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Roy pulled his Porsche into the valet station in front of the club and glanced over at Joanne as he set the parking brake. “You ready for this?” he asked, reaching for her hand and planting a quick kiss on the back of it. Joanne grinned and nodded before acknowledging the young man who had opened the passenger door for her. Roy unfolded himself from the front seat and handed the valet a couple of folded bills in return for the ticket before crossing behind the car.
He realized that he was hardly impartial, but thought that his wife was looking fantastic tonight. Her flowing blue dress might not have been new, but it fit her beautifully. Roy gave his wife an appreciative look from head to toe as she turned toward him, one of her shapely legs briefly flashing through the slit in the side of the skirt. Sliding an arm around her back, he leaned toward her ear and whispered, “I don’t think I look good enough to have a gal like you on my arm.”
Joanne bumped her hip into his and replied, “I won’t have my handsome husband putting himself down." She moved close to him and smoothed down the lapels of his sports coat. “If you’re having second thoughts about this, Roy, we don’t have to go in.”
Roy looked at the doors to the nightclub and then looked back down at Joanne. He knew she could likely feel his heart pounding even through the layers of material. He realized the particular blend of nervousness and excitement he was feeling was like what he’d felt the first time Joanne had gone to bed with him. Afraid of doing the wrong thing, but excited to finally get to try . Come to think of it, he’d felt this way his first days on the job as a firefighter, and then a paramedic. He caressed the side of Joanne’s face and smiled. “No second thoughts, I promise. And like you said earlier, no matter how anything else turns out tonight, we’ll enjoy our evening out, right? Give you a break from those two rascals at home for a while!”
Joanne slid her arm through Roy’s as they passed through the entrance and stepped into the main area of the club. He found an empty table away from the edge of the dance floor, with a good view of the bar and the room. The waitress stopped at their table as they situated themselves and took their drink orders. “So, is this your first time at The Scene?” she asked as she laid a couple of cocktail napkins on the table.
Joanne smiled up at her. “Yes, we’re first timers,” she replied. “And we’re a little nervous,” she said, with a glance toward Roy.
“Well my name is Candy and there is nothing to be nervous about,” their server said with a smile. “Now let’s start you out with a couple of drinks. What can I get you?”
After jotting down their drink orders, Candy patted them both on the shoulders and stooped down to their eye level. “Let me reassure you, this is a nice place. No one is going to bother you, management here doesn’t stand for that. And don’t worry about anyone judging you either. Everyone else is here for the same reason you are,” she finished with a wink. “Take a look around and I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
Roy’s face flushed red, but he managed to nod at Candy as she stood and walked away from the table. He had to give Johnny credit, he had picked a nice place for him and Joanne to try out.
**********************
Two weeks earlier:
“Squad 51, available.” Johnny hung the radio back on the dash and scribbled ‘5 y/o head in banister no transp’ on the back of the slip of paper with the address and time of the call. He and Roy’d had more than one argument in the past when they were logging their runs. Best to write down the details quickly, before dispatch sent them out again. He stuck the note in his pocket, blew out a long breath, and looked out the passenger window at the clouds that had started to form.
“Hey, Roy? Did you catch the weather last night? Those clouds are kinda looking like rain.’ When Roy didn’t respond, Johnny turned to his left and squinted at his partner, who had been very quiet that day, even for Roy. “Roy? Pally? Did you hear me?”
Roy startled a bit and then replied, “Oh yeah, might rain, sure.”
His distracted tone confused Johnny, and he leaned closer, his eyes squinting as he examined his partner more closely. “Something bothering you, man?”
Roy glanced at him from the corner of his eye, but avoided turning his head in Johnny's direction. “I’ve got something on my mind. I actually wanted to talk to you about it, I kinda need your help.”
Johnny felt a mixture of joy at being asked for help, and worry about what kind of help Roy needed. “Okay, well, what is it?”
Roy bit his lip and didn’t answer.
His partner’s silence sent a jolt of alarm through Johnny’s system. “Is something wrong? Is it Joanne? Or the kids?”
Roy glanced at him then, and shook his head. “No, no. Nothing like that. It’s just…”
“Squad 51, chest pain, 847 Halder Street, cross street Bonita…” the dispatcher’s voice crackled through the radio, interrupting Roy.
Johnny acknowledged the call and scribbled the address hastily as Roy hit the lights and sirens and made a neat U-turn. He stuffed his worry about Roy into the back of his mind and readied himself for the call, mentally checking off the pieces of equipment they would probably need.
An hour and a half later, the pair walked out the emergency room doors and blinked into the late afternoon sunshine. Their patient had gone into v-fib once at the scene and then again in the ambulance, but Brackett and company had managed to stabilize him and send him up to intensive care. Johnny was stowing the drug box and biophone when he remembered their cut-off conversation from before the call.
“So,” he said as he slid into the passenger seat and shut the door, “what did you need my help with?”
Roy instantly tensed up again. “Oh, that. It’s…I…” Roy stammered, “I don’t know how to ask this.” Roy sighed and flipped the left turn signal. He let out a sigh as he made the turn from the hospital and headed toward the station. Worry was beginning to really gnaw at Johnny over Roy’s reticence to ask for…whatever it was.
“Roy, whatever it is, I’m here, man. Just tell me and I’ll help you.” Johnny’s internal alarm was mounting. “Do you need a kidney, or something? I’d give you one of mine if I could, you know that, but we’re different blood types and…”
“No, it’s nothing like that. Everyone’s healthy. I’m fine, everyone is fine.” Roy glanced over at Johnny, and then flipped the blinker and made a right turn into a mostly empty parking lot. He pulled the squad into a space and shifted into park. “Okay, just let me say it. Don’t interrupt, just let me finish.” Roy paused for a long moment and gripped the steering wheel at 10 and 2, his knuckles white. He shook his head and looked over at Johnny again. “I’ve been trying to think of how to ask this all day long.”
Johnny’s mind ran through lists of all the things Roy could possibly need his help with, but was reluctant to ask him about. If everyone was okay, what could it be? Roy’d asked him to help with landscaping and repairs around the house plenty of times, surely that couldn’t be it. Johnny was also happy to watch the kids if Roy and Joanne needed it. What else could it be? Money? Roy did have a lot more people he was responsible for, maybe he just needed a loan? Was he reluctant to ask because of Johnny’s tendency to be, well, frugal ? He would have given the DeSotos anything he had, didn’t Roy know that?
Roy looked out the windshield, focusing on something in the distance as he began to speak. “Joanne and I have been talking. Well, you know we’ve known each other since we were kids, started dating in high school, got married not long after that. Well, what I’m trying to say is, neither one of us has ever…been…with anyone else.”
