Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
As they walked to the front of the theater, Andrei slid his hand into Lucas’s, threading their fingers together. His focus was on the man standing to the side of the ticket window in a black polo shirt and heavy winter coat. He waved when he saw Andrei, his face breaking into a wide grin.
“Hey, Andrei!”
“Hey, Dave. I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Lucas Vallois. Lucas, this is an old friend of mine, Dave Maloney.” The two men quickly shook hands and then Dave was looking back over at Andrei. He grinned and shook his head for a second. “I’ve got everything arranged. Theater 16. I’ll take you inside.”
Holding the door open for them, Dave led them past the teenager taking tickets and to the left where the long hallway ambled past more than half a dozen theaters. After wishing them a good-night, Dave left Andrei and Lucas to continue to their theater.
“This date doesn’t even get me popcorn?” Lucas teased, giving Andrei a nudge with his shoulder as they walked down to Theater 16.
“It’s covered.”
“Who’s Dave?”
“Owner of the theater.” Andrei smirked over at Lucas. “I called in a few favors on this gift.”
“Why did Dave owe you a favor?”
“I promised never to date his sister.”
Lucas fell into Andrei, laughing as they turned a corner and came to a short corridor that ended in Theater 16. “Got burned on that one, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, but he didn’t know it until he met you.” Andrei shrugged, still grinning. “Dave’s got a good sense of humor.” He released Lucas’s hand and pulled open one of the double doors, motioning for him to go first.
Another teenager in a theater uniform waited inside the small theater that couldn’t have sat more than a few dozen people. All the chairs were huge leather recliners. In the center of the middle row was a small table with a white tablecloth.
“Everything is ready, Mr. Hadeon. We’ll start when you say,” the teen said.
“Give us fifteen minutes to get settled and then start the movie.”
The teen nodded and disappeared down the aisle while Andrei followed Lucas over to the seats by the table. Lucas lifted the silver cover to reveal a massive steak hoagie covered in pizza sauce and oozing cheese. A mound of crinkle fries was also on the plate while a cooler of beers and ice tea were beside the table on the floor. Lucas drew in a deep breath and groaned.
“God! That smells just like Germantowne.” He looked suspiciously over at Andrei. “But they’ve been closed for five years.”
He shrugged. “That would be Ian’s contribution to the evening. I tracked down one of their old cooks, and he gave me the recipe. Ian was kind enough to replicate it as perfectly as he could.”
Lucas dropped into one of the chairs, his mouth hanging open in shock. “You got me my favorite sandwich.” Andrei nodded. Lucas’s eyes darted to the blank movie screen, a look of nervous anticipation crossing his face. “What’s the movie?”
Slipping into the seat next to Lucas, Andrei leaned over and kissed his jaw. “It’s a surprise. Grab me a beer and let’s dig in. The movie will start any minute, and I’m dying to get into this hoagie.”
They dug into their food, conversation limited to blissful moans. Andrei had discovered Germantowne Pizza and Hoagies just a year before they shut down and he’d mourned the loss. They really had been one of the best hoagie joints in the entire city. It was one of the first things Lucas and Andrei had commiserated over when they’d started dating.
The lights dimmed when they were only a few bites into their sandwiches and the studio logo flashed across the screen. It was followed by the opening notes of “Yakety Yak” playing while a picturesque mountain range filled the screen.
“Holy shit,” Lucas whispered. “The Great Outdoors? We’re getting to watch The Great Outdoors.”
Andrei leaned over and gently kissed a thunderstruck Lucas. It was the first movie they’d watched together. A movie they’d watched at least three times while Andrei had been recovering from his injuries. One of Lucas’s all-time favorite movies. And one he’d always regretted not having the chance to see in the theater.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, baby,” Andrei whispered. “I love you.”
He would never need to give Lucas things. He was rich enough to get any of the things he wanted in the world. But he could give Lucas perfect moments.
Snow
Curse words greeted Jude the moment he crossed the threshold to his home. He shut the door behind him as quietly as possible and walked to the bottom of the stairs. When more growls and four-letter words sounded from above, he covered his mouth to muffle the laugh he couldn’t stop. Real aggravation laced Snow’s deep voice, and Jude shook his head when his dick instantly showed interest. Nothing did it for him like his pissed off boyfriend.