Ezra nodded. “Okay, but what about thank you sex later?”
“Babe, thank you sex is always on the menu. Now, what are you going to order?”
Ezra carefully perused all of his options before saying with complete certainty, “I’d like the deconstructed crêpes with a side of bacon, uniformly crisp. How about you?”
Roman smiled at what was nearly an identical iteration of Ezra’s favorite breakfast meal. “I’ll have the same.”
21
Questions
Ezra waited until the morning after to take the black box from his pants pocket. With the gift in hand, he crawled back under the covers to recapture his boyfriend’s body heat. Roman snored softly at his side, a sound that Ezra had thought would disturb him but actually had the opposite effect of lulling him to sleep at night.
Ezra lay back against the pillows and opened the box. Even though his hypothesis was proven correct, seeing the evidence of Roman’s proposal still sent his stomach aflutter. A slow smile spread across his lips as he remembered the kind words Roman had said to him the night before. He’d given Ezra so many things—a beautiful house to live in, delicious food to eat, his very own restaurant where he could feel comfortable and safe, but the thing he loved most was the man himself. He laid a hand on Roman’s shoulder, feeling extra possessive of his boyfriend.
His…husband?
Ezra turned the box this way and that, angling the ring to admire the way it caught the morning light. Ezra liked how straightforward it was in design, just a simple gold band. He wondered if it might be a perfect fit, but he didn’t want to try it on, not yet. Ezra had never worn a ring before—jewelry had always bothered him—but this one had a special significance. It said to anyone who might glimpse it that he belonged to Roman Reynolds, not just now but… forever. He’d feel the weight of it on his finger and be reminded of the same.
Hello, I’m Ezra Powell, Roman Reynolds’ husband.
If they were married, would his name still be Ezra Powell? Or Ezra Reynolds? Ezra Powell-Reynolds? Ezra Reynolds-Powell? How would he ever decide? Ezra made a mental note to record that as the first question he’d ask Roman.
“Do you like it?” Roman had woken up and was watching Ezra daydream about the future.
“Yes, I love it. I told you I would.”
“I figured I’d have it engraved, eventually.”
“With what?” Ezra asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Roman, no more surprises.” Ezra shoved his shoulder and Roman chuckled and squeezed him tight. Ezra closed the black box and set it on the nightstand as something to think about later. Right now, he wanted to cuddle and then he wanted a blow job and then he wanted Roman to make him breakfast.
“You want a lot of things,” Roman said after he’d listed his demands.
“Haven’t I been a good boy?” Ezra asked and batted his eyelashes a little. He was becoming an expert in getting what he wanted.
“Such a good boy,” Roman said, then slowly proceeded to eat him all up.
* * *
For the nextcouple of weeks, Ezra focused on his Big School Project, which was progressing well now that most of their uncertainties had been decided and everyone in his group knew their role. He used the same coding system to create a database of all his potential employment opportunities with a criterion that he himself created. Those positions that allowed him to stay in New Orleans were heavily weighted because even though Roman said he would join him wherever he went, there were many other things Ezra loved about New Orleans, such as Roman’s house, Ezra’s Place, Darian, Jay, and his gaming club friends, many of whom were not graduating that spring.
But the real reason those jobs were given +5 points was Roman.
Ezra told his mother all about Roman’s proposal and how the restaurant he’d been helping with had turned out to be for him, with his name on the sign, no less!
“Isn’t that a tricky thing to do?” Ezra asked his mother.
“Very tricky but also very sweet.”
“Yes, I thought so too.”
“So, what did you say when he asked you to marry him?” she asked.
“Technically, he didn’t ask me. He said that he wanted to be my husband and told me to think about it and make a list of questions.”
