Fin & Matt (11 page)

“I already said yes to the reference.  That’s all you’re getting from me.”

“I’m begging you, Carl,” he cried.

“Do you realize that if I say that, I lose my job?  All so that
you
have it easier?”

“Tell them you misunderstood.  It was all a misunderstanding.  You just—”

“I am giving you a reference, Matthew.  Please leave before I get the police involved.”

Matt turned to me as I carefully placed the revised contract and receipt into my bag.  “I would advise you to change your mind, Mr. Sutherlin.”  I retrieved my phone from my pocket and held it up.  “I would hate to have to use this in court.”

I hadn’t taped anything; yet, the look in Carl Sutherlin’s eyes said everything we needed to know.  Matt would get his name back.

“Get the fuck out of my house,” he flared. 

“Thank you, Mr. Sutherlin.”

Matt leaned over and pressed a kiss to my lips before turning his back to Carl.  As we walked, Matt’s hand snaked out to clasp mine, generating one last groan from Carl Sutherlin’s lips.

♂♂

“You’re a fucking genius.  Jesus, did you tape that whole thing?” Matt asked excitedly as he put the car in drive.

“No.”  My breaths were still choppy as my heart nearly beat out of my chest.  “I was planning on him saying yes to the whole thing.  I wasn’t trying to play dirty or whatever.  I was taking tips from fucking cop shows.”

“Well, it worked.”  He smiled widely, finally set free of Carl Sutherlin’s control.  The delighted face quickly turned a bit somber.  “Now, I just have to figure out how to pay you back instead.  I can work out the same payment schedule with you.  If I get a job in the league, I’ll be able to pay you back a lot sooner.”

“Matt, stop.”  I had to tell him.  If we were to be married, he
had
to know.  “Listen to me.  In my trust account, I… I have four-point-eight million dollars.”

Matt stared out of the window, carefully putting on his turn signal before pulling off to the side of the road.  He put the car in park and clicked off his seatbelt.  “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Matt.  Don’t make me say it again.”

“Four-point-eight million dollars?”  His fingers gripped the steering wheel, the leather crunching beneath them.

I nodded.  “Yes.  I’ve wanted to tell you a hundred times, but I didn’t know what to say.  You’ve said over and over that the money stuff bothers you and that you don’t want me to treat you any differently.  You hate to talk about money but, the bottom line is, I have it.  I’ll have it forever, Matt.  If you marry me, you’ll have it too.”

“I don’t… fuck, Fin.  That’s a big pill to swallow.”  He finally turned to meet my eyes, swallowing thickly.  “You said
if
I marry you.  Have you changed your mind?”

“No, Matt.”  I leaned over the console and kissed him softly, tracing my tongue over his upper lip.  He opened for me, touching his soft tongue to mine, before slowly pulling away.

“Are you sure?  About us?  If we do this, I have to pay my own way.  Please understand that I
have
to.”

“What about Christmas?” I asked.

He gave me a confused glance.  “What about it?”

“Want to get married on Christmas?  It’s a Friday, but that’s okay with me.  We could wait until Valentine’s Day, but that’s on a Sunday next year.”

“You’ve checked into some dates, I see.”  Matt blushed, squeezing my hands in his.

“On my phone earlier today.  I guess I always thought it would be fun to be married on a holiday.  Plus, we’re teachers… the holidays make the most sense.  We’re off until the fourth of January.”  I laughed lightly as my heart filled with bliss.

He buried his fingers through my wavy hair before brushing his lips to mine.  “I don’t care where.  I don’t care when.”

“We can go anywhere,” I told him.  “Where do you want to go?”

“What do you mean?”

“To get married.  Where do you want to go?”  I studied his face, waiting for the moment to break.

“Like I said, I don’t care.  You pick.”

“New York,” I suggested.  “Christmas night.”

“That’s only two months away.  I need you to be sure, Fin.”

“I’m sure.”  I wrapped my arm around his waist and pulled him closer with a short kiss.  “One stop left.”

♂♂

“Gentlemen,” the sales clerk buzzed, “I’m Kathy.  And you are?”

“I’m Matt.  This is Fin.” 

She shook our hands with a polite smile.  “And what are we here for today?”

The Tiffany blue accents glittered in the bright lights against modern silver wallpaper.  Matt leaned into a glass case and smiled at the petite older woman.

“We’re getting married,” he answered, looking over to me.  “We need matching bands.”

