Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Jesus. There were things to work through, Emilio knew that. Spencer had been hurt and he didn’t trust easily, he had grown up differently, so his idea of family wasn’t the same as Emilio’s, and they were in different income brackets and different age ranges. But when Spencer said things like that, when he gazed at Emilio like he was something amazing, none of those issues seemed important. Working through all that shit would be worth what they’d get in the end. And Emilio had never been afraid of hard work.
“Emilio, man, you’re blocking people,” Jim called out. “Come sit down.”
“Coming,” he answered Jim without moving his attention from Spencer. “We’ll talk about this when we get home, okay?” he whispered to Spencer. “I ain’t gonna forget.”
Spencer bobbed his head and then they went to sit down for dinner.
They hadn’t been seated long enough for Emilio to get his menu open or for Spencer to unroll his napkin from the silverware when Jim threw out the first question of the night. “Spencer, I understand you’re a teacher. Where do you teach?”
The silverware tumbled to the table and Spencer blushed as he placed it next to his plate in perfectly straight rows. He glanced up and said, “I’m a math professor at UNLV.”
Jim’s eyebrows shot up, and Emilio knew he was impressed. Yup, his man was crazy smart.
“Wow, that’s intimidating. The hardest class I had in school was through the math department. Business statistics.” Jim ran his hand over his mostly bald head. “It’s a miracle I passed.”
“Oh, don’t let Jim fool you!” Alicia said as she looked fondly at her husband. “He has a knack for numbers. Jim’s a CPA. In fact, that’s how we met. I interned at his firm when I was in college.” She paused and then peered at Spencer. Emilio put his menu down and set his hand on Spencer’s knee, reminding him that he wasn’t alone as he faced the upcoming inquisition. “How did you meet my brother?”
“He was working on the addition to the building where I work.” Spencer draped his napkin over his lap and fiddled with it. “And I, uh, saw him there.” He turned his head and looked at Emilio from underneath his lashes. “He was smiling.”
“Uh-huh,” Alicia said, her tone indicating that she wanted more information.
Emilio rolled his eyes. “Raul asked me to come look at the electrical box and give him some ideas of what we’d need to do with wiring. I saw Spencer walking into his office and decided I had to find a way to meet him, so I chased him down and asked him out. Now quit asking so many questions. I just caught him; I don’t want you scaring him off.”
Spencer relaxed and grinned, his dimples flashing. “She’s fine,” he assured Emilio.
“You see that, Alley Cat? Dimples.” Emilio put his hand over his heart and sighed dramatically as he flung his head back. “He has dimples.”
“Goofball,” Spencer said, bumping his shoulder against Emilio’s, the gesture friendly and familiar.
“Yes, I see,” Alicia said with laughter in her voice. “Spencer, you have lovely dimples.”
Emilio waggled his eyebrows at Spencer. “I knew you’d win her over,” he whispered loud enough for his voice to carry to everyone at the table. “You’re irresistible.”
Spencer blushed but his lips were turned up. “Only to you,” he mumbled.
“No way.” Emilio darted his eyes toward Jim. “Am I right, Jimmy?”
“What’s that?” Jim asked as he glanced up from the menu. He looked over his reading glasses at Emilio and Spencer. “Oh, yes. Irresistible.” Then he turned to Alicia and said, “Should we share the harvest salad and the fish or do you want to get your own meal?”
“What are you getting?” Emilio asked Spencer.
Tearing his gaze away from Jim and Alicia, Spencer bent his head close to Emilio’s and quietly said, “Your family is amazing.”
“Yeah,” Emilio responded automatically. Then he furrowed his brow and asked, “What do you mean?”
“They’re really accepting. It doesn’t matter to them that we’re both guys. Your brother was like that when we met, and now your sister and her husband too.” Spencer took a deep breath. “Your family is amazing.”
Emilio shrugged. “Yeah. They’re cool.”
“No, really.” Spencer curled his fingers over Emilio’s forearm. “You have a great family. You’re lucky.”
“Ah, cariño,” Emilio whispered when understanding finally dawned. He cupped Spencer’s nape, bringing them closer together until their foreheads were almost connecting. “I’m sorry it ain’t like that for you.”
“It’s okay,” Spencer said.
“No.” Emilio shook his head and rubbed his thumb over the side of Spencer’s neck. “It ain’t right. You deserve better than what you got.”
At first it seemed like Spencer was going to brush off Emilio’s comment, which would have been typical. But then he slammed his mouth shut, took in a deep breath, and said, “You’re right. But that’s not why I said anything. I don’t want you to feel bad for me, I just want you to know that your family’s something special, and I’m glad you’re letting me get to know them.”