Kevin has his feet on the coffee table, comfortably sitting on the couch with his laptop on his lap and the TV on in the background. He has a newly opened bottle of wine within reach and his cell phone is off since Scotty won't have time to text him anyway. He glances at the clock in the corner of the computer screen, and sees it's still many hours until Scotty will be home.
Just as he has gotten in position on the couch, there is a knock on the door. Kevin sighs and gets up. He opens the door and finds his brothers there. They don't let him react or object to being there, but just barge into the apartment.
"Hey Kev, get your shoes. We're going out." Justin says and punches his side.
Kevin looks upset, his eyes meeting Tommy's for sympathy.
"I'm with him on this one." Tommy points at Justin. Justin has walked over to the coffee table, eyeing the bottle of wine.
"Good to see marriage saved you from sad and lonely Friday night, huh?" He says.
"Scotty's working and I've had a long week." Kevin says, taking the bottle from Justin, putting it back on the table. "I have a nice evening planned to myself and I have no intention of rescheduling." Kevin explains.
"Sorry bro, but you owe us a bachelor party." Justin insists.
"How can I owe you one?" Kevin asks.
"As fun as a road-trip to Arizona was, there were no shots." Tommy says.
"How do you think Scotty would react? You think I'm going to tell my husband of two months that I'm not in bed when he comes home because I was out getting drunk and getting lap dances?"
Tommy and Justin exchange a look and then look back at Kevin.
"Yes." They choir.
"Actually, we've already okayed this with Scotty. We promised him we'd have you back alive, but except for that he says, and I quote," Justin says "make sure he's drunk enough to enjoy it."
Kevin looks back and forth between his brothers. They actually seem serious.
"Scotty said that?" They nod. "And he didn't even tell me?" They shake their heads.
"We told him not too." Tommy reveals. "Now, shoes, jacket and we go to Connection. We've made our research this time. No lesbians."
"Okay, I'll agree to this, but only because my two supposedly straight brothers seem very eager to visit a gay club." Kevin says and gets up to get a jacket from his closet.
"A gay club that provides lap dances." Justin calls after him. "We called and checked."
******
Kevin reluctantly sits down by the table, joined by Justin and Tommy. Soon enough he has a beer and a tequila shot in front of him, not sure how it ended up there. In the corner of his eye he sees a oily man in very little clothing swinging by a pole. He quickly turns his head the other direction, only to see Justin making very big eyes in the direction of Mr. Pole Dancer.
"You're not gonna make me sit through one of those?" Kevin screams across the table, trying to communicate over the music.
"Of course we will!" Tommy screams back. "I have a bunch of one dollar bills with me. You're not getting out of this."
"And why are we doing this again?" Kevin asks. Another shot is placed in front of him and he swallows it quickly. He sees Tommy doing the same thing, and Justin sipping at a coke.
"Why not him? He's the only one not married." Kevin points at Justin.
"Because he likes boobs." Tommy replies. Tommy waves at the waiter and makes sure they have a steady flow of alcohol. If he knows his brother right, than this will go accordingly if the amount of alcohol is right.
An hour later Justin observes his brothers in their drunken state. It's never more obvious that you are sober than when everyone else is drunk. Tommy tells Kevin that he is very proud of him and that he wishes Kevin a long and happy life with Scotty, and advices him to keep the cheating to a minimum.
Kevin doesn't even look insulted, he only tells Tommy what a wonderful wife he has and he should be so lucky to have her. A waiter, wearing very little clothing passes them and Kevin sticks a one dollar bill in his underwear. He man smiles approvingly and walks by.
Kevin points an unsteady finger at Justin and mumbles something about being a good brother. Justin can't help but laughing at Kevin and he playfully punches Kevin's shoulder. Tommy heaves himself on the table between them, pointing at a man by a pole. Kevin turns to look but turns around with a wincing face, shaking his head a bit.
"What about him then?" Tommy points at another one. Kevin again takes a look and shakes his head. "But those two there? They have like an act together." Tommy says.
Justin can barely control his laughter, telling Tommy that it's just one guy and one or two Jell-o shots too much on Tommy's behalf.
"Oh." Tommy says. "I just want my brother to have the best lap dance." He slurs.
"Actually, I don't want a lap dance." Kevin says, placing his empty glass on the table with such force it almost breaks. "You wanna know why?" Both Justin and Tommy lean closer to hear. Kevin clears his throat before starting:
"Because when I come home tonight, I get to see my husband. And you know what?" He asks, not expecting an answer.
"He's the best husband I've ever had, and he's so humble, and nice, and sweet and humble. I don't need a strange guy shake his lap on my dance to make me…" Kevin temporarily shuts up to think. "Never mind. I love Scotty. If anyone should give me a lap dance. It should be him."
"Thanks for the mental image." Tommy mumbles.
*****
When Justin deliver Kevin to Scotty at the loft, he's managed to get a bit more sober, but just barely. Kevin thanks Justin for being his wonderful self and Justin and Scotty exchange glances. Scotty leads Kevin to the bedroom and hands him a bottle of water. Kevin absorbs the water like a sponge and then watches as Scotty undresses him.
"I can do it myself. I'm not that drunk." Kevin slurs.
"Kev, you can barely walk on your own. Don't worry, I've got it." He manages to strip Kevin down to his underwear. Kevin pulls them off himself and attacks Scotty with sloppy kisses. Scotty smiles against Kevin's mouth and puts his hands on Kevin's cheeks.
"Relax honey. Go brush your teeth and I'll fetch some more water for you." He sees Kevin stumble towards the bathroom, making sure he doesn't fall on the way. His cell phone beeps and shows that Justin sent him a text. ' Just so you know, we only had drinks. Lots.' Scotty smiles and replies with a 'Thanx.'. He's glad Kevin didn't spend his night lusting after a man with his ass up his face, but that also means that Kevin will want some action from him tonight.
He returns to the bedroom with the water bottle, and Kevin is spread out on the bed, still awake but just barely.
"I love you, you know." He says, accepting the bottle.
"I know. But I love hearing you say it." Scotty replies. Kevin gulps half the water in one big sip. He puts the bottle away and looks at Scotty, eyeing him from head to toe before demanding:
"You wear so much clothes. Come here, and let me undress you, love muffin."