Curtis grinned. “We actually just came from there. It’s a wonderful choice. How about I come here on Friday, say around 7:00 p.m.?”
The positive reaction from Curtis had Andrew in full flirting mode. He was surfing on a wave of endorphins. “Shouldn’t I pick you up?”
Curtis shrugged. “You could do that, though my house is near the Keys. It would definitely be easier if I drove here.”
“If you put it like that…. Then at least let me offer you a private parking lot at the back of my bakery. We can walk to OLA, if that’s okay for you.”
“A private parking lot is always appreciated.” Curtis pulled out his phone. “May I have your contact information? Just in case something happens and I can’t make it.”
While Andrew typed his phone number into Curtis’s smartphone, he thought about how Curtis’s accent got thicker the longer they talked. Andrew’s people-reading skills were a bit rusty due to him having been busy with his move, but he was sure Curtis was as nervous as he was.
“Then let’s hope nothing happens, because it would be a shame if we missed out on getting to know each other.” He handed the cell back to Curtis.
“Yes, let’s hope that.”
“Cool! Leeland and Dean and the others will be so excited to hear this news. I can’t wait to tell them!” Collin’s enthusiasm pried Andrew from the nice bubble in which he was staring at Curtis, entirely content with the way things had gone. Curtis rolled his eyes.
“No, Collin! You can’t tell them yet. Let’s wait till Andrew and I have the date. I don’t want them putting their noses in and pestering me the rest of the week. You have to keep this a secret.”
Collin’s face fell. “But won’t they be miffed if we don’t tell them?”
Curtis laughed. “Oh, they will be, but not for long. They will get over it as soon as they start grilling me about every little detail.” He turned to Andrew, his face absolutely serious. “As you can see, the stakes are quite high. Our date has to satisfy the sensational needs of my friends.”
Andrew bowed, making a sweeping gesture with his right hand. “I’ll do my very best!” he said in his best imitation of Freddie Frinton. That earned him a laugh from both men, though he wasn’t sure if it was because of his performance or because they got the reference. He straightened up and went back behind the counter, where he took the box with the macarons and handed it to Collin. The young man gave him his credit card in return, and after the payment was completed, Curtis and Collin turned to leave the bakery. At the door, Curtis looked back at him. “The éclair was delicious, by the way. Even though most of it ended up in my windpipe. See you on Friday.” Curtis gave him another dazzling smile before he followed Collin out of the shop. Andrew kept staring at the door for a long time. He had a date. With a walking wet dream of a man who also happened to be in the lifestyle, if Andrew had understood Collin correctly. He pinched himself. This was almost too good to be true.
Chapter 5
ANDREW WASstanding in front of his wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear for his date with Curtis, when his phone rang. A quick glance told him it was Tim, so he accepted the call.
“Hi, Andrew, I just wanted to check if our plans for tomorrow are still good?”
Tim’s voice boomed through the speaker, sounding as smooth and at the same time as commanding as the first time they had met.
“Hi, Tim, nice to hear from you. And yes, our plans still stand. It’s even more important for me to find a club now, because tonight, I’m going on a date!”
Andrew knew he sounded like an overexcited puppy, but he couldn’t help it. After what seemed like eons in the desert of love, he finally had the proverbial oasis in his sights.
“Man, that’s great! Who is he? How did you meet? Is he in the lifestyle?”
Tim sounded almost as excited as Andrew felt. With a huge smile on his lips, he selected a blue button-down shirt that accentuated his light tan. “You won’t believe it, but he simply stepped into my bakery a few days ago, and he seems to be in the lifestyle. Hopefully I’m going to find out more today. And he’s so hot!”
He sighed and Tim’s laughter echoed in his ears. “Somebody’s eager…. Good luck tonight! I’m looking forward to hearing all about your date tomorrow. Have fun and don’t fuck up!”
