"You really want to come to a stuffy political event?" James asks Gavin skeptically.
"Absolutely. Free food, open bar, and a chance to see Caleb in his natural habitat? I'm in." Gavin's already heading for the door when he stops, turns back with this manic grin, and drops into the worst Australian accent imaginable.
"Crikey! Look at this beautiful specimen, the North American Politicus Offspringicus in his native environment. Notice how he camouflages himself among the donor class with careful manipulation of his facial expressions and designer suiting."
James chokes on a laugh.
"Observe as he tolerates my presence," Gavin continues, creeping toward me with exaggerated stealth. "One wrong move and he'll retreat into sarcasm for protection. Absolutelymagnificentcreature."
"I hate you," I say, but I'm fighting a smile.
"See that? A rare display of almost-affection!" Gavin straightens up, dropping the accent. "Give me fifteen minutes to get ready."
After he leaves, James turns to me with a raised eyebrow. "You okay with this?"
The thought sits for a moment. "Actually, yeah. Gavin's like a social lubricant. He can talk to anyone."
"That's one way of putting it," James says with a small smile.
We stand, the question from earlier still hanging between us. About what we are now, after that kiss.
"James, I?—"
"We should probably?—"
We both stop. James waves me ahead.
"About what happened at the snowball fight." My heart is hammering now. "I don't regret it."
His eyes widen slightly. "Neither do I."
"But I also don't know what it means. For us. For this whole arrangement."
"Me neither," he says. "But maybe we don't have to figure it all out right now? Maybe we just... see where it goes?"
The suggestion is so reasonable, so uncomplicated, that I'm momentarily thrown. I'm used to analyzing every angle and anticipating every outcome. But with James...
"Yeah."Fuck it."Let's see where it goes."
His smile is soft, genuine in a way that makes my emotions tangle together. "Okay."
"Okay. But for tonight, we're still?—"
"Boyfriends," he finishes. "Got it."
"Right. Boyfriends." The word feels different now, charged with new possibilities.
I'm about to say something else when Gavin bursts back in, now wearing a surprisingly well-fitted gray suit.
"Ready to roll?" he asks, practically bouncing with excitement.
James flashes me a look that's somehow both annoyed and affectionate at the same time. "As we'll ever be."
As we head downstairs, I realize something unexpected: for the first time in my life, I'm not dreading one of my father's events. Because this time, I'm not facing it alone.
This time, James is beside me.
And weirdly enough, Gavin too.
