BEST FRIENDS 4NEVER || bxb

42: THE RAINBOW GIRL (JASON)

VIDEO above - PHOTOGRAPH, Ed Sheeran

A media surprise awaits Johnny and Jason at the hotel ...

As the car turned into the hotel parking garage, Shondo asked, "Johnny, who's this mysterious date you have tonight?"

Johnny groaned. "Ha. Ask lover boy over here," he tossed over his shoulder.

Shondo chuckled. "Okay. Hey, lover boy, who is Johnny's mysterious date?"

I explained without getting too much in detail. Just that Channing was an online fan who'd written to me and who had a crush on Johnny.

"And you're pimping your boyfriend out to this dude?" Ernie butt in, his tone of voice making it clear he didn't like the idea.

But I knew how to soothe dude's ruffled feathers. I gave him a sweet smile. "Channing is the quarterback at Canton Garfield High School."

"Oh jeez," was his quick response. "I guess that's different then, huh?"

"What the fuck difference does that make?" Shondo wanted to know.

"Canton Garfield consistently has some of the best high school football teams in the state. Like for the last eighty years," Ernie explained. "They were number three last season. So dude is obviously somebody we want to know. Especially if he's queer."

Shondo snorted. "Yah, he must be queer if he's got a crush on Johnny."

Shondo had gotten rooms for us at the Sheraton through his older sister Brinda who worked there and lived here in Columbus. The hotel was located right in the center of town next to the Ohio Statehouse in Capitol Square. Always a busy place because of the nearby government offices and convention center, the hotel was one of the city's finest, a favorite of politicians, businessmen, and convention attendees alike.

The garage was just about filled up and we had to park on one of the upper floors next to two big CNN vans.

"I wonder what CNN's doing here?" Johnny said as we climbed out of the car.

"Whats-his-name is here for the weekend," Ernie said. "You know, that hot news dude who came out as gay. They were talking about it on TV just before you guys picked me up."

"You mean Daniel Random?" I said. "Fuck. He's awesome. I'd sure like to run into him."

"Why's he here in Columbus?" Johnny asked as he opened the trunk so I could get our bag.

"I was watching it too," Shondo said. "Ohio figures prominently in the Supreme Court case, so they want to cover the response here to the legalization of same-sex marriage. Random's going to do his news show from here tonight and then interview people around town. And emcee the parade for CNN tomorrow."

"Then for sure we'll see him." Johnny led the way to the garage elevator. "If not here at the hotel, then at the parade. I really admire that dude. I think it surprised the hell out of everybody when he came out."

We carried our bags down to the lobby. While Johnny and Shondo went to register and Ernie went in search of a men's room, I sat down by our gear on a couch in the center of the lobby. It was big and modern, several storeys high with balconies and connecting bridges and a variety of shops all around, including a Starbucks.

I started scrolling through my phone to see if there were new messages, and there were plenty. I could just imagine the tone of them with our sex video now on display for everybody in the world to see. But of all the things threatening to harm us and worrying me, that wasn't one of them. I was proud of the video. Johnny and I were hot dudes and anybody who'd watch it for the right purpose, to get turned on, would surely enjoy it.