In spite of Theo’s best efforts to keep things between them at the level of friendship, their relationship had accelerated quickly over the summer. Cart had wanted things to move forward. Theo had, ultimately, allowed things to move forward. He thought about that sometimes when he was up at night, about why he’d let this happen. He thought about the fact that Auggie had stopped answering his texts after Theo told him that he and Cart had begun seeing each other romantically—he refused to call it dating yet. But during the day, it seemed to make sense. Right now, with Cart’s firm touch juxtaposed to gentle, questioning kisses, it made sense.
“You look good,” Cart said quietly when Theo pulled back from the kiss.
“So do you.”
“Nah, I look like white trash. You smell good, too.”
“Thanks.”
“Let me see how you taste,” Cart whispered, and then he kissed him again. He always said those things quietly. He set the beer bottle down, the glass clunking on the counter, and then he had both hands on Theo’s hips, rutting up against him.
“I haven’t started the coals,” Theo said when the kiss broke.
Cart was biting his lip as he shook his head. He undid the button on Theo’s waistband. “Lose the booty shorts.”
Theo forced them down and kicked his way free. He hadn’t bothered with underwear—he knew Cart’s routine pretty well by now—but he still gasped when Cart took him in hand. He had workman’s calluses, and he had strong fingers. Theo moaned when Cart slid a hand under the linen shirt and twisted a nipple hard.
“Fuck yeah,” Cart whispered. “Fuck yeah.”
He manhandled Theo to the couch in the living room, hopping the last few steps so that his shorts and underwear fell around his ankles, and then they made out on the couch, trading hand jobs until Theo got on his knees to give head. Cart didn’t last long after that—he never did, he just gasped and muttered, the words growing louder and more forceful as he lost control, those strong fingers clutching Theo’s long hair. Then Cart screamed, “Fuck, fuck, fuck” and came, and Theo finished himself off with his hand.
Cart helped him up onto the couch, pulling Theo onto his lap, those callused hands tracing Theo’s hip, his belly, his thigh. He kissed Theo’s temple.
“God, I’m so fucking crazy for you.”
Theo just looked up at him and ran his fingers over the buzzed hair. He had learned with Cart not to lean in for a kiss until he’d brushed his teeth.
“You don’t have any idea what you do to me,” Cart was saying, the words rumbling in his chest, vibrating into Theo. “I wish I weren’t such an ignorant fucking redneck so I could tell you how you make me feel.” One of his hands cupped Theo’s dick and balls, and Cart made a noise in his throat.
“How about a practice run?” Theo said.
“Yeah?”
“I think so. You won’t get better if you don’t try.”
“You know how when you’re fishing—”
Theo couldn’t help himself; he burst out laughing, burying his face in Cart’s bony shoulder.
“Well, fuck you, then,” Cart shouted, slapping Theo’s ass a few times.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, God, my poor ass, ok. I’m sorry. Tell me how my blowjobs are like fishing.”
“Not your blowjobs, you hoosier fuck-for-brains.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “You’re losing me.”
With a huge sigh, Cart settled himself, his hand stroking lightly over where he’d spanked Theo. “You know how when you’re fishing, like early, you go out on the water and it’s just barely light, the sun not even up yet, and everything’s quiet, and you think, ‘Yeah, this is it, I could do this for just about forever.’”
“I couldn’t,” Theo said. “I don’t know what it is about skinny country boys, but you’re killing my jaw.”
Cart tried to push him off his lap.
“I’m kidding,” Theo said, laughing as he fended off Cart. “I’m kidding.”
“You’re a rude, uneducated, uncivilized—”
Theo put his hand over Cart’s mouth until Cart settled down. Cart’s dark eyes stared at him.
“That was really sweet,” Theo said.
Cart mumbled something behind Theo’s hand.
“Yep,” Theo said. “It really was. You don’t need any practice. That was perfect. Tell me things like that, and we’re going to do just fine.”
Cart mumbled something else.
Theo kissed the side of his neck, then where his neck joined his shoulder, pulling the Cardinals tee aside so he could kiss lower.
“Am I supposed to be feeling this much?” Cart whispered after pulling Theo’s hand away. “It’s so much sometimes I get scared.”
“You feel what you feel,” Theo said. “It doesn’t have to be anything but what it is. And you don’t have to be scared of it.”
“I am, though,” Cart said, and then he kissed Theo’s temple again.
“Let me brush my teeth,” Theo said. “And we’ll get dinner going.”
In the shorts gathered around Cart’s ankles, his phone buzzed. Theo fished it out for him and passed it over.
“Yeah?” Cart answered. “For fuck’s sake. Are you fucking kidding me?” He listened for a moment. “I’m at the grocery store, dumbass. I’ll be there in five minutes.” When Cart disconnected, he gently nudged Theo off his lap, and then he stood and pulled up his underwear and shorts. “Work,” he said as he adjusted himself. “Another goddamn demonstration.”
“They’ve got a right to be upset,” Theo said. “I’ve been to a few of them myself. We should all be upset.”
“I’m not saying they shouldn’t be upset,” Cart said a little too loudly. “But could they fucking do it when I’m not having a night off?”
“At the grocery store,” Theo said.
Cart wiped his face, staring at his feet.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” Theo said. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to pick a fight.”
“Well,” Cart said, heading for the door, “you still said it.”
5
On Sunday, Auggie had just finished editing another video when the knock came at his door. In the video, he, Orlando, and Ethan competed to do the best version of the dancing-in-underwear scene from Risky Business. Auggie had to give himself credit—he was a way better dancer than the other two, and, of course, that was the whole reason he’d wanted to do the scene. But Orlando stole the show anyway. He was just too hot in nothing but briefs and white socks. At the end of the video, the camera panned to show three bored girls sitting on a sofa. They got up to leave, totally unimpressed, while the boys were still arguing about who had won. Auggie posted the video, rolled off the bed, and answered the door.
Orlando was standing there, his eyes red, a hangdog expression on his face.