“As birthday boy, I compel you tostay.”
“Don’t you want your birthdaybreakfast?”
“I’d rather just eat you.” He brushed Rafe’s wild hair out of hisface.
“But it’s your favorite. Bubble andsqueak.”
“Shit. You’re making bubble and squeak? You don’t have to do allthat!”
“It’s your twenty-first birthday! That may not be a big deal over here, but it’s huge in the states, so I couldn’t let it gounnoticed.”
Eamonn hugged him tight against his chest. He could stare into those brown eyes all day. He forgot how bloody sappy he got when he was in a relationship, or whatever this was, but he couldn’t helphimself.
“Are you ready for the first part of your birthdaygift?”
“I’mhungry!”
“I wasn’t talking aboutthat.”
Rafe slid his hand into Eamonn’s pants and massaged his cock. “In America, we call this the BrentwoodHello.”
He disappeared under thecovers.
* * *
That night,the flatmates walked to the train for the concert. It was being held in Old Ticket Hall in Windsor, mere blocks from Windsor Castle, home of the royal family. One of the homes of the royal family. Eamonn had snuck into this venue many a time before he turned eighteen to listen to bands. He was fortunate to have a lookalike older cousin who wasn’t stingy with hisID.
Everything was already off to a fantastic start. All of Eamonn’s favorite people were here. Heath and Louisa kept their distaste for each other on the back burner tonight for the sake of his birthday. And no Nathan, even though he knew Nathan was as much a fan of Bloc Party ashimself.
“Do you think they’ll playThis Modern Love?” Heath asked him. He looked to Rafe. “It’s hisfavorite.”
“I know that. Now,” Rafe said, squeezing Eamonn’shand.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed forSo Here We Are,” Louisasaid.
“It’s all right,” Heathsaid.
“I reckon it’s more than all right,” she saidback.
Eamonn thought there was a spark of flirtation between them, but they went back to their détente. Rafe lingered when they got to the trainstation.
“What are you looking at?” Eamonnasked.
Rafe stared at something in the parking lot. “Do you see thatjeep?”
He walked up to it and peered in thewindow.
“It’s notyours.”
“The steering wheel is on the left side.” Rafe bent down in the front. “And there’s an American license plate. From North Carolina. That’s right byme!”
“The guy must’ve had it shipped over from the states. Must be a pain in the arse driving that over here,” Heathsaid.
“I never thought I’d get all mushy at the sight of an American car.” Rafe kept looking at the steering wheel like it was some national artifact. His face had a touch of melancholy. It was a brief rainstorm in the middle of this perfectday.
“Come on.” Eamonn wrapped an arm around his waist and moved them to the sidewalk that led back tocampus.
He rubbed Rafe’s hand with his thumb, but he didn’treciprocate.
