As Told By Tuck & Axel

Store Credit

Store Credit—Tucker

It was the day of our anniversary, and everything was going according to plan. Maggie had loved the mind-numbingly expensive dinner I had taken her to, she had loved the walk in the park afterwards, and she even loved the two hours of anniversary sex I had given her at her apartment (only a 20 minute walk from mine and Axel's). What she didn't love, though, was my lack of testes. I still hadn't proposed.

I ended up falling asleep at her apartment instead of going home like I planned. And then we got tied up in another couple rounds of celebratory sex and more food the next day, so it was around five pm when Axel called. Maggie and I were in the middle of some more foreplay, but I jumped from her bed as soon as I heard Axel's ringtone (Wannabe by the Spice Girls) chiming from the side table. Maggie groaned as I answered it.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Dude! Where are you! You're supposed to be my wingman tonight, remember?"

"Fuck!" I had promised Axel I would double date with him. (The girl he liked was bringing her married friend, so Ax had decided to bring me.)

"Yeah, fuck is right!"
I rubbed my temples. Maggie sat up from her bed in order to ask, "Tucker, what happened?" I shushed her.

"Sorry babe, I'll be there in ten minutes, I promise," I told him. He snorted.

"Yeah you fucking better! I really like this girl, and she refuses to go out with me alone! So get that ass back here, put on something decent, and meet me at O'Sullivans."

"Yes sir," I told him. "Be there as soon as I can." I slammed the phone down and began reaching for my blue-and-white-striped boxers that were hanging off the bed. Maggie caught my arm with a menacing death glare before I could grab them.

"There is no way you're leaving right now."

I winced. "Sorry Mags, I promised your brother I would—"

"Who gives a shit! It's our anniversary and we're in the middle of having sex! Any other day, you know I would let you go. But not tonight, please Tucker. It's our anniversary." Her raised eyebrows and knowing tone told me she knew exactly what I had planned, but never got around to. She wasn't going to let me leave until the ring from the little velvet box inside my suit jacket pocket was resting on her finger.

"Our anniversary was yesterday," I muttered out. "I'm sorry Maggie, but I promised him."

She shook her head at me. "It's bad enough that you love him more than you love me. So please, Tucker, just give me this one weekend. Just tonight, and I promise you can go running back to him tomorrow morning."
I bit my lip, avoiding her gaze. "Maggie, I—"

"You promised him, I know." She took a deep breath. "But if you walk out that door Tuck, I'll never marry you."

It was my turn to raise my eyebrows at her. She crossed her arms over her bare chest, unwavering.

"I'm sorry, Tucker, but this is the way it needs to be. If we're going to be married some day, you're going to be my husband, not Axel's. You're not going to get to leave me on every whim. I won't tolerate it. I already tolerate it, and quite frankly, it hurts like shit, Tuck, knowing you'd rather be with my brother."

"Maggie, you know I'm not gay!"

"Not like that, Tucker! I mean just with him. In his presence instead of mine. I know that, and I've accepted that, but I'm not going to tolerate it once we are a family."
I sighed.