by Shea Balik
“But I haven’t seen or talked to you all week,” she complained, this time her focus on him instead of what was around her. It wasn’t much, but Blue took that as progress. Well, until she finished it by saying, “And there’s no way I’m going to spend the day in…” she glanced around, an actual shiver of revulsion shook her body, “here.”
How Shine seemed to know exactly what his mother’s problem was, Blue had no clue, but he grabbed two different colored yarns and brought them right over to Blue, making sure to stand close enough to Apple that when he held out the yarns, they brushed her arm. His mother screamed as if she’d been bitten.
She jumped back, practically bolting out of the door while she scrubbed at her arm with her hand as if that would get the old-age infection to disappear. “I’ll be back in one hour, Blue. You better be ready to go shopping or God help me I will stand outside your door telling anyone walking by all your most embarrassing secrets.”
Then she was gone.
Shine was grinning like a fool. “What secrets?” he asked with his eyebrows going up and down suggestively. “I hope they’re juicy.”
Blue laughed, he couldn’t help it. There was no way all of that just happened. Yet, when it came to his mother, he damn well knew, not only did it happen, she would make good on her threat. Then again, there wasn’t much she more she could say that she hadn’t told the world.
“Sorry to disappoint, Shine. But my mom has already told every detail of my life to anyone willing to listen. She isn’t exactly discreet.” At least not when it came to him. For some reason she didn’t feel it as necessary to do the same to his brother and sister. Then again, they’d been smart enough to get the hell out of Dodge.
Shine scowled. “Damn it. I miss all the good stuff. Maybe you could just give me the highlights.”
One of his regular customers, Jewel, who had been collecting a decent pile of yarn, came over. “I’m ready to check out,” she told Blue. Then she turned to Shine. “Just last week they were in Tina’s store, The Gift Fairy, when she shouted across the store that Blue was gay, without style and she thought he was acting like an old man because he owns a yarn and knitting store.”
Shine tilted his head back and laughed. “Next time I’ll have an armful of yarn and dump it on her,” he promised. His phone beeped and suddenly Shine tossed the yarn he was still holding into the nearest bin, not at all where they went, and raced for the door. “Shit. I was supposed to be at the tasting room a half hour ago. Montague is going to kill me.”
He stopped at the door, his brows waggling again. “I guess I’ll just have to try to find a new position to make it up to him.”
That had Blue laughing. He didn’t usually hang out with Shine or his husband, Montague too often, but to save money he and Lowen had done a lot of walking around the town square at night. Neither of them liked to be cooped up inside sitting in front of the tv, so they’d taken to going on walks. Since it was summer, the stores were open later, allowing them to browse when they wanted, or just stroll.
Twice, they’d run into Shine and Montague, plus Shine had been there Thursday night at the wine bar. Somehow, sex positions had a way of working into the conversation. Usually it was David, Andrew, or Tucker bringing it up.
As funny as some of the stories were, Blue wasn’t ready to hear about another one. Thankfully, Shine left, leaving Blue to ring up Jewel and try to convince one of his part-time employees to come in. Since he only had two, he would be lucky if either answered on a beautiful summer Saturday.
Thankfully, Pedro, one of the college students, who usually worked three jobs over the summer, was available thanks to the lawn crew he worked for had some of their equipment break down. With Pedro on his way, Blue quickly helped the remaining customers and straightened things.
He’d just finished restocking the shelves when Pedro walked in, holding the door open for Blue’s mother. That was close.
“Thank you,” Apple told Pedro even though she stood just outside. “But I won’t be stepping foot in that place. I already feel ten years older from the few minutes I was in there earlier.” Then she glanced at Blue. “You better be ready.”
“I am.” He gestured to Pedro, who still held the door open, clearly unsure what he should do. “I will be out in a minute. I just need to give Pedro instructions.”
His mother let out a long dramatic sigh that told him she wasn’t happy to be made to wait, but she stepped away from the door, as if just breathing the same air might cause her to age before their eyes.
