Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“Seriously, the abs?” Derek repeats.
“They’re real good. I think the starvation has helped.”
He winks. I’m waiting for him to open his eye back up but he says, “Now!”
I take the picture and show it to him.
“Perfect,” he says.
“Good. That only took thirty-five tries.”
“Whatever.” Naughty Santa wraps his arms around him and pulls him back onto the chair.
“You still haven’t told me what you wanted for Christmas, little elf.”
“Ooh.” Derek reaches down and pulls the waistband of Santa’s pants back. “Whatever you have under these reindeer boxers will probably do.”
I roll my eyes and head off, searching for Cody, who texted to let me know he and Doc had arrived.
I push through the crowd. It’s a house party at Steven and Raymond’s—they throw a party every Christmas Eve. It started for people who either didn’t have any family to go home to or couldn’t travel to visit their families, but now it’s become a free-for-all. That’s what Gary tells me, at least. I expected a small get-together, assuming most people would have Christmas plans, but the place is packed. And while the party is adult-themed with shirtless server elves and bartender reindeer—all people volunteering to lend a hand—it’s a diverse crowd, not just gay guys like I was thinking it would be. Now I don’t feel as weird about inviting my mom. I figured she’d want to spend Christmas Eve at her place since we didn’t do Thanksgiving there, but when I suggested the possibility of her coming downtown and not having to lift a finger for the holiday, she was thrilled.
“Hey,” I hear beside me.
I turn and Cody comes at me, kissing me softly.
The past few weeks together have been wonderful. We’ve been having fun, enjoying this new relationship—going on dates and watching movies together. I like all the things I’m learning about him, and I’m looking forward to getting to know him even better.
“Where’s Trav?” he asks.
“Haven’t seen him or Gary yet.”
“I saw Derek making out with Santa in the corner, so if I catch Gary and Trav kissing under the mistletoe, I’m gonna lose my shit.”
He winks at me, and I chuckle.
“Where’s Doc?” I ask.
“Hit the bathroom as soon as we got here.”
“Hayden!” It’s my mom’s voice.
I spot her through the crowd, wearing a red jacket, a green skirt, and a Santa hat. She holds a nearly empty glass of white wine in one hand and waves with the other as she pushes her way through a group of people, glancing around uneasily. When she reaches us, she hugs Cody first and then me.
“I’ve been looking for you for at least fifteen minutes,” she says. “I just kept going around, and I thought you might be upstairs, so I checked up there, but I ran into the friendliest group of shirtless gingerbread men, who…were lovely to look at.”
“Mom!”
Cody grins.
“How did you already have time to drink that glass of wine?” I ask.
She glances at the glass, then back at me. “I don’t even know how I got this. I guess one of the gingerbread boys gave it to me after the Jell-O shots.”
“Jell-O shots?” I ask.
She shrugs.
“Moms gotta have fun, too,” Cody interjects.
I laugh, and I’m kind of happy to see her like this.
“You really didn’t have to come here,” I say.
A server in a green thong and elf hat passes between us. Mom’s gaze shifts to his ass, her mouth hanging open slightly.
She shakes her head. “I want to be a part of my son’s life. I’m not one of those asshole mothers who’s going to skip out on things like this and never know who you really are as a person. This is your life now, and I’m proud of it and you.”
She gives me another hug and kisses me on the cheek. As embarrassed as I am having my mother hugging me at this party, that was such a sweet thing for her to say that I don’t resist. I appreciate how she’s here for me. How she’s always been there for me. Through good times and bad, she’s never made me feel ashamed of who I am, which is a lot more than I can say for some people, something I’m reminded of when she pulls away and I see Cody glancing at us.
His gaze shifts away quickly.
I think about his crappy situation with his own family. What fucking assholes they were to him.
He wasn’t as lucky as I was. And that’s fucked up.
I want to give him a big hug right now, but before I have a chance, Doc comes up and starts chatting with us. Soon, the whole gang’s here, and we laugh and catch up. Derek and Naughty Santa sneak away from the North Pole backdrop and join us. Santa’s arms stay around Derek as Derek talks to my mom, something I’m a little freaked out about since Naughty Santa keeps grabbing his ass. Mom doesn’t seem to notice, though.