“It’s a cool place,” he says lamely and drives a bit faster.
They remain quiet until they reach their destination. It’s the only restaurant in the area, and since it’s the middle of the week, the parking lot is almost empty. The sign at the front saysBy the Current,which is fitting since it’s right next to Current River.
They walk into the restaurant, and a young waitress asks if they prefer to sit inside or outside. Will almost chooses to sit inside, where it’s less romantic, but that would be strange after he mentioned the river and the lights.
They ask to be seated outside, and the waitress leads them to a table by the river. String lights hang above them, running from the restaurant to the nearby oak trees. Both the lights and the moon reflect in the clear water since this section of the river is calmer than the rest.
“If the food here is decent, this is going to be my new favorite place,” Owen says as he picks up the menu. His eyes dart from option to option as he chews on his lower lip. Will stares until he notices he’s doing so.
“I think I’ll go for the Salmon Club Sandwich,” Owen says. “Or maybe a burger? Hmm, too many options.”
“Shut your eyes and picture yourself eating. My mom taught me that trick.”
Owen shuts his eyes. “I picture myself eating… a burger! Good trick. Ready to order?”
“Sure. I’ll go for the Salmon Club Sandwich. It’s the best thing on the menu.”
“What? No!”
Will laughs. “I’m kidding. A burger for me as well.”
Owen nods. “I like your sense of humor. Didn’t think you had one when we first met. I mean—shit.That came out rude. I just meant that you seem very serious. Is that also rude?”
“It’s fine.”
The waitress comes, and they order the same burger, though Owen asks to remove the cheese from his. They take onion rings and French fries to share, with two beers. When the waitress leaves, Will isn’t sure how to handle the conversation. He doesn’t want to be overly aware of how he sits and what he says, but he is.
Luckily, Owen is chatty enough for both of them. He talks about his favorite restaurants back in Kansas City and how hard it was to be a vegetarian when the only options were either basic vegetables or empty carbs. “I could also tell when a waiter thought I was gay whenever I asked about the vegetarian options. I mean, they weren’t wrong, but it still felt silly.” His eyes widen. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drop it on you like that.”
Will frowns, then he remembers that it was Nate who told him Owen was gay.
“I’m also gay, so don’t worry about it.”
Owen gasps and places both hands on the table. “You’re shitting me!”
People around glance at them.
“I promise I am not shitting you.” Based on his response, Will realizes that whatever gossip Owen might have heard about him, nobody mentioned his sexuality, which makes him wonder if maybe he jumped to conclusions.
Owen leans forward and whispers, “How can you be gay? You’re so manly, and you wear flannel shirts.”
Will bursts out laughing, loud enough to make people turn again to look. Both of them might be thrown out at this rate.
Owen rubs his face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
Will calms down. “It’s fine. Flannel can throw people off.”
“I’m… can I say that I’m happy to hear that?”
He really does look happy, almost grateful. “You’re allowed to be happy not being the only gay man in town.”
Owen crosses his arms. “I have so many questions, but I don’t want to be nosy. I mean, Iwantto, but I’m not gonna.”
Thank God for that.Any discussion about Will’s sexuality will end up touching the subject of Joel. He never talked about that with anyone who hadn’t been there towitness the shitshow, and he would like to keep it that way.
The waitress comes over with their drinks, and when she leaves, Owen raises his glass. “We have to toast to something. Can we toast to gay rights? No, scratch that—toogay. Hmm, I don’t know. You choose something.”
If he had known coming out to Owen would make him so scattered, he would have waited until the end of dinner. “We can drink to a nice evening away from Van Buren, and we can throw in your new job as well.”
