Better Than Beginnings: A Better Than Good Short Story Collection (Better Than Stories Book 5) Read online

  “Sí, good to meet you, Matt,” Roberto replied. His accent was heavier than Rosa’s. I remembered Aaron telling me his dad had moved to the States from Puerto Rico when he was in his late teens or early twenties.

  “Call him Roberto!” Rosa yelled from the kitchen. “Boys, come by me, so I can talk too. I have chopping to do. Aaron, wash your hands and help me.”

  Aaron and I followed Roberto into the kitchen area. I sat on one of the barstools, sipping water as I idly observed Aaron and his mother. They worked side-by-side with a harmony that indicated they had an unspoken system down. I had a feeling Roberto wasn’t part of it. He offered me a beer and grabbed one for himself when I declined before taking the barstool beside me.

  “What you do, Matt?”

  “He’s a lawyer, Papa,” Aaron chirped as he chopped cilantro.

  “Let him tell me himself.” Roberto said something else in Spanish to Aaron, then turned his attention back to me. “Sorry. He talks a lot.”

  I smiled and cleared my throat. “I just finished law school. I actually graduated just a couple of weeks ago. I’m busy studying for the bar exam, so I’m not actually a lawyer yet.”

  “But you will be, Matty. The best lawyer in DC,” Aaron piped in.

  “Where did you go to school?”

  “He went to Georgetown, Papa,” Aaron said.

  I chuckled when Rosa smacked his hand. “I did,” I confirmed before sipping my water.

  “You Catholic? That’s a good Catholic school, yes?” He looked at Aaron, shaking an admonishing finger at him. “And you let him talk himself.”

  “No, sir, I’m not Catholic. I was just very fortunate to get into Georgetown.”

  “Fortunate. I don’t know about that. I think you must have brains too. I hear it’s very difficult, yes?”

  “He’s very smart, Papa.” Aaron interjected with a smile.

  Roberto shook his finger at his son. “This one is like a monkey. He does the same trick over and over.”

  He said something to Aaron in Spanish and they all laughed. I smiled, relieved in a sense, because I wasn’t sure what the dynamic was here.

  “In case you’re curious, Matt likes baseball,” Aaron singsonged.

  “Yeah? Who’s your team?” Roberto asked.

  “The Pirates.”

  His dad frowned and shook his head in mock disbelief. “That’s too bad.”

  I chuckled. “I’m from Pittsburgh. I gotta root for my hometown. Besides, it’s early in the season still. Anything can happen.”

  “Including a miracle, eh?” he teased. “That’s all right. Want to watch a game?”

  “Sure. I think the Nationals are playing now.”

  “They are. I was listening to the game in the car. We’ll keep it low, Rosa,” he said before heading into the adjoining living area.

  Roberto sat in a battered recliner that had clearly seen better days. It was mismatched with the other updated furnishings in the room. Nonetheless, it had a “head of the household” vibe. I pushed aside one of the colorful pillows on the back cushion, then perched on the corner of the sofa closest to the chair.

  “We have too many pillows. Take some home. Rosa says they bring color. There is much color here,” he griped without heat.

  “I heard you and I don’t care. I love my pillows,” Rosa yelled from the kitchen.

  “I do too, Mama. Don’t listen,” Aaron said.

  I laughed. Roberto seemed amused and uncomfortable. He frowned as he focused on the game. Fine by me. Baseball was easy. After a couple of minutes, he turned to me with an intense stare.

  “Maybe I should say I’m sorry. You like all the pillows too, don’t you?”

  Huh? What the fuck was he talking about?

  “Um…pillows are cool,” I said.

  “I mean, you like colorful things, yes? Like Aaron.”

  Oh. Got it. This was code. I sucked at code, but I’d give it my best shot.

  “I like colorful things…sure. But to be honest, Mr. Mendez, I don’t really care about pillows. They’re nice I guess, but I’m not an expert.”

  Poor guy. I think I confused him right back. He frowned so hard, it had to hurt. Well, he sort of deserved it. No one should try to talk to me in code—I never got it on the first try. Thankfully, Aaron danced into the living room, singing something in Spanish. He sat on the ottoman between his dad’s chair and the sofa, resting his elbow on my knee.

  “Is he putting you on the spot? Papa, I told you to be nice.”

