Micah
“Don’t worry, babe. Everything will be fine and I’ll be right there with you the whole night,” Adrien said, his breath forming little puffs of air as they hustled toward the Darling house.
He hadn’t given any false comfort or said his family would love Micah, but that only made Micah’s stomach more nervous. Because it was D-Day—Meet the Darlings Day. Micah was sweating in the chilly late-December air.
“Jesus, you look like you just ran a marathon.” Adrien stopped at the curb, taking the bouquet of flowers that Micah had bought for Marla from Micah’s arms and handing him a tissue from his pocket so he could mop himself up. Adrien had refused to let Micah give his mom a gift for her birthday since this was their first time meeting, but Micah didn’t feel right about showing up empty-handed.
He hesitated before running the tissue across his forehead, making Adrien huff.
“It’s clean, silly. I haven’t blown my nose with it.”
“No telling with you,” Micah said, trying to tease, but the joke fell flat and Adrien rubbed his arm.
“Hey, it’s a party not a prison sentence—ooh.” Adrien winced. “Sorry, bad comparison.”
Micah just shook his head, Adrien’s words calming his nerves a fraction, because it was true. This wasn’t a prison sentence. If it sucked, at least he got to go home at the end of the night, and there would be good food and wine to help things along which was more than he’d ever gotten during his time behind bars. Everything actually would be fine, even if they were tense and uncomfortable for a few hours.
So long as he got to hold Adrien in his arms at the end of the night, it would all be worth it.
“No. You’re right.” He ran his hands down the new nice coat he’d gotten at a discount shopping store. He’d been saving his tips from the store to help with Christmas gifts for Rhina and Caleb and used the leftover money to spring for a new outfit and a professional haircut for the occasion.
When Adrien had seen him in his fitted black slacks, wine-colored button-down, and leather dress shoes, the glint in his eyes promised some serious post-party sex. But before Micah could get there, he had to survive meeting Adrien’s family. Adrien had gotten some of the other staff to cover their closing shift that Saturday night and now they were headed to the party.
“I’ll take these,” Micah said, relieving Adrien of the bouquet, and then Micah took his free hand and led him up the walk to his parents’ house.
Micah hadn’t been in the Darling house, aside from the basement, but he assumed it would be nice based on how well they’d outfitted Adrien’s apartment. It wasn’t the largest house on the block, but it was one of most well maintained. The well-manicured yard and flowerbeds made the cheerful blue Craftsman look like something out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The large porch, complete with porch swing and chunky square columns, stonework, and a pitched roof were elegant but not overdone.
The house looked even more beautiful with the addition of soft white Christmas lights wrapped around the columns and along the roofline, making Micah’s breath catch as they made their way up the porch steps. Adrien explained that they’d left the Christmas décor up for the party as they approached the front door.
When they entered, Micah heard a mix of loud conversation, laughter, and music playing. God, he hoped they liked him.
“Hi, guys. I’m back,” Adrien called out as they stepped into the entryway.
Conversation ceased before a honeyed feminine voice called out from farther inside the house. “We’re in the living room.”
“My mom,” Adrien said as he shed his jacket and hung it on one of several pegs in the entryway. Micah followed his lead, switching the floral arrangement from one hand to the other as he divested himself of his coat before hanging it on a peg next to Adrien’s.
Adrien turned to him, running his gaze up and down Micah and nodding briefly before standing beside him. Micah noticed the mirror when they turned, but he hadn’t seen it behind them as they’d hung up their jackets.
He looked at the two men standing beside each other, holding hands, both faces nervous and unsure. But despite their nervousness, he had to admit, they looked good together.
Micah gave him a small smile, still wowed at the fact Adrien had even given him a shot. He was fucking gorgeous in his tight-fitting, dark green velvet pants with green and navy plaid suspenders and matching bowtie. His silky dark curls looked shiny and soft and his hazel eyes shone behind the lenses of his glasses. Micah wrapped an arm around Adrien’s shoulder and pulled him close before grabbing his hand.
“Come on.” It was showtime.
Adrien tugged Micah a few steps down the hall and into the living room which opened up to the left. Several people stood around the warm space, a fire dancing in the background framed by fragrant garlands and decorative Christmas stockings hanging from the mantel.
The fluffy royal blue couches, family photos on the walls, and glittering Christmas tree tucked into a corner looked like something out of a holiday film set. The good-looking family assessing him was just as picture perfect. Micah was pretty sure he could pick out the entire Darling clan.
Adrien had the same coloring and eyes as his siblings. They all seemed to get that from the tall, slim woman in a red wrap dress with her silver-streaked hair twisted up in an elaborate bun. That must be Marla.
But unlike his siblings, who shared their mother’s facial structure, Adrien had the same strong jaw and dimples as the tall man with the closely cropped hair and deep-umber skin standing beside the woman in the red dress. That had to be Adrien’s dad.
“Everyone, this is Micah. My boyfriend.” Adrien introduced him with a tinge of warning in his voice.
Micah smiled and made sure to make eye contact with all of them, trying his best to convey a sense of openness and confidence that he didn’t feel at all.
“Micah, this is everyone.” Adrien gestured awkwardly to his family before the tall older man stepped forward, extending his hand.
