Mario - A Story - 18

“Do you know how many men he was in a relationship with before you two met?”

“According to him I was the first one who was more than just an occasional fuck buddy.” Mario snorted. “Of course according to him he loved me and you can see how true that was.”

“Oh I’m sure in his own head he believed that, which is why he began stalking you after you kicked him out of your life.” After a pause during which Tate took the pad of paper from Mario to look at its meager contents he said, “There’s something the cops might ask you that’s going to piss you off if you let it.”

“Which is?”

“Where was Wil while you and Jonah were fucking? And they might be just that crude when they ask it, to get a rise out of you.”

Mario scowled, took a deep breath then said, “Thanks for the warning. I’ll tell them the truth which is that he was always with my sister. Nothing Jonah and I did together was spontaneous, well as far as getting together. It couldn’t be and I made that clear to him from the beginning. No surprise dropping by my place if he wanted sex. And he respected that.” Mario chuckled. “For a while there, at the beginning, Wil saw more of Maria than of me I think. Then things slowed down which I suppose always happens, and then…” his mouth tightened.

“Jonah began to drink. Or had he always?”

“No, that was a new thing, the drinking followed by the abuse.”

“Interesting. It had to make you wonder what set that off to begin with.”

“I have no…” Mario was interrupted by Wil who came bounding down the stairs and jumped into his lap.

“I’m bored. When are you going to stop talking?”

Mario ruffled Wil’s hair. “I guess now. Sorry, I just got involved and lost track of time.”

Wil looked at Tate then back up at his father. “Did you kiss him?”

“Excuse me? Did I what? Why would you ask that young man?”

Wil shrugged. “’Cause he’s nice. Much nicer than Jonah.”

“Well thank you, Wil,” Tate said with a smile. “And no he didn’t kiss me and I didn’t kiss him. I barely know your father…yet.”

“But you’re going to.”

“William Angelo Bassani, that is quite enough out of you,” Mario said firmly.

“Yes, daddy. I’m sorry.”

Tate reached across to pat Wil’s shoulder as he looked at Mario. “It was a logical question I suppose, all things considered.”

Mario stared at Tate in surprise. “It was?”

Tate nodded. “Two men, one gay, one bi, yeah it was.”

“Oh,” Mario said softly. “I didn’t know…”

With a grin Tate replied, “I could tell from the look on your face.”

“Daddy!” Wil wriggled in Mario’s lap. “I’m hungry.”

Mario glanced at the clock, set Wil down and got up. “I’m not surprised. Let’s go see what we have to eat.”

“Tate too?”

“Am I invited?” Tate asked him seriously.

“Yes,” Wil and Mario replied at the same time. “Of course you are,” Mario added.

“’Cause you have to fix things,” Wil told Tate.

“Fix things? Oh, right, that I do. I almost forgot.” He looked at Mario. “Do you still want me to, now that..?”

Mario thought about it for a moment then nodded. “I think so, yes, since we don’t know who or why.” He hoped Tate got what he was trying to say.

Tate did. “Very good point. I’ll start now while you two fix supper?”

“Daddy can fix supper. You said I could help,” Wil told them both.

“That I did. So if it’s okay with your dad…”

“Go on,” Mario told him with a laugh as he headed to the kitchen. “I’m quite capable of making supper by myself. I’ve been doing it for years.”