her.
“I have a date tomorrow,” I admitted and heard her gasp. “I know. It can’t surprise you any more than it does me.”
“What’s her name?” Lexi asked, but from the inflection in her voice I could tell that she had a pretty good idea my date wasn’t with a woman.
“Gabriel,” I said, unable to help the grin that accompanied it, wasn’t grinning at the fact that I had a date or that the date was with a guy, but the fact that she knew me so fucking well.
“I doubt that you’ll have trouble finding something to talk about, Ethan. I’m sure you are both intelligent, articulate men with a shared past,” she said and I knew my expression betrayed my nervousness. “Okay, if all else fails, try to steer clear of religion, politics, and well…sex. It might not be a good idea to tell him about our lifestyle on the first date. But, if it looks like it’s going to go somewhere, you will have to tell him eventually.” I had already come to that conclusion, even though I didn’t really expect the relationship to go anywhere.
* * *
“What time is golden boy picking you up?” Jayden asked from the doorway. His voice was light with a measure of forced indifference, but his face betrayed his annoyance.
“He’ll be here at ten,” I told him, curious about his mood. He had been fine last night while I told him about the time with my parents before the brunch and he laughed at me having to fend off women between appetizers, but when I told him about Gabriel, he suddenly became…petulant. Lexi eyed him with incredulity and a bit of annoyance of her own.
“You need to be more supportive,” she told him as she sighed and took his hand.
“We don’t know anything about this guy, about his motivations for going out with Ethan,” he challenged sharply. “I just don’t want to see all of the progress he’s made wasted because he got hurt by some pretty boy. I mean, who goes on a date at ten o’clock on a Monday morning?” he asked scathingly to the room at large. “Doesn’t golden boy have a job?”
“First of all,” I began, utterly exasperated, “stop talking about me like I’m not standing right in front of you. It pisses me off. Next, I asked him, he didn’t ask me. I have no idea why he’d want to spend time with a damaged freak, but he does. I think I’m old enough to decide who to befriend or who to…date. And lastly, he’s a Junior Partner at a law firm which, for twenty-nine, isn’t too fucking shabby. He took the day off to spend with me. He’s excited about finding his friend again. Is that so fucking awful?” By the time I finished, Jayden was looking at the floor. Sighing, I walked over to him and resting my hands on his shoulders I said, “I appreciate that you’re concerned about me.” He looked up and, for a moment, I saw some other emotion flicker across his face, but it was quickly gone. “It means everything to me that you and Lexi are here for me, supporting me, but I think…I think I need this.” He nodded, obviously hearing the note of sincerity, the almost pleading tone, in my voice.
“I should head in to the office. I’m sure they have something they want to put my face on today,” he said with a resigned sigh. Since he had no real business training, Josh was basically just using his brother-in-law as the firm’s poster child, but Jayden didn’t mind. He would do whatever was needed to help his father’s firm. He was nearly halfway through his one year sentence and was looking forward to getting his life back, eager to finish his graduate degree and start teaching. That was where he really wanted to be.
As I watched him walk out, I wondered why he felt he couldn’t support me, but Lexi distracted me by asking me what I was going to wear. I laughed at that – louder and longer than I had in a long time. With all of the other potential disasters that could happen that day, fashion wasn’t high on my list. When Lexi smirked at me, I told her I was
“I have a date tomorrow,” I admitted and heard her gasp. “I know. It can’t surprise you any more than it does me.”
“What’s her name?” Lexi asked, but from the inflection in her voice I could tell that she had a pretty good idea my date wasn’t with a woman.
“Gabriel,” I said, unable to help the grin that accompanied it, wasn’t grinning at the fact that I had a date or that the date was with a guy, but the fact that she knew me so fucking well.
“I doubt that you’ll have trouble finding something to talk about, Ethan. I’m sure you are both intelligent, articulate men with a shared past,” she said and I knew my expression betrayed my nervousness. “Okay, if all else fails, try to steer clear of religion, politics, and well…sex. It might not be a good idea to tell him about our lifestyle on the first date. But, if it looks like it’s going to go somewhere, you will have to tell him eventually.” I had already come to that conclusion, even though I didn’t really expect the relationship to go anywhere.
* * *
“What time is golden boy picking you up?” Jayden asked from the doorway. His voice was light with a measure of forced indifference, but his face betrayed his annoyance.
“He’ll be here at ten,” I told him, curious about his mood. He had been fine last night while I told him about the time with my parents before the brunch and he laughed at me having to fend off women between appetizers, but when I told him about Gabriel, he suddenly became…petulant. Lexi eyed him with incredulity and a bit of annoyance of her own.
“You need to be more supportive,” she told him as she sighed and took his hand.
“We don’t know anything about this guy, about his motivations for going out with Ethan,” he challenged sharply. “I just don’t want to see all of the progress he’s made wasted because he got hurt by some pretty boy. I mean, who goes on a date at ten o’clock on a Monday morning?” he asked scathingly to the room at large. “Doesn’t golden boy have a job?”
“First of all,” I began, utterly exasperated, “stop talking about me like I’m not standing right in front of you. It pisses me off. Next, I asked him, he didn’t ask me. I have no idea why he’d want to spend time with a damaged freak, but he does. I think I’m old enough to decide who to befriend or who to…date. And lastly, he’s a Junior Partner at a law firm which, for twenty-nine, isn’t too fucking shabby. He took the day off to spend with me. He’s excited about finding his friend again. Is that so fucking awful?” By the time I finished, Jayden was looking at the floor. Sighing, I walked over to him and resting my hands on his shoulders I said, “I appreciate that you’re concerned about me.” He looked up and, for a moment, I saw some other emotion flicker across his face, but it was quickly gone. “It means everything to me that you and Lexi are here for me, supporting me, but I think…I think I need this.” He nodded, obviously hearing the note of sincerity, the almost pleading tone, in my voice.
“I should head in to the office. I’m sure they have something they want to put my face on today,” he said with a resigned sigh. Since he had no real business training, Josh was basically just using his brother-in-law as the firm’s poster child, but Jayden didn’t mind. He would do whatever was needed to help his father’s firm. He was nearly halfway through his one year sentence and was looking forward to getting his life back, eager to finish his graduate degree and start teaching. That was where he really wanted to be.
As I watched him walk out, I wondered why he felt he couldn’t support me, but Lexi distracted me by asking me what I was going to wear. I laughed at that – louder and longer than I had in a long time. With all of the other potential disasters that could happen that day, fashion wasn’t high on my list. When Lexi smirked at me, I told her I was
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