Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Richmond blinked in surprise before smiling again. “That would be great. I'll see you then.”
It took a great deal of mental convincing to get my feet in motion. I wanted to stay with him; to throw my arms around him and tell him everything in my heart. Instead, I simply told him, “Goodnight, Richmond.”
His eyes sparkled overtop of his pink cheeks. “Goodnight, Gavin.” My heart fluttered all the way to my car.
Chapter Three
Richmond
I paced the floor next to the front door, waiting for Gavin to arrive. It had only been a week since I saw him last, but it felt like much longer. I’d found myself thinking about him constantly, and wishing to spend time with him. Fortunately, I’d been too busy with work to contemplate why. I didn’t think I was ready for the answer.
I was touched that Gavin offered to pick me up for the party. I couldn’t remember the last time a man picked me up for a date. Not that this was a date; I had to keep reminding myself of that fact, even though it gave me heartburn. This was simply an outing to help Gavin with his career.
Still, any time I went anywhere with a man, he always expected me to drive, and to pay. Whether it was because of my age, income, or “fatherly vibe” (as I’d heard I gave off) I couldn’t be sure, but the outcome was almost always the same; men expected me to take the lead.
It had been that way as long as I could remember, even when I was much younger and just coming into my identity. In my early twenties, I was still living life as a straight man. Even though I was questioning myself, I struck up a relationship with Wade’s mother. She ended up falling pregnant, and that’s when everything fell apart.
We disagreed about what to do with the pregnancy; she wanted to terminate, but I wanted to keep the baby. I begged her to allow me to take custody, and promised there would be no hard feelings if she didn’t want to be in the child’s life. She agreed, and signed Wade over to me after his birth. I raised him as a single father and loved every minute of it.
When he was very young, I was too busy chasing him around to date, though I did take time to figure out my needs. I realized I was gay before he entered grade school, and I worried my coming out may make his life more difficult. But when I had the conversation with him during his middle school years, he told me that I was a great dad and that’s all that mattered. He didn’t care who I loved; he would always love me.
Shortly after that, I met his new friend Gavin. He was a shy, quiet kid at first. But in spite of this, and his lack of confidence, he knew who he was. He figured things out a hell of a lot quicker than I had, and I admired that about him.
There was a lot to admire about Gavin; like the way he paid on the house costs. I didn't expect it, and I had no plans of cashing the check, but I respected the hell out of him for writing it. He took care of business without ever taking the easy way out.
Beyond his reliability, Gavin was kind, funny, smart, gorgeous…dammit. I needed to reverse that train of thought right back into the station.
A knock sounded on the door and the distraction made me breathe a sigh of relief…until I opened the door and found Gavin on my front step. If I thought he was gorgeous before, he was downright stunning now.
He was dressed in a fitted gray suit. The fabric hugged his curves perfectly, stretching over his sleek form. A black satin tie gave him a classy, sophisticated look.
“Wow,” I blurted out stupidly, my jaw hanging open.
Gavin’s answering smile was the perfect compliment to his attire. “You look pretty wow yourself.”
I was in the same old black suit I always wore to the office. I left the top buttons of my white dress shirt undone, forgoing a tie for a little breathing room. I had to wear one to work, but I skipped it any chance I could.
“Thanks,” I mumbled when I realized I hadn't answered him, instead still raking my gaze over his body. I needed to stop, but I knew trying was useless. Maybe I could just make my ogling less obvious.
“Shall we?” he asked, offering me his elbow. My heart skipped a beat as I wrapped my fingers around his arm. I'd never been escorted before.
But Gavin’s chivalry didn't stop there. He opened the passenger door of his car for me, and then closed it behind me once I was settled in. He drove a twelve year old Accord which had seen better days, but I knew how proud he was of the ride, since he'd saved up from his high school job and paid for it himself.