FIC: Lambliff Big Bang Part 2
Adam said something the night before about a party a month or so away, some kind of moving dinner party. Tommy has no idea what that is but he had said sure, because he likes Adam, and Adam seems to like him. Adam is fun and smart and thoughtful and funny and amazing. So long as Adam’s not looking for a rebound boyfriend, it’s all good.
Over the next week, Tommy gets itchy under the skin. Waiting isn’t his strong suit. He can’t get Adam off his mind. Fortunately there are two rehearsals this week to keep him distracted. Isaac is all excited on Thursday, talking a mile a minute while tightening a drumhead.
“You know that suit from 69Entertainment who was at the Hideaway show? I got this friend who works for a music agent and she’s friends with the receptionist at 69 and they went to lunch and the receptionist told my friend that she heard that he liked the show.”
“He was there for The Justin Bieber Experience,” says Mike.
“No, he came for the whole night. He didn’t have to show up that early if he didn’t have a reason.”
“Maybe he was taking advantage of happy hour before it ended.”
Tommy shakes his head. “Don’t remind me you got us the happy-hour time slot.”
“Hey, I’m working on a better gig, man. Don’t bust my balls.”
Other than the rehearsals, where he spends half his time fending off Ravi’s advances, there’s precious little distraction other than sitting at home, playing X-Box with Stan or watching MASH reruns with Mike.
That itch is still there two weeks later and it’s getting so fucking annoying. When he catches himself feeling it, Tommy pushes his mind to other topics. It barely helps. Even the cute girls in bars or at work seem less interesting than before. Kelsey’s very pretty and very cool but he wants her to still be his friend so he knows better than to actually try anything there because that would probably end the friendship. Don’t shit where you eat, so to speak.
Fact: Tommy doesn’t have any trouble at all getting girls to go out with him. Another fact: anytime he winds up in a relationship, it doesn’t last that long. His married older sister calls him a commitment-phobe. She and several cousins in their twenties are all married already, and some even have a kid or two by now. He’s jealous of Isaac, no lie, who’s been going steady with Sophie, a really cool chick, for a couple of years. They’re even talking marriage. Tommy can’t imagine himself married at this age and he’s a year older than Isaac and Sophie.
Tommy figures he just hasn’t met the right girl. And the right girl would be the one who can put up with his moodiness and his messiness and his need to be alone a lot, not to mention his love of movie gore and old Westerns and his refusal to consider any career not involving guitar-playing in a band. Guys know how to give each other space in a way that girls, as far as Tommy’s ever figured out, don’t.
Geez, Tommy thinks, why can’t a girl be more like a guy?
Immediately after that thought, he thinks, Geez, why am I thinking about a guy so much?
Ever since the night spent with Adam, Tommy doesn’t even think about hot girls - at all. Mike and every male friend he has would howl with laughter if they knew he’s spending so much time thinking about a guy.
When another week goes by without the itch dissipating one fucking bit, he spends a Monday night moping in the apartment, grunting one-word answers to Mike and Stan if they dare to ask him anything. They know enough to leave him alone in his bedroom, headphones plugged into the amp, guitar on his knee.
Even a gigantic cup of coffee doesn’t improve his mood next morning in the damn call center. Kelsey senses he’s in a shitty mood and is kinder than usual to him, even sharing her cinnamon-raisin bagel. On her break she hauls him outside while she lights up a cigarette. “Talk to mama,” she says.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he says. “Gimme one of those.”
“You don’t smoke,” Kelsey says, blowing a perfect smoke ring and holding out the pack nonetheless.
“It’s a blue moon,” Tommy says, taking one and lighting up with her lighter.
“Ease up there, pilgrim. You’re sucking on that thing like a horny, desperate, out-of-work, down-on-his-luck, crab-infested porn star. It’s less attractive than it sounds.”
Tommy laughs and then gags on the smoke. “Damn it, don’t do that.”
“You need to go on a date, don’t you?”
“I hate you,” Tommy says.
