“Thank you.” I stand and pull on my underwear and then my pants. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow?”
“How am I supposed to look your dad in the eye after all the wicked things his son did to me this weekend?”
“Hmm, if he asks you how your weekend was, please don’t tell him it was orgasmic.”
“Oh, hell no. No, no, no way am I saying anything to your dad. I want him to put in a good word for me with Callaghan and Robson.”
“I could put in a good word for you.”
“Yes, but I want a work recommendation, not a ‘He takes my dick really well.’”
I grin. “Fair enough. Who knows though, they might be looking for that kind of talent.”
Tyson frowns at me.
I hold up my hands. “Just messing with you.” I finish getting dressed and then lean over him, still in bed, and kiss him goodbye.
Our mouths come together softly at first, but like every other time I’ve kissed him this weekend, it’s hard to stop once I start.
I force myself to pull back, even when he throws his hands around the back of my neck and tries to keep me close.
“I have to go,” I say against his lips. “My nonna will kill me if I’m not there.”
“It’s cute you’re scared of a little old lady.”
“Have you ever seen an Italian woman when she’s mad? Fucking terrifying.”
Tyson snorts, and then he plays dirty. He throws off the comforter, revealing his long, lean, naked body. His cock is hard, and after one weekend together, I’m addicted to his taste and want to lean down and—
“Nope, nope, nope.” I spin on my heel. “I have to go.” I practically fly down the ladder, grab my bag, and leave to the sound of Tyson laughing.
I order an Uber, and it only takes a couple of minutes to show up. Thank you, Boston. In Burlington, if you want an Uber, you have to be prepared to wait for one. In the cold. For as long as it takes.
I make it home and walk through the door to the welcome of Mom and Dad’s scowls.
“Hope she was worth it,” Dad sings. Mom backhands his chest.
“He was. I’m going to go take the world’s quickest shower and be back down soon.”
I leave their blank stares in a hurry. They have a few minutes to collect their thoughts on the subject before we have what I’m sure will be an awkward talk. I know they’ve already said they’d be okay with me being with a guy, but theoretically supporting it and actually doing it is different.
When I get back downstairs, they stop what they’re doing in the kitchen and face me.
Then the doorbell rings, and I smile. “Oh, shame. This conversation will have to happen later.”
I answer the door to let Nonna in. She beams up at me, kissing each of my cheeks before saying, “You’re not eating enough.”
Of course I’m not.
Dad’s brother, Uncle Lorenzo, trails in behind her, miming with his hands that the woman just won’t shut up. We hug and then follow Nonna into the kitchen, where she immediately takes over so she can do it “properly.” My mom’s cooking is never good enough, apparently.
Nonna’s always right.
One good thing about her being here is I know Mom and Dad won’t bring up where I’ve been all weekend.
I set the table like a good little boy and avoid the way my parents are tracking me with their gazes.
When we sit down to eat, Nonna starts in on me immediately. “So, Mr. Graduate, when are you going to find a nice woman to settle down with?”
“What’s your definition of nice?” I joke.
Mom kicks me under the table.
“He’s going to business school,” Dad says. “He can worry about relationships and settling down after that.”
“No,” Nonna says. “Then he’ll end up with someone who only wants his money. He needs to lock her down while he’s got nothing.”
I wouldn’t call a brownstone in Boston nothing, but then again, it’s not like this is my place. It’s my parents’. But that doesn’t negate that a potential partner might see dollar signs because my parents have money. Eventually, all of this will be mine and Marco’s. I’ll probably buy him out because I will have the money. Marco is doing a liberal arts degree. I shudder.
“I’m not going to pressure him into marrying someone and having kids. It’s not like it was back in your day, Mamma. Some people don’t even want children.”
Go, Dad!
“He can live his life however he wants.”
It’s hard to stop my smile, but I try, for Nonna’s sake. Dad might not be saying the actual words, but he’s letting me know he’ll support me no matter what.
* * *
The next day, I don’t find Tyson in the break room like I’m expecting. I shove the leftovers in the fridge that I plan to split with him later and head for Mitch’s office.