Page 40 of Hammered and Nailed
He settled in, leaning his crutches against the end of the table. "Everything’s good my way." He gestured toward his ankle. "Still not weight-bearing, but soon."
"Can I get you a drink?" When he agreed, I hopped up and went to the bar to gather a couple of beers for us before settling down again.
"What about you? Anything new at work?"
"Actually," I said slowly. "I’ve been working on a friend’s cabin up north. It had some tree damage."
"No shit? What about the jobs you had lined up for the summer?"
I shrugged. "When you hurt yourself, I put a few things off until the end of summer. It wasn’t a big deal."
He took a sip of his beer before smirking at me. "Let me guess. Your friend is a woman you’re trying to get with."
Pinching my lips together, I frowned and furrowed my brow. "Do you really have that little faith in me? You don’t believe I’d help a friend just because they needed help?"
After a second, Tommy shook his head. "You’re right. That’s not fair of me. Just because you did something kind doesn’t mean it wasjustfor sex."
I flipped him off and rolled my eyes. "Give me a break." I finally took a sip of the beer in front of me. It was a fresh, light IPA that tasted a bit like guava. I let the flavor roll around on my tongue for a moment, distracting myself from the conversation at hand.
"So youdidn’tspend your time up north hooking up every night?"
There it was. I took a deep breath. "Well…"
Tommy slapped the table lightly. "There it is. Tell me about her."
"Actually, it… it wasn’t a her. It was a him."
His eyebrows shot up, and a slow smile took over his face. "Seriously?"
"That’s not going to be a problem, is it?"
He shook his head. "Hell no. Tell me about him."
That made me smile, wide and genuine. "You’ve met him. My friend Emery."
"The teacher?"
"That’s the one."
Tommy nodded slowly and took another sip of his drink. "I thought he was straight. But hell, I thought you were straight, too."
"Same," I said with a laugh. "It’s new for both of us."
"Well, congrats, man." Tommy raised his glass and clinked it with mine. "A toast to having the most interesting summer of your life."
Later that night, back at my place, a tiny bachelor pad of a house with a fenced-in backyard just big enough for a grill, a shed, and my most prized possession—a hot tub—I relayed the story of my day to Emery as I made burgers. He listened carefully, not interrupting, as I told him about the conversation with Tommy. When I finished, he moved to stand behind me and squeezed my shoulders.
"I’m proud of you." He kissed me on the cheek lightly. "I really am."
My chest heated and the knot in my stomach, the one keeping me from coming out to my family, loosened a little. "Thanks. I’m proud of me, too."
He stepped back from me and moved to my side, looking into my eyes as he spoke. "Do you want to tell your family?"
I inhaled deeply, flipping the burgers on the grill. "I do. I think I’m ready."
"How do you want to tell them? In person? Over the phone? Do you want me to be there when you tell them?"
I laughed a little and kissed him lightly. "In person. And yes, I want you to be there."
