“Only if you let me call you dad.” He grinned evilly. “Stepdad.”
“Look, Cal.”
Business mode on. Properly. Take control.
I walked over and pressed buttons on my espresso maker. Two cups. Brew. Turned around and crossed my arms.
Which would have looked impressive had I been in my suit. I was in boxers and a hoodie. I was pretty sure there was a stain down my front.
“You’re as much of a mess as he is,” he stated, looking a little shocked for a second. A short one. “You’re a free man; I can’t stop you. But I currently have this thing going for me, and I am black-mailing Dad to go back to work before I tell him where you live. Because he wants to go drag you back home, where you apparently belong. His words, not mine.”
Warmth. Oh fuck. And now I was standing here grinning at….
“Rules.” I took back control. Deep breath. Honesty. What had they said about honesty? A family trait apparently, and one that a certain guy was deeply bad at. I wasn’t going to join him down that trench. “Cal. Mate.I grew up with a stepdad who would threaten to break every bone in my body on a regular basis. It’s kind of a trigger for me. So can we…not?”
His face? Calm. Oh God. He did look exactly like his dad. I just hadn’t seen that part of him before.
“Sorry,” he said. “And noted. Won’t go there then.”
“No, we won’t.” I felt like I was underlining that sentence. In red.
“Secondly? I’m an out gay man. Always have been. Hence…the threatening to break every bone in my body.”
“I promise not to break any of your bones. As long as you come to football with me on Saturday.”
I was smiling. Oh for… Shit. I had to get this under control.
“Is that a yes? Hand me the coffee, mate. I like this kitchen. This flat is…I mean. Wow. Good purchase.”
“Yes.” Flat. Coffee cup in hand. Hand to stranger sitting on the worktop.
I sat myself down on my one chair.
“You really need to get more chairs. No, no scrap that. You move in with Dad. Me and Ed will move in here.”
“You’re moving in with each other?”
“We’re not that…kind of twins.” He grimaced. “I’ve seen that…Rupert and Robert. That’s messed up, dude. We’re like…bros. Normal bros. But…we share a house with like five other people, and it’s hell at times. It would be nice just to be, like, be able to relax. That’s why we come home. A bit of a breather, I suppose, like Dad. He needs a breather now and then.”
“Breather.”
“Not like…from you. He needs a breather to see what an idiot he is.”
“I agree,” came out of my mouth as Cal laughed.
“You’re okay, you know,” he said softly. “I can see the appeal. Dad really likes you.”
“He…”
“Oh, stop. Don’t you start as well. He’s like a jelly baby as soon as you walk in the room. All gooey eyes and drooling.”
Something came out of my mouth, and it wasn’t words. More like hiccups.
“So yeah, that’s why I came. Good coffee.”
“You came for the coffee?”
“No, man. Listen. Dad. He needs to go back to work before he goes crazy. When Mum died, he was at home for six months, and he turned into something not very nice. He needs to work. He loves work. Loves sticking his hands in people’s mouths and being all driller-killer. Gets him all worked up, you know?”
