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I crinkle my forehead. “You don’t look like a Joshua.”
“But I look like a Théoden?” He seems amused.
“No,” I shake my head and finish the last bit of my coffee. “You are definitely a Theo.”
We smile at one another for what seems to be several minutes, but I know it’s only been a few seconds. I haven’t felt a spark like this since…
I clear my throat, “Well, Théoden -”
“Theo.”
“Unless I’m very happy or upset with you?” I smirk.
“One of the two.”
“Tell me about your family.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything?” I rub the back of my head and realize I have several flyaway hairs. I let my hair out of my scrunchie to redo the messy bun I have been sporting since I rolled out of bed this morning. “And everything about you too, I guess. Anything a girlfriend should know.”
He nods in agreement, eyes glued to my long, wavy, dark hair. “Well, I obviously have an older brother.”
“Caleb,” I say aloud more for me to remember than anything else. “And his full name?”
Theo laughs. “We consider him the lucky one for having a normal first name, but his middle name is not something to brag about.”
I lean closer as if he’s about to share a secret. “What’s his middle name? Legolas? Smeagol? Please tell me his middle name is Gimli.”
He whispers, “Aristotle.”
I fall back in my seat and throw my hands in the air. “How disappointing.”
“My mother is Greek!” Theo runs his fingers through his loose, dark hair. “She insisted he have at least one Greek name.”
“Ok, so we have Caleb Aristotle Bennett and Théoden ….?”
“Oh no.” He waves his hands. “You won’t be getting my middle name anytime soon.”
“But if I’m supposed to be your girlfriend, shouldn’t I know what your middle name is?”
He shakes his head and finishes his coffee. “Nice try.”
“It’s Gandalf, isn’t it? Maybe Boromir. Oh! I’ve got it! It’s Frodo. Your middle name is Frodo.” I cackle so hard I snort and have him laughing with me. I wipe tears from my eyes when I notice he’s staring at me. “What?”
“It’s Benjamin.” He looks down at his hands as if he doesn’t want to talk about it, so I let it go.
“So, is it only you and Caleb?”
He perks up. “We have a younger sister, Contessa Alexandria Bennett, but we just call her Tess. My Mama, Athena, is eccentric when it comes to naming her children, but she is the best cook and most hospitable person I know. Upon meeting her, you will immediately feel like family. And my dad, Steven, just retired from his law practice and handed the business over to Caleb. Him meeting and marrying my mom was aMy Big Fat Greek Weddingscenario. Just a white guy swept away by a beautiful and strong Greek woman.”
“They sound great.” Watching him talk about his family has me missing mine even more than usual. And for some reason, has me wanting to actually meet his family. “So, why don’t you just tell them the truth?”
“Haven’t you heard a word I just said? My Mama is Greek. Our family is always in each other’s business and being single is not something one deals with privately. I’m thirty and still haven’t gotten any closer to marriage than when I was eighteen. I told them I was dating someone just so they would give it a rest. The holidays are unfortunately when the question is flashed with neon lights.”
I nod. “So, you’re a middle child.”
“Why did you say it like that?” He crinkles his nose. “Like it was the key to unlock the mysteries of the universe.”
