“Shit. Sorry.” He cast a glance at the windows and saw all four parents still seated outside. “I haven’t told them yet. It’s new, and as you may have guessed, they’ll have opinions.”
“Really? I wouldn’t know what that’s like.” Sohrab’s lips twitched.
Casting his unexpected ally a dry look, Ari pushed away from the counter and began collecting everything he needed to serve chai. “Quite. It’s new enough I’m not sure he’d be able to deal with… overbearing, meddling Persian parents.”
“Ah,” Sohrab said all too knowingly.
Ari wondered if he’d faced a similar struggle when dating men who were culturally Canadian.
“Well, if my parents are to be believed, meddling in their children’s love lives is one of the great pleasures of retirement.”
Ari controlled his own smile, but barely. “Mine have not said so, but I have surmised as much.” He put the tea leaves into the pot and poured the hot water over top.
“Well, feel free to blame everything on me not being interested.”
“Throw you under the bus?” Ari arched an eyebrow.
Sohrab nodded, looking coy with his hands shoved in his pockets. In another lifetime, where Ari and Jax’s orbits hadn’t collided so spectacularly, Ari would have found this man appealing. “Why not? It’s what I plan to do to you.” He grinned, and Ari chuckled softly in surprise.
“Well, fair’s fair.”
“Yup. Now, how about I carry those cups out there while you finish brewing?” He stepped forward to gather up the tray with the mugs, and Ari watched him go. Sohrab was going to make someone very lucky someday.
His phone vibrated, and when he pulled it out of his pocket, he found a message from Jax.Someone ordered this from Naomi last night and she made me make it for them. Not nearly as fun as making it for you. :(A second later, a picture of a Sex with the Bartender cocktail uploaded.
Chuckling, Ari typed back,Miss you too, and was warmed to receive a string of heart-eye emojis in return.
The timer sounded, and Ari put his phone away to deal with his chai.
Sohrab might be lucky someday, but he would never be as lucky as Ari.
WHEN THEdoor finally shut behind Sohrab and his parents, Ari cast a reproachful look at his own. “That was so awkward.”
“It really wasn’t,” his mother said blithely. “Sohrab is lovely, and so are his parents. It was a pleasant evening.”
“I felt like a fattened calf at auction.” Throughout dinner his parents had expounded loudly and at length about Ari’s musical accomplishments. The only things that lessened Ari’s embarrassment were the equally obvious comments from Armin and Jaleh and the shared looks of misery with Sohrab.
“Don’t exaggerate,” his mother said.
“I’m not. You kept pointing out my good qualities like you were trying to get Sohrab to buy me.”
“Now you’re just being vulgar,” his mother sniffed and bustled into the kitchen to clean up. “And so what if we were trying to sell you a bit? We’re just trying to help.”
Ari frowned. “I know, Maman, but no one asked you to.”
“I don’t need an invitation to help my children,” she said, hurt coloring her tone.
Great, now she was guilting him for being upset. “Look, you know I appreciate your support, but I don’t need your help finding a boyfriend.”
“And why not?” She scraped some leftovers into the trash and let the lid fall back down with a clatter. “You haven’t brought anyone to meet us in years.” True, but it wasn’t like Ari hadn’t been dating. He just hadn’t dated anyone long enough to attempt that hurdle. “And you should have someone who makes you happy.”
And more guilt. “I know you’re doing it because you love me, but I didn’t ask you to. If I ever want you to play matchmaker, I’ll let you know.”
“And what will you do in the meantime? Be miserable and alone? Run yourself ragged? You’re not a boy anymore. You’re thirty-two. It’s time that you settle down, stop jet-setting around the world, and instead take care of family.”
Ari swallowed against the hurt clogging his throat. As if his music, the tours, his life’s work, were just a way of passing time until he found someone to occupy him. “And then what? I just stop doing what I love and sit at home waiting for my doctor husband to return to me?”
“Ari,” his father cut in.
