Page 85 of The Falcon and the Foe

This was part of Spirit Week at the elementary school. Each day, the kids dressed according to themes, e.g., Pajama Day, Red, White, and Blue Day. I’d been on the committee to select the daily themes, which had turned into protracted negotiations among some parents. Anyway, Friday was Class Spirit Day. Each class voted on what they wanted their class color to be, and all the kids would dress accordingly. The parents were invited to join the kids for an assembly, also wearing the color, where each cohort performed a class cheer.

“What color did Josh and Quentin’s class pick?” Cal asked.

“Seafoam Green.”

“Huh.” He scratched his head at the randomness.

“Yeah, I think a kid saw it in his Crayola box, and everyone else liked the name.” I refused to analyze the decision journey of nine-year-olds. It was a fool’s errand. “Parents are to show up at quarter to noon and bring a treat or snack.”

Cal nodded. “I’ve learned that I’m not allowed to set foot in the school without a treat or snack.”

“Now you’re catching on.”

“I’m going to try to attend.” Stress crossed his face, and I could see the wheels turning for making this work.

I smoothed a hand down his arm. “Babe—Cal, I mean. Do your best. It’s not the end of the world if you can’t make it. I doubt all the parents will make it.” I knew for a fact that was a lie, but I wasn’t going to add to his worry. “I’ll wear extra Seafoam Green for both boys.”

His eyes gleamed with deep wells of appreciation. I wanted to kiss him but didn’t want to take the chance we’d be caught.

Cal, however, wasn’t as secretive.

“Have you ever bottomed?” he asked me out loud a few minutes later. Fortunately, Josh and Quentin were elsewhere in the community center grabbing snacks at the vending machine, but I still turned red.

“Maybe once. I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember bottoming?”

I gestured for him to shush.

“I’d think it was something most guys don’t forget. For good or bad.”

“There are going to be children here any minute, including our sons.” I put two fingers close to Cal’s mouth to hush him, but that only made me hornier, especially when Cal bit at them. “Do you always think about sex?”

“Sex and property taxes.”

That fucker. I wasn’t any better. I thought about sex plenty nowadays, all the ways my body could fit with Cal.

“Would you be open to giving it another try? I’d make sure it’s something you’d never forget,” Cal said with a growl.

My body hummed with the idea of Cal on top. Nature’s weighted blanket.

“We can discuss later,” I said through choked breath as Mason and Aiden entered the meeting room. “Welcome, Bottoms—I mean, Falcons!”

My face scorched with embarrassment, not helped by Cal absolutely losing it beside me.

* * *

I proudly woreSeafoam Green head-to-toe on Friday. Seafoam green baseball hat, seafoam green long-sleeve shirt, seafoam green pants. My co-workers razzed me on the bold sartorial choice, while the barista at Starbucks merely cocked her head in bemusement. The halls of Sourwood Elementary were a rainbow explosion as each class could not have picked a more different color from each other.

Parents were as decked out in the class color as the kids, and it quickly became apparent that it was its own competition. Moms and dads painted their faces, spraypainted cheap pairs of shoes bought at Target, wrote fun messages on their shirts likeMs. Sawyer’s Class is #1! It was like being at a football tailgate.

Yet, in the sea of color, there was no Cal to be found.

Hey, you coming?I texted him.

My replacement called in sick. Ugh. Trying to find a new replacement. How is it???

Colorful.I texted a picture of the chaos.I’ll get some good pics of Josh.

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