Coming Out for Christmas

  Coming Out for Christmas

  By Mel Spenser

  Chapter One

  "Are we just about done?" Andy asked.

  "Only a few more invitations to address," Sandy, his twin sister, said. "Then you're free."

  A loud thud, followed by a bark came from above their heads. They both looked up toward the ceiling.

  "What was that?" Sandy asked.

  "Oh, it's just Nick," Andy said. "He's getting the Christmas decorations from the attic. It sounds like Henry is helping."

  Another thud and some muffled swearing reached their ears. They both laughed.

  "Let's wrap this up," Andy said. "Nick is going to be ready for lunch when he comes down."

  They worked a little longer in silence, addressing the rest of the invitations for the annual family Christmas party. When they were finishing up, they heard Henry's toenails tapping on the hardwood floor as he came down the hall. The dog came into the kitchen, followed by Nick.

  "Good Lord, what happened to you?" Andy asked when he saw his partner.

  Nick was a mess. He was sweaty, had smudges on his face and cobwebs in his dark brown hair. He stood, patting the dust from his clothes, a big grin on his face. Andy got up and walked over to him. He reached up and began pulling cobwebs off of Nick's hair.

  "It was rough," Nick said. "But I think I managed to find everything. Whoever put the decorations away last year did a good job of labeling the boxes."

  "That would have been your resident librarian," Sandy said, indicating Andy. "One thing that he can do well is organize."

  "What I found looks like a good start," Nick said.

  "Good start?" Andy asked.

  "We may have to go shopping for more lights," Nick said. "There may not be enough."

  "Enough for what?" Andy asked. "What did you have in mind?"

  "I think that I'm going to go vertical," Nick said.

  "Vertical?" Andy asked.

  "Is there a ladder in the garage?"

  "Oh, dear," Sandy said.

  Nick must have sensed Andy getting ready to protest, because he asked, "Did you guys get all of the invitations done for the big shindig?"

  "Yes," Sandy said. "I'm going to drop them off at the post office on the way home. Oh, before I forget… Andy, I've already booked the caterer. Would you like to look over the menu with me?"

  Andy looked at her blankly, blinking behind his wire rim glasses.

  "Menu?"

  "Right, I almost forgot," Sandy said. "You two are both food prep incompetent. Too bad at least one of you isn't pathetic in the kitchen. I don't know how you survive."

  "That's what restaurants are for," Andy said. "Besides, I can make toast if pressed. With jelly and peanut butter, I might add. And Nick has made macaroni and cheese before. Sort of."

  "By the way," Sandy said, as she got her things together to leave, "don't forget to pick up Ryan from the airport tonight."

  "We've got it covered," Nick said, going back to picking off cobwebs.

  "At least you guys are good for something."

  "Hey!" Andy said. "Careful or you'll hurt our feelings."

  "Yeah, right," Sandy said. "Well, I think we're all set. When you start getting the RSVPs, just toss them in a pile and we'll go through them later. If anyone calls to RSVP, just make a note. That way I'll have a number for the caterer."

  "Okay," Andy said as he walked with her to the door. "Thanks for coming over."

  "No problem, see you guys later," she said as she left.

  Once she was gone, Andy went over to Nick, smiled up at him and said, "Hey you."

  Apparently that was all it took. Andy watched Nick's eyes darken as he reached for Andy.

  "Come here," Nick said.

  Nick slid an arm around Andy's slim waist, pulling him close. Andy was not expecting the suddenness of the move and stumbled slightly. He caught himself, bracing both hands on Nick's chest. However, once they were close, he slid his hands down Nick's sides, and wrapped both arms around Nick's waist. Nick pulled Andy's body against his and went in for a kiss.

  As they kissed, Andy's hands found their way under Nick's T-shirt and caressed the small of Nick's back. Nick's grip on Andy's waist became tighter. Nick's strength always made Andy weak in the knees and practically addled his brain. When a small sound came from Andy, Nick's other hand came up to cup Andy's head, his fingers tangling in Andy's hair.

  "Baby, you drive me crazy," Nick said between kisses. He moved to kiss Andy below the ear.

  "What did I do?" Andy asked, tilting his head to the side. "I was just standing here."

  "All you have to do is look at me and I want you."

  "Oh," Andy said, kind of breathlessly, since Nick was nibbling on his earlobe. "Okay."

  Nick moved back to Andy's mouth and began to kiss him with more enthusiasm.

  Pausing for a breath, Andy said, "You know, you're not so bad yourself. You even make cobwebs and dust look sexy."

  Nick stopped what he was doing. "Crap. Speaking of which, I have to take a shower."

  "Need any help?" Andy asked. He slid his hands down the back of Nick's shorts while waggling his eyebrows suggestively. He could tell that he had Nick's full attention, now.

  "How much time do we have before Ryan's plane gets in?" Nick asked.

  They both glanced at the clock on the oven.

