I was exhausted. It was the third week of January, and I felt as though I had been on the move since Thanksgiving. First it was the holidays, then it was the wedding, then it was Todd, and then it was Trey. Some of the kids had gone on a camping trip the previous weekend, but Rick and I just stayed home and relaxed. For the last couple of years, we had used the long weekend of the Martin Luther King Birthday holiday to go skiing in North Carolina. This year, though, the holiday came and went without much notice. The kids had been off school, but Rick and I had worked, like it was an ordinary day. My cell phone rang, and I noticed the number on the caller ID thing was Gene's. "Hi," I said. "Hey. What's up, Kevin?" Gene asked. "Not much, for a change. I was just thinking about how incredibly busy we've been these last few weeks," I said. "That's exactly why I called. Have you gotten the material on that restaurant trade show in Denver next week?" he asked. "Yeah, I got something about it. I didn't pay any attention to it, though," I said. "Well, you should have because I want you and Rick to go to it. Just the two of you. No kids," he said. "Gene, that show is only two days long. Don't you think it's rather extravagant to go all the way to Denver for that?" I asked. "When was the last time you and Rick had anything like a vacation? Just the two of you?" "Gosh, I don't even remember. It was before Tim came to live with us, though," I said. "See? That's my point. I know y'all love those kids, Kevin, but they're going to wear y'all out. They're important, but so are you and Rick. And your relationship," he said. I wondered if he knew something about our relationship that I didn't know. I didn't speak for a second or two, thinking about what he had just said. "Have you picked up something I don't know about?" I asked. He chuckled. "Well, just what Rick's girlfriend told me," he said. I laughed, and he did, too. "I know that's not true," I said. "I know it, too," he said. "I haven't seen or heard a thing to even hint that you guys have any problems, but I know relationships, Kevin. A couple needs time alone. Away from the damn kids." "When would we go?" I asked. "This is pretty short notice, I know, but you leave on Sunday and come back the following Saturday. You'll be staying at a new Sheraton, downtown. The room's comp, of course. So is the rental car, a brand new Buick Park Avenue. I've got the airline tickets in my hand," he said. "Gene . . . " "What, Kevin?" I could "hear" him grinning. "This is a setup," I said. "That's right. I have never pulled rank on you before, but as the CEO of Goodson Enterprises, I am ordering my two Executive Vice Presidents to go on this vacation. That's it. Over and out," he said. "Gene, sometimes you can be pretty damn wonderful, man. Thank you," I said. "By the way, y'all are going to need to at least stick your head into the trade show. In fact, if I were you, I'd go to the cocktail party Sunday afternoon right after y'all get there and say to hell with the rest of it," he said. "Rick is going to shit a brick when he hears this news," I said. "Why would he shit a brick?" Gene asked. "Oh, I meant that in a good way. He's been talking about going skiing in Colorado for years, and this year we didn't even make it up to North Carolina." The more I thought about it, the more excited I got. "Gene, this is fabulous. Thank you so much." "Kyle's going to have a fit when he finds out that y'all are going and he isn't. Tell him his daddy said, 'TOUGH SHIT.'" I laughed. "I'll tell him he's in charge while we're gone. That'll help compensate," I said. "He thinks he's in charge anyway, doesn't he?" Gene said. "Pretty much. He's an incredible kid," I said. "Oh, I know. I know how much you think of him, and I'm damn proud of all the boys. Anyway, go tell Rick, and y'all start packing. I gotta run," he said. "Okay, Gene. Well, bye, and thanks again," I said. "Okay, Kevin. Y'all have a good time and a safe trip. Bye." He hung up. I rushed down to Rick's office. Cheryl, his secretary, said he was on the phone but she didn't think it would be much longer. I just went into his office and took a seat. Rick smiled when he saw me. He wasn't saying anything, so I assumed his party was doing all the talking. He has to put up with many, many salespeople, and sometimes they can be aggressive as hell. He rolled his eyes and touched his fingers together to indicate that the person he was talking to was longwinded. "Well, listen, I'll take a look at the samples and get back with you, okay?" Evidently it wasn't okay because the person had more talking to do. "I've got a very important appointment waiting, Glen, so I really need to get off the phone," Rick said. Pause. "Nice talking to you, too. Bye." He turned his phone off and set it in the cradle. "God almighty! I've never known anybody who could talk as fast or as much as he does," he said. "What's up? You look like you're in a good mood." I told Rick about my conversation with Gene. "Oh, Kevin! I can't believe it. Do you know how long I've wanted to go to