Chapter 6
Henry
It had taken a few strong hints from Nick to get Brenda to leave, but she left a minute after we returned. We were finally alone. Or as alone as two people could be in a busy coffee shop.
Nick didn’t completely relax once she was gone, but he seemed less tense. “I wasn’t sure she was going to leave. She’s… protective of you.”
“I love her, but….” Nick shrugged. “She’s really nosey where my personal life’s concerned.”
Brenda was a bit much, but I couldn’t tell him what I really thought. “I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.”
“Mostly it’s fine, but when she does things like this, it gets to be a bit much.”
“I get it. You love her, but sometimes you wish she’d back off.”
“Exactly.” Nick cocked his head to the right. “I keep hearing a whiff of an accent, but I can’t place it.”
I lowered my cup before taking a drink. More surprises from Nick. “I’m impressed. I lived with my Uncle Michael in Milan, Italy for a few years when I was a kid. He and my dad were working on something, and we stayed with his family.”
“That’s really cool.” Nick smiled. “Now I get the Maserati.”
How had he figured out I got the car to impress him? “What do you mean?”
“It’s not a common choice. Most people who spend big money buy a Mercedes or a BMW. You don’t see a lot of Maserati’s on the road.”
I needed to work on my guilty conscience. Leaning back, I smiled. “You certainly know your luxury cars.”
Nick couldn’t have reacted worse if I’d come out and called him poor.
“I grew up on Long Island, in Smithtown. There’s a lot of money on the North Shore, just not in our part of town.
We never had anything other than beaters, but I could dream.
I’d see these nice cars, and I’d draw them all the time.
Then I’d go look them up and pull all the details; engine size, top speed, zero to sixty, that kind of stuff. ”
I needed to tread carefully. This was a passion and a sore spot for him. “How did you get into collecting die-cast cars?”
Nick raised an eyebrow and smiled. “You remember that?”
How shitty had Uriel made Nick’s life that such a little thing thrilled him. “I mean, you told me yesterday. Did you think I’d forget that soon?”
“Well, not everyone listens to me when I prattle on about nerd stuff. My Grandpa’s friend Alex gave me my first car for my fifth birthday. Believe it or not it was a 1965 Maserati Quattroporte Series 1.”
Maybe my conscience was right to be guilty. “How many cars do you have?”
“Had. My brother destroyed them for shits and giggles when I was fourteen.”
I alternated between wanting to wrap my arms around him and finding his family and exterminating them. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to dredge up bad memories.”
“You didn’t. In fact, you get major points for listening and remembering.”
Nick’s smile was forced, and I could feel him willing the negative away.
How much negativity did he carry around that even his passion for cars came with shitty memories.
“Living in Milan is part of the reason I bought the car. My family was an early investor in Maserati. My uncle’s home is only about a hundred and eighty kilometers from the Maserati factory.
He has a collection of old Maseratis going back almost a hundred years. ”
“Holy shit. That sounds amazing.”
The excitement in Nick’s voice erased the memory of his destroyed cars. It also rekindled my self-loathing. My plan worked, because it got me an in with Nick, but now I felt dirty. “Maybe someday I can show them to you.”
“I don’t travel much, so I doubt that’ll happen.”
Our impromptu coffee date wasn’t imploding before my eyes because technically, this was still work.
Only one of us was trying to get to know someone they’d just met.
I was pretending I hadn’t spent hours planning how to get in with Nick.
Despite my work, I only knew superficial details.
Every time I dug deeper, I dredged up shitty memories.
I’d need to spend more time with my ‘cousin’ to go beneath the surface.
“You and Trevor have been friends since college?”
“Yeah. We met at Fordham our freshmen year. Where’d you go to school?”
At least the information about Nick and Grant had been accurate. “University of Pennsylvania. Did you like Fordham?”
“Mostly.” Looking up, Nick shrugged “A catholic college isn’t exactly the best place to be gay, but I met Trev. So, overall, I have good memories.”
The information Grant put in his reports said Nick’s family found out his senior year and they didn’t take it well. I knew not to get on that topic. “You’re probably closer to Trevor than I am, but he’s a good friend to have.”
“The best.” Nick smiled fondly. “When my shitshow of a family didn’t scare him away, I knew he was a keeper.”
I took a drink to buy a few seconds. Things didn’t add up. Once Uriel realized Nick was an angel, why didn’t he bring him into the fold? Clearly he and Grant were close. One word from the archangel Uriel and the Grant family would’ve adopted Nick into their family.
A hand covered mine and I noticed Nick staring at me. “Sorry, I….”
“I get it,” Nick said. “You’re searching for a safe topic.”
Nick’s eyes carried the weariness of loss. He might not like his family, but it hurt they’d rejected him. “I feel like I keep asking all the wrong questions.”
