“Where are we?” he asked, stretching.
“Have a good nap?” Darwin teased, a knowing grin on his face.
“I’m sorry. I thought I’d be too keyed up to sleep.”
“Don’t apologize. You looked comfortable, so I figured I’d let you doze until we got here. The reviews on this place are incredible. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but their food is supposed to be amazing.”
They got out of the car, and Darwin latched the roof. He directed Ricky inside, laughing when the bell above the door startled them both. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people already spread throughout the interior. They glanced up as Darwin and Ricky entered, one even gave a wave.
“Hi, boys. Take a seat anywhere. I’ll be right with you,” the waitress called.
They moved to the back and slid into one of the open booths. Ricky couldn’t take his eyes off everything. It seemed like a throwback to the diners of the 1950s, with swivel seats at the long, curved counter. Tiled floors in geometric patterns. Even the outfit the server wore harkened back to an earlier time.
She handed them each a menu, and stood there while they looked it over. “Today’s soup is vegetable. We’ve also got chili. It’s kind of spicy, so you know. The special is chicken fried steak, served with mashed potatoes and gravy. If this is your first time here, you might want to try the Belly Buster. A sixteen-ounce sirloin burger, with six strips of bacon, cheddar and American cheese, served on a toasted bun. It comes with your choice of fries or onion rings.”
“That’s what I want,” Darwin told her, putting his menu back on the table. “With the onion rings.”
Ricky let his gaze drift over the menu. The smell of the food made his stomach rumble. He looked at the price of the burger, but then decided if Darwin would have it, so would he.
“Me, too, please. And could I have a strawberry shake?”
“They have shakes?” Darwin asked, grabbing his menu. “You didn’t have them listed on the website.”
“Which shows how often our site gets updated.” She laughed. “We’ve had them for a good ten years now.”
“I’d love a chocolate one, please. With a lot of whipped cream on top.”
She smiled at them, then turned and headed for the kitchen.
They sat quietly for a few minutes, Ricky glancing around the restaurant. His mother would love this place. Then he caught himself and remembered they were on a date. Last thing anyone wanted would be to have their mother there. He coughed to cover a snicker, then turned his attention back to Darwin.
“That burger sounded amazing,” Ricky admitted.
“I’m glad you didn’t go for the salad.”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Ricky said, allowing a little bit of attitude to creep in.
“Brat,” Darwin retorted, then grinned.
“Takes one to know one,” Ricky replied.
They kept up the banter for a few more minutes, though when the waitress returned, Ricky did his best to stifle the giggles.
“Are you guys like six? You sound like my boys,” the waitress said, laughing as she put their shakes down.
“He acts like it,” Ricky said, sticking out his tongue.
Darwin and their server, whose name tag said Emily, both laughed.
“Your food should be done pretty soon. Enjoy the shake.”
“Thank you, Emily. I’m sure we will,” Darwin replied, winking at her before she turned back toward the kitchen.
Ricky loved the shake. Thick, rich, and delicious. He glanced up at Darwin, and noticed his pinched expression. “You okay?”
Darwin put his glass down and took a deep breath. “We have to talk.”
The way Darwin spoke put Ricky on alert. “That’s never a good conversation starter,” he mumbled.
“I’ve been trying to figure out a good time—a good way—to do this, but I just can’t seem to think there will be one.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a glossy sheet of paper.
“Please…look at this, and then you can ask me anything you want. I’m not doing it to freak you out or anything; you’ve got to believe that. But I can’t keep on hiding things from you, because it isn’t fair to either one of us.”
He unfolded the sheet, then slid the paper across the table. Ricky saw Darwin’s face smiling up at him. He looked resplendent in a charcoal tuxedo. “You’re in a magazine article?”
Darwin nodded and his complexion seemed to take on a grayish tint.
Ricky turned his attention back to the page and read. The more he saw, the more twisted up his stomach became. He thought it might be a joke, but Financial News and Reports magazine really didn’t seem to have much of a sense of humor.
“I…don’t know what to say,” Ricky stated, his stomach churning at the implications of what he’d seen. “So you’re…what? CEO of a company?”
“Actually, I own it, too,” Darwin replied quietly, looking down at the table.
“And it says you’re on the NASDAQ,” Ricky said, trying to process everything he’d seen. “So it’s a good company?”
“I like to think so.”
Ricky stood, the paper crumpled in his fist. “I need some air. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Darwin started to stand, but Ricky held out his hand.
“I need to be alone for a bit.” He stumbled outside, his thoughts in a fog.
So Darwin had money. Big deal. Why should that matter? Only it did. Ricky had nothing, so what could he bring to a relationship? He sat down on the curb, pulled out his phone, and dialed.
“Two calls in less than two weeks? Wow, I must have done something right,” his mother teased. “Wait. You’d tell me if I was dying, right? I mean you’re not calling to see—”
Ricky’s sob brought her up short.
“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Ricky couldn’t catch his breath. The pressure that squeezed his lungs made him feel as though he were drowning.
“Ricky? What’s wrong? Talk to me. Do you need me to come and get you?”
“I-I-I… He… Mom?”
