A Midnight Thanksgiving (Gay Romance)

by Trina Solet

  A Midnight Thanksgiving

  By Trina Solet

  Copyright © 2016 by Trina Solet

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or actual events is entirely coincidental.

  All sexual activity takes place between persons eighteen years of age or older.

  This novel contains material intended for mature readers.

  Cover image is only for illustrative purposes. Any person depicted is a model.

  A Midnight Thanksgiving

  Gay Romance

  Trina Solet

  Chapter 1

  Walking up to the red brick facade of Paul's apartment building, Vaughn stopped and looked up at the tenth story windows. That's where he was spending his Thanksgiving. If he had to spend it alone, he would have been fine.

  It had been a while since Vaughn felt like he belonged at a family gathering. Whether it was family or stepfamily, he felt like an outsider. It wouldn't be like that at Paul's. Paul had his own bullying way of making everyone appreciate his hospitality or else.

  When Vaughn told him he might just do his own thing on Thanksgiving, maybe order some takeout, Paul wouldn't hear of it. "No friend of mine is spending Thanksgiving alone like some pathetic loser. You get your ass over here so Carlos and I can feed you."

  Carlos was Paul's boyfriend and a chef in training. Paul was very proud of his cooking skills and loved to show them off, maybe because he had no cooking skills of his own. He could mix a mean drink though. Thanksgiving dinner was at Paul's place and they had already invited a few other friends to join them. At least Vaughn wouldn't be a third wheel if he agreed to go.

  In the end, it was easier to say yes then get harangued to death by that guy. Now here he was, heading to Paul's, and he wasn't the only one. As Vaughn lingered at the corner, he spotted Alex Yee. Alex had crossed the street and was now walking ahead of him toward the front doors of the building.

  Vaughn was going the same way but made no effort to catch up. While Alex strolled well ahead of him, Vaughn's eyes ran over his slim body. With Alex wearing a longish jacket, he couldn't see much. Vaughn was going mostly from memory when he pictured his pert ass and nicely defined chest and arms. He had seen more of him in warmer weather when Alex wasn't wearing so many clothes, but it's not like Vaughn memorized him.

  He might have a nice body, but otherwise Alex was kind of infuriating. His mouth never stopped running and he had no sense of responsibility. Still, for some reason Vaughn couldn't seem to avoid him.

  They always ended up in the same class at least once every term. Alex was even working for the college paper for a short time. Their friends all knew each other, so it was almost like they were friends by default. And now here they were apparently having Thanksgiving together.

  When he reached the front doors of the building, Alex backed in, leaning against the door to open it. He was turned toward him, but he hadn't noticed Vaughn yet because he was busy texting and walking. Alex only noticed him once he was already in the elevator and Vaughn was in the lobby, calling out to him to hold the doors. "I'm going up too," he said as he jogged over.

  "Close, close, close," Alex kept saying as he jabbed the close button even after Vaughn stepped through the doors to stand right next to him.

  "Would you stop pushing the close button? I'm already in. Push ten."

  "Maybe I changed my mind. Maybe I'm not going."

  Vaughn didn't take him seriously even for a minute. "Just push ten," he told him, but Alex only pouted at him.

  Sighing, Vaughn leaned past him to press the button. He wished he hadn't. The move put him too close to Alex, and the pouting drew his gaze to Alex's full lips. It must be something to kiss lips like those.

  Catching himself fantasizing about kissing Alex of all people, Vaughn dragged his eyes away from him. Alex might be cute, damn cute, but he was not someone he wanted to fantasize about. Plus if Alex caught him doing it, he would never hear the end of it.

  Alex hadn't noticed anything though. The only thing he was interested in right now was the contents of the shopping bag Vaughn carried. "What did you bring? What do you have in there?" he asked and tried to sneak a peek inside the bag.

  "Paul told me we all had to contribute. He said to bring this spiced rum. It's for some cocktail he wants to make," Vaughn told him and pulled the bag away from him.

  "I knew it. I knew I smelled something good," Alex claimed.