  "Oh, man. Not enough," Andy said.

  "Damn," Nick said. Then he frowned. "You tease. You get me all worked up…"

  "Hey, I was just standing here."

  "Like I said, that's all it takes, Sexy."

  Nick looked at the clock again. He appeared to be pouting.

  "I guess that I'll go take quick shower," Nick said as he reluctantly let go of Andy.

  As Nick walked out of the kitchen he said over his shoulder, "But your ass is mine later. You can count on that."

  Chapter Two

  When Ryan came through the security checkpoint, he easily spotted his cousin Andy. He also noticed a tall, dark-haired man standing with Andy. Andy smiled and gave a little wave when he picked Ryan out of the crowd.

  "Hey, Ryan," Andy said once they got close.

  "Hi."

  "This is my partner, Nick," Andy said, introducing the two men. "Do you have any bags?"

  "Just one," Ryan said. "Thanks for coming to pick me up. And for letting me stay at your place for the holidays."

  "Oh, it's no problem," Andy said. "We have plenty of room."

  "I can't believe that the minute that I went off to college, my parents sold our house," Ryan said.

  As they walked toward the baggage claim, Ryan and Andy got caught up on the family.

  "How was your first semester of college?" Andy asked.

  "Pretty good," Ryan said. "That's mine," he added, pointing to a bag coming around on the carousel. Nick leaned over and picked it up as it was going by.

  "All set," Nick said.

  Once they were in the car and on the freeway heading back toward downtown Houston, Ryan asked, "Have you heard from my mom? The last time I talked to her, she didn't know when she and Ed were coming."

  "Sandy talked to her," Andy said. "They aren't going to come until the day of the party."

  "Good," Ryan said. He noticed that Nick and Andy exchanged a look, so he added, "I don't get along with Ed all that well. I mean, he's okay to my mom; I just don't care for him much. Have you met him? He's kind of a tight-ass."

  "Oh, great," Nick said. "Just what we need coming over to our place."

  "I'm kind of surprised that he's coming, to be honest," Ryan said. "You know, because you two are together."

  "Surely, he will behave," Nick said. "I mean, he will be a guest in our home."

  "We'll see,
" Ryan said as he looked out the window at the tall buildings of downtown. "He can be an opinioned asshole."

  Ryan turned his head back in time to see Nick reach over and lay his hand on Andy's thigh as he drove. Ryan watched as Andy laid his hand on top of Nick's. He wasn't used to seeing men being openly affectionate with each other. He couldn't help staring.

  "So, Ryan," Andy said. "Are you going to see that guy you were best friends with in high school while you are here?"

  "Scott? Yes, I told him that I was coming," Ryan said. "I haven't seen him since graduation. He's going to UCLA."

  "You're going to the University of Arizona, right?" Nick asked.

  "That's right," Ryan said.

  "I remember that you and Scott were inseparable," Andy said. "Haven't you guys been friends practically all of your lives?"

  "Yes. We've been friends since preschool," Ryan said. "We’ve been keeping in touch through email. I'm looking forward to seeing him."

  Before long, Nick signaled to exit the freeway, and soon they were driving into the Montrose area. Andy owned a large old home in the historical area where he and Nick lived. Andy's grandmother had raised him and his twin sister, Sandy. When his grandmother passed away several years ago, she left the house to Andy. The house had always been a focal point for large family reunions, and Andy kept up the tradition with the help of his sister.

  "I'm really excited to be staying at your house," Ryan said. "Some of the best times I had growing up were going to the family reunions at Christmas time. Grandma always had the house decorated like you'd see on TV. And the Fourth of July parties were the only time that my mom ever let me around fireworks. I remember you and the other older cousins going nuts with the firecrackers.

  "We did get kind of obnoxious," Andy admitted.

  "Especially in the pool. You guys were crazy," Ryan said, laughing.

  "Half of the fun of that was pissing off my sister," Andy said.

  "From what I've seen, that hasn't changed much," Nick said. "I've seen you two in action."

  "Well, she deserves it," Andy said, waving a hand dismissively. "She's a menace."

  "She was always nice to me," Ryan said.

  "Me too," Nick added.

  "You two better not be standing up for her," Andy said. "I know where you'll both be sleeping for the next couple of weeks."

  Soon they were pulling into the driveway of the large brick home with its clay tile roof.

  "I've always loved this house," Ryan said.

  Nick pulled up to the garage next to the privacy gate that led to the back yard. When they got out of the car, Ryan could hear a very large dog barking on the other side of the fence.

  "Henry," Andy said almost conversationally as he walked toward the gate.

  The barking stopped and turned into impatient whining.

  "I don't think you've been here in a while," Andy said to Ryan. "I have a dog now."

  Nick opened the gate. He stood aside so that Andy and Ryan could go through first.

  Ryan came face to face with a large dog. Ryan wasn't tall, and the dog was huge.

