Daddy Type

By BndgDawg

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“Are you working from home on Veterans Day?” Cody asked.

“I hadn’t thought too much about it,” I admitted. “I assumed I’d go in.”

“What’s the train schedule like?”

“It’s a modified schedule with fewer trains, not like Columbus Day when the trains don’t run.”

“So, you could easily get to the office if you wanted.”

“Yes, but the question is, do I want to go into the office? Let me look at my calendar and see how much I have going on. One advantage of the office over home is dual monitors.”

“You got a second monitor?”

“One of the upgrades that the management team proposed and Lucinda agreed to earlier this year. Everyone got a second monitor. Folks doing GUI work got two twenty-four-inch monitors. Then it was by seniority. Those not needing as much space got a second twenty-two-inch monitor.”

“The folks in documentation must be loving that.”

“I think everyone is.”

“Cost a lot?”

“Not really. Remember, we doubled up the existing units and only had to buy two for half the staff. As I recall, it was about eight thousand.”

“That’s a lot!”

“Again, not really. We figure it will increase folks’ productivity, improve engagement, and most importantly, help with retention. The cost of labor is the most expensive part of most businesses, at least in the IT field.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I remember a case study from one of my business management classes. In the early eighties, a company wanted to see what lighting was best for their production floor. They changed the lighting from one style to another, and productivity increased. They changed to another type, and productivity increased. They returned to the first type of lighting, and productivity increased. What was determined is that folks felt like management cared. This was the start of the real push for employee engagement.”

“Wow.”

“When someone shows they care for you or care about you, you’re typically more willing to say yes.”

“That’s true. I keep learning from you.”

I gave Cody a smile.

“Think about your boss. She is already talking to you about your career future, classes, certifications, and more.”

“I hadn’t thought about that. And I would do just about anything she asks.”

“Changing the subject, have you talked to Luke about Thanksgiving?”

“About?”

“I wasn’t sure about your work schedule. I know you have the leave, but…”

“We can either drive down Tuesday evening after work or Wednesday morning. I’m open either way. I have Wednesday and Friday off.”

“I don’t think I want to be driving for four hours after a full day’s work. I’ll be dragging.”

“Probably right. Luke would be the only one still awake when we got there.”

“Leave Wednesday morning and come back on Sunday.”

“Works. It will be good to see them,” Cody said. “My turn to change the subject: What have you worked up for Georgia’s birthday?”

“I want to open the night with Rollin’ by Big and Rich.”

“Who’s singing with you?”

“I’m not. I want it to be you and Casey in the Big and Rich parts, Luke doing the deep bass rollin, and I am talking to Tee about doing Cowboy Troy’s part.”

“Wait, Tee not in drag at the club?”

“Tee in cowboy gear!”

“That will be a hoot. Georgia will love the kick-off for the night. It’s nice of you to do it.”

“It’s not a kick-off; it’s a takeover.”

“What?”

“I’ve been messaging back and forth with Ginger. She has a friend that does a country and western karaoke night down in Dallas. They haven’t seen each other in a while, so Miss Luscious Lucchese is flying up for a visit and is going to be the hostess that night. Georgia is going to sit, front and center, all night as folks honor her with country and western music. Just before the break, the owner’s going to bring out a cake, and we will all sing Happy Birthday.”

“This is going to be a blast! I need to figure out what I’m going to sing.

“I have a suggestion.”

“What?”

“Marry Me.”

“I’d love to, but…”

“I’d love that too, but what I meant was the Thomas Rhett song Marry Me. You’ve got the voice for it.”

Cody grabbed his phone and started searching.

“It’s on the NAS,” I said.

“Oh, cool. He quickly found the song on the file server and got it playing.”

A little over three minutes later he looked at me and said, “It’s a bit depressing, but I can cover that, and it sounds great.”

“The video is really cool.”

“Oh?”

Again, Cody did some swiping, and soon the video was playing. After it finished, he looked at me, and I noticed tears in his eyes.

“She loved him and couldn’t go through with it.”

“Yup. Really hit you, huh?”

“Yeah.”

He started sobbing. I pulled him into my arms and said, “It’s okay.”

Cody took a couple of deep breaths and said, “The day after Luke came back over, he told me you and he were dating again. I was crushed. I thought I’d lost you both.”

“But you came over, and we kept dating.”

“It was still rough.”

“I can understand why it was a rough time.”

“I’ve talked with Andi about that so much.”

“Oh?”

“I’m in a good spot now. But then… then, I loved Luke. I was falling in love with you. Most importantly, I thought it was becoming a competition.”

“What?”

“I didn’t want to lose either of you. Even though you were still dating me. I mean, if you chose Luke and he chose you. It was making me seriously mental.”

“I’m glad it worked out the way it did.”

“Did we freak you out?”

“Damn right you did. I’ll admit I was in love with both of you. I’ll admit I didn’t want to choose. In fact, I’d told Darryl and Phil I couldn’t choose. Then you two sandwiched me in the kitchen and told me I’d be in the middle. My mind exploded.”

“Exploded?”

“I was ecstatic that I didn’t have to choose. I was overwhelmed with the thought of making a relationship with not one but two work. Remember, I was one of the first gay divorcees.”

“I’d never thought of that.”

“It’s been a topsy-turvy three years, but I’m a much happier man!”

Cody got a huge smile on his face.

“What’s that husband of ours doing?” Cody asked.

“He was trying to figure out what to wear tomorrow,” I said. “He’s got some big presentation.”

“Should we go help him?”

“Sure.”

* * *

After we sat down on the train, Luke looked at me and asked, “What are you singing tonight?”

“Willing to sing with me?”

“Huh? What? We haven’t practiced.”

“It’s not a competition night. I was thinking we could do Lady.”

“Austin Mahone and Pitbull? Oh. Me doing the rap.”

“Unless you want to do the lead vocals, then I could do the rap.”

“Umm… no! How would this work?”

“Well, I’m definitely an octave lower than Austin, and you’d be deeper than Pitbull.”

“Could be fun. I’ll listen to it at work when I have time.”

“Cool.”

“I should have asked to work from home tomorrow.”

“Why, and why can’t you ask today?”

“Why, so I could have a four-day weekend without the commute. Yes, I’d be working, but still extra hours back in my life. Why can’t I do it today? Because all requests were due at close of business yesterday to Persis.”

“What time does she come in?”

“Nine.”

“Send it now. Maybe she will let you. For a lot of managers, close of business is really the start of business the next day.”

“Smart man,” he said. He pulled out his phone and sent an email. “Anything big at work today?”

“Not really. Oh, did you give Cody any suggestions about what you want for Christmas?”

“Yes, I did. He has my full list.”

“Cool, I will get some ideas from him then.”

“It’s an easy list. Sex, cuddling, snuggling, more sex.”

I had to laugh at that.

“Meet you at the station at the usual time?” I asked.

“Sure. Regular place for dinner?”

“Unless you have some other idea that you’d prefer.”

“Let me think. I’ll make a reservation.”

“Super. Thanks!”

I realized it was time to grab my stuff, so I stood and organized myself. I leaned over, kissed Luke, and said, “Love you.”

“Love you too. Have a great day.”

I got off the train and walked to the office. For early November, it was pretty pleasant outside. I was in a chipper mood when I got to the office. There was a note stuck to my monitor. I pulled it off and read it. ‘See me ASAP, L’

I put my stuff down and walked to Lucinda’s office.

“Good morning,” I said. I could tell my chipper mood was not matched by the look on her face.

“Good morning. It’s going to be a good morning.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Jian’s mother passed away overnight, and he is packing to fly home.”

“Okay. We have Amalie to cover, and I can sit with her while the release goes in tomorrow night.”

The look of relief on Lucinda’s face was obvious.

“Has the schedule for the outage been published?”

“Yes. We indicated that we’d be shutting down at nine Eastern since it is a big release.”

“Great, so I’ll work a normal schedule tomorrow. Amalie can come in at, say, seven, and we’ll get everything ready. We should have everything pushed and the testers online by two. She and I can head for home, and I’ll get everything back online from home around seven a.m.”

“That sounds great. How can I thank you?”

“Well, I’ll work about seven or eight hours with Amalie. Would me taking Veterans Day off be okay?”

“Yes! That’s a deal!”

“Super. Anything else?”

“Nope. You’re a lifesaver, again.”

“I’ve said it before. I’m happier now than I have ever been.”

Lucinda gave me a big smile.

I got back to my desk and got things set up in time for the SCRUM. I grabbed my phone and sent a group message to Luke and Cody letting them know that I’d be working Friday night but off on Veterans Day.

I got messages back, but nothing other than understanding.

The rest of the day went smoothly, and I got to the METRO a bit earlier than I’d originally planned. I got to the corner and waited a bit before Luke joined me.

As we started walking toward the restaurant, he asked, “What’s with you working so late?”

“Jian’s mom died, and he’s on his way to China. Amalie hasn’t done a full release on her own.”

“So, you’re helping.”

“Yes. I did a mid-sized release the last time Jian had to fly to China.”

“Another funeral?”

“His mom was sick.”

“Hard to lose a parent, I’m sure.”

“Yes, he and I spoke about it when he returned after she was sick. She wasn’t all that old. Jian is thirty-three and the youngest of five siblings. As I recall, she would be seventy-two or three.”

“Wow. Mom will be fifty-six when I’m thirty-three.”

“My mom would have been fifty-five.”

“What will you be doing?”

“I hope very little. Amalie should be doing it all. She hasn’t done this on her own, so I’m going to be there for moral and general support if there’s an issue.”

“Nice of you.”

At that point, we made it to the restaurant. The usual host waved us forward and said, “Gentlemen, your partner is already at the table.”

“Thanks,” Luke responded.

He led us to the table, handed us menus, and departed.

“How was your day?” I asked Cody.

“Not too bad, better than yours will be tomorrow.”

“Well, as I explained to Luke, Amalie will need help with Jian having to leave for his mom’s funeral.”

“Sorry to hear that she has passed. I don’t remember Amalie.”

“She’s relatively new. After Katie quit, there was Johann and then Tyler.”

“Johann, I remember,” Cody said. “High turnover.”

“Yep. That’s Greta’s area. When we discussed it, it was a mix.”

“What do you mean?” Luke asked.

“Katie couldn’t handle the schedule; too many weekends and evenings. Johann was on a work visa and went back to Sweden. Tyler got a better offer from what I heard. There may be a concern, but I’ll leave it to Greta. I think Jian is a bit regimented in how he wants things done as well.”

“Going to be a long day,” Luke said.

“Yep. I’ll take a Lyft home. Plus, I get Veterans Day off.”

“Oh, wow. Lucky,” Cody said.

The waiter appeared and asked, “Ready to order?”

“Shrimp and grits, hold the velouté, and a diet Coke,” I said.

“Hot chicken and waffles, please,” Cody said.

“I’m going to do the shrimp and grits but with a Coke,” Luke said.

“Oh, sorry, Coke for me as well,” Cody said.

“Anything else?” the waiter asked.

We all shook our heads.

