Chapter 7
Seven
E van held Rico’s hand as they strode up the front walkway leading to the home in Oakland he and Susan bought from her parents fifteen years ago when the older couple decided to retire to Arizona. At first, being a guest in the house he’d lived in with Susan and the boys was odd, but this time, it felt different. He looked forward to introducing his ex-wife to Rico. He would also meet the man Susan had dated for several weeks. Steve Probst was a radiologist and, according to Mark and Brian, a cool guy after he took the boys and Susan to a Giants game recently.
Things were better between Rico and Brian since Rico explained his past to the teen. Brian was worried he fucked up Evan and Rico’s relationship, but the latter assured him they could move past the confrontation. Rico finally met Mark the other night when the four of them went out for pizza and a trip to a local driving range open after dark to hit some golf balls. Evan was pleasantly surprised to discover that Rico enjoyed the sport, and they had a tee time next Saturday with Scout and Alex at the Olympic Club, a private golf course and social club that hosted big tournaments like the U.S. Open.
Out of courtesy to Susan, Evan knocked on the door before pushing it open. She’d left it unlocked for them. “Sue?”
“In the kitchen,” was her response.
He led Rico through the three-bedroom, two-bath house to the kitchen, where Susan stood at the stove, stirring something in a pot. Standing beside the island in the middle of the room was a tall, blond man with a mustache and goatee, mixing salad in a large bowl. Susan smiled broadly as she came over to give Evan a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Once again, he was reminded how lucky he was to have her in his life.
Pivoting, Evan gestured toward Rico. “Susan, this is Rico Demara.”
Not surprisingly, she gave Rico a hug and a peck on the cheek too. “It’s so nice to meet you finally. This is Steve Probst. Steve, this is Evan and Rico.”
The men shook hands, and then Susan returned to the stove, telling Evan to get drinks for himself and Rico. Evan had been worried about Steve’s reaction to not only having dinner with his girlfriend’s ex-husband but also said ex-husband’s boyfriend, but it didn’t seem to faze the man. Within minutes, Rico and Steve were in a discussion about the Cock & Bull, which Steve had eaten a few times. Susan caught Evan’s eye and winked at him, causing him to chuckle.
Yup, it looked like dinner would be a relaxing and enjoyable event.
After dinner, Rico excused himself when his cell phone rang. The number on the screen was for the Cock & Bull, and he went out the back door to the patio before connecting the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Rico, it’s Gino.”
Gino Demara was Rico’s younger cousin, who he lived with after his parents were killed. Still trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life, Gino flittered from one job to the next over the years but worked as a bartender at the C&B since it opened.
“What’s up?”
“Just wanted to let you know Brett had to go to the hospital for stitches. He was filleting some fish and sliced himself up pretty good.” Brett was their sous chef.
“Shit. Do you need me to come in?”
“Nah, I think we’ve got it covered. Only had to toss the one fish. David was still here after his shift ended, so he took Brett to the hospital to get stitched up. Adam said they have everything under control in the kitchen.” If the head chef needed help, he would ask for it.
“All right. Let me know if you need me to come in.”
“I will, but I doubt it. Like I said—just wanted to give you a heads up.”
“Thanks. Talk to you later.”
It wasn’t until after he disconnected the call that Rico noticed he wasn’t alone on the patio. Mark sat in a chair near a fire pit, tapping away on his cell phone. Rico strode over and took the chair opposite him. He hadn’t missed the way Mark eyed him during dinner. After the trip to the driving range the other night, things seemed to have shifted between them. Gone was the wariness in the teen’s eyes, replaced by appreciative ogling. Rico was on the receiving end of those looks often, and he knew what they meant.
“Can I ask you something?” he said to Mark, who lifted his gaze to him. “You don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.”
The teen shrugged. “Sure.”
“I get the feeling something’s been on your mind lately. Do you want to talk about it?”
A long pause followed as Mark debated whether he wanted to go down the road Rico suspected was in front of him. Finally, he nodded. “How did you know you were gay?”
Rico leaned back in the chair and casually placed his ankle on the opposite knee. “I was just about your age when I figured it out. I’d look at girls and realize they didn’t stir up these feelings that I got when I looked at guys.” He waited a moment before asking, “Is that what’s happening with you?”
Mark’s cheeks reddened before he nodded. “Yeah. It kinda scares me, though.”
“Because you’re afraid you’ll lose some friends and family members if you come out?”
“Uh-huh. That’s what happened to my dad. Some of his friends dumped him, and my mom’s sister and her family stopped talking to him afterward. They get this disgusted look on their faces when Dad’s name is mentioned. It pisses my mom off—pisses me off too.”
“I get it. Being gay isn’t always easy, even in this day and age.” Rico sighed heavily. “But if you lose anyone because of who you’re attracted to, then those people weren’t worth having in your life anyway. But you’ve got a great man to look up to. Your dad will always be there for you. Not every gay kid has a parent who truly gets it. You’re lucky. And if you have questions you’re embarrassed to ask your dad, you can always come to me.”
Mark shyly dropped his gaze to the ground. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Movement out of the corner of his eye had Rico turning his head to see Evan quietly watching them. It was apparent he’d overheard their conversation when he mouthed, “I love you. Thank you,” to Rico. Not wanting Mark to know his secret was out until he was ready for it to be, Rico just winked at Evan and smiled. When they were alone, there would be plenty of time to let Evan know how much Rico loved him too.