“Me too,” Carmine said. “Thank you for bringing wine for me.”
Noah shrugged. “Once I’ve got that bonus, I’ll buy you champagne.”
Carmine took a healthy swig from his glass.
“Tell me it’s none of my business, but you don’t splash the cash like your teammates. Are you saving up to buy a castle?””
Then his face dropped.
“Sorry, ignore me. I know you don’t like talking about stuff like that.”
This moment was overdue and it was time. Noah took Carmine’s free hand.
“I’m creating a trust fund for my brother,” he explained. “He’s in assisted living and it’s really expensive. I need to be certain that if anything happened to me or my career, that I’d sorted him first.”
To his astonishment, Carmine’s eyes filled with tears.
“Wow,” Carmine said, squeezing his hand. “You’re fucking incredible.”
“Not really. Anyone would do that.”
“They would not. My brother would ship me off to the workhouse as soon as possible.”
Noah chuckled. “A likely story. So I’m sorry this isn’t a suite in Monaco.”
“I have nothing to wear for Monaco.”
Noah laughed.
“I don’t give a shit about things like that,” Carmine continued. “I was surrounded by so much luxury in California it was obscene. Believe me, this is so much nicer. My ex would make grand gestures. Didn’t stop him fucking every extra on set.”
How anyone could throw away love from Carmine baffled Noah. He treasured every drop.
“Lucky for me,” Noah said. “Or I wouldn’t have you.”
“True. I think I’m going to tell my parents.”
Noah was stunned. “Really?”
“Yeah. It’s getting silly now.”
“I agree. I said to Tito the other day that it’s unusual for someone your age to still be in the closet.”
Suddenly the air in the hut went significantly colder.
“What?”
“That sounds way worse than it did in context.”
Carmine dropped Noah’s hand. “You were discussing my age?”
“No. We were discussing how we’d all come out to our parents. Well, Ashley for me. Your age was a side thing. Don’t look like that.”
Carmine gave him a weak smile. “Sorry. I don’t mean to spoil tonight.”
Noah kissed him. “You haven’t. Come here.”
He drew him close.
