Zeke was pleasantly surprised when the college students ventured into the kitchen. They were all dressed in somewhat matching outfits as they came to help cook. Well, three helped cook. They made Gavin sit at the island and peel potatoes while they did the hot and heavy work.
Even Gavin was wearing jeans. If he was following Zeke's rules, he wouldn't be wearing underwear. Since he just had a biopsy done in his right hip, he had to be uncomfortable. Zeke wanted to look and see if he was commando, but he didn't want to embarrass him.
He listened to their friendly banter, noticing how Davis was the one to encite everything. Emily barely had time to control him. He was all over the kitchen, but somehow he kept out of Gavin's way.
They catered to their friend. If he wanted anything -a snack, something to drink, his phone - they gave it to him. All he had to do was mention it and it was in front of him. His face turned red each time but he accepted them gracefully.
Zeke watched as he typed out a message to his mother wishing her happy Thanksgiving. He knew she wouldn't answer. When he'd last talked to her, she had been adamant she wasn't going to come see her son. Zeke had tried to tell her how he was doing with his cancer diagnosis, but she didn't seem to care. He'd called her one other time after first finding out about his illness, but Zeke had told her the last time he wouldn't be reaching out again.
Watching Gavin reach out to her meant he hadn't given up hope. He knew she wouldn't answer, but a part of him wanted to do it because he hoped she would. So every holiday and birthday he sent her a message. They all went unanswered, but it made him feel better.
"Jetson says happy Thanksgiving," he said. "He says he wished he could be here with us."
"He just doesn't want to be in Atlantic City with his family," Katie corrected. "They go every year, and he's tired of it."
"Maybe it's time to start his own tradition," Emily suggested.
At the word tradition, Gavin looked at Zeke. He knew the conversation was still rolling around in his head. After their argument, Zeke tried to go to bed alone, but he couldn't sleep. He'd been sleeping with Gavin every night for the last fifteen months that he couldn't sleep in the big bed alone. He'd wandered downstairs and piled on the couch behind the younger man. They'd both gone to sleep promptly, Gavin's hand clutching his shirt tightly.
They hadn't discussed their eighth member joining them. Gavin had planned for seven people with Mr. Sampson and Martin were going to be around the table with them, but he hadn't planned for an eighth. He also hadn't told his friends because Emily wouldn't have let him go so easily.
"When are Mr. Sampson and Martin arriving?" the girl in question asked. She mashed a huge bowl of potatoes with copious amounts of butter in it.
She had become very close with Mr. Sampson. They had exchanged numbers when Gavin had started going to the doctor regularly. The driver called her when neither he nor Zeke could give him a ride to his appointments. She had really stepped up to help them when they needed it, especially Gavin. Even now, Zeke was very grateful to her for keeping Gavin's secret when he felt he couldn't tell anyone else.
"I told them one," Gavin said.
Zeke was about to open his mouth and tell him what time he told Evaline to show up, but the doorbell stopped him. Gavin looked at him, knowing exactly who it was because it was only ten-thirty. His eyes were bright and his mouth in a solid line. He didn't move from the stool. He finally just looked down and continued slicing celery for the stuffing.
The oldest man went to the front door and pulled it open. Evaline smiled at him as she saw him. Zeke couldn't help but smile in return. In twenty years, his first lover and closest friend hadn't changed much. Her dark hair was starting to grey at the temples, but her green eyes were still as vibrant as they had been when they'd been in school.
She laughed as she stepped through the door, throwing her arms around his neck. "It is so good to see you. Since you asked me to go to California to deal with the other company, I haven't had a chance to see you."
Zeke hugged her back, noting how small she was in the waist. "You've lost weight."
She slapped him. "That's not a very proper thing to say. But if you must know, California suits me." She looked over his shoulder expectantly. "Where is she? Your new lover?"
Zeke pulled her in the door, closing it with a soft click behind her. She hooked her arm through his and walked with him towards the kitchen. "It's not a girl, Eva. His name is Gavin, but I have to tell you something before you see him."
Eva smiled gently at him. "Whatever it is, I won't cause a scene." So he told her everything. She listened carefully, nodding every so often so he didn't think she was ignoring him. "So he has cancer?"
Zeke nodded. "He's shaved his head and wears a beanie all the time. He's not self-conscious about it, but he's not happy I invited you without telling him first."
"Well, you messed up on that one. You should always tell your new lovers about your old one visiting. Even if I am the only one you stay in contact with."
Firmly reprimanded, Zeke led her into the kitchen. All conversation stopped as they saw Eva with him. Eva smiled warmly at them and introduced herself. Zeke had to introduce everyone to her because they didn't speak. Emily actually looked like a ticking time bomb.
"This must be Gavin," Eva said. She extended her hand to the man sitting at the bar. "Zeke has told me so much about you."
Not to be rude, Gavin took her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you." He dropped his hand back into his lap when she let go. He awkwardly looked at her before turning away completely.
Eva smiled. "He's shy."
Zeke nodded. "But don't let it fool you. He's got a temper on him as well."
"Secrets don't make friends, Zeke," Emily chastised. The man looked at the woman who spoke. She glared at him. "If you've got something to say about any of us, just say it out loud."
