Merry Christmas to all who celebrate this holiday! Today is the final day of the Being With Him tour and we're stopping at The Novel Approach. Red wine beef stew is a perfect choice for Christmas as you can prepare it ahead of time. Make sure you check out Alex's easy recipe and throw your name in the widget for another chance at the giveaway.
As a special treat, I'm posting a longish excerpt of Being With Him for your enjoyment. Don't forget the novella is still on sale for 2 more days.
This excerpt takes place on Christmas Day when Zeb and Alex decide to go downtown to enjoy the sights and sounds. The setting is New York City.
Excerpt: Being With Him
“Let’s go out instead,” Alex suggested. “We haven’t had a chance to admire any of the store windows. And we mustn’t forget the roasted chestnuts. Do you like them? I’m one of the few people I know who craves them this time of the year.”
“Yes, I like them too,” Zeb said. “Back home, they’re imported from Hong Kong and cost a small fortune. Are they expensive here?”
“They’re still affordable although I’ve been told the prices have skyrocketed. Sadly, street vendors are a dying breed.”
“How come?”
“Not enough customers. It seems to be a touristy thing associated with a bygone era. Younger people never acquired the taste.”
“That’s kind of sad.”
“I know,” Alex agreed. “But, hopefully, we’ll find one tonight, and I think we can certainly afford a bag. Are you game?”
“Absolutely. Is Bacon coming?”
“He’d act out if we leave him at home again.”
“I would.”
They layered up, knowing it would be cold, and took the subway. It was the wiser choice considering the distance and traffic. While they were zooming through the concrete tunnels, Zeb browsed tourist apps to find out which store windows were the most popular. Alex teased him for being so analytical, but Zeb reminded Alex that he didn’t live in Manhattan, and the opportunity to view Christmas decor was an annual event.
“You’re right,” Alex conceded. “Plan the route and I will gladly follow.”
“According to this app, our first stop should be Bloomingdale’s,” Zeb began. “It’s on Lexington Avenue, between Fifty-Ninth and Sixtieth. Does this train stop anywhere close by?”
Alex looked up at the map on the subway walls and nodded.
“Next store is Barneys. If we walk two blocks west, along Sixtieth Street, cross Park Avenue until we hit Madison, we’ll practically fall in the store.”
“Sounds good,” Alex said. “Are you writing this down or do you have a photographic memory?”
“Duh. I’m saving this on my phone.”
“Gotcha. What’s after Barneys?”
“Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue.”
“I heard they’ve outdone themselves this year.”
“Can’t wait,” Zeb said, practically bouncing on the seat. “Who knew there was so much free entertainment?”
“I think you’re missing the point, sugar. The window display is meant to lure you inside.”
“But if they’re closed,” Zeb said with a smile on his face, “I won’t be tempted.”
“True,” Alex replied. “What’s next?”
“Saks Fifth Avenue. We’ll be seconds away from Rockefeller Center, so if you’re bored and want to go straight to the people watching, we can stop there.”
“How many more stores after Saks?”
“Two. Lord and Taylor and Macy’s. Both are farther south. Why don’t we see how we’re doing before we decide if we want to go on? Hot chocolate or chestnuts might tip the scale in favor of ending our tour right there.”
“Whatever you decide is fine with me. I walk by those stores all the time, so it’s not a big deal.”
“We’ll see,” Zeb said. Before putting his phone back in his pocket it chimed, announcing a text from his cousin, Anabelle, in Queens. He read the holiday greeting and replied instantly. The next text was an invitation to spend New Year’s Eve at their place. We’ll have tons of food and karaoke. Bring Alex.
Zeb passed his phone to Alex, who raised his eyebrows. “How did they know you were here with me?”
“I might have mentioned it,” Zeb said, “when they invited me to spend this week with them.”
“Were they upset you had other plans?”
“Heck, no. I think they were just doing their cousinly duty by inviting me to spend my Christmas holiday with them.”
“I had no plans for that night,” Alex said. “If you want to go to your cousins’, I’m game.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Ask them if I should bring a dessert or something.”
Zeb texted an affirmative RSVP and informed Anabelle they’d bring treats. He got several heart emojis in reply.
“That’s that,” he told Alex. “Get ready to spend a crazy night with the Moreno clan.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fun,” Alex said. “They’re good people.”
Zeb smiled and thought back on Thanksgiving weekend when he first introduced Alex to his Filipino cousins. The Morenos had migrated shortly before the September 11 attacks. The patriarch of the clan had been killed at the Twin Towers, but his wife and children had stayed in the country, pooling resources to make it without his income. The money they’d received as part of the Victim Compensation Fund had been spent on his three cousins’ education. Now college graduates, two of them still lived at home with their mother. Anabelle, and her brother, Quito, were in their mid to late twenties, mostly raised in Queens, and as such, more American than Filipino in their general outlook. They’d been supportive of Zeb and his surprising new boyfriend, and even his aunt had approved, falling in love with Alex’s cooking and soft-spoken manner. It had been a good visit back then, and Zeb assumed it would be more of the same on New Year’s Eve.
It was almost eight o’clock in the evening when they started the window tour. It took them about two hours, between gaping and having to stop every few minutes to let Bacon sniff and mark. They decided to call it a night when they reached the vicinity of Rockefeller Center. The chance to finally sit down and enjoy the warm chestnuts they’d purchased a few blocks over was too tempting. The hot chocolate was the clincher, and they found a small bench where they could eat, drink, and people watch. Bacon sat at their feet, toasty in his fleece-lined Burberry coat. Zeb had remembered to bring him a few treats and slipped him a tiny bit of peanut butter flavored rawhide to gnaw on while he waited for his masters.
Everything about the evening had been perfect until it was time to go. Zeb didn’t notice the two skinheads standing close to the subway entrance. Apparently Alex did, because he slowly moved Zeb to his right, farther away from the pair.
“Now, ain’t that the cutest thing I ever did see,” one of them said in a mocking tone. “Two queers and a damn poodle wearing a coat that probably cost more than mine.”
“Truth,” the other guy seconded.
“Don’t engage,” Alex ordered Zeb in a low growl. “They’re either drunk or on drugs.”
He would have obeyed except one of them blocked their path.
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