Chapter Twenty-Five

Watching your ex-boyfriend walk through the door of your workplace with his new boyfriend in tow is a kick in the nuts—unless you’ve made your peace, become good friends, and fallen in love with his uncle.

I waved to Corey and Angelo from behind the bar. Angelo waved, and Corey gave me the Vulcan salute before they sat down at one of the garden tables at Elfy Choices.

“Does he realize you’re an elf, not a Vulcan?” Robert said.

“I’m just glad they’re here,” I said. “Glad someone is here. Why is this place so dead tonight?”

We’d been open fifteen minutes already and the only customers were people I already knew, and not many of them at that. It took me a moment to recognize Aria and a few of the other girls since I was used to seeing them in pointed ears and elf makeup. Aside from them, Barry was there with his girlfriend, eating stuffed mushrooms and drinking beer. Barry’s girlfriend was a stunning blonde with ample cleavage spilling out of a leather vest, her arms covered in beautiful tattoos. She’d ridden up on a motorcycle, and I finally understood why Barry had transformed himself into biker-dude.

What I didn’t understand was why Barry and the elves were eating here tonight. I loved the garden bar, but when I had nights off, I wanted to be elsewhere. There was only so much enchanted forest magic one could take.

But I was happy. The two girls working in the kitchen behind me were so efficient now at making the tapas I barely had to ever check on them. As for me, I had pointed tips on my ears and my eyes were made up, green glitter dusted across my face, but the clothes I wore were comfortable. Duncan had agreed to let me wear jeans while I worked, as long as he got to pick my tee shirts. The one I wore now was forest green with a fire-breathing dragon stenciled on the front in gold glitter. I owned six tee shirts now that I traded off for each shift, but I suspected more would be coming. Duncan liked to buy me things, and I was learning to enjoy it without hesitation finally.

Because I wasn’t just Duncan’s forest nymph anymore. I was his boyfriend. And he loved me. He told me so all the time. When we were fucking, or kissing, or just sitting around talking. He told me. And I said it back. The two of us seemed to need to say it often, maybe to convince ourselves this was real. That this wouldn’t be taken from us. I spent most nights at Duncan’s house, and he even stayed over at my apartment occasionally. We were happy.

But the bliss of this new relationship hadn’t come without a few bumps in the road. There were some, as Duncan had predicted, who didn’t get our relationship. My mother, for instance. Duncan had been charming when I brought him to my mom’s for dinner, and she’d been polite and gracious. But I’d gotten the third degree about him when she called me a few days later. “He’s so much older than you,” she’d kept saying. “Are you sure about this guy?”

Robert had also been very confused at first, and I suspected, a little jealous. He had a boyfriend, but he also seemed to have a crush on Duncan that bordered on hero-worship. He got over it fast though. And there had been a few of Duncan’s friends that gave him a real hard time over it. Luckily, Duncan had a lot of friends. When I asked if it bothered him, he’d used Corey’s ‘fuck it’ line.

In the end, it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. I had everything I needed. A man I loved, a place I belonged, good friends, and a sense of self-worth I’d never possessed before. I’d yet to give up my small apartment for a bigger one, and Duncan had stopped suggesting I do so. We both knew the reason, though neither spoke it aloud. But it was there in the silence when we looked into each other’s eyes in bed at night, after driving each other to madness with our bodies. We were growing closer by the day, and while I was hoping he’d ask me to move in with him eventually, I could wait. For now, it was enough. We were both overwhelmed by the intensity of this thing between us, and there was no reason to push it faster. I liked the pacing just fine.

And I liked the spankings Duncan gave me frequently, whether I’d been naughty or not.

One of the elves on duty took the tray of drinks from me and brought it over to her cohorts, then walked over to tend Corey and Angelo’s table.

“It’ll pick up,” Robert said. “It’s Friday night. People tend to show up later on Friday because they’re just getting home from work and figuring their shit out.”

Robert’s brown skin was also painted with glitter, and he wore the same pointed ears I did, but he still wore a leafy, fitted costume. He didn’t seem to mind. He got a lot of attention from customers and made a lot of tips.

I looked up, then did a double-take when I saw Doug and Stewart walk in and join Corey and Angelo at their table. A couple minutes later, Jairo came in with Rod, and they sat at the table next to the others.

“Well shit,” I said.

Robert snickered.

I looked at him. “What the hell is going on?”

He ignored me, and left the bar hut. He walked over and whispered something in Barry’s ear. Barry got up and strolled over to me, leaning his elbows on the bar and smiling. “You’re off-duty, kid.”

“What? Why?”

He turned around and pointed. A stream of people came through the entrance to the garden. I saw employees from the main bar, then Sarah and Yvonne, even my fucking mother, and my head was spinning. At the end of the line, was Duncan, holding a cake with candles on it, and I laughed and doubled over, resting my head on the bar as they started to sing.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”

I looked up when they finished, blushing as the crowd cheered. The cake was set down on a table near the bar, and Duncan came round and grabbed my arm. “Come on. You have to blow out the candles.”