Colorado?" he asked. "Yeah, I do know," I said. "Do you think we'll be able to ski?" he asked. "I hope so. Why wouldn't we be able to?" I asked. "No snow, for one thing. That happens sometimes," he said. "Yeah, but not this year. I heard something on ESPN this past weekend. They've had a drought for several years, but it's over now. Or at least starting to get over. They have plenty of snow in the upper elevations," I said. "Oh, this is going to be so good, Babe," he said. I hated to break the mood, but I had something else on my mind that Gene had mentioned. "Rick, Gene was talking about the boys. He said they're important but so are you and I. And our relationship. That took me by surprise. You're not holding back on me on anything, are you?" I asked. He got very serious instantly. "No. Of course not. Why would you say that?" There was obvious concern in his voice. "Because nothing means as much to me as you do. If there's a problem between us, we need to work on it," I said. "No. There's no problem. Did he say he thinks we have a problem?" he asked. "No, just the opposite, in fact. It's just that we never talk about our relationship," I said. "We don't have to. We just live it. People only talk about relationships when there's a problem," he said. "I swear, Kevin. You worry too much. If I ever have a problem with you, I'll tell you. Our relationship doesn't mean any more to you than it does to me, and I think you know that." Just then, Cheryl tapped on the door. "Rick, I'm going to lunch. Can I pick anything up for you?" she asked without opening the door. "No, but thanks. Kevin and I have lunch plans," he said. "Okay. See you later," she said, and we heard the door to her office close. "You and I have lunch plans?" I asked. "Now that she's gone, we do," he said with a sly smile. He got up, locked the door to his office, and came over to me. We grinned briefly, kissed, and proceeded to have a very fine protein drink for lunch. "God, that was good, Kevin. Have you noticed that we almost always come at exactly the same time?" he asked. "Yeah, I have. I wonder how many couples do that as consistently as we do. We'll have to run a survey," I said. "Kevin, as satisfying as that taste of you was, I'm still hungry. Let's you and I go have some lunch and take the rest of the afternoon off. Gene's right. We don't get enough time alone," he said. I tried to picture my calendar for that afternoon, but I was drawing a blank. "Let me check on something," I said. I called Mary Ann, my secretary, and she said my calendar was empty for the rest of the day. I told her that Rick and I were going to be out of the office until in the morning. She and Cheryl knew to call us if there was a crisis of any sort, but, short of something catching on fire, we'd be free to play. We drove across the bridge into town in my car but with Rick at the wheel. We had a great lunch at our favorite restaurant east of the bridge. "What do you feel like doing?" I asked. "I don't know. Have you ever been downtown to the arts district? Do you know what I'm talking about? I hear it's pretty nice," he said. "I've heard that, too. Let's do it," I said. We had a great time that afternoon. There were a lot more galleries and shops than I had thought there were, and several of them appeared to be under the proprietorship of some of our more overt brothers. "You reckon that dude's gay?" he asked me right after we left an antique shop that specializes in china and sterling silverware. I laughed. "You sounded exactly like Kyle just now," I said. "Kyle who? I don't know no Kyle. Not this afternoon, anyway. Today I only know one boy, and his name is Kevin. And I'm in love with him. So fuck you, if you don't like it," he said. I was laughing even harder. "You are Kyle. He's taken you over," I said, trying rather unsuccessfully to sound like Kyle grumbling, too. "I know. I'm haunted. Let's go get a snack," he said. "Okay," I grumbled back. "You're really good. I didn't know you could imitate him that well," I said, back in my own voice. "I didn't know I could do it that well, either," he said, once again in the voice of Rick. After coffee and pastries, we visited a furniture store that our friend Larry runs downtown. He and his wife are members of the running club we used to belong to before we got the kids, and we like both of them. We visited with Larry for a few minutes, but he had customers who needed his attention. "What do you say we go to a movie?" I asked. "How long has it been since we've done that? Just the two of us?" he asked. "Too damn long. Let's go," I said. * * * The movie started at 4:30, and it was a long one, Gangs of New York. It was after seven by the time it was over. I called the house to let the kids know we were okay and that we were on the way home. We stopped at a Subway sandwich shop and bought fifteen seven-inch subs to take to the guys. Rick kissed me when we got back into the car. "I had a great time today," he said. "I'm glad I thought of it." "I am, too, and I had a great time, also. You and I need to do this more often," I said. "I