Beverly sits down next to Eddie on the bench in Richie's back yard, handing him a glass of wine.
"What is this for?" he asks peeling his eyes away from Richie sitting on the railing of his back deck beer in hand talking to stan. He can't tell what they are saying from where he's at, but Richie looks happy.
"Divorce celebration." She tells him "Mine was finalized today."
"that's great. So, what are your plans now? "Eddie asks taking a sip of his wine.
"Ben has a boat; I think we are just going to go where life takes us for a bit"
"Hmm sounds romantic" Eddie says glance back in Richie's direction. Beverly follows his line of sight and smiles.
"You know you can have that now too." Richie catches his eye and smiles at him. Eddie smiles back and turns his attention to his wine glass blushing a bit.
"No, I think that ship may have sailed already."
"What do you mean?"
"I had my chance years ago and I didn't take it I was a dumbass for it."
"What when you were 16 and your mom left town with you? That wasn't really your choice."
"No not that. I don't even think he remembers I mean he hasn't said anything but the night before I got married Myra brother-in-law and a few of the guys I worked with took me out to a bar and one thing lead to another and ..." he trails off waving his hand in Richie's direction.
15 years ago
"Listen Eddie, I'm telling you now if you are having doubts just don't go through with it."
"What?! "Eddie asks in shock.
"Listen I love Kaylee but sometimes I wish I had the nerve to have called the wedding off" he tells Eddie taking a drink of his beer.
"Dan that's kind of harsh don't you think?" Eddie stares at him
"My wife if very demanding and it gets old, and I've known Myra a long time she's worse than her sister. You don't seem like the kind of guy that will be happy with that. I like you Eddie id like to think were become friends since you've been dating Myra and I don't want you to take offence to what I'm about to say but I've seen your eyes wonder sometimes and no judgment there I just told you I wish I didn't marry my wife. But point is I see you looking n dive noticed it's not exactly um women you're looking at" he finishes looking at Eddie.
"What no... I'm not…" Eddie starts.
"Hey its ok man. I mean I've seen you glance over to the guy sitting at the bar several times during our conversation. Your young and I don't want to see you make the same mistake I did by settling."
"it's just I…. the town I grew up in…. I've repressed a lot, but I remember it wasn't..." Eddie trails off making a face.
"Well times have changed biggers cities don't care. Just think about it just don't get stuck." Dan tells him patting him of the shoulder before walking off. Eddie sits there staring at his still half full drink in his hands and then glances over at the man at the bar dan was taking abut. He takes him in considering dans words. "He's cute" he thinks. "Ok maybe cute isn't the word to use to describe a grown man. But he's tall broad shouldered. Eddie lets out an actual gasp when the man turns to look at him as if he can fell eddies eyes on him. He smiles at Eddie and Eddie quickly smiles back and turns he head away to his drink face burning red. He sits there for a few minutes before downing the rest of his drink and walking over to the man at the bar before he loses his nerve.
"Hi, mind if I sit here?"
"No go ahead its empty"
"I'm Eddie."
"Richie"
"So, you here alone? I didn't see anyone else." Eddie asks him with a nervous voice.
"Yea, yea I uh do stand up and I had a pretty good set at a club down the street but there were a lot of people, so I came here to get a drink. Seems to be a party of something going on over there and I'm just trying to stay out of their way" Richie says turning around on his barstool to face Eddie and pointing in the direction of the table across the room.
"Yea it's a bachelor party."
"Oh? Who the lucky guy?" Richie asks.
"me" Eddie laughs
"Oh. Oh, I thought. I'm sorry I thought" Richie says leaning back from eddies space and make a gesture with his hand pointing between the two of them.
"No, its fine. I think I was trying to initiate something here. Still am if you are up for it" Richie laughs at the wording.
"Yea I mean I guess everyone thinks about the last hurrah before biting the bullet."
"Yea…so you have a place around here or do we need to get a cab…. or? Eddie asks.
"Got a hotel room couple blocks away we can walk" Richie tells him making for his wallet to pay hi tab.
"No put his drinks on the party's tab" he tells the bartender as they walk outside.
