Page 82 of Kiss-Fist
Everyone’s hands wave. She folds her own into a prayer under her chin as she turns back to him and beckons Apple and Peach to her side. ‘Do you want to come onstage with us?’
Oh god, ohgod. He’s going to freak. He’s going to panic. He’s going to?—
‘Yes.’ He stands up and flexes his pecs in his obnoxiously tight shirt and gives me a look full of meaning. ‘Sign slow, please?’
‘Oh precious, of course we will,’ Pear signs at him. She pats his bicep, and then her eyes get all dreamy, and she strokes it.
Fuck.
‘Do you work out?’ she asks as they take him further toward the stage.
‘Want me to go up with him?’ Rhett asks.
I nod in a panic, and he shoots up, following the four of them back to the spotlight.
He meets them and quickly tells Thom what Pear had asked him. He turns and holds up his arm in another flex, making his muscle dance. ‘I work out,’ he signs. ‘I work at a gym.’
The three of them swoon, Pear falling into Apple’s arms. ‘He works in a gym,’ she signs dramatically. ‘Can you show us your moves?’
The lights flicker, and music starts up again. Thom, for the first time, looks a little unsure. Pear taps her chin, then turns to the room.
‘He’s hearing, so let’s give him a hearing clap. Encourage him. Make noise!’
I feel an almost vibration in the air. Thom’s going to get a full experience about what Deaf shouting is like, but he doesn’t seem bothered at all. In fact, he looks encouraged. His gaze roams the room for a second, then lands on me, and he gets a smirk that looks…dark. And a little dangerous.
He lifts his shirt to show off the abs I know he’s worked hard for, and then he starts dancing and posing a little like those bodybuilding competitions that Thom always has playing on the gym TVs.
The energy in the room picks up, and Thom’s into it. He’s dancing more, flexing more, turning around and doing squats for everyone. I feel a mixture of possessiveness and pride. This is my man.Mine. You can look all you want, but I get to take him home and fuck that ass until he cries and begs to come.
Beside me, Rome suddenly stands. He stares at me for a long beat, then turns on his heel and storms out. When I look back at the stage, Thom is smiling again.
At me.
A smile that tells me we’re going to have to talk this out. Or maybe fuck this out. But it’s not over.
I just hope he understands that I hadn’t planned on Rome being here—and even if I did, I had no idea he’d act like this. And I will make it up to him.
The Fruit Basket eventually lets Thom go back to the table. Rhett’s laughing and clapping him on the shoulder as Thom sinks next to me. Everyone is a little tense, and I see Thom’s shoulders rise and fall with a sigh. Then, he digs his fingers into my hair, tugging hard enough that it stings, and leaves a mean, messy kiss on my lips.
‘Later?’ he asks.
I nod.
Later.
Glimmer Dear takes the stage after the second openers are finished. They’re dressed like ABBA and doing several pieces fromMamma Mia. It’s fun, and for a little while, as we shove one-dollar bills into everyone’s cleavage, we can forget about all the tension Rome left behind.
Mellie gets the second round of drinks. Fayid goes next. Thom is relaxing more as he sips on his gin and tonic, his muscular body leaning into mine.
Rome doesn’t come back either. The buzzing of my phone tells me he’s got more to say and is not willing to let this go, but I don’t bother looking. I’ll deal with him once I’m sure Thom isn’t panicking about anything he said.
I know it can be hard for hearing people at these events. I had my rules, but I’ve never gone out of my way to make someone not feel included. I know the gut ache that it causes, and I’m not about to be the source of that for someone else.
And yeah, I did break my rules that Rome referenced, but when I made them, I didn’t know someone like Thom existed. I never knew what it meant to want to try for someone before. Now I do.
I will not let this end badly. I’ve already fought hard enough.
The lights flicker, getting everyone’s attention, and then Glimmer Dear walks onstage. She looks nothing like Denver now, in her very shiny, pink, silky dress with faux fur at the bottom and along the collar. She’s got a blonde wig on, styled with chopsticks that remind me of ’90s fashion, and she’s got a man in dark leather pants and a half-buttoned white shirt beside her.
