taken off. That wasn’t surprising. After all, little boys still had bedtimes and it wasn’t good to keep
them out too late. Now, it was a mix of single guys, those who were making tentative first meetings,
and Daddies sitting in the lounge areas watching their boys have late-night playdates.
William noticed me and waved me over to where he was chatting with friends. I felt like the
proverbial fifth wheel as they were all keeping an eye on their boys. “Hey, glad you were able to
make it out tonight.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” I said, because, really, I wouldn’t have. Jack was a good guy, and I wanted to
support what he was doing for the community. Sam might not even fully understand why we needed a
space like this so badly. “I wasn’t aware you’d found a boy.”
“Well, that’s sort of a work in progress,” William admitted.
“Never thought I’d see the day you settled down and found someone to call your own,” his friend,
Levi, remarked as William gazed longingly at Corey.
“Too early to make that leap,” he argued.
“Give it a rest,” I scoffed. William was lucky as hell. Corey was another one I’d admired in the
past. And, seeing him in his cute little shorts and tee tonight, I’d definitely seen him in a new light. But
then he leaned so easily into William’s side and I knew that was another opportunity missed. “You
look like a man who’s already half in love. That boy probably carries your balls around in his
backpack, even if he doesn’t know it.”
“It’s not like that,” William insisted. “And, seriously, a few hours aren’t long enough to proclaim
him as off-limits. For all I know, he might hate me for putting him on display tonight. He could decide
it’s all too much for him.”
“The two of you weren’t bullshitting about him being brand new?” Levi asked, his eyes wide. I
snickered because he was speaking what I was thinking. “Shit, man, you’ve got a natural on your
hands.”
“Yes, Levi, but we all know that those who are little to the core are also the ones who sometimes
fight it the hardest.”
“Well, I hope it works out for you.” Levi stood, bumping his fist against William’s shoulder. He
paused, looking down at the boy Corey was playing with. “I hate to break up their playdate, but it’s
well past my boy’s bedtime. If things work out, why don’t you give me a call and we’ll get him and
Teo together again sometime?”