“Plans for tonight?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m doing Moonlight Dancing.”

“The Divine Miss M,” I said.

“Huh?”

“Bette Midler is often called the Divine Miss M. It was the name of her first album, and I guess it stuck. I did that song a few years back.”

“Oh, maybe I should change,” Cody said.

“Why? It wasn’t like you did it before. You weren’t there.”

“True. What are you doing?”

“We’re doing Lady,” Luke responded. “I’ve got the Pitbull part.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less.”

After dinner, we walked over to the club headed toward ‘our’ table. As with many of the regular groups, we had a preferred table. Once in a while, like tonight, a group of non-regulars was sitting at our table. I was looking for another option when I saw Darryl waving.

“Thanks for snagging a spot for us,” Cody said as we sat down.

“Those interlopers,” Darryl said with a laugh. “How dare they!”

We all chuckled at that. A few moments later, Luke walked up with our drinks.

“Percy said they were just here for dinner, but you never know.”

“No worries, either way. I kinda like it back here,” Darryl said. “Oh, there’s Phil.”

We all waved and got his attention.

“Slumming tonight,” Phil said.

“Eh, it’s not a bad table,” Darryl said.

Phil gave a little laugh.

A short time later, the rest of the gang arrived, and soon after, Georgia got the evening started. It was just after the break that she took the stage and said, “I always say it’s a treat when either of our next pairing performs. Coulter’s my country guy, usually. Luke, he’s a basso profundo who also has many other talents. Tonight, they are teaming up on Austin Mahone and Pitbull’s Lady.”

We got up on the stage, she started the music, and Luke started, “This is for the beautiful girls around the world.”

I got us through the first verse and the chorus, then Luke took over with the second verse. He was really hamming it up as he got into the rap.

I came in on the chorus, which was originally sung by Austin; however, Luke sang with me. His deep bass added a great depth to the song.

When we finished, we got a great round of applause. Georgia joined us on stage and said, “I told y’all that this was going to be good.”

As Luke and I got to the table, I pulled him into a hug. I sat, and he plopped down into my lap. I looked over at Cody, and he smiled. He tapped his phone, and I gave him an inquisitive look.

“Video,” he mouthed.

I smiled.

* * *

“Ready to hit this thing?” I asked Amalie.

“Yes. Thanks for helping me out. I was surprised it was you and not Greta.”

“While Greta’s the manager, I don’t think she has a lot of experience with the tools. I had some before I started here. The last time Jian had an emergency, he gave me a crash course before departure, and I did the updates.”

“Well, I appreciate the support.”

“Do you have the packages staged?”

“Not yet; I’m configuring things now.”

“Let me know how I can help. I don’t want to interfere.”

She gave me a big grin and said, “I’m glad there are no OS updates tonight.”

“Agreed, but it is a big release.”

“I’d like to learn more about the system. Understand it more than just pushing packages.”

“We can arrange that.”

“Oh?”

“Sure, there’s no reason that you can’t understand things. I would think it would make the CM job easier to manage.”

“That’s why I’ve been asking.”

Her comment made me wonder a bit.

“How are you liking things?”

“I like the company a lot. I’m learning and growing. It seems like a good place to be.”

“I think so.”

“Are you one of the original folks?”

“No. I started later.”

“You’re one of the managers, though.”

“I came with a level of experience from my last job. More than fifteen years in the industry helps.”

“Wait, you can’t have that much experience. Someone said you had gotten your master’s.”

“I did my undergraduate and graduate studies at GMU. I graduated in 1999 and 2001.”

“Wait, that would make you…”

“I’m coming up on my forty-third birthday.”

“I certainly missed on guessing your age. I was about ten years under.”

“Thanks!”

She got focused on the loads, and I kept quiet. At eight-thirty she sent the reminder message that the system would be going down in thirty minutes. At nine, she sent the notice that the system would be down until nine the next morning.

I noticed she was about to start the system shutdown; I reminded her, saying, “Check to see if anyone’s logged in.”

“Oops… Thanks. Where’s my checklist?”

She pulled out her checklist and started moving along methodically.

“There are three people still in the system.”

“Idle?”

“Two have been idle for more than twenty-four hours. The third appears to still be active.”

“Send a direct message warning the active one to save and log out. I’ll deal with the other two.”

I closed out the two users’ sessions while she messaged the third.

“I wish they could respond,” she said.

“Propose it as a user story. It might not be robust, but some sort of response may be helpful.”

“Oh. Wow. Cool. And the user just logged out.”

“Good.”

“Back to my checklist.”

She started following her procedures, asking a question from time to time. After one of the bigger pushes started, she said, “You mentioned I could work to learn the system.”

“Of course. Lucinda and all the management team want everyone to have a chance to grow. An engaged staff that sees a future is a huge plus for us.”

“I didn’t think I could.”

“Sorry you got that impression. In your early days, the focus should be on learning your job. Once you have the basics down, it’s time to grow a bit.”

“Thanks!”

I made a mental note to talk with Greta.

It was a little after one when she had everything set. She turned to me and said, “Thank you so much. I feel like I accomplished a lot!”

“You did, and I’ll make sure both Jian and Greta know. Let’s notify the testers and head for home. I’ll put the system in production mode after the testers are done.”

“You won’t be sound asleep?”

“I’ll be up around six no matter what time I go to sleep.”

“That’s no fun.”

“Just the way my body works, unfortunately.”

She used her phone to signal for a ride.

“How are you getting home?”

“I’ll call for a ride in a few minutes. I want to make sure you are picked up before I leave.”

“That’s sweet of you.” She looked at her phone and said, “I should have a car here in five minutes.”

With that, I used the app to request a car.

“Ten minutes,” I said.

“You didn’t have to wait for me.”

“Yes, I did.”

She grinned again. Soon, Amalie took off for home, and shortly after that, I was headed west. Getting home, I stripped off my clothing in one of the other bedrooms and used the guest bathroom to freshen up a bit. I went quietly into the bedroom and found Cody holding Luke. I slipped in on the other side and snuggled my nuts to Cody’s butt. He made a small noise, and I drifted off to sleep.

As I’d told Amalie, I was awake at six. Both my guys were still asleep, and I debated what to do. My body screamed coffee, so I slipped out of bed and headed for the kitchen.

I’d taken my first sip of coffee when Cody walked in. I said, “Good morning. Water’s hot, and two more presses are ready.”

“Why are you up? Or should I say, why haven’t you gone back to sleep?”

“By now you should know how my body works.”

“Yeah. No. No. Bad body.”

“I thought you loved my body.”

“I do, but it is very naughty once in a while. How’d your evening go?”

“Very good. Amalie is a huge asset to the company.”

“That’s great.”

“I just need to make sure she sticks around.”

“Concerns?”

“Yes, but nothing too big. She wants to learn and grow. I want to make sure she can.”

“Cool.”

“How was your evening?”

“We worked out, ate leftovers, watched some TV, and then curled up and slept. Overall, a great night.”

“I need to log in and check for reports from the testers. Hopefully, I can bring the system online.”

“Okay. I’ll get started on breakfast.”

I walked to my office space and logged in. The testers were done, so I ensured the system was online. I posted a message that all services were available and a link to the changes that were implemented in the release.

With that I returned to the kitchen and asked, “What can I do to help?”

“I have the batter just about ready. Why don’t you work on the meat?”

I walked up behind Cody and groped him.

“That’s not for breakfast,” he said.

“It could be if we went back to bed.”

“And wake up Luke?”

“Eh, yeah, not a good idea. It will be the after-breakfast meat.”

That made Cody laugh. We had just finished getting things ready when Luke walked into the kitchen.

“Morning,” he said.

“Good morning,” I replied. “Coffee’s ready.”

“Thanks. My day needs a jolt to start.”

“We can get stronger,” I said.

“No. This is perfect. Can I help?”

“Pancake batter is waiting for you. Bacon should be done shortly. I think we’re good,” Cody said.

“I’ll grab plates. Dining room or den?”

“Either,” I said.

“We’re going to eat and then have some fun,” Cody explained.

“Oh?” Luke said. “What do you have in mind?”

“Um. Sex,” Cody said.

“I’m down with that,” Luke agreed. “I’d be happy with sex or this, um, sex.”

Cody and I both laughed at that. We ate breakfast and then cleaned up. Luke looked at Cody and me and said, “So, where are we doing this um, sex thingy?”

“Bedroom,” I said.

“Works,” Cody replied.

As I walked towards the bedroom, I started removing my tee shirt. We were all naked and, on the bed, quickly.

“So how does this ‘um, sex’ go?” Luke asked with a laugh.

“Well, first, we ‘um’ get you on all fours. Coulter will ‘um’ eat your ass getting it ready to ‘um’ fuck. In the meantime, I’ll ‘um’ fuck your face.” Cody explained.

We all laughed a bit, but Luke got into position, and we were off with ‘um’ sex.

* * *

Sunday morning, I was up at six. I got the kettle going and fixed three coffee presses. I was just pouring my mug of coffee when both Luke and Cody walked in.

“Morning and a pleasant surprise,” I said. I took a sip of my coffee and started pouring water into the other presses.

“The corruption of Luke continues,” Cody said, followed by a little chuckle.

“I’m fully corrupted,” Luke admitted. “Five days a week, I’m up at some awful time, and now I’m waking up at similar times on the weekend.”

“You’re becoming a morning person,” I said.

“Ugh. Yeah. COFFEE! Now!”

“It’s ready,” Cody said.

Each of us had a mug in hand, and we moved into the den and curled up on the sofa.

“This is worth getting up early,” Luke said. He snuggled into my chest a bit more and pulled Cody closer to him on his other side. “Comfy time with both my guys.”

“It is very pleasant,” I agreed.

“Plans for today?” Cody asked.

“Nothing definitive, but I think we should do some grocery shopping,” Luke said.

“I could do that tomorrow if there’s something more fun either of you would like to do.”

“Eh, fifties and a bit of wind today. I mean, we could go somewhere historic or to a museum, but meh,” Cody said.

“Why don’t we do the circuit today?” Luke said.

“Huh?” Cody grunted.

“Basics at Aldi, vegetables at H-Mart, and meats at Walmart.”

“We could do Costco if you want,” I said.

“Nah. We’d have to get ready and be there early. I don’t like fighting the crowds,” Luke said.

“Fair enough,” Cody said. “I think the list is up-to-date.”

“We have a plan,” Luke said. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Diner? Then hit the stores?”

“Works. So, no cooking means more snuggle time,” Luke said.

“He’s hard to argue with,” Cody added. With that, he snuggled closer to Luke.

I had my arm around Luke, and his head was resting on my pec. I was only wearing boxers, so the warmth shared between us was nice. Honestly, I felt overdressed as both Luke and Cody were naked. It was funny to me that my family had adopted my more rebellious tendency. No, we weren’t nudists, but on weekend mornings we weren’t quick to get dressed either.

“Either of you want a throw?” I asked.

“We’re generating enough heat today,” Cody said. “We need to get them out and have them available. Things are only getting cooler.”

“This is the best,” Luke cooed.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Cody said.

