Page 2 of Thought You Were the One
“What can I get you?”Sarabeth placed two glasses of ice water before us, then held her pen over her notebook, ready to take our order.
“T-bone,” Gawain said, “with mashed potatoes, a side of corn, extra gravy, and a biscuit.”
She grinned.“That’s great.”She pivoted to me.
“Just the blueberry milkshake.”
“Perfect.”She snagged our menus and headed back toward the kitchen.
I clasped my hands together under the table to keep from shaking.“So, last I heard, you were heading to Bishop’s.I can’t believe it’s been ten years, and not a word.Not that I expected you to keep in touch or anything,” I added quickly.Gawain had headed to Bishop’s University in Québec, and Gio had taken off to parts unknown.Backpacking in the Andes, I’d last heard.Of course, that had been ten years ago.
“Bishop’s?Right.University.”He scratched his nose.“Well, you might not know that Mom and Dad moved to Italy to care for my grandparents—my dad’s parents.They decided to stay and are there now.”
I hadn’t known that, but perhaps that explained the absence.“So, what did you wind up studying?”
His nose twitched.“Asian cultural studies and languages.I focused on Japanese.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.Did you wind up visiting there?”
“I lived there.For the past six years.”
My eyes widened.“Oh, wow, that’s so cool.Can you say something in Japanese?”
He cocked his head.“Plenty of things.But not right now.I’m...tired, you know?It’s been a long trip.”
“I can only imagine.You live there now?Why are you in Mission City?”
“No…” He rubbed his forehead.“I was living there.Now, I’m…home.”He gazed up at me with pleading dark-brown eyes.“Just…a fresh start.”
I couldn’t conceive of why he might need one, but I didn’t know what he’d been up to.I wanted to make some kind of joke, but figured it would either wind up being culturally insensitive or generally inappropriate.I had a bad habit of putting my foot in my mouth, which was why I mixed the paint in the back of the store while my trusty assistant, Yamish, handled the customers out front.That had been my mom’s job back in the day.I’d been in my second year of biochemistry, hoping to get into medical school.A long shot, but one I’d clung to.Instead, I’d quit school, took over the store, and set about raising my three younger siblings.I’d always been the responsible oldest child, but even I had been unprepared to deal with three traumatized and grieving children.
We’d survived.
Mostly.
I’d become a recluse and only ate at Fifties on nights when store sales were excellent, and I needed company without actually being obliged to interact with anyone other than Sarabeth.
Gawain reached out his hand to grasp mine, startling me.“What about you?I’m so out of touch.”
“Nothing major.”I waved him off with my other hand, not wanting to sever our connection.
“I may not be the most sensitive—”
“But you are,” I countered.“You were always so understanding.Willing to listen.Do you remember when Tanner hurt his wrist in sixth grade?You stayed by his side while your brother ran for help.You comforted him as he cried.”
“You remember that?”
I remember everything about you.That moment had solidified my crush on him.“Yeah, a little.Tanner’s married now.To Kade.Nita’s older brother.”
My dinner companion blinked.“Yeah, okay.I remember Kade coming out when he was in high school.Pretty brave around here.”
As he continued to hold my hand, I knew I had to do it.To be honest with him.“I came out in my first year of university.I was at the University of British Columbia, and another guy in my dorm was out—”
“Did you date him?”
“Uh, no.He was…as shy as I was…” Shy wasn’t the right word, but I wasn’t going to use the word bottom.That sometimes freaked out straight people.
Still, Gawain didn’t release my hand.“You came out…”
