One Year Later—Mitch
MITCH CRIED out and dropped the sauté pan as his fingers brushed against the hot metal and the mushrooms flew everywhere.
“Shit!”
Mitch quickly ran cold water over his hand and then cleaned the mess up from the floor. So much for the side dish. He still had the chicken in the oven and the cheesecake he’d picked up earlier. The salad was ready too.
He’d been a jangle of nerves all day, ever since he received the email. Already eager to celebrate the one-year anniversary of when he and Craig had admitted their love under that starlit night in Branson, the email had ratcheted up the excitement of the day.
A glance at his phone told him he only had a few minutes before Craig would arrive home. He chuckled to himself, knowing Craig would be surprised by the dinner. Craig was definitely the better chef in their relationship, but Mitch had tried his hand at a few things over the last year and he’d figured out he could roast chicken and sauté vegetables.
He’d dressed in the green shirt that always made Craig’s eyes light up when he saw Mitch wearing it, and printed out the email. The table was set, the wine was chilled, and the chicken was warming.
He pulled the curtains back and glanced out the window overlooking the apartment parking lot to see if Craig had arrived yet. When he didn’t see his car, he pulled the paper out of his pocket and read it again.
Dear Mr. Moon,
Thank you for submitting your manuscript, Under the Branson Sky, to us. We would like to extend you a contract for eBook and print. I have attached a contract for you to review. If you are interested, please let us know and we will send you a completed contract. We hope to welcome you to our Maple Valley Publishing family!
Sincerely,
Daniel Martin
Acquisitions Editor
No matter how many times he read it, he couldn’t believe it. He’d worked so hard this past year, writing as often as possible, honing his skill, and editing his novel, and it looked like it had all paid off. He was going to be a published writer. He couldn’t wait to share his news with Craig.
The door opened, and Mitch’s heart pounded in his chest when he turned to see Craig standing in the doorway, smiling at him. God, Mitch loved Craig.
“What smells so good? Did you fix your famous chicken, Mitchell?”
Mitch flew into his open arms and kissed him, the paper in his hands falling to the ground.
“What’s that?” Craig asked, pointing to the floor.
Mitch smiled and picked it up, handing it to him. He watched as Craig read it, his blue eyes widening. He burst into a grin and wrapped his arms around Mitch, picking him up off the ground.
“Oh my God! You did it, Mitchell! You did it!”
Mitch laughed. “We did it, honey. Without you, I wouldn’t have had the chance this year. This is our victory,” he said.
Craig set Mitch back on the ground and kissed him again.
Mitch gave himself over to the kiss, eager to celebrate. The chicken could wait.