The Hotel – 51

The moment I walked into my living room Edwin pulled me into a hard embrace and kissed me. Only when we broke apart did he ask, "No show tonight?"

"Nope. I'm free and clear until I have to be back to work tomorrow."

"Perfect. Now where's this dinner you promised me?"

"Damn, I just got here. Give me a few minutes to change into something more comfortable and I'll see what I have to work with." I hurried to my bedroom, returning a few minutes later in jeans and a T-shirt to find him in the kitchen. He had the steaks I'd taken from the freezer that morning sitting on a plate, the oven's broiler heating up, and was slicing potatoes.

"I said I was going to…" I didn't get any further because he gave me another kiss before telling me he was in the mood to cook tonight. Who was I to argue? He did suggest I could make a salad, which I did while he cut up two potatoes into cubes, heated oil in the skillet and tossed them in with garlic and onion powder, pepper, and salt. He put the steaks on to cook, stirred the potatoes until they were crispy brown. When they were ready, he put them around the edge of the serving tray, topping them with parsley and parmesan cheese, and set the steaks in the center.

I had already set the table, after finishing the tossed salad. With everything ready, we sat down to eat. As we did, I wondered how to broach the subject of my moving up to the hotel on a permanent basis, if he wanted me to. It was fine to talk about it in the abstract, while bemoaning the fact it wouldn't happen because of our differing life-styles. Now, it could happen, presuming he liked the idea in reality.

We had almost finished eating when he paused, looking at me in speculation. "There's something on your mind."

I nodded. "Something's come up which might affect our relationship."

He sucked in a breath. "Something bad?"

"I don't think so but…" I hesitated.

"Austin, spit it out, please. You're worrying me."

"Okay." I took his hands in mine. "The troupe got together and decided I'm not needed anymore so I'm free and clear and if you truly want us to be together on a permanent basis and you wouldn't mind my living with you at the hotel and…" I stuttered to a stop.

The smile he gave me was, well, ecstatic is the only way to describe it. The kiss that followed rocked me to my core. 

"I want," he said when he eventually let me go. "Heart and soul I want you in my life forever. How could you even begin to think otherwise?"

"Because I was scared, Edwin. Scared that what we felt was all some wonderful dream that would end when it became possible for us to fulfill it. I know that doesn’t make sense, but it's how I felt—until this moment."

He cupped my face in his hands. Gazing at me, he smiled gently. "It does make sense. I was afraid, too. Afraid we were both too stubborn to give up what we loved in order to be together without any barriers." He kissed me again. "I think, no, I know, I owe your troupe a deep debt of gratitude, or will when you tell me exactly what happened and how they came to the conclusion you were…" he grinned, "extraneous now."

I did, but not until after we went to bed to seal our new relationship. The sex was great. It always was. This time there was added significance to it as we each said what we never had until tonight—"I love you."

When we had finished, and spectacularly so, and were wrapped in each others arms, I laid out what Caitlin and Ramsey had told me, including their suggestion that I set up a repertory company at the hotel if I began to miss being involved it something theatrical.

"I think that's a fantastic idea," he said when I finished. "With one proviso. Everyone involved has to come from the town."

I knew immediately why. "You don't want to take a chance on using humans, who might discover what you and they are."

"Exactly. The town is a safe haven for a reason." He smiled, shaking his head. "Now I can't guarantee how many of them can actually act worth a damn…"

"I guess we'll find out, won't we."