Page 46 of Unexpected Company
A streak of anger jolts through me, and I clench my free hand. Who would give up the relationship with their child because of their sexuality? Sadly, I acknowledge wordlessly, too many people.
“I never told my mum I’m gay, but I think she’d have been cool with it.” A picture of Mum, with her long blonde hair and her deep dimples and kind eyes flits into my mind and my chest aches with a longing I seldom feel these days. I’ve long since come to terms with her death, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss her. Especially around Christmas. It was her favourite holiday.
We pass through a food court where the aroma of burgers, pizzas and other savoury goods hangs in the air. To the left of the long lines of people waiting to place their orders stands a tall canopy, designed to look like a ski chalet.
There’s a band playing beneath it, a singer belting out the chorus to a popular rock song while her bandmate strums on his guitar. Long picnic style tables sit at an angle so that patrons can watch the stage and at the end of each row stands a tall heater designed to look like open flames, adding to the festive atmosphere. We step around groups milling in the spacebetween the canopy and food courts, heading to a large sign announcing the start of the lights trail.
“What about your aunt?” Garrett asks, pausing at a small stand at the entrance, also designed in that alpine ski lodge style. He purchases two recyclable cups of mulled wine and he hands one to me. The spicy nutmeg scent wafts up my nostrils as I take a sip. It’s not a cup of tea, but it’s still fucking delicious.
“My aunt…” I take another sip. “She’s been supportive since the day I told her, telling me it doesn’t matter who we love as long as we treat them right and they treat us the same. For all her absences in my childhood, she’s always been good to me.”
“She wasn’t around much?” Garrett asks.
We pass under a dome of lights made up of giant red and white candy canes.
I shake my head. “My aunt never wanted kids, but she never once complained – where I could hear her at least – about being saddled with one. But she wasn’t maternal. So she made sure I had what I needed to survive and kind of left me to it.”
Garrett squeezes my hand. “You did alright, Supernova.”
“Yeah,” I stop to look at him. “So did you, Mr Best Seller.” Garrett smiles and squeezes my hand.
We amble along a pathway of thin, naked trees lit up in a rainbow of colours before stopping to take our photo in a giant glowing frame.
It’s busy on the path, and our walk is stop-start as we wait for our turn to get photos with the various light installations. When we’re finally on a quieter part of the trail, I turn to Garrett, a sly grin plastered on my face.
“I have an idea.”
He smirks. “For?”
“Christmas gifts.”
Garrett leads me to a bench, and we sit down. We’ve long since finished our mulled wine, so he takes out the thermos and pourstea into two small cups and hands me one. The tea isterribleand I grimace before trying to school my features.
“Pretty sure I fucked it up,” he says, his nose wrinkled adorably. “Unless it’s meant to taste like dishwater?”
“Far too much milk.” I empty the cup into the bushes behind me. “Anyway, back to my idea.”
Garrett empties his cup too and packs away the flask. “I’m listening.”
“Fantasies,” I blurt out.
He raises one perfectly shaped brow. “Fantasies?”
“Yeah. Neither of us need actualthings. So I’ll give you one of your fantasies and you give me one of mine.”
I look around us, thankful that there is no one else on this part of the trail, because merely thinking of what I want to suggest has my cock twitching with interest.
“Okay.” He places a hand on my knee, slowly edging it up my thigh. My heartbeat picks up, my pulse racing the higher his hand gets. He pauses where my leg connects with my groin. “What do you want, Roman?”
I do one more sweep of the area, then drop my voice in case some family comes bounding around the corner. There are Christmas songs playing through speakers hidden in the lit up trees, but the thud of my heart in my ears is louder. I’m not embarrassed by my fantasies. I’ve never been afraid to ask for what I want, but there’s still a little trepidation because what I want to ask for this time requires vulnerability on my side. And I’ve never been with someone I’m comfortable being vulnerable with. Not until Garrett.
“No judgement,” I say.
Garrett shakes his head. “Never.”
“Okay…I want you to fuck me while I’m sleeping.” Garrett’s hand tightens, and he puffs out a breath. “I want to wake up onChristmas morning with you holding me down, stuffing me full with that huge cock of yours.”
“Jesus, Roman.” He releases his grip on my thigh and rubs a hand over the back of his neck.