“I hate you, too,” she says.
“I don’t get it. Why do gay guys always hit on me?”
“Maybe it’s the lip gloss, just guessing here, buddy.”
“But half the time I got five o’clock shadow!”
“That just proves you’re male. They’re gay, remember. They like what you’re packing.”
“But girls go out with me.”
Kelsey gives Tommy a thorough glare. “Who wouldn’t? Look at you. You’re a good-looking man, Tommy, and you’re a lot sweeter than that those bloody tats would lead a normal person to believe.”
“So why don’t they stay with me?”
Kelsey pulls in a long drag. “Because you need to grow up some more first.”
Tommy sighs. “You’re painfully honest, you know that?”
“It’s my middle name, baby.”
They smoke another minute or so in companionable silence. Eventually Kelsey grinds out her cigarette on the cement wall and tosses it in the trash bin. “Break’s over.” She snatches the still-glowing cigarette from Tommy’s mouth and gives it the same treatment.
“Thanks,” Tommy says.
“For what?”
“Just thanks.”
Back indoors, after walking some clueless idiots through the steps to program their favorite channels, Tommy finalizes a call and hits the submit button. He stares at the computer screen. He makes a decision. He calls the front desk.
“My computer isn’t working,” he says.
It’s a long shot that Computer Qwik Fixx would send the same tech but Tommy is nothing if not hopeful. He can’t sit still but he doesn’t want to leave the cubicle, so he fidgets and picks at his nail polish, getting glittery bits all over, and taps a pencil against the desk surface until Kelsey wheels around the wall and glares at him in a kindly way. He can’t even mess around on the computer while waiting, because supposedly it’s broken.
And all of a sudden, here’s Adam striding down the thin carpeting with a huge grin on his face, dumping his backpack and rubbing his hands together. “Hey, computer just won’t behave, huh?”
Tommy lifts one shoulder and drops it, pretending casualness. He moves to stand but Adam puts a hand on his shoulder. “Stay there,” he says, crouching and dragging the keyboard over.
“M&M?” Tommy offers.
“Sure.” Adam holds out his hand and Tommy pours a few into it. Adam tosses them in his mouth in one go and crunches happily.
Adam’s very close to Tommy now, their shoulders touching. Tommy can feel Adam’s shoulder moving against his as he types. Adam seems very focused on the screen. Then Adam stops typing. Tommy holds his breath. Adam leans in very close, his lips almost against Tommy’s ear.
“There isn’t anything wrong with your computer,” he whispers softly, “is there?”
Oh shit busted. Tommy blushes to the roots of his hair. “Um, there was?” he whispers back.
Adam pulls back and smiles at Tommy. “For real?”
Tommy cheeks are on fire. He must look beet red right about now.
“I missed you, too,” Adam says, still talking very quietly. He’s enjoying this, the bastard. “You could have just called.”
Tommy flips the bird down low. He reclines in the chair enough to look each way down the line of cubicles. “You can’t tell The Man.”
“The Man?”
“The Man.”
“But it would be wrong to bill for a visit made under false pretenses.”
“I was bored. It’s like worker’s comp or something,” Tommy retorts.
“Is that my problem?” Adam’s probably teasing because there’s that cute little smile.
“Plus which, I need the job.”
Adam winks. “Just this once, then.”
Tommy exhales. He was a tiny bit worried for a moment there. Adam’s so straight-up and open and honest and all that.
Adam nods to himself. “I’ll upgrade the RAM, that way I won’t feel like a cad.” He unzips his backpack and digs out a disc.
“You want the chair?” Tommy asks, lifting slightly.
Adam puts a hand on Tommy’s thigh to push down gently. “Nope. I’m nearly done.”
When he is done, he leans in close again and whispers in Tommy’s ear, “Next time, just call me, okay?”
Tommy swallows and nods. They’d exchanged phone numbers back at Tommy’s place, but Tommy feels too awkward to use it yet. That night wasn’t a date, for fuck’s sake. Which is pretty obvious because Adam was willing to wait a long time to see him again.
