Edison feel cherished and desired at all times. Bishop smiled against Edison’s mouth when he squirmed in the bench seat.

  “I want it,” Edison whispered.

  “I know.”

  “I wanna feel more.”

  “You will. Soon,” Bishop groaned, inching his hand away.

  “No,” Edison almost whined.

  Bishop flicked his tongue out and licked Edison’s disappointment away until his fingers were stroking over Bishop’s heart and he was smiling into the kiss. It was amazing that he could feel so satisfied just with Edison in his arms, they didn’t have to be physical to connect. For him, it went well beyond sex. Bishop ran his thumb over the bottom of Edison’s swollen lip. “After I work on the yard a few hours will you come with me to the garden center to order the rest of the supplies? Then of course you have to pay for it.”

  Edison laughed. “Okay.”

  “Okay,” Bishop repeated, while they continued to stare at each other. This was crazy. “I’m gonna get to work.”

  “You wanna have dinner tonight?” Edison asked when Bishop was almost to the back door. “We can start on the Meridian book.”

  Bishop’s grin was wide. It drove him insane when Edison wanted to read to him, and it tore him up that he’d have to miss another golden opportunity. “I can’t tonight. I have a doctor’s appointment. Then me and my dad have plans on Sunday.”

  Edison frowned. “A doctor’s appointment… are you okay?”

  “Yeah… I um.” Bishop looked down at his rough hands, choosing not to dodge the question. “It’s just the health clinic. I’m going to… I wanna get tested for you. I had blood work done when I first went into prison and I was negative… and I haven’t slept with anyone, but I want to still show you the results. You deserve that.”

  Edison’s bright eyes warmed. He slowly walked to him and pecked a tender, unbelievably sweet kiss on the underside of his jaw. “Thank you. Thank you for doing that, Bishop.”

  He was doing it because he knew it was the right thing to do.

  ~

  Bishop was still thinking about the make out session he and Edison had had just before he’d left his house. They’d had a nice time at the huge garden center, where he’d taken Edison’s hand and led him through a world that he knew, that he could shine in. Edison admired Bishop’s knowledge, the same way Bishop had praised Eddie’s work this morning.

  Edison was becoming more confident in the way he touched Bishop. He no longer clenched when Bishop would grip the bulk around his midsection, in fact, Edison relished the way Bishop stroked the supple flesh between his thighs with his tongue. But his favorite by far was squeezing Edison’s plump ass while he ravaged his mouth.

  “So, you and Edison are like the real deal, boyfriends, partners, or whatever,” Trent said, when Bishop pulled his truck into the city’s free health clinic parking lot. It was always packed and no matter if he had an appointment or not, he knew he’d be there at least a couple of hours.

  “Yeah. He said he wants that. So, we’re together. He’s not seeing anyone else and me either. We’ll be… what’s that word…” Bishop glanced at Trent. “When it’s just us only?”

  “Exclusive,�
� Trent answered.

  “Exactly.” Bishop nodded, cutting the engine. “And even though I know he’d take my word for it, I still wanna show him the paper that I’m clean.”

  “Fine,” Trent said, about to get out of the truck until Bishop grabbed his elbow.

  “Hey.” Bishop frowned, eyeing his friend. “You good?”

  Trent gripped the back of his neck, grimacing as if he had stress there. “I’m just going through some shit with Sil.”

  “All right.” Bishop shoved Trent’s shoulder. “You wanna talk or some shit? We’ll go back to my place after this. Order some pizza or something while I kick your ass in Mortal Kombat.”

  “You’re not staying at Edison’s tonight?” Trent asked.

  “Nope. I’m going home. Tomorrow you can go bowling with me and Mike. The more people for me to beat the better.”

  Trent looked as if he was thinking about it, but Bishop could read right through his attitude. His best friend would never be disappointed that Bishop had found someone to make him happy, but it was clearly bothering him that Bishop hadn’t been around as much as he used to. But that was because he thought Trent was happy and was spending all his time with his girlfriend, like Bishop had been spending all his free time with his guy.

