“Naw. I think we’re gonna just have to read the panel,” I said with a laugh before doing just that. We watched them swim and play together. Liam didn’t appear to be in any hurry to offer much else up about his life, so I volunteered some more of mine. It was an excuse to spend more time with him, and really, I wanted him to know more about me.
Nothing too serious. I told stories about some recent games with my friends—silly, trivial anecdotes—but he appeared to enjoy them all the same. My stories didn’t annoy him. If anything, he seemed amused by them.
I was almost disappointed when we finished our walk around the aquarium and started into the main parking deck. “We could hit up somewhere for some food, if you want?” I remarked.
“I ate before I got here, so I’m good.”
I had a suspicion he didn’t want to do that because he knew it would make what we were doing more than seeing the aquarium together.
We slipped through a door and stepped aside to let some people behind us pass.
I considered pushing, convincing him to go out to eat with me, but I reminded myself that I’d be seeing him again the next day. It’d be different with Eric and Jesse there, but I didn’t want to push too hard.
Not just yet.
There was this extended silence as we looked at one another. But it wasn’t uncomfortable or uneasy. It was the most peaceful experience in the world.
Finally, Liam broke free of my gaze, saying, “It was good getting to know you better.”
“Yeah, it was alright for a first date, wouldn’t you say?”
He shook his head. “Not a date.”
Not yet.
I didn’t even know where the stray thought came from, but it was too late to claim that Liam was anything less than an obsession for me.
“Just so you know, I’m not counting tomorrow night with Jesse and Eric as a date, that’s for sure,” I kidded, which made him laugh again.
We stared at each other for a moment, as if we were saying so many things and nothing at all.
I was a little disappointed at the thought that the next time I would see him it wouldn’t be just the two of us having the kind of engaged conversation we had today. Like at the wedding, we’d have to keep our distance and our cool, and that wasn’t something I particularly wanted to do with him. But I knew it was for the best.
“See you later, then,” I said, offering a hug.
It was as enjoyable as the other time I’d hugged him, when we’d said goodbye after the wedding. With just one arm around him, but I slipped my other hand against his hip. He was tense as I pulled a little too close to feel his warm body against my own, to allow myself to escape into the fantasy of us being one, together, in the way I really desired. That he didn’t resist me told me so much.
I reminded myself I wouldn’t have another chance like this, not the same, so before pulling away, I took advantage of a few moments more, standing on my toes to rub my cheek against his, sliding it a little farther so that the tip of my nose brushed up against him. The sensation of the hairs in his scruff made me come alive, filled me with excitement and captured my breath. I had to keep from gasping when we pulled away.
He looked stoic, unmoved by the exchange, but I knew that couldn’t be the case…or maybe I just so desperately didn’t want to believe he could have been so unaffected by it.
I sized him up for no reason other than for him to be forced to see my relentless interest. “See you soon,” I said before spinning around and heading through the lot, toward my car.
“Um, Ty,” he said behind me, and I whirled back around, filled with desire and eagerness.
What would he confess? Was he going to cave to his desire? His interest?
His gaze shifted around before he finally said, “I think my rental’s in that direction too.”
“Oh.”
Well, fuck me for trying to look all cool.
* * *
As Jesse threw backhis cocktail, Eric asked, “You gonna go full-PV on me and have me carry you back home?”
He was referencing a night when Jesse was particularly intoxicated in Puerto Vallarta.
