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  “Oh believe me,” Hunter said, “sex after marriage can still be plenty wild.”

  “I’m trying so hard not to picture that and completely invade your privacy, Hunter Storm,” Cas said. His vivid blush made it clear he was failing in a big way.

  “It’s just Hunter Jacobs now,” the blond said with a smile.

  “Whatever your name is these days, you’re still mighty fine,” Leo said. “Your husband is one lucky man.”

  Brian smiled and said, “I tell myself that every single day.” That earned him a sweet kiss from Hunter.

  The kitchen contingent was soon joined by Nana, a little eighty-year-old firecracker who had decided at some point that both Christian and Shea were family. She and her driver, a cute blond named Jessie, were carrying an absolutely enormous box with Skye’s help, and Dare jumped up to give them a hand as well. “We picked up the wedding cake from the bakery,” Nana was saying, “but I still think I should have made one. I’m real good at that sort of thing.”

  Christian and Shea came into the kitchen just then, accompanied by applause and cat-calls. They both grinned shyly and made the rounds, greeting all their early arrivals. When Christian got to me, he gave me a hug and kissed my cheek, then said, “I’m so glad you’re here, Chance.”

  “Me too.”

  Shea said hello too, then put his hands on his hips and eyed the huge box that had been deposited on the kitchen island. “I don’t think the cake we ordered was that big,” he said. “We’re only expecting about forty or fifty guests, just close friends and immediate family. This looks like enough to feed an army.”

  Nana climbed up on a stool and began tugging at the tape that held the lid on. “Well, you know, this isn’t all cake. They pack these things up real careful-like so they’ll make it to their destination and there’s going to be a lot of empty space in this box, though it did weigh a ton!”

  “Here Nana, let me help you,” Jessie said, climbing up on another stool.

  Once they removed the tape, Jessie lifted the lid and all four sides of the box fell away. “Sweet baby Jesus, is that what you ordered?” Nana exclaimed. “I mean, I’m not judging.”

  I burst out laughing and began snapping photos of the cake. It had obviously been intended for a gay bachelor party and featured two cartoonish half-scale naked muscle men in a passionate embrace, rendered from the knees up. One was African American, the other white, and they were making out while sporting enormous erections. A little sash hung around the couple and said, “Good luck Ferdinand and Klaus.”

  Christian was laughing so hard that he’d doubled over. Jessie chuckled too and snapped a photo with his phone before saying, “I’ll call the bakery and get it straightened out, even though this is the best cake I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

  “We should have gone with the naked muscle men in the first place,” Shea said with a smile. “That bakery actually specializes in racy bachelor party cakes, and clearly they’re masters of their craft.”

  Nana had put on a pair of huge, round glasses and leaned in so her face was just a couple inches from the cake cocks, which were crossed like a pair of swords. “It’s been a while since I saw a real life weenie dongle, but this is pretty much how I remember it. I don’t think they’re usually that straight though, I remember more of a curve to them. I’ll fix it for Ferdinand and Klaus.” With that, she grabbed the white figure’s willie and tried to bend it, and the thing snapped off in her hand, balls and all. “Well, shit! That wasn’t supposed to happen,” she exclaimed. “All I was doing was trying to make it more realistic, like this.” She tried to bend the dick on the African American figure and it snapped off, too. “Damn. It happened again! What do I do with these now?” She held up the pair of peckers.

  Skye jumped up to assist and pulled open a drawer. “We can stick them back on,” he said with a huge smile. “A couple skewers and they’ll be good as new.”

  Jessie had been on the phone, and when he turned back to us his eyes went wide and he exclaimed, “Oh man, they’ve been neutered!” Then he asked, “Nana, what are you doing?”

  She had a circle of chocolate frosting around her mouth, and one of the cocks was half gone. “Shit,” she said, “I didn’t think about it. I just got hungry and decided to have a snack!”