second that motion," he said. "Yummy! Subway food," Kyle said when we got into the house. "I know y'all have probably already eaten, but you can save it till later if you aren't hungry," I said. "I can always eat a little sandwich like this," Kyle said. "Yeah, he can always get seven inches in his mouth," Justin said. "Like you can't?" Kyle said. "Where'd y'all get these?" "At the Subway shop," Rick said. "I know, but there's none around here. Did y'all go to town or something?" Kyle asked. "Yep," Rick said. "All afternoon. Lunch, gallery hopping, and a movie." "Say what?" Kyle asked. "You heard me," Rick said. "What'd y'all do? Have, like, a date or something?" He was astonished. "Something like that. Is that all right with you?" Rick asked. Rick was teasing Kyle, and I wasn't sure Kyle even knew it. "Yeah, it's nothing to me. It just seems kind of strange, is all," he said. "Don't you and Tim have dates?" Rick asked. "Yeah, but we're kids," he said. "So are we," Rick said. "Yeah, right. Anyway, thanks for the subs," he said, and the others all echoed him. "Oh, and Kyle, we're going to Colorado on Sunday," Rick said offhandedly. "We are!? Oh, man, I can't wait!" he said. "Not you. Kevin and me. We'll be gone a week," Rick said. "Why are you going to Colorado?" Brian asked. "It's just a little vacation. If we like it, we're going to move there," Rick said. When he said that, all movement in the room stopped. The looks on their faces were tragic, and I knew Rick was sorry he had said that. "Guys, I shouldn't have said that. I was just teasing. We are going to Colorado for a week's vacation, but we're not thinking about moving--there or anywhere else," Rick said. "Jesus Christ, Rick. You scared the shit out of me, man. I saw my whole fucking world coming to an end," Justin said. "I know, Jus. I didn't think before I spoke. I'm sorry, guys," Rick said. "Really, why are you going to Colorado? It can't be just for vacation," Kyle said. "Your dad called me this morning and pulled rank. He ordered us to go to a restaurant trade show at the Downtown Sheraton in Denver," I said. "See, I figured it was something like that," Kyle said. "I knew y'all would never just go on vacation. Especially without us." "We have to put in an appearance for about an hour at a cocktail party right after we first get there. That's all for the trade show," I said. "What are y'all going to do the rest of the time?" Kyle asked. "What would you do for a week in Colorado, stud?" Rick asked Kyle. "What would I do? I'd have fun. I'd go skiing. Denver's got every kind of professional sport there is. I'd see some sports. I don't know what else there is to do there, but I'd sure be finding out," he said. "We'd do some shopping, too, wouldn't we, dear?" Tim said. Kyle smirked him when he said "dear." "Maybe a little, but it would be under duress," Kyle said. "Under what? Where'd that come from?" Justin said. "Shut up. The word's in the dictionary," Kyle said. "I don't doubt it. I just never thought it would be in your head," Jus said. "I think we're going to do all the things you just said," Rick said. "We're going to have fun, too." "I bet y'all will," Kyle said. "Kyle, you sound like you're jealous," Tim said. "I'm sure I do. 'Cause I am," Kyle said. "But I do hope y'all have fun." "That's more like the right attitude, don't you think?" Justin said. "Yeah, it is. I'm sorry I was acting like a spoiled brat," Kyle said. "I think you all are going to have a great time, and I'm excited for you." "Kyle, look at me. Let me tell you something. The most fun Kevin and I ever have is with the boys who are in this room right now. If Kevin and I had planned this trip to Colorado, it would have been for all of us, not just for him and me. The fact is, it wasn't our idea, and we're not paying for it. Another fact is that Kevin and I are capable of having fun when it's just the two of us," Rick said. "I know. I'm sorry for how I was acting," Kyle said. I didn't think he was acting out of line. He and Rick were playing with each other, and I knew Rick was purposely trying to make him jealous to tease him. Oh, well. * * * Rick and I had just gotten in bed. We were both reading when we heard a faint tap at the door. It was so faint, in fact, I wasn't sure that's what it really was. "Is somebody at the door?" I asked loud enough for whoever it was to hear. "Yeah. It's me. Can I come in?" "We're already in bed, Kyle," I said. "It's important," he said. One of the things that Rick and I insist on with the boys is that our bedroom is strictly private. In fact, I was pretty sure that some of the newer ones had never even been inside it. I knew that if Kyle wanted to come in at that hour of the night, whatever he had to say was, indeed, important, at least to him. "Okay. Come in," I said. I wasn't quite prepared for what I saw. He seemed very agitated, his eyes were red, and his face was streaked with tears. He was in his bikini briefs. "Come here. What's the matter?" I asked. "Kevin and Rick, I feel so bad," he said, and he started crying. "Are you sick?" I asked. He