Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Oh, Russ was hungry all right, but not for anything attainable. He wanted to lick the back of Esteban’s neck and to find out if his short dark hair was as soft as it looked. Sometimes he had product in it, but today it was more casual and fluffy, and Russ’s urge to bury his face in it was nearly overwhelming.
“Whichever you prefer. You said you’ve got things to do for the event? Maybe we can both work after dinner?”
“Yeah, I can bring my laptop in here. And I can help you measure. I’m not the best with adding numbers in my head, but I can hold the tape in place.”
“Sounds like a plan.” And it did, a spot of warmth on an otherwise chilly, gray day that hadn’t even seen as much as a sun break.
He hadn’t had this sort of easiness with Soren, and he’d figured it would take a long time to feel comfortable sharing space with someone. But it felt like he and Esteban had done this sort of the thing dozens of times, Russ moving the bakery box and a pile of magazines from the table, Esteban bringing in the bowls.
“This smells amazing.” Blowing on his spoon first, Russ took a small sip. The broth was rich. Esteban told him it was seasoned with cumin, lime, and cilantro, and the chunks of turkey meat were married with potatoes, rice, and several kinds of vegetables. “And it tastes even better than it smells.”
“This? It’s nothing. You should be in my sister’s kitchen at Christmas. Sweet and spicy and warm with all the people and food crowded in. Not quite as good as Mami’s, but close. I can’t wait.” Esteban’s fond look made Russ wonder about his family, if he’d brought his evil ex around them, what they’d thought of him, what they wanted for Esteban. Not that Russ wanted to be that guy…
Okay. Maybe a little part of him did want the impossible, wanted to see and sample the things that were so important to Esteban. But he’d settle for this surprising new friendship and the few brief moments of pretend relationship.
“My favorite smell was about a week before Christmas, when my mom would make fudge,” Russ shared. The memory seemed more bittersweet than Esteban’s, but it wasn’t unwelcome. “Several kinds, for teacher and neighbor gifts. The kitchen would smell like chocolate for days.”
“You get the urge to take up fudge making, you need to call on this neighbor for help.” Esteban smiled, all white teeth and cheerfulness. He could probably tell that Russ missed sharing those sorts of festivities with his family.
Russ couldn’t help but smile back. “I just might.”
“Add a candy thermometer to the list for the kitchen store. It’s probably not traditional like your mom’s, but I’m picturing a two-tone variety of fudge I saw on a trip once. It had coconut topping.”
“Maybe traditional is overrated,” Russ allowed, liking the image of making fudge with Esteban. “And we could do both kinds. Asking for a recipe might get me a rare non-awkward phone call with Mom.”
“That’s always a good thing.” Esteban nodded like he understood Russ’s struggle to make his past and present work together. “It’s a date, then. We’ll make some for the neighbors. Serve it up with ‘don’t park in my spot’ love notes.”
A date. Another occasion to spend time together. Russ wasn’t going to turn it down, but he also couldn’t control a surge of longing for an actual date-date with Esteban. One where he might get to taste chocolate on his lips…
And maybe he wouldn’t get to share chocolatey kisses with his hot neighbor, but he could be the guy who helped a new friend get his dream kitchen. And the more they talked as they ate, the more he was determined to do exactly that. He didn’t simply want to impress Connie, secure the promotion. He wanted to knock Esteban’s colorful socks off, a small repayment for the gift of his friendship and his help. And maybe if he focused enough on the kitchen project, he could ignore his body’s increasingly inconvenient reactions to Esteban. The last thing he needed was to scare his new friend off with a lust-fueled hopeless crush.
Chapter Six
Big events always brought big adrenaline for Esteban. And the day of his fundraiser was no different, tons of little details to manage, last-minute tasks to make sure that everything went perfectly. The event was taking place at a historic venue, a ballroom that hosted everything from touring bands to dance contests to holiday galas. The previous night had been a concert, so they only had the day of the event to turn the space into a winter wonderland. The venue had moved tables in, but the rest was all up to him and his volunteer crew.