Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Afterwards, Tory ended up falling asleep sprawled across my bed. I got up and ran my gaze down his body. He was a masterpiece, as beautiful as the works of art he’d shown me tonight.
I covered him with my faded, dark blue comforter and shut off the light. After I took a quick shower and got dressed, I went into the kitchen and cooked the dinner I’d planned on making for us. I’d send it with him in the morning, so he could sit down to a home-cooked meal when he was back in his apartment. He’d done so much for me today, and I really wanted to do something for him in return. This was all I had to offer.
Once the food was finished, I carefully packed it into storage containers and put everything in the refrigerator. I’d made a chopped salad with a jar of dressing on the side, corn bread, seafood jambalaya, and a berry cobbler for dessert. It was nothing fancy, but I knew it would taste good, and I hoped he’d enjoy it.
I returned to the bedroom and slipped under the covers. Even though I tried not to wake him, Tory stirred a little, rolling toward me and gathering me into his arms. I smiled and put my head on his chest.
Before I fell asleep, I replayed this extraordinary day with this extraordinary man. Tory amazed me. I’d never met anyone as kind and generous, or as fun and interesting.
It really was no wonder I was falling hard for him.
9
Armando
At the end of July, my son and his husband finally returned from Europe. They’d ended up extending their honeymoon by several weeks, because they were having such a good time. The day after he got back, he told me all about it on a video call.
When he finished, I said, “I’m so glad you had fun.”
“I really did. The best part was getting to share it all with my husband.” Kit grinned. “I love saying that. My husband. Devon thinks it’s funny, because I go out of my way to use that word. Like, hey, husband, pass the butter.”
I chuckled and adjusted my phone. It was propped up against a coffee mug on the desk in my office. “I think I’m still processing the fact that my baby boy is married.”
“That’s because a part of you still thinks of me as like, twelve years old.”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, hey, I meant to ask. Did you get the link I sent you to that online album? Devon and I uploaded a ton of photos from our trip, and even though we haven’t organized or labeled anything yet, I thought you’d enjoy seeing them.”
“Yeah, I’m looking through it right now. You went to some fascinating places.” I scrolled through about fifty pictures of the Colosseum. Of course, they automatically made me think of Tory, and everything he’d told me about growing up near that landmark. “Thanks for the postcards, by the way. I brought them to work so I could show everyone.” I picked up the phone and pointed it at the trio of postcards I’d taped to the wall behind my desk.
“There are a couple more coming,” he said. “I guess the mail’s kind of slow.”
I heard some footsteps in the background, followed by Vee’s voice. “Hey, Kit. Where’s your hubby?”
“He’s still asleep,” Kit told him. “The jet lag is kicking his butt.”
Vee asked, “Are you talking to your dad?” When Kit nodded, he said, “Let me talk to him for a minute.” My son handed the phone to his housemate, who appeared on my screen and exclaimed, “Hey, Manny! I’ve been meaning to text you. How did it go with that guy you were seeing?”
My son sounded confused. “What guy?”
Vee’s dark eyes went wide. “Oh no! Did I spill a secret? I’m so sorry. I thought you and Kit told each other everything.”
“It’s not a secret,” I said. “I just hadn’t gotten around to telling him yet.”
Kit took the phone from his housemate and asked, “Are you dating someone?”
“Yeah. His name’s Tory. I met him the night of your wedding.”
He looked surprised. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I was going to, but first I wanted to hear about your honeymoon.”
“This is wild. I mean, I knew you were bisexual. But as far as I know, you’ve never dated a man before, right? Actually, you’ve barely dated at all, my whole life, so the fact that you’ve been seeing someone for two months is a big deal.”
“It’s been great, but we both agreed to keep it light when we started.” Okay, so it had become a lot more intense than either of us had probably bargained for, but I didn’t want to try to explain that to my son—not when I hadn’t even sorted it out for myself.
“Did he tell you he’s not interested in a relationship? Because that can be a red flag. A lot of men are only interested in sex, so—”