Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
CODY
My dad called me bright and early the next day, while Ben still slept. I grabbed my cell and slipped out of the room, snatching a pair of boxer briefs from the clean clothes hamper on my way. As I answered, I ungracefully balanced on one foot to pull the underwear up.
"Hey, Dad."
"Hey, Cody. Your mom asked me to call and check in while she ran to the grocery store. You doing okay? We haven’t heard much from you lately."
I glanced back to make sure I wasn’t disturbing Ben’s sleep and pulled the door closed, letting it latch quietly. I’d been so busy getting to know Ben and having a great time that I hadn't checked in with my parents recently. My mom worried a lot. "I’m great. How about you two?"
"Everything’s good here. We’re having that cookout this afternoon. We wanted to be sure you’re coming."
My stomach sank. The cookout for Aunt Martha’s birthday. I’d completely forgotten. "Of course I’ll be there," I said smoothly. "Wouldn’t miss it."
"Good. Your mom invited someone she’d like you to meet."
"Oh lord." I rolled my eyes as my dad chuckled.
"That’s pretty much what I said, but she insists this one’s the one."
"She’s said that about the last four guys she’s introduced me to." Behind me, the bedroom door clicked open. I turned just as Ben stepped out, completely naked, grinning as he came toward me.
In my ear, Dad laughed again. "I told her that, too."
Ben wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, teasing my ear and neck with his lips, making me shiver. "Hey, Dad, I’ve gotta run."
"See you this afternoon, then?"
"Definitely." We said goodbye and I ended the call before turning in Ben’s arms to face him.
"Good morning," he murmured.
"Good morning yourself."
"Did I interrupt your call?" There was a wicked smirk on his face.
I kissed him quickly. "You gave me a good excuse to hang up. I’d rather be talking to you than my dad anyway."
Ben hesitated, arms tensing up. "Shit, I’m sorry. If I’d known it was your dad I wouldn’t have tried to distract you."
"Don’t worry. It’s fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. Honestly."
He relaxed around me. "Okay. In that case, did I hear you say something about meeting a guy?"
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. "My mom is convinced that I’m going to die alone, so she’s always trying to hook me up with whatever gay guy she’s met that week."
"Are you going to go?"
"Well, I can’t not go. It’s my aunt Martha’s birthday and they’re having a cookout. But…" It was my turn to hesitate. "You could come with me. If you wanted to, I mean."
He frowned, brows dipping low. "Come meet a guy your mom wants to hook you up with?"
I laughed a little. "That’s not what I meant. The cookout. You could come with me. Meet them. Protect me from strangers. You know.”
“Do I?”
I took a breath, steadying my nerves. I wanted to have the conversation about labeling our relationship, but I was nervous, even though I felt like we were definitely on the same page.
“Do the whole boyfriend thing." I bit my bottom lip for a second. "If you wanted to."
He smiled widely. "I’d love to."
A few hours later, Ben and I headed to his place so he could put on clean clothes. As we entered his apartment, he called out for his roommate.
"You here, Jesse?"
"Here," Jesse called from the couch where he was playing a video game.
"I brought company."
The screen froze as Jesse paused his game. "Who’s this?"
Ben hesitated briefly. "My boyfriend. Cody."
Jesse’s eyebrows shot up. "Cody? The wrong-number guy?" When Ben nodded, Jesse grinned. "Well, I’ll be damned."
"We’re headed to a cookout at his parents’ house, so I’m only here to change."
Jesse’s grin widened. "Meeting the parents? Must be serious."
"Whatever you say," Ben said, a smile on his face as he shook his head. "Come on, my room’s over here."
I followed Ben to his room, which was surprisingly cozy. I’d expected something more sparse, but he had a big fluffy duvet on his king-sized bed and actual curtains in the windows. He changed quickly and soon, we were headed to my parents’ house as all the butterflies in the world took up residence in my stomach. It wasn’t long until we’d arrived. I pulled my car along the curb, the street already lined with guests’ vehicles.
Before we got out of the car, I turned to Ben. "You’re sure you want to do this?"
He took my hand in one of his. "I’m one hundred percent sure. Let’s do it."
"Let’s do it," I echoed. I led Ben up the sloped driveway and into the split-level house I’d grown up in. We made our way upstairs and found my mom in the kitchen, which looked exactly the same as it had when I was a child. The yellowed linoleum floor, the laminate countertops, the pine cabinets–all the same. The only things that had changed were the appliances. Mom was laughing with a friend, a glass of wine in her hand.
