“So I forgot to put the spoon in the dishwasher. It’s not the crime of the century.” Mac washed it in the sink with soap. He held up the shiny, clean utensil to Gideon. “See? All clean.”
“Just remember the ants.” Gideon grabbed it from Mac, brushing his fingers in the process, which sent a tingly feeling down to his core, and then further south.
“I thought you would go easy on me. I’m recovering. I have a heavy load of courses.”
“I’m taking some summer classes, too, don’t forget.”
Mac wouldn’t forget his sacrifice. Gideon had to drop two classes in the winter because he was tending to Mac as best he could.
“And I’m not asking for much. This was just one spoon.” Gideon’s eyes zeroed in on Mac’s, like he could turn him to dust. Lust hung in the air thicker than the humidity.
Their lips were all over each other, right there in the hot, stifling kitchen. Gideon’s shirt was blotted with his sweat, and the scent made Mac’s cock stand at attention.
“I want to show you how well I’ve healed.” Mac got on his knees and undid Gideon’s pants.
“Your physical therapy…” Gideon gasped as his dick disappeared inside Mac’s mouth. “I forgot what I was going to say. Oh, baby!” He dug his hands into Mac’s hair. Mac went to town. Gideon’s moans were fuel to his engine.
“You can’t just do this every time you want to get out of cleaning…oh, shit!”
Gideon came, and Mac took it all. Mac wiped the corners of his mouth and stood back up. “See, I know how to clean up a mess. Now, I really have to get back to studying.”
Φ
Later that night, Seth and Delia came over for dinner. They both had internships in nearby Harrisburg and were staying in Duncannon for the summer. Gideon and Mac ordered gluten-free pizza, while they brought over nut-free ice cream and gluten-free and regular beer.
“How’s your family’s store doing?” Delia asked. She enjoyed getting to ask these questions. Mac had spent years not talking about his family. She had told him it was a whole new side of him, one she was happy to hear about.
“This is going to be the last year, and then my dad’s going to shut it down.” Both Mac and his mom spent the past few months convincing his dad to come around to this decision. But eventually, his dad recognized that he couldn’t do this forever and that he wanted to enjoy some type of retirement.
“This is so upsetting.” Delia dug into her ice cream. “All of these family-owned stores all over the country are being wiped out by these mega corporations that are wiping out local economies and decimating employee wages.”
“It’s not all bad. My parents are thinking about getting jobs at Disney World in one of their gift shops. They still get to have a store, but they don’t have to worry about it going under.”
“Thank goodness for Disney, I guess,” Delia said.
“And beer,” Gideon said. “Let’s not forget about beer.”
He and Delia clinked bottles.
“And ice cream,” Seth said. He shoveled it in his mouth. “This is really good.”
“I won’t miss Kingwood, West Virginia. Florida is much nicer,” Mac said.
“When do you go back to testify?” Delia asked.
Justin’s trial was coming up. The prosecutor said they had a very strong case, and jury selection had weeded out any congregants from the church. Justin would probably play up the preacher’s son angle. Gideon told him not to worry.
“Justin will get some kind of conviction, but no matter what, he’ll be stuck in his pathetic life and small town forever. Mac still gets to have a real future.” Gideon squeezed his shoulder.
“Our great legal system at work,” Mac said. He wasn’t scared about seeing Justin in court. Nothing worried him much anymore. He had Gideon, his friends, and his family. He was unstoppable. Strength in numbers.
“So Gideon, I have to ask.” Delia took a swig of her beer. “Do you ever miss being with women?”
“Delia…” Seth groaned.
“I’m curious! You dated and hooked up with women for years.”
Gideon scratched his chin as he deliberated. “Do you miss eating bread and peanut butter? You haven’t had any since moving in with Seth last month.”
