Backstage Romance Ch. 12

Scott couldn't resist spilling the beans about our new joint project, and all three of the remaining actors immediately told him to sign them up if a part could be found for them. Christina sidled over to me and murmured, "And Timothy is not hearing a word about this from my lips!"

Julie headed back to Mom's house at midnight. The actors stayed around a bit later, but since they all had flights in the morning, they eventually had to pack it in, leaving with hugs all around. Joseph lingered long enough to shake Daniel firmly by the hand. "Scott," he told his director, "don't let this one get away."

"Oh, I don't intend to," laughed Scott. "He's become a top-notch assistant at work, a partner—at long last—for my best friend, and an ambassador for the most exciting project of my career. I've started to think of Daniel Lewis as my lucky charm!"

My mind flashed back to a conversation two months earlier. I raised my glass. "To getting lucky!" Scott, Mark and Kelly laughed and followed suit.

Daniel blushed, but for once his chin stayed upright and his gaze level.

* * *

I opened my eyes to an unutterable sense of peace. I was warm and relaxed, with the pale winter morning light peeking through the curtains. Daniel was curled up next to me, breathing softly. I closed my eyes, then opened them again as I slowly realized I wasn't in my own bed, nor even in my own house.

The events of the night before slowly came back. I had been in no state to get behind the wheel, and Daniel couldn't drive stick, so he had brought me to his own apartment. He had made me take aspirin and a multivitamin and drink several glasses of water to stave off a hangover before putting me to bed. It seemed to have worked; I had no headache or nausea, just some tightness behind my eyes. And that could just as easily have been from all the emotion of the last twelve hours as from the alcohol.

Daniel had taken off his shoes and coat, but he was still wearing his pants and dress shirt from last night. Even rumpled and unshaven, he was irresistible. Whereas I smelled like last night's bar. How did he manage that? I dragged myself out of bed and found my way to the bathroom, where I freshened up as quietly as I could. I wanted to be presentable for my man when he woke up. I couldn't find an extra toothbrush, but I made use of his mouthwash, hoping it would at least kill the worst of my morning breath. I commandeered Daniel's frayed bathrobe to wear before emerging.

I wandered out of the bedroom, hoping to find a coffee maker, and took in my surroundings. In all this time I had never visited Daniel's apartment. To borrow a real estate buzzword from Mom's lexicon, it was "cozy." That is to say, just big enough to accommodate one person if he wasn't very large and wasn't prone to claustrophobia. A small kitchen opened onto a breakfast nook with a two-seater table holding an elderly laptop computer wired to a pair of portable speakers. A battered love seat sat facing a low television console holding an eclectic assortment of DVDs; I was gratified to recognize a couple of my own titles in the collection. A tall bookcase next to the love seat was stuffed to overflowing with books and scripts. Everything was neat and orderly, but dusty. I had kept Daniel away from his housekeeping the last month.

What caught my eye most, though, was all the color. The apartment was illuminated by throw pillows, blankets, scarves, framed posters, even a Carnival mask, all in warm, glowing jewel tones. For the first time, I understood Julie's frustration over my reluctance to allow accent colors into my living space. I imagined Daniel's possessions mingled with mine, bringing life and interest to the soothing grays and blues, and smiled. February couldn't come too soon.

By the time I had located the materials to make coffee and had the machine sputtering along, I heard noises coming from the bedroom, followed by the sound of the shower running. Another search turned up mugs, and I was just finishing preparing one for each of us when Daniel's arms encircled me from behind. He rested his head against my back, smelling of soap and shampoo and love.

"You're wearing my bathrobe," he commented.

"It was either this or yesterday's underwear," I defended myself.

"You could walk around the place naked if you felt like it. I wouldn't mind. I've done it often enough at your place."

"Our place," I corrected him.

His arms tightened around me. "Ours. Soon."

"Thanks for last night," I told him.

"What did I do to deserve thanks from you?"

"About a million things," I replied seriously. "You could have freaked out and yelled at me, even broken up with me for not telling you about Timothy. I would have deserved it. You could have done it all over again when you found out I had outed us in front of your employer. You could have left me hanging there when Scott got the wrong idea and took off, or let me handle my sister on my own. But you were there through every crisis. In spite of every stupid thing I did, not to mention that ridiculous stunt that Timothy pulled, you were my pillar of strength."

