Chapter Twenty
“You said fast and easy, so I figured this was your kind of place,” Reid said as they both sat down at a table, smiling nervously over at Gabriel.
He’d put alotof thought into the kind of place he’d like to take him. Nothing fancy, but something unusual enough to be impressive. Something he’d like.
Somewhere he knew they’d be okay, too.
To his relief, Gabriel smiled back.
“This is perfect. There are paper tablecloths, which I’ve learned is a good sign about the food.”
Reid grinned at him. “Best burgers in town. Promise.”
“Do you come here a lot?” Gabriel asked.
Reid wet his lips. He wasn’t sure he should admit to the amount of junk food he ate in front of someone whose health had once been his responsibility.
Of course, Gabriel wasn’t his patient anymore, so…
“I like it here,” he said, figuring that was vague enough. The waitress who’d seated him had called him by name, so Gabriel had probably worked out that it wasn’t his first time here.
Or his fifth.
“I like that you’re bringing me to places you like,” Gabriel said. “Because I always imagine dating to be extremely awkward.”
Reid didn’t miss that Gabriel had saidimagine. It wasn’t really a surprise that he wasn’t big on dating, but that made this feel extra important. Gabriel was trusting him.
“It is awkward, but that’s kinda what makes it fun,” Reid said. “We’ve done the worst of the getting to know each other part, though. I’m hoping this’ll be fun without the awkward.”
“I don’t feel awkward around you,” Gabriel admitted. “Which is unusual for me.”
Reid laughed softly at that. He understood where Gabriel was coming from. He’d been awkward as a kid, but he’d been forced to grow out of it when he’d changed career paths. He dealt with alotof people now.
Gabriel probably didn’t need to be nearly as social on a regular basis.
“What about the guys you went to space with? You had to get to know them pretty well.”
Gabriel smiled the most genuine, earnest smile Reid had seen on him so far. “They’re basically family now. I’m under orders from one of them to come to his Fourth of July cookout so I can confirm for his kids that he definitely, absolutely went to space. The other… if I didn’t already have a great mom, I think she would have adopted me. But they don’t live anywhere near me, so…”
Reid nodded. “Right, I get it. You don’t have a lot of local connections,” he said. “So stupid question, but why stay here?”
Gabriel shrugged. “Habit, I guess. I’ve been here since college. And there’s you, now.”
Reid blushed, the back of his neck getting hot as blood rushed to it. Gabriel wasn’t saying he was theonlyreason he was staying here, but he’d put him up there with his reasons for staying.
That was so nice.
Coming from anyone else, it would have been too much, too soon. But not Gabriel. Coming from Gabriel, it was perfect.
“So I’m one of your favorite things about Seattle?” Reid grinned, his heart swelling as he said it.
“Easily.” Gabriel smiled a tiny, shy smile, but no less sincere than the one from before. “But I just live here. I’m not all that attached.”
“Don’t ruin it,” Reid joked. “You like me. No take-backs.”
“I think it’s pretty obvious that I like you. I never eat with people I don’t like,” Gabriel said. “What do I order, by the way? Since you know this place and I don’t.”
Reid wet his lips, considering. There were a lot of great options, but the best ones weren’t strictly on the menu. “Do you trust me enough to order for you?” he asked.
