by D. M. Cupp
“No you didn’t scare me. I want a huge family, and recently I was thinking as we’ve gotten more serious about that same topic. You don’t think it’s too soon?”
“No, my parents only knew each other about two months before they ran off and got married. I think when you know you just know.”
“Speaking of your parents I haven’t met them yet. Are they avoiding us?”
“No, they’re at the end of the table and we’ll talk to them after we’re done eating. Mom normally is too busy cooking prior and dad has been with his brothers.”
“I was about to think that my being here was a bad thing.”
“Are you kidding my whole family loves you.”
“Mind if I sit here,” an older man asked sitting down his plate. He appeared to be about ten years older than Javier.
“No, of course not,” I said scooting over closer towards Javier.
“Told you that I could get him to get closer to you Javi,” the man said to Javier as he sat down.
“Thanks tío.”
“Hi I’m Miguel, you don’t have to agree but everyone says that Javi is a less sexy version of me.” He introduced and laughed.
“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Daniel, but I’m going to have to disagree. I think my man is very sexy.” I said and I felt Javier put his hand around my shoulder.
“So how did you crazy kids meet?”
“Well we met at Wild Nights the weekend before I started teaching at the high school. Daniel works there too.” Javier said.
“What a small world. So was it weird seeing him on Monday morning?”
I swallowed my food, “Yes and no.” I stated laughing. “We had actually spent all of Saturday together but it was funny that our professional careers never came up in all of our conversations. So at our Monday staff meeting when Javier was introduced I was surprised but went right up to him and reintroduced myself. I think our connection was still there.”
“Yes it was definitely still there. I asked him to walk me to class and I stole a kiss in my room.”
“Well Mr. Rico Suave. I think I taught you those slick moves.”
I laughed at Javier’s uncle’s sense of humor and definitely could tell the two were very close. Our light-hearted conversation continued as we all continued to eat and I learned that Miguel and Javier were only seven years apart in age and explained why the two were so close because they felt more like brothers than an uncle and nephew relationship.
When everyone was finished eating the adults continued to talk as the kids broke away and played games with their cousins. I was still on edge because I hadn’t met Javier’s parents yet, and until that point my heart would continue to pound.
Javier had told me that he had come out to his parents years ago and so they and the family had time to adjust to him not bring home a girlfriend, but to the best of my knowledge I was the first man to be brought home to meet the family, and that was nerve racking in itself.
“M’ijo, where have you been? I haven’t seen you all afternoon.” An older version of Javier asked, and all I could think of was how sexy Javier was going to look as he got older.
“I’ve been around talking with Mari and Miguel.”
“Yes, you always tended to talk to them before telling your father hello,” he said half-heartedly.
“I’m sorry padre, next time I will find you first thing,” Javier said with a grin.
“M’ijo, who’s your friend,” Javier’s father asked.
My heart began to race in my chest and I had to keep telling myself to breath so I wouldn’t pass out and make a complete fool of myself.
“Dad, this is my boyfriend, Daniel Miles, he works with me at the school, and we met a while back.”
“It’s very nice to meet you Daniel. My name is Javier.”
“I didn’t know you were a junior,” I said looking over towards Javier. “I mean it’s very nice to meet you too, Mr. Fuentes,” I said extending my hand and shaking his. I mentally kicked myself for being more interested in the fact that there was a little fact that I didn’t know.
“So what is it that you teach, Daniel?”
“I teach in the communications department at the high school, so speech, debate, advertising, and other media related courses that I can encourage the principal to create.” I said smiling.
“Daniel is actually the department head for the communications department.” Javier added with pride in his voice.
“That’s a great achievement for someone so young, no?”
“I guess you could say that, but when I started there was only speech and as I was able to get more classes started I was able to prove that I was capable in running a department.”
“Well good for you. So if you work in different departments how did the two of you all meet?”
My heart began to race again at the thought of having to explain that I had met his son in a bar.
“We met one night when I went out dancing with Mari, and Daniel and his friend were there also.” Javier informed.
“There you are,” a lady said walking up to Javier’s father.
“Daniel I would like you to meet my mother, Maria Fuentes,” Javier introduced. “Mom, this is my boyfriend Daniel Miles.”
“It’s very nice to meet you Mrs. Fuentes. The foods were very delicious, and thank you for having me here in your home.”
Mrs. Fuentes took my hand and shook it, “Thank you for the compliment, but I didn’t invite you to my home my son did.” She said dropping her hand from our handshake.
I was at a complete loss for words and could not think of a way to move the conversation forward because it was apparent that she did not want to have a conversation with me.
“Maria,” Mr. Fuentes exclaimed looking at his wife.
“Mother,” Javier said with shock in his voice.