“Amen!” I concurred.

We lay there just enjoying shared time. Finally, I heard a stomach growl.

“And with that, we need to get cleaned up,” Cody said.

“Nooooo…” Luke said.

“It was your stomach that growled,” Cody said. “We’ve got to feed it.”

With that, Cody stood up and offered his hand to Luke. After helping Luke up, they both offered me hands to help me stand.

“I’ll get cleaned up,” Luke said as the three of us entered our bedroom.

“Help me get the bed made,” I said to Cody.

We made short work of the bed. Cody started getting his clothes out while I went into the bathroom to shave.

“You could have showered with me,” Luke said.

“We need to feed you,” I said with a chuckle.

Cody showed up about the time Luke was finishing up.

“Nope. Nope. Nope,” Luke said.

“What?” Cody asked.

“You stay out of that shower. My husband’s in it.”

“If we shower together, we’ll feed you faster,” Cody said.

“No getting busy with my husband,” Luke said with mock fury.

I was already in the shower at this point, and Luke kept blocking Cody’s access. Finally, he stopped, pulled Cody into an embrace, and kissed him deeply. He then swatted Cody’s ass and pushed him toward the shower.

“I guess I can wash your back,” Cody said as he stepped in.

“That would be nice.”

Cody soaped up his washcloth and started on my back. Once he was done, I pivoted and did his.

“You should rinse off and get out,” Cody said. He used his head to point.

“We are being watched,” I said. We both laughed.

Cody reached up and diverted the water. I reached out and grabbed my towel. I stepped out, and Luke cracked up laughing.

“What?”

“You two, taking me seriously!”

“We need to feed you,” I said.

“Thanks!”

The three of us finished getting ready and headed up. After the diner, we drove over to Aldi and started our shopping. We’d gotten through the first row and were turning onto the section when Cody exclaimed, “Cheese!”

“You don’t have a camera,” Luke said.

“Har har. We need cheese. Plus, there are some I want.”

“Anything special?” I asked.

“Smoked Gouda, some sliced Gouda for sandwiches, oooh, this English cheddar looks good.”

“Look at this olive mix,” Luke said.

“Put it in the cart,” I said. “Also grab one of those Bries.”

“They have one in a box, one wrapped in paper, and a goat’s milk,” Luke said.

“Whichever floats your boat,” I said. “Got everything?”

Cody nodded his head. I started pushing the cart down the next aisle.

“We need pasta,” Cody said.

“What do you want?” Luke asked.

“Spaghetti and rigatoni would be good,” I said.

Luke moved to grab some. I said, “Get the Priano.”

“What’s the diff?” he asked.

“The Reggano is like Muellers. The Priano is a bronze die cut and better quality.”

“Oh, okay. You can explain that more later,” Luke said.

We moved along the aisle, and Cody called out what we needed; Luke would grab the product and place it in the cart, and I pushed the cart.

“We need mayo,” Cody called out.

“Duke’s,” I said.

“That one I knew,” Luke said.

We kept moving. As we rounded the end of the aisle, Cody called out, “Time for the aisle of shame.”

“Christmas stuff,” Luke said.

“The lanterns are cute,” Cody said. “They also have some cast iron cookware.”

I stood there and let the guys browse.

“Nothing catching your eyes?” Cody asked me.

“Not really. What about you?”

“I really like the lanterns,” Cody said.

“Do you want to get any?” I asked.

“You didn’t seem interested.”

“And that stops you, why?”

“Okay. Next question. How could they be used?”

“Would they work with those candles?” Luke asked.

“Might,” I admitted. “But I think something shorter would be better. As to how to use them. One, you could set them on the front stoop either in a line or in a cluster. Two, you could get some short shepherd’s hook poles and hang them along the walk. Three, you could cluster them in a corner in the foyer or on a table.”

“Okay, lots of options,” Cody said. “What do you think?”

“They are nice. We’d need to find candles for them,” Luke replied.

“I’m sure we can find something. There are a lot of lights we could use that have sensors.”

“Sensors?” Cody asked.

“Yes. Would turn on at dark and off at first light.”

“Cool.”

Cody started sorting through the different lanterns and finally picked a few and put them in our cart. We moved on with our shopping.

Once finished, we checked out, bagged our stuff, and loaded the Jeep. Cody was in the driver’s seat, and he turned and asked, “H-Mart or Walmart?”

“H-Mart, I think. It’s not too hot, but I’d rather leave fruits and vegetables in the Jeep while we get what we need from Walmart.”

“Fair enough,” he replied.

He moved us on to the next store.

As we walked into the store, Luke stopped and looked at one of the first produce items. He said, “I don’t think I’ve ever had an Asian pear.”

“They are great in salads,” I explained. “Firm and crisp like an apple, they hold up well.”

“Cool,” he said. He grabbed a bag and put a couple in.

“What are you planning for meals?” Cody asked.

“I was thinking a stir-fry. Let’s grab some baby bok choy.”

“I could do an Asian-inspired slaw,” Cody offered. “Maybe radish, carrot, red cabbage.”

“Daikon radish would be best. You could add some scallions and diced peanuts.”

“Sounds yummy,” Luke said.

I looked over, and Cody was staring at his phone. He asked, “Do we have rice wine vinegar?”

“I don’t think so,” I replied.

“Need that, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.”

“We can get the vinegar and the ginger here. We have soy sauce and garlic.”

“Cool.”

After we picked up all the items we needed, Luke asked, “Can we walk through the rest of the store? I don’t think I’ve really explored it before.”

“Fine with me,” I said. “I usually just try to get into and out of a store. I don’t mind exploring.”

Cody nodded in agreement. Luke pushed the cart forward as we explored.

As we got to Walmart, Luke grabbed a cart and said, “Last store. What all do we need?”

“Beef, chicken, and pork,” I said.

We moved over to the coolers, and I started browsing.

“What do you want for the stir-fry?” Cody asked.

“Get three pounds of the beef Milanese.”

“That much stir-fry?” Luke asked.

“I figured I’d make braciole as well.”

“Yum!” Luke replied. “What about pork or chicken?”

“Options would be boneless chops or a big roast,” I said.

“I get the chops. What’s the roast?” Cody asked.

“Slow cook it, shred it when it’s done, use it in enchiladas or some other Tex-Mex item, BBQ sandwiches, and lots of options really.”

With that, Luke went over and found a large pork roast.

“What about chicken?” Cody asked.

“I prefer boneless breasts or tenderloins, but I’m open if you want something else.”

Cody walked over and grabbed some packages and placed them in the cart. He then asked, “Anything else?”

I turned to Luke and asked, “How are you on flour?”

“I should be good on all-purpose. There’s a backup bag in the pantry. I may be low on bread flour.”

Luke started pushing the cart, and we headed to the baking aisle.

When we got home, we all carried the first load of bags into the house. Cody started putting things away while Luke and I got the last of our purchases.

“Okay, that killed the morning. What would you like for lunch?” Cody asked.

“Loaded nachos?” Luke asked.

“Sounds good to me,” Cody said.

With that, we got started on Sunday lunch.

* * *

I was in the kitchen with my first mug of coffee, thinking about what to make for breakfast when Cody walked in and said, “Morning. Thanks for getting coffee ready. Any plans for your day off?”

“Hmmm… I was concentrating on what to make for breakfast. Beyond that, I’ll probably get the pork cooking, do some laundry, clean the gym, and shower, then read some.”

“It’s a day off. You should relax.”

“I will. Getting dinner ready isn’t hard. A bit of laundry and a bit of cleaning aren’t much.”

“Okay, I get it. You have your plans.”

I gave Cody a smile and said, “Do it now or do it later.”

“What about breakfast?”

“We bought those croissants. How about we stuff them with ham and cheese and bake them?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Luke joined us as the croissants came out of the oven.

“These are good,” he said between bites. “They would also work with a number of different cheeses.”

“We have more croissants, more ham, and lots of cheese to try.”

“Yum.”

“I’m going to work on the pork this morning. Would you prefer a more Tex-Mex flavor or a more Carolina barbeque style?” I asked.

“You can make that?” Luke asked.

“Sure, it’s just vinegar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper.”

“Would that prohibit making enchiladas or something like that?” Cody asked.

“Depends on how strong it comes out. Shredded, I can then sauce it for enchiladas. I don’t think it would overpower things.”

“All I can say is yum.” Luke added. “I haven’t had good Carolina barbeque in a long time.”

“Can’t get it at home?” I asked.

“There are places, but if I want the best stuff, I have to go into Carolina.”

“There’s a place over in Shirlington that imports it.”

“Huh?”

“They get it from some place in Eastern North Carolina.”

“Oh, man…”

“I hear a trip to Shirlington coming on,” Cody said with a laugh.

“Mine’s going to be okay. But it’s not going to get smoked.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Luke said.

Cody just nodded his head in agreement.

With breakfast out of the way, the guys started their working day, and I started prepping the pork for a long, slow cook. Next, I got a load of laundry started, and then I went down to clean the basement.

With all my chores out of the way, I grabbed a book, curled up on the sectional, and started reading. It was getting close to noon when I decided to take a break and fix lunch.

I grabbed a package of hot dogs and put them in a skillet. I added a can of beer and got them cooking. I grabbed a jar of sauerkraut and put some in a bowl. I diced part of an onion and put that in a small bowl. I grabbed the ketchup and mustard and set them out. We had some baked beans left over, so I pulled that out and threw it into the oven to heat.

“Something smells good,” Luke said as he joined me.

“Beer dogs and baked beans,” I explained.

“Beer dogs?”

“Instead of boiling them in water, you simmer them in a can of beer.”

“That sounds good. I’m going to have to exercise more.”

“That’s easy. More sex,” I replied.

“Oh lord, leave you two alone, and the conversation gets to sex,” Cody said as he joined us.

“Was just saying more sex would help Luke burn off the extra calories from my cooking.”

“Yeah, the Super Double Sex Fiend doesn’t need another reason for sex.”

“Man, you’ve been upgraded,” I said to Luke.

He just started laughing.

“Ready for lunch?” I asked.

“Yup. Getting drunk on hot dogs,” Luke said.

“Huh?” Cody grunted.

“I cooked the hot dogs in beer. Something my dad did from time to time when I was little.”

“Very cool,” Cody said.

“And no, you can’t get drunk on them. The cooking process gets rid of the alcohol.”

“Darn,” Luke said.

As we sat and ate our lunch, I asked, “How’s your day going?”

“Quiet,” Luke said. “I’m getting a lot done since things are slow.”

“Same,” Cody replied. “A lot of folks took today off since their spouse was off.”

“How’s your day been going?” Luke asked.

“I got all my morning chores out of the way. Before making lunch, I was reading. Now that the day’s warmed up, I have some outdoor chores. Then, I plan to read some more.”

“What are you reading?” Cody asked.

“I’m starting Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.”

“What’s it about?” Luke asked.

“The president’s son and a British prince have a feud. When they are forced to be friendly for political sake, they find they are more than friends. When I finish it, I’m going to start Artemis by Andy Weir.”

“Cool,” Cody said.