  Jessie grinned and told her, “It’s alright Nana, I’m sure the bakery can make some new willies. You just hold on to those.” She seemed really pleased about that and gave the vanilla appendage a lick.

  Skye and Dare went with Jessie and Nana to take the heavy cake back to the bakery. Meanwhile, the grooms and I moved to the living room and took some photos. The love and devotion between them was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. They’d been through so much in their time together, including Christian’s battle with a brain tumor which he’d beaten through clinical drug trials, surgery and chemotherapy. It was obvious that throughout all of that, the two of them had become an inseparable team.

  For some of the shots, I had them pose before a big mural that Christian had painted directly onto the wall of their high-ceilinged living room. It was a fanciful cityscape, the San Francisco of dreams and imagination, a million times removed from the reality of life outside these walls. I loved it, though. I’d been a fan of Christian’s artwork long before I ever met him. He’d been a graffiti artist while in school, and I’d met him one night while he was evading the police. He mainly concentrated on running a nonprofit art center for kids now, and I wondered if he’d ever return to his roots in street art.

  More guests kept filtering in, including Christian’s mom and her husband. Zan, Christian’s dad, arrived soon after with his boyfriend Gianni. Zan was a former pop star and a surprisingly nice guy. That wasn’t what I’d expected from someone so famous. While the couple had been hiding from the paparazzi by Lake Tahoe a few weeks back, they’d hired me as their assistant, since Gianni and I knew each other a bit through Christian. They couldn’t really go out in public for fear of being overrun by fans and photographers, which had been where I came in. I considered them both friends now, even though I would have felt way too intimidated to phone up either of them and ask to hang out. They were kind to me, but the gap between my world and theirs made the Grand Canyon seem insignificant.

  We took a few posed family shots, first in the living room, then up on the rooftop garden where the ceremony was going to be held. Shea’s parents were notably absent, since apparently they were really religious and had disowned their son when he came out. Several other members of his family were there though, including a couple uncles and aunts and quite a few cousins with their spouses and kids.

  Shea’s brother Finn arrived shortly before the ceremony was set to begin. He was a tall, muscular guy with dark brown hair and a little frown line etched between his eyebrows. Finn looked uncomfortable in his suit, or maybe he was uncomfortable with the whole situation. I wondered if he was only pretending to be okay with his kid brother marrying a guy. It was hard to tell. He was one of Shea’s groomsmen, and took his place stiffly beside the couple, along with the three former roommates, who promptly shed their jackets and revealed red Star Trek uniforms. That made me grin.

  Zan and Skye stood to the left of the couple, the brother and the Trekkies to the right. It was early evening, the sun just beginning to set as the ceremony got under way. I circled as unobtrusively as I could and snapped photos as the couple exchanged their vows, making sure to document everything to the best of my ability.

  The reception that followed was casual and lighthearted. Music played, people visited the buffet, and cocktails flowed. I stayed behind my camera. I was glad I had a role to play, because it meant I didn’t have to mingle and make small-talk. I was no good at that.

  It gave me an excuse to study people too, which I enjoyed. Through my lens, I picked up on the subtle glances that Christian’s mother kept directing at his dad and could tell she regarded him as the one who got away. I also watched Zan and Gianni together and got a couple nice
candid shots of the two of them. It was so obvious that they were madly in love. The whole house probably could have fallen down around them and they would have gone right on dancing and staring into each other’s eyes. Christian and Shea were the same, so much in love that it was evident in every touch, look and gesture. I couldn’t even imagine what that was like.

  I made a point of getting candids of all the guests. That was easier said than done in some cases. The Trekkie groomsmen were total hams, and would mug for the camera every time they noticed it was pointed at them. I did manage to get a few nice shots of the three of them and Shea doing a group hug, though.

  Finn was a bit problematic as well. Every time I tried to get a shot, I found him looking directly at the camera. I did catch him off guard at one point as he leaned on the railing of the rooftop garden and looked out over the city lights, and got a couple pictures in profile. He looked really melancholy, so I didn’t know if I’d end up using the photos. Finn ended up leaving early, making an excuse to his brother about getting called in to work. That struck me as odd, but it was really none of my business.

