“Mmm. So tempting. You are the human embodiment of tempting.”
“I can tell you used to do Shakespeare plays,” I tell him. “Read poems to me, all about how I’m thehuman embodiment of temptation.”
“I’d love to.”
We walk out into my living room and I’m surprised when Julian is there, sitting on the couch. But he’s not alone. I turn to the side and see that apparently while we were getting ready, my mom arrived, too, getting ready to grab dinner with my brother.
She turns to look back at me and when she sees Logan, she does a double take.
Then a triple take.
“Woah.Holdon,” she says. “Holy shit on a shingle, if you aren’t the spittin’ image of Logan Stone!”
I smile, and then Logan does, too.
“Guilty as charged. It’s nice to meet you,” he says.
She gasps as she stands to shake his hand. “Is this… is this some sort of prank?”
I scratch the back of my head. “Mom, did you happen to see the recent photoshoot Logan did? The one that’s been all over the internet for the past few days?”
“Only things I’ve done online this week were ordering groceries, watching some YouTube videos about knitting, andholy fuck,it’s really you, isn’t it?”
“It’s me, in the flesh.”
She stands up slowly.
Logan closes the distance between them, giving her a hug. As he hugs her, she looks out at me over his shoulder, her eyes practically bulging out of her head.
“Is this an early birthday gift for me?” she asks me,grasping Logan’s shoulders after the hug. “I can’t believe I’m in the same room asLogan Stone. How are you here?”
“I worked with Logan on a photoshoot, Mom,” I tell her. “And we’re kind of… well…”
“We’re boyfriends,” Logan says.
“What? How could you not tell me? How long has this been going on?” she exclaims.
I scratch the back of my head. “Well, I first met him last year, actually?—”
“Last year?Chase, are you trying to kill me? Keeping that from me all year?”
“I came back to New York at the start of last month,” Logan clarifies. “And we only made it official this week, so don’t worry. No secrets.”
She claps her hands together. “I’m dreaming. Damn, this is a good dream.”
“We’re late for an event right now, Mom,” I tell her. “But we could come by your house tomorrow for dinner?”
She cackles. “I still think I’m on a secret prank show right now, but sure. Yes. Come for dinner. With Logan Stone.”
I lean in to give her a hug, and Logan hugs her again, too, which makes her swear a few more times.
We head out through the front door, and Logan’s grinning wide the whole way downstairs. “I love your mom already.”
“I love her, too. She is going to ask you a thousand questions tomorrow once she realizes this is actually happening and not a prank, by the way. So get ready.”
“Bring it on.”
On the way to the event, Logan can tell I’m nervous, so he pulls out his phone and looks up some Shakespeare to read to me while he holds my hand.
