13
Avery—okay, it sucked to admit it—but Avery hadn’t been kissed in a really long time. The incident with Oliver last year didn’t count, since Avery had been the only one doing the kissing. But other than that? Years. Two of them, to be precise. He’d been on one date with one guy. At the end of the night, his date wanted to come in, and Avery was too embarrassed to admit he lived with his aunt and uncle, so they settled for making out in the guy’s car.
Unfortunately, his date kissed like his tongue was a metal detector and he was checking for silver in Avery’s fillings. The kiss ended abruptly when Avery jammed a finger against the gear stick. That wasn’t a euphemism; he’d literally sprained a finger and had to wear a brace for a couple weeks, while lying to Aunt Brenda and Uncle Theo about what had happened. He hadn’t gone out with that guy again, or anyone else.
The queer dating pool in Seacroft was tiny. He’d tried some of the apps, but so many guys online just wanted to talk about their fantasies of fucking a redhead or ignored him because he didn’t have a six-pack and had stopped growing somewhere around five foot ten.
Linc would do great on the apps, with his abs and his scruffy jaw. And he definitely was a better kisser than Avery’s last date. He kissed like he wanted to swallow Avery’s soul, but at least he’d left the fillings alone.
The events of the day before only came back to him as he turned on his laptop. He was early, and the office was empty, but that left all the space available to fill with anxiety as the fight with Uncle Theo rattled around in his head.
The front door opened, and his uncle appeared, slowing as he saw Avery. The hesitation on his face made Avery’s eyes sting.
“Good morning,” Avery said.
“Morning.” Uncle Theo smoothed his tie. Aunt Brenda gave it to him for Christmas a couple years ago. Avery’s throat thickened at the thought of facing her the next time he went to the house. She’d ask a few specific questions, and within minutes, she’d know Avery had said he was leaving, despite the fact he’d barely decided himself. He hadn’t even called Wanda back yet.
And Linc had kissed him. Avery didn’t know what to do with any part of his life.
Uncle Theo smiled tightly and went into his office, shutting the door behind him. Avery exhaled slowly, planting a hand firmly on either side of his laptop. He glanced at the clock. Eight twenty-seven. Only eight hours and thirty-three minutes to go.
Meredith came in at nine. “How was your evening?” she asked with wide eyes, like she expected he’d spent the night sobbing into a bag of potato chips.
What would she say if he told her he’d woken up in the arms of a gorgeous man who’d tried to suck his face off before he left for work?
He’d also jerked off in the shower, so yeah, maybe better to keep it to himself.
“It was fine.”
She nodded sympathetically. He stared at his laptop and focused on not grinning like a lunatic.
The morning was quiet. Too early in the month for many deadlines from what few clients they had left. And the kiss with Linc left him agitated. If he went on a coffee run, the caffeine would have him vibrating through the floor by lunch hour.
And the whole time, Uncle Theo’s presence loomed over his shoulder. The guilt pressed down on him like Linc had pressed him against the door, pinning him in place. Except he didn’t want to be here. But at least he could do something about it, unlike, say, the heat simmering under his skin, tracing the path Linc’s mouth had taken, reminding him of the pressure of Linc’s hips against his.
Avery stood, rocking on his heels as his confidence fluttered. He stared at the spot on Uncle Theo’s head that shone. Avery had watched it thin over the years. This man was the best thing he’d had in his life for a long time, him and Aunt Brenda. The least he could do was make a peace offering.
He knocked on the office door, heart in his throat.
“Yes?” Uncle Theo glanced up because even if he was angry, he still wouldn’t shun Avery. He and Aunt Brenda had promised that from the day Avery had come to live with him. No matter what, they would be family.
“I’m still going to the job interview.”
Theo nodded. “I understand.”
“But I’ve decided I’ll do the bachelor auction.”
“The what?”
Avery’s insides quivered. If his uncle had forgotten about the auction, then this olive branch would be as effective as one chopstick by itself. “The—the bachelor auction. The one for charity.”
“Oh.” Uncle Theo glanced down at his computer screen. “All right then.”
“Good. I—you’ll let them know?”
“I’ll tell Brenda. She’ll take care of it.”
His apartment was empty when he got home. He was surprised how much he wasn’t surprised. His disappointment was par for the course, though. One kiss and he was gone. Or had it been more than one? Where did kisses stop and start?