"I guess I feel obligated to put out now since you bought me drinks and all that" Richie says batting his eyelashes in an over exaggerated manor before they both tart laughing and Richie puts and arm around eddies shoulders as thy exit the elevator to his floor. As soon as they are through the door Eddie pushes Richie against the door kissing him. Eddie hastily gets Richie's shirt off only breaking the kiss to pull it over his head and then starts pulling him towards the bed and taking off his own shirt without breaking their kiss. By the time he gets to the bed his shirt is off he's already stepped out of his pants and is now standing there in his underwear both hands in Richie's hair. Richie pulls away from the kiss looking Eddie up and down.
"Wow that was quick" Eddie just laughs and puts his hands on Richie's belt.
"Are you sure you want this?" Richie asks him as Eddie pulls his jeans down.
"Yes, I'm sure" Eddie tells him pulling his boxers down to meet his jean "oh wow "
"yea" Richie laughs a little
"I'm definitely sure now that's…. wow" Eddie says waving his hand. Richie laughs shoving him down on the bed and crawling on with him.
Present day
"Hey Rich…. Richie hey" Stan says snapping his fingers at Richie to get his attention from staring at Eddie across the yard.
"What?" he asks whipping his head back to stan.
"Are you ever going to do anything about that?"
"What do you mean?" Richie asks taking a long drink of his beer.
"What do you mean "Stan mocks him. "The pinning back and forth shit between you two that's been going on before you even know what was going on. "Richie goes to say something but stan holds up a finger "no no I'm not done. His divorce is done, he's made it clear he's interested in men interested in you, he quit his job and left everything but a few suitcases behind in New York to movie out here with you."
"Yea to help me recover from getting the left side of my body ripped open by a fucking space clown" Richie tells him.
"Yea because you were saving him. You love him." Stan tells him.
"Yea yea I fucking do love him but I'm pretty sure I fucked that up like 15 years ago."
"What?"
"I don't know if he even remembers but 15 years ago the night before his wedding, I picked him up in a bar and took him back to my hotel room."
15 years ago
it was just starting to get daylight when Richie wakes up to the sound of Eddie stirring beside him in bed. He leans over kissing him in his half-asleep state.
"Mmmm howd you sleep?"
"Amazing but fuck I need to go" Eddie tells him.
"Aww come on stay a little longer" he mouths at his neck.
"I'm getting married in a few hours" he pushed him away.
"Fuck I was hoping you'd change your mind" Richie smiles at him.
"Why?" Eddie asks him to make to get up, but Richie sits up and puts his hand on his arm.
"This is going to sound crazy, but I mean I think I felt something, like I mean last night you said you really didn't have an interest in marrying your fiancé, you're going to think I'm batshit, but did you not feel a connection, anything last night?" Richie asks.
"Maybe but not…"
"Leave with me."
"What?!"
"I've got a flight out this afternoon back to California, come with me. we've got time go pack up what you need."
"that's fucking crazy!"
"But exciting right?" Richie gives him a wide smile almost enough to convince him to go with him.
"I can't I'm sorry. I'm getting married "
"You don't even want to."
"But it's a safe route. I can't throw that away for some connection I might have felt with some guy I just met.
"Eds come its more than that and you know it" Eddie heart skips a beat at the nick name for some reason.
"Rich I just can't I'm sorry." He says sadly and leans over kissing him. Richie deepens the kiss with his hand on eddies neck.
"I guess if this was meant to be I guess ill see you again sometime." Richie tells him smiling with one last kiss.
Present day
"Can you imagine how things could have turned out if you would have left with him" Beverly asks with a bit of wistfulness.
"Yea 15 years I could have been happy" Eddie sigh "and now I'm not even sure" Beverly nods her head in a direction over his shoulder and he turns and looks to see Richie approaching.
"Hey eds um do you have a few minutes" he's cut off by Eddie standing up and pulling him forward by his shirt into a kiss. Stan and Beverly start clapping and whooping, while Patty lets out an aww, Bill wolf whistles as Mike hands a 20 over to Ben laughing. Richie pulls out of the kiss taking and bow and laughing and flopping down on to the bench pulling Eddie into his lap.