“What are your outdoor chores?” Luke asked.

“I’m going to leaf-blow the front yard and beds. I don’t want to pay a bagging fee with the lawn company.”

“Couldn’t they mulch it into the grass?” Cody asked.

“It’s so much; I don’t think it would work. The trees are about half bare at this point.”

“Oh,” Cody said.

“It shouldn’t take too long. Clear leaves and blow them back into the woods.”

“You said one time that you’re careful about what you add to the compost pile. Why?”

“Food scraps would attract critters. I don’t think that’s advisable. Invasive plants with seeds, like the stilt grass, I don’t want since the compost would spread the seeds. I should get a leaf shredder to make it easier, but I just use the pitchfork to stir the pile from time to time.”

“Cool,” Cody said. “I need to get back to work.”

“Same,” Luke concurred.

“I’ll clean up. Go work,” I said.

“Thanks.” They said in unison. They both kissed me and headed to their rooms.

I got the kitchen cleaned up. Did my leaf blowing, then grabbed my book and headed for the hammock. It was cool, so I brought a blanket just in case.

I guess I fell asleep, ‘cause the next thing I knew, Luke was waking me up.

“You looked awfully peaceful there,” he said. “I debated waking you, but it is getting cold out here. Plus, Cody’s got dinner going.”

“It was relaxing.”

I climbed out of the hammock and started folding the blanket. Luke grabbed the pillow and my book, and I headed towards the house. He looked at me and said, “Umm…”

“I want to wash the blanket and figured the pillow could run through the dryer.”

“Got it. How was the book?”

“I didn’t get very far before I fell asleep.”

“Well, knowing you, it won’t take long,” he said with a chuckle.

When we got to the kitchen, it smelled good.

“What are you making?” I asked. “And how can I help?”

“I’ve got the sauce going in one pot. I’m cooking some sausage. I have a pot of water going for pasta. How about making a salad?”

“Deal,” I said.

The three of us pulled dinner together pretty quickly and sat to eat.

“Back to commuting tomorrow,” Cody said.

“Yep,” I agreed.

“It’s not completely a bad thing,” Luke said. “You’ve made a friend. We have friends at work.”

“I enjoy the social nature of work,” I said.

Cody nodded his head. He looked thoughtful and said, “It’s not being at work. It’s the drive.”

“You just go down Braddock, up the beltway, and then Gallows. Correct?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“What about back roads?”

“Huh?”

“Get over to Route 236, then say Prosperity. Maybe there are some side roads?”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“After dinner, let’s see what we can map out,” I offered. “I remember one of the map apps taking me over the backroads one day when the beltway was screwed up.”

“Isn’t that every day?”

We all chuckled at that.

* * *

Tuesday morning after the SCRUM, Lucinda requested the managers meet her in the conference room.

“First, I want to thank all your teams for yet another successful release. Monday gave us a soft production test of the software, and it went flawlessly. Second, I’d like to give a special shout-out to Coulter for helping Amalie load the release into production.”

Before she could move on, Greta chimed in, “Hear, hear.”

“I didn’t do much,” I said.

“Amalie said your support got her through the night. I will also say she is writing up a user story for a future release.”

“Any idea what it is?” Lucinda asked.

“Something about user communication,” Greta explained.

“She would like something that allows for some form of two-way communication,” I said.

“What?” Ravi said.

“We had an active user on Friday night. While she kept sending the canned log-off message, she thought it would be good to be able to get a response.”

“When the story arrives, we can evaluate it,” Lucinda said.

I looked at Greta and felt she had an odd look on her face.

“Now to the main reason for the meeting. My thanks to all of you and your teams for helping us successfully land our largest customer yet. I’d like a team set up to go to Johnson City, Tennessee, the week after Thanksgiving.”

“I know, my turn,” Ravi said.

“I’ll give you my A team for the trip,” I said.

Lucinda looked at us both a bit funny.

“He took the last two trips and trained my folks. I’m going to do this one.”

She nodded her head in agreement. With that, she got into the full details of the new customer.

After the meeting, Greta cornered me and said, “I’m thinking there was more to Friday evening than a user story.”

“We had a great night, and I got to know one of your employees well.”

“Is it really your story?”

“Not at all. She stated her idea, and I encouraged her to write it.”

“You’re holding back on me. We’ve worked together too long.”

“My sense is she feels isolated and limited. She wants to learn and grow. I told her she could learn, and we encouraged that. She seemed surprised.”

“Got it. I know there are some areas for improvement. I need to work on them.”

“Any organization has them. As long as you are aware and growing…”

She nodded her head.

“Thanks. I needed a push,” she said.

“I think Amalie is a great asset.”

Greta gave me a smile.

* * *

As he joined me in the kitchen, I asked Cody, “How was your day?”

“Great. I got a lot done. I ate lunch with Chris. He invited me to go with him to yoga.”

“I didn’t know he did yoga. Are you interested?”

“I am,” he replied.

I guess I had a look on my face. He asked, “What’s that look for?”

“It wasn’t a bad look. I was just thinking about yoga. I don’t know much about it. I’ve heard about hot yoga and power yoga.”

“Chris does yin yoga.”

“Okay, what’s that?”

“It’s slower, more meditative, and you hold the poses longer. It’s not about cardio; it’s about flexibility, stretching, loosening muscles, and getting your mind clear and focused. His comment was he started it to ensure he was as flexible at sixty as he was at thirty. Oh, and it also helps with balance.”

“When are you doing it?”

“He does it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after work.”

“Cool. Are you going all three evenings?”

“I was thinking about it. But I wanted to talk with you and Luke.”

“Remember the our time and your time discussion.”

“I know. I was more thinking this might be a we time or maybe two of us.”

“How do you get started?

“Show up, pay, learn. Chris said it was easy. He explained that the yogi says the name of the move and then explains it each time.”

“So, it’s always entry-level friendly.”

“Cool.”

“Are you interested?”

“Some, but it’s a commitment.”

“What do you mean?”

“We do karaoke on Thursdays. That’s a commitment that takes a night out of our week. If I start this, it’s another commitment. Where’s the place?”

“It’s in downtown.”

“So, two or three miles. One hour?”

“Yep.”

“An hour and a half or so each night.”

“You are so analytical,” he said.

“I guess I am.”

“I wouldn’t want to do it three nights a week, but I’d be willing to start. I want to see how it complements or replaces my workouts.”

“Cool.”

“Are you going to talk to Luke?”

“Yep. I was working on my delivery with you.”

I had to chuckle at that.

“What’s so funny?” Luke asked as he joined us.

“I was talking to Coulter about doing yoga.”

“Eating yogurt?” Luke asked and laughed.

“Funny, har har. Chris and I were talking at lunch today, and he explained he does yoga. He asked if I would join him.”

“Sure, why not.”

“Cool. Wednesday work for both of you?”

We both nodded our heads.

* * *

“Where do we park?” Luke asked.

“Chris said the parking garage was the best.”

“Cool.”

Luke found a parking space, and we headed for the space.

“I hope my outfit is okay,” Luke said.

“We’re wearing essentially the same thing,” Cody said.

“That’s why I was saying…” Luke replied.

Cody lightly smacked Luke on the back of the head.

“Ow! Coulter, Cody’s hitting me!”

“He was picking on me!”

“Both of you behave, or I’ll take you both over my knees and spank you,” I said.

They both turned and looked at me, hands on hips, and said, “Threaten me with a good time!”

I burst into laughter. After I recovered, I said, “Yoga first, then discipline if needed.”

They both laughed. We walked into the place and saw Chris standing at the front counter.

“Guys, thanks for coming!”

“Thanks for the invite,” Cody said.

“Sign in on the sheet. Paying separately or together,” the lady behind the counter explained.

“They will need mats,” Chris said.

“Together,” Cody said. He pulled out his credit card and handed it to her.

Cody looked at me, and I smiled. I was happy he was able to contribute, something that had been of concern for so long.

Chris came closer and said, “If you do get into this, you’ll need to buy mats. Plus, with you and Cody, you’ll need longer mats than most places have.”

“Okay,” I said.

“You’ll understand as we get started,” Chris said.

“It won’t be the first time something doesn’t fit my height,” I said. “And you’re a few inches taller than me.”

We went into the studio, and Chris pointed to an open area. He showed us how to set up our space and prepare. A short while later, the yogi walked in and took his position.

“Welcome! I know we have a number of newcomers today. Please try. Some positions may be too advanced; do what you can and then stop. I’ll be walking through the space. I can assist you in getting the position with gentle touches. If you do not want to be touched, please raise your hand.”

I looked around, and two people had their hands up.

“Let’s get started,” he said.

Chris sat down on the mat, so we followed. He then lay down, and I realized what he meant about buying a mat. His was much longer and seemed to fit him. For Cody and me, our feet were hanging off the mat by a bit.

We mimicked Chris’ position, and the yogi said, “Let’s begin our practice. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.”

I guess we did about twenty poses. Each held for several minutes. When the session ended, we were sitting cross-legged, and the yogi gave his final remarks. I noticed that everyone was very quiet in the studio and then saw Chris put his finger to his lips. He nodded toward the door. We collected our items and left.

Once in the lobby, Chris asked, “What did you think?”

“That’s a workout,” Luke said. “I used muscles I don’t normally use.”

“I’ve found that my posture is better, my flexibility is better, and my balance is better,” Chris said.

“I don’t want to give up my strength conditioning, but I do see where this would be a good addition to my workout program,” I said.

“The pigeon thing was a bear,” Cody said. “Getting your leg tucked up under you and then stretching out was tough.”

“That’s one of the modifications of the pigeon pose,” Chris explained. “You can do it with your torso elevated, lying out, and still more mods.”

“Lots to learn,” Cody said.

“Thanks for inviting us,” I said.

“Glad to have you join. Josh tried it, and it wasn’t for him.”

“You two will have to join us at karaoke sometime,” Cody said.

“I don’t have the voice for that,” Chris said.

“There’s usually a big group at our table. Lots of fun, lots of friends, but not all sing,” I explained.

“Do all three of you sing?”

“Coulter and I every time. Luke once in a blue moon,” Cody explained.

“I honestly don’t know if Josh can sing or not.”

“Well, one Thursday night, if you’re interested, join us,” I said.

“Time to get home and get dinner,” Luke said.

“Night,” Chris said.

With that we headed to the car. Once Luke had us going, he asked, “Honest opinions?”

“I stick with what I told Chris. I don’t want to give up my strength training, but I can see a real advantage to adding this to my routine.”

“I enjoyed it,” Cody said. “I’d like a longer mat.”

“Three positive experiences then. The mat was plenty long!”

“Ask Chris where he got his,” I said to Cody.

“Will do.”

As we drove home, we discussed the different poses and how easy or difficult they were for each of us. It was interesting to find both similarities and differences in viewpoint.

“Ideas for dinner?” Luke asked.

“Something easy,” Cody said. “I’m hungry.”

“Refrigerator surprise?” I asked.

“Sure,” Luke said.

With that, he started pulling containers out of the fridge. Once we each had a plate of food in front of us, we ate.

