Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
That couldn’t have been easy, being in the closet for all those years. But he’d had a boyfriend. An out-and-proud actor and—what was his name again? Stephen or Steve…
Suddenly, I was curious. And when I got curious, I researched.
I mumbled a good-bye to Ezra, grabbed my iPad, and moved into the living room, away from his nosy gaze. I perched on the edge of the red sofa, adjusted my glasses, and typed.
LA, actor, Spiderman, boyfriend…bingo!
Stefan Carter was easy to find.
Darn it. He was handsome too. Devastatingly handsome.
Tall, dark, debonair…and muscular. Age thirty-two, originally from Tampa. He had a number of cable TV show credits to his name and small parts in feature films. He’d also had quite a few dalliances.
There were tons of photos of him with scantily-clad twinks who vaguely resembled Noah. When jealousy prickled along my spine, I skipped the photos and homed in on a headline about a former boyfriend and a scandal in Miami dated seven years ago.
A near-deadly incident.
A hospital visit, police involvement.
A man on a stretcher, his face swollen and bloodied beyond recognition, and—
Buzz buzz.
My heart thundered in my chest as I closed the tab and answered my cell. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. I know you’re heading to work soon, but I wanted to check in with you. How are you?”
“I’m doing well,” I lied, swallowing hard around the bile rising in my throat. Focus, Tommy. Focus. “And you?”
“Fine. I’ve been busy with tennis and…”
I listened with half an ear, answering her well-meaning questions about school and work for a few minutes, willing myself to relax. Any other day, I would have asked to return her call, but I felt shaky. I had a feeling that it was in my best interest not to delve any deeper into Stefan’s connection with Noah until I had sufficient time to investigate. I couldn’t afford to be distracted in class. Abrams would bite my head off, and my students deserved better.
So I hummed as Mom filled me in about tennis with her friend, Margie, and a golf trip with Dad.
Was it odd that my mom called to check in with me on a random Friday? Well, yes and no. I lived ten to fifteen minutes away from my folks, depending upon traffic. It was telling that I caught up with one parent via phone once a week and at dinner once a month. There was no animosity…it was just how we connected. Or didn’t connect.
We hadn’t talked at all since my sister blew up at me, which was perfectly fine. I needed a break from the wedding noise and I didn’t have anything new to share other than—
“I got a haircut and new glasses,” I announced, pushing my iPad under a cushion and pacing to the fireplace.
Mom squealed. “Oh, Tommy, I bet you look dashing!”
“I don’t know about that, but it’s probably an improvement.” I checked the time and made my way through our ghostly dark foyer to the stairs.
“I can’t wait to see. Dad and I will be out of town next weekend and we have a dinner with his firm the following Saturday, but I want to see you before the wedding shower in Santa Barbara next month.”
“Hmm. That should be fun.” I sighed, greeting Holden with a nod when he walked out of his room.
“Oh, don’t be like that,” she chided. “It will be lovely. Don’t forget to bring a plus-one.”
It was probably best to set expectations now. “I’m not bringing a date.”
Date. Noah.
I gulped. I wanted to call him, see if he was okay. Of course he was. That was old news. Maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe—
“Tommy, it’s a couples shower. You need a date, darling. Bring Holden,” she suggested just as Holden headed downstairs.
“He’s seeing someone, Mom. I can’t ask him.”
She gasped. “Really? It can’t be serious. I thought you and Holden were—”
“We’re not,” I brusquely intercepted.
“Well, I can ask around at the club. Margie’s son is gay.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, thank you.”
“You know, honey…it helps to be honest. Tell Holden how you feel. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Not bad advice, except for the fact she wasn’t listening to me. One of these days, I’d figure out a way to communicate so I was understood outside of a classroom…or maybe I’d just lose my marbles.
“I have to run, Mom. Love you.”
I disconnected the call, wincing at the hullabaloo coming from the kitchen. Something about stealing eggs and the improper use of utensils. Holden sounded under-caffeinated and exasperated while Ezra sounded amused. Any other day, I would have gone back downstairs to run interference.
Not today.
I didn’t want to deal with them or even think about a weekend away with my family, the Remingtons, and a slew of pretentious strangers. I had bigger things on my mind.
Noah.
Once my day started, I didn’t have a minute to myself. I taught three classes, attended a lecture, and supervised a lab session. I thought about reopening that tab on my iPad, but I’d left it under that cushion when it occurred to me that it was a little sleazy to stalk your friend-slash-pretend date on the Internet. Noah’s story had to come from him. And if he chose not to share it, that was okay.