Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Tuesday morning, they lounged in bed wrapped in each other’s arms until almost nine o’clock, well past their usual time.
They rose, donned the thick terry robes, and wandered toward the kitchen.
As they padded through the den, Wyl noticed the elevator doors open.
He strolled over and saw a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle and the latest edition of The Advocate on the elevator floor.
Wyl pulled The Advocate from under the newspaper and smiled.
They were on the cover. He resisted the urge to shout the news, letting Rod discover it himself.
He laid the magazine on the table, covered by the newspaper.
While the coffee brewed and the toast browned, Rod sliced the fresh fruit they got from the Farmer’s Market the day before. Wyl set plates and silverware on the table, then poured two steaming mugs of coffee. Rod brought toast and the bowl of sliced fruit to the table. They dug in.
As they ate, Wyl grabbed the newspaper and pulled out the first section, keeping Rod in the corner of his eye. Rod’s gaze turned to the magazine.
“Oh, my God!” He grabbed The Advocate and turned the cover toward Wyl.
“Check it out… we’re on the cover!” The photo of two smiling cowboys, all decked out in their ranch wear and hats, with Sarge and Princess saddled and standing behind them, was magnificent.
Somehow, Joe captured the essence of their life in that one shot.
Wyl grinned ear-to-ear because of Rod’s exuberance. He loved seeing his cowboy happy. “We take a great photo.”
Rod huffed out a chuckle. “We’ll probably create quite a sensation at Harvey’s today.”
“A sensation? You think anyone will notice us?”
“Wyl, we’re in the city that helped launch gay America in the ’60s. Hell…we turn each other on. And cowboys are in, so we’ll definitely be noticed.”
“You know, we could commission a painting for over the fireplace at the ranch.” Wyl paused and gazed at Rod. “Do you know how proud I am to be your husband?”
Rod’s eyes brimmed. “You always know what to say.” He stood, came up behind Wyl, and wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling his ear. “I love you so much.”
“Fate brought us together. Nothing can tear us apart.” Wyl wrapped his arms around Rod’s and held on tight. Since their first touch, he couldn’t get enough of his man.
They read Joe’s article about their meeting, encounters, challenges, and marriage. Mostly, it told of their love, a story of never giving up. Love may be just around the corner.
They finished breakfast and cleaned up the dishes.
As the last plate went into the dishwasher, Wyl wrapped his arms around Rod.
They were two of the most unlikely candidates for a gay union, a professor in his mid-40s and a retired Marine who had just turned 40.
But somehow, they found each other, and now they adorned the cover of a national gay magazine.
Rod leaned into the embrace. “Let’s grab a shower. We can browse the shops before lunch when we get to Castro Street.”
“Good idea. I’ve never been to a gay district. This will be interesting.”
* * *
Around noon, they stepped off the Market Street bus at the Castro District stop, then walked south on the east side of Castro Street. Rainbow flags and other gay symbols lined both sides of the street.
“Are all the shops gay-friendly?” The number of rainbow flags fascinated Wyl.
“Not only that, but gay-owned and gay-themed. The gay district known as the Castro extends mostly from Market Street down to 19th Street. There are gay shops elsewhere, but this is the main area. It’s quite a tourist attraction.”
Wyl paused at each shop as they strolled down the street. “This is amazing. I never realized gay people enjoyed their own culture.”
“I know, babe. I don’t fit the flamboyant lifestyle normally associated with gay men.
I consider myself a man who is gay, not a gay man.
There is a difference. A gay man espouses the lifestyle so thoroughly and completely that it becomes his entire life.
A man who is gay prefers a male sex partner but lives his life indifferent to that lifestyle.
I’m not saying one lifestyle is better or preferable.
Everyone chooses how they live, which is up to the individual. ”
Wyl nodded, seeing the pride reflected in the sparkle of Rod’s eyes. “I’m glad you chose the way you did. Otherwise, we would never have crossed paths.”
“We love each other, which is a good thing. We enjoy unbelievable sex, which is an excellent thing.” Rod snaked his arm in Wyl’s. “I’m not ashamed of our relationship or our lifestyle.”
Standing in the middle of the sidewalk on Castro Street, Wyl turned to Rod and hugged him, nuzzling his ear. “I’m not ashamed either.” The heat from Rod’s body comforted him as Rod’s arms circled his waist.
A passerby took notice. “Hey, you’re the Advocate guys!” He held the magazine at arm’s length, eyes darting between the magazine cover and the two of them.
“Howdy!” Wyl used his best Texas drawl, turning to face the young man but keeping one arm around his husband’s shoulders. “Y’all seen us on that there magazine?”