  “I might need your couch soon, man.” Trent shook his head.

  “You know you got it.” Bishop didn’t even need to ask Mike first. Trent was family. “But if I were you, I’d make sure to put a sheet down before you sleep on it.”

  “Oh no. Is Mike still lounging in the buff?”

  Bishop chuckled. “Yep. Unfortunately.”

  Once inside the clinic, Bishop went and stood in the line that was roped off and wound through the center of the room. It was loud, chaotic, the sound of couples fussing, drug addicts complaining, and babies crying were all an assault on his senses, but he was there for a bigger reason. It didn’t matter what he had to go through to get the results, as long as he got them. Trent stood next to Bishop, assessing the room as if he was scouting for danger. Bishop chalked it up to his friend feeling like shit about his lady, and ignored his strange behavior.

  When it was his turn at the window, the woman asked him for the nature of his visit.

  “I need full STD testing, HIV too,” Bishop said loud enough so she could hear him through the glass partition.

  “For fuck’s sake,” Trent groaned, covering his face when several people in the large waiting area glanced in their direction.

  Bishop chuckled when he took the clipboard and his number in the order that he’d be called. “What’s up with you? You knew why I was here.”

  Trent walked briskly to a row of vacant chairs all the way at the back of the room, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. When Bishop sat next to him, Trent yanked the clipboard out of his hand and began to scribble Bishop’s information in the required fields. “I know that. But, it looks like we’re here… together, dude. Like we’re both here to get tested before we fuck.”

  Bishop looked at Trent as if he was insane. “Most of the people in here are getting the same thing, Trent. Besides who cares?” Bishop leaned farther back in the hard plastic, blue chair and spread his legs wide.

  Trent kept writing with his head ducked low. “They probably think you’re making me get on PREP or some shit.”

  Bishop’s burst of laughter made even more people turn in their direction. He nodded at a few of them, not caring what any of those strangers were thinking. He was there because he was ready to take the next step with his boyfriend soon and this was the responsible thing to do, so why the hell was Trent tripping?

  “Last time you had sex was before prison?” Trent said, frowning at a section littered with check boxes.

  Bishop exhaled. “Yeah, just say six years.”

  “Shit, that’s a long ass time.” Trent chuckled. “Those nurses probably won’t believe you back there.”

  “I don’t give a fuck. I just need them to do the test.”

  After Bishop turned in the completed forms he went and sat beside Trent after giving him a dap with his fist. “Thanks man. I know this ain’t what you wanna do on a Saturday afternoon, but I appreciate it, for real.” Bishop picked at a scab on his knuckle. “You know if I could do it myself I…”

  “I know, man.” Trent leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees with his head in his hands. “I wasn’t trying to be a dick. You know I got your back.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hey, I’m still dropping you off at your school Tuesday morning, right?” Trent changed the subject.

  “Yep.” Bishop wrung his hands together. His first fucking day of school wasn’t until next Tuesday, but he was still nervous about the orientation. Mike had done a great job with teaching him how to get online—making the laptop less frustrating than it seemed—to pull up the Adult Learning Center’s virtual classroom, where he’d have to take weekly tests and participate in group discussions.

  “You’re really doing a lot for Edison, man. You like this guy that much?” Trent eyed him suspiciously.

  “I like him… I do. And, I’m not just doing it for him.”

  “I know. You’ve always talked about going back to school.” Trent shrugged. “But, when you got home you put it on the back burner for a while.”

  “I was nervous, that’s all.”

  “And now you’re not?”

  Hell yeah, I am. Bishop was terrified. But, nothing in life worth having ever came easy, Wood used to say. He wanted to be a good man for Edison, but that wasn’t all he wanted to be. He wanted to prove to himself that he’d had the smarts all along, he’d just never applied himself. “I am, man. But, I’m not afraid of hard work.”

