Cinderella and Snow White

The bright lights of the Las Vegas strip dimmed in comparison to Justin’s eyes. In lieu of witnessing history together, Tony had delivered on a promise, and given his princess an early unexpected honeymoon of a lifetime. Alas, all good things had to come to an end. The sunny, sixty degree temperatures of Nevada tomorrow would be replaced with the subzero, icy streets of Pittsburgh. Justin stood in front of the terrace window of their luxury suite, and looked out over Sin City. Tony walked up behind him and circled his arms around his waist. “Happy?” Tony whispered.

Justin couldn’t answer. Instead, he leaned back into his prince’s arms. This must be how Cinderella and Snow White felt.

“Those better be tears of joy.” Tony acknowledged the glistening streaks rolling down the young man’s face.

“They are,” Justin finally said. “Do we have to leave tomorrow?”

“Unfortunately.” Tony sighed. “I wish we could stay longer, but you have to get back to your classes, I’m still interviewing contractors for our place, and we have to get Brian out of the casino before he bankrupts us.”

Justin turned around, and looked up into Tony’s dark brown eyes. “Promise me that we’ll come back to this place,” he said.

“I’ll bring you back for your graduation present in June,” Tony gave his word.

Justin ran his fingers through the hair on Tony’s chest. Perhaps this wasn’t the best time to announce that there wasn’t going to be a June graduation. Justin’s snubbing of Sam Auerbach’s invitation to study with him in Chicago had landed him on the dean’s shit list. His decision to leave classes early, and one too many absentee days to take care of Brian had canceled any chance of him graduating at all. As of January 2nd, Justin Taylor had been officially expelled from Pittsburgh’s Institute Of Fine Arts.

Tony adjusted the collar on the white, not so oversized anymore terrycloth robe Justin was wearing. The seventeen year old he seduced nearly seven years ago had filled out quite nicely. A wee bit taller, somewhat thicker, Justin’s chest and shoulders were now broader. There were the slightest character lines in the corners of his mouth when he smiled, and a new depth in his eyes that only comes with life experience. “Beautiful,” Tony uttered.

“That’s what you said the first night I came to your house in Chicago. I was standing near the Monet. I thought you were talking about the painting, but you were talking about me.” Justin blushed.

“You remember that?” Tony smiled.

“How could I ever forget it? That night changed my life,” Justin said.

“You were scared shitless,” Tony recalled.

“That’s not true. I was NEVER scared.” Justin frowned.

“Liar, I could see the panic in your eyes.” Tony chuckled.

“That was not panic. That was lust. You looked so hott in those bronze silk pajamas. I knew I could handle you.” Justin placed his arms around Tony’s neck, and leaned him in for a kiss. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Tony tilted his head the way he always did when something was puzzling him.

“Thank you for coming into my life, for coming into our lives, Brian's and mine. We need you,” Justin said.

This time it was Tony who didn’t reply. This wasn’t about whether or not Justin and Brian needed him. Of course he was needed. After all, who couldn’t use a millionaire in their life? Use being the operative word. The real question was whether or not they loved him. Recent actions were giving Tony more, and more reason to doubt. Perhaps David and the rest of the naysayers were right. Maybe they were too mismatched. Maybe marriage was really meant for only two people, and in this case it was obvious who the stand-out, third wheel was. It was Tony.

“Hey, earth to Tony. Is everything alright?” Justin sensed the sudden distance.

“Everything’s fine,” Tony lied. “Let’s go to bed, princess.”

 

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Downstairs in the casino there sat a sullen figure at the Blackjack table. “Seventeen,” the dealer called.

“Hit me again,” Brian said.

Common sense would tell a player to hold at seventeen in a game of twenty-one, but Brian’s mind wasn’t on the game. Tony’s impromptu honeymoon had marked Brian’s first outing since the completion of his radiation treatments. For now the pride of Babylon was cancer free, and his remaining parts had proven to still be in fine working order. It was good to be alive, so why wasn’t Brian in the mood for celebrating?

“Four of hearts. Twenty-one!” The dealer placed the winning chips in front of Brian.

“One more time.” Brian pushed the chips back to the center of the table.

