Page 99 of The Close-Up
“Likewise. You guys should get some food. Then maybe you could help me out back with the grill, Simon?”
“Of course.”
Dad gives me a soft squeeze on the shoulder before walking out of the room. I do a scan of the kitchen. Endless dishes of food line the island and counter. A few more relatives come up to us to chat before insisting that we eat. I quickly introduce Simon, then hand him a plate.
“Hope you’re hungry,” I say.
He winks at me. “Always.”
Chapter Twenty
An hour later, we’re stuffed and sitting in the living room, listening to my cousin belt a Whitney Houston tune. Simon sits at the end of the plush sectional with me next to him.
“Gotta say, I came today thinking you’d be the best singer in your family, but everyone is so good.”
“Maybe it’s a family trait. Most of us can carry a tune.”
“You’re way better than just being able to carry a tune. You should hear how off-key my family can get even when we try to sing ‘Happy Birthday.’”
“So you’re having fun, then?”
“A blast. Everyone is so warm and welcoming. I can see how you’re so amazing because your family is too.”
My chest starts to warm, then tingle. The longer he stares at me, that sincerity and warmth in his eyes, the more that sensation grows.
“It means a lot that you brought me here to meet them,” he says, his voice low and soft.
He shifts his leg, where his hand rests, so that he’s touching my thigh. And then he moves his hand so that his pinky is touching my pinky. It’s so minor, but god does it make my heart soar. It’s like he can sense I don’t want to be touchy-feely in front of my family, and that’s what makes this tiny bit of skin-to-skin contact so special. Especially when I look up and soak in the expression on his face. Like he’s so, so happy to be here, with my family—with me.
When I glance away, I catch Mom staring at us from across the room. But then she turns around and pulls Dad into a chat.
“Simon! Will you sing Britney Spears with me?” Auntie Gigi’s eight-year-old granddaughter, Abigail, gazes at him from where she’s sitting on the floor.
“Oh my gosh, Abby. Don’t rope poor Simon into that.”
He squints at me. “You don’t think I can do Britney justice?”
I swallow back a laugh. “Okay. Let’s see, then.”
He slides off the couch and plops next to Abigail, who hands him a microphone. When she chooses “Gimme More,” Simon turns around and flashes me a smug look, as if he’s silently saying “watch this.” Once the beat drops and the lyrics crawl across the screen, both Abigail and Simon croon along to the song while grooving their torsos. Around them everyone cheers. I shout a few woos while laughing at how Simon is unafraid to get silly.
I could swear my heart gets bigger the longer I watch him. He fits right in with my family. Everyone loves him.
And then an image takes hold in my brain. It’s an image I never thought I’d have. It’s of Simon and me together at some random family gathering. Relatives surround us. It’s loud and crowded like always, but this time, he’s holding my hand, in full view of everyone. He leans over and kisses me. My heart ceases beating.
Maybe things with Simon could work out long term. They’re working out pretty well right now.
I close my eyes for a second so I can soak in the visual, relishing how every beat of my heart feels like a leap into something mysterious and wonderful. Everyone starts cheering and clapping, and I open my eyes. Simon and Abby stand up and take a bow. He plops back down next to me, tugging at the hem of his T-shirt.
“Well, damn.” I laugh, hoping the surge of emotion coursing through me isn’t obvious.
“Never doubt my karaoke skills,” he says. “What I don’t have in pitch, I make up for in enthusiasm.”
Holding his eye contact, I pat his leg, keeping my hand on him for a few long seconds. He raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued that I would risk this much physical contact between us in full view of my family.
“I think that deserves a beer.”
I pop up from the couch and head to the kitchen. I fetch a beer from the refrigerator and then turn around to see Mom behind me, a knowing smile on her face.