“Anything exciting at work today?” Cody asked.

“Not really,” I replied.

Luke shook his head.

“Me either,” Cody said.

“Ideas for after dinner?” Luke asked.

“TV, read, sex?” Cody said.

“Read about sex on TV?” Luke asked with a laugh.

“Yeah, no.” Cody replied.

“How about we just go have some fun?” I said.

“Is sex on a full stomach safe?” Luke said.

“Hey, if you don’t want to partake, you can read about sex on TV,” Cody replied.

“Partake! I’m going to partake!”

I started chuckling.

I glanced at Cody and Luke after cleaning up and eating dinner. Cody grinned and cocked his head toward the bedroom.

I wrapped my arm around Luke and pulled him with me as I made my way to the door. We were all three less hurried than usual. After taking off our clothes, we crawled into the bed.

Sex is always good with my guys, but it’s the feelings I get when they are snuggled in close with me that are the best. Luke was on my left and Cody on my right. The three of us caressed, touched, held, and otherwise enjoyed being close, being intimate.

I would kiss Luke, then turn and kiss Cody. From time to time, Cody and Luke would lean across me and kiss. On one of their lean-overs, I pulled them down, and we started a three-way kiss.

Our intimate time continued for a while. It was clear we were all impacted – my dick was hard and sticking up. Cody’s and Luke’s cocks were rubbing against my legs. I said, “Time to do something about all this wood.”

“Triangle?” Cody asked.

“Good start,” Luke replied. “But I want fucked!”

We moved into a triangle, me sucking Cody, who was sucking Luke, who was sucking me. With three, the traditional sixty-nine just didn’t work. After a bit, Cody pulled off me and said, “Switch.”

We flipped, and I was sucking Luke. Knowing he wanted to be fucked, I got one of my fingers wet and started playing with his hole. He moaned around Cody’s cock. I kept lubing up my finger until it was sliding in easily. Once I had him good with one, I started working on a second finger.

Finally, Luke said, “Time for me to get fucked. Seriously, fuck me!”

Luke rolled over onto all fours. I looked at Cody, and he shrugged. I moved behind Luke and slid in all the way.

“That’s it. Fuck me,” Luke urged.

Cody slipped in under Luke, and the two of them sixty-nined while I fucked Luke. Luke’s ass was gripping me well, but I had him going too. I found his prostate and pounded it for a good bit. As I started getting close, I decided to extend things. I stopped and said, “Switch.”

Cody shimmied out from under Luke and took my place. I moved around and started fucking Luke’s throat.

Cody was showing off all his skills. He was working Luke’s hole hard. From the grunts Luke was making around my dick, he was enjoying it.

“Fuck, I’m going to cum,” Cody said.

Cody thrust a few more times and then buried into Luke’s ass. From the noises he made, it was clear he was putting a big load into Luke’s hole. He collapsed on Luke’s back.

I pulled out of Luke’s mouth, and he immediately said, “Get back to fucking me.”

Cody rolled off Luke. I helped Luke flip onto his back, then pushed his knees up to his chest. I slid my cock into his cum-filled hole.

“This isn’t going to take long,” Luke warned.

I started fucking him hard. As he’d warned, it wasn’t too many minutes until I was shooting into him and he was coating his chest.

* * *

It was just after lunch when my phone chirped. Not being in the middle of anything, I picked it up. ‘Catharsis tonight’ the text from Cody.

‘What’s up?’ I responded.

‘Freddie/Devine caught now ex cheating per Ginger’

‘Sad. I’ll pick an appropriate song.’

‘Knew you would! Luv U’

‘Love you too’

As I got back to work, I thought about Freddie and what I could sing. I remembered a song that had come out during the summer and wondered if it would be available as a karaoke version yet. I did some searching and found it. Set for the evening, I got back to work.

We were eating at the club tonight, so I joined the guys at the table. After placing my order, Cody looked at me and asked, “What are you doing?”

“That new song by Gabby Barrett called I Hope. What about you?”

“I’m doing Before He Cheats,” Cody explained. “Casey and I were texting about songs. He’s doing These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”

We were just about done eating when I saw Ginger, Devine, Grace, and Pheobe enter. I stood and said to my guys, “Excuse me a moment.”

I walked over, and Devine looked at me. Before she could say anything, I put my arms out, and she fell into a hug. She started crying. As the sobs subsided, she said, “Of all the people in my life, you understand exactly what I saw. Exactly what I’m going through.”

“I’m saddened that this happened to you. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy, let alone a friend. If you need to talk, call me.”

“Thank you, that means a lot!”

“I went through a lot after it all happened. Everyone’s path is different, but I’m willing to talk about options and potential paths.”

She gave me a peck on the cheek and said, “Your ex must have been a piece of work. You are the most considerate, sweetest guy.”

“Thanks. If you four would like to join us, we can string another table together.”

“Party!” Ginger screeched.

“Add another table to ours,” I said to Luke and Cody.

We got things settled, and our regular crew started arriving. A short while later, Georgia got on the stage and announced, “Time to sign up, folks. We have a request for catharsis tonight, and the theme is cheating, so if you want to participate, choose your favorite, or I have a list. The catharsis will be the second half of the evening.”

The club was busy, and the sign-up line was long. When I got to Georgia, I noticed that there weren’t many signed up for the first half of the evening.

“Busy night,” I said.

“We’ll start catharsis early, I guess.”

“Ginger let Cody know. And he let Casey know, and the two of them let the regulars know. You’ve got a great extended family here,” I said.

“I do, don’t I? Watcha doing, honey?”

“I Hope,” I said. I handed her my memory stick.

“Looking forward to it. Do you mind?”

“Not at all; Devine knows; hell, most of the place knows. Plus, I didn’t do anything wrong.”

After only six songs, Georgia took the stage and announced, “Catharsis is the purifying or cleansing of emotions. Periodically, we host a cathartic session to help one of our family members. For the rest of the evening, please enjoy these songs meant to help cleanse emotions. Tonight’s healing session is about the end of a relationship and dealing with cheating. First up is Casey; he’s doing Geri Halliwell’s version of These Boots Are Made for Walkin’. Yes, it’s a Ginger Spice special!”

Casey really got into it, strutting around the stage, and hamming it up. While it was a cheating song, I watched him bring a huge smile to Devine’s face.

There were a few others called to the stage, then Georgia came to the stage and said, “Coulter’s influence on country songs keeps going. Here’s Cody doing Before He Cheats. Cody walked up to the stage and then stepped to the side a bit to talk to Georgia. The music started as Cody walked back to the center of the stage.

“Right now, he’s probably slow dancing with a bleach-blond tramp, and she’s probably getting’ frisky…” he sang.

He got through the first verse, and as the refrain started, he pulled out his keys and sang, “I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive…” His tone was, like Carrie Underwood’s, harsh to say the least. There was a lot of noise from the crowd. Some chuckling, some gasps. His words continued, “Carved my name into his leather seats…” He pivoted around, and Georgia handed him something. “I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights…” he sang as he swung the bat and then placed it across his shoulders. “Slashed a hole in all four tires. Maybe next time, he’ll think before he cheats.”

Cody kept the bat on his shoulders as he sang the second verse and chorus. As he got to the refrain, he used his left hand to pull the bat off his shoulders and patted it into his right hand. He sang, “I might have saved a little trouble for the next guy. ‘Cause the next time that he cheats, oh, you know it won’t be on me!’”

The crowd roared in support!

After he wrapped up the song, he stayed at the mic. As Georgia joined him on stage, he said, “I’m not advocating violence or the damage of another’s property. But it’s always nice to fantasize! Plus, I’m fortunate; I’ve never dealt with this.”

Georgia hugged Cody and shooed him off stage. “Next up is Coulter, and unlike Cody, he has dealt with this, and we held a wonderful catharsis for him. He’s got a fresh, new song for us tonight. Here’s I Hope.”

She walked off stage, and I grabbed a stool and positioned it on stage. Georgia dimmed the lights, leaving a lone, dim spotlight on me. The music started, and I sang, “I, I hope he makes you smile…” As I poured out the beautiful, wonderful hopes of the song, I felt my own emotions building. I was finishing up the first verse, singing, “I hope she’s wilder than your wildest dreams; she’s everything you’re ever gonna need… and then I hope she cheats, like you did on me, and then I hope she cheats, like you did on me.”

The song tore into my guts. It struck a nerve, and I let the emotions out. James wasn’t there, but Devine’s ex, my ex, and every other cheating ex needed to hear this song. As I got to the refrain, I could tell this catharsis was truly helping me as well. I sang, “I hope he makes you feel the same way about him that I feel about you right now…”

I looked up at Devine; she smiled and blew me a kiss. I finished the song and left the stage. I sat in my seat, and Luke came around, kissed me, and sat in my lap. I let my head rest against his back and whispered, "If I'd have never lost him, then I'd have never found you.”

* * *

“What’s up?” Luke asked as he joined me in the kitchen.

“The sky, the stock market, the cost of living, the list goes on and on.”

“Funny, har har har. I meant, what’s the game plan for today?”

“I don’t have one.”

“What do you think of inviting some folks over for dinner tomorrow night?”

“I’m game. Who did you have in mind?”

“Craig and Tom? Ben and Austin? Stephen and Chris?”

“How big of a dinner do you want to do?”

“With us? I was thinking seven or eight.”

“So, two couples, us and maybe one single?”

“Would be awkward to invite Phil and not Darryl,” Luke said. “Or vice versa.”

“We could invite Anthony.”

Luke gave me an interesting look, then said, “I hadn’t thought about him. That would be nice. How about Craig, Tom, Ben, Austin, and Anthony?”

“Works. Should confirm things with Cody. Plus, if folks have plans, have some alternate ideas.”

“I’m surprised Cody’s the last one up,” Luke said.

“You’re becoming a morning person,” I said with a smile.

“Eek, anything but a morning person! Are you putting something in my food?”

I chuckled at that.

“I think it’s more wearing you out with sex before bed.”

“There is that. I do tend to go to sleep curled up with the two of you after sex.” He walked over and gave me a kiss, then continued, “If being a morning person is the price I pay for great sex with the two men I love, then so be it.”

“Woo hoo,” I replied.

“I meant to mention, the DVR is getting full.”

“I don’t think it’s me. I’m not recording anything at the moment.”

“I’ve got some movies that I want to watch. I’ll ask Cody.”

“Ask me what,” Cody asked.

“The DVR is getting full,” Luke explained.

“Oh, sorry, it’s me. I’m recording Queer As Folk. I’ve wanted to watch it, and we’ve got the opportunity now. It’s eighty-three episodes, so I need to start watching so the DVR doesn’t get filled up. Sorry about that.”

“I feel a binge weekend coming up!” I said.

“Did you watch it while it was out?” Cody asked.

“Nope. It started while I was in grad school and didn’t really have the time or the Showtime subscription at the time.”

“Would you want to watch it with me?”

“Sure.”

I started laughing because Luke had his hand up.

“Okay, so it’s a family binge show.” Cody said.

