Although, I couldn’t blame him when I was eager to get some wine in me.
As we got to chatting with our mutual friends, Kyle and I wound up parting ways, each of us working the room, chitchatting with everyone.
I didn’t meet up with him again until the place was packed and Kyle and I were in line for food with the rest of the gang, paper plates in hand. I nearly ran into him as he stopped me at his Brussels sprouts, glaring between me and the dish as though I had better make sure to get some. I didn’t hesitate, but he must have caught something in my expression as I stuffed some on my plate because he said, “You don’t like Brussels sprouts, do you?”
“Not a huge fan.”
“Damn. And here I was gonna impress you with the things I could do to a vegetable. Well, you didn’t have to get so many, if you don’t like them.”
I was getting quite a few for someone who wasn’t a fan, but it had more to do with who had made them than the sprouts themselves.
“No, no. I’m curious to try them,” I insisted.
He eyed me peculiarly, but went on before grabbing some lemon squares. “Please tell me you don’t have some anti-lemon-square thing I don’t know about.”
“Definitely a fan of lemon squares.” And there was that smile again…
Fuck me.
We sat beside one another on the living-room sectional, and I kept noticing him eyeing me. “You’re gonna keep watching me until I try your—or your and Tex’s—Brussels sprouts, aren’t you?”
“Fuck yeah.”
“Okay, I’ll give it a go, but keep in mind, I haven’t had these since I was eight.”
“Then maybe it’ll surprise you.”
I forked one into my mouth, anticipating the worst… And I could tell by Kyle’s expression he’d already detected my reaction, so I allowed myself the full cringe as the potent flavor intensified on my tongue.
“That bad?” He slapped his hand against his face. “And here I figured I would impress you with my cooking.”
“Maybe it’s an acquired taste.” I definitely meant that as innuendo.
“I’m not gonna sit here and let you acquire it when I could be having these.” He stabbed his fork into one and took a bite.
“Thief!”
He closed his eyes, savoring the sprout in a way I could never imagine myself doing.
“You’re not gonna eat ’em,” he said with his mouth full.
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m not going to let you miserably eat my amazing Brussels sprouts. Be a good Big Man and share.”
I moved my plate closer to him, inviting him to continue, not just because I didn’t care to eat them myself, but to enjoy the satisfied expression on his face as he dug in.
“You guys mind if I join you?” Maya asked.
“Of course not.” As much as I was greedy about my time with Kyle, I knew I couldn’t hoard him all to myself. If not Maya, it would have been DJ or Bentley soon enough, so I treasured the moment we shared as she pulled up an ottoman near us. It wasn’t long before DJ and Bentley joined us, as I’d anticipated, along with a few other guys, and between our conversation and the wine, it was easy to relax into the experience.
I didn’t see much of an issue being near Kyle as we ate our main course, but when we started on dessert, I couldn’t help noticing him with a slice of my pecan pie, vanilla ice cream packed on the side, a glop of whipped cream covering both, and circles of chocolate syrup spiraled around the whole mess. I waited impatiently for his reaction, hoping for something better than mine to his Brussels sprouts.
He seemed to catch my expression before noting to Maya, “He hated my Brussels sprouts, so I’m gonna be such a dick about this even if it’s good.”
She laughed, and he left me lingering in suspense as he settled a spoonful near his mouth.
“I’m gonna blame all the ice cream and chocolate syrup if you don’t like it.”
“This is the best way to eat pecan pie,” he insisted before sliding it into his mouth.
He closed his eyes, his cheek pushing out slightly, a bit of the whipped cream still on his bottom lip. He licked the opposite side as he opened his eyes and cringed. “Just disgusting,” he said in what seemed to be the most facetious tone he could manage.
Maya and Bentley laughed as he grinned like he was so goddamn proud of himself for how he’d teased me.