Page 56 of Pride High 2: Orange
“Sit down,” she said. “Anthony, could you let your brother know that dinner is ready?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t move. This was going to be hard enough. Mike being there would make it even more intimidating. But he wouldn’t chicken out this time. Speaking the truth was nothing compared to everything that Omar’s grandparents had gone through to get here. “Actually, there’s something I need to tell you. About me. And it’s really important.”
His mother went very still, her attention focused on him. His dad took the opposite approach, looking at anythingbuthim. That stung. So be it.
“Go ahead,” Dawn said, her voice filled with emotion. “Please.”
He eyed his father again and struggled to find his voice. “Maybe you already know… It’s a good thing really. I don’t know why I feel like crying but…” Anthony’s voice cracked. “I’m gay.”
“It’s okay!” Dawn blurted out. “We love you!”
Anthony felt relief, but not much. He was still holding his breath. Joe finally looked him in the eye. He straightened up to his full height, like he did when Anthony and his brothers got in trouble and he meant business. Joe walked over. Then he grabbed Anthony and crushed him in a bearhug. “I’m goddamn proud of you, son,” he murmured. “What you just said takes balls.”
“We’re both proud of you,” Dawn said, doing her best to wrap her tiny arms around them both. Joe noticed and opened his to include her.
“Gross!” Mike said as he walked into the room.
“Shut your trap and get over here,” Joe barked. “And tell your brother that you love him.”
“He knows,” Mike grumped. But he complied with the first request.
Anthony was soon squished somewhere in the middle of his family, but that was okay. He didn’t want them to see his tears. Even though they were the happy kind.
CHAPTER 13
December 14th, 1992
Mindy walked a slow circle around Diego Gomez while looking him over with a critical eye and was seriously tempted to grab a stepladder. That way she could adjust the fabric on his shoulders without having to stand on her tippytoes, which is exactly what she did. This brought their faces close together, making her feel intimidated. Diego had a reputation, not that she had paid much attention to it. As her sister had once said, “Boys have bullies, girls have bitches, but they’re basically the same thing.”
So far, Diego hadn’t said much. He just kept his eyes locked on hers as she fussed over him. Mindy stepped back and cast her gaze over his costume. She was satisfied. With the clothing portion at least. The robe draped over his rounded shoulders, appearing much more regal than it had on Douglas. And there was something both noble and bestial about his sizable chest.
“I don’t suppose you have pants the same color as that T-shirt?” she asked, eyeing the burgundy fabric that conformed to the shape of his pecs.
“I’ve got blue jeans,” Diego rumbled.
“What about slacks? Anything in red?”
“I’ve got blue jeans,” Diego repeated.
“Okay. Umm…” Mindy realized that she was staring at his crotch without meaning to and felt her face turn the same color as his shirt. “I doubt we could find anything in red on such short notice, but we could get a pair of beige slacks and dye them. What are your measurements?”
Diego shrugged.
“No problem,” Mindy said, leaning to the right to see past him to where the sets were being worked on. “Cameron! Do you have a tape measure?”
“Be right there!” he called in response. “Just give me a minute!”
“I can help,” Ricky said. He was always nearby, either to run lines with Diego, or to rush to the nearest drinking fountain to refill his bottle of water. He seemed to be taking the agent thing seriously. “I mean, I figure it would be awkward for you to measure his inseam.”
“That’s true,” Mindy said. “Although I was only going to measure his waist and leg length.”
“I can measure myself,” Diego said, rolling his eyes when Ricky began to snicker. “Not like that. Do we really have to bother? What kind of beast wears stupid slacks and a robe? My usual clothes are way better.”
“The costume is so cool though,” Ricky said. “It makes you look like some sort of super-buff vampire.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah!”
