Page 69 of Cleats and Pumps

“Did you really enjoy it?” I asked.

“Like nothing I’ve ever seen,” he said, actually drawing some tears from me. I really was more into this than anything I’d ever done. It meant more than I can ever say that Tommy enjoyed it.

Tommy joined me for the cast party, and we celebrated with loud merriment, not unlike after a game. It just shocked me how similar my two lives were.

But the stark difference was that my father had never missed a game. Not once, not even when he had the flu and the doctor told him not to travel. He ignored her, and with Mom behind the wheel, he slept in the back as they drove from Texas to Kansas City to see me play.

The morning after the play, I sat across from Mom and Josiah, Tommy to my left, and said just that. Neither of them responded right away, then mom finally broke the tension. “Your father is a stubborn man, as you know. When… well, I should tell you this.It’s too much, but hell, I’m a grown woman, I can say what I want. When he announced he wasn’t coming, I moved into the guest room. Now, Amos, you know I love your father. I love him with all my heart, but he’s wrong in this. He knows that too.”

Both Josiah and I stared at Mom with our mouths agape. Mom had never told us anything that even indicated she and Dad argued. Josiah even once said she reminded him of a Stepford wife, except she had the temper of a rattlesnake when one of us would provoke her too much.

“Mom, I… I get Dad is struggling with my choice—”

“And,” she said, interrupting me, “it is, and always has been, your choice to make. Never his. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about him any longer. I want to talk about how amazing my son is. Amos, baby, you… well, you’ve got all the moves! You made your mama proud last night!”

I snickered and Tommy elbowed me, letting me know he agreed.

“Thanks, y’all. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.” I said, then put my arm around Tommy. “Of course, this guy here is a huge part of that.” I looked at him and smiled. “The best part of having a career that lets me be out of the closet is that I get to have this man in my life.”

“Aah,” I heard from both Mom and Josiah at the same time, and I gave my handsome, sweet man a peck on the lips. The server came over with all the food we’d ordered and drew my attention off Tommy, but I took his hand in mine and held it for a few moments, silently letting him know how much I appreciated having him in there.

This new life was amazing. I got to do something I’d always wanted to do, but more importantly, I got to have him with me while I was doing it.

51

Tommy

Iwasbored.Therewasno other way to put that. I was in New York, with a man I’ve loved my entire adult life, and I was bored out of my skull. “I should just go back to Texas,” I said to Amos on one of his days off.

“Um, no, you shouldn’t. What’s going on?” he asked.

“Oh, Amos, nothing about you. I… well, I haven’t gotten a job. I’ve applied for every possible position that I’m qualified for and even tried a few I’m overqualified for. Nothing… I’m sure the lawsuit put me on the blacklist.”

He looked at me sadly. “I’m sorry, Tommy.”

“No, it’s okay. I just have to figure out what’s next.” He nodded, and I put my finger up to stop what I knew was coming next. “Don’t, I… The book is too personal.”

He chuckled only because this was an ongoing argument between us. He came over and sat beside me, drawing me into his huge arms. “Listen to me, Tommy. I am going to stop pushing, but I loved that book. Yeah, it’s hard to read the parts where I did stupid shit, but it’s what happened. Also, if you wrotehow the story ended, how the two of us are together… it could be a great love story, don’t you think?”

I turned to him, considering. Amos had read the entire manuscript in less than a day. Which for him was a feat. My sweet man had gotten through college, but only because Owen and I had been on him like stink on poo. To my knowledge he’d never read anything as long as my book in one day.

I shrugged. “I haven’t thought about writing more.”

“Well, do. I don’t have to hide any longer, and you don’t have to protect a secret. Share your story. Shareourstory!”

From all the times we’d discussed this, nothing had hit home until now. The thought that there was more to write about hadn’t crossed my mind. Of course, there was more to the story. As he said,ourstory.

I got up and flipped open my laptop, read the last two chapters, and looked up at Amos, who was smiling from ear to ear. “Okay, maybe… I’m not promising anything, but… maybe.”

“That’s my man,” he said and jumped up and kissed me on top of my head. “Now, you do that while I go get my workout. Oh,” he said, drawing my attention, “I love you.”

I smiled, “Yeah, I love you too… Now, go away so I can do this.”

I heard him laugh all the way down the hall toward the bedroom.

I launched into writing and didn’t hear him leave or come back, for that matter. I slept a few hours that night, got up, and wrote more. Unfortunately, I ended up blowing the entire weekend and most of the next week before I finished writing and editing the work.

I had a few publisher friends, mostly acquaintances from my work here in New York. I had no idea if I had the kind of relationship I’d need to get a book looked at, but hey, this was a hot-button issue, with Amos being fired, him suing his team, and now starring on Broadway.

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