  "There is no way you could smell a bottle of rum."

  "OK then, I have a sixth sense for spicy goodness."

  Vaughn noticed that unlike him, Alex was empty handed. "And what did you bring?"

  "Myself."

  "I'm pretty sure Paul would have told you to bring more than just yourself," Vaughn told him.

  "He did," Alex admitted sheepishly. "Paul said to bring something but I couldn't get my hands on it."

  "Typical."

  "It wasn't my fault. They had these pumpkin shaped punch bowls on sale, but Paul told me about them too late and they were all gone."

  Vaughn made a face. "Punch bowl? That's probably where this stuff was headed," he said and raised the shopping bag with rum. "For once it's a good thing you screwed it up. I hate punch."

  "What don't you hate?" Alex said just as the elevator doors opened.

  Childishly, Vaughn wanted to say cookies. He didn't have a sweet tooth, so why was he thinking about cookies. Looking at Alex out of the corner of his eye, Vaughn realized that he smelled cookies when Alex leaned over to snoop inside his bag and before that when he was reaching to hit the button for the tenth floor.

  Stepping out of the elevator, Vaughn asked him, "Why do you smell like cookies?"

  Alex stopped him. "How dare you? What are you implying? That I scarfed down as many fresh baked cookies as I could get my hands on before my friend, Gail, slapped my hand away even though Paul ordered me to come to this dinner hungry?"

  "I'm not the cookie police. Whatever," Vaughn said and turned away, but the truth was Alex smelled really good. It wasn't because of the cookie aroma, which he explained got on him because he was hovering near the oven waiting to make a grab for them. It was the underlying scent, which was fresh but masculine. The kind of scent that Vaughn might settle into like snuggling into bed, into warm sheets or hot flesh.

  Damn. Why did he have to notice his scent? He needed to stop paying attention to Alex. Every new detail that came through the noise only gave him weird urges to kiss, grope, and smell him. All of those were unacceptable, especially all three together while he pressed Alex into the corner by the elevator and pushed himself between his legs.

  The sound of the elevator going down jolted Vaughn out of his crazy, fugue state. While Vaughn stood there trying to catch his breath and regain his sanity, Alex tapped his chest. Even through the layers of his clothes, the contact was electric.

  Alex then looked at him in warning. "Don't tell Paul about the cookie thing."

  "I don't need to tell him. Your cookie stink will give you away," Vaughn pointed out while they made their way to the end of the hall.

  "I plan to blame my delicious cookie stink on you. Stick close to me," Alex said and bumped his shoulder.

  "Watch the booze," Vaughn told him as a shiver went through him, making him prickly and hot. He couldn't wait to take his scarf and his
jacket off. He was already tugging at his scarf and unzipping his jacket when they stopped in front of Paul's apartment. As for Alex, he was bouncing on his toes, impatient for Paul to open the door. This was going to be some night.

  *

  Alex was looking forward to Thanksgiving, and since he couldn't be with his family this year, he was glad Paul and Carlos invited him over. It wasn't going to be a big shindig in Paul's tiny apartment, just a few friends. Alex didn't realize that included Vaughn until he saw him heading for the elevator.

  He was no fun, but at least he looked good. A fitted navy jacket, zipped up, accentuated his slim body and broad shoulders. Now as Paul was letting them in, Vaughn was taking off his jacket and unwrapping the chocolate brown scarf from around his neck. He looked way too good. Plus he had those big, blue eyes and dirty blond hair that he kept neatly trimmed.

  Too bad he was hopelessly uptight and judgmental. Not Alex's type of guy at all. Especially not after his ex boyfriend, Cole. The last thing Alex needed was another guy who would judge him for crimes he didn't commit. Not that Vaughn would be interested in him anyway.

  "Smells good in here," Vaughn said as they filed into the small living room and dining room combination.

  "That's nothing. Carlos barely got started," Paul said.

  "That's not good news," Alex complained. "You just had us come in early to tease us."

  "I want you to pitch in. No free rides," Paul told him harshly as he took the bag with spiced rum from Vaughn, checked the label and nodded with approval.

