Page 60 of Pride High 2: Orange

She didn’t though. Silvia had a sex drive. As far as she could tell, nothing was broken. Her urges simply didn’t rely on anyone else. Not that she hadn’t tried. Silvia had recently thought about Anthony in that context, except in her fantasy, his clothes had stayed on and she had soon stopped thinking of him completely. Mostly because it got in the way of her getting off.

“Well anyway,” Mindy said, “if Diego thinks he can try anything, I’ll poke him in the eye with a makeup sponge.”

“Wouldn’t a mascara brush be a better choice?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to blind him!”

Silvia felt a rush of warmth for her friend. Even when talking smack, she took the gentle approach. “Do you have the photo of him with you? I want to see how you did his makeup.”

Mindy shook her head. “It’s with all my gear in the auditorium. I’ll show you later. Or I guess you’ll see in person soon enough. You’ll be at the play, right? I’m going to need emotional support. I just know it!”

“Still worried it’s going to be a disaster?”

“Yes. So will you? I know you would have to take off work but...”

“I’ll be there,” Silvia promised. “I already talked to Lester and got his permission.”

“Really?” Mindy clenched her fists and shook them in excitement. “You’re the best!”

Silvia adored her too. Especially when she didn’t bring up complicated subjects like boys.

CHAPTER 14

December 18th, 1992

Cameron spun a bolt along a threaded screw until it was snug against the wood. Then he tested the knob on the other side of the drawer, pleased that it didn’t jiggle. He slid the drawer shut, stood, and took a step back to assess the project he’d been working on for the past two months. He could have gotten it done sooner, but Cameron had proceeded meticulously, needing the nightstand to express the intense love he felt for Anthony.

They had rescued it from a pile of trash during their first date, a memory that he treasured. He hoped Anthony did too. Otherwise, a nightstand was an odd gift for one teenager to give to another. Wasn’t it? He squirmed, thinking of all the times that Anthony had teased him for being so precocious—a word that he had to look up in the dictionary, but he had to admit that it fit him. He often felt more mature than his peers, but not by design. Was that a turn off? Cameron probably should have bought Anthony a video game instead. Then again, hehadpoured his heart into the project.

The nightstand had been battered and covered in ugly paint when they’d found it, destined for a landfill somewhere. He had since stripped the paint down to the original wood, applied a sealant, and used stain to bring out the natural mahogany hues. He had finished with a lacquer that gave the wood a healthy sheen. Especially when he moved the nightstand closer to the open garage door, the daylight making it glow.

Cameron felt proud of himself. And was relieved to be finished. Christmas was only a week away. He wanted to show Anthony now instead of waiting, but of course that would ruin the surprise. Besides, his boyfriend was spending the night at Omar’s house. Cameron had pretended not to hear them making plans to go shopping for gifts. He didn’t need anything from Anthony. Nothing bought at a store anyway. Now if they could find enough privacy somewhere, he could think of an entirelistof things he wanted.

This train of thought was interrupted when his father’s car pulled into the driveway. Cameron scrambled to move the nightstand, freeing that side of the garage while grinning. His dad was back in town! Not just for the weekend, but for the rest of the year. They would be spending the holidays together as a family, just like when he was a kid.

Cameron watched his dad park. When the trunk popped open, he hurried to grab the luggage inside and was standing next to it when Trevor came around the corner of the car.

“Hey,” Cameron said, opening his arms. “Welcome home!”

“Thanks.” His dad sounded more subdued than usual, the hug more of a quick pat on the back.

“Check it out,” Cameron said, gesturing at the nightstand. “I just finished this puppy. What do you think?”

Trevor eyed it without much interest. “Another of your antiques?”

“Yeah,” Cameron said, feeling a little deflated. His dad was usually more enthusiastic about his projects, but maybe he was tired from his trip. “I’m not sure how old it is, exactly. Charles still needs to appraise it.”

His father stiffened. “That’s the old guy you’ve been hanging around?”

Cameron nodded wordlessly, uncomfortable with his tone.

“Maybe you should rethink who you’re spending so much time with.”

“Meaning what?”

Trevor tore his eyes away from the nightstand to look him over, his expression anything but warm. “Your mother told me.”

“Oh.” Cameron’s stomach sank. After coming out, he hadn’t sworn his mom to secrecy. In fact, he had wanted her to tell his dad, since Cameron wasn’t sure how it would go. Now he was about to find out.