“Oh wow….” He hadn’t even realized on the street that they’d been hand in hand. He wondered how long they’d been holding hands. And just how strong that absinthe was.
“Hey, boys. What’ll you have?”
The bartender was… quite possibly the most interesting person Reece had ever seen. She was a drag queen for sure, but not completely dressed in sequins and feathers. Instead her look was more practical—a bit of glam and a bit of butch in all the right places. Reece had never seen a drag queen tending bar before, but he kinda liked the idea of it.
“This is my place, sweet cheeks. I do what needs to be done.”
Reece realized he’d said it out loud. Shit. “Um, that’s amazing. You own it?”
“Yes.” She winked at him. Her clothes might have been more utilitarian, but her eye shadow was big and bold and hot pink. Reece couldn’t stop staring. It was amazing looking, even in the dark blur of the bar lights.
“You two are so adorable.”
“Thanks,” Reece said. He grinned because he felt like grinning. Because he and Angus were holding hands and the awesome bartender thought they were a couple, and because he was having the most amazing night, and his skin felt like fireflies, and he was with Angus, and they’d been getting closer by the hour….
Holy shit absinthe.
Reece spent a few seconds concentrating on the feeling of his feet touching the ground. It was better that way, so he didn’t feel like he was flying.
“What’s your name?” Angus asked. He was just as glassy-eyed and loose as Reece felt.
“You can call me Lola, but I’m Dixie Pride when I’m on stage.”
“I like both of them,” Angus said. Reece realized he’d missed out on at least a minute of conversation while he was working on feeling his feet.
“What’ll it be for you and your gorgeous boy?” she asked.
“Can you do mojitos?” Angus grinned.
“Plain?”
“Plain is fine.”
Angus paid for their drinks and pulled Reece over to a bench in the corner. “She thinks you’re gorgeous,” he whispered.
Angus was closer than he’d been before. He sipped on his drink and made a happy shivering sound.
“Is it good?” Reece asked.
Angus nodded. “Try.”
Reece had his own drink in his hand, but he wanted to taste Angus’s. He leaned forward and sipped on the straw. The drink was fresh and minty, and it sparkled a bit on his tongue.
“Mmm.”
“Good, right?” Angus licked his lips. Reece had a hard time swallowing. Of course, it might have been his own tongue trying to get back there. He was in so much trouble.
“Yeah… it’s… good.” Reece lifted his own drink and took a sip so his lips would be occupied by something, anything, other than trying to get closer to Angus’s.
“How’s yours?” Angus asked.
“Good. You want some?”
Angus took Reece’s straw and sucked a sip out of it. He giggled. “Tastes like mine.”
“Yeah.”
“So on the scale of one to holy shit, how fucked-up are you?”
“Holy shit plus ten,” Reece said. He bit his lip to hide a grin. “What about you?”
“I don’t know. I can’t seem to look at anything but your lips.” Angus leaned closer.
“Ang,” Reece moaned. He never thought he’d hear Angus say something like that. Never knew just how
much
he wanted it.
“Yeah?”
Angus was only inches away from him. Centimeters. Reece put his drink down on the bench next to him and took Angus’s out of his hand.
“Hey,” he whispered.
“Hi.”
Angus did it then. He leaned in and brushed their lips together. Reece shuddered hard and cupped his hands around Angus’s hips.
“Come here,” he said. And he surged closer to kiss Angus again.
It was goddamn magic, that’s what it was. Some sort of voodoo New Orleans spell that Reece was more than happy to succumb to. He couldn’t get close enough to Angus, couldn’t taste enough, feel enough of the delicate skin of Angus’s neck. He sank his fingers into Angus’s shiny dark hair and groaned into the kiss. It took them long minutes, but they came up for air eventually and stayed there, breathing hard, with their foreheads together.
“Oh my God,” Angus whispered against Reece’s lips. “I never….”
Reece was going to ask what he meant, but Angus leaned forward and kissed him again, and he forgot everything he might have been thinking.
AFTER THAT
it was a blur of kisses and drinks, dancing with a few local guys, more drinks, and more kisses. They managed to find their way back to the hotel, but then tumbled into their one large bed and kissed some more. Reece’s head was swimming, but more with pleasure than alcohol by the end of the night. He had Angus’s shirt off and was running his fingers over Angus’s skin.
