“He told me about that too.”
“I think it scared him away from men for a long time,” she mused. “And he’s been very focused on his education.”
“As he should be.” Roman had every intention of helping Ezra achieve his goals.
“I don’t want him to be so lonely,” she said. “And he seems content where he’s at, with you. I appreciate you making him feel welcome.” There was true warmth in her words, which Roman also valued.
“He’s more than welcome in my home. It’s his home too.”
She appraised him once more. “Just remember, you’ve got a lot of ways to distract yourself if this doesn’t work out, but it’s not the same for him. He doesn’t recover easily from heartbreak, so whatever you choose to do, make sure you do it with intent.”
Roman sat for a moment with the gravity of her words and realized he wasn’t the only one in whom Ezra inspired a fierce sense of protectiveness. Roman recognized and appreciated Wendy’s dragon-like behavior, or perhaps she was more like a mama bear. Regardless, Roman did not wish to cross her.
“I promise I will do everything I can to avoid hurting him,” he said at last.
Ezra came back then with suspicion written all over his face, interrupting their lightning-round conversation. “What did you say to him?” he asked his mother, scowling.
“I told Roman that he seemed like a very kind and generous man, and I’m glad you two found each other.” Wendy lifted her glass of wine and smiled benevolently at Roman’s. “To a beautiful, long-lasting friendship.”
Roman raised his glass and toasted the woman whose son had brought so much joy into his life. “To Ezra,” he said softly, the name so precious on his lips.
11
Biology
Ezra’s libido was getting out of hand. Lately, it was impossible for him to be around Roman for more than five minutes at a time without having an intense and spontaneous biological response, and it wasn’t always practical to take a non-shower every time he had the urge to masturbate. It meant that he’d been “fleeing the scene” and spending a lot more time in his bedroom, even when he wasn’t studying or doing homework.
The other thing compounding this problem was that ever since his mother’s visit, he’d had to acknowledge his feelings for Roman were far more complex than he’d initially thought. He like-liked the man, and he’d begun to crave their moments of contact—Roman’s hugs, their mutual massages, cuddling on the couch… But even with all of their physical closeness, Ezra wanted more.
Perhaps it was simply his biology. He was a young man with sexual urges, and it wasn’t unusual for him to fixate on a man in close proximity. The fact that Roman was handsome and fit and nice to him only made things more difficult. It was similar to when Ezra used to crush on the handsome jocks in his classes, even while knowing the likelihood of them returning his affections was highly improbable.
Which was why when Dev Kumar asked him out on a date during gaming club, it made logical sense for Ezra to accept. Dev had similar interests to Ezra and enjoyed like-minded diversions. Instead of pining for Roman, Ezra could develop a romantic relationship with one of his peers and possibly alleviate some of his pent-up sexual frustrations.
“Ezra, where are you going?” Roman asked him on the night of said date. It was a Saturday, and while he usually stayed in and watched television with Roman on Saturdays, it wasn’t a scheduled event.
“I’m going on a date with Dev Kumar.”
“Who?” Roman hooted like an owl, his eyes wide with shock. Did Roman not think Ezra could get a date with a man?
“Dev is a fellow gamer. I’m going to his apartment to play Settlers of Catan with his roommates and then make out with him for a little while in his bedroom.” He and Dev had agreed on the agenda already. No surprises.
Roman rose from where he’d been sitting on the couch while Ezra’s eyes traveled over his wide shoulders, then down to the narrow V of his waist. He really wanted to see the man naked. Was his pubic hair the same texture as his armpit hair? Was his penis circumcised or not and furthermore, was it in proportion to the rest of his frame? Uh oh, biological alert!
“Do you know this Dev kid very well?” Roman asked.
“I’ve known him for three years. He’s been after me for a while.” Ezra hadn’t been interested in Dev in that way, not really, but his libido was driving him to distraction.
“When will you be home?”
“I don’t know. My weekend bedtime is 11 p.m. but I may be later than that, depending on… well, you know.” Ezra didn’t need to spell it out. “Do you want me home at a certain time?”
That seemed to confuse Roman even more. He shook his head. “I… no. You can stay out as late as you want, but do you trust this Dev character?”
“Yes. He doesn’t cheat in Risk. And I’m bringing condoms and lubricant in case they become necessary. I don’t anticipate us progressing to anal sex tonight, but it’s best to be prepared.”
Roman lookedsupremelyupset, but he really had nothing to worry about regarding Ezra’s safety. Dev was a trustworthy friend.
“Call me if you need anything,” Roman said at last. “What about a ride?”
