It allowed Dylan to bask in the fundraiser and enjoy the performances while chatting up donors between sets.
“It’s such a lovely event,” Jasmine said, joining Dylan at the edge of the audience as the latest singer finished their set.
“Thank you.” Dylan smiled. “I try.”
“You always put together such splendid parties,” Jasmine continued. “I might let you continue organizing these group festivities in the future. Working with the organizations takes it out of me.”
“I totally get that.” Dylan chuckled. “I’ll gladly keep working on these and any others for as long as you’ll have me. Anything to make the world a little safer, a little happier.”
Jasmine didn’t reply, but her eyes studied him curiously, so Dylan elaborated.
“I talked with Kaiden and Rus,” he explained, then found his mind wandering to ways to shorthand their names. Rus was already clearly a nickname, just Dylan had no inkling for what. Shortening Kaiden seemed odd. Kai or Den or just K didn’t fit him well. Then he contemplated just referring to them as hisboyfriends, but that seemed generic, and they were anything but. “Maybe Raiden or Kus.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry, thinking aloud. Overthinking, perhaps,” Dylan said. “Or underthinking. I forgot to combine my name in there, too.”
“Excuse me?” Jasmine stared quite perplexed.
“My bad.” Dylan scratched the back of his head, laughing a bit at himself. “I talked with my boyfriends about our future. Who really knows where things will lead, but we’re all excited for wherever that might be. We’re in it together.”
“That’s lovely.”
“But that doesn’t mean I plan on stepping away from Dorothy’s Home any time soon,” Dylan added. “In fact, I’d stay forever if you’d keep me around.”
“What about your relationship?”
“What about it?” Dylan shrugged. “They know my home is important to me, my family. They don’t expect me to put it on pause just because that’s conventional. We’re happy just the way we are, and if things shift in the future, we’ll talk about it. Me and them. And obviously, me and you. But I don’t foresee changing careers or putting anything on hold just because things are getting a bit serious romantically.”
Dylan’s hands got sweaty from nerves, and he wiped them on his dress pants, stealthy but not nearly stealthy enough to escape Jasmine’s notice.
“And yeah, I suppose this is a bit presumptuous. Assuming you want to keep me around for the long haul.” Dylan laughed awkwardly. “Heck, maybe you were hoping I’d get a boyfriend and move out and start…I don’t know. And here I went and got two and somehow still managed to refuse to take a hint.”
“No hints were ever dropped, sweetie.” Jasmine smiled at him in a way that always brought Dylan comfort, a way that said she saw him and loved him and supported him. “I just want you to follow your heart and do what makes you happy.”
“Helping you, helping the home, that’s what makes me happy.”
“Well, then, maybe we should start discussing you taking on more responsibilities.”
“More?” Dylan quirked a brow. “Like what exactly?”
“More like seeing how the home is really run,” Jasmine replied, discussing things like how to network, negotiate, and navigate in a world where homes like hers were mostly unwanted. “I’m talking about balancing the books, learning how to process truckloads of paperwork, file appeals to fuck all bureaucrats who don’t give a damn if you fail again and again and again.”
“Wow.” Dylan gave a nervous smile.
He’d worked alongside Jasmine for years, learning little things here and there, but he’d never really done the heavy lifting. The more she spoke, the more he realized just how little he knew when it came to keeping them afloat day in and day out. Jasmine was practically a superhero, refusing to let their home or anyone in it sink.
“Who knows, maybe one day you could learn the ropes so well you end up taking over.” Jasmine laughed a bit, friendly and inviting. “Then I could retire. And by retire, I mean find something new to meddle with. There’s easily a thousand more things to cross off my list one of these days.”
“That’d be something for sure.” Dylan’s smile eased into something genuine.
He’d never considered running Dorothy’s Home. That was easily a million years away, and perhaps only a sliver of a possibility. Dylan certainly didn’t feel mature enough to handle the house. Not really. Not at this stage in his life. Then again, Jasmine was barely in her thirties when she founded the home. That was practically a blink away for Dylan. A few short years at most.
“But just a heads up that this work can put a strain on relationships,” Jasmine said, once again reminding Dylan of the price that came with giving his all to Dorothy’s Home.
This time her words didn’t create a sinking pit in his gut or a chilling quiver of doubt running over his skin. No, this time Dylan basked in the cool confidence he had maintained since the last conversation with his boyfriends.
Dylan eyed Rus and Kaiden, who’d wandered toward the edge of the party. Based on Rus’ antsy stance, he was in desperate need of a cigarette. Having them here to help made a world of difference. Having them here in his life made his world all the brighter.