  “I said nothing. I just asked if he likes pillows. That’s it!”

  “Oh.” Aaron turned his attention toward the television, which both his dad and I knew was of no interest to him. Then he twisted to face us and added softly, “Matt isn’t like me, Papa.”

  His father cocked his head to the side in query, but no one said a word. Okay…this was uncomfortable. I took a sip of water and tried to think of something to break the silence.

  “Did Aaron mention that we’re going to the Orioles game tonight? We have great seats. He got the tickets for me for a graduation gift,” I blurted.

  “You’re going to a baseball game?” Roberto asked Aaron, furrowing his brow.

  “Yes! It’s going to be fabulous!” Aaron said in a campier than normal tone. “Do you think Mama will lend me her fuschia scarf in case I get cold later? I know I should be wearing orange ’cause those are the team colors. But black was all I could manage. Matt said it was fine, right honey?”

  I glanced from him to his dad and back again. “Um, yeah.”

  “Okay, now you have your outfit out of the way, what about the game? You know anything about baseball? Do you need pointers?” Roberto asked brusquely.

  “I’ll be fine. Matty will give me the touchdown updates,” Aaron assured him, hopping to his feet. “I’m going to grab a drink. Can I bring you boys anything?”

  “No, thanks. I’m good with water,” I said.

  Roberto waited until Aaron was out of earshot. Then he leaned forward and cocked his head. “You know he’s gay, right?”

  I nodded slowly, unsure if this was still a test. “Yeah. He’s my boyfriend.”

  “You seem like a good guy, but you don’t…seem very gay. And I don’t want him hurt if you decide you aren’t,” his father said in a firm but kind voice.

  Okay. I wasn’t expecting that. I opened my mouth and closed it. Twice.

  “I would never hurt him. I love him.”

  Roberto narrowed his gaze. “Love? You just met a few months ago. How do you know you love him?”

  I glanced at Aaron in the kitchen. His hair fell into his eyes when he smiled at something his mom said. I wasn’t in the room, but I knew him. I knew how to read him. The things he said, the things he kept to himself. I could listen to him all day. I could look at him all day. There was something so fucking beautiful about the curve of his neck, the proud set of his shoulders, and his twinkling eyes. He was lovely…inside and out, and I was head over heels for him.

  But I wasn’t sure how to translate the things I saw in him or the way he made me feel to his father. I pursed my lips and shrugged.

  “Aaron is…my person. I don’t know how to explain it. We’re different, but we get each other. He’s incredibly special to me and I can promise you, I would never hurt him. Ever.”

  Roberto inclined his head. “Be good to him. He is…único. One of a kind.”

  “Yes, sir. I know.”

  “Good.” He sighed heavily and gestured toward the television. “Too bad you’re not going to a Nationals game. The Orioles suck.”

  I held his gaze and smiled. Maybe it wasn’t much, but it felt like a beginning.

  Part 2-

  We headed to the baseball game after the “introduce the boyfriend” barbeque with Aaron’s family. Personally, I thought it had gone pretty well. The Mendezes were warm and welcoming. I played a hardcore game of tag with his nephews in the backyard, threw the Frisbee around with his brother and sisters, and watched basebal
l with his dad. After a couple of hours, I felt like I’d known his family for years.

  “That was cool,” I commented as we pulled away from the house.

  “It was. But they were also on their best behavior,” Aaron said with a laugh. “My dad especially.”

  “He’s a nice guy. He loves you, you know.”

  “In his way, I suppose he does,” he sighed.

  I glanced over at him when I stopped at a red light. “No, I don’t think that’s fair. Maybe he doesn’t know how to talk to you sometimes, but he’s very protective of you. He pretty much told me he’d kick my ass if I didn’t treat you right.”

  Aaron swiveled in the passenger seat to face me. “He did not.”

  “He did. I told him not to worry ’cause I…you know.”

  “ ’Cause you…what?” he prodded.

  I adjusted my rearview mirror, then my sunglasses, before reaching for the volume control on the radio. Aaron smacked my hand and lowered his own glasses meaningfully.

  “I forgot what I was going to say,” I lied.

  “You did not. You never forget anything, Matty. What did you tell my dad?”

