Page 126 of The Laughing Game

And I knew in that instant that I was home.

“Yes, Sir, I can be. I like to be. I want to be,” I said. “For you. And for him.”

Epilogue

One year later

“Do you smell that?” Gideon asked, lifting his chin. His hair had gotten longer and he pushed a few strands behind his ear as he sniffed the air.

“Oh fuck, I forgot about the cakes,” I muttered, leaping to my feet and rushing into the kitchen, almost tripping on Rummy as I did. “Whoops, sorry!”

She gave a startled meow and tore off into the adjacent living room, where she leapt onto V’s lap, as V gave me a stern look.

“You almost stepped on her. For Heaven’s sake, be careful,” he admonished, as I tore open the oven door and grabbed a mitt. I could hear his soothing words as I rescued my burning bake from the oven.

“You’re all right, Rummy Tum Tum. You’re safe with me now,” Vihaal murmured and I couldn’t help smiling, even as I gazed down on the overbrowned tops of the cake layers I’d made. The cats had been a bit of an issue when I’d moved in, and Vihaal hadn’t been thrilled at the time. I was happy to say that they seemed to have won him over.

“The question is,” Vihaal continued in a louder voice, “can the cakes be saved?”

“Yeah, I think so. I’ll have to scrape the burnt bits off, that’s all.”

“Yes, and once the icing’s on, nobody will ever know,” Gideon said, coming over to have a look. “They aren’t too bad. Leave the fan on to get this smell out. Maybe we can crack a window.”

“Yeah, good idea.”

I went to the window and opened it a sliver, looking out at the peaceful street. I’d never expected to be living in one of the most beautiful and swanky neighborhoods in Ottawa, but I did. With two of the most incredible men in the city. Possibly in the whole world.

“When are they coming?” Gideon asked. “That cake has to cool before I can ice it.”

“Not until seven, so you’ve got lots of time. They’ve arranged for someone to manage things at the club, so they can have a Saturday evening away,” I said.

We’d invited Jacob and Sebastian for supper, which we did every few months. Since they were our mutual friends and had been a major factor in the three of us getting together, it was appropriate to show them some hospitality. Plus, running Maverick Molly’s took their time and attention seven days a week, and it was nice to have it focused on us for a few hours.

I’d moved into the house on Bellwood Avenue a couple of weeks before Christmas, and things were going well. Every once in a while, like right now, I’d pause to appreciate the strange turn my life had taken, once I’d allowed for the possibility that I might not be a hundred percent straight, and that I might just be hugely attracted to two men who were in an unconventional marriage with each other.

I was living my best bisexual life, committed to two gorgeous and caring men, with a past full of casual flings with women. It was tempting at times to call myself gay, since that was the lifestyle I was living, and planned to live as long as Gideon and Vihaal were with me. But I didn’t want to deny a part of myself simply because of the circumstance I found myself in.

* * * *

The cake was a masterpiece. Gideon used some fancy icing techniques to spruce it up, and wrote J + S on the top, which looked adorable.

More importantly, the chicken casserole I’d made turned out just like Mom’s, and the biscuits on top had baked to a golden brown.

“That looks amazing, Angel,” Jacob said as I spooned a biscuit and some stew into his bowl.

“Sebastian?” I asked, passing the bowl to Jacob and holding my hand out for Sebastian’s. “My mom’s recipe. One of my favorite things that she used to make.”

Sebastian gave me his bowl and I spooned some of the casserole into it.

“So, how is your store doing, Vihaal, now that you’ve switched over the management?” Jacob inquired.

Vihaal smiled placidly. “Profits are up. What a coincidence, hmm?” he glanced at Gideon, who shook his head. “Alice is doing a remarkable job. I should have put her in charge years ago. And Soresh is an absolute gem.”

“That’s fantastic. And how is Cory doing? He has nothing but good things to say about Tarnish,” Jacob commented.

Vihaal had hired one of the molly boys on part-time, because Cory still wanted to work a few shifts at Maverick Molly’s.

“He’s wonderful. No complaints, and Alice says he knows more about furniture and design than she’d expected.”

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