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“Why is he so slow?” I whisper to Tomas, thinking it’s some kind of neurological condition.
“I don’t know. He’s always been like this. Drives my mom nuts. She speeds around, and my dad just takes hours to do one thing. You should see him put lotion on his hands.”
“Well, at least he moisturizes.”
“It takes him half a day, but yeah, he does.”
I snort a laugh. “Well, you have a very interesting family, Tomas. I love them already.”
He beams at me, those slightly crooked teeth on display, and I suddenly want to kiss him. Not that I would. No, that would never happen. This man is as straight as a board. No way would I warp him. Not unless he wanted to be warped. I could do that all day long. Make him slightly bent.
“Come on.” He mixes me a drink in the kitchen while his sisters chatter at me and then hands it to me. I eye the concoction and arch an eyebrow at him.
“What is this?”
“Don’t know but there is juice mixed in.”
“Well, I’ve never had this before.”
“Then I guess you’re my first.”
For some reason, that makes me blush like a virgin as he grabs my arm and tugs me outside. My eyes immediately land on a fire that is not needed due to the heat outside. I don’t know how they get away with that in California, but apparently, they have managed to bribe the fire marshal because it’s blazing.
“If you burn down the state while I’m here, I will pretend I don’t know you,” I say and Tomas huffs a laugh.
“We’re fine. It’s contained.”
“Hmm,” I say, eyeing the fire, and then feel Tomas tug on me again. I mean, he could tug me anywhere—right into the middle of this fire if he wanted to. I’d end up in the Bible, I’m sure.
We sit down in lounge chairs, and I sip at my drink, savoring the bubbles and the flavor.It’s not half bad, I think as I glance around the large backyard. This is nothing like my friend Bennet’s backyard in Kansas where there was a feral rooster and a rogue cow to contend with, but it’s spacious and wild. A part of the rural San Diego charm that most city people miss and not one you see in California often unless you’re driving through the fields of Bakersfield.
My head turns up to the stars above me. “I love this, being out in the country. I mean, besides the bugs, it’s really nice.”
Even though I’m not looking at him, I can feel Tomas’s gaze burning into me. I love it, that tingling sensation that spreads through my body. I want to know what he’s thinking about. Want to crawl into his brain and take a peek.
The silence that permeates the space around us makes me shift in my seat. Usually, I’m the talker, the one carrying the conversation and being the entertainer. But now, I think I would be content to just listen to him speak, to listen to that slightly rough voice float in the spaces between us. I would be content to do that for hours on end, but I don’t think that will happen. The man is one of few words, but even so, I hang on to every single one of them.
“Yeah, it is. I love it out here. Never lived anywhere else.”
I smile. See what I mean? Oh well, I guess I’ll be the talker once more. “It really is fantastic. I mean, I could do without the creepy creatures like I said. And honestly, two days ago I heard something very much like a monster outside my door….”
“Well, if you ever hear a monster, please let me know. I’ll come rescue you.”
See. When he does speak, it’s utter perfection. “Ah, my knight in shining armor.”
“You did say I’d look good in a suit of armor.”
“I did and I never lie.” Our eyes meet and our lips lift at the same time, each of us smiling goofily at the other. Until Tabitha appears and shouts, “Look at these two love birds. Mom, Dad…where the fuck is Dad?! Tarak!” She disappears suddenly, and I peek over at Tomas.
His face is shuttered, and he’s shaking his head. Inside, I’m bummed that his sister felt the need to be so silly when, for many, this is a serious thing. Who we are attracted to isn’t always so easily explained away. Sometimes it’s met with hostility. But then again, it’s so easy to make excuses. She doesn’t mean any harm. It was done in a safe environment and it seems like his family is open to it.
Open to me.
So, I let it go. This is his family. It isn’t anything more than harmless fun.
Tabitha reappears and waggles her eyebrows at me, so I speak up, my tone dry and sarcastic. “I would love to be lovebirds, but unfortunately your brother is very much straight.”
Tomas clears his throat and gulps at his beer. “I am.”