  “I told him…” I cast a quick sideways look at him, then refocused on the road. I knew him too well. He wasn’t going to let it go, so I might as well save my energy. I bit the inside of my cheek and blurted, “I told him Iloveyou.”

  Silence. Car silence. And sometimes, that was the worst kind. I didn’t know what else to say, so I leaned forward to adjust the volume one more time and got my hand smacked…again. “Ow.”

  Aaron grabbed my wrist and laced his fingers with mine before pressing a kiss on my knuckles.

  “You told my father you felt the L-word about me?”

  “The L-word,” I repeated with a half laugh. “Yeah, I did. And he told me not to fuck it up.”

  “Were those his exact words?”

  “No, but he said you were special, and he hoped I knew it.”

  Aaron opened his mouth and shook his head in disbelief. “Wow. That’s so…”

  “So…what? Crazy?” I suggested.

  “No. You’re very…brave. And you’re always so sure.” Aaron let go of my hand and looked out the window for a long moment before continuing. “How do you know that you won’t get tired of me someday? Maybe not tonight…’cause I’m definitely going to make today worth your while. But…what about a month from now or next year or two years from now? How do you know you’ll always feel this way about us?”

  I couldn’t decide if it was a good thing I was behind the wheel and had to keep my focus elsewhere or not. I wanted to see his expression and reassure him I meant every word I said, but I didn’t do emotional stuff very well. I had a tendency to make the simplest things sound clumsy as hell. I didn’t want to freak him out, but he should know I was in this for good.

  “I know because…when I’m with you, I feel…whole.” I winced. Too much. “Look, I didn’t feel broken before we met. It’s more like I didn’t know what or who I was missing. I’m better when I’m with you. My world isn’t so small anymore. Anything feels possible and somehow it’s connected to you.” I kissed his hand and gave him a quick sideways look. “And I know this sounds corny, but I’m on a roll so, I’ll just tell you.…You’re the one for me. You don’t have to say it back. You’ll know when you’re ready.”

  Aaron wiped at his eyes and exhaled. He squeezed my fingers tightly and held my hand for the rest of the drive. He wouldn’t let go until I told him I needed both hands to pay the attendant.

  I parked the car and turned off the engine before glancing at Aaron. He’d been way too quiet for too long. That always made me nervous. “Ready for some baseball?”

  “Mmhmm.” He unfastened his seat belt and twisted to face me. “Matty, I want to ask you something, but I have to tell you something first.”

  “Uh…okay, now I’m nervous.”

  “Don’t be.” Aaron leaned over the console to caress my jaw sweetly. “I know how I feel about you. We haven’t known each other very long, but you’re so important to me. My most important person. It scares me sometimes. I want to hold something back, so I don’t give you everything and that feels wrong but I just…I’ve never said those words to anyone. And I told myself when I did, it would be forever. Maybe that’s where we’re going, but I’m afraid to go too fast and rush this, because I want it too much. I don’t even know if that makes sense.”

  “It does. I’m not rushing you. I swear. I shouldn’t have told your dad—”

  “No. I love that you told him. I do. It’s just that when you tell me things like that, I want to do something crazy, like ask you to move in with me or marry me. And I don’t want to scare you away.”

  I grinned. “That’s not gonna happen, Aar.”

  “Okay…” He bit his bottom lip and gave me a shy smile in return. “So, I have something to propose and if you’re not ready, I won’t be offended. We can wait. I’ve never done this, so it’s not like I know what I’m missing. Although I’ve heard it’s amazing and—”

  I set my hand over his mouth and kissed his nose before releasing him. “Ask me already. The suspense is killing me.”

  “How do you feel about…what if we, um…let’s get tested and stop using condoms.”

  I nodded like a puppet on a string. “I’d feel really good about that.”

  He smiled. “Yeah?”

  “Fuck, yeah.”

  “Do you want to think about it? It’s kind of a commitment, Matty. We’ve already established that we’re exclusive, so it’s easy in that sense, but I’ve never done this before. Like ever. It’s sort of a big deal to—”

  “I never have either. And I haven’t been with anyone but you in almost a year.” I cupped the nape of his neck and drew him closer to me. “Maybe we should skip the game and go to your place and fuck like bunnies. I have an insta-erection and I have a feeling it’s not going anywhere until we take care of business.”

