Page 80 of Inside Out
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”
~Mark Twain
“Rolling around in the gutter with stupid people only leaves you stinking like them. Rise above it; be smarter.”
~Romeo Bradley
“Which tie would look best in a television interview with the investigative reporter from Channel Eleven news?” I asked Julius Monday morning, holding my top two picks up in front of me. “Dark red or navy blue?”
Julius rose from the bed and shook his head. “Neither.” He walked into my closet and returned with a pale lavender tie. “This one is my favorite. Wear it and know that I’m there with you.”
I exchanged the red and blue ties for the lavender one. “I wore this tie on the day the board hired me.”
“I know,” he said. “We were hired the same day, remember?”
“Of course, I remember. My first official act as the superintendent was to greet the new science teacher. I’m surprised you remember my tie.”
“I remember everything about you.” Julius took the tie from my fingers and looped it around my neck. He used it to tug me closer to him for a kiss. “I’m so damn proud of you, Rome. You could’ve let Cait’s phone call ruin your day, but you didn’t.”
I wouldn’t let the latest development with POS destroy what had started out as a perfect day. We’d slept in late, made love, then spent a wonderful couple of hours with my family. I hadn’t lied to Julius when I said my family would love him, but it still made my heart all warm and fuzzy to see how quickly he was absorbed by them. My nieces had loved making boasts that they could beat him at tennis and chess, he geeked out with my dad over science talk and aliens, talked theater with Astrid, and bonded over beer with my mom. If I hadn’t been holding the baby, I would’ve jumped to my feet and did some ridiculous double fist pump while whooping about how right I was.
I was high on life when Cait called to let me know she’d received an interview request from Channel Eleven news. The POS group had flooded them with complaints and false stories about the play, the board’s handling of their complaint, and alleged that I was engaging in inappropriate behavior in front of impressionable students. Me? What had I done? My mind replayed all the times I longed to acknowledge Julius as mine in some way but refrained because it wouldn’t be professional. Not just because we were two gay men, but because of our positions in the school. Other married teachers in the district kept their personal lives just as private as we did which was next to impossible in such a small town. Julius and I weren’t breaking any rules, and we didn’t so much as hold hands during the school day. The allegations were false, but they could still negatively impact my career.
“I wasn’t sacrificing valuable time with you to fret over those hateful bastards.”
“That’s the spirit. This will work in our favor, babe. I just know it.”
Julius and I worked as a team in the kitchen. I cooked the sausage and browned the toast while he made the egg white omelets with spinach, tomatoes, and feta cheese. I would’ve left the dishes for later, but it would bug Julius all day long, so we tidied up, topped off our coffee mugs, and headed to work. Julius rode with me since tennis season was over, neither of us had meetings planned after school, and play rehearsal didn’t start until six o’clock. Well, if the board didn’t change their mind after the latest stunt. Damn, I hoped they stayed strong and didn’t back down from the bullies. The kids would be so crushed. Julius must have sensed the tension rising in me because he laid his hand on my knee. I loved how he intuitively knew when I needed his touch.
I placed my hand on top of his and squeezed. “You know what would really make me feel better?”
Julius chuckled. “I could guess.”
“That too, but I was thinking about heading into Goodville to get some Christmas decorations. I decided to get all new stuff for my new house.”
“Christmas decorations? It’s not even November yet. Can’t we celebrate Thanksgiving first? I have much to be grateful for this year.”
“I do too, love, but I didn’t plan to decorate until after Thanksgiving.”
“Why today then?” Julius asked.
“All the good stuff will be gone if we don’t grab it now. I want to buy the decorations and store them until it’s time to decorate.”
“Which is?”
“After Thanksgiving,” I said.
“I can live with that. I’m in.”
“I should warn you that ‘after thanksgiving’ sometimes means once the feast is cleared away and the kitchen is cleaned.” I gave him my best innocent smile.
Julius just shook his head. “Warn a dude. How crazy do you get with your Christmas decorations?”
“On a scale from one to ten, with one being Scrooge and ten being Griswold, I’d say I’m about a seven. I’m a firm believer in making things merry and gay.” Jules groaned. “I promise that my decorating will be the epitome of tasteful and timeless. There won’t be a single gaudy decoration anywhere.”
Julius scrutinized me intently. “I don’t believe you for a minute.”
I loved how easily he distracted me from negative thoughts during the short drive to the school. I turned to face him once I’d parked in front of the school board building. “Regardless of what happens today, I get to go home with you. That’s all that matters to me, Jules.” I reached over and caressed his face, letting my thumb linger over his lips.