10
Wes satat an octagonal table in the common area with Art, Frances, Gabe, and Tony. It was one of the group’s weekly meetups, where they would catch up on the days that hadpassed.
It’d been several weeks since Wes’s daughter had visited, and since then, Wes enjoyed many more of those long, pleasant walks he and Art took on the trails in the woods behind HeathrowEstates.
It seemed as though they had pushed past some barrier and entered a new phase of their friendship, being able to chat about more meaningful topics, even politics and religion, which neither necessarily agreed upon, but it gave them a lot to debate. And even debating with Art was fun because neither was so hardheaded about their ideas that they couldn’t be made to laugh about them aswell.
With each conversation, Wes found himself more and more drawn to Art. They might have been older than they’d been back when they were those kids in the park, but there was still a spark lingering between them, one that he could see as Art occasionally glanced his way, offering a knowing, almost curiousexpression.
The emotions Art stirred reminded him of his early experiences with discovering who he was, but there was more to it than the hot lust that might have overpowered him in his youth. There was a genuine connection they shared through their talks. It was a connection they had shared back then as well, but they’d been too young to understand what itwas.
Frances shared pictures of her granddaughter with thegroup.
Gabe sported a yellow jumpsuit, blinding as the bright sunlight poured through a nearby window, which only made the color that much more of an assault on Wes’seyes.
“I was going to make a grocery run tomorrow, if you want to come with me, Art?” Gabe said. “I was thinking aroundfive.”
Art looked to Wes again, and Wes knewwhy.
“We had agreed on going for a walk then,” Wes piped up, “but I’m fine if you can’t make it.” He was lying, because really, he didn’t want to miss one of their chats, which he enjoyed far toomuch.
Tony smiled a broad, knowing smile as he glanced between them. “Another walk for the two of you? I notice you haven’t invited anyone else on these walks you guystake.”
“Oh, sorry,” Art said. “I didn’t realize anyone would beinterested.”
Although, Wes didn’t want anyone else intruding on their timetogether.
Frances smirked as she continued scrolling through her phone. “I wouldn’t be one to get in the way of those walks,” she said. “If we interfere, what will anyone have to talk about behind yourbacks?”
“I assumed people were talking,” Art offered. “Carol has been friendlier than ever, and our walks are suspiciously absent from any of her chatter, which means they must be quite notorious at thispoint.”
“I have a story about a general I used to take walks in the woods with,” Gabe said. “But it’s not the kind of story for politecompany.”
Tony cracked up. “You donot.”
“Oh yes, I do. You didn’t defySquiggy.”
“His name wasSquiggy?”
“Of course not. We all had nicknames, and that was his. But he was a serious man who liked his walks, and I’m from the school of thought that you do what your general tells you, even if it leaves you with a bad taste in yourmouth.”
“Gabe!” Tonyshouted.
“I’m just teasing.” Gabe shook his head. Wes had learned Gabe was the king at always leaving them uncertain about the seriousness of his comments, but they usually resulted in lively entertainment, which seemed to be the main reason he madethem.
“Wes and Art,” Frances said, “just don’t go spilling any good details with Carol before me, and I’ll be fine. And, Wes, I hope you’ve been figuring out what games you’ll be participating in for Field Day. We’ll be starting training in a fewweeks.”
“Art and I have been discussing that too.” And as Wes said the words, he wished he could suck them back into his mouth, and he figured everyone was feigning disinterest since their attachment had become so apparent. But he pressed on, disregarding the slip. “I might try my hand at the walking flag football with Gabe, and then the tug-of-war sounded nice. Art said he would do that withme.”
Damn, I did itagain.
“Of course he did,” Gabe said, his lips curling at the edges, and Wes rolled his eyes as the rest of the group snickered. He and Art didn’t look to one another,though.
Soon the conversation shifted to catching up about their kids and relations, Frances making a scene about her granddaughter’s victories for her track team, before the gang splitup.
Wes kept up with Art and said, “You’re alright with the talk that’s getting around, right? I don’t want to make anything awkward foryou.”
“It gives them something to prattle on about, which I’m fine with. They need the amusement around here. I’m comfortable if youare.”
