I grabbed the apron, pulling him close. My other hand held the back of his neck as I kissed him. A peck had stopped being enough. Like a drug, I needed more. More of his scent. More of his skin. More of him. When he tried pulling away, I held him in place, pressing my forehead against his. I might have my worries, but in his presence, they were dim shadows.
“I’m glad you’re here.” The shock of the situation had worn off. The more I thought about it, I couldn’t remember the last time I brought a guy home to meet my parents. “I hope you’re prepared for the interrogation portion of our evening.”
He raised an eyebrow. As I pulled back, I couldn’t help but laugh. Simon must not have much experience in dating,or at least not being introduced to the folks. If he expected light dinner conversation and discussing hobbies, he was about to have his world rocked.
“Simon,” Mom called from the dining room. “Do you consider yourself a bear or a polar bear?”
The smile on his face vanished. I laughed as I pulled the plates from the oven. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face as I walked into the dining room. The appetizer for the evening might have been embarrassing me, but the main course would include Simon gulping down wine as he tried dodging her rapid-fire questions.
Mom pulled out her chair and took a seat at the table. “Does that make you the big spoon?”
The innocent interrogation had begun.
Mom touched her pinky to her thumb. Simon pressed the muscle under her thumb. She switched to her pointer finger and thumb. This time, when he pressed, the spot had gotten squishier.
“That’s how you can tell well done versus medium rare.”
Mom had spent the entire dinner asking Simon every question that crossed her mind. I learned about his parents growing up in Boston and even his investment portfolio. He couldn’t answer fast enough between bites of food. I’m sure she had a million more, but they’d have to wait for the next meal.
Simon might not have noticed, but Mom refrained from asking any question involving the two of us. Elbowing her way into my love life could have been her superpower. I had to give her credit. She knew how to read a man. I’m sure the questions burned on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t dare out a man.
Moms. The real allies.
“We’ll need to do this again.” She gave Simon a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Regardless of what happened between us, he’d always have a place at her table. She gave me a tight squeeze, kissing me on the cheek. “I like this one.” She didn’t bother whispering.
Simon’s face turned red. With a quick pat on the cheek, she turned around and headed toward the kitchen. “You two can see yourselves out.” She wasn’t kicking us out. Mom had subtly given us an excuse to be alone.
I opened the door to the porch and bowed. Simon walked out, and I followed. He let out a low whistle. “Your mom could work for the FBI. I feel like I just ran the gauntlet.”
“And that’s what she does for the ones she likes.”
He reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze. The sun had set, and the early autumn chill had settled in for the night. I hadn’t expected to see him tonight, but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable. Mom’s non-stop questions gave me a chance to learn more about Simon’s past. More than that, the way he laughed at her absurdity and then rebounded. It spoke volumes about him as a person.
“Can we talk?” No matter how innocent I tried to make it, those three words always elicited a sense of fear.
“It’s probably a good idea.”
I gestured to the swing on the end of the porch. Even under the dim light from the living room, I could see the well-worn spots where Mom and Dad had spent their twilight years. When I plopped down, the chains gave a slight jingle.
Simon scuffed his feet along the porch as he followed. “Is there room for two?”
“What do you think, Mr. Cuddles?” I stared at the blank space next to me. We needed to have a serious talk, but I didn’t want it to be painful. Humor served as my defense mechanism. “He says you can have his seat.”
My imaginary friend had once been a towering stuffed teddy bear. All the signs had been there. I think I had instinctively been gay before I understood the word. I wondered how Mr. Cuddles felt about being replaced by another tall, handsome bear.
We needed to talk. The butterflies in my stomach made it clear I wasn’t comfortable with it. I had grown smitten with this handsome man. He had his complications, as all people did, but the arrival of his ex-wife made things weird.
“Lucas told me you walked him home the other day.”
“I was giving a talk at the school. We had a very serious conversation on the way home about Eric being mean.”
“He said! Somehow, I got roped into a sleepover with Josh now?”
I chuckled. “Make sure you hide your glue.”
“I heard that too. You two had a lengthy conversation for three blocks.”
“What can I say? We had a lot to cover.”