didn't appear to be sick, but he certainly wasn't well, either. "No," he sobbed. "I just feel like total shit over the way I acted tonight. I'm soooooo sorry, and if y'all want me to move out, I will tomorrow." Rick patted the bed to indicate that he should get in between us. "Kyle, what on earth would ever make you think we want you to move?" "Tim said he bet y'all will be glad when we're gone so you can have more time for each other. He and I had an argument, which is something we never do, and that upset me bad. And then he said that, and I got to thinking we really are a pain in the ass to you guys. Especially me. I could be living someplace else. The others couldn't maybe, except Tim, and if I move, he will, too." He was sobbing so much he could barely talk, and it was hard to follow what he was saying. "Let's calm down, okay? Because you're not seeing this rationally at all, Son," Rick said. "Okay," Kyle said, voice quivering. "First of all, are you and Tim okay now?" Rick asked. "Yeah. We didn't really have a fight. He said something to tease me, and I didn't realize he was teasing. I overreacted a little bit, but we got it worked out," he said. "Kyle, the way you reacted tonight was exactly the way I wanted you to react, and I apologize for leading you on," Rick said. "I might have been showing off a little bit, and I'm sorry." "The whole time you and I were talking, I thought we were teasing each other," Kyle said. "And that's exactly what I was doing," Rick said. "It just sort of took a wrong turn somewhere. I was trying to make you jealous, Kyle, and that was stupid and wrong." "I knew that's what you were doing, but then Tim said that about me acting jealous, and that hurt my feelings. That's what started the argument. He said that to tease me, but I didn't think he did. And then Justin said I had a bad attitude, and that's the last thing I ever want to have, especially toward you guys," Kyle said. He was sobbing again, and he was rubbing at his face with his hands. "Are you mad at Justin?" I asked. "No, sir. He said that teasing, too. I just misjudged it all. That's why Tim and I were arguing," he said. "Does Tim know where you are now?" "No. He's asleep," he said. "So, did you guys really make up?" Rick asked. Kyle smiled. "Yeah, we made love." "Good. That's what I wanted to hear. So, what made you so upset after that?" "I went right to sleep, like I always do, and I had a dream that y'all were putting me out," he said. "It woke me up, and I got scared that you really wanted to. I know it was stupid, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to wake Tim up, so I went outside. That's when I started thinking you might really want me to leave, and I couldn't stand that." He started sobbing again. "Is it clear in your head right now that we don't want you to leave?" I asked. He nodded. "I'm a little concerned about why you reacted so strongly to all of this," I said. "I've been down ever since Christmas. Well, really, ever since the semester started. First it was Trey, and that really got to me. Then I found out Justin and I can both graduate this semester. And then Tim and Brian got their scholarships. It's final for sure, now," he said. "What's final for sure?" Rick asked. "That we're going to be leaving here," he said. All of a sudden it dawned on me what might be going on with him. "Let me tell you a little story, and see if this makes sense to you, okay?" I said. "Okay," he replied. "Do you remember how excited you were last year to start the second semester of your senior year?" He nodded. "I was the same way in high school. I think everybody is. I couldn't wait to graduate, to be on my own, so to speak. I had finally accepted the fact that I was probably gay, or at least not straight, and college was going to be the time when I proved I was bisexual and could have a sexual relationship with a girl. And that's what I did my freshmen and sophomore years. I dated a lot freshman year but no sex. Sophomore year, I met a girl I really liked, and we eventually had sex a half dozen or so times. By the end of my sophomore year, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was fully gay and would never have any kind of relationship with a woman beyond friendship." "Where's this going?" Rick asked. "Sorry. I got a little off track," I said. "Anyway, after Christmas my senior year, I started realizing that it was almost over. All I had ever really done was go to school, and that was about to end. I got depressed. The weather was bad, cold, rainy, and dreary. The guy who had been my roommate had graduated at the end of the first semester and moved out to take a job in Tampa, so I was lonely. But most of all, I felt sad because I was going to leave it all behind. As much as I looked forward to graduating from high school, that's how much I dreaded graduating from college." "I can definitely relate to what you're saying, Babe. We've never talked about this before, but you're telling my story. Except the bisexual part. I never did any of that," Rick said. "So what do I do about it?" Kyle