Seth's girlfriend but because he detected amusement in his chocolate-brown eyes.
"This is Nicky."
* * * *
Nicky smothered his laugh as Seth's mother directed his lover to carry the dishes into the kitchen and load the dishwasher. Seth looked like she was forcing bamboo shoots under his fingernails. He looked tortured.
"We can go right here to the patio while Seth loads the dishwasher, hmm?"
Oh hell, here it comes , Nicky thought as he climbed to his feet and followed Mr. and Mrs. Leighton out to their patio. Mrs. Leighton sat in a white cushioned chair and gestured for Nicky to sit across from her on a white cushioned lounger. Mr. Leighton started a small fire in the stone fire pit sitting between them.
"This is very nice out here, Mrs. Leighton."
"Please, call me Pamela. Calling me Mrs. Leighton makes me feel like my mother-in-law." She waved a hand at Nicky as she laughed. "God love the woman but I am not nearly old enough."
Nicky grinned. "Pamela it is."
"Richard cut back on work last year but we both decided that we need an oasis to get away from everything until he could fully retire." Pamela waved her arms around the large backyard and patio. "Our oasis."
Nicky glanced around him and understood exactly what Pamela was talking about. While the backyard had a fence around it, it was surrounded by tall, leafy trees and colorful flowers. The stone patio went from the house to the edge of an in-ground pool made to look like a rock pond instead of a modern one.
The flames from the fire pit lit up the patio area and gave it a soft glow that wasn't too bright but just enough to make the area feel homey and comfortable. Nicky could imagine spending hours on the patio curled up in Seth's arms just listening to the night pass by.
"It's very nice. I can see exactly why you love it so much."
"I love it but Richard promised that once he retires we can move to somewhere warmer. The winters just seem to get colder and colder each year."
Nicky smiled and nodded because he really didn't have anything to say to that. He was from Boston. Their winters could be brutal. He had no idea how winters were out here in the west.
"So, you're dating my Seth."
Nicky's eyes widened as he turned his gaze away from the backyard and back to Seth's mother. He knew the questions would come eventually. He just had to figure out how much to tell the woman without giving away his secret.
"Yes, Seth helped me move into my apartment a few weeks ago and, well…" Nicky smiled and flicked his hand in the air. "You know how it goes."
"Actually, I have to admit that I am a little surprised. Seth doesn't usually bring the people he dates home to meet us. I guess you must be pretty special."
"I certainly hope so. I think Seth is very special."
"I'm sure you can imagine our surprise when Seth called and said he wanted to bring a girl home to meet us."
"Yes, I'm sure." Nicky tried to keep the smile on his face but knew it didn't reach his eyes when Pamela frowned at him. "I know all about Seth. He told me everything."
"Did he?"
"Mother, stop interrogating Nicky."
Nicky was never so glad to hear someone's voice. He looked up and watched Seth walk out of the house and over to the lounger to sit down. Nicky immediately leaned into Seth when the man wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"I was just asking how well she knew you, son."
"Nicky knows all about me."
"So she said."
Nicky couldn't figure out if Pamela liked him or not. He could understand her confusion about Seth bringing him home but he didn't think that was a reason not to like him. And she wasn't exactly hostile but more like disapproving.
"Does she know you're—"
"Nicky knows I'm gay, Mother."
"Were gay, Seth, were." Pamela frowned, her forehead wrinkling. "If you're dating a girl then you can't exactly say you are gay anymore, now can you?"
Nicky felt Seth tense next to him. He reached down and squeezed Seth's hand, hoping to give the man some support. He knew this conversation was hard on his lover. Seth
"This is Nicky."
* * * *
Nicky smothered his laugh as Seth's mother directed his lover to carry the dishes into the kitchen and load the dishwasher. Seth looked like she was forcing bamboo shoots under his fingernails. He looked tortured.
"We can go right here to the patio while Seth loads the dishwasher, hmm?"
Oh hell, here it comes , Nicky thought as he climbed to his feet and followed Mr. and Mrs. Leighton out to their patio. Mrs. Leighton sat in a white cushioned chair and gestured for Nicky to sit across from her on a white cushioned lounger. Mr. Leighton started a small fire in the stone fire pit sitting between them.
"This is very nice out here, Mrs. Leighton."
"Please, call me Pamela. Calling me Mrs. Leighton makes me feel like my mother-in-law." She waved a hand at Nicky as she laughed. "God love the woman but I am not nearly old enough."
Nicky grinned. "Pamela it is."
"Richard cut back on work last year but we both decided that we need an oasis to get away from everything until he could fully retire." Pamela waved her arms around the large backyard and patio. "Our oasis."
Nicky glanced around him and understood exactly what Pamela was talking about. While the backyard had a fence around it, it was surrounded by tall, leafy trees and colorful flowers. The stone patio went from the house to the edge of an in-ground pool made to look like a rock pond instead of a modern one.
The flames from the fire pit lit up the patio area and gave it a soft glow that wasn't too bright but just enough to make the area feel homey and comfortable. Nicky could imagine spending hours on the patio curled up in Seth's arms just listening to the night pass by.
"It's very nice. I can see exactly why you love it so much."
"I love it but Richard promised that once he retires we can move to somewhere warmer. The winters just seem to get colder and colder each year."
Nicky smiled and nodded because he really didn't have anything to say to that. He was from Boston. Their winters could be brutal. He had no idea how winters were out here in the west.
"So, you're dating my Seth."
Nicky's eyes widened as he turned his gaze away from the backyard and back to Seth's mother. He knew the questions would come eventually. He just had to figure out how much to tell the woman without giving away his secret.
"Yes, Seth helped me move into my apartment a few weeks ago and, well…" Nicky smiled and flicked his hand in the air. "You know how it goes."
"Actually, I have to admit that I am a little surprised. Seth doesn't usually bring the people he dates home to meet us. I guess you must be pretty special."
"I certainly hope so. I think Seth is very special."
"I'm sure you can imagine our surprise when Seth called and said he wanted to bring a girl home to meet us."
"Yes, I'm sure." Nicky tried to keep the smile on his face but knew it didn't reach his eyes when Pamela frowned at him. "I know all about Seth. He told me everything."
"Did he?"
"Mother, stop interrogating Nicky."
Nicky was never so glad to hear someone's voice. He looked up and watched Seth walk out of the house and over to the lounger to sit down. Nicky immediately leaned into Seth when the man wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"I was just asking how well she knew you, son."
"Nicky knows all about me."
"So she said."
Nicky couldn't figure out if Pamela liked him or not. He could understand her confusion about Seth bringing him home but he didn't think that was a reason not to like him. And she wasn't exactly hostile but more like disapproving.
"Does she know you're—"
"Nicky knows I'm gay, Mother."
"Were gay, Seth, were." Pamela frowned, her forehead wrinkling. "If you're dating a girl then you can't exactly say you are gay anymore, now can you?"
Nicky felt Seth tense next to him. He reached down and squeezed Seth's hand, hoping to give the man some support. He knew this conversation was hard on his lover. Seth
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