Tango
Chapter 28: One Day at a Time.
"I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies."
~~ Pietro Aretino
Bagheera smiled almost constantly through his classes the next week, constantly fiddling with the ring on his finger and touching it to make sure it hadn't vanished over the course of the last five minutes. Ensuring that he hadn't dreamt the whole thing and wasn't passed out on the floor somewhere drunk out of his mind. He certainly felt drunk. He felt high off his mind. He must be back on LSD and on some fantastic trip for this to be happening.
It took a few days, but Bagheera finally called Baloo while Shere Khan was out on a lunch meeting with an associate company.
"Baghee, where have you been? I haven't heard from you in months!"
"Alright, Baloo, I'm sorry, but I need to have the right to sound like a complete chick right now."
"Uh-oh. You've never been that much of a twink before."
"Shut up and just make appropriate noises whenever I pause for breath, bastard!"
"Alright, alright! What's up?"
"I'M GETTING FUCKING MARRIED, THAT'S WHAT!" Bagheera fairly screamed into the phone and he could hear Baloo's ears ringing.
"Bagheera, you just went off the deep end." Baloo laughed. "So whose the lucky guy?"
"Only a very secure straight guy would ask that question or a very gay guy." Bagheera sighed before telling him. "Shere Khan."
"Whoa! Like the owner and CEO of that big company that like owns half the world?"
"Khan Industries. And yes, that's him."
"Geeze, I should have suspected something when I saw you in that magazine."
"Don't worry, Baloo, you're not that bright."
"Hardy-Har-Har." Baloo laughed sarcastically. "So when is the big day?"
"February 3 next year." Bagheera smiled. "Chinese New Year."
"Wow, Baghee, you sure know how to pick 'em."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm a high class whore with taste, bow in my prescence, kiss my feet, whatever."
"Babe, you had better be really careful with this guy."
"Oh I have been for the past four years. I think I can handle anything he throws at me now."
"Alrighty, if you know what you're getting into."
"I'm pretty sure by now, Baloo."
"So…" There was a pause. "You got a ring?"
"His mother's actually."
"Okay, this guy just became a keeper."
Bagheera glanced at the clock.
"Shit! Sorry, Baloo, I gotta go."
"Go ahead, I'll try to call you later on."
"Great, talk to ya later!"
"Bye!"
"Bye."
Bagheera grabbed his jacket and wallet, straightening himself up and dusting off his rear end. He heard the familiar sound of the door opening below and stepped into the elevator. He bounced over to Shere Khan just as the tiger sat down.
"Come on, I have a surprise for you!"
"Gods, Bagheera, what are you hyped up on?" Shere Khan asked with a chuckle. Bagheera was energetic, but this was a whole new level.
"It's a surprise." Bagheera leaned down for a long, coaxing kiss and Shere Khan returned it, submitting to his lover for once and sighing when they parted.
"Alright, but you're driving."
"Fine." Bagheera tugged on the larger male's hand. "Just move!"
The Rehab center loomed into view and Shere Khan frowned, trying to figure out what Bagheera would be taking him here for. Bagheera was not the biggest fan of his rehab, even though he went loyally to every meeting.
"Rehab?"
"It's a surprise for the family and friends of the alcoholics and drug addicts." Bagheera stated as he parked and stepped out of the car. "Come on." He smiled, leading Shere Khan to a large gymnasium with several chair set up. It was fairly empty and Bagheera sat the tiger down at the front of the room, sitting next to him and waiting.
After a few minutes the gym was filled to the brim and a femme stepped forward, standing on a stage with a podium before her. She smiled and called out.
"Good evening and welcome to First Friday of August 2010. We will have three speakers today, one from AA, one from Al-Anon and one from Alateen. These people have struggled and suffered with the disease of Alcoholism and have been sober for over a year. They are here to share their stories with you all. So without further ado I would be honored to introduce our first speaker from AA, Bagheera."
There was applause and Shere Khan smiled as he watched his fiancé climb onto the stage, standing before the podium. He cleared his throat and looked up.
"Hi, my name is Bagheera."
"Hi, Bagheera."
"And I am an Alcoholic and Drug Addict. I have been a year and five days sober from LSD and Alcohol." He paused and looked at his hands.
"When I first came to the program I was dragged here by my boyfriend. He had told me it was for my own good and I had been resentful of it. But when I began to actually listen and try to work the program I found out just how hard I must have been to live with much less deal with on a regular basis. I fucked up a lot, did and said things that I shouldn't have, but in the end everything worked out." He smiled and straightened, proudly looking out at the masses.
"I'm not sober and engaged to the most wonderful male in the world and feel like I could do anything. There are times where I miss the alcohol, where I miss the LSD. But what I miss the most is the time when I didn't need it, when I didn't know even what it was." He looked down at his fiancé and smiled.
"But it's like the program always says: one day at a time. And for me, every day that I wake up and face is a day when I realize that I don't need the alcohol to survive."
He stepped off the stage and there was applause from the crowd. Shere Khan smiled as the panther sat beside him and leaned over to kiss the panther, earning a few catcalls, hoots and howls from the others in the room. Bagheera blushed but smiled proudly nonetheless. The tiger grasped his paw and smiled.
"I am proud of you, Bagheera."
"Thank you." The panther smiled, leaning against his mate happily.
