Chapter 15 Sheldon
SHELDON
I wasn’t the man people took home to meet their parents.
Not only did I not hide who I worked for, but I didn’t set out to impress anyone.
With Forest, the only people I needed to like me were Vail and Hartley.
They already did, so I was good there. Although, I didn’t doubt they would side with Forest any day over me, and rightfully so.
I hoped never to need anyone to choose sides.
This was a different kind of feeling tonight.
I was taking Forest to meet Oleander’s parents.
With my mom gone and my father rotting away in jail, I wanted Forest to meet the people who meant the most to me.
Oleander offered to join us, but I didn’t want Forest to feel even more nervous.
If it were the other way around and I were meeting the parents with my best friend there, that would make it worse. It was better this way.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door to Forest’s apartment.
It was mere seconds before he opened it and, my god, was he beautiful.
Dark jeans and a black short-sleeved shirt paired with black loafers, he was casual but also not.
The right blend of how I tried to convey that dinner wasn’t fancy; however, it wasn’t shorts and a comfortable tee either.
“You look amazing,” I told him.
He blushed and dropped his gaze to his hands, where they smoothed over his shirt. “Thanks. I want to make a good impression.”
I placed my finger beneath his chin to lift his eyes to mine. “You have nothing to worry about. They’re going to adore you. I brought you something.” I reached into my back pocket and took out a long, deep blue velvet box. “I’m not a flowers and candy kind of guy.”
Forest took the offered gift and opened it, his eyes going wide when he saw what was inside. “Sheldon, this is too much. It’s only our first date. I can’t accept this.” He tried to give it back, but I clasped my hands behind me and refused to take it.
“I’ve worked for Jordan for years and hardly spend the money I earn. Let me spoil you. I’d promise I won’t make a habit of it, but there’s no point in lying to you.”
“I didn’t get you anything.”
“Nor do you have to. It’s a gift. I noticed you didn’t have a watch and wanted to get you one.”
“But… this isn’t just any watch. It’s not like you bought it cheap at a retailer. This brand isn’t sold at every store. There are gemstones on it for fuck’s sake.” It was going to look stunning on him.
I shrugged. He was lucky I didn’t buy the one with the studded face and band.
A sigh slipped from him. “I’m not going to win this, am I?”
“Not when it comes to me giving you gifts.”
“Fine. Thank you.” He smiled. “I love it. No one’s ever gotten me anything like this before. Everything I have, I’ve worked for. Growing up, we didn’t have a lot. Pop did the best he could. If younger me could see current me now, he’d be shocked.” He chuckled softly, lost in the past.
“We all have our demons to wrestle.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it seem like I had it hard. We were lucky to have Pop. What you dealt with…” He shook his head.
“Don’t, okay?” I took the box from Forest, removing the watch, then placed it on his wrist. It fit perfectly, like I’d hoped it would. “We can revisit our trauma another night. For now, let’s have dinner. If we’re not there soon, Colleen will call to ask where we are.”
“That’s Ollie’s mom, right? What’s his dad’s name?”
“Davis, and the cat is Celeste.”
“I need to know the cat’s name?” he asked.
“You will. She’s a strong presence in the house. I dare say she runs the place.”
Forest grinned, and a bit of my insides melted at the sight. He smiled so easily, like it was a simple thing to do. For most, it was. For me, well, pure joy wasn’t a common emotion.
I stood off to the side, scanning the back alley while Forest locked up his home. We descended the stairs, his gaze catching on my car.
“I thought you only had the motorcycle,” he said.
“I don’t drive this often.”
“Why the hell not? It’s gorgeous.” He lightly skimmed his fingers over the hood as he rounded it to the passenger side.
I’d bought the BMW M850i Gran Coupe a couple of years ago.
It was a slick, dark-gray metallic, and looked fast even when it wasn’t moving.
I didn’t mind spending money on the car.
If I were going to have to drive one, I wanted to love it.
Luckily, I kept it in the garage during the winters and drove one of Jordan’s Navigators when I needed to get around.
I didn’t want my car full of salt and gross road slush from snow.
“The bike allows me to weave in and out of traffic and catch up to anyone we’re chasing. Not that it happens often. I also prefer riding it to driving a car.”
“Makes sense. I’d still drive this more frequently.”
“I have no commute. The only time I have to arrive at a location is when I’m not already with Jordan and he calls me in. I drive what’s easier.”
He gave me another sweet smile. “When do I get to go for a ride on your bike?”
“If anyone else were to ask me that, I’d immediately think of sex, but I’m trying not to have a completely dirty mind where you’re concerned.
To answer your question, whenever you want.
I can take you out tomorrow. I’m not scheduled to work.
