1 Chapter 1
1
San Diego, California
September 2010
Navy Ensign Marc Struthers cuddled with Adam on their couch, enveloped in his masculine scent. “I slept good last night. You’re better than a teddy bear.”
Adam pecked Marc’s cheek. “You’re better than a warm dog on a cold night, and you don’t dream and kick your legs.”
“I love being in your arms.”
“But do you love me?” Adam whispered and stole a kiss as he pushed the issue again. “I love you.”
Marc sighed. “Don’t screw up this moment.” He kissed Adam long and hard. “No one knows what romantic love is. I love being with you. I value our closeness, friendship, and the fuck sessions, even though I’m not really gay. Let’s not have this conversation now.”
“When will we have it? How can our relationship advance if we don’t talk about things?”
“Not now. What are you after, a confession?”
“I want to be happy.”
Marc pulled Adam tight. “You are happy. You count your blessings and say you’re happy.”
“I want to graduate to the next level. We’re medium; I want more. I want superb happiness.”
“Not now.”
Adam made a noise between a growl and a sigh. He massaged Marc’s ass, covered by hospital scrubs. “Come to bed. I’ll show you love.”
“There’s no time. I have to be on duty soon.”
A rustle of paper from across the room pulled them back to reality. They turned their heads.
Autumn, fifteen years older, stood with arms crossed, holding a magazine. “Would you two queer bastards quit that? I swear I’m going to out you to the admiral.” She smirked.
Adam kissed Marc before squinting at Autumn. “And will your dirty dyke lips tell the admiral about your lezzie lovers?” He stuck his tongue out as any proud fifth grader would.
Marc chuckled.
Autumn moved forward and hugged them. “Adam, that was a wonderful use of alliteration in your grammar.You’re getting better.” She stuck out her tongue at him.
Marc held her hand. “You’re such an awesome, tall black beauty. If I were straight, I’d hit on you.”
Adam slapped his leg. “Treacherous bitch! So, you’re not really gay and not straight. What are you?”
Marc sighed. “Let’ not have this conversation again, okay?”
Autumn moaned. “I’m so horny, I’d let a man mount me, as long as he can last more than ninety seconds and knows how to properly service a woman’s plumbing.”
Adam held her arm. “Autumn, you’re a great person. A sexy hot woman who doesn’t look thirty-nine, perfect weight. You exercise and have just fewer than four million good characteristics. You’ll find another girlfriend soon, one who is worthy of you. I didn’t like the last one.”
Autumn showed a faint smile. “She was good in bed.”
Marc cut in. “She played head games with you. I’ll keep an eye out for you.” He grinned.
She paced. “You guys are happy. I want to be happy. Just gift wrap the UPS driver and deliver her to my bedroom.” She sucked her lips between her teeth and blushed through her medium dark skin.
Adam teased. “You have a crush on her? I had no idea.”
Autumn planted her hands on her hips. “Does no good. She’s straight and married, wears a wedding ring. Her name’s Jeannette, that’s with two n’s and two t’s.”
Adam teased. “Our roomie has it bad for the woman in brown.”
A knock at the door startled them. Marc and Adam rushed apart.
Autumn cocked her head. “Expecting anyone?”
The guys shrugged.
Marc opened the door and greeted Steve, tall and slender with the beginning of a mustache. “Hey, dude. What’s up?”
Steve scanned the apartment living room, his gaze on Autumn for an extra two seconds. “Hi, Autumn, Adam.” He and Marc knocked fists. “I’m throwing a last-minute birthday party for Carmen tomorrow night. His B-day is actually September twenty-first, but the twentieth is better because of work schedules.”
The apartment dwellers moaned.
Adam chided, “And you’re inviting us because? He hates us and thinks we’re gay or something.”
Steve kept his eyes on Autumn as she moved across the room to join the men. “I was just reading an article in this mag about the demise of DADT.”
Adam barked. “I hate that term. Say what it is: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” or how to carry on discrimination and administratively sodomize citizens in the military. It’s the same that was done to blacks, women, and other minorities.”
Marc burned inside and moaned. “They’ve talked about ending that for a long time. It’ll never happen.”
They seemed to take a collective sigh.
