I was glad to see you,Vincent replied.
How long have you been in Aurora?
Sixteen days.
It was Mal’s turn to frown. His fingers traced the edges of his phone as he considered what Vincent had said.
Was he being truthful?
Did it matter?
Mal had been the one who’d left Vincent in the hotel room—the one responsible for cutting their communication. What said that he wasn’t interested clearer than an empty bed and a handwritten note with nebulous excuses?
I was glad to see you, too,Mal wrote. He didn’t send the text yet. It didn’t feel complete.I’m sorry that I left. Something really did come up.
It felt too much like an excuse. Mal frowned and deleted what he’d written, then attempted to restart completely when Vincent sent another text.
I’m sorry that I didn’t message you after the wedding. That’s on me. I was hoping that once I got settled after the move, we could reconnect. I just didn’t think we’d reconnect quite like this, haha.
There was a lot to unpack from just a few words. Mal sucked his lip between his teeth and bit down, holding it in place while he considered what was being said.
Vincent wanted to see him again. He wanted to “reconnect.” Alone, with the windows rolled up and his privacy more or less guaranteed, Mal made a breathy, pleased noise and rubbed his mouth and jaw with a hand. He glanced at Vincent, who remained against the side of the building, staring at his phone as if waiting for life-changing results.
It was cute.
Mal smiled.
It takes two to make conversation. I could have reached out, but I didn’t. Neither of us is responsible.
Once the message was sent, Mal looked up from his phone to peep at Vincent. He watched as the text was received and a small smile brightened Vincent’s expression.
I feel like we have a lot to talk about,Vincent replied.I haven’t been in town long, and I don’t know many places around here, but would you be interested in meeting me somewhere later today to catch up?
Mal didn’t hesitate before replying,yes.
Vincent, who’d treated him with respect and kindness, who’d turned Mal’s world upside down, and who’d awoken his sexuality as it never had been before, was someone Mal wanted to know more about. If he’d come to Aurora to stay, then Mal wanted to see what there might be between them. If it turned out that their night together was a fluke—that the attraction Mal felt for Vincent had fizzled out—he could always move on. But with his life changing, redefining, and taking shape, it was worth the risk. He needed to try.
The message was received. Vincent pushed off the wall of the clinic, smiling at his phone. He pumped the air with his fist in victory, and Mal held a hand over his mouth, holding back a laugh. Not only was Vincent adorable, but he was excited to get to know Mal better, too. Body language like that didn’t lie.
As Vincent disappeared back inside the clinic, an incoming message vibrated Mal’s palm.
Tell me the when and where. I’m available at any time after 3:00PM. See you then :)
How was it that an emoji could evoke a corporeal reaction? A grin stretched Mal’s lips so wide his cheeks ached. He set his phone on the passenger seat and sank back, then let his head plop against the headrest and ran his hands through his hair. The curls he’d grown to hate combed flat through his fingers, then sprang back into formation. For once, he didn’t care.
Vincent wanted to see him.
He waswanted.
All the small things didn’t weigh as heavily on him anymore. How could they? At the wedding, Mal had suspected that meeting Vincent was the catalyst for change in his life, but now, he knew it for sure. Nothing would be the same. And that change continued tonight, when he’d go to dinner with a man he found both fascinating and mysterious.
Mal replied, for once unafraid to take control.Bistro Chatelaine, seven o’clock. I’ll see you there.
18
Vincent
xVerity: @Gwynning @TeenDad2, I need a babysitter. Do you have any recommendations? Short notice. Tonight.
