In Perfect Light by Sáenz Benjamin Alire

Author:Sáenz, Benjamin Alire [Sáenz, Benjamin Alire]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary, Young Adult, Adult, Romance
ISBN: 9780060779207
Amazon: 0060779209
Goodreads: 1339014
Publisher: Rayo / HarperCollins
Published: 2005-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

“…Mando had saved money and he’d thought of everything. The problem was, he’d only thought of the practical things. An affordable place to live, simple pieces of furniture, a couch, chairs, money for food. If we needed something, he always seemed to have the money to buy it. Nice rugs to cover the old linoleum. It wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t that simple. Not for Mando or Yolie. Not for any of us.”

“Did you ever find out where Mando was working?”

He liked her voice. He liked the way she said Andrés. He looked at her. He knew he was wearing a numb look on his face. But he could make himself look numb, even if he didn’t feel that way. He wondered where he’d learned that.

“Are you all right?”

“Just wondering.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” She wouldn’t push him. He knew that. If he didn’t want to answer a question, she left it alone.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Sure.”

“There’s a little coffee shop on this floor. I’ll buy you a cup.”

They didn’t say anything as they walked down the hall. It was odd, to be walking next to her—as if somehow he was a part of her life. But he wasn’t. He knew that. She was a counselor, a therapist, a beautiful woman. He was nothing. That’s what he was.

As they stood in line at the coffee shop. Grace ordered two cups of coffee. “Small or large?” the guy asked.

“Small for me.” She looked at him.

“Small. Black.”

The guy nodded, and handed them their cups of coffee.

“When did you start drinking coffee?”

“My first foster home. I was sixteen.”

He thought it was all right to ask her the same question. Maybe that was all right. “How about you?”

“When I got married.”

He nodded. “You started late.” He felt stupid.

“Yeah,” she said. “My husband loved coffee. So I learned to like it, too.”

He thought the seconds it took them to walk back to her office would last forever. And when he was finally sitting back down across from her, he felt better. He knew what he was supposed to do when he was in her office.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” She asked the question almost as a matter of small talk. But it wasn’t. He knew that.

“I thought we were supposed to talk about my past.”

“We can talk about anything we want. And you don’t have to answer the question.”

“I know.” He tapped his finger on the table. “No.”

“Are you straight?”

“Yes.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”

“Do you think I’m gay?”

“No.”

“But you think I might be, because I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“You sound angry. I didn’t mean to make you angry. It was an honest question. I don’t assume anything about anyone. I don’t jump to conclusions. I ask questions because—” She stopped, then looked at him. She wanted him to understand. “I only asked you if you had a girlfriend because I wanted to know if you were close to anyone. That’s all I’m getting at. Do you have any friends?”

“I don’t have friends, no.”

“You mentioned a guy. Al.

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