“Woot!” Luke said. “By the way, we were talking about having some folks over for dinner. What do you think of Craig, Tom, Ben, Austin, and Anthony?”

“I think it’s an interesting list. Should be a great dinner group. When?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Sounds fun. Text message invite and then decide on what we’re serving?”

“Sure. Coulter?”

“I’ll get Craig and Tom. Oh, and Ben and Austin.”

Cody said, “I’ll text Anthony. On to a more important topic, what’s for breakfast?”

“We have rolls, ham, and cheese. What about we make little roll sandwiches and heat them?” I suggested.

With that we got started on breakfast.

* * *

I could hear Luke as he answered the door, “Welcome.”

“Thanks for having me.” It was Anthony’s voice responding. “I know Cody said I didn’t need to bring anything, but here’s a bottle of my favorite wine.”

“Thanks! You’re the first one here.”

Since my part of the dinner was ready, I washed my hands and joined Luke and Anthony.

“Good of you to come,” I said.

“Nice of you to have me. Where’s your third?”

“He’s finishing getting ready. We took turns so there was someone ready, someone in the kitchen, etc. He should be out in a few minutes.”

“I don’t think I want to live this far out, but I will say that driving into your community with all the leaves turning or down in piles. It reminds me of home in New England.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed you were from New England,” Luke said.

Anthony gave him a look.

“You don’t have the accent.”

“We moved from New Hampshire to Maryland when I was fifteen,” he explained. “I’ve lived in the DC Metro ever since. I think it wore off.”

The doorbell rang, and Luke said, “I’ll get it.”

“Can I offer you something to drink?”

“A glass of wine would be nice.”

“Red or white?”

“Red, please.”

“I have a cabernet sauvignon that’s supposed to be really good.”

“Sounds lovely.”

I went over to the bar and opened the bottle.

“Thanks for inviting us,” Craig said as he joined us in the den.

“Thanks for coming. You know Anthony.”

The look on Craig’s face told me he didn’t recognize him. He stuck out his hand and Anthony said, “You probably haven’t seen me out of drag. I’m otherwise known as Ginger Rouge.”

“Your face did look familiar, but I couldn’t place it.”

At this point, Tom, Ben, and Austin joined us. Austin said, “Hey, Anthony, good to see you.”

Ben walked over and gave him a hug. He said, “If I knew you were coming, the three of us could have carpooled.”

“I didn’t know you were neighbors,” I said.

“I moved into a new apartment off New York Avenue in September,” Anthony explained. “The three of us ran into each other shopping at Union Market.”

“Wonderful,” I said.

“Welcome, everyone,” Cody said as he joined us.

Cody’s outfit caught everyone’s eyes.

“Those jeans!” Anthony hissed. “I’d kill to look that good wearing something like that.”

Cody was wearing the black jeans with spandex in them that fit him like a glove. He paired a fitted white mandarin collar shirt with the jeans and then his well-polished Chelsea boots.

“Diet and exercise,” Cody replied.

“And genetics, young man. You’ve got great structure.”

“All three of you do,” he said, looking at Luke.

“I haven’t seen those jeans since you and Casey won with S&M,” Antony said.

“They aren’t really work appropriate,” Cody said. “At least not my work. Thus, they don’t make it to the club.”

That got a laugh.

“What can I get folks to drink?” I asked.

I spent a few moments getting everyone their drink of choice while Cody and Luke slipped into the kitchen and got the hors d’oeuvres. As they returned, Luke said, “We have phyllo cups with shrimp salad, cheese puffs, blueberry goat cheese crostini, and puffed pastry stuffed with beef and mushroom.”

“Wow,” Anthony said.

After folks grabbed a plate and a bit of food, the group broke into smaller groups. I was talking to Ben and Anthony when I saw Luke and Craig disappear. Cody, who was talking with Austin and Tom, caught my eye and smiled.

“What’s got you two smiling?” Anthony asked.

“I think Luke’s trying to figure out if Craig can help him with his workout,” I replied.

“He’s in great shape,” Ben said.

“I concur. But he has a few specific goals and wanted to see if he could hire Craig to help him develop a plan. I’m guessing they are looking at our equipment to see if we have what it will take.”

“What does he want?” Ben asked.

“His biggest goal is to put a bit more punch in his pecs. He also thinks his butt is too flat. Cody and I tell him he’s perfect, but…”

“But he wants what he wants. Plus, you two can be intimidating,” Ben said.

“What?”

“Neither of you are bodybuilders. I mean, not like an Arnold. But you’re both tall, and your bodies show you work out. While Luke’s body is comparable, he’s on the shorter side of average and that can lead to a few ‘I don’t measure up’ moments.”

“Hadn’t thought of that. I think he’s perfect, the way he is.”

“How often do you three workout?” Anthony asked.

“Typically, three weekdays and once on the weekend. We started doing yoga, and I think we’re going to do that twice a week.”

“That’s a lot of dedication,” Ben said. “But it clearly shows good results.”

“You added yoga recently?” Anthony asked.

“One of Cody’s colleagues got us to go, and we all liked it, so it is going to be part of our routine.”

We got into a discussion of workout commitments, the advantages of yoga, and such for a while.

Cody walked over to me and quietly asked, “Ready for dinner?”

I nodded my head.

“Folks, if you’ll head to the table, we’ll get the food,” Cody said.

With that, our guests headed to the dining room while the three of us went to grab the food.

* * *

The train rocked as it left the station. Luke and I took our seats, and I turned to him and said, “I never got to ask, how did things go with Craig?”

“Great. He’s freelancing right now, so we’re going to work out a schedule when he can come over and help me.”

“You know both Cody and I think you’re perfect as you are, but we’ll support your goals regardless.”

“Thanks. I just feel like I’m not able to get the development I want. Craig and I talked about my goals, we looked at our equipment, and he’s going to set up a program. He’s going to come over once a week and make sure my form is correct and adjust the plan as needed.”

“Sounds smart. Have you set up a schedule?”

“No, I was going to talk to you and Cody tonight.”

“What were you thinking?”

“It’s only an hour. I could do it one night after work or on the weekends. Of course, it has to work with his schedule. Evidently, he’s had a lot of success building a client base since they moved back. I didn’t realize how cut he is.”

“Oh?”

“Well, I’ve only seen him in dress shirts or sweaters. When we went downstairs, he pulled off his shirt for a few minutes to show me how I can get definition without bulk. Even under his tee shirt, you could see the cut of his body. He asked if you or Cody might want help. I told him I wasn’t sure.”

“We talked after dinner last night. I’m happy where I am for now.”

“Cool.”

“Do we have the equipment you need?”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely. He said it could be done with just weights. Having the incline bench and other equipment is just going to make it easier.”

“What about your glutes?”

“Yup. He mentioned that a lot of that is different types of squats. He warned me that something called the Bulgarian and another called the Cossack will have me sore for a while till my body gets used to them.”

“Build up to them, I hope.”

“That’s what he said. But they are unique and can cause longer-term soreness than most workouts.”

“You have two masseurs to help you.”

“That I do.”

I noticed that the train was nearing the tunnel. I gathered up my things and stood.

“Have a great day,” I said. With that, I leaned over and kissed him goodbye.

* * *

“You’re popular tonight,” Phil said as I sat down.

“Talking to Ginger and Grace about Georgia’s birthday. We have a big musical number planned to start the show.”

“I’m guessing it’s more than that,” Phil replied.

I just smiled at him.

“Not going to say?” He asked.

“Trying to keep it as secret as I can. I’ll call you tomorrow and explain.”

“Gotcha, there are a lot of folks here tonight.”

“One of the bartenders told me Thursdays are their most profitable night now.”

“Wow. They picked a winner, didn’t they?”

“If you mean having Georgia host this, yes, they did.”

“What are you doing tonight?”

“I’m planning on Dim All the Lights. I found a live version where Donna talked about writing the song for Rod Stewart but keeping it for herself. She starts the song in the style she thought he would do and then switches to her style. It took a while, but I was able to clean up the audio enough to do it.”

“You do spend a lot of time on this, don’t you?”

“Yes and no.”

My response got a raised eyebrow. So, I continued, saying, “Most nights I come in, select a song, and sing. Competition nights, yes, I get into it. I always try to do my absolute best. Once in a while, I’ll hear a song and want to perform it. Since I can’t find a karaoke version of it, I use software to edit it.”

“Makes sense. Music is definitely one of your passions.”

“Sign-up time,” Georgia announced.

“Be right back,” I said.

I walked over to the table and queued up. When it was my turn, Georgia said, “Evening, handsome. What’s on tap tonight?”

I handed her my USB drive and said, “It’s a specific version of Dim All the Lights. It’s from her Live & More Encore album she did for VH1.”

“I love that album. I was saddened when she passed.”

“Always sad when a legend or anyone is struck down early in their life.”

With that, I moved on to let others sign up.

“What did you choose?” Phil asked of Casey as he sat down.

“Cody told me that Coulter was doing a Donna Summer song. We decided to do her songs as well. I’m doing Last Dance, and he’s doing On the Radio.”

Before the discussion could continue, the lights flashed. Georgia got on stage and said, “If someone had warned me this was going to be disco night, I would have picked a better dress. It seems word got around, and not only is it disco night, but it’s a tribute to the queen of disco, Ms. Donna Summer.”

I gave Cody a look, and he grinned at me.

Georgia continued, “First up tonight is Ms. Ginger Rouge doing Bad Girls.”

Based on Ginger’s outfit, it was clear Cody gave everyone a good heads-up on my plans. The dress was a leopard skin print, which reminded me of a picture of Donna Summer I’d seen from the seventies. Ginger did a nice job covering the song.

Next, Georgia brought Grace to the stage, who did I Feel Love. Grace’s outfit fit the seventies disco theme as well. After she finished, Georgia got on stage and said, “Here’s a handsome young man we’ve watch blossom over the last two years. Cody’s doing On the Radio.

He got on stage and started the sad ballad first portion of the hearing the letter on the radio. As he worked his spell over the crowd, I could tell Cody was holding back for the second part of the song. As he got into the second verse, he started moving across the stage. He got into the third verse and became a bit more restrained in confirming that love can be found on the radio.

After Cody left the stage, Devine covered She Works Hard for the Money, and then Phoebe covered Hot Stuff.

Georgia stepped on stage again and said, “As I understand it, Coulter started this Donna Summer love in. He found a version of Dim All the Lights on the Live and More Encore album, spending the time to craft a karaoke version of that rendition.” By this point, I’d joined her on stage. She continued, “You said that Donna Summer created this song for Rod Stewart.”

“Correct,” I replied. “And in this version, she sings the first half of the song as she imagined Rod would sing it. Hopefully, I can cover this well.”

“Folks, I’m sure he will,” she said, and with that, she left the stage.”

The music started, and I got started. “Dim all the lights sweet darling,” I sang in a soulful, Rod Stewartesque style. When I got to the second verse, the lyrics diverged from the original version, “Dim all the lights, dim all the lights, oh, Maggie, Maggie, you know I’d never leave you…” As I completed her homage to Rod, the beat of the song changed and I moved into the original Dim All the Lights sound. As I got into it, I got to the lyrics “Love just don't come easy, at least you know I understand, want to be your guy, if you'll be my man…” I was staring at my guys who were sitting side by side.

