‘He wants me to be happy,’ Rome goes on. ‘And he’ll see that you make me happy. And for that, he will love you.’
I bite my lip. ‘Nerds usually think I’m stupid. HIMBO,’ I spell.
Rome shrugs. ‘Once he talks to you, he’ll know you’re so much more than these abs.’ He reaches down to trace a touch over them, and I shiver. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
I let him take my hand and drag me inside, where I immediately spot him. I’ve seen photos, but nothing compares to how much he looks like Rome in person.
Gabriel is a little shorter and definitely softer around the middle. His dark hair is streaked with grey, but he’s aged like a fine wine, with only a few wrinkles near his eyes and a single line across his forehead.
He’s wearing a button-up navy blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and as he stands, I can see he has a raven tattoo on the inside of his forearm.
It’s weirdly hot. I mean, nothing can take my eyes off Rome, but something about Gabriel tells me he’d have to fight people off with a stick if they ever thought he was on the market.
As we approach, the moment is tense as Gabriel gives me a long look, then opens his arms for his son. Rome goes easily, kissing his dad on each cheek before stepping back and presenting me like I’m some gift being offered to an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh.
‘Dad, this is Dex,’ he says, using my sign name that doesn’t mean Sex. ‘My boyfriend.’
Gabriel takes me in again, then holds out his hands for mine. He kisses me on each cheek—more of a brush of his jaw than his lips, but it’s oddly intimate for a stranger. It must be a French thing.
‘Nice to meet you,’ I sign with shaking hands.
He nods. ‘I’m glad you could make time for me.’
We sit, and I fold my hands in my lap as Gabriel and Rome begin to go back and forth. Most of it is asking Rome how he is, and how the office is doing, and what we were up to. Then he looks at me—his eyes almost pinning me to my seat.
‘So. How is living together?’
I was just taking a drink and almost choke to death on a stray ice cube. “Um,” I start aloud, then stop. ‘Fine. Good. I mean, perfect. Wonderful?—’
‘Relax,’ Rome tells me and sets his hands over mine for a second and speaks aloud. “It’s been smooth.”
Gabriel’s brows go up. ‘You voice for him in public?’
Rome shrugs, then nods and lets me go. ‘Sometimes.’
Gabriel nods like maybe they’ve had this conversation before, and it makes me feel…some type of way. Some type of big way.
‘I’ve been studying ASL for three years,’ I tell him. ‘After Rome went to Paris.’
Gabriel frowns. ‘Why?’
‘It’s a good language to know. A lot of Deaf here. And my brother’s dating a Deaf person.’
‘Robbie,’ Rome signs, using the horny rooster name.
Gabriel’s lips twitch. ‘Understand.’
I have a feeling Rome probably bitched about Robbie and Thom to his dad more than once. ‘We also have a Deaf trainer. He uses cochlear implants, but he signs and I want to learn for him too.’
‘Not my son?’
I sniff. ‘Your son wasn’t very nice to me back then, so I wanted to learn to tell him off.’
Gabriel stares, then bursts into laughter and nods. ‘I like him. Marry him.’
Rome groans loudly. ‘Finish.’ His ears are red, and he looks nervous, glancing at me like I’m somehow going to jump at the idea of nuptials.
The truth is, I’ve never really given much thought or care about marriage. All I’ve ever wanted was to be happy. But Rome and I can talk about that later.