Adam’s not done, quite. “Friday night, meet me at my place and my friend Dani’s going to pick us up and be the driver. I’ll text my address.”
Tommy has no idea what is involved. Why is someone else driving?
Adam rises and grabs his backpack. “I’ll go see The Man and let him know I’m done.”
Tommy swallows. That kind of got rid of the itch. He steers clear of Kelsey and her knowing smiles for the rest of the day, though.
Friday can’t come fast enough. Tommy trusts himself with only one text - is their a dress code? - to which Adam responds LOL no.
Even so, he keeps changing from one t-shirt to another. He’s got only about five that he actually likes, but he can’t decide which would impress Adam’s friends the most. He has only one black leather jacket, so that’s settled, and all his jeans are identical - he just wears whichever pair is cleanest at any given moment. He likes his creepers but figures the boots are cooler.
His roommates, now that they sense he’s in a better mood, rib Tommy mercilessly. It’s true that Adam isn’t like most of Tommy’s friends. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t even considered inviting Adam to group things with his own friends, because they’ll just mock him. Or maybe it’s because he and his slovenly roommates never have group things, like parties, because they live in what is more or less a pigsty. Even Mike’s own mother refuses to enter the place.
He spends so much time on makeup and poofing up his hair that he loses track of time; races downstairs and jumps into his crappy car and makes good time over the Cahuenga pass to Adam’s apartment building in the Hollywood flats. Turns out to be one of those Egyptian-themed buildings, which doesn’t surprise Tommy, knowing Adam. There’s something very theatrical about Adam.
Adam is already out on the sidewalk. He introduces Danielle, a pretty woman with brown hair and a big smile. Tommy gets in the back seat of her grownup sedan and as they drive they explain what the party is: basically having each course of the meal at someone else’s place. Adam rides shotgun, navigating with the use of his Macbook Air and some apparent hookup via his iPhone that gives him wi-fi inside the car. It’s too much for Tommy to take in.
Aperitifs are at Sutan’s apartment near Fairfax. Danielle’s driving so she has to stick with soda; Tommy pities her because the drinks that Sutan makes are amazing. Tommy could learn to get beyond PBR.
There are nearly two dozen people, including three toweringly tall drag queens, participating in this party, and every single one of them gives Adam a giant hug and kiss on the cheek, and it’s like he’s the life of the party. Adam introduces Tommy to everyone. Tommy can be shy in crowds if he doesn’t know the individuals, though, so he hangs near Adam most of the time, and Adam doesn’t seem to mind at all.
Sutan, though, he likes right away, even if the guy is even more flirtatious than Adam. It’s so clear that Sutan isn’t doing it for any ulterior motive. “Hey, honey, aren’t you a pretty little thing? You are so cute I want to pinch your cheeks,” is the first thing he says to Tommy upon being introduced. “Adam, where’d you find this beauty?”
Adam shrugs. “He’s not gay, Sutan.”
Sutan looks Tommy up and down thoroughly. “That’s too bad, honey. I’m so sorry to hear it.” He smiles, though. “Good thing we have some ladies at this party, then.”
After less than an hour, Sutan rushes them all out and down to their cars to go to the next place for the soup course. Sutan joins them in Danielle’s car, getting in back with Tommy and bringing a last martini for him. Tommy sips it gratefully while Danielle warns him to keep it out of sight.
At each place they get more drinks with the food - which includes salad, home-baked bread, a main course surrounded by two side dishes, and then dessert - and by the end of the evening Tommy feels way more comfortable with Adam’s friends.
Last stop is Adam’s apartment. Everyone crowds into the tiny living room, propped on floor pillows and hanging off the sofa arms, or rolling around holding their stomachs and howling about how fucking full they are, while Adam makes coffee and hot toddies. There’s some spillage into his office space, which has the world’s most gigantic computer setup. Tommy wouldn’t know what to do with half of it, but he’s willing to bet you could play some awesome games on the huge screen.