“Been with, like sex?” Johnny asked. Johnny might have hinted at his bedroom escapades (when he was lucky enough to get that far with one of his dates), but Roy never discussed anything remotely related to his and Joanne’s sex life. He was instantly intrigued, and was opening his mouth to ask how Roy thought he was going to be able to help when Roy cut him short.
“I told you, just let me finish this,” Roy said, holding up a hand. Johnny made the motion of zipping his lip and waved for Roy to continue.
“But yeah, sex. I mean, we do fine, we do alright,” he shook his head in frustration. “I mean, it’s better than that sounds. Everything’s working fine. It’s just, we’ve been married for quite a few years now, and we’ve been talking about some ways to, you know, liven things up. And I thought I’d ask you, because you’re out there dating, and you might be more familiar with how things are done these days.” Roy paused and looked at Johnny.
“Okay,” Johnny replied, still puzzled about where Roy was going with this, and what the actual request was. “Did you want me to get you a book or something?”
“No! I mean, no. God, I’m screwing this up.” Roy bent and pressed his forehead against the top of the steering wheel. Johnny tried to sit patiently and wait out Roy’s silence. Eventually Roy raised his head and wiped off some imagined dust from the dashboard as he began to speak again.
“See, Joanne reads these magazines, and they have these situations in them. And sometimes we try them out. But for this one, we need another person. I’ve heard Chet talking about some of those clubs he goes to, but I’m sure as hell not going to ask him.”
Johnny looked at Roy with a mixture of disbelief and mistrust, like maybe this was a joke that he couldn’t figure out the punchline to. “Are you talking about a swinger’s club? The two of you are looking for someone…”
“…to have sex with Joanne. I mean, I’ll be there too. Either we can both, or I can just watch, or maybe…but…yeah, that’s what we’re looking for.” Roy dropped his eyes to the center of the wheel.
“Really?” Johnny asked, mouth agape and brows knitted.
Roy ran a finger around the outside of the squad’s steering wheel. “Yeah,” he said, keeping his eyes on the wheel. “Yeah, it’s something we’ve been talking about for a while now.” He flushed red and was still unable to look Johnny in the eye. “It’s kinda…uh, I guess you’d say it’s a fantasy we’ve been having.”
“To have someone else join you two in bed,” Johnny said and Roy nodded his confirmation. “Wow. I just would not have guessed that,” he said, rubbing the side of his head. Johnny had always assumed that Roy and Joanne were the type who had nice, quiet, polite sex on Saturday nights with the lights out and the doors locked. Suddenly, he looked back over at his partner and asked, “Wait, just another person, not a couple?” Roy didn’t meet his eyes, but slowly nodded. Johnny cleared his throat and pressed on. “Male or female?”
Roy still didn’t move, but quietly replied, “Male.”
Johnny wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself.
Roy DeSoto. His partner, wanting to…swing? The very idea was ridiculous. His partner was the stable one, the boy next door type, the one who lived so clean he practically squeaked. Johnny struggled to comprehend everything he’d just been told.
After a few minutes of silence, Roy moved to put the squad back in gear. “Forget I said anything, okay? Just pretend this didn’t happen and maybe I’ll be able to look you in the eye again one day!”
Johnny reached out and stopped Roy’s hand from moving the shifter. “I’m just a little stunned, is all. I never said I wouldn’t help you, Roy.” He swallowed and studied his partner for a moment. Did Roy know what he and Joanne were getting themselves into? They had probably gotten a lot of mileage in the bedroom out of talking about it, but how was Roy going to deal with the aftermath of his beloved wife having sex with a virtual stranger? And just how involved did Roy himself plan on getting with this other man? Johnny clenched his jaw as a small spark of jealousy ignited in his gut. He had barely acknowledged his crush on Roy, even to himself. What would have been the point? It would have been futile, because Roy would never…he didn’t…he wouldn’t…
Would he?
Another thought suddenly struck him, pushing aside any jealous feelings. “Roy, I…look…” Johnny paused for a moment to try and decide what he actually wanted to say. “Are you and Joanne, alright? I mean, you two haven’t had a fight, or thinking about…breaking up, or something, are ya?” The thought of his ideal, role model couple calling it quits was almost too awful to put into words.
“We’re fine, Johnny. Really, we are.” Roy finally actually looked him in the eye.
Johnny studied his partner for a moment. Nodding, he drew in a deep breath. “Okay, let me think about this. I’ve got a friend I can ask about the best places for a couple looking for…what you’re looking for.” He stopped and thought about how to put his concerns for them into words. “ I just don’t want you two to end up in the wrong place .”
Roy nodded, still looking very uncomfortable. He was shifting the squad back into gear when another call came over the radio, forcing Johnny to file the conversation under ‘later’ in his mental file cabinet as he keyed the mike to acknowledge the call.
That night, Johnny lay in his bunk at the station, more aware than normal of the sound of his sleeping partner’s soft, even breaths. They had been busy for several hours after their conversation, and he really hadn’t had a chance to process Roy’s revelation and request until after lights out. Although he hadn’t told anyone else about it, Johnny had gone along with Chet a couple of times to the “meat market” clubs where swingers tended to mingle. He’d even hooked up with couples a few times himself, enough to broaden his horizons and unlock some feelings that he’d never really let himself have. Like the attraction he felt to the man laying a few feet to his left. How was he going to send Roy out into the wild to have some form of sex with someone who was probably just looking to get his rocks off, and who didn’t give a damn about Roy?
And Joanne! He suddenly remembered that Jo was even more involved in this scheme than Roy was. Johnny quite frankly adored Joanne DeSoto. If he’d felt the sting of jealousy when he thought about Roy possibly having sex with a stranger, he was positively angry at the thought of some…some guy putting his hands (and worse) on Jo.
Stretching out on his back, Johnny stuck his hands behind his head and thought about what he should do. He couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt that Roy and Joanne hadn’t just asked him to join them. Was he not the type they were looking for? That thought stung a bit, but it was a possibility he had to face. Or had they simply not considered that Johnny would be into something like that? Frowning, he silently cursed his skirt-chasing reputation.
As he lay there, staring into the dark, he slowly began to piece together a plan. Rolling onto his left side, he watched Roy sleeping for a moment before quietly getting up and leaving the bunkroom. After stopping by his locker to grab some change from the pocket of his jeans, he made his way to the dayroom and the payphone.
His phone conversation complete, Johnny crept back into the dorm and sat on the edge of his bunk, feeling much better about the situation than he had earlier. He didn’t realize he had been staring at his sleeping partner until Roy stirred and sleepily blinked at him. “J-Johnny? Something wrong?” Roy whispered.
Johnny shook his head and quickly slid back under his covers. “No, just had to hit the latrine. Sorry I woke you.” He rolled to face the brick and listened for Roy to settle back down. He’d been doubtful about getting any sleep himself, but the next thing he knew, the wake-up tones were going off.
