brother to brother

"You're not a homo, are you?" Gage's question almost made Carson choke on his burger at the dive that was Gage's choosing.

Carson shook his head, no and cleared his throat. He guessed he was grateful that Gage would at least have dinner with him, even if it was the wrong side of town where there were shootings anytime of day. He had a feeling Gage wouldn't even be here if his foster mom hadn't persuaded him.

"So, you, do something on Valentines day with that chick who has the baby?" Gage wanted to know.

"Not exactly." Carson bit into a fry trying to remember he wasn't a romantic person.

He'd ordered pizza that night, and they'd stayed in to watch ADDICTED TO LOVE, Ricki's favorite Matthew Brodrick movie with Meg Ryan. Carson had never seen it. Evidently, Topher hated that movie, but he was out of town on business.

"Well, are you seeing anybody, or not?" Gage sounded as if Carson needed to be with someone.

"No. I am not." Carson sighed.

What did his brother want to hear? All his friends back home were in rocky relationships. Carson was thankful, he'd never been pulled into anything like that. He didn't have a kid, a girlfriend, nor a woman. Nothing actually. It was better to go solo.

Besides, he'd always been a part of his mother's misery. That was enough. He wanted something perfect. Something that blind sighted him perhaps. Like a sign from above. He did want to be in love.

"That sucks." Gage shrugged. He'd practically wolfed down the burger as he slurped on his soft drink.

"I guess, you have?" Carson was finding Gage to be all the more superficial.

"Yeah, I got something in the works." He nodded. "Except, she's in another country."

"Another country?" Carson winced, thinking his little brother must be in some heavy duty online thing, or something.

"We met over Christmas." He yawned. "Dean's girlfriend knows her. We just..hit it off. I like her accent."

Carson nodded, thinking it was kind of funny that Gage liked only her accent.

"Where's she from?" Carson added more ketchup to his fries.

"England." Gage shrugged.

"Wow." He smiled thinking he was happy that Gage could share at least something with him. Of course, Carson called his mother about Gage, first thing after he met him, and she'd wanted nothing to do with Gage. Carson just couldn't tell Gage the truth about their mother. Still, Gage never even mentioned their mother. It was as if she didn't exist.