A Thanksgiving Dinner Surprise! ~ NC

It was a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving on a Wednesday evening.  I had just arrived home, walked through the door, and set my phone and book bag down.  As I walked into the kitchen to get something to drink out of the refrigerator, my cell phone rang.

"Fuck," I uttered to myself.  It had been a long, bad day at work and I just knew that it would be my parents wanting me to come over or take them somewhere.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents and would do anything for them - they’re just good at messing up what I have planned sometimes.  Right now, all I wanted was something to drink and to be left alone so I could de-stress.

I walked back over to where I set my phone down and look at the screen.  When I saw who it was, a smile split my face, my heart sped up a beat or two, and all the weight of the bad day that I had slid off my shoulders.

"Hi," I said when I answered the phone.

"Hey handsome," the sexy baritone voice on the other end said.  "How are you this evening?"

"Tired," I said, rubbing my forehead.  "Long day at work.  How are you?"

"I just got home myself a little bit ago.  I was going to go get something to eat and wanted to see if you'd like to go with me," he said.

"Sure," I said.

"Sweet!" he said excitedly.  "I'll be by to pick you up in twenty."

"I'll see you then," I said.

I ended the call, went and took a quick shower, and got dressed.  I was about to put my boots on when I heard a door close outside.  Moments later, my doorbell rang.  I walked over to the door and opened it.

There he stood before me - Ian.  Six foot three, brown hair, blue eyes, muscular, and a sexy lopsided grin.  Blue jeans, boots, and a t-shirt that hugged his muscled torso and arms completed this ensemble.

"You going to invite me in or just stand there and undress me with your eyes?" he asked.  His statement snapped me back to reality.

"Sorry," I said, slightly embarrassed.  "Come in."  I stepped aside to allow him in the house.  When he came in, he didn't just step by me - he made sure to brush up against me.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, giving me an evil grin.

When I closed the door and turned around, he was standing right in front of me.  He leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss.

"Good to see you too, Ian," I said when the kiss ended.  "Let me get my boots on and I'll be ready."

Ian surveyed the area while I put my boots on.  "These your nieces and nephews?" he asked, pointing to a picture that I had hanging on the wall.

I walked over to him.  "Yep," I said.  I told him who they were and which of my siblings they belong to.

"Ready to go?" he asked.  I nodded.  I grabbed the necessities - wallet, keys, and phone, and locked the house as we left.  We walked out to Ian's truck, got in, and headed towards town.  Ian told me about his day on the way to the restaurant and I mostly sat and listened to him talk, interjecting questions now and again.  It was only interrupted occasionally by a song that comes on the radio that he'd sing along to and, at his urging, I attempted.

We made it to the restaurant and walked in.  Most of the dinner crowd had left so it wasn't too busy.  We were seated a couple of minutes later and our waitress came over and took our drink and food orders.

Ian finished telling me about his day and I had just started telling him about mine when our food came.  My job isn't as interesting as his, so the explanation of my day only took a couple of minutes.  Ian must have sensed that it had been a bad day for me because he started telling me jokes and got me laughing to cheer me up.

All too soon, we'd finished eating so we paid our bill and left.  We got back in the truck and headed back to my house.  Ian wasn't as talkative on the trip home, but he did reach over and hold my hand.

By the time we got back to my house, it was dark, and everyone had gone inside for the night.  Ian walked me to the door.  "Thank you for inviting me out tonight," I said.  "I really needed this."

"Thank you for accepting," Ian said.  "I meant to ask you earlier, do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?"

"Well, I'm not sure yet," I said.  "I usually go eat with some friends, but I haven't heard any plans yet."

"I'd like to invite you to come eat with me and my family for dinner this year," he said.

"I'll let you know something in a couple of days," I said.

"Sounds good," Ian said.  "Oh, one more thing."  Ian stepped up to me and gave me a kiss.  "Have a good night."  I watched as he walked off the porch, got in his truck, backed out of the driveway, and drove off.  I closed my eyes and took a deep, contented breath and went into the house. 

The next evening, I get a message from my sister.  We texted each other for a little bit before things devolved into sending each other cunt memes.  After a few minutes of that, she told me that she and her family would be coming up to visit during Thanksgiving, but they'd be spending Thanksgiving Day with a friend of her husband's.  We texted for a few more minutes before she told me she had to get the kids ready for bed.  I told her that I'd see them when they came up to visit.

No sooner had I ended my chat with my sister, my sister-in-law called me.  We talked for a few minutes.  She asked me if I'd talked to my sister and if they were going to be coming up for Thanksgiving.  I told her their plans and let them know that they'd be coming up the Tuesday before and leaving on Saturday.  That's when my sister-in-law told me that they'll be spending Thanksgiving with her family this year.