asked. "Go to the doctor?" "They say you need medical help for depression if you get depressed, it lasts a long time, and there's no reason to explain it. It hasn't been very long, and I think you have a lot of reasons to explain it. So, let's wait and see what happens before we run to the doctor," I said. "Why is it doctors' kids hate doctors?" Rick asked. "I don't know, but I don't want to get into that right now," I said. All three of us were quiet for several long moments. "I feel a lot better," Kyle said. "Thank you, and I'm sorry about being such a pain in the ass." "Kyle, I only wish we had more pains in the ass like you," I said. "And I agree," Rick said. "Well, I'll go on back to bed and let y'all get to sleep," he said. "Thank you for loving me." He reached over and kissed my cheek, and he did the same thing to Rick. Then he left. Rick made a noise like he was letting out breath he had been holding a long time. "What's the matter, Babe?" I asked. "You just never know with him, do you?" he said. "We take him so much for granted, but there are times when he needs us as badly as any of them do," I said. "I know. It had been a long time, though, until tonight. I kind of think he made a breakthrough, though. I doubt he'll be the least bit depressed, now that he understands what's probably going on. Goodnight, you awesome stud, you," Rick said. "Goodnight, Babe," I said. We kissed and turned off the lights. * * * The next two days were days of packing and excitement about our trip to the Rockies. Our flight Sunday morning was at 10:35, and, of course, it was through Atlanta. "Are you excited?" I asked Rick when we were seated next to each other in the plane. "Yeah, I am. It's like the honeymoon we never had," he said. "You're right. This is the first time we've been anywhere without the kids since we got married. I hadn't thought about that," I said. "I hope everything will be all right at home," he said. "I think it will. I talked to Kyle last night for a few minutes," I said. "Oh? What did he say? How's he feeling?" "That's what I asked him, and he said he hasn't been depressed, or 'down,' as he put it, a single second since our talk Thursday night," I said. "I think you were right. He's on the mend." "Let's don't talk about them, okay?" "Babe, how can we not?" I asked. "They're such an important part of our lives. They're our children." "Just kidding," he said. He took my hand in his, not caring if flight attendants or other passengers saw us. In a few minutes he pulled at the crotch of his pants. "Don't tell me you're . . . " He grinned sheepishly and nodded. "I'm sorry, but that's the effect you have on me, Kevin. Deal with it." I grinned back. "Me, too," I said, and he laughed. * * * I have been in mountains in the eastern portion of the country all my life, but they're as different from the Rockies as a beach is from a forest. I was very surprised to discover that Denver proper is just about as flat as Emerald Beach or New Orleans. The difference, of course, is that it's pretty much surrounded by gigantic mountains that are breathtakingly beautiful when the weather is clear. That, and the fact that the whole city is a mile in the sky. Our hotel was new and very, very nice. We got a smoking room because of my nasty habit, and it was on the tenth floor, the hotel's highest. The view from our window was magnificent, and we were both eager to get out in the snow that covered the peaks in the distance. We had been alerted to the fact that weather conditions in Denver change faster than just about anywhere, so we were prepared for bitter cold or moderate temperatures, rain or snow, good weather or bad. The one climate factor that seemed to remain constant was the humidity, or the lack thereof. "Have you been just terribly thirsty?" I asked, as I opened my third bottle of water of the morning. We had driven to Breckenridge and were taking a break from skiing. "Yeah. This is my fourth bottle," Rick said. "I'm not sweating one bit, either." "Where are you guys from?" one of the other skiers asked us. He was a young guy around our age. Pretty nice looking, too. We told him. "What's the humidity like there?" he asked. "Rarely under 90%," Rick said. "See, here it's rarely above 20%. That's why you're so thirsty. Your body isn't used to the lack of relative humidity. It'll get better the longer you're here," he said. "Thanks. I hadn't thought of that," Rick said. "Another thing you might notice is having to take deep breaths from time to time. There isn't as much oxygen in the air this high up, and you're probably not used to that, either. Some people get nose bleeds, too," he said. "I know. I noticed that about the deep breaths last night in Denver," I said, "and today it's even worse." A second guy, also around our age and also nice looking, came up to us. "Hi," he said. "Did you make some new friends?" "Well, we haven't introduced ourselves yet, but . . . " the first one said. "I'm Kevin Foley . . . and I'm Rick Mashburn," we said in turn. "I'm Tim Simmons, and this is my partner, Dave Curry," he said. "Partner?" I