Seth’s eyes grew wide, and the flush on his cheeks deepened. What in the hell was that about? Was it because the focus was still on him or because we were discussing the gay bar where he worked? I knew Dane was gay and had a new boyfriend named Jesse. And I didn’t give two fucks about anyone’s sexuality, even though I’d had to keep my own curiosity under wraps around the dudes at work. That was my problem, not his.
Mom turned to place the roasting pan in the center of the table. “It’s that bar that has sort of a cute name.”
Obviously, Mom knew stuff about his life, and he didn’t seem to mind. So maybe it was because we didn’t know each other that well.
“The Playground,” Seth replied, having recovered from whatever the hell that reaction was. “Well, really the Underground.”
“Say what now?” I asked as Mom scooped potatoes, carrots, and beef onto my plate. It smelled so good, I immediately dug in, not realizing how hungry I was.
“It’s like a speakeasy in the basement of the bar,” he replied around a bite of meat, and then moaned a little, which I totally got because Mom made a mean roast. “This is so good.”
“Thank you,” Mom replied. “Ooh, tell Jake about the password thing.”
He chewed a bit more, then wiped his mouth on his napkin. “So, they post a password on their Instagram page, and you have to use it to get into the Underground. They’re not strict about it or anything, but it creates this whole other like, forbidden vibe.”
“Like from prohibition days,” Mom added, with a bit of whimsy in her tone.
“Sounds pretty cool,” I said, though I couldn’t for the life of me imagine myself in a place like that. Not only because it was a gay club and I’d probably stick out like a sore thumb, but because I was more of a shitty-corner-bar type of guy. “And you play the piano?”
“Uh-huh.” He sipped more of his beer. “Jesse sings, or should I say croons, and we get into character, Rat Pack style.”
And now my curiosity was piqued. No way could I picture this guy looking or acting any way other than how he’d presented tonight. Jeans, sneakers, and backward baseball cap—eyeliner included, which gave him this feminine vibe I was digging. I could never pull it off, but damn if I didn’t admire him for going there, for being himself.
“You two should show up sometime. I mean, not that you have to come see me play.” He took a breath. “I mean that you might like the atmosphere and the music, and like, to do something different…”
He was rambling again, and I couldn’t help cracking a smile. It was obviously infectious because Mom was grinning too. She leaned over and patted his hand. “Sweetie, I’m pretty sure my son would not be going to any clubs with his mom. It’s enough that he has to live with me.”
I sobered immediately. “Ma—”
“Not much longer now,” she said, trying to hide the anxiety in her features. “And then maybe Jake can actually have some new friends of his own.”
“Not this again.” I gave her a pointed look, reminding her in my own playful way to not drag up my business in front of our guest.
“This dinner is amazing, by the way,” Seth blurted out and then winked at me conspiratorially. Perfect segue. “I don’t eat in much myself, so it’s nice to have a home-cooked meal.”
We were silent a long minute as we all chewed our food, drifting into our own thoughts.
“So, where do you live?” I asked.
“Oh, uh…” The flush again. “Just over at Harrison Towers.”
Damn, must be some nice digs. And now that I remembered the Beamer parked in the driveway at Thanksgiving and Jesse mentioning it was Seth’s, my whole idea of him was evolving. Was he like those customers who dropped off their precious cargo at the garage and then lorded over us from the waiting room, making sure we didn’t leave a scratch? But that didn’t seem to fit Seth at all, which made me even more curious.
“I’m from Philly. I moved here for college because it’s my father’s alma mater,” he said, and now the picture was crystalizing even further. I could imagine his upper-crust parents sending him off. I would even bet he was working toward some very important degree—maybe business or the sciences. Definitely not the arts, even though he’d probably excel there. My gut tightened, hoping his father wasn’t the same type of bastard mine had been.
“Is that how you met Jesse?” Mom asked.
“I actually met him at the coffee shop near the university,” he replied with a tinge of sadness to his voice that he tried to cover with a smile.
Mom must’ve picked up on it too because her gaze softened. “Sounds like you miss him.”
“Suppose I do—and just having a roommate in general. Well, that’s if you get along with them, which Jesse and I did. He’s my best friend, and I’m happy for him. It’s awesome that he moved in with the guy he loves.”
“Looks like we’ll both be empty nesters,” I said with a smirk.
Seth paused in his rambling as he considered the term I’d used, then burst out laughing. Mom did too. “Good one,” Seth mused.
After dinner, Seth and I helped clear the table and load the dishwasher, and then Mom asked if Seth was interested in playing a game of dominoes with us.
“Ma, I’m pretty sure Seth does not want to know how boring we are—”
“Actually, I’d love to. They play dominoes at the center, and I’ve been curious about the rules. If you’re willing to teach me, I’m in.”
Either Seth really didn’t want to go home to an empty apartment, or he really was willing to try anything, even some dumb game we’d played since childhood.
“Yay!” Mom remarked as she pulled the box from the drawer where we kept our games stacked. It had always been our thing, especially when Dad was on a drunken rampage. It grounded us, kept our focus elsewhere while we waited him out.
I reached for another beer, and Seth declined a second one, asking for ice water instead. I’d admit, I liked that he was being mindful, though I wasn’t sure why it mattered. It was true that people who had trouble holding their liquor made me anxious, but it wasn’t like they all turned into mean drunks. No, beer just seemed to amplify my father’s bad traits, so it’d become a hot-button issue for me.
Mom began placing the dominoes facedown in the center of the table while I explained the rules and the aim of the game. Once we started playing, it didn’t take him long to grasp the concept, and then he really got into it, nearly beating me the second round.
“I think someone’s competitive streak might rival your own,” Mom said with a wink.
“Who knew?” I shuffled the dominoes in the center again.
“Oh, it’s game on.” Seeing that determination in Seth’s eyes was amusing…and actually endearing. Maybe the guy was growing on me too.
After the third round, Mom took a bathroom break, and I sat back, stretching my neck.
“So you help run a garage?” Seth asked. He wasn’t looking at me as he spoke, like he was a little nervous and felt weird about asking.
“Yeah, with my friend Tucker. It’s called TJ’s.”