Chapter 11 Hideo
HIDEO
“Where’s Orion?” Bertie asks. “We’re almost ready to start dessert.”
“He wandered off to the bathroom a while back, but I haven’t seen him since. I’ll go see if I can find him. Maybe he’s stymied by that fancy new toilet you bought.”
“Don’t blame him just because you can’t figure it out,” Bertie laughs. “He might also be out back with Jake.”
“I’ll track him down,” I say. “He’s so huge, there are only so many places he can hide.”
With this little quip, I suddenly realize that he may, in fact, be hiding. The energy level of the house always hits the roof when we have the guys over, and it might be too much for our shy friend.
The guest bath is empty, and the one off the bedroom, but I find him in the library, sitting quietly with Jake.
It’s a peaceful scene, as he strokes Jake’s head and Jake gives him a friendly lick on the face, filled with devotion, each for the other.
As I suspected, he must be overloaded by all this new attention, and he needs some time to recharge with his best friend.
I don’t want to interrupt, so I move to turn away.
“Hideo,” he calls.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Fine. I just needed a minute. It’s all so, um, overwhelming,” he answers.
“Take all the time you want,” I say, kneeling to say hi to Jake. “We have no expectations.”
“I know that, I really do, but I don’t know what to think. The last person who ever wanted to see my face, my real face, was my mom.”
“And where is she? Is she still with us?”
“Oh yes, my parents are alive and well. They’re in a small town in Texas, and I’m sure they’re busy celebrating with my sister’s family. They have a new granddaughter and my mom is over the moon.”
“Sounds sweet. Do you talk to them?”
“I called earlier, before I left to come here. She was finishing up her pies.”
“So, you’re all good with them?”
He gives a smile and says, “Yes, very. I moved out here when I came out, since there weren’t many options for gay guys there, but they’ve been nothing but supportive.”
“That’s good to hear. Bertie and I are also blessed with supportive families. I’ll just give you some time. When you’re ready, we’re about to unveil the desserts, but no hurry.”
He grabs my arm as I start to get up, and asks, “Tell me, truthfully, are you okay with it? With me and all this? I can’t tell anymore when people are disgusted and they’re just making nice.
I’m starting to think that’s how it was with Enzo for our entire relationship, tolerating me until he found something better.
We had some good times, but now I just don’t know.
He certainly couldn’t get out fast enough. ”
I want to laugh, since this is so far from the truth, but I hold it back.
“Orion, I don’t think any of us are even close to disgusted. Charmed, definitely. Intrigued, probably. I’m sure everyone wants to get to know you, you and your tentacula. They’re part of you, but not the only part of you. You’re so much more.”
“I wish I could believe that.”
That’s my wish too, I realize, to help him see it and believe it. To help him find a way to stop hiding all that kindness behind a mask. Unfortunately, it won’t happen overnight, but there’s a roomful of boisterous men in this house who can help him make the first steps.
“Let’s just take it one day at a time,” I suggest. “Are you ready to sample some dessert, or do you need a few more minutes?”
“No, I’m fine, and I think Jake is missing the attention. I’m ready to head back in.”
When we get back to the celebration, Carl booms out, patting the couch next to him, “Orion! Get over here, handsome. We have an idea we want to try.”
I leave him in their attentive hands and join Bertie in the kitchen.
“He just needed a few minutes with Jake. Can I help?”
“Sure—could you set up the coffee? It should be just about ready. I totally understand what Orion’s feeling. We can be a bit much.”
“Well, there is that, but I think it’s more. I don’t think he has many friends.”
Bertie stops and turns around, resting back against the counter. “That’s been my impression too, human friends at least. He always comes to the bakery on his own.”
“You know, he told me you’re his best friend.”
“Really?” my cute husband says, melting. He didn’t know, but I see it in his face, he feels it too. “He is so sweet. Every time I see him, I want to give him a kiss.”
This sends a very particular tingle through my body. One I’ve never felt before, but one I want to feel again. I can picture it perfectly, Bertie tipping his handsome face up, eyes smiling, Orion reaching down, tentative but wanting to make a connection just as much as Bertie does.
“You know, I think you should,” I say, wanting this for my handsome hubby. “If the opportunity arises.”
I watch my BertieBear as the thoughts cross his face. A sweet smile, imagining a quick peck on the lips in that nest of furry tentacles. Then, it grows into a smile that’s more…intentional. I suspect he just had that same tingle.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” he asks.
“There’s something special about Orion, even without his special gift,” I answer, realizing I also wouldn’t turn down a kiss…and maybe more.
“I feel it too,” Bertie says. “But we’ve never, um…”
I finish his thought, “I know we’ve never, but we’ve never met someone like him. Like I said, he’s something special, and I think he could be something special to us.”
“We’d have to be careful. I don’t want to hurt him.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I say, excited by the prospect of building a deeper connection with Orion, whatever it might end up being. “Let’s just keep our options open.”