  “But you’re afraid of Edison finding out, aren’t you?”

  “Only before I get the chance to tell him first.”

  “Bishop. Then you need to do it.”

  Bishop didn’t say anything else. Instead he stewed in silence beside his best friend and waited for his number to be called. As he sat there thinking about it, he doubted there’d ever be a perfect time to tell Edison that he was boyfriends with a first-grade student. He just needed to get some schooling under his belt to show Eddie that it may be like this now, but it wouldn’t always. He’d show and prove, that was something he knew how to do.

  Chapter Forty

  Edison

  Edison ran his hand over his plain blue tie as he tried to remember if Presley had updated the latest version of the motion she’d been working on before she’d hightailed it out of the office as if she’d just hit the mega millions. It was Boss Appreciation Day and he’d given Presley a gold deluxe spa package at Le Croix Salon on the oceanfront. And because she was one of the most prominent attorneys in Hampton Roads, they’d gotten her in today. Edison knew she’d adore the gift, but he hadn’t thought she’d fly out of the office and leave him with all the work. He was so flustered, his hands flying over the keyboard at least five hundred strokes per minute as he tried to catch up.

  Luckily, because of the day it was, his staff hadn’t bombarded him with a lot of unnecessary nonsense, and everyone seemed to be doing their jobs at full efficiency. Thank god. All he wanted to do was clock out on time, because he had two beautiful pieces of fresh halibut he’d picked up from the market yesterday that he planned to cook for Bishop tonight.

  He’d missed him this morning, since Edison had come in early to get a jumpstart on the day. So, he hadn’t seen his boyfriend since Saturday after he and Bishop had finished with the garden shop. They’d parted ways so he could handle his business and spend time with his dad and Trent on Sunday. Edison hadn’t been able to sleep on sheets that still smelled like Bishop until he’d pleasured himself… twice. Sunday, he’d woken with plenty of energy. He’d spent an hour working out in his exercise room before he’d cleaned up his dining room and sanitized his kitchen. He’d made a stop at his dry cleaners to get his suits, then proceeded to do his grocery shopping for the week—which had been fun—bu
t he’d finished his errands too fast. By five that evening, he was bored and lonely. Going to visit with his aunt and uncle had been a great idea, because after he’d stuffed himself on baked ham and green beans and potatoes, he was good for nothing but bed when he’d gotten home at nine.

  “Edison, come on. Everybody is ready,” Mila whispered with her head inside his door.

  Edison groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. He cracked the knuckles in his aching fingers then shook his hands out. “Do I have to?” he whined playfully.

  Mila smirked. “Just fake it, okay.”

  “Oh, you mean like all of my employees are doing right now? You know none of them want to do this for me. They just think they have to,” Edison grumbled. He closed what he’d been working on and tucked the file into his desk. He glanced around at his cluttered work space. “Did you pull Ramona Jackson’s case? I needed that—”

  “It’s to your right, Edison.” Mila came forward and lifted the file from beneath a stack of law books.

  “Crap. Sorry.” Edison rubbed his forehead and opened the file.

  “No way. Don’t start on that. We have to go. I told them I’d have you there at three on the dot, now let’s move.” Mila came around his desk in her fitted zigzag dress and high black pumps, and took his suit jacket from hanging on the back of his chair. She raised one brow and motioned for him to get his behind up.

  Edison stood and turned so Mila could ease his jacket up his arms. He tucked his tie in and buttoned the middle two enclosures. It actually felt a little looser around his midsection, and he wondered if he’d maybe lost a few more pounds. He smiled, wondering if Bishop would notice. Feeling good, he closed the door to his office and walked down the long hallway with his assistant. He was sure she was leading him to one of the conference rooms on the other side of the building where his staff no doubt had a catered lunch waiting for him. He really didn’t have the time to spend doing this when he had work piled up to his hairline waiting for him. Thank goodness he’d been able to put a dent in some of it on Saturday evening or else he’d have been there until eight.