Page 17 of Party of Three

“Papi.” He pulled Buckley close from behind and kissed him gently on the back of the neck. “This is amazing. We get to spend all weekend here?”

Before Buckley answered, Jeff said, “You two pour a glass and sit. We need to get some stuff on the table.”

“Desserts?” Buckley asked.

The master sergeant answered by closing the villa’s door behind him firmly, then he gestured to the chaise lounge.

Buckley went for the bottle and poured both flutes. There was another pair on the wet bar in the corner of the room.

“You’re not having one?” he asked.

“I’m good,” Jeff answered.

Buckley handed Mateo a glass. Then they both did as the older man had instructed, sinking to the chaise with their backs to the open door and its beautiful view. As Jeff approached them both, Mateo slid one hand across Buckley’s thigh protectively,but in his mind’s eye he was already opening Buckley’s legs farther so Jeff could sink to his knees before prying Buckley from his dress pants.

“Alright—” Jeff began.

“Yes!” Mateo said before he could stop himself.

And then nobody said anything. Maybe because Mateo’s voice had come out like a high bark with a tremor in it.

Mateo swallowed. “Yes,” he said. “Let’s do it.”

“Do what?” Buckley asked softly.

“I…”

Mateo’s cheeks pulsed. He struggled for breath. Buckley turned to him quickly, curving an arm around his back. All of a sudden, Mateo felt like the ground was falling out from under him and he could feel his forehead sinking into his upturned palms without remembering he’d lifted his hands from his lap and Buckley’s.

“Babe, what?” Buckley asked softly.

“I thought…” Swallowing again only made his throat feel dryer. “You said he was my surprise…I thought we were gonna…

Jeff put his hands up. “And on that note, I’m outta here.”

“Park it, Master Sergeant!” Buckley snapped, trigger finger pointed at the guy. “Your radio silence caused this weirdness, so you stay right there until we’ve figured this out.”

“Fine, then,” Jeff said. “But I’m laying it all out on the table. One, I was a shit to go dark on you the way I did, Cano. I should have been clear with you about what was going on. But what’s clear now is this. You need someone like Buckley. Someone who can give you what you want. And I gotta say, I like this version of you a lot. I know the deal with your parents hurts, but you’re happy. I can see it. And you’re happy because of him.”

To Buckley, he said, “And you, mouthy little fuck that you are, you’re a good influence on him. He’s more confident. He’s more comfortable in his skin. He’s loving his life. Because ofyou. But this role of yours, it comes with responsibility. The responsibility to be truthful. And honest.”

Buckley rolled his eyes. “Fire away, big man.”

Jeff turned his full attention to Mateo, whose head was still spinning from how badly he’d misread the evening. “Your boyfriend lied to get me here tonight. He slid a note under my door saying you guys were moving to Japan for work and he had no idea when you’d be back.”

Mateo summoned the nerve to look his boyfriend in the eye. “Japan?”

“I had to pick somewhere far.”

“We don’t speak Japanese.”

“Mexico’s too close.”

A few feet away, Jeff cleared his throat.

Buckley smiled. “Clearly that didn’t go the way you’d planned, Master Sergeant. Gotta plan B? Or a lecture B? Maybe you could use PowerPoint this time.”

“It went perfectly. Everything’s out in the open now. You know our history, and Mateo knows about the lie you told.” He made a dusting motion with both hands that was answered with brittle silence.

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