A White Coat Is My Closet (39 page)

“Excellent. Declan was going to call John. Once he hears from me, he’ll call the stable and try to make a reservation for four people. I’m sure there’s a limit to the number of people who can participate. If they’re sold out, we’ll just have dinner somewhere else. Either way, there are margaritas in our collective futures. What time to you expect to get off work?”

“I shouldn’t have to be there past four. I’ll bring a change of clothes and drive directly to your apartment after. No sense in showering if we’re just going to climb onto horses. We should be able to hook up with them anytime after four thirty.”

I did my utmost to force my voice to sound casual. “Okay, babe. Have a good day at work. See you a little after four.” I was a little disappointed that Sergio gave no indication he’d noticed what I had called him, but the feeling dissipated the moment I heard his reply.

“Looking forward to seeing you, Zack.” His voice dropped almost imperceptibly. “I always do.”

Once again, my heart soared. “See you.”

I briefly clicked the button on the receiver, then immediately dialed Declan’s number. Without even confirming it was me, he picked up and asked, “So do we have ourselves a quorum?”

“Count us in. Zachary Sheldon and the Italian what’s-his-name will officially be a part of tonight’s posse.”

Without missing a beat, Declan answered, “Sergio will be a welcome addition to this evening’s festivities. Wish the same could be said for the asshole he’s coming with.”

“Wow.” I tried to sound offended. “Does your best friend know you talk about him like that?”

Declan laughed. “My best friend wouldn’t recognize me if I didn’t. It’s about nine thirty. I’ll call there at ten to see if they can get us in. If they require payment, I’ll put it on my card and you guys can pay me back. The website said the ride starts at six, so you all should be at my place by no later than five fifteen. If there’s traffic on Los Feliz Boulevard, it could take as long as thirty minutes to get there from here.”

“You’ve got it, Dec. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll assume the plan is on. Sounds like it’s going to be a blast.” I paused for little more than a second, then said with complete sincerity, “And, Dec, I really am sorry for being such a dick. You really do deserve better.”

“Don’t sweat it, Zack. No one is keeping score, but if we added up all the times I’ve been a dick to you, you’d still be in the black. The important thing is that we’ve got each other’s back.”

“You got that right, my man. See you a little after five.” I started to hang up, then, as an afterthought, brought the phone back up to my mouth. “Oh, and Dec?”

“Yeah?”

“I know it’s been awhile since you’ve seen me. When you meet Sergio, in case you’ve forgotten what I look like, I’m the good-looking one.” I smiled into the phone. “I just wanted to avoid any confusion.”

“Considerate of you, Zack. I’ll keep that in mind. See you this afternoon.”

Given that Sunday was going to be my only full day off, I had to be productive. Figuring that being on a horse for a couple hours constituted a legitimate workout, I decided to forego going to the gym and launched immediately into my errands. Sergio planned to arrive a little after four. I had six hours to clean my room, change my bed, do my laundry, complete my grocery shopping for the week, and make a run to the hardware store. I had purchased a cool set of shelves to hang on my bedroom wall three months before but didn’t have the necessary molly bolts to mount them. Sergio had inspired me. His apartment looked like it had been decorated by a professional. I could at least take the initiative to make a single addition to improve the aesthetics in mine.

I jumped out of bed, grabbed a pair of khaki shorts, pulled a blue T-shirt over my head, pushed my feet into some flip-flops, and bolted out of my room to fix a bowl of instant oatmeal before starting my chores. I was on my way into the kitchen when I ran into Christian and Brent stumbling down the hall. They were both bleary-eyed, and it looked like they were attempting to walk without having fully woken up. As they neared the kitchen, I heard Christian tell Brent, “Remind me to kill you before you ever again allow me to drink a fourth mojito. I don’t want to see another bottle of rum for the rest of my life.”

Brent replied, “I don’t know what you’re complaining about; you should have taken pity on that rose bush. I’m sure it’s dead already. If you were going to throw up in the flower bed, you should have at least aimed for weeds. How do you expect roses to survive a blast of vomit that’s 90 percent pure alcohol?”

We all reached the kitchen at the same time, and Christian went immediately to the water dispenser while Brent reached for the bottle of Advil. I interrupted their playful bickering by asking, “So, girls, rough night? Both of you look pretty hammered.” I smiled. “I hope neither one of you was the victim of date rape.”

