up with the two men from the coffee shop, strolling along, hand in hand. Again, that wasn’t something seen in Spruce Hollow.
Dave nodded toward them. “It’s amazing.”
“What’s amazing?” Billy replied.
“How nobody cares if you’re gay here.”
“Oh, some people care. It’s just not as big a deal here as where you’re from. Lots of artsy types and freethinkers.”
Yeah, and Dave wished he could’ve grown up locally. Surely he’d have had at least one boyfriend by now. Even though he was kind of scrawny, with hair and eyes a muddy brown, he’d never been accused of having been hit with an ugly stick. “How many boyfriends have you had?”
“A couple. Nothing serious. Why? You volunteering?” Again Billy flashed a silly grin.
A guy could do a lot worse, though. Billy called himself fat, but he wasn’t. And he hunched over all the time like he was afraid he’d hit his head in doorways or something—at six-foot-something, he probably had. Billy also had clear green eyes that seemed to sparkle with humor, and hair so dark Aunt Lisa thought he dyed it.
Billy for a boyfriend wouldn’t be bad, but he knew every one of Dave’s flaws, every weakness. Had seen Dave sleeping with his mouth hanging open and drooling. Who wanted a drooling, snoring boyfriend?
Aunt Lisa lived in a small but open loft, with Japanese screens for room dividers. The first time Dave had brought the guy home, Aunt Lisa had taken one look, declared him “adorkable”, and started planning her nephew’s wedding. She also had the annoying habit of treating every study session like a date. “Can I get you boys a drink? A snack? Billy, do you want to stay for supper?”
Billy thought it was cool how accepting she was, even if she did have trouble discussing certain subjects. Then again, at only twenty-six, it hadn’t been that long ago that she’d babysat Dave while in her teens. Dave sure remembered. It’d always taken days for the nail polish to wear off.
Dave nodded at the couple ahead of them. “Just wondering. I still can’t believe people aren’t running after those two, calling them names and telling them they’re going to Hell.”
Billy grabbed Dave’s hand.
“What the hell? What are you doing?” Dave should have pulled his hand away, but it seemed to like where it was.
“Proving a point.”
It felt kind of weird at first, holding hands with his best friend in public, or anyone in public for that matter. But Billy was right. No one seemed to care except one old lady walking a poodle who’d smiled and said, “Awwww.” Actually, after a while, holding Billy’s hand was kinda nice.
They dropped hands when they got close to their neighborhood. It wouldn’t do for anyone to think they were together.
“Go on in my room,” Billy said, once they reached his front door. “I’ll be right there.”
Dave trudged up the narrow stairs of what used to be a shoe store, now converted into apartments. Billy’s room was bigger than Dave’s back home, with floor to ceiling windows that they liked to sit in when the weather was nice. Hey! Billy had cleaned up, so Dave didn’t have to slog through the usual knee-high pile of dirty clothes and computer parts. The double bed was even made—sorta. At least the covers were on top and not on the floor.
Billy stomped up the stairs and soon appeared through the door.
“You got us a snack?” Why the hell had he brought fruit?
Billy doubled-over, laughing his fool head off. “No, you idiot. They’re for practice.”
“Practice?” Oh. The light bulb came on. Dave sank down in a bean bag chair across from the bed. Holy crap! They were actually going to do this. If his face grew any hotter it might set off the fire alarm.
“Think fast!”
Dave grabbed a blue missile just in time. Cellophane crackled in his fingers. Billy sank down on his bed, placing a banana between his knees. He tossed one to Dave and set two more aside, “Just in case.”
Oh my God. Surely he didn’t mean…
Billy tore the condom pack open. “Never use your teeth. It could tear the condom.” After a moment he added, “I heard that from a cute porn star on a public service announcement. Ha! They should show that one in health class. I’m sure there wouldn’t be so many people falling asleep. The little hottie gave live demonstrations too.”
Porn stars? Doing public service announcements? And Billy watched them. Damn, but Dave had missed out, living in the country, with folks who