Tommy was on the phone talking to his besty John who was watching and don’t laugh, A Lifetime movie. He would always refer to their advertising tag “Lifetime television for women and homosexuals was his add-on tag for the network. “Child, hmm well all I know is that I can’t believe that tramp.” Tommy waited for a response back from John and when he felt like it wasn’t coming soon enough, sounding all whiny and annoyed he said, “Bitch are you paying attention to me? I need attention!” John laughed to himself at his besty. Tommy was always going through some man-dating-boyfriend issue and when it wasn’t going just the way he thought it should be, he would get on the phone to John needing his ear.”Tommy you always have my continued patience and attention. So listen this situation is not that deep. You weren’t expecting that much from him anyway were you?”  Tommy sighed through the phone. “I know but still.” He paused for a moment he got up off of his queen size half made-up bed with the phone stuck to his ear waiting for John to give him more. He walked over to his desk and touched the power button to turn on his Mac. And when he figured John didn’t have anything more to give him he said, “Well yeah I guess but whatever, I don’t know.” There was silence between the both of them for what felt like a lifetime for Tommy. John knew that sometimes just saying nothing would help Tommy get through these crazy dating moments. which is why he allowed the long pregnant pause on the phone. Tommy sat down at his desk and stared at the monitor waiting for his computer to come-up. “Well I’m not calling him back!” He blurted out killing the silence between them. “Good you shouldn’t and why would you anyway? You said that you were over him so just let it go.”  “You’ve got mail!” This announcement causes John to sit up from laying down on his beautiful burgundy carpet. “Oh no, is that you going back on-line again? Isn’t that how this all started in the first place? You are turning into a chat-room queen.” Tommy was the other end of the phone with that cheetah grin that he is so famous for when he’s caught and has nothing to say but he pretended to protest. “I am not a chat-room queen. I am going to send him a nasty email to let him know that I am pissed.” He began typing away on his computer. While still sitting up on his burgundy carpet listening to Tommy’s insanity John’s OCD starts to take over and he spied small pieces of lent oh his carpet. He couldn’t help himself he immediately started picking them up from the carpet and with a look of disgust and annoyance he starts to shake his head then he frantically jumps up and goes to the closet. “Listen Tommy I’ve gotta go.” he says to him very abruptly. Tommy who was taken totally by surprise by this sudden need to get off the phone but knowing his besty all too well says, “wait a minute I’m not done yet. Where are you going child. I bet you’re going to go clean something. What is it this time the crevices of your already steamed shine oven? You are a mess, a neurotic mess! John opens the closet only half hearing what Tommy had to say he was stuck on his mission. He pulled out the high-powered Oreck vacuum cleaner and plugged it into the electrical outlet and before he turned it on. He heard himself saying to Tommy. “Well listen, I am an admitted neurotic and at least I admit my neurosis. I’m a clean freak okay.” He smiled to himself. Then in that moment of over the top OCD he caught himself just enough to give his besty some advice like he always did. “Listen write an email to this guy, get it all out but be as kind as possible and we’ll talk later.” And as he was about to click the off button on his phone and turn on the vacuum cleaner Tommy said, so as usual you are blowing me off in my time of need! You are a mess!” He threw his left hand up in the air all dramatic and rolled his eyes back into his head. “Whatever, I will call you later.” John smiled through the phone. “I love you. Tommy refusing to smile back feigned a “Yeah whatever I love you to Bye.”

John started to vacuum his carpet. He pushed it back and forth with a fluid motion as if not to disturb the fabric of the carpet. His only mission was to get up the very small pieces of lent and as he watched the lent being sucked up off the carpet by the ever so powerful Oreck vacuum that he happily spent $400 dollars on. He said it was money well spent. It did it all and it came with a lifetime repair guarantee. He smiled very contently and before he turned it off he takes a slow look around the living room to check to see if everything is in its place and of course it iss as usual. He turns off the vacuum cleaner, un-plugs the cord from the wall and carefully wraps the cord and puts the vacuum cleaner back into its proper place inside the closet, closes the door and then walks into his bedroom. He sat down at his desk and turned on his Dell laptop. “I wonder what Sui-Lon is up to? He smiled to himself and when the computer came up he begins to type. He checks to see if she is online but she isn’t so he begins to do some research on his novel.

Sui-Lon was in her kitchen making dinner for her sometime live-in boyfriend Marcus. She didn’t feel like cooking anything extravagant. Owning her own catering company found her around rich, spicy and delicious foods all the time so  tonight she wanted to cook something simple and easy. Simple and easy meant her very famous vodka ravioli and a caesar salad with her very own twist and secret dressing recipe. Marc called out to her from the bathroom. “Honey we’re out of toilet paper!”  Sui-Lon smacked her lips together, playfully annoyed she called back to him. “Marc we are not out of toilet paper.”  She left the kitchen, went to the bathroom door, opened it and walked right in. Marc was sitting on the bowl with his pants down around his ankles. He quickly pulled them up to his knees and his face turned beet red from embarrassment. “Honey you know I hate it when you come into the bathroom while I am using it. Why don’t you just tell me where the toilet paper is?” Sui-Lon cut her eyes at him and said, “Oh for God’s sake relax my hot stud lover.” She smiled at him in his embarrassment. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, then she reached underneath the sink for the toilet paper. “I don’t know why I always hide the toilet paper underneath the sink so that you can’t find it. And honey don’t forget to wash your hands.” She said with some sarcasm in her voice. She walked out of the bathroom leaving the door open behind her. Marc who was still clearly embarrassed yelled out to her and said, “I always wash my hands when I fluff.” “Yeah right! Sui-Lon yelled back to him. She had to laugh to herself though – “I have the only straight boyfriend in New York who  is so in-touch with himself that he actually says “fluff” when he takes a dump.” She heard herself laugh out loud.

