Lyon glanced back to be sure no one was watching. Then he kissed him again with his tongue and said, “Then we’re good. And if you ever need anything, you call me first. Deal?”
Treston looked into his eyes, caressed his handsome face, and smiled. “It’s a deal.”
Chapter Fifteen
After the party, Treston followed Cooper back to his truck in the back parking lot. When they were inside with the motor running, Treston sighed and said, “It was a nice party. Don’t you think?” Cooper seemed to be in one of his more introspective moods. He’d spent most of his time at the party sipping white wine and leaning against the bar.
Cooper backed the truck out of a parking space and nodded. “It was nice.”
“I’m glad you got a chance to meet some of my friends, especially Lyon and J.D.,” Treston said.
“Yeah,” Cooper said as he made a right turn at the end of the parking lot.
“What did you think of Chickey?” Treston asked. “He’s been so nice to me. He took me on at the club when I had no experience. He believed in me when no one else did. I don’t know what I would have done without him.”
“He seemed nice enough for a guy in his line of work,” Cooper said. He didn’t seem to be in a talkative mood. This wasn’t unusual and Treston didn’t give it a second thought. Going to the club that night had disrupted Cooper’s regular routine. Normally, Cooper would have been in bed by then, sleeping soundly on his back with both arms up and his hands resting beside his head.
“Why don’t you stay at my place tonight,” Treston said. They’d agreed Treston would spend that last night at his apartment alone so he could pack things up and Cooper would sleep alone in his own apartment. In the morning, Treston would walk four blocks to the company where he’d rented the van. He’d rented his apartment furnished and the things he’d acquired while he’d lived there that were his, he knew he could manage to pack into the van alone. Cooper had to go into work early on Sunday morning and he would meet Treston at Chickey’s club later that afternoon for the wedding. After the reception, they would drive back to Cooper’s apartment and unload the van together so they could get it back to the rental company without paying for an extra day. There would be no time for a honeymoon because Cooper didn’t want to take his vacation this time of year. They would plan something later when it was more practical to get away. Cooper thought camping in a tent might be fun. Though Treston had never pictured himself in a tent, he smiled and agreed with him.
Cooper stopped for a traffic light and said, “I think it’s best we keep things the way they are. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon as planned.”
Treston smiled and said, “That’s okay. You’re probably right. Besides, after tomorrow we’ll be together for the rest of our lives. Aren’t you excited? I’m so excited I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep at all tonight. I’ll probably just stay up and pack more boxes.”
Cooper flung him a look. “You’re not all packed yet?”
“I’ve been so busy rehearsing with Lyon and running around doing last-minute things, I still have a few more boxes to pack,” Treston said. “But it’s just clothes and little things. It’s not a problem. Are you all set for tomorrow?”
The light turned green and Cooper hit the gas. “Yes. I have my black wool hanging on a hook behind the door, airing out.” Though Treston had suggested he buy a new suit for the wedding, something lighter and more festive that didn’t smell of moth balls, he’d insisted on wearing the one suit he owned: a black wool affair he’d had since his college graduation.
“Good,” Treston said. He felt so giddy he started fidgeting with his hands because he didn’t know where to put them. “I’m all ready, too. But I’m not telling you what I’m wearing.” He’d found the perfect wedding outfit for the occasion and he’d decided to keep it a secret from Cooper. It wasn’t that he was superstitious, and he wasn’t taking on the role of the bride. He wanted to surprise Cooper on their wedding day with the most wonderful outfit he’d ever owned.
When Cooper pulled up to his apartment, he leaned over and kissed him goodnight. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Have a good night.”
Treston gave him a hug and asked, “Do you want me to blow you before I get out? We’ve never actually had car sex.” He hated to think of him going back to an empty apartment all alone.
Cooper patted his leg and said, “No. I’m good. You should go inside and pack now.”
As always, he waited for Treston to open the door before he backed out of the parking space. Treston stood in the open doorway, smiling, watching the taillights disappear as he drove away from the complex. A moment after that, Treston felt another rush of excitement pass through his body and he slammed the door and ran into the bedroom. He unzipped a garment bag and glanced at the outfit he’d bought for the wedding and felt so overcome with emotion he felt a sting in his eye.
* * * *
Treston wound up oversleeping the next morning because he’d been up all night trying to style his freshly streaked blond hair in different ways for the wedding. He’d parted it in the middle and that looked too casual. He’d tried a messy-looking combed-forward look and that looked too outrageous. After he’d finally decided on a simple off-center part, he packed the remaining boxes in his bedroom. Then he went into the shower and covered his body with a depilatory so he would be extra smooth all over on his wedding day. No one else would know he was smooth all over, but Treston cared about those little details. They were things that made him feel better about himself. By the time he actually did fall into bed, it was after four in the morning. He’d set the alarm for seven a.m., but when it went off he hit the switch and pulled the covers up over his head.
When he finally opened his eyes and saw the clock on his nightstand read eleven a.m., he jumped out of bed, put on a sweatsuit, and practically ran over to the truck rental company. He was supposed to meet Cooper at the club at two that afternoon for the wedding and he still had a million things to do, from packing the van to putting on his new wedding outfit. He also had to make sure he returned his apartment keys to his landlord after he did a final check to make sure he hadn’t left anything behind.
Although he never thought he’d be able to pull it all off in such a short amount of time, by one thirty that afternoon he’d packed the van, cleaned the apartment from top to bottom, put on his wedding outfit, and still had time to spare. As he glanced into a cracked full-length mirror behind his closet door, he smiled and made a few turns. The wedding outfit looked even better on him now than it had in the boutique where he’d bought it. The suit was made out of light cream linen, with tiny little flecks of silver woven into the fabric. The jacket and slacks were trimmed with light beige leather and the buttons were made out of tiny little rhinestones. His shoes were the same beige leather as the trim; so were his socks. He wore every ring he owned, including one for each thumb. He had large fake diamonds in each ear and two cufflinks to match. On his left wrist he wore his best watch, and on his right he wore six different gold bracelets. Though no one would know, he’d even put on his gold ankle bracelet and toe rings. He’d leave them on later when he removed all his clothes and made love to his husband on his wedding night.