Despite what I’m sure were throbbing headaches, they both offered tentative smiles. Brent answered, “There was definitely no hanky-panky last night. Christian went to bed without brushing his teeth. I think vomit breath is the single most effective form of birth control even for straight couples. I would almost have preferred to sleep on the floor rather than share the same bed with him. Believe me, that room was void of any inappropriate touching last night.”

Christian somehow managed to smile through his pain. He threw his arm around Brent’s shoulders and breathed heavily into his face. “But you love me anyway.”

Brent exaggerated a fake gag. “See what I deal with? Now you’re witness to the treatment I endure. Morning vomit breath in the face constitutes domestic violence. You might have to testify on my behalf.”

By this time, though they were both laughing and jabbing at each other, they had to hold cold dish towels on their foreheads because their laughter made their headaches worse.

I pulled my hot oatmeal out of the microwave, took a bag of frozen berries out of the freezer, and sprinkled some over it. Then I grabbed a spoon out of the drawer and started to retreat back to my room. “Don’t drag me into the middle of this. The only intervention I’m willing to do for either of you is to give you the number of the local AA. I’ll be in my room. I’ve got a bunch of chores to do. Let me know when the coffee’s ready.” I slapped Christian playfully on the butt.

“Chores? At this time of morning on a Sunday? What kind of efficiency bug crawled up your ass?”

I laughed. “Well, since you insist on knowing, Sergio and I are going to hook up with Declan and John this afternoon to go horseback riding through Griffith Park. It’s a guided tour that starts at six in the evening. It takes us over the hill to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and margaritas, then puts our inebriated asses back into the saddle for the ride back. Sergio says he heard the nighttime ride is a blast and the views of the city are incredible.”

Christian clutched his stomach. “Don’t mention margaritas. The thought of horses and alcohol makes me want to hurl.”

Brent took at little more enthusiastic interest in our plans. “I’ve heard about that ride. Friends of mine have taken it. They said it was fun.” He poked Christian in the ribs. “If Pocahontas here wasn’t so hungover, we would join you guys. Sadly, however, the only horse he’ll be riding today is the porcelain one in the bathroom, and I’m not even sure he’ll be able to stay on top of that one.”

Christian tried to pretend he was ignoring Brent, but he didn’t succeed in suppressing a small smile. He looked past Brent and directly at me. “So, Sergio is going to be meeting the brethren? Sounds like things are getting serious.”

I knew that a pale blush had begun to spread across my face, but I tried to keep the tone of my voice confident and unflustered. “Yeah. What can I say? The guy finds me irresistible.” Then, incapable of playing my emotions down, I continued with more sincerity, “Truthfully, he’s pretty great. We’ve been seeing each other for nearly three months now, but for the past four or five weeks, we’ve really been spending quite a bit of time together. He’s funny, he’s conversant, he has a ton of interests, and is insanely talented. Also, in addition to tolerating my many insecurities and idiosyncrasies, he supports me through them.” My blush deepened. “I guess it is getting kind of serious… at least, I’d like to think it is. I can’t ever remember being so happy.”

I turned to head back to my room but hazarded a glance over my shoulder. “And did I mention that he’s got the body of death and is sexy as hell?” I smiled. “Icing on the cake, boys, icing on the cake.”

M
Y
ENTHUSIASM
about the prospect for a fun evening provided the motivation to complete all my chores and errands quickly. The clock hadn’t even struck three yet, and my room was clean, the shelf hung, the bed changed, my laundry done, and I had completed my grocery shopping for the week. Then I decided it would be better not to mount a horse with an empty stomach, so I went into the kitchen to make a sandwich and eat some fruit. Also, despite the fact that Sergio had already pointed out the futility of showering before going on a dusty horseback ride, I nonetheless opted for a clean meet and greet. It wasn’t that I felt I needed to impress Declan and John, I just didn’t want to be an unshaven, hair-plastered-to-my-head mess standing next to Sergio. Sweaty and unshaven made Sergio look sexy. It made me look homeless.

I heard Sergio’s car pull up in front of our apartment and met him at the door before he had an opportunity to knock. He was just crossing to the end of the balcony when I pulled the door open. He was still wearing the clothes he had worn at work: black pants with a loose white gauze shirt. The dress code was more casual for brunch. Usually he wore a button-down tuxedo shirt with a black bow tie. He had a pair of Levi’s and a plaid shirt on hangers thrown over his shoulder and was carrying cowboy boots in his hand.