“My birthday’s not ‘til next week,” I said as I followed him out, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

“That’s why we had to do it on a night you wouldn’t expect,” Duncan said. “Now go on. Make a wish.”

“Oh my God,” I said. “You got me a unicorn cake.”

“There’s unicorn meat in it,” Stewart said. “Are you allowed to eat that?”

“There is not! It’s a vegan unicorn cake,” Sarah said. “I made sure.”

My smile widened. “It’s vegan, really?”

“Just a tiny bit of unicorn cock in it,” Corey said. “Unicorn foreskin, good for virility. It’ll make your dick as stiff as a horn.”

My mother scowled up at him. “Corey Stengel! Watch your mouth.”

“Sorry.” Corey winced and wrapped his arm around my mother. “Forgot you were here.”

“Come on,” Doug said. “Make a wish and blow out the candles!”

I looked around at the crowd gathered near the cake. At the fairy lights and fountains and trees, the elves and friends and people I loved. How could I make a wish? I already had everything I wanted. So I simply wished for continued happiness, and blew out my candles.

There were more cheers, then loud music started, and the party was on. Duncan had closed the garden to the public for the occasion, but it was still pretty damn full, and I couldn’t stop marveling that all these people were here for me. For a guy who’d spent the better part of a year basically alone and unloved, it wasn’t a bad deal. A man I loved who loved me back. The perfect job. And these people here now, everyone I cared about, brought together as one. My tribe.

Before I knew it, the night had grown late, and I was bidding my goodbyes as guests trickled out of the garden. I was given joke gifts by my friends, kissed on the cheeks by elves, and hugged by my mom. It was a whirlwind, and once it was over, I sat down at a table near the big fountain and groaned, putting my feet up on a chair.

Duncan came over and sat down with me, looking gorgeous and tan in a white tee shirt. “Had enough, my birthday boy?”

“I’m exhausted. But thank you.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a kiss. “Thank you so much, this was great. I was stunned.”

“I was hoping so. I had to pretend you were working tonight, otherwise you wouldn’t have worn the ears and makeup.”

I snickered. “You wanted me to match the scenery for my birthday?”

“I did.” He reached over and peeled my ear tips off. “But now you’re officially off duty.”

I slid my hand up his thigh, grinning. “Where are we sleeping tonight? Because I expect a birthday fuck, if this is my night.”

“I have something for you.” He slid me a card.

I opened it, finding a gift certificate to one of those fancy kitchen stores downtown. We’d been there once, and I’d freaked out, wanting to buy everything. The gift certificate was for a ridiculous amount of money. “Oh, Duncan. I love the stuff in there.”

“I know. You were like a kid in a candy store when I took you there.”

“Oh my God, they have so much great stuff. I’m excited, thank you.”

“You said you wanted to experiment with your cooking. I figured you should have the supplies you want.”

“But this is too much. I’ll never fit…” I stopped myself, flushing. “Thank you. It’s great.”

Duncan stood and held his hand out. “Dance with me a minute?”

“Dance with you?” I stood. “We don’t dance.”

He pulled me in and we began to sway to the soft music still piping through the sound system. “We do tonight,” Duncan said. “A birthday dance.”

I sighed and rubbed my cheek against his, inhaling his scent. “You are so thoughtful. Thank you again for tonight.”

“You deserve it.” He eased back and looked into my eyes. “You have made my life so incredible. Do you know that?”

I smiled. “Your life was pretty incredible already when we met.”

Smirking, he pinched my ass. “Do not offer counterpoints when I’m trying to express my feelings. Especially since you kicked my ass so hard for not doing so in the past.”

“I’m sorry. You’ve made my life incredible too.”

“I was thinking.” He pulled me close again as we swayed together by the fountain. “You’d have more room to experiment with your cooking if you gave up your apartment and moved into my house.”

Emotions rolled over me, so sudden and unexpected I let my face fall onto his shoulder, trying to keep tears at bay.

“Zach?”

I sniffled. “Yeah.”

“Oh shit,” Duncan said, rubbing my back. “I asked too soon, didn’t I?”

“No.” I eased back and kissed him, then chuckled. “I just didn’t want you to see me cry like a fucking idiot. I would love to move in with you.”

Duncan wiped a tear from my cheek and let out a relieved breath. “Oh, thank God. I thought you were upset.”

“No.” I hugged him and chuckled against his neck. “I love you.” I pulled back and kissed him. “I fucking love you.”

He lifted my face, his fingers on my chin. “I love you, Zach. Are you sure you want this? Because I’ll warn you. Once I get you living under my roof, I’m never letting you escape.”

“I told you that night you pulled me into your car that I didn’t want to escape. I still don’t. Ever.”

“You ready to go home then?”

I smiled and wiped my eyes. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

THE END