Their morning was quiet, and after changing into street clothes, they walked out to their vehicles. They waved to Mike as he drove away and found themselves the last of their shift left in the small parking lot. Johnny leaned against the Rover as Roy tossed his belongings into the passenger seat of the Porsche. “Hey Roy, before you go,” Johnny began, “I made a call to my friend last night.”
Roy fiddled with his keys for a moment, but was able to at least meet Johnny’s eyes this time. “Oh,” he said, then paused awkwardly. “Well?”
Johnny pulled a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket and held it out to Roy. “This is a nice place, they say. It’s up in Santa Monica so you probably won’t run into anybody you know there. You and Jo will want to go on a Thursday night.”
Roy blushed again, but eagerly reached for the paper. “The Scene,” he read aloud, then quickly folded the paper and slid it into his own pocket. He paused for a moment, then patted Johnny on the arm. “Thanks, John. Joanne and I really appreciate it.” He settled into the driver’s seat and gave Johnny a little wave before he backed out. “See you next shift,” he called out as he drove away.
Johnny simply waved as he slid behind the Rover’s wheel. ‘A’ shift had a Thursday through Sunday four day off stretch coming up in a couple of weeks, that would be the next opportunity Roy and Joanne had for a trip up to Santa Barbara. His plan was in motion, now he just had to wait and see if it would play out the way he hoped.
********************************
Roy let out a sigh of relief when Candy reappeared in a few minutes with their drinks and immediately took a gulp of the bourbon she placed in front of him. He wasn't normally much of a drinker, but he needed something to take the edge off his nerves.
“Have you had a chance to look around?” the waitress asked.
Joanne reached for Roy’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “We’ve just started to look, really.”
Roy nervously cleared his throat. The bourbon was starting to do its job, and he gathered his courage and glanced around the room. “My wife and I are looking for a certain…type…of man.”
“Well, we have all types here!” Candy said, gesturing toward the bar area, where it seemed the unattached males had congregated.
Roy looked to Joanne, who gave him a nod of approval. “If you’re having second thoughts, Roy…”
“No,” Roy said, “just let me take a look around.” After all, they hadn’t gotten dressed up and driven all the way to Santa Barbara just for a couple of overpriced drinks, Roy thought.
“Take your time, sweetie. I’ll check on you in a bit.” Candy glanced at Roy’s nearly empty glass. “Want me to go ahead and bring you another?” Roy nodded and the waitress continued her rounds among the other tables.
Roy gradually started looking around the room. There were several other tables occupied around the room, and a few small groups of people on the dance floor. Candy had been right about the single men who were hanging around the bar–they were a diverse bunch. He started at the left side of the bar and began to scan through the men who were sitting on stools or leaning in what they probably thought were seductive poses. Too short, too fat, too bald , Roy thought to himself as he ruled out every guy at the bar for one reason or another. This guy’s hair was too long, that man’s wasn’t long enough, hold the phone... Roy halted his search near the right end of the row of men. Just the right height, thin build, nice ass in those tight jeans Roy thought as he scanned up to check out his face. His face, which was hidden behind a black felt cowboy hat.
“What do you think of the cowboy at the end of the bar there, sweetheart?” he asked Joanne.
“I think I’d ask him what it takes to get into those jeans,” Joanne said, sipping her mai tai and blinking her eyes coquettishly.
Roy was craning his neck to try and see more of the man’s face when Candy returned with his drink.
“See something you like, honey?” Candy asked with a smile.
“I think he’s found someone he likes,” Joanne answered, poking Roy in the shoulder to get his attention. “Honey, Candy asked if anyone looked interesting.”
“Oh…yeah. Do you know the guy in the cowboy hat at the end of the bar there?” he asked, gesturing toward the man.
Candy glanced over. “I don’t know, sweetheart. He’s not a regular, I’m sure of that. Want me to ask him if he’d like to join you?”
Roy’s hands had gotten sweaty and he rubbed them on his legs to dry them. “Yeah, that would…that would be great. I want to send over a drink from us. Whatever he’s having.”
************************
Candy slid behind the bar and pulled a longneck from the cooler. Popping the top with a flourish, she set the beer down in front of the cowboy at the end of the bar.
“Well, Johnny, looks like you don’t need to worry about any competition. This is from your friends over there,” she nodded toward the DeSoto’s table.
Johnny kept his head down and glanced toward his friends’ table. “Did they recognize me?” Johnny asked, turning back to the waitress.
“I don’t think so,” Candy replied, as she looked around Johnny toward the table.
“Thanks for keeping an eye on them for me,” Johnny said with a smile. He’d been prepared to try and chase away all the other men in the bar if he’d had to. He was relieved that at least the first hurdle had been easier than he’d figured.
“Chet behaving himself these days?” Candy asked as she loaded her tray with the next order of drinks.
“Chet?” Johnny snorted and took a pull from his beer. “Of course not.” He was glad that Candy and he had remained friendly after she kicked Kelly to the curb. He’d considered trying to date her himself, but she worked odd hours and lived far away. All for the best, he thought. She had been happy to help him out with this scheme of his with Roy and Joanne. He wiped the condensation off the neck of his beer bottle and tried to settle himself down. He’d realized that everything up to now had been the easy part–now he actually had to convince Roy and Joanne to take him to bed.
Johnny tipped his hat back and pushed away from the bar. “Wish me luck,” he said, taking a deep breath and turning toward the table.
Candy smiled after him. “I don’t think you’re going to need it.”
***********************************
Roy instinctively reached for Joanne’s hand as he watched Candy place the beer in front of the man and gesture toward their table. Damn it, why was the light always so bad in these places? And why wouldn’t this guy show them his…
Face.
John Gage’s face.
John Roderick Gage, LA County Fire Department Firefighter Paramedic.
His partner .
Get it together, Roy , he thought as Johnny sauntered toward their table. in his painted-on jeans, brown button-up shirt with his trademark rolled up sleeves, and the somewhat incongruous cowboy hat.
Johnny stopped opposite Roy, and tipped his hat back on his head. “Howdy partner, ma’am,” he greeted them both with a crooked grin. “Mind if I have a seat?”
Johnny pulled up a chair to Joanne’s left and slid it close to her, his side almost pressed against hers. “Thanks for the drink,” he said, raising his bottle to them.
“Wha…what are you doing here?” Roy asked helplessly.
“Hoping to go on a date with two of my favorite people,” Johnny replied, matter of factly. “Hi Jo,” he said, smiling at her. “You look incredible, by the way,” he said, gently bumping into her side.
“You don’t look so bad yourself, cowboy ,” Joanne replied as she returned the bump.
Johnny took the hat off and dropped it on the table, then quirked an eyebrow as he ran his fingers through his unruly hair. “Well, it worked for what I needed. You didn’t recognise me, right?”
