Chapter 45
Colin
I check the time, and it’s a quarter past five on a Friday. Most of the office is gone, including Brynne, who left two hours ago for a final walkthrough of her house. I’m taking her to dinner to celebrate, and I’ll either end up at her place or she’ll end up at mine. She promises to give me a tour sometime this weekend if the house is finished. I would have been gone if my uncle wasn’t still here. I can hear him in the hallway now chatting with Heath, who is usually gone by this time on a Friday. They come barreling into my office, and I stand and grab my coat, hoping they will take the hint that it’s time to go home.
“Oh, look at him. He gets a woman and is ready to bail on a Friday night.” I ignore my uncle and put on my coat. It’s a wet afternoon; despite spring, it’s just a little above freezing. “And you need to talk to her. She was cold as ice earlier today when I saw her.”
“That’s because she’s an ice princess,” Heath says.
I reach around and whack him gently upside his head. “Don’t,” I warn, and he steps back, raises both hands and mutters an apology.
“Well, I’m happy for you, Colin,” Uncle Milton says. “Brynne is a good, kind person.” Heath pretends to choke. “And bring her to your brother’s house on Sunday for dinner. I’m the one who requested the dinner.”
“I’m not going to that,” I say.
“It’s my dinner party,” Uncle Milton insists. “You and your brother need to talk and put all this behind you. I blame your father—”
“My father was never father of the year, but my brother was an adult by the time I was born. Stop blaming others.”
“He was an adult, but still young and stupid.” He puts a hand on my shoulder. “Please, come. I’m the head of the family now, and I want us together this Sunday. It’s one dinner, Paddy. Who knows how much longer I’ll be around.” The old manipulative jerk. He knows how to get to everyone, including me.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Heath says to our uncle.
“I’ll think about it,” I concede.
“Bring Brynne,” he says.
“Let’s not go crazy,” Heath says, and Uncle Milton whacks him upside the head.
I’ll have to see if Brynne wants to come. My uncle is no longer one of her favorite people; he refuses to acknowledge that. “And you, Heath,” Uncle Milton says while he smiles at our nephew.
Heath is my sister’s only child. She was in her mid-thirties when she had him. She and her husband tried for years, and nine months after Heath was born, her husband left her for another woman. They moved to Montana, and Heath barely saw him. Like Uncle Milton did with me and my sister, he became Heath’s surrogate father.
“Yes, Uncle Milty,” Heath says.
“I want you to be yourself, too. It’s okay to go out.” I shake my head, look to the ceiling, and hope and pray he’s not bringing up what I think he’s bringing up.
“Oh, where are we going?” Heath whispers. “I know! Let’s go to that rooftop restaurant that spins.” He pulls out his phone. “I’m going to make us a reservation. I guess Brynne can come, too, if you want.” He rolls his eyes and scrunches his lips together.
“What the hell is he talking about?” Uncle Milton asks.
“You used the wrong term. It’s come out, not go out,” I say gently. I look at Heath and nod. If my uncle’s going to do this, I can show my nephew support.
All Heath does is look at his phone and swipe. “Three or four?” he asks without looking up. “I can personally use some guy time, but if Uncle Paddy wants—"
“Heath, I’m trying to tell you it’s okay to come out,” Uncle Milton snaps. “Put the damn phone down. All you young people always have your face in a screen. You’ll go cross-eyed.”
Heath slides the phone into his pocket and looks from me to my uncle. “Come out?” he asks, and we both nod. Uncle Milton goes so far as to open his arms. “As in out the closet ?” he asks, and we nod again.
He goes into Uncle Milton’s arms, and I sigh in relief. Uncle Milton taps his back and says, “It’s okay, my boy, and if your mother or Colin the First has a problem, I will kick their uptight behinds all over this city. Don’t you worry about them.”
“Uncle Milton,” Heath whispers. “I appreciate it, and I’d love to see you kick ass, but I’m one hundred percent straight.” I look at my uncle, and he shakes his head in disbelief.
“It’s okay, Heath. You don’t have to pretend,” I reassure him. “We love and accept you.”
“It’s true.” He pulls away. “I like tits,” he whispers, and my brows climb to my forehead. “And ass.” He looks around. “Big ones, though not as big as Ernestine’s.”
“What?” I ask, still not believing him. “And why are you looking at Ernestine’s ass?
“I love women. Just because a man likes moisturizers, pedicures, and cashmere robes does not make him gay.” He opens his arms so Uncle Milton can hug him again, but our uncle swats his arms.
“Then what the hell did you hug me for?”
“Because I love hugs. I’m a man in tune with his emotions, Uncle Milty. Mom’s had me in therapy since I was ten. I embrace myself. Also, I love vaginas.” He wiggles his brows and rubs his hands together.
Uncle Milton starts to cough.
“Are you sure?” our uncle asks.
“Hells yes. If Zendaya or Halle Bailey walked through those doors, they can get it.” He gestures at his tall, lanky body. When he thrusts his hips, Uncle Milton takes a step back.
“Who? Are those women? And don’t break one of your bony hips, boy,” Uncle Milton warns.
“Yes,” Heath says, “beautiful women, and I don’t know this personally, but I’m sure they smell good. I’m a sucker for a good-smelling woman.”
“And they’re real women?” he asks.
“As opposed to what, Uncle Milton?” I ask.
“Women with tits and nice butts,” Heath whispers. He pulls out his phone and shows Milton pictures of them. “And if I was into older women, Beyoncé can get this too.”
“Oh, her I’ve heard of.” Uncle Milton nods in approval. “And these vaginas you like,” he begins, and I groan, “you’ve been in one before?”
“Uncle Milton. Enough—” I begin, but Heath interrupts me.
“Three of them,” he whispers. “Though not on the same night.”
“Hot damn,” Uncle Milton says before he slaps Heath’s shoulder in approval. “Well, that calls for celebration. Make a reservation at that restaurant. Dinner’s on me. You in, Colin, or do you need to check in with Brynne?” He opens his arms, and Heath flies into them.
“If you know of anyone with nice tits and ass, introduce me,” Heath says.
“Heath, my boy, if I knew a woman like that, I’d keep her for myself.” They both throw their heads back and laugh. “We’ll wait for you in the lobby, Paddy,” Uncle Milton says. They both leave my office, talking and laughing the entire time.
“Honeybee,” I say once she picks up the phone, “how’s the house.”
“Oh my God, it’s perfect,” she says. “I can’t wait for you to see it. How does tomorrow sound?”
“Sounds perfect since I plan on waking up with you. Uncle Milton has issued a dinner invitation. Full disclosure: Heath will be there.” Next, I need to tackle her frosty relationship with my nephew, but I’ll let her deal with Uncle Milton however she wants.
“Sounds great, but I was going to invite you to dinner with me, Raven, and Amira. Raven lives a few streets over from the house,” she says.
My office door swings open, and Heath runs in. “Aunt Lisa is coming,” he says. “She’s leaving the kids with the nanny. My mom’s coming too.”
“I heard that,” Brynne says. “Go ahead and come to my place after. I’ll take you to the house in the morning after breakfast.”
“Okay, but I miss you.”
“I miss you too. And I love you.”
“I love you too. See you in a few hours.”
“Check your top drawer before you go.” She blows me a kiss and ends the call. I go to my top drawer and there is a key fob, a key, and something written on a piece of paper. I pick it up, and it’s the code to her house. I put all three things in my pocket and leave the office.