“Oh, baby. Please don’t cry. Tell me what’s bothering you. I can’t help if you don’t. Breathe.”
He pulled in some air and blew it out slowly. Repeating the exercise several times helped to calm him a little.
“Do you want me to come get you?”
“No. It’s not that. Mom, what would you have said if you found out Dad had a secret? One that made you feel as though you brought nothing to your relationship?”
“I don’t think I understand.”
Ricky unfurled the paper in his hand. “Darwin showed me a magazine article. He’s the owner of Kincade International. He’s rich, Mom. The magazine article says his net worth is close to six billion dollars. Why the hell would he want someone like me?”
“Because you’re an amazing man?” she answered without hesitation. “Because he sees something in you that calls to him?” She paused. “Is he offering you money for sex?
“What? No!”
“Does he want to put you up in a fancy apartment so you’ll be beholden to him?”
“Darwin’s not like that, Mom.”
“Then what are you really worried about?”
“He has money. More than anyone I know. I’ve got nothing. I can barely pay my bills and tuition.”
“So you’re not on equal footing with him. Would it make you feel better if he was poor? Do you care for the man or his pocketbook?”
“I don’t care about his money,” Ricky snapped.
“Then why are you letting it bother you? It’s his money, sweetie. If he wants to do something with it, let him. Unless it makes you uncomfortable. Then you need to tell him. Do you understand? You said he’s a good man. Then trust him. At least until he proves he can’t be trusted. Then kick his ass.”
Ricky snorted.
“Where are you now?”
“We drove down Lake Drive. I fell asleep, so
I’m not really sure where we are. He took me to a small diner to get lunch.”
“It sounds to me like he doesn’t want you to be uncomfortable. Why not give him a chance to show you what kind of man he is?”
She was right. Darwin hadn’t given Ricky any reason to doubt him. He could understand Darwin’s fear at telling him the truth. After all, with how he’d reacted, he’d probably confirmed exactly how Darwin thought it would go.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I’m always there for you, Ricky. But if Darwin wants to buy me something, don’t tell him no. Remind him I like sapphires. But only with platinum, because gold turns my skin green.”
Ricky laughed. “I should go. I left him sitting in the restaurant.”
“Go then. And just be true to who you are.”
Ricky got up, brushed off his pants, and headed back to the restaurant. He glanced over at the car, and it brought a smile to his face. Darwin had done it to impress him. He didn’t need to, though. Ricky had gone far beyond that stage already.
****
“He walked out,” Darwin whimpered to his friend. He wanted to chase after Ricky, but to what end? If the man said he didn’t want to see Darwin again, he wouldn’t be able to stop him from walking away. “What the hell do I do now?”
“Breathe, Dare. Where did he go?”
“He told me he needed some air. Then he walked out the door.”
“Then take him at his word. You just laid out a huge bit of news. It’s no surprise that he’s reeling.”
Darwin twisted the napkin in his hand, tearing it into small pieces. “I should go after him. Maybe I can—”
“What? There’s very little you can do. He’ll either accept it or he won’t. But it has to be on his terms. I know it sucks, and I’m real sorry for that. I wish I could make it all better.”
The bell above the door rang, and Darwin twisted in his seat. When Ricky stepped in, Darwin breathed a sigh of relief and the knot in his stomach loosened a little. As soon as he slid into the booth, Darwin leaned forward. “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t think of a better way to do it.”
“It’s fine,” Ricky replied coolly.
“If you want, I can take you home.”
A small smile played on Ricky’s lips. “But we haven’t eaten yet.”
Darwin’s head jerked up. “You mean you’ll still eat with me?”
“Well, yeah. The burger sounded delicious.” He reached out and touched Darwin’s fingers. “And I really like the company.”
“Darwin? Dare!”
“Oh, crap. One second.” Darwin brought the phone back to his ear. “Sorry, he’s back now.”
“And are you over your panic?”
“For the moment. Thank you, Henley.”
“Anytime. You know that.”
They disconnected. Darwin pocketed his phone and turned his attention back to Ricky.
“Did you think I wouldn’t come back?”
Darwin gave a half-shrug. “A little.”
“So you called someone, too? I called my mom.”
“I called Henley. He’s my driver and best friend.”
Ricky shook his head. “Your driver. Like a limo?”
“Yeah. Does it bother you?”
“Does it bother me? It freaks me the hell out. The magazine article said you were worth nearly six billion dollars.”
Darwin grinned. “It’s an old article.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle when Ricky started doing a fish impression.
“I really don’t have all that money,” Darwin explained. “We set up several charities across the US. We help to support shelters for runaway LGBT youth, battered women, and the like. Personally I give money to groups working on cures for cancers. I lost the first person I loved to the damned disease a few years ago, and I don’t want anyone to go through that again.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Ricky said softly.
“Thank you. But I’m okay.” They were quiet for a moment, then Darwin looked up as Emily brought their food. She couldn’t have come at a better time. They both needed a little space to get their thoughts in order. Conversation could wait.
The burgers were delicious. Everything Emily said they would be. The best part? Watching Ricky turn his plate around, trying to figure out where to start on the monster burger.