“You planned this whole thing?” Roy asked, his brain finally overcoming his shock and catching up.
“Yes, I planned it,” Johnny stated. “There was no way I was going to let people I care about go pick up some, some stranger to have sex with!” Johnny’s voice had an unmistakable edge of irritation to it. He shook his head and looked at Joanne, and then at Roy. He continued, his voice softer now, “I wish you had just asked me to begin with, instead of coming to one of these places. I mean, this is a nice club, but it’s still a meat market. You two are like a couple of babies, I couldn’t let you get thrown to these…these wolves,” he huffed, sweeping his arm around the bar.
Roy noted the irritated tone had returned to Johnny’s voice. “Now look,” he said, his voice stern, “we are two grown people and…”
Joanne grabbed his arm and shook her head. “No Roy, let him talk.” He recognized her worried look as she turned to his partner. “Do you think we’re wrong for wanting to do this, Johnny?”
Johnny held his hands up in a conciliatory gesture and shook his head. “No, I don’t think you’re wrong for wanting this, I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that people can get hurt with these things, I’ve seen it happen. It can be a lot of fun too, but everyone needs to be doing it for the right reasons.”
Roy stared incredulously at his partner. This had been a lot of information to take in all at once and he was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Johnny would have joined them if he’d just asked him? And he’d apparently done this before? Roy felt an unexpected jab of jealousy at that thought. “So you’ve…done this before?” he asked in a tight voice.
“Have I slept with a couple? Yes. Have I been with a guy before, also yes.” Roy recognised the fear in Johnny’s eyes and understood it. This was not the type of admission that was made lightly–Johnny was risking his career, his friendship with Roy, even his own safety.
“And you’d like to be with us?” Roy continued, his voice shaky. Something inside him that he had kept mashed into a tight little ball was starting to unfold.
Johnny reached for a hand from each of them. “I would,” he said softly. “More than anything.” The wistful, vulnerable tone in Johnny’s voice was unmistakable. He squeezed each of their hands before releasing them. “It could be really special.”
Roy swallowed. He stole a sip of Joanne’s drink since his mouth had suddenly gone dry and he’d already drained his. He knew what he wanted. Joanne’s response when he looked questioningly at her confirmed that she was in agreement. “He’s right, Roy. I know I’d rather have someone with us who cares about us. Who we care about.”
Roy nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t have Johnny’s charm or charisma but he’d give it his best shot. “So, it’s a long drive, but would you like to go back to our place?” He winced inwardly at his own trite remark even as he said it.
Johnny’s lopsided smile lit up his face. “I’d love to, but you’ve had a couple, Pally.” He leaned in and tapped Roy’s hand on the table. “There is a pretty nice hotel down the block, though. We could just walk down there and get a room.”
The last of Roy’s nervousness gave way to excitement. They were really going to do this. He started looking around the club for Candy. He needed to settle up their check and give her a really good tip.
**************************
To Roy’s great relief, the bored clerk at the hotel hardly dragged herself away from her paperback romance long enough to imprint his credit card and slide a couple of room keys across the desk to him. It seemed like a nice enough place, nicer than he had expected, really. He looked around for Joanne and Johnny and found them standing awkwardly in the lobby area.
Roy realized as he walked toward his wife and partner that he had never actually checked into a hotel sans luggage before. He didn’t know why they hadn’t thought of getting a hotel room to begin with. Naivete, he supposed. It would’ve made sense even if they hadn’t met anyone–the kids were with his mother for a few days, and it was a long drive home. He had to admit though, the spontaneity was really exciting. This was like nothing he’d ever done in his life, in more ways than one. Another, more practical thought crossed his mind and brought a frown to his face. He’d be miserable in the morning without a shave, and Joanne’s little evening bag hardly had room for more than a lipstick so she wouldn’t even have a comb to fix her hair.
Just as he reached them, Roy noticed a gift shop tucked into a corner of the lobby. He could see an elderly lady in a pink smock stocking a revolving rack of postcards through the shop’s window. He paused for a moment, and then handed Johnny one of the room keys. “Why don’t you two go on upstairs and, you know, get acquainted. I’m going to pick up some things for tomorrow morning since we, uh, didn’t bring anything with us,” he said with a nervous little laugh.
“Oh, thank you, darling,” Joanne said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Roy didn’t know how she would feel about going upstairs alone with Johnny, but she seemed to take it in stride. Jo and Johnny hadn’t spent a lot of time together on their own before, but Roy knew she adored his partner. He was beginning to get the feeling that she’d been hoping for this outcome back when she first mentioned having a threesome. She turned to Johnny and took his arm. “Shall we, Johnny?”
Johnny nodded his head in agreement, and Roy patted Johnny on the back and strolled away toward the gift shop. “I’ll see you in a little while, you two go on.”
He glanced back over his shoulder as the elevator doors closed behind them.
*********************
It wasn’t a long walk from the club down the street to the hotel, but Joanne’s feet were killing her. The price of beauty , she thought as she sank onto the bed and bent down to take off the offending footwear. Johnny closed the door behind them and stood by the table for a moment, jiggling the key in his hand. She wiggled her toes, trying to work the feeling back into her feet. She would have thrown that pair of heels out after the first time she wore them, but they had looked so good with this dress.
Johnny stood next to the table, just watching her. He ducked his head shyly when she looked up at him. God, he was adorable when he did that. She’d probably had a crush on her husband’s partner almost as long as he had. Johnny had always been just so… Johnny . Kind, charming yet goofy, brave and loyal. She hadn’t even really been surprised that he would go to such extremes to protect her and Roy. Joanne patted the bed next to her. “Come sit down, Johnny.”
Johnny sat down by her as she pulled up her left foot and rubbed it, trying to work out the cramp in the arch. “Oh! Those shoes are the worst!” she said with a grimace.
Johnny sat there for a minute, watching her work on her foot. After a moment, he shifted a little and looked at her intently. “Hey, Jo. I just want to make sure, this is okay with you too, right?” he said earnestly. “I mean, I know Roy, and I don’t think he’d make you do something you don’t want to, but…”
Her aching feet forgotten for the moment, Joanne took Johnny’s hand and squeezed it. She had been touched by his concern for them back in the club, and even more so that he was worried for her, specifically. “Oh Johnny,” she said gratefully, “thank you for making sure!” But yes, Roy and I have talked about this a lot, and we think it would be good for us to, you know, broaden our horizons a little. We both have some…I don’t know, urges , I guess you’d say. We thought it would be a good idea to work through them together.” She smiled up at him. “I want to thank you for everything you did tonight, John. You went to a lot of trouble for us.” She had been feeling flirty earlier after the alcohol, but she suddenly found herself feeling a little bashful, sitting alone in a hotel room with Johnny. She looked down at their joined hands and softly added, “And I’ve got to say, I’m really glad it’s going to be you.”