  "And where is your man?" Alex asked and looked toward the swinging door that led to the kitchen.

  "My man is cooking, and no, you can't bug him," Paul said and blocked him from going into the kitchen. "He only got here from work a little while ago." Paul was still standing in the way as he got a text. "It's Val and Ursula. They said they need help. Ursula's ankle is still iffy," he said.

  "I'll go," Alex volunteered.

  "No. You can't be trusted with what they are bringing up," Paul told him. Now Alex was even more determined to go. "Get back," Paul ordered him. He tried to get Vaughn to go instead but couldn't enlist him because he was on the phone with his mom. "I guess I better do it myself. Don't touch anything. Either of you."

  As Paul headed for the door, Alex took the opportunity to sneak into the kitchen. "Don't bother Carlos," Paul warned him as he saw him push open the swinging door into the kitchen.

  "Hi, Alex," Carlos said from the sink without turning around. Of course he heard Paul yelling at him.

  "I like what I see," Alex told him, taking in the setup in the small kitchen.

  Every inch of counter space was crowded with food, bowls and cutting boards, but it wasn't a mess. It was all organized. A few pots and pans looked like they were ready to go on the stove or in the oven, but they were just sitting there.

  "Paul said you just got here. How are you getting all this done?" Alex asked.

  "I did a bunch of prep yesterday. That stuff just needs a few finishing touches." Carlos pointed to the pots and pans next to the stove. "I have to watch the timing when I fire all it. This oven is old and small, and only two of the burners work. It's going to be a challenge to keep everything warm."

  The oven looked like an antique from the eighties. Alex spotted a pot on the stove that drew his interest. "Ooh, tell me that's pumpkin soup." He leaned over the pot with orange puree while Carlos pushed him back.

  "Butternut squash," Carlos told him. "And it still needs broth and seasoning."

  "I'll pretend it's pumpkin. Can I taste test?" Alex offered hopefully.

  "There's nothing to taste. I told you this stuff isn't ready." Carlos then checked his phone and laughed. "My roommates are calling me a traitor. They wanted me to cook for them, but Paul has dibs on me."

  "I don't get why you two don't live together," Alex said. Like this kitchen, the apartment was small but they could squeeze in. Paul was a control freak but obviously Carlos was super organized. It should work.

  At first Carlos only laughed in response. "In close quarters, Paul would drive me right out of my mind. We'd be at each other's throats in a week."

  Alex frowned. He got worried that what Carlos was saying meant that his two friends didn't have a future together. There was too much of that kind of thing going around – him and Cole, Zack and that asshole, Brad.

  Carlos noticed the anxious look on his face. "Don't sweat it. It's only while I'm in school. When I'm earning some real money, Paul and I will be able to get a bigger place. That way we can spread out, stay out of each other's hair when we need to."

  "OK. Good. My mind has been put at ease. Carry on," Alex said and saluted him.

  Actually he did feel better, not just about Carlos and Paul's future but also about his own. He sometimes wondered if any guy would want to stay with him long term, much less live with him. When he dumped Cole, that jerk told him, "Good riddance. You're doing me a favor. I'm sick of having to put up with you. Your mouth never stops. Living with you would be fucking hell."

  "You didn't let him touch anything, did you?" Paul asked from behind Alex and made him jump. Carlos only shook his head. Reassured for the moment, Paul turned to Alex. "Val and Ursula are here."

  "Why did they need help? What did they bring?" Alex asked and rushed out into the living room to see for himself.

  "Don't touch it," Paul warned him.

  "You make him sound like a toddler," Val said as she gave Alex a warm hug.

  "That's not my doing," Paul claimed. Then he heard Alex gasp as his eyes went wide. "Vaughn, restrain him," he ordered.

  Vaughn didn't budge an inch, not that Alex would have minded some light restraining. Mainly he was focused on what was sitting on the dining table. It had to be a dream.

  "What is that beautiful monstrosity?" Alex said in awe of it.