Daniel nuzzled the back of my neck. "You love me. That's worth being strong for."

I turned to face him, melting when I saw his hazel eyes looking up at me adoringly through that perpetual fringe of chestnut-colored hair. I kissed him.

"I hope I can always be that strong for you, too," I told him.

"We can take turns," Daniel reassured me.

As if to emphasize the innuendo, one of his hands slid up inside the robe and teased at my chest hair. I was instantly achingly hard, and moaned appreciatively. He immediately repeated the gesture.

"Baby, I've got another pillar of strength rising, and it's got your name on it," I joked.

He rolled his eyes at my lame humor. "Shut up and come to bed, Jeff."

We left the coffee cooling on the counter and hurried back to the bedroom. I would have liked to make a production of it, but my need was too urgent. Pushing Daniel down onto the bed, I clumsily unbuttoned his white henley shirt and pulled it over his head. God, he was so beautiful! I latched onto one sensitive nipple and sucked hard enough to make him arch his back in pleasure.

His dick was straining against his lounge pants, and a little spot of pre-cum was already seeping through the fabric. I had to have him in my mouth, and now. I swear I heard something rip as I got those pants off him and peeled down the briefs to let his cock spring free onto my waiting tongue. Daniel hissed in pleasure, and wriggled around to return the favor. I was in heaven. All I wanted to do for the rest of my life was make love to this man, returning pleasure for pleasure, claiming him as my own as he claimed me.

Daniel pulled gently at my hair. "Babe, I'm getting close."

I pulled off him. "Not yet, not yet, sweetheart. I need you to do something for me." I took his hand in mine, kissed the palm, and guided it down, down to my ass. He gulped as I pressed his fingers to my opening. "I want you to fuck me, Daniel. I want to feel you inside me."

I was no virgin, though it had been so long since I bottomed, I might as well have been. I regretted that I couldn't give my baby that gift. But I could at least share the same intimacy and trust with him that he had given so generously to me, so many times over.

I met his eyes to find tears standing in them. "Jeff, I'm scared. I've never topped before. I'm so afraid I'd hurt you. I couldn't bear that."

I closed the gap between us, kissed him. He kissed me back with such tenderness it took my breath away. Well, would have if I'd had any breath left to take. I flexed my pucker against his hand so that one finger slipped just inside. I don't know which of us trembled more at that.

"We'll go slow, then. I'll tell you if we need to stop. But nothing would make me happier right now than being with you like this."

Daniel has to have been the most gentle, considerate lover I've ever had. Too gentle, actually. I was so crazy with wanting him, with the craving to feel him pound into me, that his sweet, slow, hesitant lovemaking left me groaning for more. I would have to work at convincing him that I'd welcome a good rough fuck now and then. I made a mental note to straddle and ride him some time, just to show him what kind of treatment my ass was capable of taking. Once I'd had a bit more practice, of course, I amended, wincing as my untrained muscles protested.

But when Daniel shuddered and cried out my name as he loosed his precious essence into my body, it might just have been the most perfect moment of my life.

—————

* Daniel *

"Are you ready for this, babe?" Jeff looked down at me and squeezed my hand. He wasn't fooling me. He was more nervous about this than I was.

"If I'm not now, I never will be," I answered, smiling and, with my free hand, hoisting the potted poinsettia I had brought as a hostess gift. Jeff led me up to the wide, light-festooned porch of his mother's house. The muffled sound of voices and Christmas music drifted out to greet us. Jeff smiled encouragingly at me one last time and rang the doorbell. I was catching on to the game he was playing: The more he worried on my behalf, the less attention he had to spare for his own fears. "It'll be okay, Jeff," I whispered, hoping I was right.

There was a sound of hurrying footsteps, and then Judy answered the door. Julie and a man who must have been Julie's husband were hovering close behind.

"Welcome, welcome, merry Christmas, babe," she greeted Jeff, giving him a hug. She turned to me. "Merry Christmas, Daniel!" I offered her the poinsettia. "Thank you so much, this is lovely, you shouldn't have." I noticed she already had three or four of them decorating the entry, but she bustled back to the kitchen to give it a drink and find a place of pride to display it.