Johnny turned her hand over in his and brushed his thumb across her knuckles.“I kind of understand why Roy didn’t just ask me. I mean, I’m glad he trusted me enough to even bring it up in the first place, you know?” Joanne nodded and stared into his warm brown eyes. “But I couldn’t stand the idea of some stranger jumping in the sack with the two of you. I didn’t want to see either one of you get hurt.” Jo could hear the determination in his voice. “I just want to make this special for you and Roy.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, sending a thrill through her body. “You’re about my two most favorite people in the world.” Joanne had an idea that Johnny didn’t trust a lot of people with his feelings, and his admission made her feel warm all over.
Joanne leaned into Johnny’s shoulder and he slid an arm around her back and pulled her closer. “You’re an amazing man, John Gage. You know we feel the same way about you, don’t you?” She put a hand on his knee and squeezed. “And it’s more than ‘okay’ with me, by the way,” she said, recovering her flirtatious attitude and winking up at him.
Although Roy had never come right out and named names, Joanne knew perfectly that his partner was responsible for awakening Roy’s curiosity about having another man join them in the bedroom. She knew Roy better than pretty much anyone else knew him. Hell, she’d known him since fourth grade. There’d been something about Johnny from the very first. Something that made her quiet husband sit up and take notice. It had been obvious to her from early on that their feelings for each other ran deep. She hadn’t really been jealous, not even when Roy passed up the promotion to engineer to stay a paramedic. A bit frustrated about not having more money coming in, but not jealous. She knew that wasn’t only about Johnny, it was about the work he was passionate about as well. And over time, John Gage had gone from “my husband’s partner” to “our friend Johnny”.
Joanne and Roy’s sex life hadn’t been in a rut, not really. It was nice. It always had been nice. But with the kids, and work, and sometimes struggling to make ends meet, they didn’t always experience the passion they once had. They’d talked about it some, and she’d started leaving her copies of Cosmopolitan around, and sometimes pointing out the spicier articles to her husband. She hadn’t even really been surprised when he showed an especial interest in the article about couples having threesomes with another man, and had been pretty sure who he was picturing when they acted out the fantasy later. She had been the one to suggest asking Johnny for help, hoping that would be the push they needed to finally sort out how they felt about each other. It hadn’t gone the way she planned, but the outcome was still perfect.
She noticed Johnny was looking down at her feet. “Hey, Jo. Do you want me to rub your feet for you? Help work out that cramp?”
It was so like him to offer, and Joanne couldn’t resist. She nodded, and Johnny moved off the bed to kneel on the floor by her feet. “Okay,” he said, running a gentle hand over her foot and ankle, “let’s get those stockings off, okay?” He had that clinical tone to his voice, the same way Roy sometimes reverted to his. Force of habit when your job involves touching complete strangers in intimate ways, she supposed. Jo reached down to undo her garters but Johnny gently took her hands and after a quick glance up for her approval, he moved them away to do it himself. He slowly ran his hands up her leg, underneath her dress to her stocking top. She jumped a little when his fingers brushed the tops of her thighs as he unhooked her garters and slowly slid the nylon down. He removed the other stocking as well and then stood and picked Joanne up and sat her back down against the headboard, propping her up on the pillows. She watched as Johnny pulled off his boots and sat on the end of the bed at her feet. She found herself relaxing as Johnny rubbed and caressed her aching feet. Roy was a good lover, he really was, but he didn’t always offer to do things like this, and she was somehow too shy to ask for them. Even beyond the sensations of Johnny’s strong hands easing away the painful cramps, the simple act of noticing something she needed made her feel special. And he really did have a way with his hands. She sighed and settled back against the headboard, watching as Johnny moved to her ankles.
“Mmmm, thank you, Johnny. That feels wonderful.” The dimpled smile she got in return made her heart skip a beat. John Gage really did have the most beautiful smile.
After gently placing her feet back on the bed, Johnny lowered himself onto one elbow at Joanne’s side. He dragged a finger up her leg, starting at her ankle and continuing to just above her knee, where he stopped and began to trace an ever widening circle. Joanne reached down and tentatively stroked his dark hair, brushing his bangs back from his forehead. She didn’t know what she had expected, but Johnny leaning into her touch like a cat made her stomach flip over a bit. Johnny moved so that his head rested higher on her thigh, seemingly chasing the touch. He sighed softly, his breath warming a spot on her leg. He slid his hands a bit further up the outside of her legs and looked up at her, eyes dark under his long lashes.
“Jo, does Roy ever…you know, go down on you? Do you like it?”
Joanne’s stomach did another flip. “He does, sometimes. And yes, I like it very much.”
“Would it be alright if I did that for you? Cause I really, really like doing it, but if you’re not okay with it…”
Jo swallowed and tried to steady her voice. “Yes, Johnny. I want you to.”
Johnny stood up and pulled Joanne up from the bed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him. Leaning down close to her ear, he asked softly, “Do you want to wait for Roy or go ahead and…get undressed?”
In her youth, Joanne hadn’t worried about her looks, about her body. Roy loved her and seemed to be attracted to her and that was all that mattered. But she found herself feeling shy and nervous about what Johnny would think of the stretch marks and slightly sagging tummy from her two pregnancies, and hips that were a little fuller than they used to be.
When she didn’t answer him, Johnny pulled back a bit and held her by the shoulders. “Hey, look at me, Jo,” he said. “Are you okay?” he asked as she raised her face to his.
She nodded. “Just a little nervous about you seeing me naked.”
“Huh,” Johnny thought for a moment..”Well I guess that truth be told, I’m a little nervous about you seeing me naked, too.” Johnny said, circling his thumbs on her shoulders. “I know I’m a lot skinnier than Roy.” He cocked his head to the side for a moment, and paused in thought. “Less hairy, too,” he concluded.
Joanne couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Leave it to Johnny to try and make her feel better about herself by feigning nervousness. Surely he knew how handsome he was. Athough that wasn’t exactly the right word to describe him. Beautiful was probably more appropriate. Whatever you wanted to call it, he was an attractive man, she thought. Nothing ventured, nothing gained , Joanne thought as she reached up and began to slowly unbutton Johnny’s shirt. When she reached his belt buckle, he untucked the shirt so she could finish. His shirt fully opened, she couldn’t resist running her hands up his flat stomach and over his smooth chest, so different from Roy’s. She needed to feel that smooth skin against her body. “Can you unzip me?” she asked as she turned her back to him.
Johnny slid her zipper down, and she felt his warm fingers running down her spine from her neck to right above her panties. She had worn Roy’s favorite lingerie set tonight, the black bra and panty set that he’d gotten her last Valentine’s Day. She turned back to face Johnny and dropped her arms. Her dress began to slide down and hit the floor at the same moment that Roy walked into the room.
