Time unknown

Place unknown

Murray was in a bathroom he didn’t recognize, brushing his teeth in pajamas he didn’t recognize either, but which looked rather lovely. Something a man of higher wealth might wear.

He spat into the sink before washing his toothbrush off and placing it back in the cup.

That’s when he realized the shower was running.

“Hello?” Murray said.

No response. But the water shut off. The shower’s occupant yanked off the towel on the curtain rod. Whoever was in there was drying off.

“Hello?” Murray repeated, louder this time.

The curtain flew open, and out stepped Fred, dressed in a tuxedo.

“Hello to you, too, sunshine.”

Murray gawked. “Fred… what are you…?”

“Surely you didn’t forget our date night?”

“Date night?”

Suddenly, they were in a large, lavish ballroom, with a single table for two in the center. A table candle burned under the massive chandelier.

Murray looked down, and he found himself in a tuxedo as well.

“Darling?” Fred called.

Murray looked up.

Why did I look up? He thought.

“Sit down,” Fred suggested.

Murray looked around for an exit, but there was none.

He sat down across from Fred.

“You look beautiful tonight.”

Murray blushed. “Thanks. So do you.”

What am I doing?

Fred took Murray’s hands in his, and leaned forward to kiss them.

9:29 AM, Saturday, November 1st, 1952

Murray woke up, sweating.

What is happening?

Climbing out of his bed, he gazed out the window, towards Fred’s house, behind the house across the street. He could see just a sliver of the side with Fred’s room, but most of the Stavridis house was obscured by James’s.

Murray went downstairs, where he saw Alex eating scrambled eggs right out of the pan, clad in just boxer shorts and a tank shirt.

“Morning, twig,” Alex greeted.

“Get bent,” growled Murray.

“Whoa, someone’s grouchy. Something happen at that party?”

“No.”

“That’s a yes.”

Murray opened the fridge and pulled out a muffin.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Murray grunted, biting into the muffin.

Murray quickly went back up to his bedroom without a word.

Murray soon found himself on France Beach, wondering with his feet in the sand, looking out at the choppy waves and gray skies out west.

He soon heard footsteps behind him.

“Fred?”

“Nope,” said Justin.

Turning around, Murray gave a blank look to Justin.

“Hey, I’m not exactly your biggest fan either,” Justin continued.

“What do you want, Justin?”

“Damage control.”

Without invitation, Justin sat down next to Murray. Murray scooched a bit over, but Justin ignored this and stayed put.

“Fred has been your best friend for six years now. You’re going to throw that all away just because he’s homosexual?”

Murray sighed, putting his face in his hands.

“He’s in love with me, isn’t he?”

Justin was surprised. “How did you know?”

Murray looked up at him. “It all makes sense now. The protection. The jealousy. He wants me for himself.”

Justin stayed quiet.

“But Kevin?” Murray continued. “I did not see that coming.”

“That was a jerk move of Kevin. He shouldn’t have sprung that on you.”

“Can I ask you something?”

Justin looked at Murray cautiously. “You can, but I won’t guarantee an answer.”

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“I can’t lie, Justin. It’s always pretty much been an open secret that you’re… you know. People even bug you directly about it. But you don’t give a damn what they think. You’ve never admitted it, but you don’t deny it either. How do you do that? Just going about not giving a damn?”

Justin had to think about this for a second.

“I just don’t. Because if I did, I’d just be giving all the naysayers and jerks what they want. I probably will never make it public knowledge. But I don’t want to hide it either. I feel comfortable doing things typically associated with people of the homosexual nature. So be it. Not all people who do that are homophiles, and not all homophiles do the things. That’s the reality. Anyone could be a homosexual. Or something else. Preference in that respect is a complex topic.”

“Mm.”

Justin and Murray sat there in silence for a minute.

“Murray?”

Murray looked at Justin.

“Fred loves you. He really does care about you and what happens in your life. And he very much cares what you think of him.”

Murray remained silent.

“Will you please talk to him?” Justin continued. “He’s at his house right now with Kevin.”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if I want to see either of them right now.”

Justin sighed.

“All right.”

Justin got up.

“But remember what I said, Murray: He cares what you think of him. And right now… he thinks you hate him. He thinks his best friend, who has stuck by his side all these years, who has gone almost everywhere he has since 1946, no longer wants anything to do with him. Just remember that.”

As Justin walked away, Murray’s head echoed what he had just heard.

Those words turned into thoughts. Thoughts of memories: the boat in the river, the baseball tryouts, the parties, the sleepovers…

“Fred is…” Murray said.

“The same person he’s always been,” Justin said back. “There’s a reason he hid this part of himself from you. Just talk to him.”

Justin continued walking away.

And Murray followed.

~*~

Kevin and Fred sat across from each other at Fred’s kitchen table, eating a late breakfast.

“So… what happens now?” Kevin asked.

“I’m not sure,” said Fred. “That was… my first time, as well.”

Fred took a sip of his coffee before continuing.

“How do you want to proceed? Do you want a relationship with me, or would you rather wait a while, see what you want?”

Kevin pondered this.

“I like you, Fred,” he said. “Maybe we should… try this out?”

“It would be nice to finally have someone to date… even if we still have to hide.”

“So… would you like to come over to my house next weekend? My family will be gone. It’ll just be the two of us.”

Fred blushed. “That sounds nice.”

Kevin leaned down and touched his noses with Fred.

“It’s a date.”

He kissed Fred. Fred kissed back, putting his arm around Kevin to deepen the kiss.

Only to have them jolted apart when they heard a knock at the back door.

Justin was looking in.

And standing behind him was a wide-eyed Murray.

~*~

5:13 PM; Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

Patty and Tess had invited Justin and Fred over for dinner that night.

They sat in the kitchen, talking and cooking, while the kids watched a movie in the front room.

“Patty,” Justin started. “What are you going to do with Murray’s house?”

“Right now we’re getting it ready for the memorial service, but… I think I’ll take it over.”

“The five of us just shouldn’t be living in an apartment anymore,” added Tess. “The kids need separate bedrooms.”

“Yeah…” said Fred. “That’s why I was so glad when I got my old bedroom to myself after my brother went off to college in ‘49.”

“This place has held up real nice.”

Casey came in to refill her water.

“Casey!” Fred cheered. “You’ve grown since the last time I saw you.”

“Hi, Mr. Stavridis.”

The doorbell rang.

“I’ll get the door.”

As Casey left, Patty took the garlic bread out of the oven.

“Damn it!” Patty muttered. “Burned again. I swear I followed the recipe to the letter.”

“Which letter? ‘F?’” Someone said.

Justin and Fred tensed up. They knew who that voice was.

“Please tell me you didn’t invite…”

A man walked into the kitchen, with a smug smile on his face.

“Hello, Mr. Albany,” Patty greeted.

“Please,” he said. “Call me James.”