“You look so gorgeous,” Reece murmured. “Your skin is like warm vanilla ice cream.”
Angus giggled against his mouth and kissed him again. He pressed their arms together. “Vanilla ice cream and honey.”
“Yeah.”
They crawled under the covers and pulled them to their shoulders. It was probably close to dawn, but they just stared at each other and grinned.
“Come here,” Reece finally said again. “I want to cuddle you.”
Angus turned around and allowed himself to be pulled into Reece’s chest. He threaded their hands together and brought Reece’s hand up to his mouth for a kiss.
“I had an amazing time today,” Angus said.
“Me too.” Reece couldn’t believe just how amazing. Probably one of the best days of his life.
“I really liked New Orleans.”
“Yeah,” Reece said. “Me too.”
“Night, Reece,” Angus said quietly.
“Night, Ang.”
Nashville
IT WAS
quiet when they woke, curled around each other. Angus had his back all tucked into Reece’s chest, like they’d done in Santa Fe and the first night in New Orleans. But it wasn’t like those nights, was it, or the mornings that came after them. It was completely different. Because they’d kissed. They’d kissed on the street, and they’d kissed when they got to the hotel room, and they’d kissed lying on their big, fancy four-poster bed until it was nearly light out, and they were by far the best kisses of his
life
, and Angus didn’t know what to do about it. He didn’t know what to think about it other than he wanted to kiss Reece again. And again. And again.
He traced his hand down Reece’s arm, where it was heavy around his waist. Then he got to Reece’s hand and threaded their fingers together. He pulled Reece’s hand up and brushed it with his lips.
I’ve loved you all my life….
But how? How had he loved Reece—as a friend, as a brother, as something else? Angus would’ve thought that answer was clear. He would’ve thought he knew how he and Reece’s relationship worked after so many years together too. But something changed the night before. Or maybe even before that. Maybe during the night in Santa Fe. Or dancing in Vegas. Or when they’d held each other and swayed to music at Coachella. Or maybe it had been there all along.
I’ve loved you all my life. And I love you now
.
That was the thing when he started having feelings for Reece. Because he did already love him. And they’d kissed, and it had been amazing. And Angus loved him. That right there scared him more than anything else.
He squirmed out of Reece’s grasp, amazingly not waking him for once in their lives, and pulled on a shirt and some shorts. He decided a walk was in order, and coffee. He’d bring it back for them. He left Reece a short note that said, “Coffee!” and walked out the door before Reece woke up. Angus needed a few minutes to think. He needed to breathe.
He walked to the closest coffee shop, which was refreshingly hard to find. He ordered some coffees and a couple of breakfast sandwiches and found his way back to the room. Angus hated to leave New Orleans. He had this feeling in his chest, heavy and thick, but good somehow, that New Orleans was the place where his life changed. Maybe it was bullshit and Reece would pretend last night was all about absinthe and a good time. Maybe it wasn’t.
Reece was awake by the time he got back. He’d showered and dressed and was sitting with his laptop against the headboard of the bed.
“Hey. I brought you coffee and breakfast.” Angus felt shy with him all of a sudden. He didn’t know how to treat the person he’d been the most sure of for as long as he could remember.
“Thanks.” Reece gave him a grateful smile. “Hey,” he said.
Oh shit, God please don’t get awkward.
If he didn’t have him and Reece, Angus didn’t know what he’d do with his life.
“Can I, um, sit?”
There was an easy chair in the room, but he wanted to be near Reece. Maybe tell himself there wasn’t anything wrong with them.
Reece gave him a quizzical look and then patted the spot next to him.
“I got a sausage and a bacon sandwich. I don’t mind, whichever one you want.” He handed the bag to Reece. Reece pulled out the bacon sandwich—he knew damn well Angus liked sausage better—and took a long, appreciative sip of his coffee.
“You okay?” he asked when he noticed Angus not moving.
“I don’t know. Am I?” The answer to that question meant so many things. Angus was nervous. Gut-churningly nervous.
“Yeah. I think you’re definitely okay.”
