Page 102 of Mr. Frosty Pants
RJ was apparently somewhere in Germany playing for a group called Pearl Necklace, and it was basically morning there. He’d been up all night partying after their New Year’s Eve gig, and he looked haggard but happy. Casey and Becca shouted questions to him over the noise of the crowd, but sometimes the reception froze and they missed what he had to say in reply.
Joel put his arm around Casey and leaned in, taking a deep breath of his scent in the warmth emanating from the skin above his soft, plaid scarf.
“So, I’m thinking this time next year, I’ll be ready for a break,” RJ said, glancing over his shoulder as the hotel room door opened and a skinny, long-haired dude walked in wearing nothing but a towel. RJ gave him an up-nod before turning back to the screen. “What do you say? December of next year, if we’re all in Knoxville, we can get together and play a few gigs. Get the band back together.”
Joel snorted. “I sold my bass. I have a few guitars, though.”
“You can play rhythm, then.”
“What about Casey?” Becca asked.
“It’s the triangle for him,” RJ said, laughing.
“Nah, I’ll make sure there’s an audience for the shows,” Casey said. “Marketing is my specialty.”
Joel shrugged. “I could be in practice by then, probably.”
The conversation grew impossible to follow in all the hubbub, and Joel closed his eyes, feeling the jostle of the crowd around them. He held tight to Casey, enjoying the vibration of his laughter against his own body. He wondered what his pop was doing. Was Charlie asleep or was he struggling to stay awake to watch theRockin’ New Year’s Eveon TV like he had when Joel was a kid?
Joel let himself drift back into his memory, touching a few old ones, including the one of his dad dancing his mom around in the kitchen. It ached like pushing on a bruise, but he took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and let Charlie and the past wash away with the murmur and rumble of the crowd.
“One minute to midnight, y’all!” the MC called out, his deep voice amplified over the crowd. “Bring on the new year!’
They disconnected with RJ and crowded together. Casey and Joel with Becca next to them and all their eyes affixed to the glowing ball as it jiggled and started its slow descent.
“I can’t believe I’m here with you,” Casey said in his ear, his hot breath tingling, making Joel shiver. “This is going to be our year, baby. The best one ever. I promise.”
Joel shuddered. Promises like that were foolish, but he had one of his own to make too. “I promise that I’ll be here waiting for you, even if it isn’t.”
Casey took off his glove, the silver ring on his finger glinting in the holiday lights. He gripped Joel’s chin as the crowd started shouting the final countdown. Joel didn’t look at the ball any longer, content to stare into the lights reflected in Casey’s eyes. He put his arms around Casey’s neck, and as the cries of “Happy New Year!” filled the air, he surged up to meet Casey’s kiss.
Whoops and hollers rose around him. Becca’s screams of delight were close by and piercing, and yet he let the kiss go on. The joy of a new beginning rattled through him, and he gripped Casey’s lapels, dragging him down for a deeper kiss. Who gave a damn if people were watching? Let them all see.
When the strains of “Auld Lang Syne” gave way to “Rocky Top,” he broke loose and grinned at Casey, who stared back down at him with a face full of joy.
Tomorrow might not be a great day. Saying goodbye to Casey before he flew back to New York City was going to be tough. And trusting that Casey’s interest in him would last once he was alone again would be even harder, but he had faith. He believed in Casey. Inthem.
Right now, Joel had the boy of his dreams in his arms, his best friend shouting with joy beside him, and a whole new year coming his way.
Right now, life was good.
Epilogue
Christmas Eve, one year later
Casey wrapped afew more presents, pushing them under the Christmas tree, admiring the way the colored lights sparkled on the shiny paper he’d picked up at Costco while buying ingredients for pumpkin pie.
He glanced at the time on his phone, wondering if maybe he should have ignored Joel and gone with him to the graveyard anyway. There were things that a man shouldn’t do alone and maybe putting an Egg McMuffin on his father’s grave was one of them. It was so hard to tell sometimes where the line was between what Joel wanted because he didn’t believe he was worthy and what Joel wanted because, well, he truly wanted it.
Casey wrapped another gift, hoping he’d made the right choice.
Bruno drowsed next to him, watching him through bleary, gold eyes. He huffed a sigh whenever Casey rolled out the paper, obviously wishing Casey would hurry up and be done with whatever this nonsense was because he was tired and wanted to sleep.
“Don’t worry, Bruno. This is the last one.”
The door opened with a creak, and Bruno hefted up to go greet Joel. Casey stayed where he was and waited. Christmas music played on the new Bluetooth stereo he’d purchased for Joel’s birthday. He gazed around the living room of the trailer, taking in all the changes since the prior year.
There was a desk now, holding a laptop with multiple tabs open to the social media accounts Casey ran for Joel Grimsbane and Vreeland’s Home and Garden. He’d updated them earlier and was pleased with the continued participation for both accounts, but especially by the readers of Joel Grimbsbane, who often left long, excited comments about the books, all of which he read aloud to Joel in the evening. Those never failed to get Joel at the actual computer, typing up a stunned reply for himself.
