It was Friday night and Michael had planned an evening alone with Ben. Hunter, who was now attending Penn State, was spending the weekend with a couple of classmates working on a mid-term project. The girls were moving back from Canada next weekend so this would be their last free weekend for a while since they were planning to spend most of their weekends for the next couple of months taking care of Jenny-Rebecca while the girls settled into their new house.

The dining table was draped with a bright red tablecloth and set for two with their best china and flatware; tall ivory candles sat at each end a small floral centerpiece that he had picked up at the florist’s shop on Liberty Ave. near the diner.

Ben had called earlier and assured Michael that he would be home on time because he had a surprise for Michael to which Michael had replied that he had a surprise for Ben as well.

Michael heard the front door of the house open as he was bending over to remove the pan of lasagna from the oven.

“Babe, I’m home,” Ben shouted out.

“I’m in the kitchen,” Michael shouted back.

The snickering that Michael heard coming from behind him wasn’t quite the response he had hoped for from his husband. As he turned around he nearly dropped the steaming hot pan of lasagna.

Just outside his kitchen stood his loving husband Ben, along with Brian, Justin, Ted, Blake, Emmett, and Drew. They were all staring at Michael with varying expressions of utter amazement (Ben), abject horror (Brian), blatant humor (both Justin and Blake), complete shock (Ted), total disbelief (Emmett), and slight nausea (Drew).

“Surprise?” Ben mumbled at his husband of six years.

“What the fuck, Ben?” Michael shouted as he carefully wobbled over to the counter to set down the hot pan.

“I thought I would surprise you with a night out with the guys before the girls return. It will probably be a while before we get another chance.” Ben shrugged his shoulders.

“I think Mikey wins first place for surprise, Professor,” Brian commented once he could form words.

Michael stood before them wearing nothing but a tiny white maid’s apron (which barely covered his genitals) and five-inch red stilettos along with the large white oven mitts.

“Guys, I think maybe we should go,” Ted braved the sudden silence to say.

“Yeah, if we stay much longer I’ll never be able to eat Deb’s lasagna again,” Justin declared.

Brian turned and looked at Justin with a raised eyebrow causing Justin to smirk.

“Really, Sunshine? You expect anyone to believe that?”

Justin leaned closer to Brian as he stage whispered, “Brian, that apron is made of see-through lace.”

Brian’s other eyebrow rose quickly as he said, “Holy shit! Let’s get out of here!”

The group, all muttering they could use a drink, rushed from the house as fast as they could, leaving the husbands alone in their home.

Ben looked at his husband, giving him a slight smile.

Michael, doing his best to balance on the stilettos, spread his arms wide and shouted, “Surprise!” just before he toppled over to the kitchen floor.

The end.