Chapter 66 Derrick
DERRICK
Saying goodbye to Charlie was the hardest thing.
I couldn’t hold back my tears as he dropped me off at the airport, but he said that he would see me again soon.
That he would be coming out in the next couple of weeks to have a meeting with Jackson, and he was going to talk to Everly once I left about his thoughts on them moving to LA.
I offered for them to move in with me, but he declined my offer, which made me feel slightly rejected before he explained that it might be good to have separate living spaces while we dated.
Even though both of us know that our future is together, it might be too much pressure on the new relationship, and again, that was a mature way to look at the situation.
I can’t fault him for that. It’s very weird being in a healthy, adult relationship.
“Derrick, you’re back. How was it?” Sienna asks, walking into my office, giving me a hug.
“He told me he loved me.”
“What!” Sienna squeals. “Oh my gosh, D, this is huge. Huge. I’m so happy for you. You deserve this. You deserve all the love in the world.” Her eyes get watery.
“Why are you crying. Are you getting your period?”
“Because I love you and I want you to be happy.” She sniffles, then stills, her eyes widening.
“You think you’re pregnant, don’t you?”
“No,” She answers quickly. “I can’t be.”
“You can be. You and Evan fuck like rabbits. I don’t blame you because of his pierced dick and all out gorgeousness.”
“Fuck that man and his magical dick.” She moans, shaking her head. Guess someone is going to be doing a pregnancy test when she gets home. “Anyway, enough about me. I want to hear about your weekend.”
“I loved it. I love him. I’ve never been happier. It’s beautiful out there. You should see how small the town is. It’s filled with hot cowboys, but none of you bitches are single so it would be wasted on you. He’s so hot. You should have seen him riding a horse, fuck, I almost came in my pants.”
“Sounds like you had fun then.”
“I did, and I miss him.” I pout.
“Aw, I’m sorry. I’m sure it won’t be long till you see him again.”
“He’s coming out in a couple of weeks to have a meeting with Jackson. He’s considering moving to LA,” I confess to her.
Sienna gasps. “No, way. Really?”
I nod. “He overheard Everly talking about becoming an accountability coach out here, and he wanted to give that to her for everything she’s done for him.”
“That is so sweet.”
“He’s such a good guy. Total cinnamon roll vibes under a man of steel outer layer. I’m in love, Si.”
“I can see that. He seems like such a good guy. I can’t wait to get to know him better.”
“I’ve invited him to Stacey’s wedding as my date, and he said yes.”
“That’s awesome, I guess we will get to know him on the way to Australia then.” She smirks.
I nod. “He’s not what I ever expected for me, but now that I’ve found him, there isn’t anyone else I can see myself with.
We’re complete opposites but also so similar.
Thanks to all his therapy, he has emotionally evolved, and his communication skills are on point.
I don’t have to second-guess what he is thinking because he tells me, he reassures me when he notices me lost in my thoughts. ”
“I never expected Evan, and now I couldn’t imagine my life any other way.” Sienna smiles. The woman glows while talking about her family.
“Also, I got my appointment with the agency, it’s next week.”
Sienna’s surprised. “Did you want me to go with you?”
“Would you?”
“Of course, I would.”
“I’m nervous. What happens if they can’t help me?” I confess to her.
“Derrick, you’re not the first gay man who's wanted to start a family. What does Charlie think about it?”
“He doesn’t know I have an appointment yet. I’m kind of scared to tell him.”
“But he knows you are doing this?”
“Yes. We talked about it in Hawaii, but still … our relationship is so new and …”
“D, you go to the interview, and you find out everything you want to know. Don’t worry about Charlie. If he loves you, he will be on board. But this is about you, for you, and what you want, no one else,” Sienna reminds me.
She’s right. I’m so thankful for finding Charlie and having him in my life, but having a family is something I’ve always wanted, and I don’t want to put that on hold for a man.
As much as I may want forever with him, it’s never guaranteed.
Plus, it’s just a conversation, it’s not like I’m knocking someone up there and then, just researching my options.
“You’re right.” I smile at her.
“I know. So let me know the time and place, and I’ll be there for you.”
“How did your appointment go?” Charlie asks when he picks up the phone.
I decided I had to tell him. The man declared his love for me, and keeping this from him didn’t feel right.
