“I don’t mean this to sound insulting, but did you figure out the washing machine?” I ask.
He huffs. “Yes.” There’s more he wants to say. I can see the way he’s considering it. “I looked it up online and watched some tutorials. Good news is I didn’t flood the place, nor set it on fire.”
I laugh. “Want to know a secret?” Arush looks at me. “When I first moved out on my own and it came time for me to do my laundry, I video called my mother in a panic and she walked me through it.”
Arush smiles.
“I grew up cooking with my parents and both sets of grandparents. But my mother always did my laundry.” I shrug. “Regardless of what anyone wants to say about choices andeducation and shit, wearea product of our environment and itisthe responsibility of our parents to teach us some things. There’s literally no one else to teach you otherwise. Laundry is one of those things.”
He sighs. “I don’t know that my parents know how to cook or do laundry,” Arush admits. “My father comes from a long line of high-profile lawyers. He’s always lived on the wealthy side of Mumbai. My mother is the daughter of a renowned entrepreneur who owns a dozen hugely successful businesses.”
“Do they provide for their kids to assure that they live the same lifestyle forever?” I ask.
Arush laughs. “No. My older siblings are lawyers like my father. They work in the same firm. They and their families also live at home because it’s pretty common to live with family in some parts of India. My younger siblings are still in school, so they’re living at home, anyway.”
“How many siblings do you have?”
“Five,” he says, grinning. “I have an older brother and sister, and then two younger brothers and a younger sister.”
“Wow. The older ones are married?”
“Yes. And the brother born just after me. The brother born after him is also talking marriage soon.”
“Is that why you decided to do the mail-order spouse thing?”
He shakes his head, shrugs, and then nods. “Being gay is no longer illegal in India, but same-sex marriage is. Any kind of same-sex partnership is. My parents have always been very supportive and I know that they’d have made sure I had a happy life with a partner had I stayed but I guess I just wanted more. I want the opportunity to marry someone I love.Legally, even though I know that’s not really the most important thing about a marriage.”
“It seriously never ceases to amaze me the amount of time, energy, and money people spend on whatothersare doing intheir private lives. There are some dead-set straight people who spend far, far too long having an opinion about what another man is doing with their dick than said man thinks about dicks at all.” I shake my head.
“I never thought of it that way, but now that you point it out, I agree.”
Our conversation quiets after that as I continue to arrange my garment bag. The suit, shirt, and tie get hung on the bar. I stuff underwear and socks into one of the little zipper pockets in the corner. The other corner gets pajama pants and a tee. Last, I line the bottom with another set of day clothes for travel.
My dress shoes go into their pockets last and then I double check my toiletry bag, making sure that I haven’t run out of anything. Once I’m convinced I haven’t forgotten anything, I zip it up, fold it in half and then zip it closed that way as well.
I reach my hand into the front pocket to make sure that my chargers are there before stuffing in my tablet and headphones. Then it’s on the floor and I push it toward the door. The wheels move so nicely that it goes exactly where I aim in a smooth glide.
Arush is watching me. When I meet his eyes, he gives me a shy smile and looks down into the basket. He’s holding one of my sleeveless shirts. I gently take it from his hand and pull the basket in front of me to fold the contents and put them away.
He reaches in to grab something so he can fold and I take his wrist. A warm shiver runs down my spine as our eyes meet. “You don’t need to fold my laundry, Arush.”
My eyes flicker down to his throat as he swallows. He nods subtly. “I know.”
“Are you nervous about staying here alone?”
Arush takes a breath and nods again. “A little.”
“It’ll only be twenty-four hours,” I promise. “We’ll make sure you have everything you need.”
His eyes close, and he nods. “I know.”
I suddenly wish he had a friend here. Hell,Iwish I had a friend here who I could ask to check on him. Is there a way I can bring him with me? Is that allowed? Somehow, I’m not sure it is. I’ve never seen any of my teammates’ partners or friends or kids or whatever on the plane with us.
I squeeze his wrist gently and release him. When he continues to reach for an article of clothing, I let him. Together, we take care of my laundry. He returns the basket to the laundry room as I’m finishing putting everything away. I follow him out with my suitcase to leave in the entry.
He meets me there.
I’m not sure I’d call what we have a relationship yet, but I think maybe it’s the precursor of one. The kind where we’re both nervous and unsure where to go.
