Free Chasing the Rainbow by Kade Boehme Page B

didn’t get why my brothers tripped over themselves for girls. The couple I’d been with had been… Well, they sufficed.”
                  Jody’s lip twitched. “They’d be thrilled to hear it.”
                  That got a small smile from Bobby. “For the first two years we were together, it was no big deal. She was going through the divorce. Afterwards, because of divorce stuff and her family we couldn’t live together, so there wasn’t really any pressure and no major need to commit. But, when she did start in on me; after I’d finished college and started working for Pop, got a place of my own, she wanted it all: house, kids, regular sex. Around then, I thought I might be bi. I even talked to her about it. She played it up some, but there’d be no sharing. She was in it for the long haul. Looking back on it, though, I think we were just comfortable. We were never really passionate about each other, even less so as the years went on.”
                  “Sounds rough. Of my dating life, only a total of maybe two years was with women. You guys were together a long time.”
                  “About twelve years.”
                  “Damn.” Jody couldn’t even imagine. He also was feeling that weird burn of jealousy, discussing Bobby’s ex. He knew Bobby was gay, knew they’d split years ago. But it was still weird hearing about it.
                  “Anyway, I started thinking maybe it’d be easier to just stay with her. My mom loved her, even if I didn’t. Then you happened.”
                  “Me?” Jody leaned back, almost toppling off his bar stool.
                  “Yeah. Iz told us about you coming out.”
                  “That big mouth of hers,” Jody repeated, knowing he smiled fondly thinking of his ex.
                  “Exactly. Angie’s eyes kinda locked on mine for a minute when Izzy told us and it’s like she looked right through me. Things just started clicking in place. The way I felt when some guys talked to me, how I got more butterflies the few times I met you than I ever did with Angie. If I was bi, I’d have at least felt something, some compatibility with these women I’d been with.” Bobby seemed a little embarrassed to have said so much. Jody’s own stomach had started up with the butterflies at Bobby’s admission.
    “I felt the same, you know.” Jody hoped his gaze conveyed his meaning.
    Bobby gave a brusque nod and continued his story. “A week later I was in the doc’s office, discussing a vasectomy because she was all about kids suddenly, no matter how much I said no. Before I could even tell myself it was a dick move, I’d made the appointment, which told me a lot about that relationship, gay or not. She’d even told my older brother’s wife we were already trying and my brother congratulated me. It was like a kick in the teeth.
                  “My doctor is the one who said it was an asshole thing to do without discussing it with my partner. Then I realized she’d never been my partner in any real sense of the word, and never would be. I didn’t want a woman partner, ever. I wasn’t bi. But what could I do? My mom could never know.”
                  “Damn.” Jody thought his situation had sucked.
                  “During the physical, he found that my lymph nodes were swollen, then he found the lump. Testicular cancer. Not something you think you’ll hear at thirty-one. But to me, it made sense.”
                  “But you’re okay now?”
                  “One more year and I hit that magic five year survival number.” The grudging way Bobby said that didn’t sound as joyful as Jody expected.
                  “That’s good, though, right?”
                  “Yeah. I guess cancer was good for me. I’ve got a fake ball and I was