They say that hindsight is 20/20. What the hell was Brian thinking? How could he have been such an ass toward Tony these past few weeks? Even if Michael was right about Tony and David’s early morning tryst, Tony had proven his loyalty during Brian’s illness with the patience of a saint, and the unselfishness of a martyr. Brian knew damned well how much that inauguration meant to Tony, and how much sacrifice it took for him to give those tickets away. If ever there was any doubt about Tony’s commitment to their marriage, it had been laid to rest that inaugural weekend.

“Ten of clubs,” the dealer said.

“Hit me again,” Brian said.

Oblivious of the crowd that had gathered around his table, Brian recalled Daphne’s warning to Justin. She predicted that the green-eyed-monster would eventually rear its ugly head within The Royal Trio. How right she was. The thought of Tony in David’s arms had Brian seeing shades of green he never knew existed, forcing him to choke on the advice he had given Michael when David was caught with dick in hand at the baths. Michael needed to stop acting like a jilted schoolgirl, and now so did Brian.

“Ten of spades,” the dealer said.

“Hit me again,” Brian said.

“Ace of hearts. Twenty-one!” the dealer announced to the ooh, and ahs of the now captive audience.

One seasoned gambler with a little too much whiskey under his belt gave Brian a hearty smack on the back. “Son, you have got to be either crazy or one lucky son-of-a-bitch,” he laughed.

Brian gathered up his winning chips, and stood up from the table. “Actually, I’m both,” he said.

 

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Tony secured the ties on his robe, and stepped out onto the terrace. Hotels may come and go, but there’s just something about the old standbys. When Justin revealed that his dream honeymoon was to go to Las Vegas, for Tony nothing else would do but the grand lion itself. The MGM Grand was about as close to Tony’s heart as his own baby, The Plaza Hotel. In fact, it was The MGM Grand that provided the basic prototype for Anthony Massey’s dream of an elegant, classy, getaway on a smaller scale that excelled in intimacy and personal service. Tony turned the collar up on his thick terry robe. He was leaning over the privacy partition, looking down at the fantasy world below when a voice behind him interrupted his solitude.

“Why are you outside in the cold?”

“Shit, Brian.” Tony jumped. “How long have you been standing there? Why are you sneaking up behind me?”

“I wasn’t sneaking up behind you. Did I scare you?” Brian asked.

“Of course not. I was only leaning over a twenty story balcony in the dark,” Tony said sarcastically.

“I’m sorry,” Brian said.

“It’s alright, no harm done.” Tony returned to enjoying his view.

Brian walked up behind him and circled his arms around Tony’s waist. “I mean I’m really sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I made you miss out on your history. I’m sorry about throwing the chicken soup. I’m sorry that I hit you….”

“You don’t have to apologize, Brian,” Tony interrupted him.

“I’ve got something for you.” Brian pulled a small black box from his front pant pocket, and held it around for Tony to see.

“What’s this?” Tony asked.

“Open it,” Brian said.

The bright lights of the Las Vegas strip dimmed in comparison to Tony’s eyes when he opened the little black box.

“They’re natural blue diamonds. The guy downstairs…I…I mean the jeweler….Whoever heard of a jeweler open at three o’clock in the morning? Only in Vegas.” Brian laughed nervously. “Anyway…the guy…I mean the jeweler says natural colored diamonds are rare, and very precious. When I saw them I thought of you.”

Momentarily at a loss for words, Tony studied the gems, gently tracing his index finger across the glistening stones.

“Let’s try it on you. I know you’re not really into a lot of bling, but I think this is conservative enough for the boardroom.” Brian took the box from Tony’s hands, and placed the blue diamond band on the ring finger of his husband’s right hand. “Beautiful,” Brian said.

“Yes it is,” Tony agreed.

“I was talking about you, my love,” Brian whispered.

Tony closed his eyes, and leaned back into his prince’s arms. This must be how Cinderella and Snow White felt.

“Those better be tears of joy. That ring cost me a half year’s salary.” Brian tried to make light of the glistening streaks rolling down his husband’s face.

“They are,” Tony assured him.

“Good. Now where’s our boy?” Brian asked.

“He’s asleep,” Tony said.

“Let’s go wake him up.” Brian smiled.

 

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