“So the whole family was cramped into the one cottage. My parents and my aunt and uncle in the house proper, and all us kids squeezed into the enclosed verandah out back. It was more like camping, really, but as kids we thought it was the best thing ever.” Jason’s eyes glinted with joy as he continued the story. “Each morning, Uncle Ed would load all the kids and the fishing gear into his truck, and we’d head down to the pier for a couple of hours. The second day was a bit stinky with five kids and all the fishing gear, and by the fourth day, man, it was putrid! No one wanted to go fishing and started making excuses to stay home. By the end of the week—a week of the truck sitting in the sun—not one of us kids would go fishing, and Uncle Ed couldn’t understand why. Finally, Aunt Lindy needed to go into town to stock up on groceries and nearly passed out when she opened the truck’s door. It turns out some bait had fallen between the seats and rotted all week, but Uncle Ed had sinus problems, so he couldn’t smell a thing.”
Sean chuckled, partly due to the hilarity of the story but mainly due to Jason’s own laughter. His eyes danced as he picked up his beer and took a sip.
“It must be fantastic to have such great memories.” Sean was only slightly envious of the good times Jason had obviously spent with this family. “Do you still go away with them all?”
“Not so much with my aunt and uncle, especially now that all us kids have grown up, but we do get together for the big family occasions. The last time I saw Ed and Lindy was only a couple of months ago when I was roped into helping them move. It’s amazing how popular all us boys become when there’s something needing a lot of physical labour, like moving house.”
Jason’s grin showed just how much hedidn’tmind helping out his family, and Sean warmed at yet another example of Jason’s generous nature.
“And what about your family?” Jason asked. “Do you see them often?”
Sean wished things were different, but he wasn’t particularly close to his mum and dad. He shook his head. “No, not really. They don’t live locally, but even if they did, I don’t think I’d see them much anyway. The whole gay thing never sat well with them, and it’s just easier for us all not to push it. The Christmas holiday is the one time of year we make an exception—you know, polite through gritted teeth as we exchange generic gifts and eat the obligatory ham and turkey.”
“I’m sorry.” Jason gave him a small smile but didn’t press the topic, for which he was grateful.
“Thanks.” Sean looked down at his plate, slightly uncomfortable with his revelations, but he’d committed to trying to open up more. No matter how proud Joanna would be that he was turning over this new leaf, he was relieved when they moved on to talk about other things instead of delving into his family life.
They stuffed themselves full of the steak and fish, conversation becoming easier as the plates emptied. They declined dessert but enjoyed an espresso to round out the meal.
“You know, we didn’t talk much about work?”
“I know.” Jason winked and leaned back in his seat. “Great, isn’t it? It’s nice to have a break away from thinking about it. We spend enough hours in the office without dragging all the shit around with us. It’s nice to put it aside for once and just be individuals, not our job titles.”
Sean’s chest warmed at the confirmation that dinner wasn’t about work. Even if friendship between them was all that came out of it, it was time well spent, and as they settled the bill, Sean realised he didn’t want the evening to end. Before the night had started, he’d just wanted to get through the dinner and make a beeline home to his cat. Now he wanted to extend the time he had with Jason—or Jace, as he was now starting to think of him. “You up for a walk before we head back to the cars?” he suggested, amazed to hear the words come out of his own mouth. The warmth spread, and his lips stretched into a smile as Jason agreed.
They walked side by side along the footpath, shoulders and arms brushing slightly as they headed towards the small park down the road. Popular with joggers and families who liked to use the play equipment or walk the dog in daylight hours, thankfully, at this time of night, it was relatively empty. They walked the paths for a while, chatting easily before sitting on a bench facing the fountain. The conversation paused as they sat quietly, enjoying the sound of the water flowing down the sculpture and splashing into the pond below. It was a nice peaceful contrast to the noise of the cars travelling on the road outside the park, the fountain drowning out most of the traffic noise. Instead of feeling anxious, Sean found the silence between them comfortable, and for once, didn’t feel the need to fill it with inane chatter.
“Have you ever been to Europe?” Jason asked a few minutes later, his voice low in the quiet night.
“Where did that come from?” Sean chuckled.
“I was thinking of the Trevi Fountain in Rome,” Jason said, gesturing to the small fountain in front of them.
“Is that someplace you want to visit?”
Jason looked at him, the lights reflecting in his eyes. “Not really. Maybe? I’m more a beach or adventure guy, not so much into the museums and historical sights.”
“I backpacked through Europe in my teens,” Sean said.
“Really?”
“You look surprised.”
Jason cleared his throat. “I guess it’s not something I expected you to have done. At least not the backpacking part. Was it fun? I’ve always wanted to try backpacking, but maybe around South East Asia.”
“I took a gap year between school and uni and went with a bunch of friends. It was one of those organised tours—more drinking than sightseeing for most people, but it was fun. I think if I went back I’d prefer to take a slower pace, spend more time at some destinations, and maybe stay in a hotel instead of a youth hostel. I’m not sure about backpacking in Asia either. You do know they have some nice resorts and hotels, don’t you?”
Jason’s laughter rang out in the quietness of the evening. “I’ll remember that.”
Eventually it came time to leave, and they rose together, once again brushing shoulders. They stood close, only a foot or so between them; so close that Sean was sure that Jason was going to lean in to kiss him. Jason’s eyes sought his, then his gaze flicked to Sean’s lips. It would only take a small movement on either of their parts to close the gap and join their mouths. However, neither moved. Seconds passed, a minute.
Then Jason spoke, and the moment was broken. “I’ve really enjoyed tonight, Sean. Thanks so much for having dinner with me.”
“I had a great time too. Um….” Sean cleared his throat. “I’d really like to do this again if you’re up for it.”
He couldn’t believe he’d had the courage to say the words and was even more surprised that he actuallywantedto see Jason again. It went against everything he’d done for years. He didn’t date, and he definitely didn’t do second dates.
“I’d like that.” Jason smiled before leaning in and giving Sean a soft kiss on the lips.
