Men in Love: MM Romance by Jerry L. Wheeler

Author:Jerry L. Wheeler
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781626397354
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2016-02-25T19:00:00+00:00

THE ESSENTIALS

Vinton Rafe McCabe

The Rains of Ranchipur is on TCM.

Garth eats tuna fish on brown rice cakes and watches, enthralled. On the wide, flat plain of the television set, everything is in jewel tones, most especially Lana Turner, a ’50s rich American woman visiting India.

When the rains at last come, Richard Burton attempts to part the flood with the rumblings of his vocal cords, like Moses at the Red Sea. He plays the part of a native, his face having been slathered with Light Egyptian by Max Factor. His eyes glow a sullen blue.

Garth mouths Burton’s lines. Repeats along with him out loud, his voice tethered to a thick mock-Welsh accent. “Quiet. Quiet now,” Garth echoes when Burton saves Lana Turner from the shiny cobra. Then he slaps her to combat her hysteria. And the music swells as he purrs at her and she sobs in his arms. Later, the floodwaters rise and release, smashing everything in their path. This is accompanied by an earthquake, in CinemaScope.

Garth lies across the long, low couch, throw pillows stacked all around him, a vicuna throw on his lap. He puts Ugged feet up on the coffee table, balances the plate that, until just now, held the tuna crackers on his stomach.

Jonathan walks through the room, glances at the TV.

“Quick,” says Garth, “what movie?”

Jonathan stops a moment and squints at the screen. “Rains of Ranchipur.”

“Which version?”

“1952. The original one with Myrna Loy is better.”

Garth nods. “The Rains Came, 1936.”

“Everything with Myrna Loy is better.”

Jonathan turns his attention from the screen. He continues his cross behind the couch, touching the top of Garth’s head as he leans down across Garth’s body and lifts the plate from his stomach. He walks into the kitchen beyond, taking the plate with him.

*

Their dog, Blind Kevin, is curled up on his little red bed next to the couch. Blind Kevin raises his head and turns it side to side as the men speak, scanning space to locate the source of the sounds.

It is a weekend afternoon.

Earlier, there were bagels and cream cheese, scrambled eggs, strong coffee, and the New York Times on each of their iPads. As they ate, sunlight filtered through the dusty leaves of the potted tree that stood between the south-facing windows. Garth Pandora-ed light jazz on his iPad.

As they ate, Blind Kevin stood off to the side in the warmth of a wide ray of sunshine. His cataracts glowed in reflection as he stared into the sun. Dust motes slanted down the sunbeam, enveloping him.

*

Later, when the pizzas have arrived, Jonathan will join Garth on the couch for the next movie, The Parent Trap. He will lie with his head on Garth’s ample stomach, resting his face in a nest of vicuna.

Both will agree more than once that the original with Hayley Mills is better than the remake, despite Lindsay Lohan playing the twins in that version. This is the one that has the song, “Let’s Get Together (Yeah Yeah Yeah).” Both will note the

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