Chapter 5 Andrew

Andrew perched nervously on the edge of a stool in Rafael's kitchen. The atmosphere buzzed with an electrifying energy, leaving him with a thrilling yet unsettling sensation. It had all happened so fast. An address for a gay mixer dropped for him to pick up and read and now here they were, at Rafael's home, alone, a silent promise hanging heavy in the air.

But there was something different now, a secret they shared. Rafael had looked at him, really looked at him at the party, and that continued even now.

"Thanks for having me over," Andrew mumbled, the words sounding rusty.

Rafael leaned against the counter, grinning. "No problem. Glad you accepted." His smile was brighter than usual, his dark eyes lingering on Andrew just a beat too long. A blush crept up Andrew's neck. Rafael was attentive, his energy focused solely on Andrew. It was new and exhilarating.

"So," Rafael started, pushing himself off the counter. "What did you want to talk about?" He pulled out two bottles of water and handed one to Andrew.

Andrew took a deep breath. "Actually," he admitted, surprised by his own sudden boldness, "it was you who wanted to talk."

Rafael's grin widened. "Right." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, about…well…" He trailed off.

For a moment, a delicious silence stretched between them. Andrew's heart hammered in his chest. This was it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for, the moment Rafael might finally see him, the way he saw Rafael.

"You first," Andrew suggested.

Rafael's gaze held his. Then, with a shy smile, he blurted, "Okay, look. Ever since forever, I just…there's something about you, you know?"

Andrew swallowed, his breath catching in his throat. "Yeah?"

Rafael leaned across the counter. "Yeah. I, uh, I think I might be…" He stopped, his eyes searching Andrew's face.

Andrew leaned forward, his own voice barely a whisper. "Me too."

The air rustled with unspoken emotions, then Rafael's smile bloomed into a radiant grin, relief and something else, something warmer, sweeping over his features.

Andrew's heart soared. The attention he'd craved for so long was finally his, and it felt like a thousand suns had ignited in his chest.

"I want to see more of you, but I'm not sure you'll want to see me in secret," Rafael said.

"I've wanted to be with you for years. I know your family hates me and I don't want to hurt Gabriella. She thinks she has a chance with me."

"My sister needs to receive a clear message from you. I don't want her hurt either, but I understand why she finds you so hot."

Andrew's face heated as he felt a wave of embarrassment rushing through him. "I'll have a talk with her and make it clear without hurting her. She is fun to talk to and some days, she's the only positive thing going on in my life."

"Well, I'd like to be that positive person for you every day."

"I hope you stop in at the diner so I can see you more often."

"Will do."

"I should probably go since I work in the morning."

"Why don't you stay the night? I promise you won't regret it."

Andrew didn't know what to do. His walking dream stared at him, filling him with a sense of wonder, but the thought of his brother's inquisition if he accepted urged him to return home.

"I want you so much. Sleeping over would be hot, but I don't think I'm ready to explain to my brother where I was. I have to open in the morning."

"I get it. We'll plan something earlier, so we can have partial sleepovers and get to know each other." A heavy cloud of sadness descended over Rafael.

"Sorry, but we have a lot to deal with and sort out before we go too far." Andrew hated that he'd disappointed Rafael.

Andrew stood, his heart racing as he gazed at Rafael with a longing that was impossible to ignore.

"Hey, wait a minute." Rafael came around the counter and walked over to Andrew, his footsteps echoing through the room. Their gazes met and held for a beat too long. The air crackled, charged with something Andrew had dreamed about for years.

Then Rafael leaned in, hesitantly at first, like a tentative butterfly exploring a new flower. Andrew's breath hitched. The kiss was soft, a whisper against his lips, but it ignited a supernova within him. All those nights spent wondering, yearning, were condensed into that single touch. A million unspoken words, a constellation of hopes, all shimmered in the afterglow.

Rafael pulled back; his cheeks flushed a charming pink. Andrew felt a goofy grin threaten to split his face in two. This was it. This was what he'd waited for, what he'd secretly cherished as a near-impossible dream. But a niggling voice in the back of his head reminded him of the clock ticking.

"I, uh, I should really get going," Andrew stammered, the words catching in his throat. Disappointment flickered in Rafael's eyes for a fleeting moment before he nodded in understanding. "See you tomorrow night."

