***
Several hours later, after cleaning up the dishes from dinner, I sat on the couch with my class notes while Gil bathed Evie. He hadn’t let her go all evening until she made her displeasure at the lack of freedom known. We played with her, made dinner together, and ate like a family. It warmed my heart, but it made me a bit nervous, too.
We hadn’t known each other for long, and whatever relationship we had was half professional and half fraught with high stress. We’d morphed into some sort of domestic arrangement far too easily. Or maybe that was how the best relationships went. I had no frame of reference or experience to draw from. I’d dated enough men, had a couple more serious relationships, but nothing with such intense feelings after such a short period of time.
Gil emerged from Evie’s room and settled on the couch next to me. His hand reached out, and I grasped it automatically.Fatigue lined his handsome face, and his eyes still tinged red at the corners. “Sam, thank you for being here for me. I don’t know what else to say.” He tipped his head back on the cushions, the longer hair on top trailing back from his face.
“I’m happy to help, Gil.” The moment I said it, I knew I had to say more. “I want to do more than help.”
He looked at me, and my heart beat harder. Gil wasn’t movie-star handsome. He didn’t have a hot gym body that every gay man would drool over. To me, he looked gorgeous and real. “I’d like to take you on a date.” He sat up and swiveled to face me on the couch. “It almost seems like we did this whole relationship thing backward. I mean, I know you’re not… Well, I hired you, so it’s kinda weird, I guess, but—”
I pressed my finger to his lips to interrupt him before he could work himself into more anxiety. He had enough stress on his plate. “I’d like to go on a date with you. It is weird, I guess, but I don’t work for you anymore, and I think you’re a great guy.”
His growing smile disappeared again. “I’m not sure how great I am at dating. I’ve never actually dated a man before. Paige and I were together for years.” Gil stared out the window.
“Do you really think she might’ve cheated on you?” The second the words left my mouth, I cringed and wished the couch would swallow me whole. “I’m sorry, that was totally out of line. You don’t have to—”
He shrugged. “Probably, but it wasn’t just that. We…” He shot me a glance before looking down at his hands. “We had threesomes with other guys pretty regularly. Used protection, but nothing’s foolproof. I’ve been tested more than once since then.”
“Is that something you’d want?”
“What?” He genuinely looked confused, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Threesomes. I’m one-hundred-percent gay. I have zero interest in fooling around with a naked woman, and I really don’t like to share anyway. I tried a threesome once, and it was just awkward and uncomfortable for me. If that’s something you want, I guess it’s good to know before we start anything.” The last thing I wanted to do was stop, but sexual compatibility was important.
Gil’s smile broke through again and he pulled me against his side. “No, Sam. I’m bi, obviously, but I’m absolutely good with monogamy. I prefer it. Paige started all that. She liked watching me with other guys.” His smile faded. “At the beginning. In the end, she liked having control over who and what I could do. It wasn’t healthy.”
“It’s good that you recognize that.”
“Yeah. I wanted to make her happy, but then she got pregnant. I thought our happiness would grow, but… Well, you know how that ended up.” He kissed me again and leaned his head against mine. “Knowing Evie’s mine takes a huge weight off my shoulders, but it’s not the end. If Paige wants custody or even visitation at this point, it’s going to get tough. I’m not sure I can navigate all this on my own and give someone else the attention he deserves.”
“You have Giovanni by your side. My friend Chandra says he has an excellent reputation in the local family court.” He nodded, and I squeezed him tighter. “And you have me.”
Another serious look. “You know I don’t only want you for now, right? I mean, you’ve been such an amazing help, but I want more than support through this whole parenting thing.” He patted my thigh and sat up to grab his phone. “I’m gonna find the perfect place for our first date. What do you like?”
“Well, I like most types of food except anything super spicy. I’m not into mini golf, but okay with bowling. I’d rather not have to put on a suit just to eat dinner, am anti-opera but pro-theater,and absolutely do not need to spend a lot of money to have a good time.”
The first real, full laugh of the day burst out of him, and he bumped his shoulder against me as he kept scrolling. “So, no putt-putt at the Carlisle ballroom. Got it. Are you available Friday at eight?”
“My schedule’s clear for you. Well, until my full class schedule starts up again and I have to study more.”
Gil tapped and typed on his phone for a moment. “Dinner for two at Happenstance, Friday at eight-thirty. Casual, trendy dining on the lake. We can take a romantic stroll in the snow afterward or come back here and learn more about each other.” Something hot blazed in his next glance.
I licked my lips and watched his gaze follow the movement. “I like that idea.” I couldn’t get enough of kissing Gil, and the one time I got to use my mouth on him was even better. The time we rubbed off like teens making out on his couch made me realize I wanted more. Maybe we’d finally get the chance to get naked and learn all the secret things there were to know.
Evie would wake up soon, though, so we’d let the heat simmer until Friday. I had schoolwork to do before then, and Gil had a meeting with his attorney. By the time the week came to an end, we’d need the break more than ever.
We relaxed into each other’s arms, our socked feet up on the coffee table, and Evie’s toys scattered on the rug. It felt wonderfully domestic and way more comfortable than I’d ever thought the beginning of a relationship could feel. I didn’t need special dates to know I was all in with this. I wanted to be a part of Gil and Evie’s lives for as long as they’d let me.
Chapter 10
Gilbert
Giovanni finished sprinkling some pellets into the massive aquarium full of colorful fish and coral before waving me toward the same seats we used during the last appointment. “Gilbert. I’m so happy about the paternity test.” He flashed a warm smile. “Congratulations, Dad. This will make things much simpler.”
I’d managed to calm down some since finding out Evie was biologically mine, but the threat of Paige’s text and calls still loomed over my head. “Yes, I hope so.”
“You haven’t received any more messages from her? Tell me if you do and forward them to me immediately.” He pulled his laptop closer and typed for a moment. “So, we have two options.One is to do nothing and wait. Two, we head to family court and get legal custody figured out and finalized.”
