“You’re already on the schedule, Jay,” Ezra assured him. Game night was every Wednesday now, followed shortly thereafter by sexy times.
“Wednesday is my second-favorite day of the week,” Roman said and squeezed Ezra’s thigh.
“Because of me?” Jay asked while Ezra only grinned guiltily.
“Yeah, buddy, because of you,” Roman replied and gave Ezra a knowing wink.
The reception continued at Ezra’s Place, which was closed to the public for the gathering. Roman brought in a DJ to play their favorite songs (at a low volume) and Ezra, who’d been in charge of the menu, had selected both their favorite foods, excluding any moldy cheeses. During their meal, Ezra argued with Roman’s father about why an electric car was as good as, if not better, than a gas one.
“The difference is that with an electric motor,” Ezra was saying, “very little is wasted, whereas combustion is by nature a highly inefficient process where a lot of energy is lost along the way. Gas-powered vehicles need more energy to operate and produce far more waste.”
“But what about the ‘vroom vroom’ factor?” his father said as if it were quantifiable. “The thrum of the engine and the vibration that it gives off? Waking the beast? An electric engine may as well be a Roomba for all the excitement it offers.”
“A Tesla Model S can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds,” Ezra said.
His father chewed on that for a moment. “That’s pretty fast.”
“It’s called Ludicrous mode.”
“Sounds like it,” his father agreed.
“If you two don’t mind me interrupting,” Roman said, intending to do just that. “I’d like to have this dance with my new husband.”
Ezra tuned into the song that was just beginning to play. “It’s our song,” he said as though it were a happy coincidence and not the result of Roman’s careful planning.
Roman swept him away from their table and out to the center of the Hubble Telescope dance floor. Ezra allowed himself to be enveloped in Roman’s arms completely, as if they were alone in their living room, dancing along to the song’s sweet melody.
“Are you having fun?” Roman asked softly, wanting to make sure that his family wasn’t overwhelming him.
“Yes, I enjoy arguing with your father. He makes a lot of good points. Not as good as mine, but still pretty good.”
Roman smiled, imagining what a week in Florida with those two was going to look like. After their first few interactions by video, his father had called him up and said, “Take care of that one. He’s good people,” which was about the highest praise the contrary man could possibly give.
“Do you like the centerpieces?” Roman had splurged and decorated the tables with living orchid arrangements that their guests could take home with them and hopefully keep alive.
“I love them,” Ezra said happily. “They’re all so beautiful, but I’ve already picked out my favorite to take home with us, so I should probably put my name on it.”
Roman smiled at his husband’s practicality. “And are you looking forward to vacationing with my family this summer?” That would happen after their honeymoon. Roman wanted Ezra all to himself for a little while before sharing him with anyone else.
“Oh yes. I can’t wait to play with Jada and Desmond. Your mother is lovely and your father is a very stubborn man. Just like you.”
“Just like me?” Roman asked in mock offense.
“Yes, I like that about you, how persistent you are, like when you make me try new foods, even though they are disgusting roughly 70 percent of the time. And I like it when you get bossy and tell me what to do in other ways.” Ezra’s suggestive smile sent a coil of heat snaking through Roman’s groin.
“Do you have something planned for us later? A special outfit perhaps?”
Ezra smiled, looking anything but innocent. “If I told you, it would ruin the surprise.”
“And we wouldn’t want that, would we?” The music had shifted to another song, but Roman wasn’t finished with his new husband just yet. “I never thought I’d share this with another person. I’m so happy to be sharing it with you, Ezra.”
“Me too. This day is perfect. And the best thing is knowing there will be many more just like it.”
“Yes, there will,” Roman promised, a vow he held sacred.
“So, are you going to tell me anything about our honeymoon?” Ezra asked and batted his eyes a little.
Roman had planned a trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, followed by a visit to a botanical garden and other local attractions. The days had been designed for Ezra’s entertainment, while the nights would belong to both of them.