  "Is that a Doberman?" Ryan asked, not going any further.

  "Yes. Henry is a guard dog," Andy said. "Well, now he's retired. It's a long story. Anyway, he won't hurt you."

  The dog stood a couple of feet away from Ryan. Stretching his neck, his long nose sniffed the air around Ryan.

  "Are you sure it's okay?" Ryan asked, not moving.

  "It's fine," Nick said. "He has that effect on people the first time you meet him. He looks intimidating, but he's really a big lap dog."

  Andy tapped the dog on its back with his finger as he walked by it. "Come on, Henry. Let's go inside."

  Once they went through the back door, Nick set Ryan's bag down.

  "How about if I go pick up some dinner, babe?" Nick asked.

  "You'll find out quickly that there is no food in the house," Andy explained to Ryan. "Neither one of us cooks. So, every day is an adventure in the meal planning department."

  "Is Thai okay?" Nick asked, looking through his wallet.

  "Works for me," Andy said. "Is that okay with you, Ryan?"

  "Fine with me."

  "Okay," Nick said, as he tucked his wallet in his pocket. "I'll be back in a bit."

  Ryan watched as Nick walked over to Andy and kissed the other man on the lips. He had never seen such a thing.

  When Nick left, Andy looked over at Ryan. Ryan saw Andy's face go blank, and Andy raised an eyebrow.

  "What?" Andy asked.

  "Huh? Oh, nothing," Ryan said. "You and Nick really are, you know, together."

  "Yes, we are," Andy said. "Do you have a problem with that, Ryan?"

  "Oh! No. No," Ryan said. "I'm just not used to it. I think it's cool, though."

  Andy gave him a speculative look. He must have believed Ryan, because he changed the subject.

  "So, let me show you which room you'll be staying in," Andy said.

  Andy led Ryan up a back staircase off the kitchen. When they got to the top, a long hall stretched the length of the house.

  "That's our room," Andy said as they walked by an open door.

  Ryan caught a glimpse of a very large room with a king-size sleigh bed.

  They walked on down the hall, past the only closed door.

  "We don't go in that room," Andy said as they passed it. He gave a little shiver. "Ever."

  Before Ryan could ask what Andy he had meant, they had walked on down the hall. They finally stopped at the last open door.

  "Here we are," Andy said.

  Andy stepped back so that Ryan could go in. It was a large corner room on the front of the house with windows on two walls. A queen-size four poster bed was on the wall opposite the windows.

  "The bathroom is right across the hall," Andy said. "You'll have it all to yourself."

  "Andy, thanks again for letting me stay here," Ryan said. "I really appreciate it."

  Andy gave him a big smile. "No problem. Come on down when you get settled. Nick should be back with dinner in about twenty minutes."

  Chapter Three

  Later that evening, Nick was sitting on the sofa in the TV room off the kitchen. He looked up when Andy came into the room.

  "Hi, baby," Nick said smiling. He started folding the newspaper he had been reading.

  "Hey, you," Andy said.

  "I see that you've got your sexy pajamas on."

  Andy looked down at himself. He was dressed in a T-shirt and old flannel pajama bottoms, his hair still damp from the shower.

  "This is sexy?"

  "On you it is, " Nick said. "It will be sexier off of you," he added, leering.

  Andy glanced around as he sat on the sofa. He sat with his feet tucked under him, facing Nick.

  "Where's Ryan?" Andy asked.

  "He went to visit his friend, Scott. I let him use my car."

  "So, what you're saying is, we have the place to ourselves," Andy said, smiling at him.

  "Why, yes we do, come to think of it," Nick said as he tossed the newspaper on the end table. "We are officially alone."

  “We usually are alone," Andy pointed out.

  "Yes, but since we have company, I feel like we have to grab for those moments when we get time for ourselves."

  "Speaking of grabbing, didn't you mention something about my ass earlier?"

  "Um, hmm," Nick said as he reached out and pulled Andy close.

  Andy's eyes closed as Nick gently kissed the tip of Andy's nose. Andy held still as Nick placed several light kisses on Andy's face. Then Andy tilted his head back and offered his mouth to Nick.

  When Nick ran his tongue between Andy's slightly parted lips, the tip of Andy's tongue came out to meet Nick's. For a few moments, with their mouths close, their breath mingled, and their tongues lightly caressed.

  Andy ran the tip of his tongue along the lower ridge of Nick's upper lip. The touch was feather light and electrified the sensitive nerve endings there. Nick moaned and claimed
Andy's mouth in an aggressive open-mouthed kiss.

  It turned from one kiss into several. After kissing him thoroughly for a few moments, Nick pulled back a little to look at Andy's face. Andy's cheeks were flushed, though whether from the shower or desire, Nick didn't know. He didn't care; he just thought Andy looked irresistible. He gazed lower at Andy's lips that were wet and slightly swollen from Nick's kisses.