you know so that’s all I’ll say. But Clean Slate was a soft spot for him to land until he met Derrick and learned to craft.”
“I don’t know either man at all, but I’m glad they found each other. Everyone who wants one deserves someone special.”
George let out a long, low breath. “Yeah. Anyway, I won’t keep you from your friends any longer. I’ve got work to get back to. Getting ahead means more time off leading up to Christmas and beyond.”
“Enjoy your porn.”
He laughed. “Talk to you later.”
“Bye.” Levi reluctantly put his phone in his back pocket, a bit adrift after hearing George’s voice again. But they’d be together again on Christmas, and that was a gift. “Thank you for putting George in my life,” he said to the bright winter sky. “Just when I needed him.”
He went back inside to join the others, excited for what the rest of the week would bring.
Chapter Nineteen
George was freaking out a little bit on the ride to meet up with Levi, which was kind of ridiculous for two reasons.
One, he’d just had a fantastic Christmas morning with Orry and their grandparents. George had hugged them for the first time in years. They’d shared small presents, talked about all kinds of things, and Orry even showed off photos of Zoey. George kept Levi under wraps for now, unsure how his grandparents would feel about him being gay. That was a reveal for another time, not their first holiday as a quartet in years.
Two, Orry was driving him to the same rest stop for an afternoon dinner with near-strangers without the buffer of his twin. But he’d have Levi there, and that was everything. Still. Strange freak-out happening, and he did his best to hide it from Orry. He didn’t want Orry to change his mind about having dinner with Zoey’s family out of guilt over George’s anxiety. He could do this.
I need to do this.
A few days ago, George had done some online research, and he’d found a worksheet of coping skills for anxiety. The progressive muscle relaxation was a favorite but it would have been a bit too obvious with Orry right there. Challenging his thoughts and fears seemed to be working, as his stress levels went down a fraction.
“You still feel okay about this?” Orry asked as they neared the truck stop. “Staying over?”
“Yes.” His voice wobbled a bit. Mentally, he was great with this but something else—emotional, maybe?—was nervous. He’d napped with Levi in his bed but never slept over with a guy somewhere this remote. He believed Levi with his whole heart about respecting what George would and wouldn’t want. No, this nervousness was rooted in his past with Adrian and the way he’d disrespected George’s boundaries.
“And I’m looking forward to spending time with Levi’s friends,” he continued. “Really spending time, not standing off to the side like at Thanksgiving. I’ve been to the cabin, so it’s not a completely strange place, and I saw a lot of the other guests at the ranch last week. I promise, if I start to get overwhelmed, I will call you.”
But I don’t think I will because Levi will be with me.
In only a few weeks, Levi had become his dearest friend, other than Orry. They’d texted frequently during the week, spoken on the phone every day, and even Skyped a few times. They talked about important things, goofy things, and everything in between. Levi loved telling him stories about Lucky’s, and he spun vivid pictures of the men, women, and horses he’d worked with. So many good memories of his entire life, up until Xander died.
George told him a few humorous stories about awkward moments in scenes he’d captioned. He was limited on those, though, because many of the studios had him sign a confidentiality form, especially for scenes that hadn’t released from the company yet. It wasn’t always easy figuring out how to describe the way some people grunted or groaned.
Orry pulled into the parking lot and found Levi’s truck already waiting close to where they’d swapped the first time. “Thanks again for agreeing to meet halfway,” George said as he leaned between the two front seats to grab a gym bag he’d borrowed from Orry.
I need to buy one of my own for future overnights.
The thought made him smile.
“No problem,” Orry replied. “Zoey’s family’s house is on my way back, anyway. It’s fine. Have fun, I mean it. Merry Christmas, bro.”
George hugged Orry, then climbed out. Levi