She clapped her hands together once.  “Congratulations to you both.  Platinum?  Gold?  Rose gold?”

I turned my eyes back to him.  “Traditional, I think.  Platinum?”

He nodded.  “Nothing too wide or flashy.  No diamonds or anything.  Just basic, I think.”

She brought out a few different widths.  “Two millimeter… here is two-point-six… three… and this one is four.”

Matt and I spoke at the same time.  “Three.”

She smiled.  “Two is too thin.  Four is too wide.  Good choice.  Let’s measure you both and you can look at some different styles.”

“I like this one,” I responded, referring to the one she had shown us.

It was basic.  Squared off around the edges with a smooth, matte finish.  Matt nodded in agreement.  “Me too.”

“Wonderful.  You’re too easy.”  She smiled and looked at the tag on the back of the box.  “The cost is thirteen hundred per band.”

I started to retrieve my wallet when Matt put his hand on mine.  “Fin… I’ve got this.”

Although it killed me not to settle the bill, I had to let him pay.  He had asked for my hand in marriage.  I was traditional enough to know what that meant. 

Pressing a soft kiss to his lips, I mumbled, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”  His voice was a near whisper.  “Kathy, we’re ready to be sized.”

“Y
ou okay?” I asked.

Matt had been quiet, keeping (barely) casual conversation since we’d left the jewelers.  He insisted it wasn’t his parents.  It wasn’t Carl.  It wasn’t the ring.

I let him take a long shower alone even though I was dying to touch him.  To kiss him.

“I’m fine, Fin.  Better than fine.” 

He met me at the foot of the bed, brushing the hair from my face before taking my lips in a soft kiss.  That same kiss quickly elevated as he kneaded the muscles in my neck with his rough hands, pushing his tongue into the cavern of my mouth.

My hand gently slid down his chest, responding to the hot, damp skin beneath my fingertips.  He gripped my waist, rubbing his towel-covered torso against my jeans.  His hard cock drove me crazy beneath that towel, grinding into mine as I moaned aloud.

The kissing.  Jesus.  Matt put everything into that kiss – biting, licking, sucking on my lips until I was near breathless.  He quickly lifted my t-shirt at the hem and tossed it onto the large dresser.  In the mirror, when he lowered his lips to my neck, I noted the way his back muscles flexed as his tongue provided a slow torture over my skin.

His lips moved back to mine as he slowly tugged on my lower lip with his thumb.  It was like something out of a film – a casual move – making my dick instantly stand at full attention.  Matt urged the tip of his thumb inside before sucking my lower lip completely into his mouth.  Fingers ghosted over my nipples, squeezing one gently between his thumb and forefinger.

His hand moved to the band of my jeans, popping the button before sliding his palm inside of my briefs.  He stroked me once with a low groan before lifting both of his hands to my face, deepening the kiss.  “I love you,” he whispered between breaths.

With one hand on his chest and the other wrapped around the back of his neck, I pulled him in to give him the same treatment, my tongue moving with his in a synchronized pattern.  When we pulled away for a second, I quickly took the opportunity to rid him of that towel, giving it an energetic tug.  He was completely erect, his perfect cock teasing my stomach with a low methodical rub.

He squeezed me tightly in his arms, nearly crushing me as our lips fused together in want.  Within seconds, he was on his knees, taking my jeans and briefs off in one deliberate move.  His warm tongue swirled at the head; attentively placing wet kisses down the shaft before advancing back up to swallow me whole.

I threw my head back for a moment before lowering my eyes back down to watch him.  The noises he made – sucking aggressively – were intoxicating as my fingers found their way into his hair.  One of his hands searched my chest, rubbing my sternum as the other drifted lower to massage my quickly-tightening sac.

When he looked up at me, I couldn’t help but lower my head, taking his lips with mine.  The kiss was leading, our tongues ripe with desperation.  He moved back down, taking the head into his mouth as I brushed a thumb over his bearded cheek. 

He was so fucking beautiful, I couldn’t believe he had chosen me.

He stroked me in tandem while sucking steadily, staring up at me with those crystal eyes as I fought tears.  “Matt,” I choked out. 

He stood with leisure, drawing me into a long, seductive kiss.  It took less than thirty seconds before I was the one on my knees, worshipping his thick cock with my determined mouth.  My eyes gazed up at his face as I licked the underside, flicking my tongue over the salty slit.  I swallowed him in, focusing on breathing in through my nose, as I took him deeper – nearly touching the back of my throat.