"How's show business, big brother?" asked Julie, giving her brother a tentative smile.

"There's no business like it—especially this year!" he answered, hugging her. "Daniel, you've met Julie of course. This is her husband Joe." We shook hands politely, the in-laws sizing each other up. "Their two little rugrats must be around here somewhere," Jeff continued, glancing around.

"They're planted in front of the TV watching a Christmas special," answered Joe. "Gives the grownups a chance to... catch up." He raised his eyebrows meaningfully. Clearly Julie had filled him in on his brother-in-law's impending bombshell.

Judy came bustling back from the kitchen. "Dinner isn't for another couple of hours, so you boys will have time to get yourselves installed and relax a bit first. Julie and Joe are in the guest room and the kids will be in sleeping bags in the living room," she said. "Jeff, I thought I would give you and Daniel the queen bed in your old room. It's not your nice big king-size, I know, but I imagine you two won't mind sleeping a little closer together than usual for one night."

Everyone else in the room froze.

"That room is all the way at the end of the hall," Judy blithely continued, "and it has a private bath, so you won't disturb the rest of us if you get up to any shenanigans. I warn you, though, if you do, you're washing your own sheets. I swore off that duty the moment you went to college!"

Jeff's face had grown paler and paler as his mother's words sank in. I moved closer to him, just in case he fainted. Julie had her hand over her mouth. Joe and I exchanged nervous glances.

In the ensuing silence, Judy eyed her son closely, the corner of her mouth quirked. Jeff tried several times to frame a response, gave up, slid one hand over his eyes, and quietly asked, "How long have you known?"

Judy's eyes gleamed triumphantly. "Well, I started suspecting when you were nine years old and I walked into the back yard and found you and Julie dancing around singing 'I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right out of My Hair' from South Pacific." Both her children groaned in embarrassment and hid their faces. Joe chuckled.

"And those suspicions got a lot stronger when you started playing the pronoun game with me in college any time I asked about your dating life. But I think I knew for sure when you spent, what, was it seven years in Hollywood living with a male roommate? Jeff, I know real estate in California is expensive, but not that expensive. You were making plenty of money working on that TV show. You would have gotten your own place if you hadn't had, shall we say, a compelling reason to stay with what's-his-name."

Jeff sagged at the mention of Timothy. I cleared my throat. "I, uh, I think Jeff needs to sit down for a moment."

"That's an excellent suggestion, Daniel," Judy said approvingly. "Let's all take a seat in the dining room, shall we?"

"I'll get us some drinks," volunteered Joe hastily. "I think we could all use them."

"Daniel doesn't drink," whispered Jeff.

I overrode him. "Under the circumstances, I think I'll make an exception."

We all gathered around the dining room table, each of us holding a tumbler of eggnog amply fortified with rum.

Judy turned to me. "Daniel, I know I've already told you this, but welcome to the family, truly. I know it can be a little intimidating meeting the in-laws for the first time, but I promise you we won't bite. At least not in any way that would leave a mark." She winked.

I gathered my scant courage to ask, "How did you know about us? I can understand what you said about Jeff, but what gave our relationship away?"

"Simple. The way you two looked at each other. The expression on Jeff's face whenever he talked about you at Thanksgiving. Of course, what he said was already highly complimentary, but the look in his eyes and the sound of his voice told a whole other story. I have to admit I was intrigued. I couldn't wait to meet you and see what the other half of that story had to tell me."

"And?"

"The exact same thing. I don't think either of you boys realizes just how happy you make the other. You two were so obviously in love, that night at the reception, I thought I might have to throw my drink over you to cool you down!" she laughed.

"So how did I miss it?" interjected Julie. "I've known Jeff my entire life!"

"Sweetie, you have a career, a husband, and two little ones keeping you occupied. I think you can be forgiven for missing something Jeff obviously wanted to keep hidden from us."

Jeff cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm... so sorry about that, Mom, Julie, Joe. At first it was mainly Dad I was trying to hide from, and then there were professional reasons I couldn't come out, and then it finally just became a habit."