Not being able to hang around Adam here because the kitchen is too tiny and Tommy’s useless in a kitchen anyway, he inspects Adam’s collection of CDs near the computer. Adam is the kind of guy who plays his music on his computer. He doesn’t even have a stereo. The CDs are appallingly skewed towards pop music: ‘N Sync, Madonna, Rihanna, Katy Perry, and even worse. He finds a CD of Queen and that makes him feel a bit better, like they might have something in common musically.
He sacks out on a big throw pillow in the corner of the room and closes his eyes, a hot toddy balanced on his chest. Maybe he even naps a little, because when his eyes finally open he’s alone except for Adam, who is snoring, stretched full length on the sofa.
Tommy sets aside the toddy glass, which miraculously hadn’t fallen, and crawls over to the sofa. “Hey, Adam, are you awake?”
Adam snorts and wriggles.
Tommy considers. He needs to piss badly, so there’s no help for it. He levers himself upright and stumbles off in search of the bathroom. He takes care of business, flushes, checks himself in the mirror above the sink. His hair is a flattened mess on one side. No amount of fluffing fixes it. He sighs.
Back in the living room, Adam is awake, rubbing at his eyes. “See? It’s a great type of party, isn’t it?” he asks.
“Yeah, but I’m stuffed now.”
“My friends like you,” Adam says sweetly.
Tommy grins. “I like them, too. They’re nice. Good cooks, also.” He rubs his tummy.
“What time’s it?” Adam asks, looking at his wrist, but there’s no watch.
Tommy reaches into his pocket and consults his phone. “Past two a.m.”
“You should stay,” Adam says, getting up slowly and stretching and yawning. “I’m gonna brush my teeth and get into bed.”
Tommy looks at the sofa.
“I’ll get you a blanket,” Adam offers. “Actually, fuck that, I have a queen-size bed. It’ll fit both of us and it’s way more comfy than that sofa.” He rubs at his lower back.
Tommy fidgets.
“Don’t say it,” Adam says wearily. “I already know: you’re not gay.”
“I wasn’t going to -“
“Yes, you were,” Adam says, gently now. “I can respect that.”
“Can we just be friends?” Tommy asks. Because he really likes Adam and wants to keep him as a friend.
“That’s what I want,” Adam says. “Also, I want to hug you right now. Can I hug you?”
Tommy blinks. A hug? He doesn’t mind hugs from the right people. Adam definitely qualifies. He nods and Adam wraps him up in long arms and pulls Tommy right against his chest. It feels awesome, warm and sweet and protected.
“Okay, tooth brushing time,” Adam says, releasing him. He saunters towards the bathroom. “Let me know if you want a blanket.”
Tommy ponders his choices, including getting in his car and heading for Burbank. He knows better, though; there’s still too much booze in his system. He looks at the sofa. Then he follows Adam’s path to the small hallway. The bathroom door is closed. Tommy slips into the only other doorway which is the bedroom. He toes off his boots and, after thinking about it a bit, peels off his jeans and slips under the covers, hoping he’s not hogging Adam’s favorite side. The bed is soft yet firm, just perfect. The sheets feel clean but smell just a bit like Adam smelled when he got hugged back in the living room.
The bathroom door opens and then light switches are clicked and the apartment goes dark. Adam clumps into the room and shimmies out of his own pants and then sits right down on Tommy.
“Ow!” and “What the fuck!” and then they realize what happened and laugh. Adam slips to the floor. “You scared me for a second.”
Tommy shuffles across the bed to the far side. “I should have figured that was your side.”
Adam gets up and fumbles into the covers. “Oooh, you warmed the sheets up for me. Thanks, love,” Adam giggles. “You’re the best.”
Tommy snickers. Adam is right, there’s plenty of room for both of them if Tommy just stays near the edge. He’s never going to tell his roommates about this, though.
Continue on to Part 3 http://montmorency.livejournal.com/54416.html