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“As long as it’s safe. I don’t want you cutting corners just to save some money.”
“It’s perfectly safe, and I’m with a friend.”
As soon as he said it, Greg knew he’d made a mistake because his mother started peppering him with questions. Greg evaded as much as he could, but Rose was relentless. She wore a person down until they finally gave her whatever she wanted, so Greg gave up and explained who Holden was. He avoided telling her they’d met at a club—his parents couldn’t have cared less that he was gay, but his mother had become overprotective after he told them he was HIV positive—but told her that he and Holden had spent the day together and were going to have dinner that night. As supportive as they were, the one thing he couldn’t seem to get them to understand was him being ace, as evidenced by his mother’s next question.
“Do you like him?”
“Mom.”
“Oh, I know, but when I met your father, I could just tell.”
“Well, it’s too early for that for me.”
“Um-hm. Fine. Why don’t you bring him with you tomorrow?”
“Excuse me? What?”
“You heard me. You said he’s got some days off—bring him to Aspen. We’ll comp him a room, and he can have a proper vacation.”
“Mom—”
“Ask him. You might be surprised.”
Greg knew his mother well enough to know she’d dug her heels in and wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Okay. Fine. I’ll ask, but he’s only got a couple of days, so don’t get your hopes up.”
“We’ll see when you get here.”
They said their goodbyes andI love yous, and Greg headed back to the table. Holden had finished eating and was tilting his head back to drain the last of his lager from his glass. Greg watched the muscles in his throat flex as he swallowed and knew he should feel something at the sight, that it should elicit a physical response, but it didn’t. Neither Luis nor Darius had much of a filter when it came to expressing their interest in a guy, so Greg was quite aware which boxes Holden checked and how sexy he was—Greg was ace, not dead—but the sight of Holden barely raised his heart rate. Or it didn’t until Greg returned to the table.
“What’s our next adventure?” Holden asked as Greg slid into his seat.
Greg chewed his lower lip, weighing his mother’s words against what he wanted, then abandoning it as a worthless metric that would give him no definitive answer or less embarrassing way to issue Rose’s invitation, so he decided to just do it.
“My mother wants to meet you,” he blurted.
If there had been anything left in Holden’s glass, Greg would be wearing it after the man sputtered hard enough to give himself a coughing fit. When he could breathe again, he asked Greg to explain, which he did.
“Don’t feel obligated or anything.” Greg fiddled with the silverware on the table. He’d finished all of the wings but only half of the pho by the time his mother called. “I know you’ve only got a couple of—”
“I’d love to,” Holden interrupted. “As long as you don’t mind.”
Greg glanced up and found his gaze locked with Holden’s. He couldn’t look away. He recognized the hope in Holden’s expression and wished he could give the man some kind of sign or indication that more might develop between the two of them if Holden accompanied him to Aspen, but at the moment, his feelings remained platonic. Cautiously hopeful, yes, but definitely platonic.
As the man’s smile faltered and the excitement began to dim in his eyes, Greg realized he hadn’t responded to Holden.
“I don’t,” he said. “Mind, that is.” Greg gave Holden a quick grin. “If it makes my mom happy and keeps me from getting the third degree about where I spent the night, I’d like to show you Aspen.”
It wasn’t the best of encouragements, Greg knew, but he wasn’t going to lead Holden on or promise something he might not be able to deliver, but Holden nodded.
“I’d like that as well,” he said.
This time, Greg’s smile was wide. He reached for his phone. “Great. I’ll book us a couple of bus tickets for tomorrow morning.”
Holden waved his hand. “Fuck that.” He took his own phone out. “I’ll get a car and drive us.”
Greg started to protest, but Holden shook his head. “How about if you make us a reservation at a really nice place for dinner?”
“I can do that.”