As the song ended, I got a huge round of applause. Georgia joined me on stage and gave me a hug. She said, “I know you didn’t plan this, but I greatly appreciate your rendition and being the inspiration for tonight’s Disco-fest. Next up is a young man that has wowed us many times. Here’s Casey doing Last Dance.

Casey took the stage. The crowd in the club was quiet as he sang an almost mournful ballad in the first half of the song. As the music amped up, Casey’s energy changed and he spun around the stage as he completed the up-tempo disco finale.

Georgia joined Casey on stage and said, “Many radio stations play Last Dance as the final song when they are changing formats. Many clubs have played the song as either the last song of a special night or the last song before they close. Tonight, it is simply the last song of the first half of our night. Here’s your chance to grab a drink, and don’t forget to tip the staff!”

With that, the lights went up, and many started moving to the bar.

“That was fun,” Phil said to me.

“Like she said, I didn’t plan it.”

“Nope, you inspired it!”

* * *

I woke up Saturday morning and discovered only one in bed with me. It was still dark out, but my eyes were adjusted enough I could tell it was Luke. I carefully rolled away from him, climbed out of bed, and headed for our bathroom. My early morning routine completed, I went in search of Cody and coffee.

“How long have you been up?” I asked.

“Eh, fifteen to twenty minutes, I guess.”

I took a sip of my coffee, set the mug on the coffee table, and then curled up next to Cody. He said, “Three more days, then we head south.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” I admitted.

“Me too. It’s just…”

“I understand. I lost my family. You lost your family. Switch it around. We both gained a great, big family.”

“Relentlessly positive.”

“I do try. I don’t always succeed.”

“What are we taking for Turkey Day?

“The baker signed us up for all sorts of baked goods. In addition, I’m doing French toast casserole.”

“Yum.”

“We should probably work on cleaning out the fridge. Don’t want things to go bad while we’re gone.”

“We don’t have that much,” Cody replied.

“No, but we’re planning to take stuff with us to the Beach and as we make things, we’ll need more space as well.”

“Smart. I should call Sarah and see if I can make anything.”

“Check with Luke. She gave him a list of possibilities, and he responded what to we’d do. He may have other things.”

“He didn’t say anything to me.”

“I figure he felt your work had been keeping you busy; why add to it?”

“Things are settling back down.”

“Let him know.”

“Changing the topic, I know you painted the house when you bought it. Did you ever think of adding color?”

“I did. But in the earliest days, I didn’t have furniture or accessories. I didn’t want to pick wall colors that would restrict what I could get.”

“What do you mean?”

“There is a lot of wood in the house. You can go with earth tones to complement it. Think of the old appliance colors from the seventies – harvest gold and avocado green. You could do a real contrast and go with the turquoise and orange theme. Another option is the more pastel pinks and greens. I wanted to get my furniture and my fabrics first, then add throw rugs, then paint for colors.”

“You have the furniture and the rugs; why not put color on the walls?”

“You. And of course, Luke.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve said this a few times. This is your home, not just mine. I’ve picked pretty much everything to date. We need to start picking for the future.”

“Got it. It’s that not pushing us thing.”

“Yep.”

“But now that I’m asking…”

“I’m fine with it. But I’d love to hear your vision. I’d love to hear Luke’s vision. Then we find the common ground for the three of us.”

“I love the color of this,” he said, patting the sectional.

“This is a modern piece in a modern color, but it does fit the vibe.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at the shape of the arms, tufted back, and legs.”

He stood and looked at it. Finally, he said, “Okay.”

“Search for vintage MCM sofa.”

“He did the search on his phone.”

“Oh. Okay. You’ve said before you let the house pick the furniture. Now, I see why.”

“The color is probably a bit darker than they would have done in the actual period, but this dark teal has the vibe.”

“There isn’t a lot of wall space in the room, except that one.”

“Nope. The back wall is all windows. The fireplace is that tan brick, which covers that wall. So, you’re left with the wall over there since that one is wood paneled.”

Cody was swiping through pictures. Finally, he asked, “Do you oppose painted brick? Do you oppose painting paneling?”

“Depends on the brick and where it is. Same with paneling.”

“Explain.”

“A beautiful, colonial home with pristine red brick on the outside… oppose. Some ugly eighties brick, paint away.”

“What about this?”

“I’m mixed. Painting brick can be a pain. It would depend on what you want to do. Old knotted pine paneling, I could see painting. That, that is a work of art.”

“I agree on the paneling. I’ve never seen anything like it. Regarding the brick, hear me out,” Cody said. “Leave the trim throughout in the white. Leave the paneling alone. Paint the brick white, and then that wall gets a deeper, darker orange.”

“That could be quite lovely. How do you carry the theme throughout the room?”

“Huh?”

“Do you reupholster that chair? Do you add throw pillows? Do you change out the throw rug?”

“Let me think about it.”

“Deal.”

* * *

“Welcome,” Sarah said as the three of us trooped into the house. “How was your drive?”

“Easy,” I said.

“Too early,” Luke said.

“You slept in the back seat most of the way down,” Cody said.

“I wasn’t sleeping that much.”

“You snored from Fairfax to Newport News,” Cody teased.

“It’s good to see you,” I said to Sarah. Both my guys stuck their tongues out at me.

“I see we have some spicy times going on,” Sarah said with a chuckle.

“The good thing is we left at six and we’re here at nine fifteen. I think it’s worth waking you a bit earlier.”

Luke stuck his tongue out at me.

“Spicy,” Sarah said.

“We in my old room?” Luke asked.

“Nope, we’re putting you in the basement.”

Luke looked puzzled but nodded. We went back to the Jeep to get our stuff. I said, “Why don’t you two take the bags and I’ll do the food.”

They both nodded and grabbed our three duffels. I grabbed the two boxes of food and headed toward the house. Sarah was holding the door when I got there and asked, “What’s all that?”

“Your son’s baking projects.”

“Kitchen,” she said.

As we got the boxes into the kitchen, I set them on the counter.

“What all did he make?”

I opened the first box and started pulling things out, calling out what they were as I did.

“Brioche rolls, pound cake, and a pumpkin roll are all ready to eat. Sweet potato biscuits and pumpkin spice brioche French toast are ready to bake and serve. I made the last.”

“It all sounds wonderful, thanks!”

I heard the guys coming up the stairs. As they joined us in the kitchen, Luke said, “Nice setup.”

“Thanks. With everyone home, we needed to maximize our space.”

“When does everyone arrive?” I asked.

“Peter and Stacy landed a few minutes ago. Their flight out of Atlanta was delayed. Nate’s picking them up.”

“Atlanta?” Cody asked.

“It was the shortest flight. Portland to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Norfolk. I hope they were able to sleep on the plane. They left around eleven last night.”

“So, they departed at two our time and are getting in just after nine. Not bad with a layover but rough on your sleep schedule,” I said.

“John should be here soon. He left Blacksburg last night and stopped at his roommate’s in Farmville. He was planning to leave around eight, so ten thirty-ish. Matthew and Mark have half-days at school, so around lunchtime they should be home.”

“Anything we can do to help?” Cody asked.

“All’s good for now. I have a slow cooker full of Chili Verde for lunch. I have a pot roast in my other slow cooker for dinner. Tomorrow morning and lunch, I can definitely use some help.”

“Two cooks and a baker are ready,” Luke said.

“He’s a good sous-chef,” I said, pointing to Luke.

Sarah gave a big smile. I heard car doors closing.

“That’s Nate, I bet,” Sarah said.

A few minutes later, Nate walked in with a young man that looked almost identical to Luke and a lovely young lady.

“Peter and Stacy, this is Coulter,” Luke said. “Cody and I live with him.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

“Good to meet you,” Peter said, shaking my hand. “I’ve heard a good bit about you.”

“Need help carrying your stuff upstairs?” Luke asked.

“That’d be nice,” Stacy replied.

With that, the three of them took off.

“What’s up?” Nate asked.

“He’s going to explain us to them,” Cody said.

“Oh,” Sarah said.

“He wants to tell Peter and if nothing goes sideways, then John. He won’t say anything to Matthew and Mark,” Cody said.

“The two of you have been so accepting; he really doesn’t expect an issue.”

Luke returned about ten minutes later with a big smile. As he joined us, he said, “They’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“Success?” I asked.

“Yep. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, what is our ancestry?”

“What do you mean?” Nate asked.

“Like Coulter is Scottish, lots and lots of Scottish with a little Irish mixed in. Cody’s Czech and Swiss. What am I?”

“You are Spanish and Portuguese from my side of the family,” Sarah said. “Plus, a lot of other stuff like English and Welsh, from what I remember.

“Add Italian, Greek, and Croat from my family,” Nate added. “Our families are really European mutts, to be honest.”

“Explains the jet-black hair,” Cody said. “I’m surprised his skin is so fair.”

“That’s our family, though,” Nate said. “Black hair, fair skin, and short.”

“You didn’t mention handsome,” Cody replied.

That got a few smiles. We talked a few more minutes before Peter and Stacy joined us.

“I hear you’re my brother-in-law as well,” he said, extending his hand.

“That I am,” I said as we shook. He grasped my hand firmly and pulled me into a hug.

“You two are going to tower over everyone this weekend,” Stacy said.

“We have eight to eight and a half inches in height on Luke,” Cody said.

“Six four?” she asked.

“Me, yes. Him, add a half,” Cody said.

“So, a foot taller than me,” Stacy replied.

“And me,” Sarah said.

Peter, Stacy, and I got to know each other while Cody, Luke, and his parents had a separate conversation. It was a bit chaotic but pleasant. We’d been talking for fifteen minutes when we heard the front door burst open and then heard, “I’m home” in a deep bass voice.

“He takes after you,” I said, looking at Luke.

“Yep!”

That got a raised eyebrow from Peter.

“I’ll explain later,” I said.

We all walked out to the foyer to greet Peter. Again, as things settled down, Luke offered to help him with his stuff. As with the time before, Luke rejoined us about ten minutes later, smiling.

“Explain the comment,” Peter said.

“You haven’t heard?” Cody asked.

“Heard what?” Peter asked.

“This one has a great singing voice,” Sarah said. “Well, all three of them do.”

“Yeah, but he’s a basso profundo,” Cody said.

“What’s that?” Stacy asked.

“I’m a bass,” I sang. “He’s an octave lower than me.”

“Give us a sample,” Peter said.

“Doe a deer,” Luke sang.

“Wow,” Stacy said.

“I got to hear them do karaoke,” Sarah said. “He’s talented.”

Luke started to blush.

“We’re embarrassing him,” Cody said.

“Aw,” Nate said.

“I have a video,” Cody said.

“You what?” Luke’s voice was loud.

“I took a video of you and Coulter the last time you sang.”

The look on Luke’s face told me he wasn’t happy.

“Show!” Peter said.