"I hate that we're all not going to get to see each other until Christmas," I said.  "It's too bad we can't at least go out to eat somewhere."

"That's not a bad idea," she said.  

And just like that, I got put in charge of asking my parents and my sister if they'd be on board for going out to eat the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  Yay me.

Over the remainder of the week and the weekend, I get the green light for the Wednesday dinner and found out that my friends would be having their usual Thanksgiving lunch.  I called Ian to find out what time their dinner would be and accepted his invitation. I called the restaurant where Ian and I went and made reservations for my family.  I figured I'd better get them in early and get an early time.

As it usually does, the next week passed slowly - as any work week before you have any scheduled time off does.  As Thanksgiving Day drew nearer, I was getting more and more excited - not only because it's a time to eat some really good food but I was also going to get to spend time with Ian.

As tradition goes, I make the pumpkin pies for my friends' Thanksgiving lunch.  I usually make anywhere from eight to twelve, depending on who all will be there.  Because of the hectic schedule this year, I'm just making six - four for them, one to take to Ian's parents' house, and one for me.  Pie making day is usually the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but this year I need to make them a day early.  As usual, I took the whole week off work to get ready and to have a little break.

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving finally arrived, and I get to work making pies.  By early afternoon, the pies are done and cooling on the table.  Everything is wrapped up and I clean up the kitchen.  I call Ian and talk to him a while and let him know that I'm bringing a pumpkin pie for dessert for dinner.

"A, as in just one?" he asked.  "What are the rest of you going to eat?"

"It's fine if you eat that one," I said.  "I have a whole one here I'm keeping all to myself."

After some light-hearted banter and threatening to come over and eat the pie I'm saving for myself, Ian gave me his parents' address and told me that he'd see me at 6:30 Thursday evening.

Wednesday finally arrived. Getting my family organized and moving is like herding cats.  Everyone finally got into a vehicle and we make it to the restaurant with a few minutes to spare.  Thankfully, my brother and his family were meeting us there and had already arrived.  A couple of waitresses pulled some tables together and we all sat down and gave our drink and food orders to them.

As usual, we were picking and carrying on with each other when the food arrived.  We prayed, then started eating.  Unfortunately, I had to excuse myself because of my love and overconsumption of sweet tea.  While I was gone to the bathroom to water the porcelain and unbeknownst to me, Ian and some of his work friends were there at the restaurant finishing their meal and preparing to leave.

When Ian stood up, he turned and saw my nieces and nephews and recognized them.  Not being shy, after saying his goodbyes to his work friends, Ian came over and introduced himself and told my nieces and nephews that he recognized them from a picture that I had hanging on my wall.

"How do you know our uncle Paul?" my oldest niece asked.

"I met him at a movie theater," Ian said.  "We've recently started seeing each other."  Ian has never been one to deny his sexuality, but he also doesn't go around advertising or flaunting it.  Everyone at the table immediately stopped eating and looked at Ian.  He realized, by everyone's expression, that he'd just outed me to my family.  It was about that time I rounded the corner and saw Ian standing there.  When he saw me, he got this deer-in-the-headlight look.  He quickly came over to me.  "I'm so sorry.  I didn't know," he said.

Being from the area in the South where I'm from, you live with three types of people - the religious, the bigots, and the nondiscriminatory - who are very few and far between.  Unfortunately for me, I have the first two types on both sides of my family.  This is one of the main reasons that I have not come out to them.  I took my seat and looked at everyone.  They were looking at me and I wasn't sure what they were going to do or say.

Ian pulled up a chair and sat down beside me.  "I'll stay with you," he said to me.  My family sat there, silently looking at me.  Thankfully one of our waitresses came over and I asked her for my check and a box as quickly as she could possibly get them to me.  To her credit, she got me what I asked for quickly and I paid for my meal.  Ian and I left the restaurant and walk out to the parking lot.  Between the looks of disgust and shame and nobody saying a word to me, I'm not sure how much longer I could have sat there.  Ian gave me a hug.  He apologized to me again for outing me.  "You aren't mad at me, are you?" he asked.

"No," I said.  "I know it was an accident.  It's something that we should have talked about before now.  In a way, I'm glad that it happened - I've been wanting to do it, but I was afraid to."

"Text me when you get home," Ian said.  He gave me another hug and helped me into my car.  I don't remember the drive home and didn't care that I'd left my parents, who had ridden with me, at the restaurant.  There were a lot of silent tears.  When I got home, I sent Ian a text to let him know I was home, then I turned off my cell phone, unplugged the house phone, locked the door so nobody could get in, and went to bed, and cried myself to sleep.

