Egg Whites and Blue

Chapter 3-1

Chapter 3

Dom could tell Kiko was in a good mood—he slid into the breakfast nook across from Dom with their coffee, shirt still unbuttoned. Dom had actually woken up early, had wrapped his arms around Kiko, and slid off his pajamas. The s*x seemed to be just the thing they had both needed. It helped, too, that Kiko had informed him last night that Katie was opening the store today. Their morning was a little slower than usual.

“What, no laptop today?” asked Kiko, sipping his coffee.

Dom stared across the table at him, where his shirt just revealed his smooth chest, and stretched out his leg so their knees were bumping. He could go again already.

“I figured if I didn’t spend enough time with you you’d end up calling that number,” said Dom, trying to sound like he was joking. Kiko set his mug down.

“To set this straight, Dom: you’re much more of a catch than Sander.”

Dom leaned back.

“‘Course I am,” he said, but suspected Kiko was saying that only to put him at ease. “Would he make a pie to defend your honor?”

“I can truly say Sander has never made me a pie,” said Kiko. “Although I’m a bit dubious about the amount of honor left to defend.”

Dom motioned away the statement.

“You can’t have slept around more than me.”

“Says the man who was reluctant to have a one-time experience when we first met.”

“I’ve got two years’ more experience than you,” said Dom, watching as Kiko shook his head in amusement and took another drink of coffee. He kicked at Dom’s foot with his own.

“Your lead’s been reduced since I’ve had my birthday. And you don’t know when I started.”

“With Sander,” said Dom without thinking. Kiko’s smile faded. He set his mug down, got to his feet. Dom reached out to grab at his hand. “Wait. Sorry, Kiko.”

“I thought we’d swing by Yolks on You and drop Mother off before we head over to the festival grounds,” said Kiko, ignoring Dom’s apology. He changed Mother’s diaper and poured the last of the coffee before sitting down again, but his presence felt more distant than it had a few short minutes ago.

“Then we should leave early,” said Dom, getting up to remove his pie from the refrigerator. He brought it back to the table, disgruntled.

It did not look as it had when he had finished with it last night. The insides must have settled down some, because the entire thing was flatter than he remembered. He had made sure to really mound the whipped topping. And the sprinkles had bled food coloring into the topping, making little blue and red streaks on it. He felt defensive as Kiko peered at it, and drank his coffee in large gulps.

“That’s the pie? What’s in it?”

“It’s cherry, with blue gelatin. Red, white, and blue.”

Kiko looked horrified for an instant before blinking the expression away and hiding his face behind his coffee cup.

“I think they wanted from-scratch entries,” he said. Dom realized he was scowling when Kiko met his gaze and immediately amended, “But you did assemble everything.”

“And make the gelatin.”

“And that. Considering it’s a late entry, it’s…very patriotic.”

“Thanks,” said Dom, thinking Kiko was overly picky. The pie sounded decent to him.

“You should have covered it with plastic wrap, though. The whipped cream is a little crusty now.”

“I’d eat it,” said Dom, standing and picking up the pie. “Let’s get rid of the evil goose.”

Kiko rolled his eyes but grabbed Mother. He seemed to think Dom was overreacting when it came to the pet goose, but Dom had seen the bird attack a man in a fit of hissing rage before, and he was certain one day he’d be on the receiving end of the nasty-looking beak. Katie, however, seemed unconcerned when they arrived and Kiko passed the goose to her.

“I’ll make sure he gets changed when he needs it,” she said.

“Thanks,” said Kiko. Katie made a face and glanced at Dom.

“What?” he asked.

“Oh…it’s just that Sander was by,” she said, moving to place Mother in his display pen. Dom followed her, unable to keep from frowning.

“What did he want?” he asked, but it was Kiko Katie was looking at. When she moved behind the counter, Dom stalked after her.

“He brought this for you,” she said, pulling out an old, tattered paperback. It was huge; Dom could definitely see how Sander would associate it with Kiko. Kiko reached out a hand as though to touch it, hesitated, then grabbed it.

“I see,” he said.

Dom scowled. “What a shitty gift. Does he think some random book from a used store is something you want?”

Katie looked nervously from Dom to Kiko.

“I think he was meaning to talk to you,” she said. “He seemed disappointed when I told him you weren’t here.”

“Kiko,” said Dom, not liking the expression on his face. It was distant, too distant.

“I lent Sander this book in high school,” said Kiko at last. “At the time, it was my favorite. He never returned it. Obviously, until now.”

“He said I should tell you he was sorry he kept it so long. And that he lost count of how many times he’s read it over the years.”

“Well, thanks, Katie,” said Kiko, turning back toward the door. “Send me a text if you need any backup here.”

“Will do,” she said, but Dom noticed her shoot him a worried look as he stalked out of Yolks on You after Kiko.