The drive home was a blur. Andrew relived the kiss, the warmth of Rafael's touch, the way his eyes had held a question echoing his own. Yet, a bittersweet pang settled in his stomach. He had what he'd always wanted, but the reality of their situations loomed large. Could this have been a one-time thing, a stolen moment never to be repeated?

Reaching his doorstep, Andrew mentally replayed the kiss again. The light in his window seemed brighter somehow, a beacon of newfound hope. With a heart full of questions and a giddy smile that wouldn't fade, Andrew unlocked his door, stepping back into his own life, forever changed by a kiss in a kitchen.

The living room was filled with the sound of the announcer's voice as his brother sat in the recliner, watching a sports program.

"Hey, did you have a good time?" his brother asked.

"Yes."

"Where did you go?"

"A party in the city. What did you do tonight?"

"I saw Mimi, and we went roller skating."

"That sounds like fun. You're getting serious with Mimi?"

"Very."

"Maybe a ring?"

"Maybe."

***

The first light of dawn had barely touched the sky when Andrew, weary from a night that had stretched into the early hours, unlocked the Blue Star Diner. He took up sentinel duty behind the counter, his posture relaxed yet attentive, the diner's menus neatly stacked before him. The cook and the server followed him inside. They had been waiting in their cars for him to open.

Gabriella Duarte slipped in like a morning breeze, her presence as unexpected as it was intriguing. She perched on one of the counter stools, her fingers nervously drumming against the cool surface. "I need a job," she blurted out, her voice a mix of determination and vulnerability. "My family…they have rules for everything. I'm eighteen now, and I need to start my own life."

Andrew listened, his eyes never leaving her face. He knew all too well the strictness of the Duarte household, like his own family's rules growing up, and the whispered judgments that often floated through the town. Hiring Gabriella would stir the pot, especially since his brother and their parents held no fondness for the Duartes, nor had the Duartes any fondness for his family. But Andrew saw the fierce need for independence in Gabriella's eyes, and he respected it. He hoped Rafael wouldn't have a problem with what he was about to do.

"I can give you a job," Andrew said. "But you should know, my family…they're not exactly fans of your folks and you must know how yours feel about us." He paused, choosing his words with care. "Also, I want to be upfront with you—I'm not looking for a girlfriend. But I do believe everyone deserves a chance to carve out their own path. So, if you're okay with just being friends and working hard, the job is yours."

Gabriella's smile broke through her nervousness. "Friends and hard work, I can do that," she agreed, her spirits lifting.

"Follow me and I'll give you a uniform to wear. What size?"

"Eight," she said as she followed him to the back room.

He picked out a size eight uniform sealed in clear paper. The uniform comprised a blue button-up shirt and a knee-length navy skirt. There was also a half-apron to be tied at the waist, featuring pockets for notepads and pens.

"You can wear any kind of comfortable shoes. Let me make you a name tag. I want you to wait on tables. Katelyn will teach you what you need to do. Always smile. If anyone flirts or acts in an ugly way, let me or Joe know. We don't allow server abuse here."

Katelyn came to the back to see what was going on. "Hey, do we have a new server?"

"Yes, and I'd like you to train her. She'll be working early shift like you."

He left them talking and went to the front register. Not long after, Joe walked in, his smile lighting up the room. Andrew couldn't help but wonder what had made him so happy.

"Why is Gabriella in a Blue Star Diner uniform?" He pointed to her over at a booth with Katelyn.

"I hired her, that's why."

"Without discussing it with me?"

"Shhhh. She'll hear you. She is having problems with her parents and needs money to move out. You can't blame her."

"Do you know what the word co-owner means?"

"Fuck! Look, she was in a bad way. She'll do fine."

"Don't pull this shit again. She's fine until her brother pops in."

Katelyn walked over to them. "Hey, Gabriella is going to do great. She said she served at the fairgrounds for various church events, where there was a constant buzz of visitors."

"See, nothing to worry about," Andrew said.

Joe had clearly had enough of Andrew, so he went back to the kitchen to check on the cook. He certainly wasn't thrilled with Andrew's decision to hire Gabriella, but he would get used to it.