Angus breathed a little easier after that and then berated himself for basing his feelings on a guy, like he’d been doing for the last ten years. Then went back to being happy. And scared. It was exhausting. He’d figured he’d have at least a year before he was remotely ready to feel anything even close to what he was feeling. Right. Apparently life had decided that wasn’t going to happen.
“What do you want to do?” Reece asked.
“I don’t know.” He hadn’t thought of it. “Wait. Do about what?”
Reece gave him a gentle smile. “Where do you want to go next?”
“Oh. I really loved it here.”
“So did I,” Reece said softly. He reached over and ran a thumb down the side of Angus’s jaw. The touch was so gentle and barely there it made Angus shiver.
He moved closer to Reece on the bed. “I guess I’ve always kind of wanted to see Nashville.”
“Into the country scene?”
Angus smiled and unwrapped his sandwich. “Of course. You know me, all country, all the time.” Which was obviously not the truth. “Just think it would be interesting. There’s a replica of the Parthenon there.”
“
What
?”
“Google it. I swear.”
“That sells it for me. Nashville it is. We’ll have to check out pretty soon if we want to make it there before the middle of the night.”
“You want me to drive again? I don’t mind doing it if you need to work.”
“Yeah, if that’s okay. I’m getting a little behind.” Reece downed the last few bites of his sandwich and slowly started to get up.
“You want to go home after Nashville? I don’t want you to lose your job too.” Angus gave him an ironic smile.
“Let’s see what happens. Maybe we’ll want to go to England from there.”
Angus snorted again. “Yeah. I can see that happening. Especially since we both have so many passports with us.”
“It was worth a try.”
So things were okay. At least he thought they were. Maybe they weren’t going to talk about the kisses. Maybe they didn’t need to talk about the kisses. Angus figured as long as he and Reece didn’t let things get weird… they’d be fine. And if he seriously wanted to kiss Reece again but it wasn’t in the cards? Well, Angus figured he’d be okay with that too.
IT WAS
raining when they left New Orleans. Fitting, Angus thought, because it was sad to be leaving. He’d never loved a city more—not the lights of Vegas or the glitz of Los Angeles. He knew it had a hell of a lot to do with his and Reece’s magical night, but it was the city itself too. Angus couldn’t help falling in love.
“We’ve got a long drive ahead of us today. Sure you’re up for it?” Reece asked.
“Of course. You need to work. I can definitely drive.”
“Okay. Hey, and I’m going to be quiet, because you know I can’t concentrate on two things at once.”
“I know.” Reece was always dead silent when he edited. He’d never been able to do work and talk or listen to music. Angus was used to it.
“I just didn’t want you to think it meant….”
He thought about how they’d danced in Vegas, and then how he was so silent on the way out the next day.
“You didn’t think that it was because of you, did you?” Angus asked. He felt a stab of guilt at the idea.
“I’ll admit. The thought crossed my mind.”
“It wasn’t,” Angus said quietly. “It never would be. That was just my shit coming out to play.”
Reece reached over and cupped his cheek. “I know that now. I just wanted to make sure you know too.”
It got quiet after that, just as Reece said it would. Angus didn’t mind not having the radio on, which would be a big not happening for Reece if he wanted to work. It was kind of nice to have silence to think. The exact opposite of a few days ago, when the quiet of the desert felt like it was caving in on him, making him want to jump out of the car and take off running.
He thought about the last ten years, finally, silent and to himself and just… had to be honest. He’d been happy with Brad at first. Really, he had. But it had been so long since he really was happy that he’d forgotten what that felt like. He’d been nervous that he was doing the wrong thing, and insecure about his body and his personality. He’d felt attacked for having the friends he had, and like he wasn’t good enough nearly all of the time. Brad… well, Brad wasn’t good for him. And he knew it.
Reece. Reece was good for him. Reece was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he’d known it since he was a kid. He was warmth and comfort, happiness and relaxation. Angus could be himself with Reece, and he’d know he was still loved. But Reece was scary too.
Reece was terrifying.
He’d want forever with his best friend. It’d have to be that way because they were simply incapable of losing each other. And, yeah, nobody went into a relationship looking for the exit sign, but there was a big difference between that and… well. Automatic forever. And, hell, he was thinking it after a single night of kissing. Drunk kissing at that. A single night of the most amazing kisses Angus had ever had.