“My eyes were bigger than my stomach,” he said, then chuckled. “Belly Buster is a great name for this.”
Though some residual tension remained in the air, and Darwin knew they had a lot to talk about, he found himself grateful that at least now he’d have the opportunity to do so.
****
“I’m glad you stuck around,” Darwin said, turning the key in the ignition.
Ricky’s fingers clenched. He had no idea what to say. He’d never talked to a man who had money. Now it seemed that whatever they would talk about, it most likely would be Darwin placating him. He didn’t know about fancy things. To him, opera was either a browser or a bunch of people up on a stage shrieking.
“So what now?” he asked hesitantly.
“Sorry?”
Ricky glanced out at the countryside. He didn’t think he could bear to look at Darwin, because he’d probably cry. “Well, I think we’re both well aware that you’re more traveled than me, more learned. I’m just a waiter. It’s not like I can offer anything to you.”
Darwin turned on his directional and pulled the car to the side of the road.
“Please tell me you’re kidding.”
Ricky fidgeted in his seat. “My mom told me you wanted to be with me because I’m supposed to be an amazing man. But compared to you…?”
Ricky left the rest of the sentence unspoken.
“Hey, come here.” Darwin took Ricky’s hand in his. “You listen to me, and you listen good. You want to know what you have to offer? I’ll tell you. You brought me back to life. Almost literally. When Dean, my late husband, passed, I felt so lost. I wandered through my days. My only joy happened to be at a restaurant you might be familiar with. A waiter I liked to ogle worked there, but then one day he left. I acted out a little to the new server that came to me.”
Ricky tried to work up a smile at the compliment, but he couldn’t manage it. He glanced over at Darwin, who sat there looking at him like Ricky was something precious. Thoughts of what he could say deserted him, though.
“You’d like him” Darwin continued. “He had a smile that lit up the room. He didn’t take any crap from me. When I acted like a jerk, he called me on it. But when I said I should go? He worried enough that he wanted me to eat. And then, this guy did the most astounding thing. Instead of selling me a line about the food they served there? He told me about his favorite food. I’d never had a corn dog before. And as I sat there eating it, I realized there were so many things I’d never had.
“So I started wondering. What else could this man teach me about life? So far he’s taught me the joy of dancing, even if I did it badly. The tickle in my throat from a delicious local ale. How amazing it is to sit across from someone and share a meal. How much I missed being hugged, kissed…hell, just being touched.”
Ricky could hear the emotion creeping into Darwin’s voice. It broke as he spoke, and Ricky wanted to hug him close, but those niggling thoughts about the differences between them stilled his hand.
“He taught me the joy of small things, like buying something for his cat. He made me laugh at the image of said cat lounging on the air conditioner unit. He made me feel…normal, at least for a while.”
“Yes, but you could have done all those things without me. It’s not like you don’t have the money for them.”
“Oh, Ricky,” Darwin said softly. “The old adage is truer than you know. Money really can’t buy happiness. All the stuff in the world that money can buy won’t fill the hole inside of you.”
Ricky choked back a laugh. His emotions were all over the place. Needing to get the conversation back to somewhere neutral, he said, “And here I th
ought my big news would be the most exciting part of the day.”
“You have news? Tell!”
“Well, it’s kind of insignificant next to yours. I got the job at Rossi’s. I start Monday.”
Darwin reached over and cupped Ricky’s chin. He tried to pull him closer, but the seatbelt held him in place.
“Damn it,” he snarled. “When we stop, remind me I owe you a hug and a kiss. Congratulations! I’m so happy for you.”
Darwin seemed genuinely thrilled for Ricky. And that went a long way to soothing his jangled nerves.
They drove on, heading back toward home and real life. As they neared Ricky’s building, Darwin blew out a breath and said, “Maria, my cook, wants me to invite your family over for dinner tomorrow night. She’d like to meet you, if that’s okay.”
“Dinner at your house? Tomorrow? With my family? You haven’t met my mother,” Ricky stated with a laugh.
“No, but I’d like to,” Darwin replied, his tone showing his sincerity. “If she’s anything like her son, I’m sure I’ll…really like her.”
Ricky sucked in a breath. “Isn’t that a little fast?”
“Yes. It’s completely and totally crazy,” Darwin acknowledged. “But it feels right, at least to me. I can’t explain it. If you’re not ready, I very much understand, but I’d really like to meet your family and have you meet mine.”
Ricky groaned. His mother would probably take the opportunity to embarrass him. The fact that Darwin wanted to meet his family warmed his heart, though. Of course, his family would probably be a lot more low class than the people Darwin knew. Ricky fretted that it might not be such a good idea after all.
Chapter Ten
“You’re sure about this?” Ricky’s mom asked for the millionth time since they’d gone outside to wait for Darwin.
“He said he wanted to meet you. I tried to warn him, but he still insisted.”
She flicked his ear, which caused him to dance away, laughing.
“What time is he supposed to pick—”
“I told you, Mom, he’ll be here in a few minutes. God, you’re so damned impatient.”
She glared at him, but her smile showed him she wasn’t annoyed at all.
Of Love and Corn Dogs Page 11
