Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
“Obviously,” Esteban echoed with a raised eyebrow. “And I know you probably don’t need to hear this, but anyone who brings the drama right before a holiday—well, you’re well rid of them. Trust me.”
“I know,” Russ groaned. “I know. Not taking him back.”
“Mmmhmm.” The noise said he’d heard that before, and Esteban made a dismissive gesture with the knife. “Now, herbs. Fresh or dried?”
“Fresh. Soren insisted.” Happy to finally be useful again, he retrieved the little plastic box of herbs from the fridge. “And it was still a new relationship. I should have known better than to push meeting the family. Hell. I’m not even sure they knew his name. I’d only just started talking about him. I’m such an idiot.”
“Hey now. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Esteban touched his shoulder on his way to set the largest skillet on the stove burner. He was a touchy-feely guy, way more than Soren had been, and it was a little disconcerting, the way his expressions of friendly sympathy made Russ’s nerve endings sizzle like a sparkler igniting. “You wanted to show off your new guy. No shame in that.”
“Yeah. And he was kinda the first since…” Not wanting to bore Esteban with his tale of woe, he trailed off.
“Since?” Esteban prodded, then his mouth quirked, making him look more contrite. “Sorry. I’m being nosy. Bad habit. Theater thing maybe. I’m a sucker for other people’s stories.”
“This one’s fairly boring. Soren was the first serious guy I’d dated since I came out around the time of my discharge. It…uh…didn’t go over well with my parents. So, when I offered to host, I wanted to show Judy, who stuck by me, that I was doing…all right, I guess.”
“I can see that.” Esteban’s expression softened, eyes going distant. “It was a similar reaction with my family, but that was a lot of years ago. I ran off to LA after school, but I came back when Mami got sick, and somehow going through her illness together as a family mellowed whatever tension was left at that point. Not that I wanted to lose her, never that, but perhaps it was also simply the passage of time for the more hard-headed among the family. Maybe given a couple of years, your family might surprise you.”
“That’d be nice.”
Russ didn’t want to dwell on how frosty things were with his parents now, how tense visits were to the rural central Oregon town where he’d been raised. He’d known they wouldn’t react well to the news, but he’d been so damn tired of burying an essential part of himself, and when he’d been cut loose from the marines, that loss of who he’d thought he’d been, he’d had no more fucks to give for secrecy.
“Hang in there.” Esteban patted him again, sending another rush of warmth down Russ’s arm. “Next we need the butter.”
“Here.” He fetched a stick from the fridge. “I really appreciate your help. Now, how do we make sure not to burn the butter and onions?”
“Easy. Don’t crank the heat too high. Melt the butter first. How do you get by without cooking?” Esteban sounded more curious than judgmental.
“I’m working on getting those skills.” He stifled a groan. For a nearly-thirty guy he was ridiculously inept on the domestic front.
Judging by the few stray silver hairs in Esteban’s scruff and temples, he probably had five or ten years on Russ, but more importantly, he seemed to have picked up a few more adulting skills. Russ could supervise unpacking a chopper full of supplies in under fifteen minutes, take charge of new recruits, but don’t ask him to make dinner.
“Growing up, my mom handled the cooking,” he explained. “And she and my dad had a rather…gendered approach to chores. Lots of trash duty, not so much potato peeling for me.”
“Same, but Mami was a nurse-midwife who worked long hours at a big hospital—I picked up some skills in my teens out of necessity and then more on the job with different gigs through the years. And now it’s more of a pleasure, honestly.”
“Still waiting for the pleasure part.” Russ gave a self-conscious laugh. “And the marines was my first paying job, right out of high school. They fed me for ten years, followed by Judy’s cooking while I found my feet after getting out. So, it’s sort of new skill. I’ve been relying too much on frozen stuff, I know.”
“Luckily for you, I’m happy to demonstrate. It makes me feel like I’m on my own cooking show. I auditioned for several food-themed reality shows, but never got the call.”
“That’s too bad.” Watching Esteban’s deft hands stir the onions and celery was almost hypnotic. “So what were you in that I might know? Or is that too nosy?”
“Think I was nosy first.” Esteban waggled his eyebrows. “And not much, honestly. I had some commercials and a couple of recurring roles on soap operas, enough to put aside a down payment for this place when I moved back, but no big blockbuster parts. Even before Mami became ill, I was getting tired of that life, the constant grind.”