Page 69 of Allured
The three of them make their way to the empty dining table, with me in step behind them.
“And what is the tone of this brunch, Ezekiel? We must know to properly set up.” Harriett walks over to the ornate diningcabinet and begins looking over the options of napkins, plates, and silverware.
“From the state of those in this room, one might think the theme is a bachelorette party,” I comment, pointedly directing my eyes over to where Vivian and Emma are giggling as I attempt to hold back a smirk.
“Hmm. Well perhaps it would be more fitting if the theme were divorce party, would it not?” Harriett asks, her question rhetorical and meant to match my sarcasm. It certainly had to be inherited from somewhere.
“Oh shit, she got you, dude!” Vivian hollers as she clasps my shoulder.
“Touché, Harriett,” I sigh in defeat with a smile still on my lips. My aunt gives me one of her secretly sincere smiles that she doesn’t let anyone but me and Knight see. I approach the cabinet and join in her search for dinnerware.
A few months earlier, a joke like that would have put me in a state of gloom. However, as I search within myself, I find no lingering sorrow. Elizabeth had even sent over a friendly note and basket of pastries for this brunch. The gesture filled my heart just as the pastries had filled Alek’s stomach early this morning.
“An autumnal color scheme will do,” I comment and begin to pull out napkins in shades of brown and sienna.
Alek is sitting beside me. His hand is wrapped around my thigh underneath the table in a possessive way that has a steady undercurrent of heat pumping throughout my body. If his touch wasn’t there to ground me, I have a feeling this gathering would have felt surreal.
Emma sits at my other side, listening to the story Harriett is telling as we all settle in for our brunch. Alek and Rhett have done an amazing job with the menu, highlighting the fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables they shopped for this morning. Fragrant, freshly bakedcalabaza empanadas,a glistening and colorful salad, and a variety of cheese and fruits run the length of the table with a steaming pumpkin soup sitting at the center of it all. The two had insisted this brunch would be best served family style.
Family. I look around the table at the mismatched group of individuals who have somehow found a sense of belonging with one another. It is beautiful.
Harriett is seated at one head of the eight—person table, while Thomas sits opposite her. In front of me is Knight, wedged between Vivian and Rhett, and of course, he is looking solemn as ever.
My eyes catch on Vivian picking a piece of cheese off of the charcuterie and eating the nibble with an impatient look. Knight sees it as well and I can see him fail to contain a smirk that looks to be part admiration and part incredulous.
“As fabulous as this looks, we are not only here to stare at the food, or am I wrong?” Harriett speaks up, effectively quieting and commanding the room.
“Did you get your pictures, sweetheart?” I take a second to ask Alek before I begin to proceed with inviting everyone to serve themselves. Alek is in the beginning stages of widening his client base for his catering business and needs the pictures for his website.
“Yeah, I got it, Ez.” Alek smiles, and a grateful tilt of his lips accompanies the happy crinkles in his eyes. Nodding in reply, I stand up and shift my stance so that I can see everyone at the table. I hold one of Emma’s apple cider mimosas in my hand.
“Thank you all for joining in this lovely brunch provided by Alek and Rhett.” Looking at the two, I raise my glass in thanks. “And the lovely cocktail provided by Emma.”
“Yes, it does go down quite easily,” Harriett comments, only having just stopped taking a sip from her glass.
“That’s what she—” Rhett snickers, though he is interrupted and mutters an ‘ow’ before he has a chance to finish his statement. I shoot a thankful expression over to Thomas.
“I am sure I am not the first or the only one to think how grateful I am for all of us having found each other. As many of you know, my family has only consisted of myself, Harriett, and Knight for so long, but I am delighted and fortunate to have the Delgados and Delgado—adjacent family members joining us here today.”
Placing my hand on Alek’s shoulder, I stare down into his hazel eyes for a moment before continuing.
“And to think it was all made possible from a botched chemical face peel,” I add, unable to keep myself from a dig at my aunt.
Knight bursts out laughing, nearly tipping his glass over in his hysterics while the rest of the table either looks confused or, if they were present at the replanned gala in early September, they laugh along before explaining the joke to their table mates. Harriett, on the other hand, narrows her eyes at me and I can see her beginning to plot her revenge.
“Without further cause for my aunt to become more angry with me, please everyone, dig in.”
A small cheer from the table echoes against the walls before we all settle in and have our first meal as a family. In a manner incredibly similar to our first meeting, Alek grins as he feeds me a flaky piece ofempanada.At least this time I have the decency to not nearly choke to death on the morsel.
Whether it was divine intervention or the simple allure of human nature that first brought us together, I am certain that I will cherish being within Alek’s grace every day for the rest of my life.
EPILOGUE
In which Batman tops Superman for once.
ALEK— HALLOWEEN
“Iam questioning the accuracy of your shorts, Alek. How is Batman supposed to fight crime in them? They do not seem ergonomic in the slightest.”
