fashionable brown bob on her head and piercing green eyes. She fisted her hands on her padded hips and glared at her husband.
“Well, how about you lift your old ass off the sofa and prepare him a snack?” Then she trained her gaze on Pitney, her expression softening to one of motherly affection. “Hi, honey. Where have you been last night? I worried when you didn’t come home. Oh, and the box in the hallway? Is it yours? It smells like cookies.”
“Box? What box? Nora, why didn’t you tell me Pitney didn’t come home last night?” his uncle asked, and Pitney’s happy smile faltered.
“Please, I’m twenty-one. I was just...” Unsure how to phrase that he’d spent the day baking with an older man, and the night plastered naked against said man, without revealing that he was gay, he trailed off. Pitney wasn’t sure if he was ready for a coming out just yet. Also, he wanted to ask Rafael for help before he went down that road.
Before he knew what hit him, Nora took the other seat beside him and wrapped him in one of her tight, lavender-scented embraces. Pitney’s current emotional state allowed him to sink shamelessly into the warm hug. He even looped his arms around her cuddly frame. His uncle ruffled his air.
“Honey, tell us what’s going on.”
Time for at least part of the truth.
“I... I’m thinking about doing an apprenticeship,” he finally confessed. “I’ll forever be grateful that you let me work at the restaurant, but I don’t want to work as a server for the rest of my—”
Virgil’s grunt and a hearty pat to his back interrupted his declaration. “Don’t say nothing. I’m so proud of you, Pitney. Your aunt and I have been waiting for you to spread your wings and leave the nest.”
“Virgil!” Nora chided. “Now the boy will think we want to get rid of him.” She stroked Pitney’s head where it still rested against her shoulder. “Don’t worry, honey. What your uncle means is that we’ll encourage your decision. No matter if you work at the restaurant or not, this house is still your home, and you’re welcome to stay in your room during your apprenticeship. And your uncle is right, we’re proud of you. What do you want to do?”
Pitney blinked, a tad overwhelmed by their easy acceptance. “I want to become a baker. Maybe I could even work as a pastry chef someday.”
“That’s a good idea, Pitney. If you like, I’ll offer you a position in my kitchen after you’ve finished your education. Your aunt and I are not getting any younger, and god knows Zoe will never want to own a restaurant anyway.”
“Oh, she’s home from college, by the way,” Nora said happily.
Pitney groaned at the mention of his boisterous cousin. Two years older than him, the girl had gotten them into trouble when they’d been young countless times. Where Pitney had been a little chicken shit, even as a kid, Zoe hadn’t known any fear. To be fair, she’d always taken the guilt and never once had she blamed Pitney for anything they’d done. Maybe because most of it had been her idea to begin with.
Zoe was wonderful, and he loved her to pieces. However, she knew him like nobody else. It wouldn’t slip her attention that he was seeing someone. Nosy bitch that she was, she wouldn’t stop harassing him until he told her with whom he texted or talked to over the phone. Given that his secret girlfriend was in fact a boyfriend, his cousin could get him into trouble if she started sniffing after him.
“Oh, look what the cat dragged in.” Great. Talk of the devil.
Pitney slipped out of his aunt’s embrace and looked up. Zoe leaned against the doorjamb, a big grin on her pretty face and her arms crossed in front of her boobs. Apart from the big cleavage, she was model thin, with endless legs and long, blond curls. She had the same eye color as Pitney. Hell, she even sported the freckles. On her, however, it looked cute. Usually, Pitney didn’t have an opinion when it came to women’s
“Well, how about you lift your old ass off the sofa and prepare him a snack?” Then she trained her gaze on Pitney, her expression softening to one of motherly affection. “Hi, honey. Where have you been last night? I worried when you didn’t come home. Oh, and the box in the hallway? Is it yours? It smells like cookies.”
“Box? What box? Nora, why didn’t you tell me Pitney didn’t come home last night?” his uncle asked, and Pitney’s happy smile faltered.
“Please, I’m twenty-one. I was just...” Unsure how to phrase that he’d spent the day baking with an older man, and the night plastered naked against said man, without revealing that he was gay, he trailed off. Pitney wasn’t sure if he was ready for a coming out just yet. Also, he wanted to ask Rafael for help before he went down that road.
Before he knew what hit him, Nora took the other seat beside him and wrapped him in one of her tight, lavender-scented embraces. Pitney’s current emotional state allowed him to sink shamelessly into the warm hug. He even looped his arms around her cuddly frame. His uncle ruffled his air.
“Honey, tell us what’s going on.”
Time for at least part of the truth.
“I... I’m thinking about doing an apprenticeship,” he finally confessed. “I’ll forever be grateful that you let me work at the restaurant, but I don’t want to work as a server for the rest of my—”
Virgil’s grunt and a hearty pat to his back interrupted his declaration. “Don’t say nothing. I’m so proud of you, Pitney. Your aunt and I have been waiting for you to spread your wings and leave the nest.”
“Virgil!” Nora chided. “Now the boy will think we want to get rid of him.” She stroked Pitney’s head where it still rested against her shoulder. “Don’t worry, honey. What your uncle means is that we’ll encourage your decision. No matter if you work at the restaurant or not, this house is still your home, and you’re welcome to stay in your room during your apprenticeship. And your uncle is right, we’re proud of you. What do you want to do?”
Pitney blinked, a tad overwhelmed by their easy acceptance. “I want to become a baker. Maybe I could even work as a pastry chef someday.”
“That’s a good idea, Pitney. If you like, I’ll offer you a position in my kitchen after you’ve finished your education. Your aunt and I are not getting any younger, and god knows Zoe will never want to own a restaurant anyway.”
“Oh, she’s home from college, by the way,” Nora said happily.
Pitney groaned at the mention of his boisterous cousin. Two years older than him, the girl had gotten them into trouble when they’d been young countless times. Where Pitney had been a little chicken shit, even as a kid, Zoe hadn’t known any fear. To be fair, she’d always taken the guilt and never once had she blamed Pitney for anything they’d done. Maybe because most of it had been her idea to begin with.
Zoe was wonderful, and he loved her to pieces. However, she knew him like nobody else. It wouldn’t slip her attention that he was seeing someone. Nosy bitch that she was, she wouldn’t stop harassing him until he told her with whom he texted or talked to over the phone. Given that his secret girlfriend was in fact a boyfriend, his cousin could get him into trouble if she started sniffing after him.
“Oh, look what the cat dragged in.” Great. Talk of the devil.
Pitney slipped out of his aunt’s embrace and looked up. Zoe leaned against the doorjamb, a big grin on her pretty face and her arms crossed in front of her boobs. Apart from the big cleavage, she was model thin, with endless legs and long, blond curls. She had the same eye color as Pitney. Hell, she even sported the freckles. On her, however, it looked cute. Usually, Pitney didn’t have an opinion when it came to women’s
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