Judy smiled at him sadly. "Yes, I thought Gary might come into the equation here. Your father was a good man, Jeff, and he loved you, but he always did have trouble adjusting to anything outside his preconceptions about the way life should look. The fights we had when I first told him I wanted to get my realtor's license! I was grateful, really, that we had already separated before you started pursuing your interest in theater. That way you two kids were free to choose your own paths without facing too much pressure to conform to his expectations."

"You never told us any of this," Julie protested. "If Dad really would have had such an issue with Jeff being gay, or acting, for that matter, why go to all the trouble to make sure he was still connected to us? You know he wouldn't have made the effort if it hadn't been for you inviting him."

"He was still your father, Julie," her mother told her. "Whatever his failings, he still deserved to be part of your life. I just made sure he wasn't in a position to dictate your lives."

I thought of my own family, far away and apparently disinterested, and wilted a little. Jeff seemed to read my mind and took my hand in his.

"Well, I suppose that just leaves one last person I need to come clean to," Jeff sighed and stood up, pulling me to my feet beside him. He raised his voice. "Meggie, could you come in here a moment, please?"

A dark-haired little girl with eyes the same bright blue as Julie's and Jeff's came scurrying from the den. She stopped and looked at me suspiciously, taking in the sight of her uncle holding my hand tightly.

"Megan, hon, I'd like to you meet Daniel. Daniel, this is my niece Megan." Megan and I warily took stock of one another. "You asked me at Thanksgiving who I was kissing. When I'm at the theater acting, I kiss whoever the play tells me I'm supposed to. But when it's just me by myself, making my own choices, Daniel's always going to be the one I want to kiss."

In my completely unbiased opinion, it was just about the sweetest coming-out speech I had ever heard.

Megan considered her uncle's announcement for a moment. Then she smiled. "Thought so," she announced, and went skipping back toward the allure of the television.

Jeff threw up his hands helplessly. "Scott, Kelly, the Professor, Mom, now Megan. Do I have 'gay man, property of Daniel Lewis' tattooed on my forehead?"

"You know that's not a bad idea," I joked. "Maybe I should mark my claim on you somewhere. Warn the predatory directors off."

"You already..." Jeff trailed off. I caught his eye and blushed when I realized what he had been about to say. I had claimed him as my own far more intimately that very morning.

Megan's voice trailed back into the dining room: "Dylan, Dylan, guess what!" A moment or two of furious whispering was followed by her little brother's response: "Ewww, Megan, gross!!!"

Julie and Joe looked at one another and said, simultaneously, "She's your daughter."

Judy smiled serenely. "She's my granddaughter."

* * *

We did get up to "shenanigans" that night, of course, giggling and hushing each other as if we were teenagers sneaking around behind their parents' backs. And in a way, I suppose, we were. I gladly allowed Jeff to reclaim his customary role on top, and moaned with each of his long thrusts into my hungry channel, until he had to kiss me to shut me up.

Jeff sneaked out around two in the morning, decently pajama-clad, with a load of soiled sheets to wash, while I remade the bed with fresh ones from the linen cabinet. He came back red-faced from the laundry room. Julie and Joe, returning from loading the little ones' stockings with gifts from Santa, had caught him in the act. Jeff told me they had seemed far more incensed that their parental duties had kept them from similar activities than they were by Jeff and I getting it on his mother's house. We laughed about that, too, until finally the hours caught up with us and sent us off to sleep.

A shrill cry at the godforsaken crack of dawn woke us from our (pornographic, at least in my case) dreams.

"Meggie! Meggie! Wake up! Santa came! And he brought presents!!!"

My love grumbled and buried his handsome head under the pillows. The squealing from the living room increased in intensity until we heard Joe's sleepy voice enjoining his excited children to at least keep it down to a dull roar while the grownups were still in bed.

Jeff's chuckle told me he had given up on trying to ignore the noise. He emerged from beneath the pillows to smile at me. Even with bed-head and reddened eyes, he could still give me butterflies with that smile.

"Merry Christmas, Danny Boy."

"Merry Christmas, Jeff."

"Did Santa bring you what you wanted?"

I squirmed, knowing what he was fishing for. "Do I really have to say it?"

He captured my hand, brought it to his lips. "I want to hear it."

I gave him a kiss, close-mouthed for fear of morning breath, and laid my palm against his cheek. "He brought me everything I wanted. He brought me you."