“Jesus, Fin,” he stammered, his chest heaving with desire.

His fingers lightly traced my shoulders as he breathed in short gasps.  I reached around to massage his backside, pulling him deeper into my mouth.  He tossed his head back, his entire body arching with lust.  I gave tiny swallows as I moved up his shaft, stopping at the tip for one long suck.

He lifted me into his arms and placed me gently onto the mattress.  “On your stomach,” he instructed.

I lay down, gently raising my arms above my head as I felt him spread my knees with his thick palms.  His tongue traced between my cheeks as his hands lifted my hips, rubbing gentle circles into my thin frame.  He tormented me with each stroke of his tongue as I moaned uncontrollably, begging him to continue.  “Please… please…”

He gently tugged my dick with his right hand, slowly stroking it with his thumb as his mouth continued to caress my sensitive hole.  I nearly lost consciousness when he dragged his tongue the entire length, licking and sucking every inch of me.  Pressing my face into the mattress, I tried to focus on anything but my release.

Seconds later, he flipped me onto my back and covered me with his hard, strong body.  If I wasn’t close before, I was in that moment as he slid his cock alongside mine, grinding in a precise sequence.  His lips were wet with lust as I wrapped my long legs around his back, arching off of the mattress until our chests touched.

“Do you want me to fuck you?” he asked with a smile. 

“Fuck yes.  Condom.  Now.”

He quickly tore open the wrapper and rolled it onto his immense cock, taking a moment to slick himself with lubricant.  Two fingers pushed inside, preparing me for…

“Oh, fuck!”

My dick was achingly stiff, rubbing between our bodies as he pushed his cock inside repeatedly.  He stroked me as he thrust, whispering into my ear.  “You like this?  You like it when I fuck you?  Hmm?  You like my hand wrapped around your long cock?”

Oh, God, yes.

“Yes…” I groaned.  “Oh fuck, Matt…”

“You drive me crazy.”  He lowered his lips to mine in a soft kiss as he slowed his hips to a lazy roll, instantly turning the moment from animalistic rutting to lovemaking.  “I’ve never wanted you more.”

His hand continued to move between my legs, stroking… stroking… stroking…

“Matt… I’m coming…”

Short bursts of semen erupted between us as Matt continued to thrust, his chest surging with exhaustion.  He groaned loudly before stilling inside of me, the feel of his release nearly pulsing through my well-worn body.

He laughed amid breaths, alternating between kissing my neck and lips.

“I think we both needed that.”

“God, yes,” I agreed with a short cough.

“You hungry?”

“Another shower first?”

“Yeah, I’m—”

There was a quiet knock at the door.  Matt glanced at me for a moment before whispering, “You expecting someone?”

♂♂

“Shit,” I grumbled, jolting from the bed and into the bathroom. 

Matt yanked the condom off, shucked it into the small bin, and tugged on his jeans as I closed the door behind me.  All signs led to our intimate activities, from the heady smell of the suite to the rumpled hair – not to mention the pink tint of sex flush covering my entire body.  I breathed deeply and splashed a bit of cold water on my face before tugging a full-length white bathrobe over my shoulders.

Matt’s mother spoke softly, but it was her. 

Shit.
  All of my clothes were on the other side of that divider.

“Matt?” I called meekly.

“Yeah?”

“Can you bring my bag in here?”  My voice was brimming with embarrassment.  The last thing I wanted his mother to see was my post-coital rat’s nest, nearly every long piece of hair standing on end.  When Matt slipped through the door, I pointed to my head and whispered, “I’m going to shower.  Be out in a few, okay?”

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a wet kiss, lowering his hand to cup my backside.  “Hurry.”

I took my time, regardless of his request, shampooing my hair twice and sifting conditioner into the ends.  The water was hot, beating against my freshly washed skin.  I stood under the spray for one final rinse before turning the knobs. 

I dressed quickly, letting my hair fall into natural, wet curls around my face.  Sore with carnal consumption, I smiled softly into the mirror as the memories of Matt filled my psyche.

Turning the door, I sucked in through my teeth before plastering on a smile for our guest.

“Mrs. DiFiore.”

“You can call me Pam, if you’d like.  My gosh… you look so young.”

I smiled, disregarding her comment.  “Pam.  Thank you for coming.”

Since Matt and Pam were sitting in the only two chairs, I took a seat on the edge of our unmade bed, pulling the covers with a speedy yank to cover the condom wrapper peeking out from the corner.  The small bottle of lubricant was there too, the shiny black lid taunting me as I calmly nudged it under the duvet.  The scent of sweat and lovemaking wafted through the small space, only masked by the essence of the almond oil that Matt had used between us.

