No, Axel would have no reason to carry expired condoms. He’d probably use any he got right away. It’s not like there was a shortage of women for him to sleep with. At Concord, I frequently came back in the morning after spending the evening at Sofia’s to find a new woman draped around his body.
Always a woman.
Even if he talks about genes mixing and things that make my heart dip.
He takes Luca into his arms. Luca continues to scream in Axel’s face, insufficiently appreciative of Axel’s charms.
Axel babbles and bounces Luca up and down.
Luca’s screams taper off into hiccups, then silence. His small fist curls into Axel’s shirt. Sofia sends me a knowing look I don’t particularly appreciate.
I don’t know when she decided I had a crush on Axel, but she’s been teasing me about him for a decade. I don’t desire to give her more fodder. I don’t want her teasing to turn to sympathy, because yeah, she does that well too.
She wasn’t the first person in my life to ask if I was gay, but she was the first person in my life I admitted the truth to.
The buzzer sounds, and Axel leaps toward the door. “That must be Patricia.”
I exchange a glance with Sofia.
“Is that your girlfriend, Axel?” Sofia asks.
“Girlfriend? What? No.” Axel shakes his head. “I haven’t had a girlfriend in ages. There was Francesca, but…” His skin reddens. “I think I talked about things that bored her.”
Sofia laughs. “Who is Patricia?”
“Patricia is the nanny,” Axel says. “Remember, Enzo? I told you I would hire someone permanent.”
“I need to meet her first.”
“And you will. Right now. Look. I told her we’re giving her a three-month trial. That will carry us through the end of the season.”
“And playoffs.”
“We won 7-2 last time! Dude, it was incredible. We’re making it to playoffs.”
I grin back at Axel. “That was awesome.”
“Yeah.”
“If you don’t like her, we can always go back to the nanny anonymous company.”
“That wasn’t what it was called,” I grumble, but my shoulders are less high than before.
The doorbell rings, and Axel swings it open.
Patricia steps inside, all little old lady-ish with curly gray hair that reaches her waist. She stretches out her arms, former art teacher style. “I’m here to take care of Luca!”
Luca gazes at her wide-eyed.
Axel chuckles. “Here he is.”
Patricia shakes Luca’s hand, then turns to me.
“And you must be Axel’s partner,” Patricia says. “Mr. Bellanti.”
“Uh…” I swallow. “Teammate.”
Axel swings an arm over my shoulder, and I have to consciously stop myself from leaning into it. “Baby-raising partner.”
