Page 41 of Big Rucking Disaster

“It’s okay.” He smiled. “I like the idea of meeting your friend.” He ducked his head. “I like the idea that I mean something to you. I do, right?” He gazed at me earnestly.

“You absolutely do mean something. I don’t just bring everyone to my bed platonically and let them give me a blow job.”

He burst out laughing. “Hey, didn’t say you were cranky before your first cup of coffee?”

“Normally.” I winked. “But not when I get a blow job before getting out of bed. Let’s go.” I tugged him toward the door.

He came willingly.

We walked the short distance to the kitchen where Hugo sat at the table with his coffee.

My two traitorous cats were devouring their food. Clearly they remembered my friend was an easy mark and, just as clearly, he remembered how much to feed each one. Purrs abounded.

To my surprise, he rose when he saw Johnnie, and held out his hand. “Hugo.”

Johnnie released my hand and took Hugo’s. “Johnnie.”

Hugo grinned. “I’ll bet there’s a story here—and you don’t have to share. I’m just supercurious.”

“Yeah, I’d be if one of my mates suddenly turned up at some guy’s place when I thought he was straight.”

“Uh, okay.” Hugo’s eyebrows shot almost to his hairline.

Johnnie laughed.

I headed to the coffee machine. “Do you want a cup?”

“Hell fucking yes.” Johnnie moved toward me. “Can I help?”

I waved him off. “Won’t take more than a minute. Have a seat. You’re the guest.”

He plopped down next to Hugo, then pointed to me. “So how did you become mates?”

“Teaching buddies. I was an old pro when this guy started.”

I rolled my eyes. “Three years, my friend. You weren’t an expert.”

“Yeah, but I knew where the staff room was, which days to stay away from the cafeteria, and the best parking spots to avoid getting bird poop on your car.” He grinned devilishly. His red hair gleamed in the sunlight streaming in the kitchen window, and his blue eyes—a shade lighter than Johnnie’s—sparkled.

“All true.” I finished the coffee Hugo’d started. I gestured to Johnnie.

“Black is fine.”

“Okay.” I walked the mug over to him, handed it over, and headed back to the machine. At this point, I was getting desperate for my own cup.

“We hit it off on day one. We were both gay, which we each picked up on quickly, but neither of us was particularlyout. In the end, when Yardley got married, he came out.”

“And survived the shitstorm.” I eyed the hot, black liquid pouring into my mug.

“I survived my marriage.” Hugo winced. “That ended, and I didn’t see the point of coming out. Then I was outed—”

“By your future fiancé.”

“—by my future fiancé.” He chuckled. “Which is another story for another day. So, like, that was that. I was out, I was engaged, and this guy’s marriage had just fallen apart.” He winced. “Which super sucks but Nicholas was always an asshole.”

“You never said.” My chest squeezed.

“You were happy—at least for the first few years. Or I perceived you were happy.”

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