want Mr. Walker to bear witness to his first date.
Archie’s father follow’s Dante’s eyes. “Waiting for someone, eh?”
Dante shrugs.
Mr. Walker scans the room again. “Me, too.”
It’s then that a terrible understanding dawns over them both at the same time. There’s an awkward moment like when two people arrive at a door simultaneously and try to figure out who should walk through first.
Mr. Walker runs a hand over his face and sighs. “DeeThreepio?”
Dante’s eyes widen. “Takei4Life?”
Mr. Walker nods.
They look away from each other.
Dante rises, his face burning with embarrassment. “Sorry—this is—I’ve got to go.”
Archie’s father gestures for him to wait. “Just to be perfectly clear, I don’t want to date you. I didn’t know it was you—your profile said you were older.”
Dante stands. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell—”
“Archie already knows. I mean, not that I’m here. With you. But he knows about the whole gay thing.” Mr. Walker notices confusion flash across Dante’s face. “He hasn’t told you guys?”
Dante shakes his head, shock clouding his thoughts as he finally understands the real reason Archie’s parents divorced. He drops back into his chair.
Mr. Walker lets out a small laugh and sits down across from him. “Figures. Does he know about you?”
Dante shakes his head again.
“I know this is really, really weird, Dante, but would you actually mind staying for a moment? I’d like to get your advice on Archie.”
Dante pauses and looks toward the door. It would be so easy to leave and pretend like this never happened. But he notices the pained look in Mr. Walker’s eyes. He stays. “So, do you do this often?”
“What?” Mr. Walker laughs. “Go on dates with my son’s friends?”
“No,” Dante says, cringing. “Meet guys online. And this isn’t a date.”
“Sorry—just a joke. No. This is certainly not a date. Not at all.” He shakes his head. “But this is the first time. Honest. And given the results, I can’t say I’m inclined to try again.”
Dante nods.
“You want something to drink?” Mr. Walker asks. “I’ll get you something to drink.”
He gets up and steps in line, leaving Dante in a daze.
Dante thinks of Archie. He searches his memory for any clues Archie might have dropped about his father. He can’t think of any. Or had he just not been listening carefully enough? His parents had been divorced for a year—how could he keep this secret for so long? Why?
Sure, whenever they all got together to game, nobody really brought up personal stuff. But this seems like something Archie should have mentioned.
Mr. Walker returns, holding two steaming mugs. He sets one in front of Dante. “Hazelnut latte. Trust me. I never drank anything but black coffee until a year ago, and then I tried this. Showed me what I’d been missing all those years.”
Dante holds the cup to his nose and sniffs it. It smells good. Sweet but not sugary. He takes a sip. It burns his tongue.
“Careful,” Mr. Walker says, though it is too late.
Dante sets his drink down to let it cool and waits for Mr. Walker to say something.
“So, how’s Archie really doing?” he finally asks.
“Fine,” Dante says. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Dante shrugs. “I mean, I think he’s having a hard time because of the move. Starting over senior year? That’s not very easy.”
“I know.” Mr. Walker sighs. “I think that’s part of the reason he won’t really talk to me—has he told you about that, at least?”
Dante shakes his head, marveling at how much they’re keeping from each other. How can you be friends with people for nearly six years and never open up?
Mr. Walker continues. “I feel like I’ve lost him. Do you know what I mean? I lost my son. Sure, I’ve been able to see him every other weekend. And in two days he’ll be living in my house. But even when he’s with me, he’s not with me. That make sense?” Dante nods. “He
Archie’s father follow’s Dante’s eyes. “Waiting for someone, eh?”
Dante shrugs.
Mr. Walker scans the room again. “Me, too.”
It’s then that a terrible understanding dawns over them both at the same time. There’s an awkward moment like when two people arrive at a door simultaneously and try to figure out who should walk through first.
Mr. Walker runs a hand over his face and sighs. “DeeThreepio?”
Dante’s eyes widen. “Takei4Life?”
Mr. Walker nods.
They look away from each other.
Dante rises, his face burning with embarrassment. “Sorry—this is—I’ve got to go.”
Archie’s father gestures for him to wait. “Just to be perfectly clear, I don’t want to date you. I didn’t know it was you—your profile said you were older.”
Dante stands. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell—”
“Archie already knows. I mean, not that I’m here. With you. But he knows about the whole gay thing.” Mr. Walker notices confusion flash across Dante’s face. “He hasn’t told you guys?”
Dante shakes his head, shock clouding his thoughts as he finally understands the real reason Archie’s parents divorced. He drops back into his chair.
Mr. Walker lets out a small laugh and sits down across from him. “Figures. Does he know about you?”
Dante shakes his head again.
“I know this is really, really weird, Dante, but would you actually mind staying for a moment? I’d like to get your advice on Archie.”
Dante pauses and looks toward the door. It would be so easy to leave and pretend like this never happened. But he notices the pained look in Mr. Walker’s eyes. He stays. “So, do you do this often?”
“What?” Mr. Walker laughs. “Go on dates with my son’s friends?”
“No,” Dante says, cringing. “Meet guys online. And this isn’t a date.”
“Sorry—just a joke. No. This is certainly not a date. Not at all.” He shakes his head. “But this is the first time. Honest. And given the results, I can’t say I’m inclined to try again.”
Dante nods.
“You want something to drink?” Mr. Walker asks. “I’ll get you something to drink.”
He gets up and steps in line, leaving Dante in a daze.
Dante thinks of Archie. He searches his memory for any clues Archie might have dropped about his father. He can’t think of any. Or had he just not been listening carefully enough? His parents had been divorced for a year—how could he keep this secret for so long? Why?
Sure, whenever they all got together to game, nobody really brought up personal stuff. But this seems like something Archie should have mentioned.
Mr. Walker returns, holding two steaming mugs. He sets one in front of Dante. “Hazelnut latte. Trust me. I never drank anything but black coffee until a year ago, and then I tried this. Showed me what I’d been missing all those years.”
Dante holds the cup to his nose and sniffs it. It smells good. Sweet but not sugary. He takes a sip. It burns his tongue.
“Careful,” Mr. Walker says, though it is too late.
Dante sets his drink down to let it cool and waits for Mr. Walker to say something.
“So, how’s Archie really doing?” he finally asks.
“Fine,” Dante says. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Dante shrugs. “I mean, I think he’s having a hard time because of the move. Starting over senior year? That’s not very easy.”
“I know.” Mr. Walker sighs. “I think that’s part of the reason he won’t really talk to me—has he told you about that, at least?”
Dante shakes his head, marveling at how much they’re keeping from each other. How can you be friends with people for nearly six years and never open up?
Mr. Walker continues. “I feel like I’ve lost him. Do you know what I mean? I lost my son. Sure, I’ve been able to see him every other weekend. And in two days he’ll be living in my house. But even when he’s with me, he’s not with me. That make sense?” Dante nods. “He
Similar Books
