gentleman. It’s cool inside, a little too cool, quickly turning my sweat-riddled body into a shivering cube of ice.
“There they are,” he whispers hot over my temple. The heat emanates from his chest to mine, and my entire body warms. The waitress comes over. “We’re with Bradley Kent.” He says my father’s name so kind and polite, something about the civility of it all melts me.
We follow the waitress through the crowded establishment, thick with its tangy, spiced scents, the dark atmosphere with cobalt candles flickering in the heart of every table. It’s a perfectly romantic setting. A perfectly twisted setting for this day in my life in which I had never even considered a possibility, the day in which I publicly declare a sexual affinity for my quasi-brother. Not Lawson, of course, thankfully not Lawson because he happens to be the real deal. Not that I would even consider this lunacy with my baby brother. That would be beyond disgusting, and those are the exact same feelings I’m hoping to evoke in Lynette and my father. They should be fuming , nauseous, and, of course, rudely awakened to the fact a legal union of any type should never happen between the two of them.
Rex leans in, tucking his lips close to my ear. “It’s go time,” he whispers hot against my neck, and an electric shiver runs through me.
Daddy sits whispering something to Lynette, and she guffaws as if it’s the funniest thing she’s ever heard. It’s a fake laugh, of course. A part of me is convinced she’s taking my father for a ride, and I don’t mean of the carnal variety. Her copper sequin top glitters in this dim light, and it looks as if she’s breaking apart at the molecular level.
Daddy spots us and rises. “Batter Bits!” He embraces me, effectively breaking any hold I had on Rex’s hand. He pulls away, and the smile plastered to his face morphs into curiosity. “Son, is that you?” He socks Rex on the arm, and they hug it out man-style.
Lynette opens her arms wide. “Darling, you look magnificent! Where is this boy you’re dating?” She looks behind me for a moment before looking to her son. “Are you bringing a date as well?” She shakes her head, clearly stymied by the fact we’ve opted to show up seemingly stag.
The four of us take our seats with both Rex and me scooting our chairs closer together. For all the touching, loving, squeezing we plan on doing, we’ll have to close the distance as much as humanly possible. Lynette scoots in close to my father, creating a dizzying effect with her ensemble. Note to self: never wear sequins to a dimly lit establishment lest you run the risk of disorienting the rest of your party. Hey, maybe that was the point?
“Actually”—I clear my throat, scooting my seat just a touch closer to the man of the hour—“I did bring a date.” I lay my hand over the table, and Rex once again interlaces our fingers, reigning over me with his cheesy smile. “Mom”—I look to Lynette as I try out the newly minted moniker—“I hope you don’t mind me calling you that. I mean, once you and Daddy marry, that’s what you’ll be to me.” I swallow hard. Definitely not the direction I hoped we’d swing in.
“Not at all!” Lynette claps as if she’s just won the lottery. “I was hoping you’d ask! And how sweet that you’ve taken a liking to your new brother. Neither Bradley nor I have ever experienced a blended family before. But I just knew deep down inside that you’d start to feel that special sibling bond.”
“Oh, we’re feeling it.” Rex leans in and kisses the back of my hand, and I see nothing but the whites of their eyes from across the table.
“That’s very nice, dear.” Lynette motions for Rex to let the hell go. “No need to cause a scene. Let’s save the displays of endearment for holidays and such.” She offers a little wink my way. “So, where’s this boy who’s stolen your heart?”
Dad leans in. “Your sister has made it sound as
“There they are,” he whispers hot over my temple. The heat emanates from his chest to mine, and my entire body warms. The waitress comes over. “We’re with Bradley Kent.” He says my father’s name so kind and polite, something about the civility of it all melts me.
We follow the waitress through the crowded establishment, thick with its tangy, spiced scents, the dark atmosphere with cobalt candles flickering in the heart of every table. It’s a perfectly romantic setting. A perfectly twisted setting for this day in my life in which I had never even considered a possibility, the day in which I publicly declare a sexual affinity for my quasi-brother. Not Lawson, of course, thankfully not Lawson because he happens to be the real deal. Not that I would even consider this lunacy with my baby brother. That would be beyond disgusting, and those are the exact same feelings I’m hoping to evoke in Lynette and my father. They should be fuming , nauseous, and, of course, rudely awakened to the fact a legal union of any type should never happen between the two of them.
Rex leans in, tucking his lips close to my ear. “It’s go time,” he whispers hot against my neck, and an electric shiver runs through me.
Daddy sits whispering something to Lynette, and she guffaws as if it’s the funniest thing she’s ever heard. It’s a fake laugh, of course. A part of me is convinced she’s taking my father for a ride, and I don’t mean of the carnal variety. Her copper sequin top glitters in this dim light, and it looks as if she’s breaking apart at the molecular level.
Daddy spots us and rises. “Batter Bits!” He embraces me, effectively breaking any hold I had on Rex’s hand. He pulls away, and the smile plastered to his face morphs into curiosity. “Son, is that you?” He socks Rex on the arm, and they hug it out man-style.
Lynette opens her arms wide. “Darling, you look magnificent! Where is this boy you’re dating?” She looks behind me for a moment before looking to her son. “Are you bringing a date as well?” She shakes her head, clearly stymied by the fact we’ve opted to show up seemingly stag.
The four of us take our seats with both Rex and me scooting our chairs closer together. For all the touching, loving, squeezing we plan on doing, we’ll have to close the distance as much as humanly possible. Lynette scoots in close to my father, creating a dizzying effect with her ensemble. Note to self: never wear sequins to a dimly lit establishment lest you run the risk of disorienting the rest of your party. Hey, maybe that was the point?
“Actually”—I clear my throat, scooting my seat just a touch closer to the man of the hour—“I did bring a date.” I lay my hand over the table, and Rex once again interlaces our fingers, reigning over me with his cheesy smile. “Mom”—I look to Lynette as I try out the newly minted moniker—“I hope you don’t mind me calling you that. I mean, once you and Daddy marry, that’s what you’ll be to me.” I swallow hard. Definitely not the direction I hoped we’d swing in.
“Not at all!” Lynette claps as if she’s just won the lottery. “I was hoping you’d ask! And how sweet that you’ve taken a liking to your new brother. Neither Bradley nor I have ever experienced a blended family before. But I just knew deep down inside that you’d start to feel that special sibling bond.”
“Oh, we’re feeling it.” Rex leans in and kisses the back of my hand, and I see nothing but the whites of their eyes from across the table.
“That’s very nice, dear.” Lynette motions for Rex to let the hell go. “No need to cause a scene. Let’s save the displays of endearment for holidays and such.” She offers a little wink my way. “So, where’s this boy who’s stolen your heart?”
Dad leans in. “Your sister has made it sound as
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