He does, and Colin reaches over to grab it in order to place it in front of me. His arm and thigh are glued to mine, and I begin to feel overheated. Hot guys do funny things to me. Maybe I should call it lust. I just need a normal guy to give me WOW, that’s all.
“Care for a dance, sweet thing?”
What the F? Oh, lord, I almost said it, but it’s Liam who’s asking for a dance. I nod my head and he pulls me out of the booth and out onto the dance floor. It’s a slow song, so we move close together and even though my heels are high, he still towers over me.
He bends down and whispers in my ear. “Is something wrong?”
“Well, first of all I feel like dwarf compared to you, even in my heels. And second, I’m kind of trying to figure out how I’m supposed help you.”
“Help me?” He pulls back, looking at me intently.
“Yeah. My mom says I’m supposed to help you. Well, really Henry told her and then she told me,” I ramble, not wanting to start this conversation, but when I talked to my mom this morning, she told me Liam needed my help sooner than later.
“Maybe we should go outside for a minute.”
I nod my head. He grabs my arm and we head out the nearest exit. The cold stings me in the face like a dozen icicles, and I start to shiver. Liam guides me to a little alcove, which keeps most of the frigid wind away from us. He stands in front of me, blocking the rest.
“So, what exactly do I need help with?” he asks.
I look up at his face. It’s semi-illuminated by a weak yellow light attached the building above us. “I know about your secret, and I know it must be so hard for you to conceal it from everybody you love.”
He runs his right hand through his hair and sighs. “How did you find out?”
“I’m what they call an empath, which means I feel people’s emotions. You don’t give off the signals, but I felt your sadness, which most people view as being aloof. There were other signs too, like for instance the way you always look at Jeff.”
He looks at me with a sad smile, which makes me want to hug him, but I need to wait for him to reply.
“Yes, it’s hard,” he admits. “I think Drew and Colin know, but they just don’t know what to say. It’s not easy being me. I know that sounds trite, but it’s true. I’m from a small town, and being gay isn’t an accepted lifestyle there, no matter who you are. God that sounded good to finally say it out loud.” Gone is his sad smile. He actually looks part happy and part amazed.
“Henry wants me to help you, and my gut feeling tells me that you’re supposed to tell your family when you go home tomorrow. No, wait …” I take his hands in mine when he starts to object, and then look deep into his eyes. “I don’t say this lightly. I feel it will turn out that some of them already know. They’re just waiting for you to say something. Trust me, Liam. Everything will be good. Now, we better get back inside before we catch pneumonia. My family will kill me if I’m sick over Christmas.”
“Thank you, Dora. I’m so glad you’re our lucky number four. Thank your mom and Henry too.” He leans down and wraps his arms around me, pulling me in close for a hug.
“One thing you definitely have to do is to call me after you talk to them, and let me know how it goes.”
He beams at me again and puts his arm around my shoulder before pulling out a key card and sliding it into a slot near the door.
Entering the warmth of the club feels like a million bucks, and I realize I had suddenly forgotten how cold I was outside. We bypass the dance floor and make a beeline for the booth, with me holding Liam’s hand the whole way. Now I only have to help Drew. But with what? I need to pump Henry for more info.
“Where have you two been? We looked for you on the dance floor, but guess what? You weren’t out there.” Jeff looks at us with eyes that say he has many questions. It’s kind of cool to be so in tune with someone.
“Wouldn’t you like to know? Sorry, it’s our little secret. Right, Liam?” He looks at me, and yes, I feel so much joy as he gives me the most stunning smile. I know Liam will be just fine.
“Okay, spill it,” Jeff spits out as soon as he closes the door to my room.
“Spill what?” I ask innocently.
“The two of you go missing for a few? And?”
“Okay, Mr. I Need to Know Everything, we were talking about him coming out to his family over the holidays.”
He looks at me with worry in his eyes. “Wow, that’s really deep. Are you sure they’re going to be accepting?”
“I think someone has a crush.”
“Maybe, but I’m concerned. It’s a big step.” Jeff takes off his coat and sits on the edge of the bed to pull off his boots.
“Henry is always right, and I think—no, I know everything will be fine for Liam.” I kiss the top of Jeff’s head and enter my closet, stripping down as I go.
Tonight was different. Dora was different. How long do I have to wait until she notices how much I want her in my life? What will I do if she doesn’t want me? Do I wait longer? Will it make a difference? Oh, what the hell? I have to be patient. Yeah, patient. I can’t lose her.
17
Christmas is easily one of my favorite times of the year, especially when my mom tells me she has threatened the senior women to behave again. Way to go, Mom! Jeff and I have all of our presents wrapped and placed in huge bags that I found for a buck each at a nearby dollar store.
“Jeff, go tell Drew we’re ready to head out. You’re going to drive my car, right?” He nods as he opens the door.
“Hey, Drew, you ready?” he yells.
“No need to yell. I’m right here,” I hear Drew’s deep voice answer.
“Wow, what’s all this?” Jeff asks, causing me to turn and watch Drew walk into the room with several bags.
“Presents. It is Christmas, right? The time for giving.” He laughs after looking at both Jeff and me. We’re stunned. The bags are barely able hold the plethora of brightly wrapped items.
“Yes, but you didn’t have to buy anything,” I say. “My family invited you to dinner. They don’t expect presents.”
“Well, I guess that’s too bad, because here they are.” He shrugs his wide shoulders and takes a seat on the bed.
“I don’t know how we’ll fit everything in my car.” I shake my head at the idea of trying to.
“No worries. We’ll take the sedan. It’ll all fit in the trunk. I love big trunks.” He beams before leaving the room, and returns seconds later with his coat in one hand and a Santa hat in the other. “Have I mentioned to you two that I love Christmas? Well, if I haven’t, I do. Hurry, get your coats on so we can get on the road.”
Drew takes his bags, and we grab ours before following him to the elevator. I’m rush to catch up with Jeff and Drew after making sure the door is locked. Drew holds the elevator open for me with a grin on his face, and I just can’t help but grin back at him. He looks so adorable in his Santa hat.
Jeff helps Drew put the bags in the trunk, and I scramble into backseat, loving the feel of the soft leather. My car has more than a hundred thousand miles and crappy cloth seats. I’m not into cars, but I know luxury when I feel it. The few times I’ve ridden in Drew’s car, I failed to notice how decadent it is, and I immediately have a vision of Drew and some girl utilizing the backseat. The girl is blocked by Drew’s head and I feel a little jealous of whoever she is.
Damn, where the hell did the word “jealous” come from? I’m sure this backseat and his bedroom have seen some action. The tabloids have field days with his love life, or should I say sex life? A different woman every night. Okay, so maybe it’s more like once a week.