Cody pulled out his phone, swiped a few times, and started the video. After Lady finished, Stacy said, “Talented. Both of you have great singing voices.”

“I don’t think I can sing that low,” Peter said.

“One more,” Cody said.

“What?” Again, Luke’s voice was loud.

A few more swipes, and I heard the music for Donkey start.

“That’s the one I got to see,” Sarah said. “I didn’t know you had a video. Share!”

Peter pulled Luke into a hug and said, “You are talented.”

It was a bit funny to me, standing in their kitchen, realizing I had an extended family again. Cody caught my look, walked over, and gave me a hug and a hip bump. He said, “What’s got you thinking so hard?”

“I have a family - a big, loving, fun, extended family. It’s really great.”

“Yup. This is a great group to be part of.”

It wasn’t long till Matthew and Mark arrived, and the space got crowded and busy.

“Someone pour the drinks.” I heard Sarah say.

“I’ll put ice in the glasses,” Matthew said.

“Who’s having what?” Peter asked.

Folks started calling out their drink requests, and quickly they were presented.

“Bowls are on the counter next to the slow cooker. Serve yourself. Plates are to the right, and there’s a black bean salad and tortilla chips by them,” Sarah announced.

We each took a turn filling our plates and bowls, then headed into the dining room to eat.

“This is really good,” I said.

“It’s just Chili Verde,” Sarah said.

“Stop it,” Cody said.

“What?” Sarah asked.

“When someone tells you a dish is good, your response is always ‘it’s just this’ or ‘it’s just that.’ Learn to accept the compliment! You’re a lot like Coulter. He’s more than a basic cook, and so are you. This is flavorful, delicious, and just plain good.”

Nate started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Luke asked.

“How many times have I said something like that?” he said.

“Okay. Okay. I get it,” she said. “Thanks for the compliment, Coulter.”

I just smiled.

After lunch, we offered to help clean up, but Matthew and Mark took the lead. I went downstairs to get unpacked and found that there was a king-sized bed set up in the smaller of the two spaces, leaving the rec room available.

“I’m assuming this isn’t down here normally,” I said.

“Nope. I’m guessing it was bought for us,” Luke said.

“This legally can’t be a bedroom, but it is fine for us,” I said.

“Why can’t it be?” Cody asked.

“There is no safe exit from the room in case of a fire. We’d have to go into the rec room, through the window, and up the window well.”

“This was always junk storage,” Luke said. “I’m guessing Mom forced a cleanout. Eeek…”

“What?”

“They say girls marry guys like their dad and boys marry guys like their mom…”

“It’s two similarities,” I said.

“Yeah, he’s a foot taller and has a big dick,” Cody said.

That got us all laughing.

“What do you two want to do with the rest of your day?” I asked.

“The showers are gone and it’s sixty,” Luke said. “Walk on the beach?”

“I’m fine with that,” I replied.

Cody nodded his head.

We headed upstairs, and Luke told folks that we were going for a beach walk.

“That sounds nice,” Stacy said. She gave Peter a look.

“Can we join you?” he asked.

“It does sound nice,” Sarah added.

“Matthew, Mark, and John, a group of us are going for a beach walk. Want to go?” Nate called up the stairs.

A few minutes later, all three of the guys appeared.

“We can fit five in the Jeep,” I said.

“And five in my car,” Nate said.

It was interesting figuring out the groupings, but in the end, Cody, Stacy, John, and Matthew joined me in the Jeep.

“Fun ride,” Stacy said as we drove toward the ocean.

“It is.”

“I don’t know how to drive a stick,” Matthew said.

“Always time to learn,” I said. “I taught Cody and Luke.”

“Mom got rid of her old car, and the new one is an automatic.”

“Thus, no chance to learn. Luke can teach you while we’re here,” Cody said.

“Ummm…”

“Or Cody or I can,” I added.

“Cool.”

“Don’t like the thought of your brother teaching you?” Stacy asked.

“Luke’s seven years older, right?” Cody said.

“Yeah. It’s more dealing with Mark and John.”

“He’s twenty-three, almost twenty-four, he’s learning to be a good teacher.”

“Cool.”

It wasn’t busy when we got to the beach area and I found two spaces on thirty-third. We got out and the ten of us walked over to the boardwalk.

“What’s that?” Stacy asked.

“It’s the exit for Christmas lights at the Beach,” Luke explained.

“Walk through it?”

“Nope,” Cody said. “Drive through. You enter at Second and drive up to thirty-third.”

“I’d love to do that,” Stacy said.

Peter nodded.

“There are lights at the botanical gardens too,” Nate said.

We turned and headed north up the boardwalk.

“I’m glad we’re walking this afternoon and not Saturday,” Sarah said. “It will be twenty degrees colder.”

“We talked about that in science class today. It was seventy at sunrise and by sunrise on Sunday it will be forty-four. The teacher was talking about how fast drops damage trees and plants more than slow drops in temperature,” Matthew said. “He talked about exploding trees.”

“What?” Luke said.

“I guess if it has been really warm, the sap is running. Then if the temp drops really quickly, it can freeze. The myth is that the tree is completely destroyed. The fact is that the bark can make loud noises as it cracks and can fall off.”

“That would have to be a fast drop,” Peter said.

“I guess there was a case where it went from seventy to twenty-something in Minnesota in a matter of hours,” Matthew explained.

“Wow,” Cody said.

We got up to Fortieth Street, where the boardwalk ends, and Stacy asked, “Where to?”

“We can turn around. We can actually walk in the sand. Or we can go out onto Pacific and walk. After a few more hotels, the beachfront is more residential,” Luke explained.

“Isn’t the hotel you two worked at up this way?” I asked.

“Yeah, on Pacific around Forty-First Street,” Cody replied.

“We can go up the beach a bit, then come down Pacific,” Nate offered.

“Works.”

As we walked, Matthew and Mark started getting farther ahead of the group. As such, I got to spend more time talking to Peter and Stacy.

“What do you think of Virginia Beach?” I asked.

“I like it, but you’re not getting me away from the Pacific Northwest,” Stacy replied. “Have you been down here much?”

“A couple of times,” I replied.

Cody snickered.

“What?” Sarah asked.

I looked and saw that Matthew and Mark were well out of earshot.

“Since things are out in the open with everyone. I was down here the summer when they both worked at the Cavalier for a week. Two buddies of mine and I rented a place off Pacific.”

Sarah looked at Nate and said, “I told you something was going on. We just figured the two of them were hanging out as much as they could.”

“The three of us were hanging out as much as we could,” Luke said.

“You didn’t mention New Year’s,” Codys said.

“Okay, let’s rip the bandage off,” I said. “I came down for New Year’s during Luke’s senior year and stayed at the Residence Inn.”

“Remember that restaurant?” Cody asked.

“Steinhilbers,” I said. “How can I forget?”

“Wait, you took them there for dinner?” Sarah said.

“New Year’s Eve, yes,” I replied.

“We’re celebrating our third anniversary on Sunday,” Cody said.

Sarah stopped and looked at Luke. Then she turned and looked at Cody and me. Finally, she shook her head and said, “I’m sorry you felt you had to hide all this from us. I understand, and I do appreciate the patience you had. I guess if two college boys had told me about a… what do you call it?”

“A plural,” Luke said.

“A plural with a guy around thirty-five. I would have been concerned.”

“Umm… he’s forty-two,” Luke said.

It was Nate’s turn to look stunned. Finally, he said, “Okay, wow, I figured you were fifteen years younger not eight.”

“Thanks. I’ve tried to take good care of myself.”

“Luke mentioned you have a home gym,” Peter said.

“Yes.”

“It’s amazing,” Cody said.

“I got lucky,” I explained. “I found a divorcee that was selling off her husband’s equipment. She sold me five or six thousand in equipment for seven-fifty.”

“It’s not just that,” Cody continued. “Walls and lockers painted, mirrors added, and a shower that would make a high school jealous.”

“Wow!” Peter said.

“You have to come visit to use it,” Luke said.

“Do I look like I work out in a gym?” Peter said. “I run, but I don’t like weights.”

“We do aerobic, weight, and just added yoga,” Cody said.

“Comprehensive, and it shows,” Stacy said.

By this point we were passing the Cavalier. Stacy continued, “That’s quite the place.”

“That’s where I worked two summers and Cody worked one summer,” Luke said.

“It’s very impressive,” she commented.

“It’s even nicer on the inside,” Luke replied.

We finally got back to the vehicles. I asked, “Where to next?”

“Let’s head home,” Sarah said. “I want to start working on dinner.”

“We’ll help,” Luke said.

This time I had Nate, Sarah, Cody, and Stacy in the Jeep. The sons wanted some time to themselves.

“What all do you need to get done for dinner?” Cody asked.

“Vegetables, mashed potatoes, some rolls, or biscuits,” she said.

“I’ll do the potatoes,” Cody said. “We brought sweet potato biscuits that Luke made.”

“Luke cooks?” Stacy asked.

“Mostly, he bakes,” Cody replied. With that he pulled out his phone. In the mirror, I could see him swiping for a minute. He handed it to Stacy in the back seat, saying, “Here’s the baker album; feel free to swipe through it.”

“What’s this?” she asked, turning the phone.

“That is a chocolate genoise cake with a raspberry meringue foam,” Cody explained.

“He made this?”

“We went out for Cody’s birthday. A small piece of a cake like that was part of the birthday dessert plate he got. Luke made the cake, and we teamed up on the foam,” I explained.

“What’s this?”

“Homemade toaster pastries,” Cody said. “Luke loves Pop-Tarts, but now he just makes his own.”

“Bread, more bread, biscuits, rolls, cake, pie…” she said as she scrolled through the album. “Oh, my god!”

“That’s my birthday cake,” Cody said. “He recreated a train cake Sarah made for him when he was eight. That was my first ever birthday cake.”

“What, what, what?” Stacy’s voice filled the Jeep.

“We didn’t celebrate birthdays,” Cody explained.

“Umm…”

“My father’s family is very conservative, and we didn’t celebrate much, or at least not in the same way that most people do. That’s too commercial. It’s not Christian. He always had a reason. I guess it really was just his excuses, to impose his bigoted beliefs.”

“Very sorry to hear that.”

“It’s all good,” Cody paused a moment. “I’ve replaced my biological procreators with a real family.”

“Umm…”

“Everyone in this vehicle and all the guys, in the other vehicle. My friend Casey is my brother from another mother. Of course, that means his husband is my brother-in-law, and his adopted dads are my in-laws too. There’s more. They are my loving, caring, nurturing family.”

“That’s sweet,” Stacy said.

“I’ve talked to several folks who lost their biological family when they came out and had to replace them with a new family.”

“Sad,” she said.

“Having what I have now. That’s something I’m truly thankful for.”

“Sweet.”

We were at a red light, and I looked back to see Sarah and Stacy with their arm, around Cody.

As we went to bed that night, Cody looked thoughtful and said, “Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we’re supposed to be thankful. In the Jeep coming home, I said I was thankful. It made me think. I’m so very thankful that the two of you came into my life!”

“Amen,” Luke said.

“I love you both,” I said.