“Hello?”
“Jovan, it’s Memphis. Are you busy, or can I bend your ear for a few minutes?”
“Sure. Ernie is watching a movie, and he can do without me for a bit.”
“I don’t want to make you miss your movie.”
“It’s an animated feature we’ve watched three times already. I’m good. What’s up?”
“You’re going to think I’m silly, but I needed help to think this through. Ridge’s building is having some maintenance—no need to share details my boy not appreciate—and I just found out about it.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m just puzzled by the fact that he chose to stay with another friend, one I’ve never even heard him mention, when I am right here and ready to invite him anytime.”
“Does he know that?”
“What?”
“Have you ever out and out said to him, ‘You’re welcome to stay with me anytime you like’?”
“No, I thought it was understood. He’s probably here half the nights of the week anyway. Why would he need an invitation?”
“You know how the kinksters at the club are always talking about communication being important and how it can even save lives or keep harm from happening?”
“I do. And we believe in that too.” At least I thought we did.
“Sounds like you need a little more of that. And if he’s not ready, then you need a good dose of patience. Would you say your relationship overall is good? Are you happy together?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then, give your boy time. He has his demons as we all do, and as his daddy, you will most likely encourage him to bringthem all forth. You’re dealing with a whole life that got him where he is, and it might take a little longer for him to break down the last of his walls. We see you together, and I’ve never seen Ridge or you look so happy.”
“So, patience and communication?”
“Right.
“This could have been an email.”
The healer’s laughter rolled out of the phone. He was just too smart.
Chapter Fifteen
Ridge
Memphis and I had been together for quite a few months now, and he still hadn’t met any of my family. When my brother called asking if we wanted to go out and grab something to eat, I told him I was inviting my boyfriend. It was the perfect slow ease into a family introduction.
I wasn’t ready to throw Memphis to the wolves yet, and that was exactly what bringing him to my father or grandparents’ house would be. They’d see this as the perfect opportunity to convince me to get married, step one of the multitiered plan for me. And Memphis would meet their qualifications.
But Joe? Joe would be pretty easy to deal with. At least I hoped he would be. Joe was the first in my family to know I liked guys after seeing me holding hands with one in school. But holding hands as a teen and meeting your adult brother’s partner were two very different things.
“You pick the place,” Joe had said.
When I brought it up to Memphis, he agreed immediately, saying he couldn’t wait to meet him. He then asked straight out if it was okay for us to go someplace, in his word, “nicer.” I knew what he meant. He didn’t want to take me to a hole-in-the-wall.
I understood his perspective. It might look like he couldn’t take care of me that way, at least not in the way my brother would want. Memphis was very old-fashioned like that.
“Yeah, we can do that.” I found myself agreeing without a struggle, something that would’ve been impossible even a month earlier. How could I not agree? I wanted to make this as comfortable for both of them as possible, and spending stupid amounts of money on a meal would accomplish that.
