“Me too.”
He gets that little glimmer in his eyes again. “I’m still not attractive to you?”
I shake my head. “You’re straight. I don’t get hung up on straight boys. Fatal flaw every time.”
“That’s not what I asked, Nan.” He pokes my knee. “I can admit that you’re a fantastic looking guy.”
“Thanks.” I drain my wineglass, then refill it.
“Your turn.”
“You’re not gonna drop it, are you?”
“No. I mean, totally fine if I’m not your type, I’m just curious.”
I don’t know how to answer it. Do I admit that he is, and always has been my type, or brush it off and feign indifference?
“Are you worried about hurting my feelings, Nan? I can handle it. You wouldn’t be the first person to let me down gently.”
I laugh at that. “You’re handsome, obviously.”
“Handsome. Hmm. What’s your type?”
“I don’t really base my type on looks. Those are fleeting and have nothing to do with what kind of person you are. Physical attraction counts, of course, but I look for character.”
“Fair, but if we were talking just about looks, what’s your preference?” When I don’t answer, he continues. “How am I gonna wingman for you when we go out if I don’t know what to look for?”
“I don’t need a wingman, and we’re not going to any gay bars. You’ll be bombarded.”
“Oh, so I am attractive.” He winks, then laughs, cracking himself up.
“Yeah, yeah. I think you already know that.”
“Thanks for stroking my ego.”
“You’re welcome.” I roll my eyes. “Besides, I go on vibes alone. I’ve dated gingers, brunettes, blonds, people from all kinds of nationalities and ethnicities. Cis guys, trans guys, bi guys. Whatever. If we vibe, then we’ll see where it goes.”
Van nods. “That’s a great approach. I’ve been pretty narrow minded, always chasing after those dark-haired beauties.”
“With big tits.”
“No, actually, I have expanded my taste there. I love the small ones with the big nips. It’s like kryptonite. And if they’re pierced, Jesus.”
“I like a good pierced nip too.”
“Common ground.” Van grins. “I knew we’d find some.”
“Of course we would.”
“It’s weird, isn’t it? We’ve been apart for so long, but it kind of feels like it was just a few months.”
“It feels like that for me too.”
His smile fades a little, turning nostalgic. “My mom told me once that you and I were soulmates. Platonic, of course, but she said she’d never seen two people so connected and compatible before.”
“You never told me that.”
“I didn’t know how without making it sound weird. Who ever heard of that back then? It’s a shame we let life get in the way and keep us apart.”