“I apologize if that sounded rude, but Javier you never bring anyone over to our family gatherings, and when you finally do you bring home some guero. I’ve accepted the fact that you are gay and that you will not marry a woman and give the grandchildren that I want, but do you have to outright disregard your heritage and bring home a white man. Were there no decent Latino men out there?”
I was shocked and had completely at a loss for words. At this point Javier, Mr. Fuentes, and Maria Fuentes began to speak to each other in Spanish, and besides the first word I was at a loss of the conversation that was occurring in front of me.
Out of nowhere Maribel came over to my side, “Daniel why don’t you come with me?” She asked gently pulling me in the direction of the house.
“Yeah, okay,” I agreed. I looked around and saw that the rest of the family was now paying attention to the conversation and was looking from me to Javier and his parents and my face began to redden. I had no idea what was being said, and for the first time that day I truly felt like I didn’t belong.
“I’m sorry for what my mother said to you. She’s stuck in this traditional nonsense that people should marry their own kind. I thought that she would be better given that I married Travis, and hoped that she had gotten all that stupidity out of her head.”
“It’s not your fault. I guess she’s still dealing with Javier being with a man. I mean she’s known for years that he was gay, but up until today she has not had it in her face.”
“You are an amazing man and I’m so glad my brother has you. Here I am trying to apologize for our mother’s actions, and you are sympathizing with her and rationalizing her actions.”
I smiled, “Well you don’t have to be a psychology major to figure it out.”
“I guess not,” she smiled back.
“Hey, I didn’t know that you were at Wild Nights the night that Javier and I met.” I said hoping to change the subject to a lighter subject.
“Yeah I had dragged Javier there in hopes to get him out of a funk that he’d been in. He had ended it with this jerk of a guy a few weeks prior and I hated seeing him all mopey.”
Javier rushe
d into the kitchen and gently braced my face with his hands and gently kissed me on the lips, “Papí, I’m so sorry she said those things to you.”
“It’s okay, and thank you for sticking up for me…even though I have no idea what you said,” I said smiling against his lips.
“I was sticking up for us,” he smiled back. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Javi, don’t leave angry,” Maribel pleaded.
“I’m not leaving angry, but I told her that I wouldn’t stay where my boyfriend felt awkward, and she was the one with the problem not us.”
“And dad?”
“Dad agreed that she was out of line and apologized for her behavior, and the scene that she made, but abuela is taking care of that and dealing with her. Just goes to show you’re never too old for your mother.”
The three of us all smiled. “So you ready to go?” Javier asked looking caringly into my eyes.
“Yeah let’s get out of here.”
***
On the way back to Javier’s apartment we decided to stop by the grocery store to pick up a DVD from the rental kiosk machine.
“Do we need anything else besides the movie,” I asked as the movie ejected from the slot.
“Well I think that we could use some more condoms because I definitely have some plans for us this weekend.” He said with the most delicious and evil grin.
“Okay, I like the sound of that, and I think that its time I get me a piece of that ass.” I said forming my best evil grin.
“I like the sound of that.”
After browsing the selection and making fun of some of the selections we finally decided on a few boxes. Javier had insisting getting a box of glow in the dark condoms, and I just rolled my eyes but agreed. One thing I could not say was that he lacked imagination in the bedroom.
We turned to head to the checkouts and I nearly ran into a shopping cart turning into our aisle. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking,” I said looking up from our selections.
“It’s okay, no worries,” a male voice said.
“Charles? I whispered finally looking in the man’s direction.
“Hi, I’m Charles, Daniels’ ex, and you are?” Charles said extending his hand.
“We’re just leaving,” Javier said coldly taking my hand and leading us around Charles’ shopping cart and towards the front of the store.
Chapter Fourteen
Last December
“You should let me set you up with this great guy from my office,” Maribel exclaimed lying across my bed.
“Mari, you know I hate blind dates. They’re always this awkward conversation over dinner.”
“Trust me you’ll really like him. He has the really funny sense of humor.”
I really had a bad feeling about this blind date, but I reluctantly agreed.
That weekend I sat at Applebees waiting for my mystery date. I only had the description that Mari gave me: tall and white, with brown hair and brown eyes, and in his mid-twenties.
“You must be Javier,” a man stated walking up to the booth that I had already been seated at.
“Yes, and you must be Patrick.”
“You look even better than how your sister described,” Patrick said sliding into the booth.
I couldn’t help but smile at the comment, “Why thank you. I can say the same thing.”
The evening was nothing like I expected. My expectation was an evening of awkward silent in between stories of our past and our likes and dislikes; however I was wrong. Patrick had me laughing the entire evening. We talked about crazy stories from college. He was truly unexpected.
After dinner we left and went to the historic train station that use to run through town. It was around ten o’clock so this part of downtown has abandoned. He reached for my hand and we walked in silence for several moments enjoying the cool December night and each other’s company.
