Page 53 of The Tenor's Shadow

Chapter 17

Freddie

When Anthony’s phone rang for the third time, Freddie woke him up. He’d hoped to let him sleep late - it was his day off, and he deserved the rest after the night they’d had - but Freddie worried it was some kind of emergency. It was after noon, and they had some important things to talk about, anyway.

He reached down to jostle him awake, but stopped himself as he took in Anthony’s sleeping form. He sprawled out like a starfish. His limbs had claimed the bed the minute that Freddie had left, as if he was a king and the hotel mattress was his domain. His chest rose and fell, and his face was so peaceful that Freddie regretted interrupting his slumber.

“Sweetheart?” Freddie shook Anthony’s shoulder.

“Hmmm?” Anthony stretched but didn’t open his eyes. “Do you want to have sex again?”

Freddie chuckled and kissed Anthony on the forehead. “Always, my sweet, but your phone’s been ringing off the hook for a couple of hours now.”

Anthony’s eyes popped open. “Weird. No one has my number. My nonna, my agent, Uncle Daniel, a couple of friends, that’s it.”

Freddie tossed Anthony the phone. He glanced down.

“My agent. It’s before seven in New York. What could be wrong?”

Anthony sat up, scrunching his toes as he woke himself up fully. He hit a button and held the phone to his ear. Freddie settled down into the armchair and smiled. He never expected to have moments like this. Domestic. Ordinary. Just him and his mate dealing with life like normal people do.

“Josh, what’s going on?” Anthony said into the phone.

As his agent spoke, Anthony blinked in surprise. Freddie tried to distract himself. With his supernatural hearing, he could make out what the person on the other end was saying, but it was rude to listen in without their knowledge.

“I…of course, the answer is yes. There’s a two-week window between Barcelona and Milan. I should be able to squeeze those dates in. Will I rehearse with the rest of the cast?”

Anthony chewed his bottom lip. He was practically vibrating with nervous energy.

“Okay, that will have to be enough. Have them send me a video so I can learn the staging. Get back to me with the contract info when it’s finalized.”

Anthony tossed the phone down on the bed, a look of shock on his face.

“Anthony? What’s going on?”

“They want me to jump into a role at the Manhattan Lyric. They lost their Tonio for La fille du régiment because of a family emergency, and the general manager doesn’t think the cover is ready.”

Anthony rocked back and forth on the cream bedspread.

“This is the big one, Freddie. It’s the most important opera house in the country, and the role is a tour de force. If it goes well, I’ll start having more control of the parts I take. If it’s a triumph, it could change the course of my career. I…”

Freddie got up and sat next to Anthony, putting his arm around his mate’s shoulders, soaking up his warmth as he squeezed Anthony to himself.

“You are a star,” Freddie whispered.

“You don’t have to say that.”

“I don’t have to, but it’s true. I’ve seen your talent and your dedication. Everyone else will, too.”

Anthony nuzzled into Freddie’s chest, feeling Freddie’s strong pecs through the thin fabric of his undershirt.

“Thank you for believing in me.”

Freddie kissed the top of his head. “Always.”

They sat there for a long moment. Sex was one thing, but this was something different, something neither had experienced before. A lover who was also family, who would support them and perhaps build a life with them. Freddie felt incredibly lucky. And incredibly anxious.

“But it complicates things,” Freddie said, wincing as he did.

---