On the way back to the kitchen to check on dinner she stopped by her office. She turned on the light switch, walked over to her desk and turned on her computer.  “Baby!” She heard Marc say. And then her computer came up telling her that she had mail. “Yeah baby I’m in my office.” Marc walked in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “How soon until we eat?” He asked. Sui-Lon just kind of ignored the question. “Honey look John and Emmie are on-line” She sends John and instant message.

Sui-LonKit –  “Hi hun whats up?

A buzzing noise came from the kitchen it was the timer telling her that the ravioli was done. She jumped up from the chair. “Here honey sit here and chat with John until I get back. Don’t want your din-din to burn do we stud lover?” She patted him on the butt before he sat down. “Love that manly butt of yours.” She made a lewd slurpping noise.   “You’re a funny woman you know that Sui-Lon!” Then he smacked her on the butt. Now that’s a nice tuchus.” He said to her. Marc sat down in the chair and read Johns response to Sui-Lon’s instant message. With Marc IM’ing as Sui-Lon responds to John.

Instant Message conversation:

Shadowtimx2 – Not much. what’s up with you sweets.

Sui-Lonkit- busy making dinner hun.

Shadowtimx2 – Kewl, what’s cooking?

Sui-Lonkit – me baby I am on fire. Why don’t you come over and cool me off?

Shadowtimx2 – Girl don’t you have a bf to take care of that? (LOL)

Sui-Lonkit – now John how many times have I told u Marc doesn’t work it enough for me.

Marc was smiling to himself while writing that im.

Shadowtimx2 – I know girl but u know that u and I tried it a couple of times and it was great and all but we promised that we would never discuss  it ever again. What do you want me to do give Marc lessons?

Marc wasn’t smiling so much after that IM. He had a look of shock on his face and he began to type very fast.

Sui-Lonkit – No.. (lol) I am just joking. He’s really very good in bed. That thing  with you and me was a long time ago -way before I knew Marc.

Shadowtimx2 – Excuse me Sui.. what u have short-term memory loss? U brought this up again last week against my better judgement I might add. It was when I stopped over and u were begging for me…because Marc had left you as u said…wanting .. (LOL) but of course we discussed the friendship thing and of course me being gay…HELLO!!

Marc was getting pissed. He put his hand to his head to see if he was sweating because he was getting hotter with rage with each IM.

Sui-lonkit – Hey John why don’t you come over and have dinner. I’ve made a lot of food.  I gotta run something in the kitchen is boiling over.. see you in 15 mins.

Marc signed off before John could respond. He did this intentionally to force John into coming down for dinner. He got up from computer confused, pissed-off and annoyed. He could not believe the conversation that he just had with  John. He had something planned for him at dinner. He calmed himself and walked into the kitchen, put his arms around Sui-Lon while she was in the midst of pouring her special vodka sauce over her pasta.

“Honey come on sex in the kitchen again? What is this thing with you wanting to do it while I’m cooking.” She smiled, put the pot down and turned around to give him a kiss on the lips. “Come on now get out of here. Dinner is ready help me put it on the table.”

Marc reluctantly pulled away from her shaking his head at her. Sui-Lon hands him a platter of pasta and sauce and waves him towards the dining room. “Now that’s a good boyfriend.” And she winked at him.

Marc takes the food into the dining room and puts it down on the dining table. He walks over to the china cabinet and takes out another plate.  He places it on the table when he notices another plate already on the table. “Sui who’s the other place setting for?”

Sui-Lon walks into the dining room carrying the salad and some italian bread that she needed to slice and she puts them down on the table. “I invited Emmie over for dinner. I told you that already.” Marc shook his head no. “You most certainly did not!” He said to her.

“I most certainly did honey. I am sure that your old-timers is finally setting in because I mentioned it to you last night and again this morning before you left to go work on that movie shoot. Besides, what’s the problem? You love Emmie.”

“Of course I do honey but that’s not the problem. While I was on-line chatting with John I invited him to dinner.”

Sui-Lon was surprised. John is her best friend and he is known for turning down invitations unless it’s for a very special occasions. She knows that when he get’s in from  a very long day, he tends to want to stay in and veg. It would take an act of God or his literary agent to get him out of the “me” time zone.

“And he accepted?”

“Yeah he did.”

Sui-Lon shrugged her shoulders. “No big deal! There’s plenty of food. Lucky for you. I really think that we need to get you in for an MRI. I mean I tell you things and you always claim that I never told you.”

Sui-Lon took the plate from his hand which he was still holding and placed it on the table. Then she motioned Marc to go over to the drawer to get out some extra silverware. He hands it to Sui-Lon who places it on th table very neatly of course. “There all  set. Now what time did you tell John to come over?

“I told him about 10 or 15 minutes.”

Sui-Lon was still puzzled over the fact that John had accepted Marc’s invitation to dinner but she was very happy that he was coming over. “Well I don’t know how you got John to come over. You’re just a charmer I guess, after all you did charm me.” She reached over and gave him a big hug and a kiss.

Marc was finding it very interesting that she was all up in the air about John coming over for dinner especially after that chat that they had just had online. He was secretly fuming inside. “You seem extra happy that John is coming over for dinner. He’s been over for dinner numerous times.”

“Yeah well he’s my best friend and you know how he is sometimes. When he’s in – He’s in!!”

The doorbell started buzzing and Marc told Sui-Lon that he would get it. He leaves the dining room, walks to the door, looks through the peep-hole, puts on a big smile and whispers to himself – Show-Time!!