“I know.” I do, as much as I would love to confess the whole thing to Russ over the phone before he arrives, this is about Chase. Telling him about whatever we’re doing is different for me. Russ already knows I’m gay. He’s known for as long as I have. He doesn’t know that his brother is bisexual. That’s not mine to share. “You know Russ loves you, right?”
“I know. And I know that he’ll accept me no matter what. So will our parents. I mean, Russ did all the hard work. Coming out as trans and then gay. It still feels hard, though.”
“I know, sweetheart. Don’t worry. We’ll get through this together, okay? I’ll follow your lead on what we do and don’t say to him. Trust me, the two of us can find plenty of things to talk about that don’t include you.” That part is very true. We can spend hours on the phone talking about nothing and everything at the same time.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to lie to your best friend.”
“He’ll understand.” At least I hope he does. “Feel better?”
“A little.” The color slowly returns to Chase’s face, enough so that I’m not afraid he’s going to pass out on me. “Why don’t you go for a run? That always makes you feel better.”
“I’m supposed to be working.”
“Yeah, well, your boss thinks you could use the time off. The store is dead today, so there’s not much to do.” We both don’t need to be here ruminating over the weekend.
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
“I am. Go put those shorts on that I like so much and get out there.” That comment does the trick. His cheeks turn a rosyshade of pink before he stands, slowly, and heads back up to the apartment.
“Nick, what are we going to do?”
Nick purrs and rubs himself against my leg. It does nothing for my situation, but it does earn him a little treat. As soon as he has what he wants, he prances off, likely heading for one of his comfy beds.
“So, no good ideas?” Me either.
16
NIX
I’ve been going to Pride events since my freshman year of college. It was the first time I had the opportunity to be in a place where my queerness wasn’t merely accepted, but also celebrated. Since then, I’ve been to ones in various cities. Sleighbell Springs is small in comparison, but it brings more heart and welcoming arms than anywhere else.
Small towns sometimes get a reputation for being close-minded or conservative. Maybe that’s true in some places, but I’ve never seen that here. Anyone who wants to be here—and loves the Christmas spirit—is welcome.
Seeing Pride through Chase’s eyes reminds me of everything I love about the event. Some years, it feels more like a money grab than a celebration. But standing in the middle of Main Street as the burlesque dancers make their way along the parade route, I’m filled with emotion.
“This is incredible.” Chase’s mouth is open, his blue eyes sparkling as he watches their hips gyrate. “You really do this every year?”
“Yep, every June.” I don’t bother to tell him about the kind of stuff that goes on in December. Maybe he’ll stick around long enough to see it for himself. Or come back and visit.
“Thank you. For bringing me and making it special.” His eyes never leave the performers. Everyone else might be talking and celebrating, only glancing at the main attraction occasionally, but Chase is enraptured.
He also looks incredible, if I do say so myself. When he first asked for help dressing for the occasion, I wasn’t sure how far he wanted to go. So I started small with some sparkly bisexual flag temporary tattoos. As soon as he saw them, Chase insisted they go on his cheeks. I was thinking arms, but who am I to spoil a good time?
Before long, I had a matching set of rainbow pride ones. From there, things spiraled out of control quickly. A fewAmazonpackages appeared on my front porch. He bought us muscle shirts. Well, his muscle shirt that saysIf you play for both teams, you’ll always winin purple, pink, and blue ink. Mine hangs loosely off my body, which doesn’t have nearly enough muscles to fill something out like this, but he was so proud of it that I couldn’t turn him down. It saysSounds Gay, I’m Inin bright rainbow lettering. I would never pick something like this out for myself, but I’m more than happy to wear it for him.
“What’s your favorite part?” I ask him.
He does a slow look around the area, taking everything in. The streets are full of people, young and old, wearing a wild assortment of clothing. Everything from usual casual wear to fetish-style attire. I’ve gotten used to it, so it’s hard to imagine what someone seeing it for the first time might think.
Chase reaches out and takes my hand, pulling it up to his mouth to give my fingers a kiss. “You. My favorite part is being here with you.”
Well, he certainly knows how to melt my heart. “I’m glad I could be here to help you celebrate your first official Pride.”
“Hey, you two. How are things going?” Kyler approaches us with his daughter, Nora, on his shoulders. She giggles as they approach, clearly enjoying the day.
“We’re great. Enjoying the parade. How about you?”
“I got cotton candy!” Nora exclaims.
