Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 49178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
“Huh, I hadn’t really thought of it like that.”
“How, um… how are your parents? Do you think they have any idea?” I asked because I could recall how night-and-day different Sam’s parents were compared to mine. Sam’s parents, while very nice and caring, were much more introverted, rarely ever coming to the ranch even when there was an event going on or a dinner happening. His dad was a plumber, and his mom was a florist. They were also both extremely religious. I remember there being framed bible verses all throughout their house when we were younger, although we rarely ever hung out at Sam’s place. We’d always just hang out at the ranch.
“I don’t think they do. I don’t think I’ve given them any reason to think otherwise. My mom’s usually asking about who I’m going to be bringing around next. Telling them is going to be the hardest. I think it’s what’s stopped me.”
“How do you think they’re going to take it?”
“I think my dad will be okay. One of his best friend’s is gay, actually. But he lives in Spain, and they rarely ever see each other, but I know my dad loves him. I think my mom may be more difficult. She’s still heavily involved in the church, and she’s said some questionable things around me.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “If it’s worth anything, I think that, knowing Gina, she’ll totally come around. You’re her only child, and you’re a huge momma’s boy. She’ll understand. But I do get it. Religion does weird things to people. For some, it works as an antidote. And for others it’s a poison.”
“Ain’t that right,” Sam said. “I just don’t want to disappoint either of them, you know? Or have them look at me differently.”
“No matter what, you’re their son, that takes precedence over anything else. Your parents are good people. I think they may be shocked at first, but don’t mistake their processing for anger or hurt.”
Sam nodded at that. He closed his eyes, lips curled into a relaxed smile. “God, life is so weird, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I said, matching his smile. “Very weird.”
“I’ll see if I talk to them soon. I’m done hiding, I’m done running. I just want to live the way I want to live. Why is that so difficult?”
“It shouldn’t be, and hopefully one day it won’t be difficult at all.”
“Hopefully,” Sam said. He gave a yawn and a long, drawn-out stretch before he curled back in, rolling on his side and pulling me into his arms. I wore the goofiest grin on my face. I was glad he couldn’t see me.
Wow, did this ever make me happy. Made me feel like the embodiment of a bubbly pop song that kept me dancing somewhere high up above the clouds. I’d wished for this moment since I was a teen, hanging out with Sam and trying my damndest to not let my attraction be known. And now here we were, cuddling naked together, the night stretching out before us.
We didn’t get much sleep that night, or the next seven that followed, Sam sleeping over every one of those nights.
It wasn’t until a week later that things went to shit. History loves to repeat itself, or whatever the bullshit saying is.
17
SAM
Life was different after you’ve been fucked in the ass.
It’s like the breeze itself whispered a different tune. People’s jokes were way funnier than normal. So much so that I was cracking up to the point of tears at Beau’s joke about line dancing being square dancing’s gay cousin with better branding.
Yeah… I was definitely bisexual.
I sat across from Beau in the kitchen. Dinner was wrapped up and we stuck around at the table. We’d been chatting about how to best promote the Rainbow Ranch Line Dance Night. It had been an idea that hit me in the middle of the night. I woke up with my arms wrapped around a sleeping Benny, the idea lighting up the bedroom like a hundred-watt bulb.
I may have been fired from my job, but that didn’t mean I had to stop working. I had a deep wealth of knowledge when it came to public relations and marketing. I could step in and help manage the ranch’s presence, not just in Johnson Springs, but in the surrounding areas too. I could help make this ranch a beacon of safety and acceptance for anyone in the country. If anything, it was a mission with a much grander purpose than hey, I need this actress to get a hundred thousand new Instagram followers by the end of the month, or can you help divert attention from this terrible scandal this superstar won’t get cancelled?
“I think we definitely need to update the website,” I said as I flicked at the iPad on the table. “And I’ll find someone to help manage all the socials. If we can throw some money at advertising, I think that would be beneficial, too. Are there any collab opportunities you can think of off the top of your head?”