********************
Roy stepped off the elevator on the third floor, a bag from the gift shop in his hand and Johnny’s cowboy hat on his head. It had been laying on a table in the lobby next to the area where he and Joanne had been waiting for Roy to check in. What is it with him and head coverings? Roy thought to himself, thinking of Johnny’s inability to keep his helmet on or find the right hat for inspection. Roy had retrieved it and after staring at himself holding it in the mirrored interior of the elevator, perched it on top of his head and enjoyed the effect. He found the room, and took a couple of deep breaths to settle himself.
He couldn’t have asked for the evening to have gone better so far. Would any of this have ever happened if Joanne hadn’t shown me that magazine article , Roy wondered. He had tried not to jump on the idea too quickly, but he still wondered if she had picked up on his attraction to Johnny. He realized again what a lucky man he was. He loved Jo and would never have done anything to hurt her, but a part of him would have always wondered about what might have been.
Fishing the key out of his pocket, Roy opened the door in time to see Joanne’s dress drop to the floor. He quickly shut the door behind him, then leaned back against it, eyes locked on the scene in front of him. Johnny had clutched Joanne to him when the door opened, apparently an involuntary reaction born from years of protecting people. “Everything okay?” Roy asked.
“Yeah, yeah sorry,” Johnny replied, loosening his grip on Joanne a bit.
“Hi honey,” Jo said,
“Are you okay, Roy?” Johnny asked when Roy didn’t move from the door.
“I’m fine, just enjoying what I’m seeing here.” He kept his eyes locked on them as he fumbled around behind him with one hand for the door lock. Finally managing to lock the door, he placed his bag on the small table, never taking his eyes off Joanne and Johnny. Leaning back against the door, he took a mental snapshot of the two people he cared most about in the world. Johnny still held Joanne by her upper arms, and her hands were pressed to his bare chest. Roy was entranced by the contrast between Joanne’s curves and Johnny’s angles; her creamy complexion and his tawny one. It was one of the most beautiful sights he’d ever seen.
Johnny looked Roy up and down, eyes sparkling. “So, what would you like to do, Roy?” He tilted his head to the side. “Do you want to join us, or do you want to watch?”
Roy shucked off his jacket as he crossed the room, and pulled his shirt off over his head, not bothering to unbutton it. He stepped up behind Joanne and pressed himself against her, running his hands down her sides, the backs of his fingers brushing against Johnny’s ribs. “Right now I just want to watch you two.” He leaned in and spoke softly into Joanne’s ear, “Is that alright with you, baby?”
Joanne was trembling in his and Johnny’s arms. With a deep sigh, she leaned her head back against Roy’s chest and turned her head to kiss him. “This is so nice,” she whispered.
“You like being sandwiched up between us like this?” Roy asked. He ground his hips into her, pushing her even more tightly against Johnny, who let out a little gasp at the firmer contact. He nibbled a bit on the side of her neck before releasing her and stepping back a bit. He dragged the easy chair from the corner of the room closer to the bed, unbuckled his belt and sat back to watch.
******************
Joanne was still reeling a bit from the sensation of being pressed between Roy and Johnny. She had decided that being the filling in a paramedic sandwich was one of her new favorite things. She glanced over her shoulder at Roy, sitting in the chair, rubbing himself through the fabric of his pants. Turning her full attention to Johnny, she reached up and threaded her fingers through the back of his hair again, earning a quiet moan from him. Johnny’s response to having his hair played with was fascinating to her. She had mapped out all of Roy’s sensitive areas so many years ago…it was like being on a treasure hunt to find all of Johnny’s.
Johnny smiled down at her and ran his hands across Joanne’s back, deftly unhooking her bra. He pulled back a little, and Jo let the straps slide down her arms before letting the cups fall away from her breasts. Johnny held her away from him a bit, his hands again gripping her upper arms. “Oh, Jo,” he said softly, almost whispering. He slowly slid his hands down and grinned at Joanne’s response when he ran his thumbs over and around her nipples. After toying with her breasts for a moment, he moved his hands down and unhooked her garter belt before sliding her lacy panties down her legs.
Joanne shivered slightly, not from a chill, but from the sensation of Johnny’s hands on her now-naked body. He eased her back onto the bed and into a half-sitting position against the pillows, leaning against the headboard. Johnny drank in the view as he peeled off his tight jeans and toed off his socks.
Joanne took a look at Roy, who looked away from watching Johnny wiggle out of his jeans, a glazed over look on his face. Blinking away the trance, he smiled and said, “You okay, baby?”
Joanne licked her lips and nodded, then turned her attention to Johnny as he knelt on the bed by her feet. He ran a hand up one leg to her knee and she settled back into the pillows, letting her knees fall open. The anticipation had been building since she had Johnny had talked about this. God , she thought, I’m dripping wet and he hasn’t even really touched me yet . She’d had a few nervous moments after Roy came into the room while Johnny was undressing her, but now she was mostly excited. Up until now, Roy had been her one and only. She wasn’t sorry about that, but she could admit to herself that she’d wondered about what it would be like to make love with another man. She could even admit she’d had a fantasy or two about this particular man.
Johnny’s warm hands slid over her bent knees as he lowered himself to his elbows. Jo inhaled sharply as he licked a long stripe up her inner thigh. Oh my God , she thought as Johnny ran a tentative finger along her slit, we’re really doing this! Wanting to see Roy’s reaction, she turned her head toward him and felt a jolt go through her at how intensely he was watching Johnny’s actions. Her attention was quickly drawn away from Roy as she felt Johnny’s hot, wet tongue touch her labia. After making a few swipes up and down her folds, Johnny made eye contact with Jo, raised one of those expressive eyebrows, and curled his tongue directly across her clitoris. If they’d been at home, Jo would have been scandalized that the neighbors might have heard the unladylike moan that escaped her at the sensation. She felt, more than heard, Johnny’s hum of satisfaction as he began to move his tongue around in patterns. “Oh, Johnny,” she moaned as he slid a long, probing finger into her and found just the right spot. She felt like she had lost control of her body, but she didn’t care.
It was almost all too much, and she instinctively reached out to Roy with one hand. Standing up from his chair, he let his open pants drop to the floor and kicked free of them and his loafers. He took Jo’s extended hand and climbed onto the bed, settling himself beside her. She lowered her free hand and tangled it in Johnny’s hair, gently pushing his head further into her while grinding her hips up.
Sooner than she would have thought possible, she felt the beginnings of an orgasm and hooked a leg across Johnny’s back. He slid another finger into her as she throbbed around him. She arched upward with her release and Roy whispered in her ear, “Oh baby, is Johnny making you come? You look so beautiful when you do.” His warm breath in her ear sent a shiver through her, and she gasped as he nibbled her earlobe and then moved down to mouth the sensitive spot right behind her jaw.
