Page 30 of Broken Halos
“I’m a fucking wreck, Ollie.”
“What’s wrong, man?” Brent asked. “What can we do?”
“What if Milo says no?” Andy asked us.
“No to what?” Tyler asked. “That guy wouldn’t tell you no if… Ohhhh. You’re planning on asking him to marry you.”
“Seriously?” Brent and Adam asked at the same time while Keeton only stared at Andy with a raised brow.
“That’s awesome, Andy. Congratulations,” Adam said.
“He hasn’t said yes yet,” Andy pointed out.
“He will say yes,” Brent said calmly. “The guy is crazy about you.”
“When are you going to ask him?” I asked.
“Tonight,” Andy squeaked. “On stage. Dressed as Kenny Rogers.”
The rest of the world fell away while we studied him to see if he was teasing us. Andy just nodded to confirm we’d heard him right. The rest of the world came into focus again when Andy’s sister, Faith, showed up with a garment bag slung over her shoulder.
“Ready, Slugger?” she asked cheerfully. “We need to have you dressed and ready to go by the time Milo takes the stage to perform.”
“Why Kenny?” I asked suddenly.
“Milo’s performing Dolly Parton songs tonight,” Andy said. “I’m going to pop the question after performing a surprise Kenny and Dolly duet with him in front of our friends and family. Our families and some of our friends from Blissville will be arriving soon to witness me making an ass of myself.”
Faith smiled up at her brother with so much love in her eyes. “Milo will remember this day for the rest of his life. I’m so excited my brother is marrying my best friend. Let’s go find a place where you can get ready and we can hide you until it’s time to take the stage. Milo is back there getting ready, so we don’t want to risk running into him.”
“Archie could help us pull it off,” I told Andy. “Do you mind if I go enlist his help?”
“That’s perfect,” Faith said. “Thank you, Ollie.”
“I’ll be right back.”
I didn’t immediately find Archie when I got backstage. There were dozens of queens milling around talking about their performance or going over last-minute changes before they took the stage.
“Have you seen Archie?” I asked Vava Voom who was downing a bottle of water after her lively performance.
“No, I haven’t, honey. I’m sorry.”
“Well, well, well,” a voice said from behind me. “I’d recognize that luscious ass anywhere.” I turned around and had to look way up to meet Gracie Lou Fullbush’s eyes. “How are you, darling? Volunteering for more of what I gave you the last time?”
“Um, no,” I said. “I’m looking for Archie.”
“Oh, well, I saw him duck into the prop closet with a tall drink of water.” My breath seized in my chest, but she just waggled her brows as if she didn’t know my heart was broken. My Archie with another guy? “Honey, the look in Archie’s eyes… Whew! They won’t be in there long if you know what I mean.”
I did know. Bile burned a path up my throat, and I felt like I was going to be sick. “I’ll…um…just return to my seat then.”
“Should I tell Archie you were looking for him?”
“Don’t bother.”
I’d just about made it to the exit when I heard Archie calling my name. I couldn’t face him right then. I couldn’t smell another man on him or see a sated look on his face I hadn’t put there, so I just kept walking.
“Ollie, please don’t go,” Archie said, sounding desperate. I jerked to a stop and pivoted slowly to face him, allowing time for him to catch up to me. He wasn’t alone. A tall, blond man with shrewd blue eyes stood behind him. I wouldn’t say the man looked smug, but he looked like he was more confident about his role in Archie’s life than I was at the moment. “It’s not what thatqueenwould have you think.” Archie didn’t stop until we stood nearly chest to chest. He didn’t smell like another man, and he hadn’t come. There was no sated look in his eyes, only annoyance.
“I’ll just be going,” Tall, Blond, and Handsome said. “I’ll see you later, Arch.”