Page 36 of Waiting on Life
“Tell me about your childhood,” he said.
“Not much to tell. I’ve always been fabulous, and no one who looked at me would be unable to see it. From the time I was seven, I was the neighborhood queer, and—”
“Don’t say that,” he admonished. “Don’t belittle yourself.”
“Why? It’s true. That was how they saw me. Pretty much how everyone saw me. My mom encouraged me, told me to be true to myself, but that led to a lot of harsh words from others who didn’t bother to know who I was. Fortunately, I had friends who backed me up.”
“I’m sorry.” His voice cracked. “I didn’t mean to dredge up bad memories. I wish I could change them for you.”
And with those words, Toby undid me. He wasn’t paying lip service—he actually meant what he was saying.
“Tell you what. You help me make some new, happier memories, and I’ll let you off the hook.”
This time he gave me a full megawatt smile, and my insides turned to mush. I knew how much I liked him before, but now? I’d give him my right nut if he asked.
“Don’t ask for my right nut, okay?”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t going to.” Then he winked, which sent a shiver through my body. “At least not yet.” His phone rang, and Toby pulled it from his pocket. He glanced at the screen and groaned. “Looks like the inquisition is going to be a lot earlier than I thought. It’s Tammy.” He swiped a finger over the screen before he held the phone up to his ear. “What’s up, turkey butt?”
The laughter from the other end was sweet and melodious. Where Toby’s voice was deep and could be considered gruff, Tammy’s voice sounded nothing like that.
“Yes, he’s here. C’mon, Tam. It’s only a little after seven. Let him wake up before you— … Yes, but— … Fine!” He held the phone out. “For you.”
I took the phone from him, letting my fingers caress his palm and delighting in his shiver. I brought it to my ear. “Yes?”
“Kyle? Hi, I’m Tammy, Toby’s sister.”
She sounded genuinely glad to talk to me, which made me insanely happy for some reason. “Hi, it’s nice to talk to you.”
“Same here. Tell Toby to go get ready for work.”
I peeked up at him. “Go get ready for work.”
“I have time.”
I raised my eyebrows, and he got the hint. With a sigh of disgust, he stood.
“Fine. Eat your goddamn burrito.” Then he stormed off down the hall a moment before the door closed.
“He’s such a drama queen,” Tammy said with a laugh. “At least that explains where Waldo gets it from. So, listen. I wanted to say thank you.”
“For what?”
“Our whole lives, Toby was… not like other guys. He’s a carer, a nurturer. He has always wanted someone to take care of. He told himself it would be a wife, but then he met you.”
And with those words, my stomach flipped. “So he is straight?”
“What? No, that’s not what I’m saying. Toby bought into the whole one man, one woman thing. When he met you, though? That changed his way of thinking, because the life he envisioned was possible, but not with who he thought. Toby has come to realize that you mean something to him, and that’s what he needs in order to build a strong relationship.”
None of this was making any sense. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I’m going to ask you for a favor. Be patient with him. Let him do things for you. I don’t know anything about you other than what Toby has said, but give him time to find his way. He’s stubborn, so you have to be too. Don’t let him decide his is the only way.”
As if.“I won’t.”
“Last night Toby told me you were off work for a few days. Is that right?”
“Yeah, but I really want to go back. It’s my fault he lost his days off.”
