After, when Ari had his head pillowed on Jax’s shoulder and was idly walking his fingers up and down Jax’s bare chest, Jax laced their hands together again. “C, E, G.”
If Ari could speak Jax’s language, Jax could learn his too.
ARI HADoriginally intended to pick Jax up at home prior to their dinner with his parents, because his parents’ neighborhood was a hopeless suburban tangle of streets that Google was still only guessing at and because the weather had turned cold and was threatening to snow. Also, his mother would shit a brick if Ari’s boyfriend showed up on a motorcycle. He wasn’t going to sabotage himself.
Unfortunately Jax messaged him about needing to run something to the post office, so Ari waited for Jax at his apartment. They could leave from there instead.
“Hey,” Jax said when he came in, his helmet tucked under one arm. He set it on the counter along with his keys. “I’m not late, am I?”
“No.” Ari leaned over and kissed him, first a quick peck and then a firmer, deeper one that felt a little desperate. Jax had said he would be fine, and truly, if anyone could survive Ari’s parents, it was Jax. But…. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Jax cocked his head. “You don’t want to back out, do you?”
Yes.But it was irrational. He’d prepared Jax as well as he could. “If I did, they’d think I invented you, and I’d have to endure another blind date.” He grabbed his car keys from the hook by the door. “I’d rather not have to cut them out of my life completely, so….”This is for the best.
Jax followed him out of the apartment. “Should we come up with a safeword?” He hoisted a container Ari hadn’t noticed. “I made cookies. Just say ‘chocolate chunk,’ and I’ll fake a family emergency and you can be my hero.”
Despite himself, Ari laughed. “Hopefully we won’t need such drastic measures.”
At his parents’ place, Ari sat in the driveway for a long moment without turning off the car.
“Ari?”
“It would be irrational to turn the car around and simply run away forever.” He cut the engine.
“Probably,” Jax agreed.
They went into the house.
“Baba, Maman?” Ari called out, and his mother arrived from the kitchen, drying her hands and wearing her polite “we have company” expression.
“Ari, hello. Introduce us, dear,” she prompted.
He swallowed.Right.“Jax Hall, meet my mother, Nasreen Darvish. Maman, this is Jax.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Nasreen.” Jax smiled his charming smile and held up his Tupperware. “I brought cookies.”
“Oh, how lovely.” She took the bin and peered inside. “Did you make these yourself?”
“Yeah. I love to bake.”
The look she gave Jax when she lifted her head was almost promising, but Ari refused to be lulled into a false sense of security. “These look delicious. I’ve always said anyone who can bake is worth keeping around. Now come into the kitchen. Baba is fussing over the stew.”
“It smells amazing,” Jax said.
Ari’s maman smiled at him. “It’s one of Nader’s specialties.”
In the kitchen, his father stood at the stove. When they entered, he stepped away to greet Jax with a handshake. “I hope you brought your appetite with you.” He waved to the bar. “Feta with spicy fig sauce. Try some on a cracker.”
Ari cut off some cheese for a cracker and passed it over to Jax, who took a bite. “God, this is fantastic.”
“Good! It’s even better with chai.”
They stayed in the kitchen as Ari’s father kept babying one of the dishes, and the rest of them stayed gathered around the food. “I should get this recipe. My niece would love it.”
“Your niece?” Ari’s mother asked, looking politely interested.
“Yeah. My sister’s kid. She’s cute as a button, and she loves figs. They’re her favorite treat. Her parents have to ration them out.”
