Page 32 of Curtain Call
Memories flood his brain.
When they were teens, Colin would show affection but always pulled away and never let Riley get too close. He would tease Riley by rubbing his back, running his fingers through Riley’s hair, and occasionally bumping his shoulder with his while grinning from ear to ear. Riley always thought it was Colin’s way of flirting with him. Riley was wrong but after building it up in his head, it didn’t make it any easier when he was let down. When Riley was let down, he fell hard.
It wasn’t unusual for Riley and Colin to share a bed back then during sleepovers. They would often fall asleep during long conversations about New York. They would talk about their future apartment and how fun it would be not to have parents around hanging on their every move. Riley was mesmerized by Time Square and couldn’t wait to live in the core of the Big Apple. He also had a bucket list of musicals he wanted to see and in which particular order.
During one sleepover, Riley was tossing and turning. His brain wouldn’t shut off and Colin was exhausted and ready to sleep. Not knowing how to remedy the situation, Colin whispered softly, ‘Come here,’ before wrapping his arm around Riley and pulling him into the nook of his own body. Riley took a deep breath and let it happen. Colin was warm. He made Riley feel warm. Colin gave Riley’s body a squeeze before kissing him gently on the back of his neck causing goosebumps to cover Riley as he fell asleep within minutes. Colin made him feel safe.
When morning came, Colin was not in the bed next to Riley. He was curled up on the couch in the living room with a blanket and his bed pillow. Sometimes, he would make a spot on the floor. What Colin didn’t do was stay the whole night next to Riley’s side.
The turning of the doorknob snapped Riley back to the present.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Colin greets him while carrying in a cup of hot tea and an Aspirin bottle.
How in the hell is Colin so bright-eyed and cheerful this early in the morning? He sets the mug on the nightstand and pours out two pills into his palm. He hands them to Riley along with the small glass of water that was sitting on the nightstand from the previous night. Riley gladly takes the pills.
“Make sure you hydrate,” Colin encouraged Riley to finish the glass of water.
Steam rises from the mug as Riley reaches for it after setting the water glass down.
“I need to get to the theater to meet a delivery driver. Take your time getting ready and shoot me a text, or call, when you leave so I can lock the house from my phone.”
Riley nods like he is trying to comprehend all the mumbling from Colin.
“Will you be coming by the theater later?” Colin posed it as a hopeful question.
Riley wasn’t sure if he wanted to go. His memories put a sour taste in his mouth about last night. He wasn’t really sure what was happening now, especially if Colin didn’t even sleep in the same bed last night. Maybe Colin was having second thoughts about everything.
“Actually, there are some things I need to do with my family. I also need to spend some time rehearsing for my audition,” Riley was looking down at the crumpled sheets with bile rising in his throat. “Can we talk later?”
“Of course. Call or text any time. I have the day mostly free once this delivery is done.”
Colin walked carefully over to Riley, sat on the edge of the bed, and leaned in to kiss Riley goodbye. Riley turned his head toward the window causing Colin to kiss his cheek. Colin’s brows formed the letter v.
“Sorry,” Riley mentioned to the window, “morning breath, especially after getting drunk, is not very sexy.”
Colin squeezed Riley’s leg which was hidden under the duvet before rising to his feet.
“I’m running late.” Colin leans and kisses Riley on the forehead.
“I’ll, um, call you later,” Riley said softly as Colin exited the bedroom.
At the sound of the front door closing, Riley sat there feeling empty. Did Colin really have a delivery? Wheredidhe sleep last night? Did Colin only have feelings when it was superficial and not physical? Riley began to think that Colin hadn’t really changed after all these years and that the last couple of weeks were just a big mistake.
Riley grabbed his pants that were flung on a bench resting at the foot of the bed. Across the room was a floor-length mirror. He lifted his shirt and rubbed his hands across his abdomen and thought maybe he was too fat for Colin. He squeezed his sides and there wasn’t much there. He turned to the left and followed to the right. He put his shirt down before pulling on his pants and fumbled under the bed for a lost shoe that was kicked off at some point last night.
The doorbell rings. Riley thinks Colin has forgotten something but that’s strange since he lives there and has a key. Maybe he forgot his key. When Riley opened the door, rubbing toothpaste across his teeth using his finger as the brush, Mac was standing there wearing dark sunglasses and a worn-in Boston Red Sox ball cap.
“Wow, you look like how I feel,” Riley says to her.
“Love you too, babe,” she says sarcastically before giving him a kiss on the cheek while making her way into the small foyer. “I stopped by to pick up my tool belt.”
“Tool belt?”
“You know, the thing we lesbians wear to look butch,” she laughs.
“You are such a stereotype,” he mumbles as he walks back to the bathroom in the hallway to spit and rinse out his mouth.
“I’m finishing up the renovations on Colin’s kitchen and left it here by accident. I was hoping to catch him before he left but glad to see you here,” she yells down the short hallway.
