Page 14 of Curtain Call
“Just listen and let me get this out.”
Riley nodded.
“I’m not sexually attracted to people based on gender. I don’t get aroused by tits and ass or dick. I am attracted to the person. I need to feel a connection with someone to be turned on. I’m connected to you because you are you. It’s always been you. I don’t expect you to come running into my arms because I know you have a life in New York, but I needed you to know because it’s been killing me. Also, for the past few years, I’ve felt like shit for the way we stopped talking and all I wanted to do was hop on the next train to New York City.”
“Why didn’t you,” Riley’s eyes were red and glossed over.
He turned away from Colin and looked at the small tree at the entrance to the limited-time Lincoln exhibit. Colin leaned over his shoulder and pointed.
“Penny.”
Shit. Colin grabbed the scavenger hunt item and is now beating Riley by one object and only two to find. If Colin gets the next one, he wins. This distraction of the Colin news has Riley’s head in a fog. With Colin’s chin hovering over Riley’s shoulder, Riley can feel his breath on the side of his face. His entire body heats up.
Whispering, “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to give up on your dream for me. I knew you had stronger feelings for me while we were in high school. I needed to let you go because you were too talented to stay here.”
Colin drops his chin onto Riley’s shoulder. Riley leans into Colin’s head with his own. A single tear leaks from his eye and down his cheek. He doesn’t wipe it. He wants the emotion to stay there, and he wants to feel it in every fiber of his body. He’s earned it.
“You were supposed to come with me,” Riley’s eyes are stinging, and he is fighting back a full-on cry.
Colin turned Riley to face him and pulled him into a full enveloped hug. He didn’t care who was around. It’s Massachusetts, nobody cares about two men being together.
“You know with my dad’s health and then the accident, it just wasn’t the right time for me to leave. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to. I hope you know that.”
“I do,” Riley says into Colin’s neck. “I was being selfish, and Iamso sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
“We both had our own shit to deal with. It’s OK.”
“No, it’s really not.”
Riley is now crying with his chin on Colin’s shoulder. He doesn’t care what image he is portraying, he needs this release. Colin has seen Riley vulnerable before and just squeezes him and doesn’t let go until Riley is ready. Riley will never be ready for Colin to let him go.
Riley pulls away a little and wipes his eyes with the cuff of his flannel.
“I’m a mess.”
Colin steps back and cups Riley’s face with his hands, “You’re beautiful.”
Colin looks into Riley’s wet eyes with affection and pulls his face to his and places his lips softly onto Riley’s. It’s gentle. Riley’s upper lip encased between his own. Riley kisses back. Colin backs his face off before kissing Riley on the cheek and reaches down and grabs his hand this time. He leads Riley to the back stairwell down to the main foyer.
Still holding hands, Riley lays his head on Colin’s shoulder while reaching across his body with his right hand and grabbing Colin’s bicep. He just wants to hold on. Partly to feel the connection, and the other part, to not fall from emotional weakness. Walking toward the exit Colin stops and drops Riley’s hand. Riley’s eyes go wide not sure what’s going on. Was someone here and Colin was instantly regretting his proclamation?
“Strip of three hearts,” Colin is pointing at the tree next to the admission counter.
“What?”
Riley looked around the foyer and stayed confused for a minute, and then he sees Colin folding a tab down on his scavenger hunt sheet.
SHIT!
“I win.”
Scene 6
Setting: Rockport, Massachusetts
Riley
