Page 57 of For Fake's Sake and other stories

All through my college years, I have tried to understand my desire for men older than me. It’s not from a lack of a male role model. I’ve never missed not having one. I’ve always had a great relationship with my mum and had a wonderful childhood. My grandparents are still alive, and I’ve spent many holidays with them. But ever since Mum got ill, it’s been hard. I hate seeing her struggle with so many things we took for granted. It’s not been easy to pick up the slack and take over many of the chores next to my full-time job.

When I walk in the front door, Mum’s off-key singing in the kitchen. Smiling, I close the door and make my way down the hallway to her. It’s easy to see how much better she feels. The cloak of fatigue has lifted. For now.

“Hey, you look better. How are you feeling?” I pull a bottle of water out of the fridge and chug half of it down.

“Much better. Thank you for all you did last night. I feel so bad that you lost out on a night out. Were you able torearrange it?” She carries on with the cooking. She’s planning ahead, bulk cooking, so when she has a bad day or relapse, there’s food in the fridge or freezer. It’s worked well for us. Even though I like cooking sometimes, it’s good to have a backup.

I don’t want to let her know I hadn’t, that I let Everett down. Not when he came and talked to me. “It’s all good, Mum. We’re going out tonight instead.”

“Oh, Noah, that’s good news. Tell me about him.” Coming out to my mother was a non-issue. I didn’t even have to tell her. I’d started college, and we had sat down to dinner, and she asked if there were any nice boys who caught my eye. I told her a few, but no one guy. And that was that.

It’s easy to talk to her about him, and I’m glad for it, seeing as he’s the only thing on my mind. “His name is Everett. He’s one of the owners of Holt Homes. He’s still hands on because he doesn’t like to spend too much time in the office.”

“Everett Holt?” She’s stirring the pot of what looks and smells like leek and potato soup.

“Yes, he’s older than me, but you know me. I like that. He came into the shop to speak to me again, and we went for lunch.”

“He sounds lovely. You’d better go and get ready, then. I know how long you need to choose your clothes.” She gives me a wink, and I take that as my cue to leave before I blush. She knows picking out my clothes doesn’t take a long time. As a fully paid-up member of the Greedy Bottom Club, I spend more time getting myself clean, smooth and ready for action. I’m not going to fish for info. I want to find out about him from him and not from anyone else.

I doubt very much if anything as exciting as sex will happen tonight, though. I’ll be surprised if he expectsanything from me. But always the Boy Scout, I prepare for all eventualities.

I dress in lightweight tapered navy trousers and a fitted pale blue short-sleeved button-down with tiny fleur-de-lis in navy and white. After sliding my feet into my slip-on Vans and checking my hair one more time, I’m ready. I look good enough to eat. Hopefully, Everett will think so as well.

I say goodbye to my mum and stroll back to the shop. I’ve given myself plenty of time and don’t want to end up rushing and being all sweaty. I do have a feeling he’ll be early too. Something about him makes me think he’s an extremely organised man.

And I’m right. As I turn the corner, he’s standing near the entrance, facing the other way, which gives me the chance to check him out. Wow! He looks gorgeous. He wears a cream linen shirt, the same style as my own, and dark blue jeans that outline his thick, muscled thighs and his firm, round bum. As if he senses me, Everett spins around. He checks me out, his eyes sparkling. Then his mouth lifts in a sexy grin. Does he like what he sees? Butterflies burst to life in my belly.

“Noah, you look stunning.” There’s a hushed tone to his words.

I falter a little but manage to find my words. “S-so do you.” I go up on my toes, just as I did after our lunch, and brush a kiss on his cheek or at least I attempt to. Before I make contact, he turns his head, and our lips touch.

Fireworks burst to life. Hell, missiles and rocket launchers could be going off around me, and I wouldn’t notice. All I can see and feel is him. I never want to stop kissing him, but he pulls away, a regretful look in his eyes. He wanted to carry on too. But it’s neither the place nor the time to do that.

“We should make it to our reservation. I don’t want to let the restaurant down again.” He takes my hand, the callouses lightly chafing my skin. I want him to run them over my body, to caress my most sensitive areas as his soft lips chase them. “Don’t look at me like that, please, Noah. It’s hard enough trying to do the right thing with you looking like you do. I don’t need any more reasons to cast you over my shoulder and take you back to my home.”

I giggle at the thought of him hoisting me up. I don’t doubt he has the strength and ability to do that. “I’m not opposed to that. I was only admiring your hands.”

Everett growls while he leads me down the streets to the restaurant. “I hear they do lovely cocktails here, and the food is great.”

“Why haven’t you been here before? You are right, though.” We get to a road and let the cars pass us.

“It’s not cheap, and when we go out as a group, it’s more to drink and dance than eat. I was planning to take my mum for her birthday, but she wasn’t very well. I should take her another time.”

“You have a good relationship with her.” It isn’t a question.

“She’s amazing, so strong and brave. I don’t know how she does it. She’s my favourite person.”

“She’s lucky to have you.” He smiles down at me. We cross the road and take the few steps up into the nondescript office building and to the two lifts.

“This is not what I expected,” I say.

“It will look better when we reach the top.”

He was right. We follow the hostess onto the deck. The sun lowers, highlighting the cathedral. I’m so mesmerised by theview of the city I sit without taking my eyes off it. A soft cough startles me, and with an embarrassed chuckle, I accept the menu the hostess hands to me. Everett gives me a sexy half smile and a wink.

“I love your enthusiasm for everything, Noah.”

Noah is everything I love about younger men: his love of everything new, his open attitude to try different things. He’s who I’ve been looking for, and the more time I spend with him, the more I want him. He’s unaware of how many appreciative glances he gets from both women and men. I’m proud to be the one sitting opposite from him.

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