Page 44 of King of the Crease

“You can always be yourself around me.” Millie begins loading the dishwasher.

“I know that, and I am so grateful for our friendship. It’s different with other gay men.”

“I get it. I can talk about things with my girlfriends,” she says before whispering, “Lady stuff.”

“And I love that you have other ladies to talk about that with.” I bundle up the dirty silverware in my hand and pass it to Millie. Then I lean against the kitchen island and think about how great Sunday was. “I was on a high from winning the game, and then getting to come out and socialize with other guys like me. It was like we were at Central Perk. I felt invincible…and so when Hank said he’d never had a quality kiss with a guy, I wanted to change that.”

“In the name of friendship?” She’s teasing, but there’s a touch of curiosity in her voice.

“At first. It was one of the only times where I acted without thinking.” I plop onto one of the island swivel stools, which has a large Santa hat slung over the back.

Millie turns on the dishwasher and leans across the island to stare me right in the face.

“You’re hot for Hank.”

I bow my head and nod. “He is so cute! He’s like a teddy bear who fucks.”

Millie bursts into a cackling laughter that bounces off the walls. “You definitely said that without thinking.”

I meant it, though. Being with Millie is one of the few times I don’t have to monitor what I say constantly.

She throws a dishtowel in my face to get my attention. “Nicky, listen to me. You need to get nasty with Hank.”

“Millie!”

“You need to fuck, suck, gag, spit, doggy style, kitty style⁠—”

“What’s kitty style?”

“I don’t know. Make something up. Aren’t cats flexible enough to lick their own buttholes?”

“You are a mother of young children!”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t also be depraved. Women are allowed to be sexual freaks, too. I’m hashtag having it all.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing and start banging. You’re here on vacation under a fake identity. No strings attached sex was invented for circumstances like this.”

I’m a puppet of the Ardenia royal court. Everything I’ve ever done has been with strings.

“Did Hank pull away in disgust when you kissed him?”

“No.” I flash back to Hank’s reaction. He was stunned, but he seemed happy, too. Maybe it was a wishful imagination, but I thought I saw a spark of heat blaze in his eyes.

“Then he wants your sex, too.”

“He didn’t say a word on the drive home.”

“Because he was probably shocked that his teammate kissed him.”

“Fair point.”

Adam lumbers downstairs, and Millie switches from her ribald self to caring, sweet wife.

“How are the kids?” she asks him. “Doing their homework?”

“I promised them Goldfish crackers if they did half their homework and M&M’s when they finish the other half.”