“Sorry about that,” Blue said as Pedro shut the door. Thankfully, this time, no one was in the store to hear her. “I’ve restocked everything. The knitting group will be here at three. I have no idea if I’ll be back or not, but I doubt it.”
He handed Pedro the sheet for the class. “Here is the new pattern for anyone that wants to try it. I’ve already loaded the lesson on the webpage. If they need instruction, you’ll have to call it up on the laptop for them.”
Pedro nodded. “This looks really cool. Do you mind if I give it a whirl if I have time?”
“Go right ahead. We’ve had a steady stream of customers but not so many that you won’t have time to at least get started.” Blue was stalling and he knew it. The last thing he wanted was to ruin the week he’d had by spending time with his mother. The fact that she was pissed with him, didn’t help.
“Okay.” Blue headed for the door. “Call me if you need me for anything.” He stressed that, which caused Pedro to chuckle.
“Do you want me to come up with an emergency?” Pedro asked him.
As much as Blue wanted to say yes, he knew it would only make things worse in the end. “No. But thanks for the offer.”
He waved as he went out to meet his mother, who was currently standing on the sidewalk, arms crossed, lips pinched, and foot tapping irritably. “It’s about time. I mean, how long can the instructions be? It’s yarn.”
Blue didn’t bother to say anything to that. His mother didn’t want to hear about it and, if he were honest, Blue didn’t want to have her disparage his life’s passion – again. “So, where would you like to start? Clothes, knick knacks, or should we get lunch?”
The smile she gave him, the one that said she had a plan all along and he wasn’t going to like it one bit, put him on edge. “Lunch,” she announced.
That didn’t seem bad. But Blue had enough experience with his mother to know it was what she wasn’t saying that he wouldn’t like. As they headed down the sidewalk and turned toward the parking lot, he knew wherever they were eating, it wouldn’t be around the square.
“I take it you have a place in mind.” At least he hoped she did, since he didn’t exactly want to be trapped in a car with her while she drove around aimlessly.
That smile she still wore was starting to make him uneasy. “Actually, I do. There’s someone I would like you to meet and I thought what better way to get to know a person than at a wine tasting.”
Blue had just reached for the door handle on his mother’s car and stopped short of opening it. “We’re going to The Twisted Vine?”
“We are,” his mother agreed. “There’s a gentleman I’d like you to meet.”
A surge of relief coursed through Blue at her announcement. She must have met a man who she hoped would be her next husband. Why meet at the winery, he had no clue, but since Lowen was working, he wasn’t about to pass up the chance to see his lover.
Getting in the car, the butterflies he always felt whenever he was about to see Lowen started to flap in his stomach. It had to have been his excitement that caused him to miss the calculating look in his mother’s eyes. If he’d been paying more attention to her, he might not have walked right into her trap.
CHAPTER 10
“How may I help you?” Lowen asked cheerfully to the man who’d sat at the bar. He couldn’t help but be in a great mood.
The fellow glanced toward the door, then his watch, the universal sign that he was waiting for so
meone. “I’m actually here for a blind date.” The guy actually grimaced. “One of my clients set it up. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Hoping to make the poor man a little more at ease, Lowen asked, “Oh, what do you do?”
That had a smile appear on the man’s firm lips. “I’m a financial advisor.”
Lowen had to school his features not to cringe. He was sure he’d be bored to death, but clearly this guy loved his job. Holding out his hand, Lowen introduced himself.
“Virgil Green,” the man said. “It’s nice to meet you. I bet you’ve seen a fair share of blind dates and first dates here. Do they usually go well?”
That was a loaded question. Good thing Lowen was feeling so great about love, since he was sure he was falling for Blue. He smiled at Virgil. “With our wines to help you? I’d say you have better than a good chance of things working out.” Lowen gave him a wink then started to move away. “I’ll keep watch out for your date joining you and be back.”
He didn’t know Virgil, but Lowen hoped he didn’t end up with a dud for a date. He couldn’t seem to help but want everyone to feel the way he did.
