Making the Hook-Up by Cole Riley Page A

don’t care. I mean, look at those two lesbians down in the next block—everyone’s fine with them.”
    â€œEveryone calls Lisa whenever their drains clog.”
    â€œWell, she does advertise herself as ‘Ms. Fix-It.’ She’s a terrific plumber, what can I say?”
    â€œI’m surprised this bothers you so much.”
    â€œI’m not bothered. I’m just…I don’t know.”
    â€œHomophobic.”
    â€œStop saying that!” I slapped the couch. “I’m not no homophobe. I’d just…I just rather not see them doing anything that’s all. I’m sure they’re cool guys and all, but they need to keep it inside.” I picked up the remote and turned up the volume on Sports Center. Lynn looked at me for a while and then went back into the kitchen.
    And that should have been the end of it, right? We had new neighbors. They were quiet and kept to themselves—no problem, right? Gay? No big deal, I couldn’t care less. But then, later on that week, Lynn and I were upstairs in the bedroom. I was just about to fall asleep when she poked me in the side.
    â€œDid you hear that?”
    â€œWhat? Hear what? I don’t hear anything.”

    â€œListen.”
    I listened. “I still don’t hear anything.”
    â€œWait for it…”
    And then, yes I heard it. Squeaking. But not like a mouse or a floorboard. Squeaking springs. Rhythmically squeaking springs. And then an occasional knock or tap on the wall of the bedroom opposite our bed. There was no mistaking it: the guys next door were having sex.
    â€œOh, man, I don’t want to listen to this,” I said, moving to get out of bed.
    â€œWait a minute, Roy, where are you going? What are you going to do?”
    â€œI…I don’t know. Knock on the wall or something. Let them know we can hear them and that they need to keep it down.”
    â€œYou can’t do that!”
    â€œAnd why the hell not?”
    â€œIt would embarrass them.”
    â€œEmbarrass them? What the fuck do I care if I embarrass them? I don’t want to listen to buttfucking in my own bedroom!”
    Lynn harrumphed. “You didn’t object to that the time you asked me to do it.”
    â€œThat…that was different. That’s you and me, a man and a woman. I don’t want to hear two guys going at it.”
    The rhythm got faster and the tapping became a knocking. A muffled, husky “Uh, uh, uh, ooh…” drifted through the wall.
    â€œOh, shit, here we go…”
    Lynn sighed. “I remember when we used to knock headboards against the walls.”
    â€œYeah, well…it’s been a while.”
    â€œI know. I hope we didn’t wake our neighbors when we did it.”
    â€œThere’s nobody on this side,” Lynn said, reaching back
and touching the wall behind the bed. “So no one would have noticed. Truth is, you just like it quiet.”
    â€œAnd you don’t?”
    Lynn shifted a little in the bed, the strap of her nightgown falling off her bare shoulder. “Loud can be fun, sometimes. But quiet is fine… You remember that time in New York? In the rain, after that horrible trip up?”
    â€œAnd the cheap-ass hotel…” I laughed and moved closer to her. “Yeah, that was wonderful. Who knew? Maybe we should check into no-tell motels more often.”
    â€œThat would be great. ‘Mr. and Mrs. Jones’ like a couple cheating on their spouses.” Lynn laughed and moved into my arms. I held her tightly and kissed her on her forehead.
    â€œYou know, that was…” I cleared my throat. My skin began to tingle and flush.
    â€œThat was what?”
    â€œWell…that was when I knew I loved you. I mean I guess I knew it before that night but…I think that was the first time we actually made love. We’d had sex before, but that was really making love.”
    â€œThere was