He was excited when I told him and said he wished I had told me earlier so he could have come with me.
I didn’t think he would want to come, but I was wrong.
That’s when Charlie, again, reassured me he isn’t going anywhere, but he understood why sometimes I might doubt that.
See, totally emotionally advanced compared to me.
They explained about adoption, surrogacy, finding an egg donor, all my options, and honestly, it was kind of overwhelming.
But the most overwhelming thing was Sienna calling me over to her home with Evan, sitting me down, and saying she would like to donate some eggs to me if that is what I want.
Evan’s stipulation was that they were for me, that he could handle Sienna having a baby with me, but no one else, not even my partner.
What a gift Sienna offered, but I don’t know if I could take her up on it.
The meeting gave me a lot of food for thought, also regarding timelines and how much everything would cost. Think I’m going to have to work a little harder to pay for it all.
But I’m hopeful. Charlie is all in on the options.
He said he is happy to adopt, but would love to have one of his own, which is exactly my thoughts.
We had a deep and meaningful conversation about our wants in a family, and it seems to have brought the two of us closer together.
But I think we have some time to decide.
“You’re here.” I squeal seeing him walk through the doors at work. I launch myself into his arms and kiss the hell out of him. Jackson picked Charlie and Everly up from the airport as I had a fitting. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
“Gag,” Jackson says behind Charlie. I flip him off, which earns me a deep chuckle from him.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” I let my hands roam over him, making sure he isn’t a figment of my imagination.
“I’m here,” he says, cupping my face and kissing me softly.
“Are they always like this?” Jackson asks Everly.
“Yeah, pretty much, but it’s cute,” Everly answers him. And I can hear Jackson’s groan.
“I can’t stay long as Jackson wants to show me around, but I’ll see you tonight after work for dinner,” Charlie says.
“Yes.” I smile as I kiss him again.
Charlie reluctantly pulls away from me. “Tomorrow, I’ll get you to show me around all this.” He grins. I nod and wave him goodbye.
“Was that your man?” Toby, my assistant, asks.
“Yeah,” I answer giddily.
“He’s hot.”
“Hands off,” I warn him with a smirk.
“I would never. He’s too manly and rugged for me. You know I like my men androgynous. But he’s perfect for you.” He winks.
“He is perfect.” I sigh happily. “Come on, let’s get this shit finished so I can get home early to my man.”
I rushed home after picking up dinner from one of my favorite restaurants and quickly threw it into containers and put it in the oven, so it looked like I cooked.
Sshh, no one needs to know. I set the table, put candles all around the room, and it looks romantic as fuck.
My doorbell rings and I almost pee myself, I’m so excited as I rush to the door.
Dramatically, I swing it open and see Charlie standing there looking like a tall drink of cowboy water, and I launch myself into his arms making him take a step back.
“You’re here, you’re really here,” I say, kissing his handsome face.
“I am.” He chuckles, hugging me tighter.
I stare up at him and smile, feeling utterly content, happy, safe, and loved. “Come in, let me show you around.” Charlie nods as I take his hand and give him the house tour.
“Your house is gorgeous, D, but as if it would be anything less,” he says, kissing me as we walk back out to the dining room.
“It’s my sanctuary. My oasis in the city. Did you want a drink?”
“Whatever you have is fine,” Charlie answers.
“Take a seat,” I say, pointing at the dinner table as I move into the kitchen.
“Have you been cooking for me?” he asks, taking a seat.
“Kind of …” I smirk, grabbing us both a beer from the fridge and handing it to him.
“It smells delicious,” he says, wrapping his arm around my hip and pulling me between his legs. “Thank you.” He smiles up at me.
I run my hand over his short hair. “I bought it and put it in the oven, and made it look like I baked it. I’m not a good cook.”
Charlie bursts out laughing. “Neither am I. But I didn’t fall in love with you for your cooking skills,” he teases.
“You fell in love with me because of my mouth skills.” I wink.
“Damn right I did,” he states, taking a sip of his beer as he gives me a heated stare.
“Would you stop flirting with me and let me serve you?” Slapping him playfully, I walk out of his embrace.
“I like the sound of that,” Charlie mumbles.
“Me serving you?” I ask, walking back into the kitchen and turning off the oven.