  “Bad boy,” Aaron scolded, chuckling softly. He licked my lips, then pulled away slightly. “I’d love to get naked for you right here, right now. I could bend over the back seat and let you fuck me from behind. Or I could climb on top of you and ride you till we both come.”

  I gulped as I gripped my now rock-hard cock through my shorts. “Oh, my God.”

  “But I don’t want to get arrested. My dad might change his mind about you if we end up on the eleven o’clock news.” He laughed before continuing in a lower voice. “And I want to do it the right way. We’ll get tested first and—”

  “It could take a whole week to get results,” I groused.

  “I think that’s only for full blood panels, but we’ll see. I’m not suggesting we don’t have sex for a week. I’m planning on sucking your cock the second we get to DC. And I kinda wanted to try that new pink dildo I bought online…just for fun. What do you say?”

  “I think you’re trying to kill me.”

  Aaron threw his head back and laughed. “Never. I’m simply reminding you that we have so much more to look forward to.”

  I held his chin and sealed my lips over his. “We do. In the meantime, we’ve got baseball. Let’s do this, babe.”

  The moment we entered the stadium and made our way to our seats, Aaron was like a kid in a candy store. He couldn’t sit still, and he couldn’t stop staring. Everything was a “wow,” from the size of the field to the sold-out crowd to the wide variety of refreshments available.

  “Oh, my God! I had no idea this place was so big, did you? Have you been here before? I’ve never been to a real baseball game. Not a professional one, anyway. These seats are incredible. Did you see all the food? I’m stuffed from the barbeque, but we should try one of everything. Especially the alcohol. Please tell me they serve alcohol.”

  I grinned, pulling him into his seat to let a family of four through our aisle. “They definitely serve alcohol.”

  “Yes! I’d like a cosmo, please.”

  “They don’t have cosmos, w
ise guy. Just beer and wine. Are you coming with me to order, or do you want to stay here?” I asked before taking a quick peek at the action on the field.

  “I’ll stay here. And I’ll have wine, please. Better make that three wines, a cotton candy, and one of those popcorn things,” he replied decisively.

  “Let’s start with one drink each. I’ll buy snacks when they come around.”

  “Perfect. I’ll save your seat.”

  By the time I returned with our drinks, he’d made friends with the couple next to him and the family behind us. I kept a watchful eye on him, but I should have known he could handle any crowd. Even a baseball crowd. The woman sitting next to him, who was probably his mom’s age, wanted to adopt him by the seventh-inning stretch.

  “So, is that handsome man next to you your boyfriend?” the woman asked, linking her arm with Aaron’s.

  “Yes,” Aaron replied, flashing a wide smile. He was more than a little tipsy. I’d cut him off at three glasses of wine when he’d started to sway in his seat. “Did you meet Matty? He’s my favorite person in the world. I think we’re gonna get married someday.”

  “Oh honey, I hope you do. You’re a gorgeous couple. Let’s drink to that,” the woman enthused, clinking her plastic cup against his before adding loud enough for me to hear, “He’s so good-looking. Looks like a fireman or something.”

  “He’s a lawyer. Well, he will be soon,” Aaron said proudly.

  “Good for him. And for you. I can tell you love him. I hope he knows he’s a lucky guy.”

  Aaron turned to me and gave me his signature smile. The one that lit up his eyes and made my heart flip in my chest. The one that reminded me I wasn’t alone, that he felt everything I did.

  “Did you hear that? She thinks you’re the lucky one. It’s the other way around.”

  I put my arm around his shoulders and kissed his temple. I wasn’t big on public displays of affection, but I couldn’t hold back. And didn’t see the point in denying that this was exactly what I wanted.

  Part 3-

  Not using a condom was a big fucking deal. I remember being lectured on the importance of “safe sex” well before I knew what the term meant. And I had no clue what a condom was until my fifth grade health teacher sponsored a “birds and the bees” class. Mr. McDoughal, who also coached the boys’ basketball team, gave an in-depth lecture about the importance of “protecting your pecker.” Those were his exact words. My eleven-year-old self had a very hard time not busting out laughing. He had a few cringe-worthy rhymes he told us would remind us later that safety mattered. “Don’t be silly, cover your willie.”…that kind of thing.