As Joanne slowly came down from her climax, she looked down at Johnny gently kissing her belly and looking rather pleased with himself. How in hell could he be this good and not manage to hold onto a woman ? Joanne wondered. She also wondered how insulted Roy would be if she asked Johnny to give him a few pointers. The thought of the two of them using their tongues on her at the same time sent another jolt of pleasure through her.
Roy’s erection was pressing against her thigh, and he was still working on her neck. She felt amazing, but she wanted more . “Johnny,” she said pleadingly. She twined her fingers in his hair and gave a gentle tug, electricity jolting through her when he moaned in return.
She felt Roy’s breath in her ear. “Do you want Johnny inside you now?” God, Roy was normally a quiet man, but she did love how he talked to her when he was turned on. Johnny was about to see a whole other side of his partner, she thought with a smile. “Do you need his nice hard cock right now, baby?” Joanne was watching Johnny’s eyes widen as he listened. His erection was almost sticking above the waistband of his shorts, and she decided she couldn’t wait to see or feel it anymore. “I need it,” she cried, reaching a hand toward Johnny. He licked his lips and pushed his shorts down.
Suddenly, Johnny froze, his shorts around his knees and one hand on his cock. “Wait! I’ve got rub–uh, you know, prophylactics in my–””
Joanne practically shouted at him, “I’m on the pill, Johnny!”
Johnny heaved a sigh of relief and quickly scooted closer. Moving over her, he grabbed her leg on the opposite side of Roy and hooked her knee over his shoulder as he slid into her. Joanne closed her eyes at the feeling of intimacy that flooded through her. He paused once he was in, locking eyes with her, his pupils almost black with arousal. “Okay, Jo?” he gasped. All she could do was nod. “10-4?” he asked, shifting that intense gaze onto his partner. “10-4” was Roy’s whispered response back. Johnny grinned and turned his head to kiss her knee. They both moaned as Johnny began to move and Joanne gave herself over to it. The feeling of Johnny slamming into her while Roy rutted against her side and alternated between uttering sweet nothings and utter filth was too much for her. She wrapped her free leg around Johnny’s back and held on for dear life as she came for the second time. Johnny cried out as he exploded within her and let her knee slide down from his shoulder. She sighed as he pulled out of her and rolled off her, moving over to pillow his head on her stomach.
********************
As Johnny and Joanne lay there in their bliss, Roy pulled back from her neck and gently circled a nipple with his thumb. Johnny looked up at him, brown eyes twinkling, then leaned across Joanne’s body to run his tongue over the nipple Roy was toying with. Jo’s eyes popped open at the sensation. Johnny made eye contact and grinned lazily up at him, and Roy involuntarily took a quick little breath. Their faces were only inches apart now. Roy moved closer, his cheek nearly brushing against Johnny’s.
“God, Junior,” he said, taking a long sniff along Johnny’s jaw. “You smell incredible.” The mixture of Joanne’s essence with Johnny’s cologne was intoxicating and Roy found himself nuzzling along Johnny’s jawline. When he realized what he was doing, he stopped and pulled back, afraid that he had crossed a line.
“Roy stop,” Johnny almost whispered.
“I’m sorry–I didn’t mean to…” Roy stammered.
“No, no reason to be sorry,” Johnny said as he tentatively reached out and ran a fingertip across Roy’s lips. “I meant, stop stopping, uh, you didn’t have to stop what you were doing, there.” He moved his hand to the side of Roy’s face and left it there.
The two of them studied each other for a long moment before Roy moved his head down to Joanne’s ear. “I know we said no kissing, but…”
Johnny had moved to Joanne’s other ear and suckled her earlobe for a moment before asking, “Jo, can I kiss Roy?”
Joanne’s eyes grew wide. “As long as you let me watch, you two can do anything you want!” She brought her hands up and patted both of their heads. “You two obviously have feelings for each other, and I want you to be able to express them. I feel like you’ve held yourselves back for all these years because you didn’t want to betray me.”
Roy’s heart nearly burst. “Joanne, I would never, ever do anything to hurt you, you know that.”
“Neither would I,” Johnny said earnestly.
“I know that, and I appreciate it.” She huffed out a laugh, “now kiss each other already!”
They both felt the need to kiss her first, soundly and thoroughly. Then Roy reached for Johnny and pressed their foreheads together. Cupping his partner’s jaw, he gave him a gentle kiss. Johnny responded immediately, opening his mouth to Roy’s exploring tongue. They finally pulled apart, breathless and starry eyed.
“Hey, Jo?” Johnny asked, pulling slightly away from Roy and moving close to her ear. “Want to show me what Roy likes?” he asked in a quiet, husky voice.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Joanne quipped.
Johnny scrambled over the couple to Roy’s other side. “So,” he asked conversationally, “I imagine Roy enjoys getting head?”
Joanne waved her hand dismissively, “No, he hates it.” At Johnny's incredulous look, she sputtered laughter and exclaimed, “Of course he likes it!”
“A lot,” Roy’s voice floated down from above them.
“You hush,” Johnny scolded. “We’re going to suck your cock and you’re going to like it!” He winked at Joanne as Roy moaned and thrust his hips upward.
Joanne kissed, licked, and caressed her way through all of Roy’s most sensitive spots, giving Johnny the complete tutorial, all while Roy moaned above them. Johnny was a quick study but he was happy to ever so slowly and teasingly go over the whole lesson again. They planted a couple of wet kisses on the spot under the head of his cock, stroked his balls, even nibbled on the insides of his thighs the way Roy liked. When he started to beg and then threaten, they finally took pity on him and took turns swallowing and stroking his weeping erection.
When she could tell he was nearing the end, Joanne rolled back a bit and let Johnny take him home. Johnny pulled his head back and adjusted his grip on Roy’s cock. Roy sucked in a breath at that, and Johnny increased the speed of his strokes. “You doin’ okay, pally? That feel good?”
Roy was seriously panting now. “Johnny, I’m gonna…ten…fucking…foooouuuuuurrrrrrr!”
Johnny hadn’t quite been able to swallow Roy’s whole load, and Joanne was turned on all over again seeing Roy’s semen dripping off his partner’s chin. “Hey Roy?” she asked, “Mind if I help clean your spunk off Johnny’s face?” Two could play the nasty talk game. At Roy’s gargled moan, she moved toward Johnny and licked the side of his mouth. “I think that was a ‘yes’,” she said as they both dissolved into giggles.
****************
Johnny kissed Roy’s stomach and raised up on an elbow to take a look at his partners. Roy seemed to have immediately fallen asleep. He would have to ask Joanne if that was something Roy usually did after sex. Joanne hopped off the bed and stepped into the bathroom, bringing back a couple of warm wet washcloths. After wiping Johnny’s face with one, she cleaned Roy’s thighs with the other. She smiled at Johnny as he propped himself up on the other side of Roy.