This was a change for me because usually I had taken the lead in relationships, but with Patrick it just felt natural to follow.
“So what’s the catch,” I asked.
“The catch,” he asked as we continued to walk.
“Well you’re funny, good-looking, and you have a steady job. So why are you already taken?”
“I just haven’t found that special someone that I’ve wanted to settle down with. Yes, there have been relationships, but nothing serious. So what about you,” he asked in return.
“I’ve dated but I haven’t really had a serious relationship. I’m not the type of guy that looks for one-night stands. I want a guy that I can see a future with. I guess I get that notion from my parents.”
“Me too,” he said and turned towards me gently pushing me against the train depot station and kissed me passionately.
After several weeks we began to get more serious. We would typically only get to see each other on the weekends due to work, but we were able to set a night during the week for each other, Thursdays. It was the one night he was able to get off work early, and I didn’t have any tutoring.
Then one Thursday night it happened…we had sex. I was so nervous like most people get when they’re with a new partner. I really wanted him to stay the night and keep the connection, but he didn’t have clothes for work in the morning and had to go home.
I was falling in Love with Patrick and was beginning to see a future with this man. I wanted a future with this man, but at the same time I knew I wasn’t sure enough to introduce to my parents.
“So how are you and Patrick,” Mari had asked one afternoon when we had met for lunch about two months into our relationship.
“He’s amazing. Every time we’re together we just laugh, but I wish that we could have some deep conversations.”
“Javi, you know how men are they’re not always attuned to their feelings.”
“Thanks for explaining that Mari because I was unaware how men are,” I replied with a hint of sarcasm.
“I meant that maybe he’s more straight-acting and not one to share his feelings.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“So are you planning on bringing him by one of our family dinners?”
“Not yet,” I stated matter-of-factly.
“Now I’m confused.”
“I don’t want to bring every guy I’m dating over to meet the family because I don’t want them to just stereotype that gay men can’t have a steady relationship. When I bring a guy to meet the family I want to know that it’s the real thing.”
“Well you can never be completely certain that it will last.”
“I know that, but I want to at least have the idea that I could see myself taking it to the next step.”
“What? Marriage,” she asked.
“Well at least maybe moving in with each other and possibly marriage.”
She sat silently for a minute and took a bite of her side salad. “Well I hope it works out,” she finally said.
A few weeks later I got a text one morning that he was going out of town for a week for work, and wanted to see me. He texted me his address and asked me to meet him around lunch because he was only have to work a half-day.
At noon I rang the doorbell and within seconds the door was being opened and I was pulled inside and pulled in for a passionate kiss. I thought that today would lead us in a new step for our relationship. Needless to say he lead me to the bedroom where we had sex and when we were done he said for me to take a shower and then we could go get something to eat.
I had thought that maybe he would ask me to go with him, or some other romantic gesture, but that moment never came.
When I got out of the shower I walked out of the bathroom still humming in my head. When I looked up Patrick was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head down.
“Patrick…what’s wrong?” I asked with concern.
“I made a mistake.” He said simply not elaborating.
“What do you mean?” I asked confused.
He looked up at me and he had tears in his eyes, and I took a seat
next to him on the bed.
“I thought that I could do it. I thought that no one would get hurt. I didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know what?”
“I lied to you. I’ve been in a relationship for years, and I didn’t know what I had. I thought I just needed to get this out of my system before seriously settling down with him for the rest of my life.” He had said more to himself than to me.
His words began to sink in and I felt my face began to redden and my blood began to boil. “You lied to me! You made me the other man! You thought this was some experiment!” I exclaimed not giving him a chance to answer.
I stood up and started gathering my clothes that had been random spread around the room in our moment of passion. I looked over at him and for the first time noticed that he had been holding a picture frame, but I wasn’t close enough to make out the images.
“You used me, Patrick! You used my emotions!” I yelled buttoning my jeans and pulling my shirt on. “Goodbye Patrick,” I said and walked out of the apartment.
***
Present Day
I sat there and looked at Javier in silence. I didn’t have the words to say. He had never told me this story about this particular relationship, but I figured that this was the relationship that Maribel was talking about today at his parent’s house.
I reached over and placed my hands on top of his, “I’m so sorry that you were hurt that way. What made you want to tell me now?”
“I didn’t want any secrets between us because I love you so much and even with all this family drama that you experienced today I still can see you and I building a future together.”
“Me too,” I said with tears forming.
“Daniel…I didn’t know until tonight at the grocery store…”
“What,” I asked gently.
“Patrick is Charles…they’re the same guy.” Javier said beginning to cry.
I pulled my hands back from his in shock.
“I had no idea until we ran into him tonight at the store. Then I put all the stories together. I was the man that was in the shower when you discovered that Charles was cheating on you. Please say you can forgive me.” He pleaded looking at me.