When she caught sight of me, her face lit up and she stopped mid-sentence. "Look, everyone. Cody’s here."
The chatter in the room stopped and my stomach swooped. The last thing I wanted was a roomful of attention on me while I introduced Ben to my parents. I opened my mouth to speak, but Mom beat me to it.
"And who’s this?"
I took a deep breath. "Mom, this is Ben. He’s… my boyfriend."
Her eyebrows rose. "Boyfriend? Cody, why didn’t you tell me?" Her words were laced with excitement as she put her wine glass down and crossed the room to wrap Ben in a tight hug.
"She’s a hugger," I murmured too late, the chatter in the room picking up.
Ben hugged her back, my chest warming as he did. "It’s so good to meet you, missus–"
She swatted his shoulder as she pulled away. "Don’t you dare. If you’re going to call me anything, it’s Angela. Or Mom, if you’re so inclined."
"It’s nice to meet you, Angela."
She beamed and turned to me. "You know what? We have to find Dad. He has to meet Ben."
"Mom, why don’t you let him settle in? I can get him a drink or something."
"Of course. Get him a drink. I’ll just go get your dad myself."
Mom hurried off, leaving me and Ben standing in the middle of the kitchen. I frowned as I looked at him. "I should have warned you."
His face was practically glowing. "It’s fine. She’s great."
"Can I get you a drink?" I opened the refrigerator. "There’s beer, if you want that. Wine, obviously. I can probably rustle up a bottle of cider or something else if you want it. And there are always water bottles and sodas in a cooler in the backyard."
"Beer is fine."
Before I had a chance to actually get him a beer, Mom returned, Dad in tow. "And this is Ben!"
The scene played out the same way it had a few moments ago, Dad hugging Ben and insisting Ben call him Eddie. When he released Ben, Dad turned to Mom. "Guess you didn’t need to invite the one to the cookout," he murmured, smirking and using air quotes.
Mom swatted his arm, just like she’d done to Ben. "Oh, hush. I would have invited him anyway. He’s a lovely man."
When they were finished embarrassing me, at least for then, Dad went back outside and Mom started grilling Ben on how we’d met, what he did, and what his family was like.
" Mom ," I said, sounding a little like a petulant child. "Let him be."
"Fine," she said. "But don’t think I’m letting you off the hook. We’ll talk more later."
After she left, I turned to Ben again. "I’m really sorry about them."
He leaned in and kissed me quickly. "Don’t be. They’re nice."
We wandered into the backyard, where Dad was holding court with his friends as he grilled. Off to one side was a guy sitting by himself–the one my mom had planned for me to meet, I guessed. He was blond, classically good-looking and muscular, but not my type at all. He looked over at me and Ben, frowning. I wondered if he had really expected us to hit it off, when he stood and came over to us.
"You," he said. Before I could react, he continued. "You’re Ben, right?"
Ben turned to him, his brows dipping in confusion. "James?"
The guy–James–nodded. "What are you doing here?"
"Wait–you two know each other?"
Ben’s gaze met mine. "Remember that first day I texted you and apologized for the accident?"
"Yeah…"
"I was trying to text James. He’s the one I bumped into."
"Rear-ended," James interjected with a wink.
Ben cleared his throat. "Fair enough. I rear-ended him."
"And you were trying to text him when you got me instead?" I asked.
When Ben nodded, James laughed. "Is that how you two met?"
"It is. A wrong-number text," Ben said, looking at me fondly. "Wait, what’s your number?"
When James recited it, I laughed. "That’s my phone number, too. Just one number off."
"Ah, man. Looks like I was just one number off from fate swooping in." His tone was light, and he grinned.
"Or maybe it was fate that made me dial it wrong," Ben pointed out.
"Touché." James lifted his beer in concession before taking a sip. "Well, it was good to meet you both. I’m going to head inside and refresh my drink." He headed off, and I turned to Ben, pulling him close.
"Fate, huh?"
He shrugged. "What else could it be? I do feel sort of bad for James, though."
“I’m sure Mom will find someone else for him to date. She loves playing matchmaker.” A moment passed. “Funny coincidence, isn’t it?”
"It is," he agreed. "And I’m glad it happened."
I kissed him quickly. "Me too. Me too."