Arthur hummed and nodded. “Itiscold. But I like it.”
“I can tell.”
“Oh, really? How?”
Jesse replied, “I’m not sure if you’ve stopped smiling since we stepped outside.”
“Well,” Arthur began, pausing to shrug his shoulders innocently, “the snow is very pretty.”
Damn, the way Arthur said that, it was... oh, it was too endearing. The little lilt in Arthur’s voice sent Jesse’s heart a-flutter. Arthur’s smile broadened, and Jesse soon found himself smiling back. It felt as though Arthur’s continued optimism was unearthing something in him—some nugget of playfulness he had buried long ago.
“It’ssnow,” Jesse said, his tone now markedly lighter. “Sunsets can be pretty. Snow is a nuisance.”
Arthur let out a little scoff-laugh before taking out his keys and unlocking the door. After pulling it open, he stepped aside and swept his hand out in front of him, gesturing toward the entryway.
“You first, Mr. O’Connor. We can’t let these beautiful snowflakes continue to torture you with their magnificence.”
Jesse rolled his eyes, but the fluttery feeling in his chest only intensified from being subjected to more of Arthur’s boyish charm and silliness. Stepping into the shop, Jesse immediately removed his hat—a black woolen flat cap—and moved to hang it on a nearby hook, but Arthur took it from him before he managed to. Arthur set his own hat on one of the hooks.
“I haven’t bought one of these for myself yet,” Arthur said, putting on Jesse’s hat. “I wasn’t sure how I’d like it. I’ve been wearing homburgs and top hats for as long as I can remember.” He struck a pose and caught Jesse’s eye. “Does it suit me?”
“Uhm...” Jesse’s face began to burn. Arthur was so obviously being flirtatious. “It’s... nice enough.”
Arthur scrunched up his nose and removed it.
“Message received. I shall stick with my homburg.”
Arthur hung the flat cap on a hook and began unfastening the buttons of his overcoat. Meanwhile, Jesse was still too flustered to even move. He hadn’t meant for Arthur to think that he was insulting him. But he couldn’t have simply complimented him either. Truthfully, Jesse preferred Arthur without either of the hats. Arthur’s hair had the nicest, softest wave to it.
When Arthur turned to hang up his coat, he looked over at Jesse and chuckled.
“Are your fingers too frozen to work buttons?”
Jesse blinked twice as Arthur’s words settled into his brain. Unless he wanted to wait for Arthur to unbutton his coat for him (Dear God, the man probably would do it, too, wouldn’t he?), he realized that he better unfreeze himself.
So, Jesse murmured a soft, “No, sorry,” and began unfastening the buttonsof his coat.
He tried not to imagine what it would be like to have Arthur unbutton them instead. Or what it might be like for Arthur to unbutton other things as well.
Ignoring the thought, Jesse turned to hang up his overcoat as Arthur strolled farther into the shop.
Once Jesse turned back around, Arthur said, “I’m ready to make a fool of myself by trying to operate one of these. Which one should we start with?”
Jesse swallowed thickly, burying his refound sense of playfulness and his thoughts of Arthur in bed and the constant hum of want that was making his mind slow and his heart race. Arthur Hughes wasnotsomeone who Jesse should let himself start to like in either a romantic or a sexual way. Or both ways. Especially both ways.
Determined not to fall in love or in lust, Jesse put on what he thought was the most stoic expression he could muster so that he could safely resume the lesson with Mr. Arthur Hughes.
***
Hours later, Jesse was mentally and emotionally exhausted, his body heavy and his mind slow. All because of Arthur Hughes. Damn, the man was infuriating. He couldn’t make it five minutes without being hopelessly charming, either by saying something playful or by complimenting Jesse on his teaching prowess or by behaving like an excitable puppy. Even worse, though, was the fact that Arthur hadn’t stopped being flirtatious. It was as though theman had no instinct for self-preservation. No sense of propriety that someone like him must have been expected to possess. Which, of course, only made Jesse want him more.
Thank God the lesson was over.
Out of politeness, Jesse was waiting with Arthur for his carriage to arrive, the two of them standing side-by-side in front of the large front-facing window of the shop, watching the snow fall. Arthur pressed his hand to the glass. Jesse couldfeelthe man’s yearning. If Jesse had suggested it, Arthur would have leapt at the chance to wait outside instead. Jesse shut his eyes and tried not to like it. Why was every single thing about Arthur Hughes so endearing?
Jesse was startled by the sudden sound of Arthur’s voice.
“I rarely ever played in the snow as a kid,” he said. “What about you?”
