“I don’t want another chance.” Spencer’s heart was slamming against his chest. Did Peter seriously think he had been playing games the entire time they had been together? That he had been toying with him when he couldn’t get hard, when he couldn’t stop shaking if Peter wanted to top him? “I sent you a text. I said I couldn’t make it.”
“You’re here, aren’t you?” Peter barked. “So we both know you not only could make it, but you did make it.”
Spencer raked his trembling fingers through his hair. The one night he wanted to make a good impression, and he was neck-deep in an argument with his ex. “I didn’t remember this was where you wanted to meet, Peter. I was surprised when you called, and then everything happened really fast and I didn’t focus on the restaurant.”
“Right.” Peter rolled his eyes. Again. “Then why are you here?”
“I’m here for dinner. And, actually, I need to go because the food is probably there and I don’t want them to wait on me.”
Peter squinted. “I saw you sitting with those people, but I thought you knew that man from work and you were saying hello.” His face screwed up into a glare. “Who are they? I don’t recognize them.”
“Peter, I can’t do this. I need to go.” Spencer started walking away.
“Wait. Are you dating that guy?”
Spencer didn’t answer. He kept walking and hoped he wouldn’t shake apart.
“Whatever,” Peter said, disgustedly. “It won’t last. The minute he takes you to bed it’ll be over.”
Dear God. At the volume Peter was using, other people could probably hear him. Spencer looked down, half hoping the floor would open and swallow him, but he forced himself to remain upright and keep walking.
“How long do you think he’ll put up with your bullshit, Spencer? Eventually, everyone wants to get laid.”
He turned the corner and collapsed against the wall, barely managing to keep his knees straight so he wouldn’t fall to the ground. With as long as he had been gone from the table already, another minute couldn’t hurt and he really needed to catch his breath and get his racing heart under control. On the other hand, if he stayed there much longer, Peter might walk by and see him. Then they’d start fighting all over again. Spencer wiped his clammy hands on his chinos, took in a deep breath, and tried to put the past five minutes out of his mind as he walked back to the table. Back to Emilio.
“There you are!” Emilio said as soon as he got to the table. He looked relieved, which made Spencer feel good, because it meant he cared, but guilty, because it meant he’d been worried. Emilio leaned close to him and whispered, “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, yes. I, uh, ran into someone I know. I’m sorry about that,” Spencer apologized to everyone around the table.
“Don’t worry about it, Spencer,” Alicia said with a wave of her hand. “You didn’t miss anything except Jim complaining about how long it’s taking for the food to come and me grilling my brother about you.”
Emilio stared at his sister and said, “What are you talking about? You weren’t even—”
“So, Spencer,” Alicia interrupted. “Did you grow up here or are you a transplant? Maybe one of those Midwesterners looking to get away from the cold?”
“I, uh, neither, actually.” The mundaneness of the topic eased the knot in Spencer’s throat. He could do this. He could make small talk, have dinner, act normal. Not have an emotional breakdown in front of the man he wanted to impress and his family. “I’m from Orlando. So I didn’t grow up in Vegas, but I’m plenty used to the heat.”
“Oh! Orlando. What do people from Orlando call themselves? Like, you know how people from Vegas are Las Vegans? Is it Orlandoans? I bet you get a lot of snowbirds there too, right? We were actually in Orlando just last year! Jim had a conference for work so we decided to take the kids and make a vacation out of it. We spent a whole week at Disney World. Had a great time. Usually we go to Disneyland, which is great too, but Disney World is so much bigger. Oh, and Epcot… you’ve been to Epcot, right? Of course you have, what am I saying? Anyway, so one morning we went to….”
Alicia smiled and chatted, telling him about her family’s visit to Florida, about the hotel they stayed in, about each of her children’s favorite rides, about the princess costumes her daughter wore on the various days they spent at the park, about the character meals, and all sorts of other details Spencer found amusing but wouldn’t remember. By the time their food arrived, he was chuckling about a story involving the It’s a Small World ride breaking down, leaving the passengers stuck listening to the song on a loop, and the interaction with Peter was far enough from his mind that he actually managed to eat.