Rod’s face contorted to stifle a laugh.
“Can I get your autograph?” The young man held out his copy and a pen he retrieved from the front pocket of his jeans.
“Sure, young feller. What’s your name?” Wyl maintained his drawl, playing up the part. He glanced at Rod’s face and raised an eyebrow. Rod turned away, shoulders shaking.
The young man practically melted into the sidewalk at Wyl’s deep, Texas drawl. “Uh…um…Lee Michaels,” he finally coughed out. “Just make it out to Lee.”
Wyl scrawled To Lee, Howdy from Wyl and Rod on the magazine cover and signed his name. He nudged his husband, handing the magazine and pen to Rod so that he could do the same.
Rod signed, his face still looking almost psychotic as he nose-coughed through clenched lips. He handed the magazine back to the open-mouthed young man. He grabbed Wyl’s arm and tugged him away before finally breaking into laughter. “You’re such a tease, and where did that drawl come from?”
“I gotta play up the part, don’t I?” Wyl laughed. Rod’s laughter was the best sound he had ever heard, and always would be. Well...that and Rod’s gasps as he came, but here on the street, definitely laughter.
“As long as you end up in my bed at night, you can play all the parts you want.” Rod glanced back at where the young man stood, gawking at them. “That kid was about to cum in his pants.”
Wyl grinned. “Well…maybe I did turn on the charm a bit much, but the guy loved it.”
“I loved watching you interact.” Again, Rod threaded his arm through Wyl’s. “Harvey’s is another block down on the corner, but let’s stop in the bookstore. I want to pick up a few gay cards.”
“What for? You planning to abandon my bed and play solitaire?” Wyl nudged Rod.
“Not that kind of cards, greeting cards. They offer a nice selection of gay greeting cards.”
“How does a greeting card know it’s gay?” Wyl raised one eyebrow and grinned. Rod shot him the I can’t believe you said that look. The bell jingled as he opened the bookstore door, and they entered.
Wyl left Rod browsing the greeting cards. He became fascinated with the magazine selection in another part of the store. An entire rack filled with magazines of naked, turned-on men. He rushed back to Rod. “Hey, I found a whole bunch of naked men's magazines.”
“Yes, and ?” Rod chuckled, continuing to browse through the cards.
“You knew about this?” Wyl’s voice ticked up an octave at the end.
He’d been all over the world, but as a Marine, he couldn’t allow himself to go into porn shops or, heaven forbid, gay bookstores.
And his one almost-gay experience didn’t teach him much about the gay world.
Falling for Rod took a lot of getting used to, but this trip to San Francisco opened his eyes to a whole world of gay men that he knew little about.
“Babe, I lived in Dallas for many years. Dallas has a gay section of town, as does almost every major city in the country. They all carry naked men magazines.”’
Wyl leaned in close. “I bet none of those magazine guys are as handsome in the buff as you.”
“You keep thinking that,” Rod chuckled, taking his handful of cards to the register to pay out.
Copies of The Advocate lay on the counter. The cashier did a double-take, eyes widening, and a big smile appeared. “Hey, wait a minute. Aren’t you the two guys on the magazine cover?”
“Busted,” Wyl whispered.
Rod nodded at the clerk. “Yes.”
The cashier batted his eyelashes at Wyl. “Sign the cover, and the cards are on the house.”
Noticing the attention directed at him, heat rose from Wyl’s neck to his cheeks. “Rod, let’s sign the cover and get out of here,” he whispered.
The clerk put a copy of The Advocate on the counter, and they both signed their likeness while the clerk put the cards in a bag and handed them to Rod.
“Thanks.” Wyl tugged Rod out of the bookstore as Rod yelled his breathy Thanks to the clerk.
“Hey, what’s the rush?” Rod asked as they hurried down the sidewalk, away from the store.
“The clerk was batting eyes at me, and I didn’t like it,” Wyl said.
“Wyl, did no one ever hit on you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Hit on. Ogled. Leered at. Asked out. Want to come up to my room and see my etchings?” Rod made his best Groucho Marx impression, fluttering his eyebrows and flicking an imaginary cigar.
“No. I’ve had exactly two gay experiences. One was Dusty, and you know how that turned out. The other is you, and I don’t recall you doing any of those things.”
“I didn’t have to leer at you. You attacked me, remember?” Rod laughed.
Wyl rolled his eyes. “I didn’t attack you, I simply wrapped my arms around you, and you attached my mouth to your lips, remember?” Wyl waggled his eyebrows.
“It doesn’t matter how it happened. You’re a celebrity now and a damn fine-looking man.”