For the past week, he’d spent every night with Blue curled in his arms. It wasn’t always about sex, although they’d been having plenty, but even on those nights when they were too tired to move, the two just fell into bed like they’d been doing it for years, their bodies curled around each other, not moving until morning.
He’d never had that with anyone in his life. Other nights Blue and Lowen took walks around the square, just talking and getting to know each other. What he loved the most was none of it was forced. Neither of them felt the need to impress the other, they just were themselves.
Or, at least, he was fairly sure Blue was being genuine. Obviously, having only known him a week, there was always a chance he wasn’t as perfect for Lowen as he seemed. No. Lowen refused to allow that little nugget of doubt in.
No point creating drama when there was none. Even the typical issues at work hadn’t bothered him. Nor had Blue seemed to mind when Lowen took on extra shifts. Usually the guys he’d dated didn’t seem to understand he had to work for a living. Then again, he’d tended to date men in college, who were still living off their parents, so money wasn’t really a factor.
He’d even brought up the possibility of not finishing college since he had no clue what he wanted to do with his life and why spend the money on a degree that probably wouldn’t be used. Blue gave him points on both sides, not once injecting his own opinion into it, at least not as far as what Lowen should do.
He also hadn’t been critical of Lowen not getting a degree, mentioning there were plenty of people who didn’t feel college was for them. He did ask if Lowen was happy with his job at the vineyard. Instead of just giving a pat answer, Lowen had thought about it and realized, he really was.
Working with people and helping them to have a great time was fun. As for his bosses, he couldn’t have asked for better employers. Lowen told Blue about how he’d come to host the engagement party where they’d met and how it had led to his bosses trusting him with other parties.
Blue had been genuinely happy for him. That was just one of the many things he loved about Blue. He encouraged, but never tried to tell Lowen what to do. The man was perfect.
Well, that might be overstating things a bit. There were a few quirks, like he was a neat freak to the point that while Lowen brushed his teeth, Blue was already putting the cap back on the toothpaste to put back in the drawer. Or when Lowen poured himself a cup of coffee and spilled a drop, Lowen hadn’t even finished taking his first sip and Blue was already wiping the counter down.
Once, Lowen had put his hair brush on the counter to put some mousse in his hair. He went to get dressed and when he got back to the bathroom to finish styling his hair, the brush and mousse were already stored away. It was a little irritating, but Lowen got it, they all had quirks. It might take a bit of time to get used to each other, but if that was the worst of it, he could easily live with Blue being a bit OCD.
The door to the tasting room opened and Lowen turned to greet the newcomers. His smile increased tenfold as Blue came in with his mother. He knew Apple could be a bit much but if it meant seeing his lover, Lowen was glad she had dragged Blue to The Twisted Vine.
But before he could call out to them, Apple looked right at man waiting for his blind date. “Virgil, dear. So glad you could make it.” With her nails practically digging into Blue’s hand to drag him with her, she said, “I told you my son was cute as a button. Now, don’t you worry, I’m not going to get in your way, but I just didn’t want either of you to miss this opportunity, so I thought I should introduce you properly.”
“Mother, what…”
But Apple cut Blue off. “Virgil Green, I’d like you to meet my son, Blue Moon. Blue, this is Virgil. He handles my financial accounts and when he’d recently told me he was single, I just knew I had to get you two on a date.”
“But Mother I…”
“I know, I know,” his mother interrupted again, waving Blue’s concerns off. “You don’t like me interfering in your love life, but you both were single and if I didn’t introduce you, how would you ever meet?”
Steam was coming out of Lowen’s ears as Blue glanced at him in a panic. He had no doubt his sweet Blue had no clue what his mother had planned, but that didn’t mean Lowen wasn’t going to stake his claim on the man he was falling in love with.
Overbearing mother or not, Lowen would make sure by the time Apple left, she would know he wasn’t about to let anyone mess with their fledgling relationship. As his mom continued to blather on about how the two would be absolutely perfect for each other, Lowen came around the counter and walked right up to Blue.