  Later that night, I went into the living room and the group gathered there raised a toast to me and to the caterers. Being in the spotlight all of a sudden was pretty embarrassing. Gianni put his arm around my shoulders and said, “I didn’t see you sit down once all evening. Come and relax.”

  I hesitated but finally agreed, perching on the loveseat beside him and Zan. My cuff rode up a bit and I pulled it down self-consciously. I’d forgotten about my bruised wrists and hoped they hadn’t been too noticeable. I then took a look at the group that remained.

  Christian and Shea were curled up together across from me in a big, upholstered chair, and Leo, Cas and Ridley were asleep on the couch. River and Cole snuggled to my left in another chair, and Skye and Dare manned the bar. They’d been trying to invent a drink for the newlyweds and seemed pretty tipsy.

  Dare distributed some newly minted cocktails while I flailed around for something to say and finally told Gianni and Zan, “I’ve been meaning to say thanks again for hiring me as your assistant while you were in Tahoe. I bought a used car with the way too generous salary you paid me. I’m going to use it in the fall for a road trip and visit my brother and mom in southern Wyoming. After that, I’m going to drive to the opposite end of the state and see if I can track down the man who fathered me. It’s a total long-shot, but I figure it won’t hurt to go and ask a few questions.”

  “Wow Chance, that’s huge,” Gianni said. “Is anyone going with you?”

  “I asked my friend Zachary, but he doesn’t want to go. He doesn’t see why I’d want to do any of this, both because he knows my mom and I have a lot of issues and because he doesn’t think that man would be worth finding, even if I somehow managed it.” I took a sip of the drink I’d been handed and added, “Actually, I’m glad my friend turned me down. This really is something I should do on my own.”

  “I hope that goes well for you. If you need anything while you’re on the road, be sure to call us,” Gianni said, and I thanked him as I broke eye contact. I was embarrassed that I’d just rambled on about myself like that. He and I had had a conversation once about the fact that I didn’t know who my father was, so I’d wanted to tell him my plans. But I had no idea what had compelled me to blurt out all of that right then, in a room full of near-strangers.

  I took another sip of my drink and declined the offer of a piece of cake. Jessie and company had returned before the ceremony with a sedate, two-tiered confection. It seemed like a downgrade from the naked body builders.

  Since there wasn’t much more to photograph, I made my excuses after a few minutes and started to go. Christian insisted on sending some cake with me before he walked me to the door. He gave me a big hug and said, “Thank you so much for coming and for taking all those photos. I feel bad, I don’t think you really got to enjoy yourself.”

  “Sure I did. Taking pictures is fun for me.” I kissed his cheek and said, “Have a great time on your honeymoon. I’ll talk to you when you get back.”

  “Take care of yourself, Chance,” he said. There was real concern in his green eyes. That was usually the case. I’d made the mistake of calling him soon after we met, when I’d gotten beat up pretty severely on the job. I’d regretted that call ever since. He’d been incredibly sweet and he’d really helped me out, but from that point on he looked at me with so much worry, all the time. I felt like enough of a disaster around him already, even before adding that layer of patheticness to the mix.

  I walked to my car quickly with my head down, clutching my camera bag, and made it without incident. But then I had to repeat the process when I got back to the Lower Haight and the only parking space I could find was several blocks away. I felt like I’d never reach my apartment building. I was out at night all the time and it didn’t really bother me, but this time I had something worth stealing. When I let myself into my building and pulled the security gate shut behind me, it was a relief.

  The light was on under Zachary’s door, so I knocked softly. He opened it right away. “Hey. How were the rich people?” he asked.

  “They’re all really nice.”

  “Did they treat you like a charity case? The poor little rent boy?”

  “No.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?”

  “Because you’re suspicious of anyone with money?”

