I returned to my apartment, shed my smelly clothes, and collapsed on the bed. I liked being a part of Maria and her kids’ lives, but I got the feeling she wanted more from me. I’d never had a woman interested in me and though it wasn’t all thatdifferent from a man, I wasn’t sure how to respond. I knew I needed to tell her the truth about my sexuality, but I couldn’t seem to find the words.
I lay in bed for a long time, tracing the hard angles of my modest room and waiting for Gabriel to text back. I’d never had much hope with where my life was headed, but a little spark flared in my chest. Maybe I’d end up being one of the lucky ones.
The sound of my phone beeping to let me know I had a new text message made my insides bounce. It was a wonderful feeling, like hope blossoming for the first time in a very long while.
CHAPTER EIGHT
GABRIEL
I snarled curses as a car cut me off. I was late and traffic was compounding the situation.
I’d spent too long deciding on what to wear for my date. It was something I’d meant to do last night, but I’d talked with Jake until midnight. By then, I was too tired to tear my closet apart in search of the perfect combination. I could be a clothes whore sometimes. Okay,mosttimes.
Our conversation last night had headed unexpectedly and unintentionally into politics—typically a no-no—but I was ecstatic to find that we shared similar viewpoints. Not only was Jake cute, but he was also smart, and I’d enjoyed picking his brain. Before we knew it we were both yawning over the phone.
I supposed I was stressing over traffic because I worried he might decide he wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with me as illogical as that was. I needed to get to him before he had time to rethink things. Blowing out a big breath, I eased off the pedal and just went with the flow. It was pointless trying to fight traffic, anyway. I was going to be late, but at least I would make a good entrance.
I’d selected a sexy paisley Robert Graham button front, leaving it loose over a designer pair of jeans. The ensemble was rounded off with purposely distressed Free Birds boots. I’d even gelled my hair and dabbed on a little Santal 33 Sean had gifted me for my birthday. All in all, I looked like I was going on a date.
As I neared the intersection of Halsted and Addison, I searched for Jake. There were a lot of people on the sidewalk, all taking advantage of the mild October day. I was surprised he lived in the middle of Boystown. I was guessing he shared an apartment with several roommates. Minimum wage didn’t evencover a studio apartment on the north side of the city, and I didn’t think Marco’s Fresh Market paid much over that.
I pulled up to the corner just as Jake was passing in the crosswalk. Teasingly, I rolled the window down and whistled like they did in cartoons. “Hello, gorgeous!”
He waved me away, his face lighting up with a big smile. It was obvious he’d spent several hours in front of the mirror too. He didn’t have to try very hard, though.
He slipped into my car, his eyes wide as he looked all around him. “You drivethis?”
I shrugged. “I splurged.”
Running his fingers along the Aston Martin’s leather seat, he muttered, “Wow.”
Maybe I should have toned it down a bit. I could be flashy in my sports car and expensive clothes. To my surprise, he reached out and touched the cuff of my shirt. It made my heart skip a beat. He was super shy, but the gesture let me know he was getting comfortable with me.
“I didn’t realize back doctors made such good money.” He took his hand away too soon for my liking.
“Well, we’re no neurosurgeon but the clinic has a lot of high-profile clients that pay up for convenience and discretion. Also, I received a sizable inheritance from my grandparents that mostly paid for my condo and cars,” I said, carefully pulling back into traffic.
“Cars? As in plural?”
“Just a Jeep. I had these grand ideas of going hiking and road-tripping, but that never panned out. I should probably sell it. Most days it just sits in the garage.”
Stopping at a red light, I took a moment to really look at him. He was swiveling his head around and fingering the interior of the car, an expression of astonishment on his face. He was freshly shaved, leaving his cheeks mottled and his hairhad been styled in a way that made me think about running my hands through the soft locks as we grinded against each other.
I couldn’t help myself. I’d always been a horndog and sex was important to me. There was nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures of the body. Skimming my eyes south, the argyle sweater he was wearing fit his body well. I imagined sliding my palm under it and feeling warm, smooth skin—The blare of a car horn pulled me back to reality and I hit the gas, jerking us against the seat.
“I kept you up late last night, didn’t I?” He asked as if he had no idea how fucking hot he was. “Sorry. There are a few things I’m passionate about and when I get going, I can’t stop.”
“Don’t be. I enjoyed our conversation. A lot of younger people aren’t into politics which is a shame, considering they’re our future.”
“Yeah, well. I’m glad we didn’t end up fighting,” he said with a nervous laugh. “There are just some things you shouldn’t talk about.”
“Just one more thing we have in common.” I winked, drawing a blush from him. “See, baby boy? We’re perfect for each other.”
He smiled sweetly and looked away as if he didn’t want me to see his joy. “So, where are you taking me?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“When someone says that it doesn’t usually turn out well.” He pulled his sleeves over his hands and held onto the seat belt.
