61. Arnaz
ARNAZ
“ H ow are you feeling about hugs?” Salem asks.
“Huh?”
“They may ask to hug you. If you’re not in the mood, I’ll tell them. They won’t be offended.”
I inhale, the breath feeling snagged in my chest. “And if they don’t ask?”
“They will.” He caresses my thigh. “Pull in up there.” He nods toward a corner spot in the circular driveway. I peer out at the two-story home with green vines framing the windows.
“But if they don’t”—I clear my throat—“would it mean they don’t like me for you?”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” he says, brushing it off.
I park and kill the ignition. “You don’t think?”
“Hey.” He shifts toward me. “I love you. They’ll love you.”
I peer back at the house with its shingled roof and rectangular windows. A sparkle of light to the right of the door has me leaning forward for a closer look. “Are those rainbow wind chimes?”
“Yeah,” he says, quirking a smile as he follows my gaze. “They’re very proud.”
I huff out a laugh as I take in the array of multi-colored glass tubes, star shapes, and feathers.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.” I rub my palms on my jeans. “No. Fuck. I’m nervous.”
“We can take a walk first?”
I shake my head. “Come on.”
He’s been excited about this for weeks. Me even more so once the initial terror passed after officially setting a date and time.
I reach for my shades and then pause, dropping them back into the cup holder, before turning and retrieving the bouquet of flowers from the back seat.
Climbing out of the car, I use the driver’s door window to straighten out my button-down shirt.
“You’re beautiful,” he says, holding out his hand.
When we reach the front door, he winks at me before pushing the bell.
I squeeze his hand as my heart starts pounding when a woman’s voice calls out, “Be right there.”
“I love you too,” I blurt out right before the door swings open.
Salem’s mom grins at us. “Look at you two! Come in, come in.”
Salem chuckles as we step inside. “Hey, Mom.” He reaches in and gives her a hug and kiss on the cheek. “I want you to meet my boyfriend, Arnaz. Blue, please meet my mom.”
“H-hello, Mrs. Jones,” I greet her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Her eyes crinkle as her gaze pings between us. A deep brown complexion like my mom, her salt-and-pepper hair is swept back in a thick braid. She’s barefoot, wearing an indigo-blue linen shorts set and a black-beaded necklace with a gold accent hanging from her neck.
“The pleasure is mine.” She rests a hand on Salem’s arm and says, “Oh, isn’t he just the cutest?”
Salem chuckles, nodding in agreement.
“May I hug you?” she asks me.
“Sure,” I answer. I can’t help but smile as she squeezes me tight and Salem mouths, I told you.
“None of that Mrs. Jones stuff,” she says as she releases me. “Call me Maya.” She turns to Salem, and a look passes between them that makes Salem’s grin spread.
“Who is it, Maya?” a deep voice calls from somewhere in the house.
“They’re here!” she answers over her shoulder as the sound of footsteps draws near.
A tall man with broad shoulders, in a crisp white polo, navy blue shorts, and flip-flops, rounds the corner.
“Hey Dad!” Salem greets him.
“Give him the same adorable intro you gave me,” his mom says, making me snicker as Salem shakes his head, laughing.
“Dad,” Salem starts, his dimples deepening as his mom squeals. “I want you to meet my boyfriend, Arnaz. Blue, I want you to meet my dad.”
His mom and dad trade grins before his dad strings his arm over Salem’s shoulder and pats his chest. “Good job. That was a very fine intro.”
We all laugh as his dad’s eyes cut to me. “Hello, Arnaz.”
“Hi, sir, pleasure to meet you.”
“Call me Eli. Are those peonies for me?” He asks, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
“Yes, for you both,” I say, extending the bouquet to him.
“They’re lovely,” he says. “Ooh, look at that.” He gestures to my knuckle tats. “You know I almost got one of those back in ‘89?”
“He did,” Maya says. “Got as far as the stencil transfer before he high-tailed it outta there.”
We all laugh.
“To his credit, when we got our boys’ names on us for our 25th anniversary, he was chin up, straight back, rock solid.”
“Let me see yours,” Eli says, pulling glasses out of his pocket and thumbing them on.
I hold out my hands, and he reads the letters along my knuckles. “Neat,” he says with a hum. “We do hugs yet?”
“I got one,” Maya says.
“Guys,” Salem says.
“What?” his dad replies. “We’ve only been waiting five years for this day. You want a hug?” he asks me.
“Sure.” I step forward into his embrace.
“Let the man into the house,” Denzel says, appearing over his dad’s shoulder, leaning against the wall.
Salem grins. “Yeah, let’s let Blue in.”
“You prefer we call you Blue or Arnaz?” Maya asks as we’re peeling off our shoes.
“Blue’s fine,” I reply.
“You got it.”
“Come on in,” Eli says. “Maya was just pummeling Denzel in NBA 2K.”
We all laugh.
“What’s the score?” Salem asks.
Denzel hangs his head as Maya wraps an arm around his waist. “Don’t even ask.”
“I got next,” Salem says. “Winner has to beat Blue. He’s a beast.”
I wink at him.
“Finally, a real challenger in the family,” Maya quips, making us laugh again.
“Ooh. Any chance you’re good at Wrath Protocol?” She asks me over her shoulder as we make our way inside. “I keep losing in the Red Zone, and these three can’t help me.”
“Yeah, you know the backpack you get after you beat Skull Fall? You have to use the glasses inside to see the hidden room after you scale the beam.”
“Oh!” She stops walking. “That’s brilliant! I put them on after the Orange Zone and nothing happened.”
“Yeah, they only work in the Red Zone.”
Salem taps my arm and pulls me to the side. “We’ll be right there,” he says to his family. “You good?” He palms my waist. “If at any time you wanna leave, just tell me.”
I peck him on the lips. “Yeah, I’m good. You think she knows about the watch in the Shadow Round?”
He grins. “I don’t know. You should ask he?—”
“Hey Maya,” I call out, racing away.