Page 36 of Hale Yes
“Lukas told his nephew he could name our adopted pet, and he decided on Sir PooPoo the Terminator.”
“He was four at the time,” Lukas explains.
“Ah, that makes sense.” I bite into a pink and purple cake pop with a white drizzle and moan. “Oh, that’s good.”
“The Sweet Tooth makes the best desserts,” Stefan explains. “It’s a few blocks down that way.” He points out the window, and I take note of the direction because I’ll definitely be finding my way to this bakery in the near future.
“So Bonnie tells us you’re working at Hale Cosmetics,” Lukas pipes up.
“Yes, I’m a biochemist in the lab there. I’ll be doing a little of everything, but I love the research and development side of the business.”
Stefan bites into his own treat, this one chocolate with shreds of coconut. “Oooh, I love their products. Any plans for a men’s skin care line in the future?”
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while actually, but today was my first day at the company. I have no idea what plans are in the works, but I hope to suggest it to Dr. Hale at some point.”
“That would be fantastic,” he comments.
“What do you do for work?” I ask, curious.
“I’m a stay-at-home goose daddy,” Lukas announces, stroking Pookie’s feathery head. “And Stefan is my sugar daddy.”
I laugh and turn my attention to the tall man holding a now-snoozing goose on my couch. “And you? What do you do to support your sugar baby?”
“I’m a musician. Mostly piano, though I’m classically trained in voice as well.”
“Stefan can play almost any instrument known to man,” Lukas brags, smiling up at his partner with pride shining in his dark eyes. “And he composes music for orchestras and bands. Meanwhile, I take care of everything around the house.”
“Except for the yardwork. I do that because Lukas is strictly a house gay.”
A laugh snorts from my nose, and I cough. “You two are too much.”
Lukas pretends to cast an affronted glare at Stefan. “I helped you carry wood last winter at your mother’s house.”
Stefan lifts his nose haughtily. “Ah yes. You carried two sticks the size of my pinkie. You’re a regular lumberjack, Lukas.”
“Hmmph. You know I would have carried more, but I got that darn splinter.” Lukas holds up his index finger, and Stefan kisses it.
“Yes, dear. It was a tragedy I’ll never be able to unsee.” His reply is droll, but it’s accompanied by a twinkle in his blue eyes as he takes a sip of his coffee.
Seriously, these two are a riot, and despite their constant back-and-forth, it’s obvious they adore each other… and that bickering is their love language.
“I’m so happy you two came over.” I reach for another cake pop, this one a glossy caramel color. “How did you two meet? Was it in some kind of goose-tending class?” They both chuckle.
“Nooo,” Stefan draws out. “We met at a drag club fifteen years ago. We’re both queens.” He lifts a perfectly arched eyebrow, as if waiting for judgment, but he’s not going to find it here.
I squeal. “Oh, I love drag shows. I used to go with my friend Artie all the time in New York.” Resting my elbow on my thigh, I prop my chin in my hand and look at my new neighbors with an assessing gaze. “Who do you two portray?”
“Uh-uh-uh,” Stefan says, waggling one long finger at me. “That’s top secret information. You’ll just have to come to a show and find out for yourself.”
I cover my lips with my fingertips. “Seriously? You wouldn’t mind? I promise I’m not a rude looky-loo or anything. I just really enjoy all the glam of the shows.”
Lukas laughs. “We’d be honored. The club is shut down right now for renovations, but it should be open again in a couple months.” They give me the date, and I make a mental note of it.
“We can get you two tickets to the grand reopening so you can bring a date or a friend if you want,” Stefan offers.
“I’m new in town, so I don’t really—Oh, I’ll see if my friend Shay wants to come. I met her at a conference recently, and I’ve only gotten to see her once since I’ve been in Houston because she cares for her mother. She could probably use a night on the town.”
As we chat for another fifteen minutes, Pookie continues to sleep in Stefan’s lap, occasionally emitting small honks on his exhales. The men take turns petting his back.
