A Mate for Lu - Amy Bellows Page 0,32
ever have to find out.
20
Sam
The next night I’m back in my storage room by eight o’clock. This time I set up a camping chair and grab a box of tissues before we get started. It all feels a little depressing. Like I’m secretly jacking off to porn or something.
When Lu’s face pops up, the stress that’s been mounting on my shoulders all day evaporates. He’s in another one of his oversized sweaters. The neck of this sweater is wide, and hangs over his right shoulder. I see my relief reflected in his eyes.
Being apart like this is hard for him too.
“Hey,” I say.
He smiles. “Hey.”
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
We sit there for a few moments, just staring at one another.
“I, uh, submitted my portfolio to a few publishing companies today,” he says, finally breaking the silence.
“That’s great, Lu. Did you send it to HarperCollins?”
“Uh, yeah. Through Frank. He called me today.”
Damn it. I forgot to get back to Frank about the contract.
“Sorry. I should have called him. But today has been stressful. Jesse fainted at school.”
Lu’s smile fades. “Are they okay?”
I don’t know how to answer that question. Jesse said they simply forgot to eat lunch, but the school nurse took me aside and asked if Jesse had always been underweight.
My kid is underweight, and I didn’t even notice.
“They may not be eating enough. The nurse was concerned about Jesse having an eating disorder.”
He told me that eating disorders could crop up at Jesse’s age. All of the social changes that come with their gender reveal combined with the onset of puberty make kids want to assert some kind of control over their life. Some kids do that with food.
“I wish I could give you a hug. You look so worried,” Lu says.
That would be wonderful. What I wouldn’t give to have Lu by my side right now.
“I made an appointment with a doctor for later this week. Hopefully she can help Jesse. I just feel so lost. Jesse used to come to me every time they had a problem. What happened?”
Lu leans back on the headboard of his bed. “I guess that’s part of growing up. Trying to solve your own problems.”
Intellectually, I know that. But Jesse is so young.
“What if they end up hurting themselves, though?”
“Then you’ll be there for them, like you always are.” He kisses the tips of his fingertips and presses them to the screen. “If you were here, I’d sit in your lap and run my fingers through your hair until you relaxed.”
“Is this some cuddling version of sexting or something?”
Lu laughs. “No. Sexting is sex over text. This is cuddling over Skype. Video chat snuggles.”
I kiss my fingertips and press them to the camera of my laptop. “I will gladly accept your video chat snuggles anytime you offer them. We can call it VCS in front of the kids. We’re still invited for dinner tomorrow night, right?” I don’t know if I can survive another day without Lu’s touch, and I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon, so I won’t be able to drop by during Mary’s nap.
“Yeah. I was thinking of making halibut with rice and green beans. Would your kids like that?” he asks.
“That should be great. Thank you. On Thursday you could come over to our place for dinner. I’ll cook.” Polar bear shifter alphas and omegas have more egalitarian roles in regards to housework. I don’t want Lu to think that I expect him to cook and clean for me.
“I’d like that. I’ve never been to your house before. The only room I’ve seen so far is your storage room.”
I can’t help but laugh. “We’ll have to change that.”
It’s nice to imagine Lu in my dining room or bedroom. Once he comes over, it may be difficult to let him leave.
“I see a tissue box in the corner of my screen. Does that mean you’re anticipating something tonight?” Lu asks.
My cheeks grow hot. “I shouldn’t have assumed.”
Lu bites his lip and lifts his sweater to reveal a lacy G-string. “It might be okay for you to assume.”
This man. Even if we can’t sleep next to each other, I’m so lucky to have him in my life.
“I love you, Lu.”
His fingers slip underneath the lace. “I love you too.”
21
Lu
The next morning my nausea returns. But it’s gone in time for me to cook dinner for Sam’s family. Mary follows me around the kitchen with the measuring cups I let her play with while I’m working in the kitchen, like everything