His stomach chose that moment to growl, loudly. Joanne clasped her hand to her mouth to try and quiet her laughter. “I’ve got a wicked idea, Johnny,” she whispered, glancing down at her sleeping husband. “Let’s order room service !”
Johnny grinned back and motioned her toward the desk on the other side of the room.
Their order placed, Joanne made use of the bathroom. Johnny had found his shorts and pulled them back on, and handed her one of the robes from the closet. The knock at the door came sooner than expected and Joanne quickly tossed a blanket over Roy while Johnny snatched up a shirt and answered the door. He signed the bill with Roy’s name and pushed the door closed with his hip as he carried the tray back over to Joanne at the desk.
Food just tasted better after sex, he decided, as he took another giant bite of his cheeseburger. Joanne sipped demurely at her milkshake and watched him eat. “Poor boy, we didn’t even buy you dinner before we got you into bed.”
Johnny winked at Jo over the top of his burger.
Joanne shrugged. “I just thought you were easy is all.” She snagged a fry from his plate and giggled when he playfully slapped at her hand.
Johnny ate the last of his food and downed the last of Joanne’s shake. “Milkshake thief!” she exclaimed in mock indignation. “Order one for yourself next time!”
Johnny laughed and fed her the cherry from the bottom of the glass. “Guess there’s another cherry gone, huh?” he quipped, sending them both into a fit of giggles.
“I’ve created a monster,” Roy grumbled sleepily from the bed. “Can you two please wrap up your slumber party and come to bed?” He rolled onto his back and adjusted his pillow. “I promise I’ll take you out for a nice breakfast in the morning.”
Johnny flipped off the desk light and he and Jo approached the bed. She slipped her arms around Johnny and gave him a squeeze. “What side of the bed do you sleep on, Johnny?” she asked.
Until that moment, he hadn’t really thought about getting to actually sleep with the DeSotos. “Um, I don’t know. I just sleep in the middle, I guess.” He looked at Roy, laying in the middle of the bed, both arms stretched out in invitation. Getting to fool around with the two of them had been a dream come true, getting to cuddle afterward almost seemed too much to ask. He turned to Jo. “What side do you usually sleep on?”
She smiled and rubbed a circle on his back. “I’m usually on his left, is that okay with you?”
Johnny swallowed and laid his head on Joanne’s for a moment. “Yeah, that’s good. That’s really good.” It was only fitting–he spent a good deal of his life at Roy’s right side, the passenger seat in the squad, their bunks at the station. It felt right.
Joanne dropped her robe and Johnny enjoyed watching her crawl into the bed and mold herself against Roy’s side. After shucking off what he was wearing, Johnny scooted under the covers and almost shyly pillowed his head on Roy’s chest. Roy brought his free hand up and lazily stroked Johnny’s hair. He relaxed completely, warm and tired, content and happy. The last thing he felt before drifting off to sleep was Roy’s gentle touch on his scalp.
***************
Johnny gradually woke up, awareness creeping in that he wasn’t in a familiar bed. These sheets were softer and nicer than his and the mattress was way more comfortable than his bunk at the station. He felt the bed dip next to him, and someone nudged his shoulder. He finally opened his eyes and blinked up at Roy, fully clothed and waving a styrofoam cup of coffee under Johnny’s nose.
“Wake up, sleeping beauty!” Roy said with a grin. “Checkout is in 30 minutes, you were sleeping so soundly we didn’t have the heart to wake you up.”
Johnny propped himself up on his elbow and took the cup. As he was savoring the first sip, Roy leaned in and gently brushed an errant strand of hair away from his eyes. Johnny hummed in contentment as Roy caressed the side of his head before pulling his hand away. He thought about what a nice way this had been to wake up, and a wave of affection poured over him for Roy and Joanne. They could have tossed him out after sex last night, but they didn’t. He realized they probably would have been incensed at the very idea.
“You’ve got time for a shower if you hustle,” Roy said, leaning back against the headboard and drinking from his own steaming cup. “I picked us up some toothbrushes and things from the gift shop,” he said, gesturing toward the bathroom door.
Joanne emerged from the bathroom just then, patting her hair into place and looking freshly scrubbed and glowing. “Well good morning,” she said with a smile. “Too bad it’s almost checkout or I’d join you two piled up in that bed!” She sniffed and looked at Roy. “Mmm, coffee. Did you bring me a cup too, Roy?” she asked.
Johnny spoke up immediately at Roy’s panicked look. “Here,” he said, “finish mine. I only had a couple sips and I gotta hit the shower anyway.” Roy’s look of gratitude was more invigorating than the cup of mediocre coffee had been anyway. Joanne gave his behind a pat after he handed her his cup and he flashed her a naughty grin as he pulled the bathroom door shut behind him.
After a quick shower, Johnny made use of the toothbrush Roy had gotten for him and quickly toweled off and redressed in last night’s clothes. He had his hand on the knob when he hesitated for a moment, and then turned back and picked up the toothbrush and stuck it in his pocket. He realized it was kind of a silly souvenir for him to keep from their evening together, but still. It had been a thoughtful, kind, loving gesture from his friend and keeping it seemed like a way to try and hang onto that feeling. It was kind of rare for any of his romantic partners to even want him to stick around until the morning, and even rarer that any of them gave a damn about what he needed.
Joanne bustling around the room, tidying up and making sure they hadn’t left anything behind while Roy was shrugging into his jacket. He picked up Johnny’s cowboy hat and looked at it for a moment, his face unreadable. He shook his head for a moment, then looked up at Johnny and held the hat out to him. “Ready to go, partner? There’s a diner down the street, I think. Let’s go get some food.”
Johnny took the hat from Roy, but then turned it around and settled it on his friend’s head. “Keep it. It looks better on you anyway,” he said, smiling shyly.
Roy returned his smile and reached out to pat Johnny’s shoulder. “Thanks, Junior,” he said softly. He cleared his throat and glanced over at Joanne for a moment. “Say, we were talking while you were in the shower. The kids are at my mom’s until Sunday. If you don’t have any plans, why don’t you come over later? Jo said she’d make pot roast for dinner.” He shrugged his shoulders and continued, trying his best to be casual, “maybe pack a bag, stay with us for a couple of days? If you want to, of course.”
Johnny leaned in and gave Roy a quick, soft kiss. “I think that sounds about perfect, Pally.” It was so much more than he had hoped for. Snagging Joanne by the arm as she approached, he gave her a kiss as well and then clapped his hands together. “Well, what are we waiting for? I’m starving!” he exclaimed as he opened the door to usher his companions out.