“Oh yeah?” Shane asked. “It’s about time. Where did you meet her and when do we get to meet her?”
“Well, that’s the thing.” He paused and wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on the cloth napkin in his lap. He fiddled with it until Shane cleared his throat.
He looked up to find real concern on his son’s face.
“It’s not a…her,” he blurted.
A heartbeat passed, then another, before Shane started to laugh and held his hand, palm up, to Quinn. Quinn shook his head and pulled out his wallet and handed twenty bucks to Shane.
“Wait, you two bet? Is this not a surprise?”
Shane placed his elbows on the table and leaned over it. “No, Dad, it’s not. You look at guys. You’ve always looked. I just wondered if you’d ever take the chance and act on it.”
“And I didn’t think you would,” Quinn piped in.
Abe pointed a finger at Quinn. “We’ll address how you think I’m a wuss at a later date, Quinn.” He waved the finger at both of them. “So, it’s been obvious to you both?”
Quinn nodded. “He’s right. You look.” He smiled. “So…bisexual?”
“For as long as I can remember being attracted to people. My first real crush was a boy. But then, I just fell in love early and I’m a one wom—person man.” He shook his head, then picked up his tea to wet his dry throat, trying to ignore that his hand was still shaking a little. “And here I was so worried about telling you this.”
“Why?” Shane slung his arm around Quinn. “It’s not like I’d have reason to judge that one. Not that anyone should.”
“No, but it’s different when it’s a parent, and you’ve believed something about him your entire life. I’ve always wanted to talk to you about it but wasn’t sure how to approach it.”
“I wish you had. You can talk to me about anything.” He gave Abe a pointed look. “So who is he? And I’ll repeat, when do we get to meet him?” He sat back again and pulled Quinn close, his hand cupping Quinn’s shoulder possessively, his thumb stroking him.
He’d changed so much. Was so deeply in love.
And Quinn still sometimes looked at Shane like he couldn’t believe how he’d lucked out. They were both so damn lucky.
Abe wanted that for himself now that his son was settled and happy.
“This is still too new for meeting the family. I’m still new at…everything.” Shit. That had just popped out. He really, really wished he hadn’t said that and hoped his child would think the heat on his neck had to do with the sun streaming into the restaurant windows.
“You know, I changed my mind. Maybe we can’t talk about everything,” Shane mused, his face showing some color, too.
Quinn rolled his eyes. “Abe, if you need pointers, I’ll help.”
“No!” He held up his hands, a little horrified at the thought of hearing any pointers Quinn might have learned with his son. “I’m good. I’m great.”
Both Quinn and Shane lost it then. By the time Shane was wiping his eyes with his napkin, Quinn was asking for a doggy bag.
“I have to get back to my office,” he said as he leaned over and kissed Shane’s cheek.
Shane turned, grabbed his face and gave him a loud smooch on the lips. “Now you’re as red as we are.” He waggled his brows. “I like it.”
“You’re incorrigible,” Quinn grouched, but one corner of his mouth rose. He looked at Abe. “Don’t think you got out of the trip discussion just because you stole the limelight with your announcement, Abe.”
“Really guys, I have too much on my plate for a trip right now.”
“But it’s your fiftieth birthday,” Shane argued.
“And now he has someone he may want to spend it with.” Quinn kissed Shane one more time, waved at Abe, then wove his way around the tables to leave.
Shane watched him the entire way with a small smile.
“I’m glad you’re happy, Shane,” Abe said, his voice low. “I’m glad you didn’t let what your mother did color how you see relationships. That you took a chance. Quinn is wonderful.”
“He’s the best. I’m the lucky one.” He tried to hold back a giddy grin and lost. “I talked him into moving in with me.”
“That’s good news! He stays there most of the time now, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah.” Shane pulled out his wallet when the waiter arrived with their bill. “But he hadn’t brought over all his things. Far as I’m concerned we were already living together, but this makes me happy. He’s the one, Dad.” He held up a hand when Abe grabbed his wallet. “I got this one. It’s a celebration of you finally coming out.”
“Feels a little anticlimactic.”
“Maybe because it’s not a new revelation for you or for me. It’s still a really big deal that you told us.” Shane leaned closer. “I’m happy for you. And happy you met someone who is putting that spark back in your eyes. You deserve it.”