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They finished eating and went back to Vlad s place. The plan was to watch some movies and take
it easy. Joe was fully on board. Though the hangover had definitely improved, he still had a headache,
and sitting on the couch wrapped in his man s arms sounded pretty damn good.
Vlad let him into the apartment and went back outside to check on his mail. When he got back,
Vlad waved an envelope in the air.  It is from the US government. He stared at it.
Joe tried to stay quiet, but finally said,  Well, open it.
 What if they said no?
 There might not be much you can do. But trying to mind meld with it isn t going to change the
words on the page.
 I have no idea what you re talking about.
 Just open it.
Vlad thrust the envelope at him.  You do it.
Chuckling, Joe accepted the offering and ripped it open before Vlad could get even more nervous.
Scanning the letter, he nodded and looked up at Vlad.  Your test is in three weeks. They fast-tracked
you.
The color drained from Vlad s face.  Three weeks?
 That s what it says.
 Not much time to study, especially when I start playing again.
Joe laughed.  For one thing, I think they teach you more about American history in Russia than
we do in this country. Plus, you obviously went to school here in the US once you came over. Are you
really going to complain about how much time they re giving you? You asked to be rushed if
possible.
 I know. I am just panicking.
He turned what Joe figured Vlad thought were convincing doe eyes on him. Not likely, when
those eyes are ice blue.
 Will you help me study?
Joe responded with a straight face.  Will you blow me while I go over stuff?
Vlad s eyes widened.  You really want me to? How would I listen to what you are saying?
 Do you listen with your mouth? Fucking with Vlad was kinda fun.
 Well, no, but 
 What s the problem?
 I&  Vlad ran a hand through his hair.  Nothing. If you want it, then okay. He looked down and
smiled a little.  I like sucking your cock. It s not exactly a secret.
Joe approached him, and Vlad looked up.  Oh babe, I m not gonna sit there reading while you
suck me off. Your mouth needs to be available for answering questions. Now, afterward is a different
story. He raised an eyebrow, and Vlad s grin widened.
 I promise.
 Where are you getting these things you have to study anyway? Should we go to a bookstore?
 I have everything here. I, um, already bought them. There was a list of things online.
 Aren t you the Boy Scout?
Vlad s eyebrows drew down.  The what?
 Never mind. He s gonna kill me with this confused stuff . Joey had never thought he d consider
another man, especially not one built like Vlad, to be so endearing, but he did.
After throwing Joe another perplexed look, Vlad left the room, returning shortly with several
books and workbooks, dumping them on the coffee table.  This is all I have.
 All? Joe surveyed the pile in front of him.  I didn t know we even had this much history. You
know the US has only been around for a couple hundred years, right?
 I wanted to be prepared. Vlad dropped onto the couch next to him.  Now are we going to study,
so you can get your reward, or are you going to make fun of me some more? I know that s what you
are doing.
Joe saw his quiet afternoon vanish, but the open, happy expression on Vlad s face made it
impossible to say no.  Did they mention which one you should start with?
Vlad reached forward and plucked a workbook off the table.  This has old tests in it.
 Perfect.
For the next few hours, Joe quizzed Vlad, who did remarkably well. It was clear he d paid
attention in whatever schools he d been in.
* * * *
A few days later, Vlad was cleared to practice and ended up playing the next night when another
player was injured. He wasn t 100 percent, but Joe imagined he felt a hell of a lot better than the guy
who d ripped his groin trying to stay onside while the young hotshot on his line dipsy-doodled down
the ice. The team left on a four-game road trip within hours of Vlad finding out he was playing, so Joe
didn t see him before he got on the plane. The damn plane was still in the air, and already he was
missing the guy like crazy.
He d worked an earlier shift, and now he sat home, alone. Joe considered going to Reggie s, but
the Phantoms weren t playing until tomorrow night, and there were no other good sports on at this
time of year. He most definitely was not a fan of basketball. Baseball would be starting soon. He could
handle watching, but given the choice, he d take hockey any day. His tab had been settled long ago
when Joe had dropped by to take care of it, and he could tell Sal had wanted to ask him about Vlad, but
the man kept his mouth shut. Thank goodness, because Joe hadn t been forced to lie.
So instead of going to Reggie s or even The Strike Zone, Joey stretched out on the couch at home
with one of those meals you could purchase already made in the carryout area of the grocery store. He
considered he really should cook more often, but what was the point if he was alone? Having Vlad
there would make the effort worthwhile, but his boyfriend would not return for nearly nine days, so in
the meantime, Joey figured he d subsist on simple stuff cereal, eggs, and takeout.
Finding a movie he hadn t seen before, Joey ate his meal and silently made fun of a ridiculous
plot about a bunch of aliens who looked like they couldn t hold their own in a fight with a Chihuahua
take over Earth in the first twenty minutes of the movie. Of course, in keeping with the spirit of such a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]