He spent several hours outside, shirtless, clearing the trails through the woods and raking leaves and driftwood that cluttered the strip of rocky sand along Three Star Lake, which the camp claimed as their “beach.” It was nothing like the gorgeous beaches along Lake Michigan, but it was nice enough.
It was hard work, but good work, and he was sweating, hungry, and thirsty by the time he broke for lunch. He ate in the mess hall, heating up leftovers from yesterday’s staff dinner, and then went back to work, going down to their boat launch to repair some loose boards.
By the time he was done with all his chores for the day, the sun was drifting low towards the horizon. This far north in Michigan, the sun didn’t set until after 9:00 p.m. during the summer. It was after 8:00 p.m. at this point, and Gabriel had done a full day’s work of manual labor. He wanted to go home, take a long, cold shower, crack open a beer, and rest his sore muscles.
After his first six months back in Orion, his parents had offered him a deal: they recognized that he was now a college graduate, not a kid anymore, and it was reasonable that he would want some more privacy than he was afforded when he lived in their house in the historic Heritage neighborhood of Orion, where the homes were beautiful old Victorians. They had a second home, a comfortable cottage, on the Lake. He could stay there without paying rent if he did some odd jobs around the cottage that his father couldn’t do anymore.
It was a good arrangement, and Gabriel was thankful for the privacy. He hadn’t taken advantage of it, yet, in the way that he wanted to (i.e., having a man over and doing things that would disappoint his parents), but he had plans to do so. Maybe that was even something he could do with Drew—he was still wrapping his head around the fact that Drew Moreau, famous hockey star, was apparently secretly queer. If Drew wasn’t interested in such activities, there would be other options.
Now that the summer season had started, tourists would flock to Orion. It was a picturesque town with beautiful dunes, a State Park, and plenty of woods for camping. There was a winery, multiple orchards, and large cherry farms. Tourists loved Orion, and the town’s population more than doubled in the summer months, when people came up to stay in their cottages.
Gabriel wasdeterminedto have a summer romance. He didn’t want anything serious, but he needed something to introduce more excitement into his life. He would be busy with Orion's Belt Hockey Camp soon, but he feared that sort of busyness would leave him bored.
Maybe this summer romance would be with the attractive NHL star he’d now had the fortune of running into twice. It was certainly looking like this might be the case, though he didn’t want to get his hopes up.
He was walking back to his car, his shirt draped over his sweaty shoulders, when he finally checked his phone and saw that he had a text message from Drew.
Drew: It was good running into you at the camp! I promise I’m not stalking you. This might be a bit last-minute, but I don’t know any places to eat in town, and would love to try one out tonight. Would you want to grab dinner tonight?
Gabriel checked the timestamp on the message. Drew had sent it more than an hour ago. He hastily typed a message back.
Gabriel: Sorry, I’m just seeing this! I was doing some manual labor around camp. Does the offer still stand? I understand if you’ve already eaten. But if you’d be down to grab a late dinner, I’d love to! I just need to run home and shower.
Drew’s message came a few minutes later, as Gabriel was waiting for his car’s AC to cool the oven-like interior.
Drew: I haven’t eaten yet! I was just staring at everything in my fridge and debating whether I wanted to cook or not. When works for you?
Gabriel checked the time again. He needed to shower and pick out an outfit, but then he’d be ready.
Gabriel: How does 9:00 p.m. sound? Lakeside Biergarten has some great food, unless you’re vegetarian.
Drew: I hope I don’t give off vegetarian vibes.
Gabriel: Hey now, don’t be rude to vegetarians.
Drew: Are YOU vegetarian?
Gabriel: No, but I try to keep an open mind about them.
Drew: 9:00 p.m. at the Biergarten it is. I’ll see you there!
Gabriel felt a little giddy as he shifted his car into drive and began the short journey to his parents’ cottage.
—
Lakeside Biergarten was not, technically, on the lake. It was on Orion’s little harbor, which was close enough to the lake that its name wasn’t truly a lie. It was located in the Fishing District, a collection of gray-weathered wood buildings built on stilts right up at the edge of the harbor. Sometimes, the odor of fish hung heavy in the air, but at night it was replaced by the heavy aroma of good food.
The Biergarten served classic American bar food with a Michigan twist—juicy burgers with cherry maple bacon jam, nachos with local Michigan cheeses, house-made brisket with a delicious spicy apple glaze, and fries with the best aioli you’ve ever had.
All the beer served at the Biergarten came from local breweries, many of which were owned by people Gabriel knew personally. He also knew the owners of Lakeside Biergarten, which was one of the reasons he’d suggested it.
His best friend in the world was Aubrey Wozniak. They’d grown up together, raising hell during their years in the Orion public school system. Her parents had owned and operated Lakeside Biergarten for Gabriel’s entire life, and Aubrey, though she now had a job teaching English down in Grand Rapids, often picked up shifts at the Biergarten when she returned to Orion for the summer.
Before leaving his cottage to go to the Biergarten, Gabriel had texted Aubrey to let her know that he had a date tonight at the Biergarten. He asked if she was working that night, and she told him she was. She’d keep an eye on him and his date, and would report back about how she read the vibes. Even when she pressed, he didn’t tell herwhothe date was with. From what he’d gathered, Drew wanted to keep his presence in Orion rather discreet. Gabriel was determined to find out why. He knew that Drew had sustained a minor injury in the Crawford Cup, but that couldn’t be the only reason he was hiding out in a small corner of Michigan.
Gabriel got to the Biergarten early and, while he waited in his car outside, did something he had been debating. He wasn’t sure if it was appropriate or not, but he was curious, and his curiosity got the better of him.
He looked Drew Moreau up online.
