Page 96 of Poolside

The first brush of polish went straight down the middle of the nail. The second one wiggled a bit at the end, a smudge of blue darkening the skin next to his nail. Tommy focused, trying to steady his hand, but somehow managed to get only half of the polish on the nail itself, while the other half ran the length of his cuticle.

“Damn it,” he muttered, grabbing a cotton swab and trying to clean up his work before the polish started to dry.

“Tommy, you really don’t have to?—”

“I watched tutorials and everything!” Tommy sat back, frowning at the sloppy job he had done. It looked like a five year old had been turned loose on Chuck’s thumb with blue finger paint. He looked up at his boyfriend. “This went differently in my head.”

Chuck’s smile was fond. “Keep going.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. It takes practice to get good at painting nails, just like everything else.”

Tommy kissed the soft, freckled skin on the back of Chuck’s hand. “You know that you’re my favorite, right?”

When he sat up and resumed his attempt to paint his boyfriend’s nails, he felt Chuck watching him.

“You okay?” Tommy asked.

Chuck nodded. “Tell me about the call with your parents. Earlier I…I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. I’m so, so happy it went well.”

Tommy felt overwhelmed with love for Chuck, who was letting him paint his nails, even though Tommy was making a mess of Chuck’s beautiful hands. So Tommy told him about coming out, about his mom’s emotion and his dad’s approval.

“Honestly, I think they were just excited that I’m dating you,” Tommy said with a laugh. “You should have seen my mom’s face when she heard.”

Chuck reached out with his free hand and pushed a piece of Tommy’s hair back from his face. “I’m glad that it’s me,” he said softly.

“Me too, baby.” Tommy sat back and surveyed his work, shaking his head. “Oh shit! I almost forgot to tell you.”

Chuck visibly stiffened. “Tell me what?”

“I’m demi.”

Chuck looked at him blankly.

“You know, demisexual. I have to know someone and feel an emotional connection before attraction comes along.”

A smile slowly spread over Chuck’s face. “Of course you are,” he said, his expression fond and understanding. “How does it feel?”

“Being demi? I mean, a lot of things make sense now.” Tommy frowned at Chuck’s hand. “Are you sure you want me to do the other one?”

Chuck’s laugh was loud enough to startle a meow from Angel, who had been curled up asleep on top of the couch. “It’s the thought that counts, T.” He slapped his unpainted hand down on Tommy’s thigh. “Now finish me up and make me match.”

* * *

Tommy was riding high as he climbed into his car at the end of the day.

His first day with Magnolia Roasters had been a whirlwind of getting up to speed on their systems and locations, meeting their store managers and the roasting manager, and taking notes as he listened to the owners talk about where they envisioned Tommy fitting into their operation. He got to dress more casually, and he hadn’t realized how uncomfortable suits and starched shirts were until he got to spend the work day in a nice pair of jeans and a polo shirt.

His office was on the upper floor of the warehouse where they did the roasting. It was a simple space, but it had two large windows that let in plenty of sunlight. It was also never fully quiet, which he appreciated—the whir of the beans in the large roaster combined with the muffled shouts back and forth between the workers provided the perfect background noise for his office work. The ubiquitous smell of freshly roasted coffee was something he didn’t think he’d ever tire of.

His goodbye party at Venture Car Rentals had been both rowdy and emotional, with everyone he’d worked with over the years coming out to wish him good luck. From tequila shots with his managers to the car washers at the West Ashley branch surprising him with a handmade “Lifetime Car Wash Pass,” the night had been the perfect send-off.

It had all felt a little easier with Chuck pressed close against him, their intertwined fingers lending Tommy the strength he needed to close out that chapter of his life. He hadn’t been prepared for the stories about how he had shaped his employees’ careers, or how his guidance had helped them overcome things that were standing in their way. Tommy had always taken pride in being a good man to work for, but it was something else altogether to hear he had actually helped people in a meaningful, lasting way. He’d pulled his branch manager Sarah aside, encouraging her to put her name in for his job. She was good, she was smart, and she was ready.

Deb had shown up with Mei Lin, and she’d given him a very stiff hug and a promise to call and bother him at all hours of the day. He returned her hug, and told both women he hoped they’d be able to achieve their dream of starting a family together.

It was a weird feeling, closing the door on what had been such a large part of his life for so long. When his personal life had fractured, his career had started to take up more time and space until it dominated Tommy’s waking hours.

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