Without a word to any of them, he took Blue in his arms. The smile Blue gave him as Lowen dipped him dramatically over his arm and leaned in for a kiss told him he had Blue’s permission to make a spectacle. That was good, because Lowen was on a mission. Claim Blue as his to the world.
The moment their lips met, it was just like always, magical. They were transported to their own world where no one else existed. His tongue traced along Blue’s bottom lip. Without any hesitation, Blue opened right up for him and Lowen took full advantage, slipping his tongue inside to twine with his lover’s.
Like a distant roar, he could hear clapping and catcalls all around them, but Lowen completely ignored them. His whole attention was on Blue and his amazing lips. Only when he felt a twinge in his back from holding Blue like that, did Lowen finally pull them upright and oh so slowly end the kiss.
But he didn’t release Blue, instead he stared into those nearly pure turquoise eyes. God, but he loved how that color was reserved just for him. When they made love, those eyes shined brightly, like a perfect ocean view.
Blue was smiling at him, with only a hint of a blush, more from the kiss than embarrassment, but Lowen was fairly certain that Blue was still as dazed as Lowen was and hadn’t fully taken in the cheers they were getting.
“Blue Moon,” Apple yelled with a stomp of her foot, which might have made more of an impact if she weren’t wearing sandals with rubber soles. “How dare you embarrass me like this. I made a lot of effort to set you up with Virgil.”
Just like that, everything around them came back in full force. Blue’s flushed cheeks turned red but this time it had nothing to do with everyone around them. Instead of feeling awkward, waves of anger poured off his lover as that pretty turquoise turned a deep blue.
“How dare I?” Blue said to his mother in a hard tone. “You know I’ve been dating Lowen. Why would set up a date with another man? Where Lowen works by the way, not that it matters, since I would never have agreed to the date in the first place. You have some nerve, Mother.”
Apple glanced at Lowen, her gaze clearly dismissing him as she said, “Oh please, he’s not going to make you happy. I mean, he works as a waiter for Christ’s sake. Virgil has a real job with r
eal prospects. You’d be able to sell that stupid store of yours and do something more respectable with a man like Virgil supporting you.”
Virgil’s eyes got wider with each sentence until he surged to his feet. “Uhm, look. I had no clue you were dating anyone,” he said to Blue. “To be honest, I didn’t want to go on this date to begin with, but your mother didn’t give me much of a choice to say no.”
Then he glanced to Lowen. “Sorry. Had I known, I would have never shown up.”
Lowen held out his hand to Virgil, who gratefully took it. “No hard feelings. Apple can be a handful.”
“What?” Apple screeched as Virgil quickly left without a word to her. Not that Lowen could blame him. He’d only met Apple twice, but both times she had a way of making all around wish they were anywhere else. “You don’t get to say things like that about me,” she said, pointing a finger at Lowen as if she wished she could stab him with it.
“Actually mother, Lowen has every right,” Blue said, standing firmly next to Lowen with their fingers intertwined. “What you just tried to do is low, even for you.”
For a minute, Lowen was sure Apple was about to blow like Mt. Vesuvius. But when she glanced around the room and saw the audience they had, she broke down into tears. It was actually fascinating to watch. As if there had been a switch she suddenly flipped, the outrageous morphed into tears and trembling lips.
“I just missed you so much, Blue. I was jealous of how much time you were spending with Lowen.” As if that somehow explained away her trying to break them apart.
“Really?” Blue said with as much sarcasm as Lowen had ever heard him use. “Yet, whenever you meet a man, I don’t hear from you, sometimes for years, until the divorce.” He waved a couple of fingers between them. “Lowen and I have only been dating a week and I saw you on Sunday.”
Apple opened her mouth as if she was fully intended to object, but Lowen didn’t care. He had a job to do whether Apple was there or not. “I’m sorry Apple, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave. This is my place of employment where you decided to create trouble and I don’t appreciate it.”