I stride into the room with a tray of coffees, announcing, “It’s the time you’ve been waiting for. Desserts are…”
I’m stopped dead in my tracks by the scene in front of me.
Carl has unbraided his beard, and he’s walking Orion through the process of braiding it all back together. “Right. Riiiight. Now left. Now right again. No sorry, that’s your center one, but now it’s on the right. Center next, to the center. I’m sorry, this is hard to describe. Just watch me.”
Bob is laughing uncontrollably, big booming bear laughs. He just can’t stop.
Pops has his phone out, taking pictures.
And Orion is at the center of everything, face squinched up, deep in concentration, trying to braid his chin tentacula. With no hands.
“Honey,” I call to the kitchen. “You have to see this.”
Bertie dashes out and wraps his hands around my waist.
After a moment, he whispers in my ear, “I so want to kiss him.”
Orion manages about three plaits before it falls to pieces. He shakes his chin and lets it all go free, and all three men give him a hearty round of applause.
“As I said, dessert is served,” I announce, again. “Maybe we can get back to this tentacle torture later, after we’ve built up a good sugar rush?”
“One more first!” Pops says. “You have to see this. Do the mustache, Orion.”
Orion gives a shy little smile and lifts his chin. Then the little tentacula under his nose curl up. Then the next one down his mustache, and the next. Finally, he creates a big handlebar curl at the ends.
“Isn’t it astounding?” Pops says. “It’s just like mine, but without all the wax and hairspray!”
“Beautiful,” I say, and it is, but I want to give Orion some space. “But dessert is waiting.”
We all descend on the treats, and it’s a good thing I gifted myself a free day from my diet, because the spread is mouth-watering.
Bertie’s spice cookies, of course, are my first choice, and I’ve been indulging all day.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without them. Pops is a master of fussy French confections, and he made a delicate mille-feuille this year with layers of crisp puff pastry and an almond cream—barely two bites, but each bite is heaven.
Orion grabbed his bag and manifested a container of melt-in-your-mouth coconut shortbread, and by personal request, Bob made his chewy panforte, my favorite.
I catch Pops sneaking one of his desserts to Jake, and chide, “You’re going to spoil him.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” he says, playfully affronted.
Orion is watching the whole thing, free from the worries we just discussed.
He’s interacting naturally with the guys, and remarkably, he’s allowing his tentacula to explore the desserts as he eats.
It’s mesmerizing. They dance along the surface and dip into the almond cream, curling up to his mouth with little portions.
I force myself not to stare, but I so want to.
It’s fascinating, and strangely erotic. They’re so nimble.
My mind turns to other places they could be exploring, and I feel my face flush.
Such inappropriate thoughts…but maybe not.
Between bites, Orion asks, “Where did you guys meet?”
Bob chimes in, gesturing with his half-eaten shortbread, “Carl was competing at the regionals and the second I saw him, I was in love.”
“In lust, rather,” Carl corrects, giving him a beardy smooch. “If I remember correctly, we didn’t see much of the competition that year.”
“Competition?” Orion asks.
“What was it, hon? I always forget. It wasn’t the big one. Whisker Roundup?”
“Mile High Beard Bout.”
“Of course. You took me hiking in the Rockies.”
I say, cluing Orion in, “In case you’re wondering, these are beard competitions. That’s how we all met. Everyone but me, that is.”
“Yep. I snapped up Carl in Denver, and we fell for our dapper gentleman and his prize-winning beard a few years later at the big national event.”
“Austin, Texas,” Pops says grandly, “Full Beard Freestyle category, first place. It took me a week to wash out the last traces of hairspray.”
“And how did you guys meet?” Orion asks, looking at Bertie and me.
“I’ll give you one guess,” I say.
It only takes him a second. “The bakery. Of course. Your husband is rather flirty.”
“Only with the right guys,” Bertie says with a wink.
“Orion, you should join us!” Carl says, sounding like it’s a big inspiration.
“Where?” Orion asks.
“Come to Beard Bash with us. Our local beard group always does a contest on New Year’s Eve. You’ll love it, and everybody will love you.”
Bob adds, “It’s at a straight bar, but we’ve never had any problems. That beard of yours will knock them dead.”
“Oh. I don’t know,” Orion says, closing down again. I can see the fear gathering in his eyes.
I jump in before he sinks. “There’s no pressure, Orion. Think about it.”
“Really, it won’t be a problem,” Pops says, understanding. “If you decide to come, we always travel in a big pack, so you’ll be among friends the whole time.”
Bertie says, “You’re welcome to join us, Orion, if it feels right, but like Hidie-ho said, there’s no pressure.” Then he deflects, turning our attention away from our shy guest. “Who needs some more coffee? And get back to work, boys. We’re only halfway through the desserts.”