“Wow,” I said, looking at the clothes he was carrying as he stepped into my arms for a kiss. “Someone doesn’t want to be mistaken for an amateur. I never figured that as a child you spent a lot of time on the wide-open ranges of Rome. It must have been a bitch herding cattle down the narrow streets near the Pantheon.”

He laughed as he backed away from me, dropped his cowboy boots on the floor, and laid his clothes over the back of the couch. “You said we were going horseback riding. I’ve watched enough John Wayne movies to know how to dress. What were you intending to wear? Spandex shorts, combat boots, and a rainbow-flag cape?” He was smiling broadly as he again reached for me. With his hands free, he could now pull me into a tighter embrace.

I was laughing too. “Okay, if you think it’s too much, I’ll ditch the cape, but the Spandex and combat boots are a must. I don’t even own a pair of cowboy boots, and besides, the Spandex shorts are plaid.”

Sergio pulled back to look at me. He had a horrified expression on his face before he realized I was kidding. I put his mind at ease when I clarified, “Actually, I’m going to wear what I’m wearing.” I stepped back and opened my arms so he could critique my entire outfit. “Levi’s, a comfortable short-sleeved shirt, and tennis shoes. I wasn’t kidding about the cowboy boots. I really don’t own a pair. Also, I figured I’d tie a sweatshirt around my waist to wear on the ride back in case it gets cold.” I smiled. “I might not look the part, but remember, I’m a mountain boy. I know my way around a horse.”

Sergio was also smiling. “Is that the politically correct way of saying you’re a horse’s ass?”

I laughed and punched him in the chest. “We’ll see who’s laughing when you fall off your horse and I have to come rescue you. Bet you won’t think you’re so funny then.”

Sergio again reached out, grabbed me, and pulled me against his chest. “You can rescue me anytime. In fact, I might need a little rescuing now. Do we have time? You wouldn’t abandon me in my time of desperate need, would you?” He began to kiss me hungrily.

When we broke the kiss, he stared into my eyes. My breathing had accelerated, and I felt flushed. “I’d never dream of abandoning you.” I looked at my watch. “But we have to be out the door in forty minutes. That only leaves time for a quick rescue effort.” I pulled him toward my room. “Besides, now we’ll both have to shower before we leave. I don’t want the horses to think we smell like sex.”

Sergio looked confused but followed me willingly. “Why do I care what the horses think we smell like?”

I was laughing. “Pheromones. I’ve read they can make animals crazy.” I pushed him against the wall and started to unbutton his shirt. “Or, more truthfully, I don’t want to be on a four-hour horseback ride with my underwear plastered to my pubes.”

Sergio pulled my shirt over my head and ran his hand over my chest. “Or maybe we can just skip the horses entirely and just ride each other for four hours.”

I laughed as I pushed my bedroom door closed. “That plan would get my approval in a heartbeat, but Declan would kill me.”

Thirty minutes later, we sprinted, wrapped only in towels, down the corridor and into the bathroom. Though we showered together, we made a conscious effort to keep our hands just to the business of bathing. We didn’t want to be late to Declan’s and start the evening with him blaming us for traffic delays.

We parked in front of Declan’s apartment at five after five. Ten minutes to spare. Sergio gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and we congratulated one another for succeeding in making maximum use of time.

Before we got out of the car, Sergio looked at me inquisitively. “You aren’t nervous, are you?

“About what?”

“About me meeting your friends.”

“No, not really. I’m sure you guys are going to like each other. I’m really not worried about that at all. It might be a little uncomfortable in the beginning; it always is when people meet each other for the first time. I’m sure everything will be fine as soon as the ice is broken. I’m more worried about what Declan might tell you about me. We’ve known each other for a long time, and he’ll love having the opportunity to embarrass me.”

Sergio smiled. “Embarrassing you is better than grilling me. Despite what you say, these guys are your best friends, and I know they think the world of you. They’re probably more protective of you than you realize. I’m the one on thin ice, here.” Sergio smiled even bigger. “If I make an unfavorable impression and they don’t think I’m good enough for you, they’re likely to push me over a cliff.”