"Looks nice."
"It's a good place to work," Luc agreed.
"Maybe one day I can meet some of your work mates?"
"Maybe."
Adam squeezed his hand. "What's up?"
"Jane—the designer I got to help with the website and promo stuff—knows you're my stepbrother."
"Ah. And she's seen those photos of me dancing."
Luc nodded miserably. "I'm sorry."
Adam shrugged. "We knew what we were signing up for when we decided to be together." He didn't sound any happier about the secrecy than Luc felt.
After setting the burglar alarm and locking up, they headed onto the high street to get something to eat. They ended up with a couple of burritos, which they ate whilst sitting on tall bar-style stools, looking out the window onto the busy street.
"How did you manage to catch a train to get here in time?" Luc asked.
"I moved some of my senior lessons to during the week. They didn't mind staying an hour later three nights, which meant I got to get away at two, inside of five. I won't be able to do it regularly, though," he said, regret lacing his voice. "It was just a one off."
Luc understood. Teaching was Adam's career. He couldn't just chop and change when he taught to suit his sex life; especially when their parents didn't know anything about it.
"So," Adam said, as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Where are we going?"
"You don't let up, do you?"
"Nope."
Luc grabbed his hand again and dragged him off the stool and out the door. "It's just around the corner and we'd better get a move on."
He watched Adam's face as they wandered up to the theatre, with its elaborate facade. The door was framed by two columns, reminiscent of Ancient Greek doric ones. A red carpet, with gold poles to keep it secure, ran down the marble steps that led inside. Posters advertised Don Quixote and people were crowding around the entrance, slowly filtering inside as security guards checked their tickets and bags. Adam's expression lit up as his eyes widened and his jaw became slack.
"You got us ballet tickets?" he asked.
"Yup."
"I didn't think you liked going to the ballet."
"You do."
Adam hugged him and then kissed him passionately. "You're amazing."
"I know."
Adam play-punched him in the shoulder. "And big headed."
"I know that, too." He wrapped his arm around Adam's shoulder. "Come on, let's go find our seats."
Whoever had given Adrianna the tickets hadn't skimped. They were on the very front row of the dress circle, right in the middle. Adam hadn't stopped grinning since the moment they'd sat down. He sat, poised on the edge of his seat, staring intently at the stage, even though the house lights were on and people were still making their way to their seats. Not that Luc was surprised. He remembered vividly how much Adam had loved going to see the ballet. He knew how Adam had dreamed of being up on stage himself. Hell, he'd even auditioned for companies, alongside Mason and Luc knew he'd gotten in to at least one. But he'd turned the place down, to help their parents. Luc respected the hell out of Adam for the sacrifice he'd made, but he also felt a deep sense of sadness and regret on behalf of his brother. No matter how many times Adam told him he was happy teaching, that he no longer wanted to perform, Luc wasn't buying it. He hoped that watching the ballet would rekindle Adam's desire and that maybe, just maybe, he'd be selfish enough to finally put his dream into reality.
"It's starting," Adam said, bouncing slightly in his seat as the orchestra started up and the house lights went out.
Luc put his hand on Adam's knee and sat back to watch. He spent half his time studying Adam's face, rather than watching the ballet. The awe was palpable in Adam's features, in the way his eyebrows were raised and the way his lips moved to mouth the dancer's steps.
At the interval, Adam couldn't stop talking about the performance. Luc didn't understand half of what Adam said, but he listened intently, allowing Adam to gush happily.
