ODDS OF LOVE : SEASON ELEVEN

Episode 158

" Lewis and Richie seem to be doing good after that awful rally field trip deal ," Nigel said as he stood in the bathroom putting on a special and way too expensive face cream that the website claimed would keep you " fresh and youthfully appealing to those you loved".  He was staring at his twenties in his rearview mirror and approaching his thirties with a vengeance so he needed all the help he got. In fact he was considering having a second opinion done with another plastic surgeon about his face being worked on. The first one had said there was too much nerve damage for anything to be done but maybe..... He didn't really care personally for himself but if Richard couldn't remember and may never remember him he needed to do something to keep his interest. Especially as he got older. After all he remembered his first spouses but not him. It should not affect him but it did. He knew it was not Richard's fault. Yet it hurt.

Richard finished brushing his teeth as he stood beside him at the double sink in their bathroom. " Are you certain? The boy twisted his ankle. What kind of a school allows something like that? "

Nigel cut his eyes over to him. " It's a good school run by a good man. And you are on the board there. Chairman actually. I signed the permission slip for them both. I assumed it would be fine. I was wrong. " He sighed and a distant look came over his face.

Richard glanced at him. " It's not your fault. I've watched you with the children. You love them and they adore you. You have nothing but their best interest at heart. "

" I try. So do you, you know. You are a good father. They love you. "

Richard smiled faintly. " Even Niles ? "

Nigel laughed out loud. " Maybe not Niles. Niles is.... I'm not sure how to explain Niles to you. He's not like Lewis or Rebecca. Hardly. "

" Yes. You told me he is married at seventeen to your sister and expecting a baby. I'm not sure how to respond to that. I can't see myself as a grandfather. "

Nigel's smile grew on his face as he glanced at him. " I think you would make a very handsome distinguished granddad who spoils his grandchildren. A sexy granddad. "

Richard looked at him with much surprise. "You think highly of me. I look in the mirror and I don't see any of that. I see an average aging man who needs a cane to walk at times because of pain. "

" And I see a homely useless one eyed man when I look at myself in the mirror. We all see ourselves differently than others do. " He smiled sadly as he left the bathroom and went into their bedroom to take his night meds.

As he was swallowing the pills with a glass of water Richard came behind him and said," I don't see you that way. You are not homely. You're attractive. Unique with that purple eye. And I don't think you are useless. You're a father. And a husband. And you run a restaurant. "

Nigel put the empty glass on the nightstand and turned to stare at him.

" And ," Richard said with a soft smile," that patch is very sexy. It's what I first noticed about you. "

Nigel was startled at those words. Noticed ? Did he..... Was he finally remembering him? Oh please God.

Richard reached out to touch his face on the scarred side. He leaned closer to his husband. " I don't remember everything. But in the bathroom I recalled something. It was fleeting. You came to my office. I assume it was my office. I think it was your first day of work. You had on an ill fitting most god awful suit that was so ugly. Yet on you it looked good. I noticed the suit first. Then the eye. I wanted..... wanted you then. " His arms wrapped around Nigel. " I want you now. I should not want you. You deserve better than marriage to a man who is so much older than you. A man who may never remember everything. I should let you go. Make you go. But I don't want to. "

" I don't want to go," Nigel whispered in a trembling voice. " I don't plan on leaving you , our  home, our children. Ever. "

" Good. "

Their lips met in a hard forceful kiss that was demanding, passionate and needy with a meeting of tongues that played mischievously. Richard pulled back slightly and stared at Nigel with glazed out of focus eyes full of desire. " I want you. Now. In that bed. Tonight. "

Nigel felt like he was dreaming. And he better not wake up. " I want you too. " Then he laughed. " Of course do you still remember how to do it ?" Then he winked his eye at him.

Richard lifted up his husband in his arms and stared down at him. " Oh , you are going to pay for that one , Nigel Norland. All night long you will pay. "

Nigel laughed again. He felt like he had on their wedding night. He loved this man so much. " I can't wait. "