CHAPTER 17 YOU’RE DATING…..??

CHAPTER 17 – YOU’RE DATING JAVI?

As he watched Javi walk away, he hoped this wasn’t a metaphor for whatever the future held. Javi walking away from him to be “Javi” and him waiting here or wherever for him to return. He knew he was abandoning 75% of “Kurt” to follow that ever-present voice. That voice that always spoke the truth and almost always sent him down the path of taking chances, being impulsive, acting out every possible scenario in his head before deciding anything. He could still feel the kiss and hear him whisper, “Besame, Kurt.” Either he’d lost his mind or Javi was accomplished at much more than singing and entertaining.

He took a few minutes to gather his thoughts. Adam would be curious as to where he’d been this weekend and he had to admit, he was curious about Ethan. Maybe starting fresh in San Diego was actually going to work for them. It had certainly been way too long for both of them. Good riddance, Blaine and Barry!

He unlocked the door and was engulfed in what smelled like Italian food. Adam was a fantastic cook. Definitely Italian! And he was what felt like famished; all that adrenalin this weekend. Had it really been only 2 days?Adam came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands with a dish towel, and in typical straightforward fashion asked, “So! Where have you been? You actually look like you might have gotten some sun, what a novel thought! Two months in California and you don’t look like Snow White anymore!” He laughed.

Before he even had a chance to sit down or ask about Adam’s new “friend,” Adam stopped him, made him sit down and said, “You first! This is like men landing on Mars or something. Kurt Hummel did not spend another weekend doing homework, reading, texting family, watching TV, cleaning the place just to keep busy…well, that part isn’t really true. You clean the place no matter what. You threw caution to the wind and actually discovered you were in San Diego instead of New York?””

Okay, okay, enough! Sit down and I’ll tell you what I did on “my summer vacation” except not in as great a detail.” Adam smiled and said, “Good! Dinner is a ways off yet.”

Kurt took a moment to collect himself, then simply said, “I met someone after you left Friday night.” Adam rolled his eyes, “Can you give me a little more than that??” “Yeah, of course,” Kurt said, but where to begin?

“His name is Javi.” Adam got very quiet for a moment, and then asked, “Javi? What’s his last name?” Kurt told him and Adam just sat there stunned. “You’re dating Javi Ramos Ruiz????” “Well, we’ve only had one date…” “No, seriously, Javi, the pop singer from Mexico???” “Yeah, I guess so, unless there’s more than one Mexican pop singer named Javi….” Kurt said, as Adam kept talking.

“Before Friday night you had no idea Javi was well, Javi???? He was with one of the most popular Latinx pop groups ever!” Kurt looked at Adam, and said a bit defensively, “Geez, Adam, it’s not like Lima, Ohio had a significant Latinx population!” “How do you know him so well?”

“Believe it or not, I actually have some family, mostly by marriage who are Latinx. I know you probably think because I grew up in Australia and obviously have all this lovely Irish blood running through my veins, I couldn’t possibly know much or anything about Mexico or Latinxs. You do remember we’re drama students and music is “muy importante” to us. That’s very important in case you didn’t know, my sheltered friend. And when we moved to Texas, there may have been more Latinxs there than anywhere else in the US. And throw all of that into the cultural melting pot and you arrive at me. In Texas, you really can’t escape Latin American music.”

“So, you met Javi in a gay bar in San Diego. It’s never been confirmed, but I sort of thought he was gay. “Did you Google him?,” Adam knew that would get under Kurt’s skin. “Yeah, but only his music videos, mostly when he was with Mateo…at least so far.”

“Wow! And Mateo was really riding high for a long while. They were really kind of phenomenal. Best stage presence I may have ever seen. You know their story then? You know about Javi and Antonio and how that all ended?”

“No, Adam, I don’t know and I don’t want you to tell me either! I didn’t Google all the gossip and interviews like you might have…or maybe not since you obviously knew their “story”, he stabbed at the air with quotes. “We talked a lot this weekend and I want to give the man himself a chance to reveal his life story and not confront him with what might be just a whole lot of internet garbage. For one, it’s not fair to him. He can’t Google Kurt Hummel and find everything that may or may not be true about me. He’d be lucky to find out that I even exist. When he’s ready, when we’re ready, we’ll talk more about our pasts.”

Adam lifted one eyebrow and said, “We???? You’ve known him for less than 2 days and you’re a we????” Actually, despite his teasing, part of him was ready to turn cartwheels for Kurt, Mr. Careful, Cautious, Let Me Think About It…., but part of him felt protective. He had been through so much with Blaine…and then when Blaine and Barry had gotten together, it had been devastating for them both. Sure, it still hurt, but Kurt didn’t bounce back as quickly as Adam.

He decided he’d stop right where he was. Kurt didn’t need a mother. If anything, Adam was the one who needed mothering, and funny as it sounded, Kurt was good at that! He also knew that Kurt wouldn’t listen to him anyway and what could he say that Kurt didn’t already know…about relationships that is. Kurt had been born an old man, albeit a very sexy old man. If it worked for them, that would be great. If it didn’t, he hoped he’d be around to help pick up the pieces.

Kurt said, “Slip of the tongue. “We” is still up for discussion, a lot of discussion, and time. Look! I know this is not me, but I’m tired of being alone; no offense. I’m tired of my brain living my life like I’m still in New York waiting for Blaine to change his mind. He’s not going to and honestly I couldn’t take him back again if I wanted to.”

“I know what you’re thinking, Adam. You obviously know some things about Javi that I don’t. Yeah, there’s an age difference and I’m sure you don’t see him as “my type,” but since I’ve really only had two boyfriends in 22 years, you being one of them, don’t we have to wonder what “my type” is? For right now, Javi Ramos Ruiz is my type and I appear to be his.”

“Now let’s talk about Ethan, shall we? I’m assuming if you googled him you’d find out about as much as if you Googled yourself. I like his name, tell me the rest.”