I woke up the next morning, feeling numb but oddly calm.  I took the pies to my friend's house, dropped them off, and told them I couldn't stay for lunch telling them that I wasn't feeling good.  I came back home and crawled back into bed.  It was about 4:30 that afternoon when my doorbell started ringing.  I got up and answered the door - it was Ian.  

"I came over to check on you to make sure you were okay.  I keep getting your voicemail when I try to call you," he said.

"I turned off my phone last night when I got home after I sent you the text that I had made it home," I said.  I went into the bedroom and got my phone off the nightstand where it had been charging and turned it on.  I'm not sure how many times it alerted me to either voicemails or text messages - all from Ian except one from my sister asking me if I was okay.  I sent her one back letting her know that I was.

"I still want you to come eat dinner with me and my parents," Ian said.

"Okay," I said.  "Let me take a shower."  Ian gave me a kiss, turned me, and sent me towards my bedroom.

While I was in the bathroom getting undressed, I hear, "No way!"

"What?" I asked.

"You have Cards Against Humanity!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," I said.

"Can we take it with us and play?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Hurry and take your shower," Ian said.

I brush my teeth and take a shower.  When I come out, I find that Ian has rummaged through my closet and has set out some clothes for me to wear.  I dressed and come out of the bedroom.  Ian is sitting patiently on the couch with the Cards Against Humanity box sitting on his lap, grinning and looking like he's going to explode from excitement.  "I can't wait to play this!" he said excitedly.

I get my boots on and grab the two remaining pumpkin pies and we head over to his parents' house - Ian insisting that I ride with him.  When we arrive at his parents' house, there are a lot of cars parked out front and down the road.  "I may have forgotten to mention that there'd be more than just the four of us," he said.

We walked in and were immediately greeted by siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.  When they found out I had pies, they were quickly whisked away to where the desserts were being kept, and possibly sampled.  Soon I was introduced to Ian's parents, Frank and Carol.  Ian favored Frank quite a bit as the two could pass for brothers.

Ian's family was loud and, in your face, but they were a riot and soon the troubles of the past day were forgotten.  Ian stayed by my side the whole evening and even held my hand.  Nobody in his family batted an eye or had anything negative to say about us.  Soon we sat down and ate, and the food was excellent.  Ian made sure to cut two slices of pie before anyone else got any because he knew it would get gone quick - and it did.  Ian ate his slice and half of mine, but it was okay - I got a kiss in return.

Bellies full and tables cleared, some went to watch football, some with to play video games, some with to pass out on a couch, and some said their goodbyes.  Seven of us, including Frank and Carol, sat down at the table and played Cards Against Humanity.  I'm not sure what was more hilarious - his parents having to read the cards or Ian's reaction when one of his parents' cards was picked as the best response.

By eleven, everyone was winding down and we finally had a winner - Carol.  I just looked at her and gave her an approving nod and a slight grin when she revealed that it was her card that won her the last black card.  Ian just shook his head.  I think I even saw Frank give Carol a wink.

I said my goodbyes and thanked Ian's parents for inviting me to have Thanksgiving with them.  Both Frank and Carol gave me a hug and thanked me for coming over, for the pies, and for bringing the game.  "I'd better get Paul home," Ian said.

"Be careful going home," Frank and Carol said almost in unison.

A couple minutes into the trip, Ian made an unexpected turn.  He reached over and took my hand.  "I hope you don't mind.  You're going home with me tonight," Ian said.  I smiled at him.

When we get to his house, it was well after midnight.  We go inside, and Ian pulls me into a hug and gives me a long kiss.  "I know it's late and I know that we're both tired.  If you want to make love tonight, we can, but what I really want is for you to be in my arms tonight," he said.

"Being in your arms right now sounds perfect," I said.

We go to the bedroom.  We both take turns in the bathroom and then get undressed.  We crawled into bed and I snuggled up next to Ian.  We were both so tired that we fell asleep in just a few minutes.

The next morning, we got up, fixed breakfast, and ate before Ian took me home - but not before I properly thanked him...twice.  My sister came over later that day and we talked for a while.  I didn't hear anything out of my mom and dad until the next weekend.  I go and see them and talk to them about my being gay.  They aren't exactly thrilled, but if I'm happy, they're okay with it.  It takes my brother and his family a little longer, but they eventually come around.

Ian has been my rock through all of this.  Frank and Carol have even called to check on me to see how I'm doing.  My sister-in-law called me and told me that we'd be getting together for Christmas at their house as usual and that I could bring 'that guy'.  I ask Ian if he'd like to meet my family and he said that he would.

On the way to my brother's house on Christmas Eve, Ian told me that he was a bit nervous about meeting my family.  "I am too," I said.  "But we'll make it through this together."  We walked into my brother's house at 6:30 PM.  All my family is there.  I reached over and take Ian's hand.  "Everyone," I said, "I'd like you to meet Ian.  My boyfriend."