Page 57 of Color of You
“That’s true.” I looked at Alan. “How’d you know?”
He motioned vaguely at the couch without looking up. “I live with a gay man. I’ve got intuition.”
“Uh-huh,” I answered. I wrapped both arms around Felix and pressed him tighter against me. “Anyway. Long story short, my tree is naked.”
“I’ll get you some ornaments.”
“No, don’t worry. I’ll just grab some lights and colored bulbs from the store.”
“That’s not very personable.”
“What’re you going to do, make me some with your own two hands?” I countered.
“Dad makes pretty ornaments,” Alan piped up.
I tilted my head back to get a look at Felix. “Of course he does,” I stated. “Anything you can’t do, darling?”
Felix raised his gaze. “I can’t see the color of you.”
My heart slugged hard against my chest.
“But I imagine it’s white,” he continued.
I arched an eyebrow. “Why do you say that?”
“When you break apart white light, it’s a composite of several colors, isn’t it?”
“I’m not a science teacher, but yeah.”
Felix smiled. “That’s you. Subtle and elegant on the outside, a rainbow of passion on the inside.”
Chapter Nine
15 Days Until Christmas
“I THINKyou’re doing this on purpose.”
“Doing what?” Felix asked.
“It’s Sunday, it’s late, I should go, and you’re trying to feed me.”
Felix looked over his shoulder from standing in front of the stove again. “I like feeding you.” He went to the fridge on the left, opened the freezer, and pulled out a carton of vanilla ice cream.
“Oh my God, ice cream too? I think you’re trying to kill me.”
Felix chuckled under his breath. He scooped two spoons worth into whatever he was making, then put the ice cream away. Another minute of work and he turned around to slide two plates onto the island. “Apple crisp baked inside an apple, with ice cream and salted caramel.”
A perfect combination of brown sugar and cinnamon hit my senses. Vanilla ice cream dribbled down the side of the warm apple skin, and caramel pooled in the center. If this killed me, I could think of no better way to go out.
“This looks amazing.”
“Try it.”
“It’s too pretty to destroy.”
Felix offered me a fork.
“But… if you insist.” I took the silverware and scooped out a big bite from the center of the apple. It practically melted in my mouth, all the flavors associated with a crisp, cold day playing perfectly against my tongue. “Delicious.”