Jordan will be in for the day so, hopefully, nothing comes up that I need to be elsewhere. Now get in before we’re really late.”
“Okay, but for the record, I wouldn’t mind you talking dirty to me.” He slid into the car while I stood beside it, trying to remember what words were and how to say them. This man would be what drove me to an early grave.
I got inside and buckled. “I’ve said it before, and I will again. You’re dangerous, Forest Weathers.”
“Only to you, apparently.”
It took everything in me not to grip the back of his neck and find out what his tongue tasted like. I wouldn’t push him into anything, but oh how I wanted to lick my way across the inside of his mouth and feel the hard outline of his cock against mine.
As we pulled out onto the street, I focused on driving and not all the things I’d like to do to Forest. Showing up hard to dinner was a hell fucking no.
After ten minutes of neither of us saying anything, Forest busted out laughing, startling me. I fucking swerved briefly onto the shoulder. “Jesus,” I muttered. “Warn a guy before you start cackling.”
“I don’t cackle!” he hollered while wiping tears from his eyes. “You’re just pissed because I turned you on and we have to eat dinner with Ollie’s parents.”
“I will neither confirm nor deny that.”
“You don’t need to.” I didn’t have to turn to see his smile. I could hear it in his voice.
We drove out of the city and into the quiet of the country. Okay, so not really the countryside, but way less congested than Dremest was. Down the lane their home was on, I stopped in front of the garage and shut the car off.
“You can’t be serious,” Forest said as he leaned forward to get a better look.
I mimicked him, trying to figure out what he saw that I didn’t. “What?”
“This is some fairy-tale shit. We’re in the middle of the woods, and there is this beautiful cottage just sitting here, lit up like the birds themselves strung the lights.”
“Knowing Colleen, they might have.”
There were small white lights draped along the roof of the home and over the attached garage.
From where we sat, we had a view of the front of the home and the warm light spilling out the windows.
There was a long deck that spanned the front.
Another on the back matched it. Once we were on the deck, Forest would be able to see the small touches Colleen liked to sprinkle throughout the home.
Some of it was weird as hell, others looked like they belonged here.
“Tell me about her again.” It wouldn’t have been smart to show up with Forest without him knowing about the woman he was meeting.
“She’s a witch. Not the kind you see in movies or fairy tales, like you said.
She practices her craft to protect her family and her home.
She speaks to spirits. They give her messages or instructions on how to do certain spells and for general guidance.
It makes her happy.” Colleen got into this as she aged.
Who knew what would have happened if she were spiritual when I was younger and my father was beating the shit out of me?
“I’ve never met anyone like that. Can she predict the future?”
“She has for me, but she won’t tell me every detail. She’d rather tell me cryptic shit over the phone or text, then I wait for it to come to fruition. She’s startingly accurate.”
He turned his brilliant smile on me. “Is it weird that I want to meet her more now?”
“No, she’s a lot of fun. You definitely won’t feel like you’re sitting down to be questioned.
Every person who is invited into her home experiences warmth and affection.
She’s a gift to this earth.” I didn’t think I’d said those words out loud before.
They were the truth. Colleen and Davis were both precious.
They were there for me when I needed them and still were to this day.
The front door opened, light spilling out onto the deck. The sun had begun to set. Colleen liked to cook dinner late when I visited because she didn’t want me pacing all night in the hallways of the mafia building with an empty stomach. At least, that was what she’d told me.
“Shel, get out of that car and introduce me to your man!” she hollered.
Forest didn’t wait for me. He opened the door and made his way to Colleen, leaving me to catch up to him.
“Colleen, it’s very nice to meet you,” he said and extended his hand.
“Aren’t you handsome? I’ll take your hand, but know next time, we don’t need to be formal. We’re not that kind of family. You’ll get a hug if you’d like.” They shook. Colleen held his hand in hers and lightly ran her fingers over the back of it. I wondered what she saw in her mind.
“Yes, ma’am,” Forest replied.
“You can call me Colleen. Let’s get inside. Davis is setting the table. Dinner’s almost ready.”
I followed them into the house with the understanding I was simply along for the ride tonight. The dinner wasn’t about me, but rather Colleen and Davis getting to know the man I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since I’d met him.
Colleen stopped in front of me. “You did good. He’s a great match for you, Shel.
You already understand that though. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have waited as long as you have to finally get here.
That man is special, but not as special as you are.
You’re my family, and I will always be here for you, but that also means I’ll give you shit when you have your head up your ass like you did.
I’m glad to see you’ve finally figured out how to move forward with Forest.”
“Me too. If not, I would have driven Jordan and everyone else up a wall.”