Page 164 of Charming Like Us

“Are you alright?” he asks the same time I say, “I’m sorry.”

We’re suddenly hugging in the doorway.

I explain what happened in a soft breath against his ear.

He cups the back of my head. I wipe leaking emotion from my eyes.Spent.Fuck, I’m so spent. We kiss, and I tell him, “I’ll introduce you.”

Shutting the door behind us, I motion to my parents who stand up. “Mama, Dad, this is Oscar.”

He goes to my mom first. “I’m glad I can finally meet you two. Sorry, I’m not…wearing a shirt, Mrs. Highland. I ran out.”

He ran out for me.

That fast.

Partly, I feel badly that I caused him distress, but mostly, I’m just grateful I have Oscar. Even if the online hate and calls for my termination derive from being with him, I’d still do it all again.

“Just call me Tita Len,” she says, then hugs him. I hear her tell Oscar, “Protect him, will you?”

I feel myself smiling. This is new. I’m so used to my mom tellingmeto protect whoever I’m dating, and I did not think she’d switch that up.

“No doubt, always,” he promises.

I grin wider, and I watch my dad shake my boyfriend’s hand next. “We were just talking about ways to help Jack with the hate he’s getting. You’re in security. You have any ideas?”

“Nothing we haven’t tried already, sadly.” He upnods to Jesse in greeting, and Jesse makes the hang-loose gesture, putting aside the walis.

Oscar’s radio goes off.

The air could snap as he touches his earpiece. We’re all quiet, but for different reasons. They’re curious about his job, and I’m thinking,he’s gone, dude.

Charlie is on the move, and I can’t follow with a camera forBorn into Fame. Not right now. I need to stay with my parents.

Oscar wears his sadness, then apologizes to my parents, says quick goodbyes, but before he leaves, we wrap our strong arms around each other and hold tight for an extended beat.

He kisses my temple, my forehead, my jaw, my lips, and against my ear, he whispers, “I’m sorry I can’t stay longer.”

“You don’t need to. This was enough.” It meant everything that Oscar even showed up. He could’ve been pissed that I left like I did.

He never even brought it up. Like it was insignificant. All that mattered were my actual feelings and what I was dealing with.

That’s…sexy. I’m attracted to emotional maturity in people, I guess.

Once he’s gone, I shut the door and I face my parents. “What’d you think? Mama? I know he had to leave fast, but…” I trail off with a smile.

My mom has tears in her eyes. Different kind. Better kind. She nods a lot, choked up.Approval granted.

I expect my dad to go off about Oscar’s occupation. “You two make a good match.” He clears his throat, happy for me. I see that clearly. “He’s not what I expected for you, but I can see you love him.”

Love.I feel it, but I also need to tell Oscar something. I tried to tell him earlier before bad timing reared its ugly head again. It may not even be a big deal—or maybe that’s just my optimism soaring in. But the longer I keep it from him, the more it’s growing into one giant secret.

32

JACK HIGHLAND

Jack:wedding dress shoot with Jane and family

The note was posted in the Google spreadsheet that’s shared with my WAC crew. My production manager did a last-minute switch, and I’m one of three camera operators filming the famous ones in the Calloway Couture boutique.