Page 38 of Pride High 2: Orange
Omar grinned at her. “How’s it going, babe?” he said as he sauntered over.
She was ready for the inevitable kiss. Silvia tried to give it her entire focus, both mentally and physically, hoping it would reveal her true desire. Once it was over, she had her answer.
Kissing Omar felt like practicing. For someone else.
CHAPTER 9
December 6th, 1992
Pancakes, hash browns, eggs, coffee, and syrup… These scents filled the air at the Steaming Stack restaurant, and despite his grumbling tummy, Cameron didn’t think he would be able to eat a single bite. He was too nervous as he obsessively checked the entrance, waiting for Anthony to arrive.
“Oh, they have muffins!” his mother said from across the table.
Brenda seemed perfectly relaxed, perhaps not realizing how significant this meal would be. Although she must on some level. When inviting her, Cameron had chosen his words carefully.“Can we have brunch together this Sunday? I want to you to finally meet Anthony.”Had it been anyone else, he would have said,“I want you to meet my new friend.”Or more realistically, on one of the occasions when Anthony visited his house, they would have met in passing. Who invited their mother to brunch to introduce a new buddy?
“Bagels too,” Brenda said, still peering at the menu. “Why haven’t we eaten here before?”
“I never noticed the place,” Cameron said. “Anthony recommended it.”
He checked the front door again, his vigilance finally rewarded, because Anthony was there talking to the greeter. His hair was freshly dyed, candy-apple red except for the tips, which were black. As was the button-up shirt he wore beneath the long charcoal coat. He looked nice. Although perhaps more suited to a nightclub than a diner.
“He’s here,” Cameron said, standing and raising a hand.
Anthony noticed and walked over to join them.
“Mom,” Cameron said, his voice warbling with excitement. “This is—”
“Anthony,” his boyfriend said, extending a hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Huxley.”
“Call me Brenda,” she said, gently taking his hand.
Anthony smiled at her before turning to him. “Hey!”
“Hey,” Cameron echoed, wishing they could at least hug. Especially since Anthony seemed nervous as he took off his coat.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Brenda said. “I’m tempted to order half the things on the menu! You boys might have to help me finish it all.”
“You can’t go wrong,” Anthony assured her. “Everything here is good.”
The server returned to their table. Anthony had a favorite dish he was able to order from memory when Cameron and his mother second-guessed their choices and needed more time. When they finally made their selections, it left them free for everything else that needed to happen. Cameron was desperate for his mother to like Anthony.
“My goodness!” she said. “I love your hair. How do you get the color so bright?”
“I’m a natural blond.” Anthony explained. “And I just dyed it this morning. Manic Panic always looks best on the first day or two. It fades pretty quick after that.”
“Well you did a great job,” Brenda said. “I tried to dye my own hair once and ended up staining my face and hands. I thought the gloves were there for sanitary reasons, like if you were coloring someone else’s hair.”
Anthony grinned. “To be honest, I never do it myself. My mom is a hairstylist.”
“Oh really? Where does she work?”
“At the Snappy Snip a few blocks over.”
“Really?” Brenda sounded unusually interested. “What’s her name?”
“Dawn Cullen.”
“She’s my hairstylist!” Brenda said, slapping the table in surprise. “Unless there is another Dawn who works there. But no, I can see the family resemblance. How funny!”
