A Simple Romance by J.H. Knight

Author:J.H. Knight
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

SKIP was surprised and somewhat terrified when Paul invited him out to dinner on the same night that would be the one-month anniversary of their first date. Not that Skip had noticed the day on the calendar with a warm grin. Because they weren’t a couple. Really.

Dinner turned out to be casual and light, the two of them sitting across from each other in a dimly lit café on the outskirts of town. It was the kind of place that had a strong base of clients but never any sort of rush. Friday nights were especially nice because most people went out dancing or opted for the fancier fare on Main Street. Here, they had classic jazz playing softly in the background, an attentive but unobtrusive wait staff, and a little of everything on the menu.

They were halfway through their meal and conversation had been easy, the two of them telling old stories about their families, sharing embarrassing childhood memories, and talking about their close friends. Skip had already made Paul snort over his glass of wine more than once while talking about Johnny, and he nearly choked on his dinner when Skip finally told the story of his and Faith’s first time.

“Oh Jesus,” Paul said, trying not to laugh. “I just…. It never occurred to you to mention it before you were trying to…?” He gave up, giggling at the mental picture Skip had painted.

“I was going to!” Skip defended himself, laughing along. “Not like I wanted it to go that way, but there was never a good time and….”

“No, I totally understand,” Paul said, teasing him over his wineglass. “Much better to wait until after you can’t get it up. Girls are perfectly comfortable with the ‘it’s not you; it’s me’ talk after that.”

“Ass,” Skip said, shaking his head and picking at his eggplant. Paul finally managed to get the teasing look to fall from his face and Skip asked him, “Did you ever? I mean, with a girl?” He knew Paul had come out to his family at a young age—an age when Skip was still trying to convince himself that he just hadn’t met the right girl.

“Once,” Paul said almost shyly, pushing his food around his plate, as if he were enjoying the conversation and company too much to bother actually eating more than a few bites here and there. “I was fifteen or sixteen and…. When I’d told Mama I was gay, she just sort of shrugged, like she’d always known. And Papi told me it was probably just a phase and I’d grow out of it. That was after he asked me if one of the ‘filthy priests’ had ever touched me.” He laughed, adding, “Papi wasn’t overly religious.”

“Your aunts probably made him crazy,” Skip pointed out.

“He always went fishing when they were in town,” Paul admitted, grinning across the table at Skip before continuing. “Anyway, I’d been out to my family and a couple friends at school for a while, and I just started to wonder, ya know? Maybe Papi was right and it was a phase.

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