"All I said was Gavin has a temper," he explained.
"His temper isn't the one you should be worried about."
"Em, that's enough," Gavin muttered. She looked at him. When he shook his head, she shut her mouth and continued making the green bean casserole. "Everything that needs to go into the oven will be ready soon. I'm going to take a nap."
"Do you need any help?" Zeke asked.
"No." It was sharper than Gavin had intended but he couldn't take it away. "I'm just going to the office. I need some quiet time."
Zeke watched him disappear into the living room. He barely heard the office door shut several minutes later. He wanted to go after him, but he was pretty sure Emily would castrate him if he did. He just wanted to give Gavin a normal holiday but he'd already messed it up.
Eva jumped in and helped finish lunch. She took the two young women's remarks in stride. Zeke knew she had faced more when they had been together, but he didn't want her to hear it again. But he also understood why Katie and Emily were so hostile towards her. He had thrown at them his ex-lover without any warning. He didn't blame their anger towards him, but it should be towards him and not Eva.
Davis went to get Gavin when the food was ready and everyone was in attendance. They took turns saying what they were thankful for before they started eating the scrumptious meal everyone had worked on.
"Gavin, how old are you?" Eva asked.
Gavin picked at the food on his plate, his appetite not really there. "I'm twenty-two."
"Zeke!" she scolded. "He's the youngest you've..."
Zeke shook his head to cut her off. "I know. There's fifteen years between us. We're well-aware of it."
"Can we not talk about this please?" Gavin asked. Everyone looked at him, Katie rubbing his back soothingly. "I just wanted some sort of normality for this holiday. So please let's not talk about it."
Zeke frowned at him. Gavin looked at him briefly before licking his lips and looking down at his plate. He was insecure. Even though Zeke had told him he wouldn't step out on him, he was so aware of his relationship with Eva. He saw how easy going their relationship was, and it scared him. Zeke could see it in his eyes.
Eva could see it too. She looked between the two before putting a hand over Gavin's. He jerked in shock and looked up. He wanted to jerk his hand away, but he stayed still because of one thing. He didn't want to embarrass himself more nor did he want to embarrass Zeke.
"I get it," she said. He tilted his head as his throat worked. "Meeting your lover's former lover is very nervewracking. You don't know what to say or do because no matter what you do, it feels like you're inadequate. But you have one thing that I never had."
Gavin cleared his throat. "What's that?"
"He loves you." She smiled as a hiccup left him. "What we had was basically 'Fifty Shades of Gray'. We attended events together and we had holidays together, but we never were emotionally involved. I can say the same about his other relationships as well. Emotions were never a factor with anyone else. As long as they were kept and happy, they didn't care what he did. But with you, it's different. I can see it in the way he moves."
Zeke looked at Gavin. Those brown eyes were half lidded, and unshed tears pooled on his bottom lids. He pulled his hand from Eva's and set them both in his lap as he tried to regain control of his emotions. He hadn't believed Zeke until now because it was easier not to get his hopes up. Hearing it from someone who knew Zeke the best made him lose that last little shield that guarded him.
Zeke didn't hide anything from Eva. They had a long history together, and now they worked together. Well, Eva managed his California based businesses. When he was out there, they met for drinks and got caught up. She called him every so often so they knew each other's business and personal lives very well. If she was telling Gavin everything he'd said, she knew that Zeke wouldn't get mad at her.
"So you're not back to steal Zeke from Gavin?" Emily asked.
Eva laughed wholeheartedly. "My god, no. I'm sure my husband would be very unhappy if I did. I'm just here to visit. I have business in the city tomorrow, and Zeke was very kind to invite me for lunch so I wasn't alone."
"He didn't say that," Gavin said.
Eva looked at her friend. "He probably concocted some shit that said I was coming because we always spent the holidays together. He's good at making shit up. That's why he's a businessman." Zeke smiled tightly at her then shoved some turkey in his mouth. "Do you want to self-destruct or something?"
"What can I say?" Zeke asked.
"You're a dumbass." She turned her attention back to Gavin. "Don't listen to his bullshit when it comes to me. That's all it is. You should have heard him in high school. He was able to concoct the best stories. Everyone thought he was going to become a writer. Imagine our surprise when he became a self-made billionaire."
Emily scoffed. "More like a self-made buffoon."
"That's accurate too. But he has a good heart. If you're in his circle, he will bend over backwards for you."
They settled into an easy conversation after Eva had assured everyone she wasn't in town to cause any harm. Gavin ate as much as he could before he just pushed his plate back. He was at ease now that he knew no one was trying to bother his relationship.
He may have settled down, but something deep inside him said something wasn't right. He felt weird, like there was a nagging at the back of his mind. Something was going on but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. He tried to enjoy his friend's company, but he was preoccupied with what was going on internally.
Zeke saw the look on the younger man's face as everyone else enjoyed pumpkin pie Mr. Sampson had made. He didn't want to call him out on it because then everyone would be concerned, but he knew something wasn't right. Gavin wasn't with it mentally. Zeke couldn't figure out if it was because of Eva or something else. The look on his face made him realize that he really didn't know Gavin at all.