  "Pumpkin party pie. The bakery on Plume Road makes them for Thanksgiving. They always sell out. We're lucky we got one," Ursula said from the couch where she was sitting sideways with her leg up and ankle still wrapped up to stabilize it. She got injured on a changing of the leaves hike.

  "It takes two people to carry it," Val said.

  "I believe you, and I think that table might tip over," Vaughn said.

  "I heard of these pies," Alex said. "But I thought they were just an urban legend. That pie is my wet dream."

  "Eew," Val said.

  "You stay away from that pie," Paul ordered him in his sternest voice yet.

  "How come you didn't have Carlos make the pie?" Vaughn wondered while they hung around waiting for Paul to issue orders.

  "He can't make everything. Any fool can make a halfway decent pumpkin pie. I don't want him wasting his time on that."

  Alex objected immediately. "Hey, pumpkin pie is an awesome thing. Show some respect," he demanded.

  "He has no respect for sweets in general. That's why we're having these savory, parmesan cookies," Carlos said as he came out of the kitchen and pointed to the coffee table where the cookies were set up on a wire rack to cool. They were probably out there because there was no free counter space in that tiny kitchen.

  "Savory cookies aren't cookies they are an abomination. Actually these are really good," Alex said as he popped one in his mouth.

  "Are you eating them? Stop that. They're for later when you all start complaining that dinner is late and I need to shut you up," Paul told him and shooed him away from there.

  "Don't assume dinner is going to be late," Carlos said and gave Paul a light shove for not having faith in him. "If dinner is late, it will be because your oven is insane. That thing is from the Stone Age."

  "Wrong. Thanksgiving dinner is always late. No one since the founding of this great nation has ever served Thanksgiving dinner on time," Paul claimed while Alex hoped he was wrong about that.

  "You said to come early so we could help. What do you want us to do?" Alex asked hoping to speed up dinner preparations.

  "I didn't mean you," Paul told him d
ismissively.

  "I have two hands." Alex raised his hands as proof. He looked around for something to do. "I can set the table," he said seeing the stack of plates sitting on the table. Then he counted them. "Who else are you waiting for?"

  "Zack, but he hasn't even confirmed he's coming." Paul made a sour face. Zack was in bad shape since he caught his ex cheating on him and they broke up.

  Vaughn pointed out the obvious. "Maybe he isn't coming."

  Paul wasn't accepting that possibility. "He better if he knows what's good for him. And I mean that. It's not good for him to be alone at a time like this. That bastard Brad. I could kill him."

  "Zack should have known better," Vaughn said.

  "Look how judgmental he is. It's no wonder I hate him," Alex snapped and glared at him. Vaughn looked a little taken aback and Alex regretted his words right away. Still a little raw from his own recent breakup, he felt for Zack and couldn't help taking his side.

  "Hate is a little strong, isn't it?" Ursula said from the couch while Val handed her a bottle of water.

  "Maybe I'm just hungry," Alex said. He didn't want to get into a conversation about exes. And he didn't really hate Vaughn.

  Vaughn shook his head while his blue eyes remained fixed on Alex disapprovingly. "You have the emotional depth of a napkin," he said and pointed his thumb at a stack of turkey themed napkins Paul brought over.

  "I'll need those when I set the table," Alex said and grabbed them from him.

  "Do you know which side all the utensils are supposed to go on?" Paul asked him.

  "You mean you want it by the book?" Alex asked. Not that he should have been surprised since Paul was so strict.

  Paul confirmed it. "Yes, I want it by the book. This is a special occasion, a holiday meal my boyfriend is making after working all day!"

  "OK. OK. I'll look it up," Alex said and whipped out his phone so he could look up how to properly set a table.

  "What can I do?" Vaughn asked.

  "Oh God, another useless one," Paul lamented and Alex laughed. "You can get on the horn and track down Zack. I've been texting him to make sure he's coming. The poor dummy is hellishly depressed. He needs to be here but he isn't answering. Text him. Call him. Then if he doesn't answer, text and call everyone he knows."