“Seems kind of obvious now that you point it out.”
I duck into the café, giving him a second to process. Am I supposed to feel bad about revealing that information? It’s not like Randy was closeted. He’d be offended if I let his grandson believe he was straight for even a second.
I hand off some flowers and exchange air kisses with Patrice before heading back out. Clay is standing in the middle of the sidewalk, and he hasn’t lowered the baskets. Still frowning, I see that he’s trying to recover.
“You okay?” I ask.
He nods sharply. “I’m fine. I just don’t know anything about my… Randy. At all.”
“Of course.” I’m being insensitive. If I were in his position, I’d imagine I would want to know more. “Randy was single,” I tell him as we continue walking. “Happily single, I should add. And he had men coming and going right up…” I trail off. Randy would probably want me to brag to anyone, including his grandson, about what a legendary lover he was. God knows he put in the hours. But I can spare Clay those details today.
The pastry shop is next, and I gesture inside. “I’m going to get a cheese Danish while we’re here. Would you like one?”
It’s a treat I shouldn’t splurge on, but I forgot my protein bar this morning, and I don’t want to run on fumes. With Clay helping me, it’s only fair to drop another few dollars and get him breakfast, too.
Clay’s eyes follow some people exiting. He’s taking the neighborhood in. “Are the Danishes any good?” he asks suspiciously.
I laugh. “Yes. Everything in Allentown is fantastic. Come in.”
The interior of the pastry shop is painted turquoise, offset with dark wood fixtures, another neighborhood establishment that’s lasted through the decades. The owner, Naomi, is busy behind the counter, but her face lights up and her eyes crease when she spots me with the flowers. She’s in her fifties, and she took the shop over from her aunts after working here for years.
“Gorgeous!” she says. “Are those all for me?”
I laugh. “Sorry, no. But Kavya gave you all the best lilacs.”
Naomi takes the bouquet she’ll keep by her register all day and inhales the sweet flowers. “Tell her I’m developing a floral addiction.”
“Oh, she knows,” I say with a chuckle.
“And who are you, stud muffin?” Naomi asks with a nod toward Clay as she gets out a cheese Danish. When I gesture to make it two, her eyebrows perk up. “Is this a spring romance I see? Nicholas almost never brings his sweethearts around to meet me.”
“No, no,” I say with a laugh, and to his credit, Clay manages to stand there without objection, although I think I spot a slight flush on his tan cheeks, which makes me warm, too. “This is Randy’s grandson, Clay.”
Now Naomi’s eyes widen. “Clay! I can see Randy in your face now. Isn’t that something? I’m Naomi. Your grandfather was afriend of mine.” She turns to me. “I heard Randy had a grandson, but I thought it was a joke. Hell, I’m shocked he ever topped.”
I blurt out a laugh, and an older man by the coffee snickers to himself.
Naomi hands me the Danishes. “You sticking around town, Clay?” she asks him.
Clay clears his throat. “Just long enough to, uh, take care of business,” he says.
When I reach for my wallet, Naomi waves it away. “On the house,” she says. “Out of love for your grandpa, Clay. He was a real son of a bitch. You’ve got a hell of a legacy to live up to.”
“Thank you,” Clay says. He takes the Danish from me and raises it slightly. “I’ll do my best.”
I blow a kiss to Naomi as we head out. There’s an empty bench under a shady tree, and I sit immediately, plopping my basket next to me so I can eat the Danish. It’s crispy and warm and cheesy, just like I love it.
Clay sits at the other end of the bench, and he lets out a pleased grumble as he eats his pastry.
He didn’t flee in horror upon learning that his grandfather was a famous bottom, and he is helping me with today’s deliveries. The gayborhood might win him over yet.
“Everyone in Allentown knew Randy,” I tell him. “You’ll probably get a lot of that.”
He huffs to himself. “A lot of what? Candid looks into his sex life?”
I chuckle, glad he can joke about it. “He had a filthy mouth and no sense of decorum. But he made it part of his charm. People are just paying him honor when they talk like that.”
Clay nods. “I guess I get it.”