“Tommy Darling.” He pumped Micah’s hand with a firm grip, his smile light and genuine. “This knucklehead’s father.” He tossed his head toward Adrien who scoffed.
“If I’m a knucklehead, I get it from you,” he teased.
“I couldn’t agree more.” The elegant woman in the red dress stepped forward and extended her hand, though her smile wasn’t as easy as Mr. Darling’s. Micah could see the skepticism in her expression. “Marla, Adrien’s mom. It’s nice to finally meet you after so many weeks of wondering who Adrien’s mystery friend was.” She cut her eyes over at her son.
Micah tried to save Adrien by drawing her attention back to himself. “It’s nice to finally meet you too, Mr. and Mrs. Darling. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Micah noticed Marla looking at the arrangement in his arms and his cheeks heated as he realized he was still holding on to the flowers. “And these are for you. Happy Birthday. I really appreciate you inviting me to your party.”
“She didn’t invite you, Adrien did,” a hostile voice interrupted. Micah searched out the source of the irritated response, and his gaze collided with Gabe’s. The man looked none too happy to see Micah, holding himself stiffly, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Knock it off, Gabe,” scolded a woman who looked like a younger version of Marla. “All of us kids got a plus-one for Mom’s party, Gretchen and Byron didn’t get formal invites.”
She and Gabe had a brief stare down before Gabe looked away and wrapped an arm around the petite redhead beside him as the Marla look-a-like moved forward.
“I’m Erica, Gabe and Adrien’s big sister,” Erica said as she shook Micah’s hand. She gestured toward a tall heavyset man with a shiny bald head. “That’s my partner, Byron.”
Micah gave him a nod before a soft voice spoke up. “I’m Gretchen, Gabe’s wife.” The redhead gave Micah a small smile and dipped her head before she elbowed her husband.
Gabe cleared his throat. “Gabriel. Micah’s big brother. I’ve seen you at the shop but we’ve never been formally introduced.”
Nice to meet you too. Not.
An awkward beat passed before Gabe sighed and spoke up. “Okay, enough with the introductions. We’ve got about thirty minutes until people start showing up, and we still have a crap ton of food to finish,” Gabe said testily, drawing disapproving looks from his sister.
“And just whose fault is that,” Erica quipped, planting her hands on her hips.
Gabe opened his mouth, but their mother interrupted them, handing off her flowers to Erica.
“Okay, my beautiful bickering children, back to work.” Marla clapped her hands twice in quick succession. “Erica, please find a nice vase for my arrangement. Gabe, Byron—can you finish hooking up the speakers for the music? Gretchen—my favorite daughter-in-law—”
Gretchen quirked her lips in a lopsided smile. “Your only daughter-in-law, Marla, but what can I do?”
“Can you start arranging the platters of food that we’ve already plated?”
Gretchen nodded then Marla directed her attention toward her husband.
“And can you arrange all the wine and beer in those large tubs in the dining area, sweetheart?”
Tommy gave his wife a mock salute and a wink.
Marla turned to Micah and Adrien. “Don’t think just because you’re new, Micah, that you get out of doing your part, young man.” Marla wagged a finger at Micah, her teasing making him feel a little more at ease.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, ma’am.” Micah looked over at Adrien to gauge his reaction, but Adrien just shook his head.
“Uh, uh. Don’t look at me to save you. Whatever Mama says goes.”
“Now, how skilled are you in the kitchen,” Marla asked.
“Highly,” Micah answered with confidence.
Marla smiled up at him and petted his arm. “Good. The discount caterer that Gabe found fell through, and I need backup with the food.”
“Happy to help.” Micah grinned, leaning against Adrien. Maybe this party wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Marla looked around the room and tossed up her hands. “What’s everyone still standing around for? Let’s get a move on.”
The family scattered, with Micah and Adrien following Erica and Gretchen. But he and Adrien stopped abruptly under the archway, almost smacking into the back of Erica as she wobbled in her stilettos when the heel got caught in the hall rug and Gretchen shot a hand out to help balance her.
“Well, would you look at that? Our first victims of the night.” At the sound of Tommy Darling’s low rumbling voice, so similar to Adrien’s, Micah turned around. His eyes were twinkling and Marla’s gaze was soft as she stared at Adrien and Micah. Byron looked as confused as Micah felt, and Gabe’s face was stony.
Tommy looked up. Micah followed his gaze to find that he and Adrien were standing beneath a clump of mistletoe. He swallowed, wondering if his boyfriend’s family really expected them to kiss.
“Well, go on ahead and get your smooch on, boys. We don’t have all night.” Tommy’s ribbing answered Micah’s question.
Micah’s cheeks warmed as he looked down at Adrien. But the man’s tender smile eased Micah’s discomfort at being watched by the entire Darling family. And when Adrien leaned in, Micah met him halfway. He closed his eyes as their lips brushed once, twice, and then held. He cupped Adrien’s smoothly shaven face, brushing his thumb along his cheek, then it was over.
A chorus of “awws” and “how sweets” filled the room as they pulled apart, and the rest of the team scattered.
Micah felt loopy with happiness as Adrien beamed at him, but the stormy glance that Gabe threw Micah’s way as he walked past him brought Micah back down to the ground, and he made a mental note to stay far away from Gabe Darling for the rest of the night.