Jesus.

She turned her attention to me.  “I wanted to apologize for my husband and son earlier.  Their behavior was appalling and I hope you can forgive us.”

“There’s nothing to forgive.  You’re here now.  We were talking about food earlier.  Have you eaten?”

She looked over at Matt.  He nodded and she responded, “No, I haven’t eaten much today.  I’ve been sick with disgrace.”

“Ma,” Matt said softly.  “It’s fine.  I knew they weren’t ready, but I came anyway.”

“I should have contacted you sooner.  You’re all by yourself in St. Louis.”

“No, I’m not,” he returned.  “I have Fin.”

She faced me again.  “You’re very beautiful.  I bet you hear that all the time.”

I blushed and let out a small laugh.  “Only from him,” I responded, gesturing toward Matt.

“I’m sure that’s not true.”  She stood nonchalantly, gripping the handbag at her side.  “Should we go out somewhere?”

“Maybe Isabela?” I suggested.  “My dad said—”

“Oh, no,” Pam answered.  “That’s much too expensive, Fin.”

“It’s fine, really.”

“What about pizza?  Squirrel Hill?” Matt offered. 

I felt immediately ashamed of my costly invitation; suddenly appreciating the differences between the family I knew versus the working-class one Matt was accustomed to.

Pam smiled.  “We haven’t eaten pizza together in a long time.”  She exchanged a look with her son, briefly wiping a tear away.  “Look at me.  I’m a mess.”

Matt wrapped her in a hug; she returned it, clutching her son’s back in anguish.  She let out a high-pitched whimper, sinking her head into the crook of his neck.  “Shhh, Ma.  It’s alright.”

“It’s not alright,” she wailed.  “I should have stood up for you.  I should have fought for you.”

“Come on, Mom.  Let’s go eat.”

♂♂

“You should have seen him with Carl today, Ma,” Matt said, giving my hand a squeeze.

Pam looked down at our fastened hands for a moment, an expression of discomfort on her face as she glanced at the table next to ours.  “Is that right?” she said, cutting a small bite of the pie with a knife and fork.

“He was brilliant.”  Matt stroked his thumb over mine as I attempted to release our locked fingers.  He squeezed once before letting go.

“Matt,” Pam said softly, looking around for the tenth time.  “Do you have to – I don’t know – hold hands?”

“Yes,” he responded.  “You hold Dad’s hand.”

“Hardly,” she mumbled.

“Yeah, well, you used to.  Fin is my fiancé.  Sometimes I want to hold his hand.”

“Just not here, maybe.  Tony’s an old friend of your dad’s,” she said, gesturing to the older man behind the counter.  “We’ve known him for—”

“A long time – yeah, I know, Ma.”  Matt picked up another piece of pizza and carefully cut a bite off of the end.  “I’m not ashamed of him.”

Pam cleared her throat and turned to me.  “So, I don’t even know how you two met.”

“I’m a teacher too.  We met at the school.”

“Oh, what do you teach?”

“Piano, mostly.  I was hired to teach both piano and theatre, but it’s a small school, so there’s not much of a theatre department.”

She chewed while nodding, watching Matt as he rubbed my neck.  He touched me often, but that moment was the first time I’d felt discomfort with his affection.

“You’re a pianist, then?”

I leaned forward a bit.  Matt’s hand moved with me, tracing small circles over my right shoulder blade.  “Yes,” I said, clearing my throat.  “I’ve been playing since I was three.  Classical, mainly.”

She nodded.  “So, when is… the wedding?”

“Christmas,” Matt answered, smiling widely.

“
This
Christmas?  That’s only two months away.”  She fidgeted anxiously with her wedding ring, twisting it back and forth.  “I’m sorry, Matthew.  I wish I could understand this.  I’m trying, but—”

“Pam,” I interrupted.  “You don’t have to say you’re sorry.  This,” I said, gesturing between us, “is hard for
a lot
of people to understand.  I’m lucky to have parents that support us, but I hid from them for a long time, fearing the same things that Matt did.  Telling others is difficult; being open about who you are – just because you aren’t like everyone else – is complicated.  I’m open with my personal life, but there are still people who won’t approve.  That’s okay, though.  It’s okay if you don’t get it.  I will tell you though that I do love him.  You should know that.”