“No, you’re not.” He squeezed my hand, but didn’t move his. “Best to get this out of the way now, so you won’t tiptoe around me every time we talk.”
The resignation in his voice suggested he’d done this before and it didn’t go well. What he didn’t know is all those relationships never got off the ground because Uncle Uriel made sure to scare his suitors away. “We don’t need to talk about this.”
“It’s fine. Rip the band-aid off and all.
” He took a deep breath, but maintained eye contact.
“I wanted to be who I am. At school I could date, be open with my friends, but whenever I went home I had to watch what I said. I also had to listen to my asshole brother, Jacob, rant on about the fags and how they were ruining the country. He’s such a loser.
He has no job, three kids, makes his wife work to support them, and they live with my parents.
My mom does most of the work raising his kids.
I feel bad for her. She’s a victim of abuse.
But it’s so ingrained I can’t save her. I’ve tried, but she sides with my dad and brother and won’t listen to anyone else. ”
Though he said he was fine talking about his family situation, it clearly cut deep. I put my free hand over Nick’s. “I’m sorry. Family is important.”
“It is and their rejection hurt, but I can’t spare any time for that.
I’ve got to take care of myself now. To complete the family topic, I’ve got two sisters in addition to my brother.
Jacob hates having a ‘fag’ for a brother.
He managed to convince my parents and sisters I was a spawn of Satan because I’m gay.
But I saved the best for last. My grandparents on my mom’s side are great. ”
I wasn’t surprised. His grandparents were friends with Alex and he’d helped Nick and Grant get settled in D.C. “Have they tried to help with your parents and siblings.”
“Yeah, but it didn’t work.” He gave me an apologetic look. “They’re my mom’s parents and she listens to my dad and brother. The couple times Grandpa tried to get them to come around, it got ugly. I don’t want Grandpa getting hurt, so I told them to stop.”
For the first time since we started talking about family, Nick didn’t seem so sad. “They sound like wonderful people.”
“They are.” He squeezed my hand before taking it back. “You’ll have to meet them one day.”
Assuming Nick and I didn’t implode over my secret, I wanted to meet them. “I’d like that.”
“My turn. What about your family? Siblings? Where do they live? Do you get along?”
In any other situation, this question wouldn’t have made me so anxious.
I’d spent years perfecting this story. By keeping it vague but close to the truth, it made it easy to remember.
With Nick, however, I wanted to give him the full truth, and I couldn’t.
“My parents live in Atlanta now. I have two older brothers and two older sisters.”
“Youngest kid solidarity.” Nick held out his fist for a bump.
We tapped knuckles, but I still felt like a phony.
“My siblings and I get along okay. We’re not what you’d call close, but we’re not estranged.
They aren’t fans of working, so my interest in the family business has made me closer with my dad than they are.
There’s some resentment, but nothing too bad. ”
“Trevor mentioned you’re taking over lobbying efforts for your family business.”
Another point for Grant. He listened and remembered. “My father and uncles wanted someone in the family to take over. Having skin in the game makes it more personal.”
“I understand. I work for the folks that hire lobbyists. I’m a risk assessment analyst for Consolidated Mid-Atlantic Life. I like it and all, but if something better came along, I’d totally jump ship.”
Nick sipped his coffee and then licked a drop off his bottom lip. So damn hot. What turned me on most, was he didn’t do it for a reaction. He didn’t think anyone noticed him thanks to his crappy family telling him he was worthless, and Uncle Uriel making sure no one wanted to date him.
Thankfully, no one was pushing me away. I saw him for who he was, and I wanted to see more.
Tossing caution aside, I set my elbows on the table and leaned forward.
“This might be a bit forward and totally say no if you’re not interested, but how would you feel about spending the night in Frederick?
I’d get a room with separate beds of course. ”
“Wow.” Surprise played over Nick’s face, but it turned into a big smile. “That’s unexpected.”
“Yeah, I know, but I think it’d be fun. Believe it or not they have this amazing restaurant whose chef won a reality cooking show. If we stay, I can have wine since I won’t be driving. But no pressure. And I promise to have you back in time for brunch with Alex.”
Waiting for an answer, I couldn’t remember being this on edge. I shouldn’t be. At a hundred and seventy-five I’d had my share of dates, lovers, and partners. Why did Nick make me so unnerved?
“You talk really fast when you’re nervous.”
I did, which told how much I wanted him to say yes. “I’ve been told. If it’s too much too soon, say no and no hard feelings. I thought it would be nice to take our time with dinner.”
“Sure, but one condition?”
I laughed nervously. Whatever he wanted, I couldn’t imagine saying no if it meant he’d spend the night with me. “What’s that?”
“If either of us aren’t feeling it, we come home?” He nodded as if suggesting I might have second thoughts.
There was no chance I’d want to go home early. Hopefully Nick would feel the same. “Agreed.”