asked. "Yes. We're a couple. You two are also, aren't you?" Tim asked. "Yeah, as a matter of fact we are," I said. "How could you tell? Did one of us drop a hairpin or something?" They laughed. "No, not at all. It's just that this particular resort is very popular with gays and lesbians. You two are together, so I naturally figured you were a couple," Tim said. "We had no idea this place caters to family," I said. "It's not exclusive. There are straight families here, too, but probably half the people here are gay," he said. "Leave it to you to pick out a gay place," Rick said. "Have you guys had lunch yet?" Dave asked. "I'm starving, and I'm cold." "Where is there to eat around here?" Rick asked. "And, yes, I could go for some lunch, too." "Back up top, where you rented your equipment. It's not fancy, but it's not bad," Dave said. "Let's go," Tim said. We were at the bottom of a run, so we had to get the lift back to the top. That's the only part of skiing that I find the least bit scary, but it only ever bothers me the first couple of times I do it. We had skied down about six times by then, so the trip back to the top was a piece of cake. Over lunch we got to know our new friends a little bit. They are, in fact, also both twenty-seven, and they have been together for two years. Dave had gotten married to a woman when he was twenty-two, and he divorced her after six months. No children. Tim had had the same boyfriend for nine years, ages sixteen through twenty-four. The guy one day decided he really didn't love Tim after all, so he just left him. Tim and Dave live right outside of Chicago, and they both work in the home office of an insurance company. When they got home after their vacation, they were going to sign the final paperwork on a house. We gave the basic rundown on ourselves, but we didn't really bring up the kids. That was pretty complicated, and there were far too many names and relationships involved to handle during a forty-five-minute lunch. We skied the rest of the afternoon, but we called it a day when the lights on the slopes came on. It wasn't that we didn't like night skiing; it was that we were exhausted. Tim and Dave quit then, too. "Where are you guys staying?" I asked. "Way the hell downtown, at a Sheraton," Dave said. "So are we," I said. "What a coincidence. We're officially here to attend a trade show that's at the hotel. That's why we're there. Are you going to ski every day?" "I saw the signs for that show. Restaurants, isn't it?" Tim asked. "And we'll probably ski another day, but there are lots of interesting places to go around here. Have you guys ever been over to Golden?" "No, this is the first trip to the Rockies for both of us. Golden is where Coors is, isn't it?" I asked. "Yeah. You ought to take the tour. It's pretty cool. I wouldn't bother with the Air Force Academy, though, over in Colorado Springs. The town and some of the attractions around it, yes; the Academy, no," Tim said. "Maybe we'll run into each other again. If we don't, it's been a great day," I said, and we shook hands all around. "Those are nice guys, I think," Rick said, once we were in the car and on the way back to our room at the Sheraton. "Can you believe Tim's boyfriend left him after nine years?" I asked. I didn't understand how that could happen. "It happens, Babe," Rick said. "I know, but still." Rick and I are both shower guys, basically, but occasionally we enjoy a hot bath, especially if we can take it together. The tub in our bathroom at home is big enough for two or three men, and the one in our hotel room, while not that big, easily accommodated both of us at one time. "It feels so good in this hot water," Rick said. "My feet have been like ice for hours." "Ummm," I said, purring with pleasure as I stretched my legs over his. We were facing each other, and it did feel good to be in that tub. I had taken my text from Kyle and had brought a bottle of whiskey with us. I had made myself a drink for the tub, and, surprisingly, Rick wanted one, too. "This is a good drink," he said. He likes his whiskey with Coke or 7-Up; I like mine with water. "When was the last time you had one? Do you even remember?" I asked. "It's been a while. I think probably the last one was at the Christmas party at your parents' house the night before we got hitched," he said. "So, I see you're turning into an alcoholic," I said. He smiled. "Do you want to go out to a restaurant or order room service?" I asked. "Babe, room service sounds really good to me. Aren't you tired?" he asked. "I'm very tired. We did a lot today, and the altitude, humidity, and lack of oxygen didn't help," I said. "So, let's do room service and order a now-playing-in-theaters movie." "That sounds good," he said. We stayed in the bath long enough for the water to cool, and then we showered to get clean. "Are you in the mood tonight?" I asked, after we were dressed. "I'm always in the mood for you, but I'm pretty tired," he said. "Good because I'm too tired, too. Besides, we have a lifetime," I said. "You got that right," he said, and smiled. |