The Domino Fell At Midnight

"...And now, tonight's feature presentation, Doris Day & Rex Harrison star in MIDNIGHT LACE !"

It was an unexpectedly cool April evening on the Mud Flat. There had been a brief,  powerful gully washer of a rain storm that afternoon, & a tornado had touched down near Tahopke, but now the Texas skies had  exhausted their cloud based reservoirs & replaced the earlier unseasonaby hot weather with a cool Spring breeze.  Mindful of the oppressive heat that would soon head their way come Summer, EuEarl had suggested what he & KC had come to call a Drive-In Night ! That's when they would move the kitchen table, along with a couple of chairs, to the part of the back porch directly behind their bedroom. They would place their 24 inch Quasar atop the chest-of-drawers, facing outward in the opened window .

Following dinner, the plan was to play Dominos while watching the ODD COUPLE & LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE, then head for bed. However, once EuEarl heard the late movie line up, MIDNIGHT LACE & PORTRAIT IN BLACK, he knew bed would have to wait. EuEarl had seen both films the year they came out, 1960, and he had enjoyed them both. However, aside from their plots & their leading ladies, EuEarl had his own private & personal reasons for having fond memories of the two flicks. In both cases afterward, once he'd returned to barracks, gone to bed & fallen asleep, he had envisioned himself starring opposite those films two leading men, John Gavin & John Saxon respectively, in what could delicately be described as a not particularly Ross Hunter style production ! It would be nine years before another film would have that same effect, that being  BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID ! And that film had ended up being a massive sheet stainer ! In the intervening years, his ardor for Gavin had become as cool as that actor's persona was not, whereas Saxon continued to engage the interest of EuEarl's inner erotic director !
 For all of that, though, it was KC who appeared distracted through out the evening. KC, by no definition a glutton, had mostly picked at his food, so that couldn't, taken alone, have seemed particularly unusual. But during the course of their Dominos game, EuEarl began to suspect that something was up ! Dominos was KC's game & tonight, for the most part, his skills had been as asleep as the extra pieces in the boneyard !
The film had reached the scene were Day is trapped inside a stalled elevator ( EuEarl always enjoyed picturing John Gavin nude, with the exception of a heavily loaded tool belt about his waist, descending into the car ! ). As Day's character began to freak out, she let out a scream, which managed to pierce KC's un-engaged consciousness. Like a frightened colt, KC had bolted upward, tipping the table & sending domino tiles, points pad & pencil, as well as EuEarl's freshly opened beer, all crashing to the floor !
EuEarl stared quizzically at KC. He tilted his head slightly to the right & let out a sigh. Then, almost wearily, he said, "Okay, KC. Tell me. What is it ?"
KC, who had sat motionless up to that point, hurriedly said, "I knocked over the dominos !", then leaned over sideways to begin gathering the errant pieces & to duck EuEarl's gaze !
EuEarl meanwhile, had leaned sideways as well to grope for his emptying beer can. " What made you jump like that ?", he asked patiently.
"The movie. Her screamin'. Weren't figurin' it t'be her husband !". KC grasped madly for the scattered  domino tiles, but couldn't seem to hold more than 2 at a time before dropping them again to the ground.
"That don't happen 'til later, KC." EuEarl decided to take a shot. "Is this something to do with your friend coming to visit ?"
KC was shocked. Part of his anxiety was based on how he would tell EuEarl about Tecumseh's pending arrival. How could he know about that already ? Reading KC's mind, EuEarl said, " Q-Bubba told me. He read the card before he gave it to ya. " EuEarl waited for that to sink in, then added, "So, who's this Tecumseh ? And why's his comin' here got you so rattled ?"
KC folded his lips, but sat up to face his lover. Hesitantly, he stammered out, "Cumseh...he's, he's muh friend. Him & me was rodeo clowns t'gether an'...an', uh...", KC gulped audibly, but EuEarl waited him out.
"Tecumseh. He's a... he makes... midget pornos."
EuEarl was starting to get angry ! " Look, KC, I'm being patient as I know how here, but if you're just gonna fuck around... !"
" I ain't fuckin' around none, EuEarl ! Tecumseh. He makes midget pornos. " KC got up from the table & walked over domino tiles into the house. EuEarl could hear him rummaging in the bedroom, & in a matter of seconds, he returned outside with a book. Actually, a magazine."This here.", KC said, dropping the mag, front cover up, on the table before EuEarl.  "This here guy Tomy Hawkin, 'Lil Big Fuck'. That's Tecumseh !"
EuEarl looked down incredulous. It was the skin mag he'd bought on a whim months ago that he'd found so funny ! " 'Tomy 8 Inch Hawkin' ! This little guy's your friend Tecumseh ?!". KC nodded.
EuEarl quickly flipped through the magazine. "And you thought I'd be upset 'cause your friend does porn ?"
"Well, I...", KC began, only EuEarl interrupted by suddenly standing up & throwing his arms around his worried cowboy. He kissed him, after which he began to laugh. "Oh, KC ! KC ! What a sheltered life you've lived ! Wha' did you think; I'd walk out on ya over this ?" he said, continuing to hold KC tightly. "Babe, so long as your friend's not a member of the Klan or the faculty at Oral Roberts University, I don't give a flying fig what he does for a living ! Especially if it's porn ! Hell ! Who doesn't secretly wanna get paid for being laid ?!" EuEarl laughed out loud again & smiled. "That's an Elton John line, I think !"
 Seeing the not quite relieved expression on KC's face, EuEarl's heart swelled & he leaned forward 'til their noses touched. " You don't ever hav'ta be afraid to tell me things; okay ? I love you, ya crazy goat roper ! We're partners. 'Ceptin' for legalities & a ring, you & me are practically married, which means 'Til Death Do Us Part' ! Death ! Got it ? " He gripped KC's crotch & squeezed. "And I wouldn't place odds on that even !"
EuEarl slid his right cheek alongside KC's left & held him closer. "Feelin' better, now?", he whispered softly.
"Uh, huh."
"Then let's hit the sack, champ !" Reluctantly breaking their embrace, EuEarl looked down again at the magazine, DWARF FUCK'D, & with a smirk, looked back at KC. " You & me are too tall & too short to exactly duplicate some of the stuff  lil Tomy & his pal are gettin' up to here, but I'm willing to try 'em, if you are !"
 As EuEarl lead him into the house, KC felt relieved. Very relieved. More relieved, in fact, than he knew he had any right to feel. Because Tecumseh's making midget pornos was only a part, & hardly the biggest part, of what he needed to explain to EuEarl.
And soon .
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