With this well-meant advice ringing in his ear, Andrew ended the call. He eyed himself critically in the mirror, deciding that his outfit was as perfect as it was going to get. OLA had no dress code, though a certain sophisticated yet still laid-back style was the norm there, and he found he had achieved that with the shirt, dark blue jeans, and loafers in a light whiskey color. Full of nervous anticipation, he grabbed his wallet and keys to wait for Curtis in front of his shop so he could guide him to his private parking lot in the back.
While Andrew was standing on the sidewalk, watching the traffic go by, he wondered what kind of car Curtis was driving. He’d said he was a gallery owner, though it had to be a small one, since neither Collin nor Curtis had looked like they were made of money. Something sensible, he imagined, like a Toyota Sienna, one of the older models, with enough room to transport pictures or sculptures. Or perhaps something smaller, better suited for navigating in the city, like a Honda Jazz or a Volkswagen Golf. While he was picturing Curtis in all kinds of cars, Andrew checked his watch. It was five minutes to seven. Curtis had seemed like a man who would be punctual, but one could never tell. Perhaps this was something he would want to work on with a Dom? There were all kinds of delicious punishments Andrew could implement for being late. Like putting Curtis in a cock cage for an hour for every minute he was late. Or edging him until he was a sobbing, begging mess under Andrew’s hand. Or—Realizing he was most definitely getting ahead of himself, Andrew concentrated on the street again, just in time to see a shiny BMW i8 coupe in a stunning metallic blue setting the blinker and coming to a stop in front of him. Thinking the driver perhaps wanted to ask for directions, he stepped closer, only to realize it was Curtis sitting behind the steering wheel, looking delicious in a lavender-colored button-down with the two top buttons open and his salt-and-pepper hair artfully tousled. With a slightly forced smile, he gestured for Curtis to drive into the small alley between his shop and the neighboring house.
Taking the lead, Andrew showed Curtis where to park his impressive ride next to Andrew’s far more modest SUV. The glaring difference between the two cars woke uncomfortable memories of his father’s voice in the back of his mind, ranting about how “those above” weren’t the same as “them” and didn’t know the least about the “struggles of the lower classes.” Andrew thought he had outgrown his father’s views a long time ago, but it seemed some of them still lingered. Curtis hadn’t seemed or behaved like somebody who could afford a car like that, which was why Andrew had found the courage to ask him out in the first place. Now he wondered if he would have done the same if he had known about the car. A soft clicking told Andrew that the time for contemplating his societal hang-ups was up.
He smiled at Curtis, cursing inwardly for having missed the chance to open the door for his date, and held out his hand in greeting. “Hello, Curtis. It’s so nice to see you.”
Curtis shook his hand with a smile that seemed a bit strained and made Andrew wonder what secret upper-class dating rule he had just violated. “Hello, Andrew. It’s nice to see you too. I’m sorry I’m late, but there was an accident close to my gallery and they had to redirect traffic, which was an absolute nightmare!”
Inwardly, Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently Curtis was upset about his own delay, not something Andrew had done. “No problem. It’s exactly seven, so you’re not late, but super punctual.” Andrew didn’t know what else to say, so he blurted out what was at the forefront of his mind. “I didn’t picture you as somebody driving a car like that.”
The moment the last word left his mouth, Andrew flinched. That had been about as tactful and suave as a baseball bat to the head. Thankfully Curtis didn’t seem to mind, or he was just too polite to show his displeasure, because he looked at the BMW with a fond smile on his lips.
“To be honest, until five weeks ago, I couldn’t picture myself driving a car like that. I always preferred British models, since they remind me of home, but I’m mostly driving in the city and rarely great distances. A hybrid car was a sensible choice for me, and when my car dealer showed me this model, I just couldn’t resist, even though it’s a bit showy for my taste, but the riding pleasure is beyond anything I’ve experienced so far, even though it still hurts a bit to admit that. National pride and everything, you know? And I’m talking too much, aren’t I?”
