Page 77 of Operation Sunshine
Ben smiled. “Then get out of here. Just don’t make a habit of it.”
Franco thanked him, and headed for the door.
“Hey! Aren’t you forgetting something?”
He turned back, heart in his mouth.
Ben arched his eyebrows. “Don’t I get a kiss?”
Franco chuckled. “Not in front of the children. Later.” And thenhe was out of there, reaching for his phone, his thumbs sliding over the screen as he composed a text.
Please say yes.
The apartment smelled like curry and fresh basil, the kind of scent that made Franco feel simultaneously comforted and conspicuously out of place. Raj and Arun moved around the kitchen with practiced ease, filling the air with chatter and laughter that made Franco’s chest tighten.
They seem so normal, so happy.
He’d had that a little more than twenty-four hours ago. Now he wasn’t sure he’d have it again.
He perched on a stool at the counter, mint tea in front of him, the steam rising in lazy spirals. Franco tried to focus on its fragrant warmth instead of the gnawing in his stomach.
Raj leaned against the counter. “So… what couldn’t wait until tomorrow? Not that I’m unhappy to see you,” he added quickly, “but we don’t get many mornings when we can just… chill.”
Arun placed a plate of cookies in front of Franco. “Hush, honey. Whatever’s brought Franco here is obviously important.” He gave Franco a warm glance. “Oatmeal cookies. And before you ask, Raj didn’t make them. I bought them at the supermarket.”
“I got the offer,” Franco blurted. “From Chef Gallo.”
Raj widened his eyes. “No kidding. That’s great.” He frowned. “Isn’t it?”
When Arun gave him an inquiring glance, Franco filled him in on the key details.
Arun beamed. “Raj is right. That’s amazing.”
Franco’s throat tightened. “Yeah,” he admitted, his voice quiet. “It’s huge.”
“It sounds as if it’s a dream come true,” Arun commented. “So why do you look as if the world is about to end?”
Raj expelled a breath. “Ah. I think I see your dilemma... Ben.”
“This is so… new. And I can’t escape the feeling that the slightest thing could disrupt it.” Franco took a cookie but set it down after one bite. He chewed absently, his mind running over the options. “What if I go, and it all falls apart? What if… what if I leave here, and… and it doesn’t work out with Ben?”
Raj quirked an eyebrow. “Since when do you let ‘what if’ stop you?”
Franco laughed, but it sounded hollow. “I don’t… I don’t know. I’ve never done thenormalthing,” he air quoted. “I mean, comeon. I’ve never had a relationship that didn’t end in flames or tears. And Ben… he’s not just anyone. If I tell him how I feel and it doesn’t work out, I don’t know if I could handle it. I’d lose more than just him. I’d lose… me.”
Raj’s eyes softened, and he leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Franco, you’re giving up before you’ve even given you and Ben a chance.”
“I know,” Franco whispered, staring into his tea. “I just… it’s easier to leave than to risk everything. Riskhim. Riskme. I can do the stage… learn, grow, travel…That’s only nerve-wracking. Terrifying. Exciting. I can’t—” He stopped himself. He couldn’t say bring himself to say the words.
I can’t risk being happy.
Arun placed a hand over Franco’s. “Predictable isn’t always better,” he said in a gentle tone. “And Ben… he’s not going anywhere if he’s worth it.”
Franco swallowed hard. “That’s the thing. What if he’s not? What if I ruin it by leaving, or worse, by staying and screwing it up anyway? I… I don’t know how to be normal with him.”
Raj sighed. “You don’t have to be normal. You have to be brave, your true self. Sometimes the hardest thing is letting someone in,even if you’re scared. The way I see it, you’ve got two choices: stay frozen in fear, or take the leap.”
Franco’s fingers trembled around the mug as he swirled the tea in meaningless circles. Every reason not to go crowded his mind: fear, uncertainty, the potential for heartbreak. And yet, beneath it all, a fierce, stubborn desire throbbed. Hewantedthis. He wanted the stage, the adventure. He wanted to grow, but on his own terms.