“Yeah, but on your knees.”
“I bet you do. How about I serve you dessert on my knees then?”
“Can we skip straight to dessert then?” Charlie fires back.
“No. I’ve been busy working in the kitchen for this meal,” I tell him, which makes him laugh. “But I’ll make sure dessert is extra sweet.”
I plate up my lasagna, the garden salad, and garlic bread and place it on the table before sitting down.
“This does smell delicious, babe,” Charlie compliments.
“It should, it’s from my favorite Italian restaurant around the corner.” Taking the serving spoon, I dish it out to each of us. After we are all served, I raise my bottle of beer and make a toast, “To us and hopefully many more dinners together.”
“To us.” Charlie smiles, clinking our bottles together, and then we dig in.
“How did your day with Jackson go?”
Charlie finishes his mouthful before telling me about his day. “It was good catching up with him. He introduced me to the guys, and they seem like a great bunch. He is looking at more of a tech role for me because of my dad.”
I still. His dad? What does that mean?
Charlie must see my obvious confusion because he chuckles. “I guess I need to explain who my dad is. You’re the first person I’ve dated who hasn’t asked me about him.”
Am I supposed to know who his dad is? Is he famous? It would explain the massive mansion in the mountains.
“Ugh, how do I explain this, and I hope it doesn’t change things between us.
” Now I’m worried. Is his dad a murderer?
Mafia? “My dad is rich.” Oh, thank goodness that’s all it is, he had me worried there for a second.
“Like rich, rich. He just sold his tech business the other month, it was all over the news.”
“Does it look like I read the Financial Times?”
Charlie smiles. “Maybe the Business Times,” he teases, then he tells me to search his dad online because it’s probably the easiest way to explain it. He’s been very weird, so I do, and oh … his dad is a billionaire.
A fricken billionaire!
What in the hell. I look up at him and then down to my screen, then back up at him.
“Yeah. I don’t tend to tell people who my dad is.”
“I’m not a gold digger.” I quickly throw it out there because I don’t want him to think I’m with him for his dad’s billions. I mean, it’s kind of cool, but I have my own money. I hang out with rockstars for goodness sake, and they are rich, and I’ve never asked them for a thing.
Charlie bursts out laughing, “Derrick, I know you’re not a gold digger. You’ve proved it so many times in your actions. Thought now is the time to kind of explain my family.”
“Is that the reason I haven’t met your parents yet? Do you think they might not approve of me? Do they want to fix you up with the son of a business partner, you know, strengthen their connections?”
“I think you’ve been watching too many movies. My parents are not like that at all. And they haven’t met you yet because they haven’t been in the country, but I want you to meet them.”
“You, do?”
Charlie gets up and kneels beside me. “Yes. You’re my future, D. They will want to meet the man who has brought me back to life.”
“That wasn’t me. That was all you.”
He shakes his head. “You gave me a future to fight for. Lifted me out of a dark place, and I’ve never been more excited for life before.”
Emotion wells in my eyes. “I’ve never been more excited either.” Cupping my cheek, Charlie gets up and kisses me passionately.
“When we get back from Australia, how about I take you to them? They live up in the Bay Area.”
“You don’t have to if you’re not ready.”
“They’ve known about you since day one, D. I’m close with my family,” he explains. Wow. Okay.
“I’d like that,” I agree, which makes him smile. Then he moves back to his chair. “You make me so fucking happy, Charlie.”
“Ditto.” He grins, scooping a mouthful of lasagna into his mouth.
“Does this mean LA is on the cards?”
“Everly likes it.”
“What about you?” I question, biting my bottom lip.
Charlie puts his silverware down, and those intense eyes land on me. “I told Jackson I’m in.”
“What!” I squeal, dropping my fork. “You’re moving?”
He nods. “After we get back from Australia. Everly is going to stay at Jackson’s while he’s away and find us an apartment, and then when I get back, we will head back to Midnight Falls and pack up all our things.
“Why the hell did you not lead with that first?” I tell him.
“I wanted to surprise you later.”
“You’re really doing this? You’re moving to LA? And we can see each other every single day.”
“Unless you get sick of me.”
“Never,” I tell him. “Never, ever, ever. Now screw dinner and come screw me. We have to celebrate.”