Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Judy waved the offer away. “It’s for you. And what do you mean you’re not sure what you’d do? You’d take your cute boyfriend for a night out. That’s what you’d do.”
“I’m not sure…” Shooting Esteban a helpless look, Russ rolled his shoulders.
“It’s a fun idea.” Esteban plucked the tickets from Russ’s fingers and leaned in as if to brush a kiss across his cheek, but really to whisper, “Friends. It’ll be fine. And fun.”
“Aw.” Judy took on a soft look like the relatively tame PDA was a rom-com movie playing for her benefit.
Sisters. Always meddling. But then Esteban remembered all the help she’d given Russ when he was discharged from the military, and his irritation faded into gratitude. He was glad Russ had her in his life, even if she was a bigger matchmaker than Esteban’s sister Maria.
“And speaking of outings, we’re staying in for New Year’s this year. Some fun appetizers, a few friends, maybe some classic movies. You guys are welcome to come.” Her expectant look didn’t leave a lot of room for declining, which had Russ studying the tablecloth.
Luckily, Esteban had his back. “We’ll see what our plans are,” Esteban said smoothly, giving her what he hoped was a convincing smile.
“Okay. Let me know. Connie will undoubtedly be there, and Russ can pester her into announcing the promotion before our big New Year’s sale.”
“Or she could do it sooner. No need to wait. He’ll do fabulous if she gives him a shot.” Esteban truly believed that, didn’t have to act to want the best for Russ.
“You’re such a loyal boyfriend.” Judy reached over to tap Russ’s shoulder. “Don’t let this one get away.”
“He’s the best.” Russ’s warm eyes held a message for Esteban.
Usually, Esteban was good at interpreting his silent communication. But this time felt different. And he was still puzzling it out when they arrived back at their condo complex.
“Did you want to see the kitchen designs?” Russ stopped short of their front doors. “It’s okay if you were just being nice because we were in public.”
“Hey now. I’m not only nice in a crowd! I do like you—you’re an easy guy to make friends with. And I wasn’t kidding about wanting to see your pictures. I’m super curious.”
“Okay.” Russ ushered him into his condo. He’d left his laptop on his dining table, and Esteban followed him over to it.
Despite multiple outings and shared meals together, tonight felt like they were more…alone than usual. Intimate, with the low lights on in the living area and their jackets casually tossed over the back of a chair.
“You want a drink while this boots up?” Russ asked. “Thanks to you, I’ve got wine for a change—white for that chicken recipe you gave me. And eggnog and rum, because I couldn’t resist when I was shopping for the chicken. Eggnog gets me every time.”
“You’re cute. I think you do like this season. Secretly sentimental.”
“Maybe.” Russ’s lips quirked. He really was adorable.
“And yes, make us some eggnog, not too heavy on the rum.”
“Coming right up. It’s a nice local dairy brand.” Russ bustled around the kitchen, much more confident in there now, even in the few weeks Esteban had known him. And he had real cocktail glasses now, pretty cut-glass ones he’d picked out with the new skillet on their shopping trip.
Apparently, he also owned nutmeg because he’d even garnished the drinks. Esteban must have been wearing off on him, a thought that warmed him more than any liquor.
“Salud.” Esteban clinked glasses with him. “Eggnog always reminds me of a thinner version of the poleada dessert Mami liked for Christmas Eve, only with nutmeg instead of the cinnamon. But I like it.” The rum added a pleasant burn, one that made his chest feel looser as Russ clicked around on the laptop.
“Okay. This is the most recent one I came up with. It’s try number…I dunno…seven? But you can tell me what you think.” He moved so Esteban could lean in for a better look.
Esteban legit gasped at the 3-D rendering on the screen. The design was dominated by a six-burner chef’s gas stove and buttery yellow cabinets with a backsplash that evoked the brightly colored tile he’d seen in an open-air market on a family trip in high school. Pale countertops added to an overall sense of light and welcoming energy. A caption below explained various elements of the image.
“Oh, Russ. It’s perfect.”
“I tried light wood, dark wood, and white options for cabinets but nothing felt like you until I brought more color in. Since you already had the blue, I figured you wouldn’t mind a change to something fresh, but still a color. Modern hardware will keep it from feeling too kitschy and having the end cabinets with glass fronts will make it feel bigger. And you can display your favorite bowls or something.”