When he said this, they all looked at each other as if he'd lost his mind.
“Google it?” Barry asked. He held his fork in mid-air and gaped at Luis.
Isabelle smiled and said, “That sounds dirty to me.”
Luis froze. He didn't know what to do. No one in l986 could have predicted the Internet and how people would come to depend on it. And Isabelle was right. It did sound dirty. So he cleared his throat and said, “It's an old southern expression we use back home. It means you can't even find it on the map.”
After dinner, Barry set up the video machine in the family room and Jase and his grandfather played a few games of chess. They watched part of a movie and the first half of the eleven o'clock news . Luis listened quietly while the anchorman on TV spoke about AIDS and how this mysterious, dreaded disease was killing thousands of “homosexual” men. He clenched his fists when he heard it mentioned there was no cure and no one knew what to do. No one said a word. And when the AIDS story was over and a piece about Nancy Reagan came on, Isabelle groaned out loud, stood up, and said, “I've heard and seen enough. I'll have nightmares if I have to look at her before I go to bed. I'm going upstairs now.” She slapped her thigh and Millie and Mollie got up fast.
“We are, too,” Mary said. She poked Barry in the arm. “We have to get up at five. We should have gone to bed an hour ago.”
Before Barry and Mary went upstairs, everyone hugged them and wished them well on their trip. They'd hired a car to pick them up in the morning and no one would see them again until they returned three weeks later. Luis wasn't sure if he'd ever see them again in l986; he wasn't sure how long he'd be stuck in the past. So he gave them both an extra hug and thanked them for being so kind. Before Barry went upstairs, Luis grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. “You're a good man. I just want you to know that.”
Barry seemed dumbfounded by such an outpouring of emotion. He didn't know how to reply at first. He stared at Luis for a moment, then said, “You are a strange guy sometimes. But thank you. I appreciate it.”
Isabelle turned off a light in the family room and asked Jase, “Do you two boys need any extra towels. I'll get them for you.”
Jase kissed her goodnight and said, “No thanks, gram. We're good.”
As Judah turned to leave, he patted Luis on the back and said, “I'll get something lined up for you by tomorrow morning, young man. I hate to see someone so eager to work stand around doing nothing. I've always said a good work ethic is what makes a man. I'm in my seventies and I go to work every day.”
Isabelle rolled her eyes. “You also once said we'd never make it to the moon and you were wrong about that.”
Judah smiled and gave Isabelle a gentle pat on the rear end. “Get upstairs, woman. Or I'll have to give you a good spanking.” He winked at Luis.
Isabelle moved her eyebrows up and down. As she turned to leave, she said, “Promises, promises. You haven't given me a good spanking in ages.”
Luis couldn't stop smiling. He thought the relationship between Isabelle and Judah was adorable. It was everything Isabelle had told him it was, right down to the way they often used naughty sexual innuendos. He could see how much they loved each other. And it pulled at his heart when he thought about how lonely Isabelle would be in the future without Judah.
When they were gone, Jase took a quick breath. “Sorry about that. I guess they can't help themselves. They're like that all the time. It's kind of embarrassing.”
“Don't be silly,” Luis said. “I think they're wonderful. I wish I had grandparents like them. Mine died long before I was born. I never knew any of them.”
“That sucks,” Jase said. “I guess I am lucky.” He turned toward the hallway and scratched his balls. “Let's hit the sheets. I'm tired, man. I hope you don't mind snoring. Because I snore like a fucking bulldog.”
Luis was used to Jase's snoring by then. It didn't bother him. It made him feel comfortable and at ease. He smiled and said, “I don't mind. I hope you don't mind I sleep in the nude. I can't stand to wear anything to bed.”
Jase looked at him and gulped. “You can borrow a pair of my sweats.”
Luis shrugged. “I can't sleep in clothes. If it's a problem, I'll sleep on the floor. I don't mind.”
Jase took a deep breath and said, “No. It's okay, man. Once I'm sleeping, I'm out for good.”
Luis knew this was true about Jase. But he also knew the older version of Jase couldn't resist Luis's naked ass no matter how tired he was. And Luis was dying to find out whether or not the eighteen year old version of Jase would react the same way.
Chapter Five
While Jase took Millie and Mollie out one last time for the night, Luis went up to Jase's bedroom to figure out whether or not he'd try to seduce Jase. On the one hand, Jase was over eighteen years old and they would one day be married. Luis was dying to get into Jase's pants. On the other hand, Jase was still in the closet in 1986, didn't know who or what he was, and wouldn't come to terms with being gay for years to come. Luis didn't want to change the future and he didn't want to trick Jase into doing anything he wasn't ready for yet. But he couldn't quiet the urge deep in his heart that was dying to take Jase's virginity all over again. In the future, Luis would be the first man Jase had sex with. Luis would be Jase's introduction into gay life.
But Luis decided he had to keep it real. He had to be ethical about this situation. He couldn't take advantage of Jase's innocence, nor could he force Jase into doing something he wasn't ready for ... even if he was meant to be gay. And to keep it real, if anything was going to happen between them, Jase had to be the one who seduced Luis first. And if Jase didn't make the first move, Luis would leave it alone. Besides, Luis was starting to worry about whether or not he'd ever get back to his real life. He was starting to miss the older Jase he knew and loved, his husband until death did them part, the man he loved more as each day passed.
Luis was in the bathroom brushing his teeth when Jase pounded into the bedroom. Luis was still wearing his clothes and he wanted to ask for permission before he took a shower. Luis took showers two and three times a day. Evidently, the younger version of Jase only took one shower in the morning like the older version, because when Luis walked out of the bathroom he found Jase sitting on the edge of the bed removing his shoes.
“Do you mind if I take a quick shower before bed?” Luis asked. He liked being clean. He wanted to smell like soap when he climbed into bed with Jase. He knew how much Jase loved it when he smelled good.