  “Possibly.”

  I changed the subject by holding up the little white box in my hand and saying, “They sent a piece of cake with me. Do you want some?” Zachary smiled at that, and picked up his keys from a little table just inside his door. He locked up behind himself and I let us into my apartment.

  I got a couple forks and we sat side-by-side on my bed and ate the rich chocolate cake. “This is so good,” he mumbled between forkfuls. “Thank you for sharing it with me.” I claimed to be full and let him have the rest. He ate slowly, savoring every bite. It made me happy to see him enjoying himself.

  I got up and changed into pajama bottoms and a t-shirt while he ate, and when Zachary finished he stretched out beside me on my little bed and picked up my hand. “Rich people have better cake than the rest of us,” he said.

  “They do.”

  “What was the wedding like?”

  “It was beautiful. Let me show you the photos, I want to take a look at them too and see if I got some good shots. I really hope I did.” I reached over him and pulled my camera out of the case. Then we shared my pillow, our heads touching as we watched the little view screen.

  I flipped through the photos slowly and was happy to see many of them had come out like I’d wanted them to. I’d taken a photography class at City College a couple months back, and it had shaken my confidence a bit because the instructor had been really critical of my work. When Zachary said, “Wow Chance, you did an amazing job,” I felt relieved.

  “Thanks.” I spun the dial with my thumb, bringing up the next photo, and said, “This is the couple who got married, Christian and Shea. Christian’s on the left.”

  “So that’s him,” he said quietly. I knew he was threatened by my friendship with Christian, even though he had no reason to be.

  “Yup. He had longer hair when I met him, but he had to shave his head when he had brain surgery. Then it fell out when he had chemo, and it’s slowly growing back.”

  Zachary shot me a look. “You just told me that so I’d have sympathy for him, didn’t you?”

  “Maybe.” I grinned a little and he did, too.

  “Show me some more pictures.” I went back to scrolling through the shots, and he kept asking who everyone was. He claimed to have nothing but disdain for Christian and his circle of friends, but his interest told another story. “He’s cute,” he said when Jessie appeared on the screen.

  “Jessie’s really nice, too. He’s Nana’s driver, that little old lady I showed you. Definitely not a spoiled rich kid. Want me to introduce you?”

  Zachary
shook his head and took over the job of flipping through the photos. “There’s no point.” I knew he’d say that, and knew he was right, too. Neither of us dated. I wondered if any prostitutes did, and if so, how they managed it. What kind of guy would somehow be okay with his boyfriend going out and sleeping with other men to earn a living?

  “Oh wow.” Zachary’s fingertip stilled on the dial. “He’s really handsome. There’s a story behind those eyes.”

  He’d stopped on a picture of Finn, who was looking directly at the camera in a tight close-up taken from across the room. There was sadness and a lot of emotion in his blue eyes. “That’s Shea’s brother, he was one of the groomsmen. I couldn’t quite tell what was going on with him. He seemed pretty unhappy and left early.”

  Zachary continued scrolling through the photos. Eventually he reached the end and said, “That looked like a wonderful wedding.”

  “Do you regret not going with me?”

  “No.” I grinned at that and set my camera on the little table at the head of my bed, then draped my arm over my friend’s midsection. He felt small and fragile under his baggy t-shirt.

  Zachary was quiet for a long time, and I thought he’d fallen asleep. But then he asked randomly, “Do you think you’re really a bottom?”

  “Where’d that come from?’

  “I was just thinking. I worked this evening, nothing elaborate, just a couple hours in bed with this guy. It was important to him that I was enjoying myself, which was weird. I mean, normally they really don’t give a shit, you know? But this one kept asking me, ‘Is it good? Do you like it?’ I guess he needed the reassurance or something. I told him I did, but that wasn’t true at all. I hated everything he was doing to me. So, I don’t know. I guess I just started to wonder. Maybe I’m not even a bottom, maybe that’s why I hated it so much.”