That was probably why Zach had asked in the first place. Hell, it wasn’t impossible that he’d made sure he’d be on the stall this weekend. Flynn couldn’t remember whether or not he’d mentioned actually changing the roster, but he remembered Suki talking about it.
Zach was smart. More than smart enough toplansomething like this, and he desperately wanted his grandma to be proud of him.
“Great.” Zach grinned at both of them. “I thought about trying to get out of it, but I figured I could still spend time with my two favorite people andnotlet my friends down at the same time.”
Flynn shifted his weight, squirming at being called one of Zach’s two favorite people. He knew it was probably just for show, but it wasnice, anyway.
“You’re a good boy, Zach,” Violet said. “I’m proud of you.”
Now it wasZach’sturn to shift his weight bashfully. “That’s all I want,” he said softly, and everything about the way he said it told Flynn it was true.
Zach deserved for people to be proud of him, and Flynn promised himself that he’d make sure he knew that hewasproud. Proud to be seen with him, proud of his work, proud of the decisions he’d made and the way he’d made a life for himself.
The conversation turned to the menu, and then to Zach’s day in class, and Flynn felt himself relaxing as he went back to sipping his wine and letting the sound of Zach and Violet’s voices flow over him while he ate happily.
This wasnice. He couldn’t figure out why he’d been so worried now that they were here.
“So, Zach never told me how you two met,” Violet said while they waited for dessert, and Flynn couldn’t stop himself from laughing.
He was glad now they’d taken the time to come up with a plausible story.
“I’m sorry,” he said, realizing he probablyshouldn’thave laughed at that. “It’s just… I was so oblivious. We were both at a gallery opening and we talked and talked and talked, Zach told me about a piece he had in the exhibition, and then he gave me his number and I couldn’t… figure out why. At all. Until I asked my best friend and she explained to me that I was being flirted with.”
Flynn looked over at Zach, smiling fondly. “I couldn’t believe someone like him would be interested in someone like me.”
“And I was shocked when you actually texted me,” Zach said. “Because I really thought you were just being polite when you accepted my number.”
“I was.” Flynn smiled wryly, really getting into the story now. He could absolutely do this. He could play the part of doting husband for Zach.
Because helikedZach.
Because one day, maybe, he might have liked tobehis doting husband, for real. It was too soon to think that, obviously. Way too soon, despite the fact that they were, technically, already married.
But Zach made him happy. When he wasn’t hopelessly nervous, he was starting to feel like he wasn’t just a replacement for Aiden, like he wasn’t second best, like Zach wasn’t just hanging around because heneededFlynn.
It felt so good that Flynn could barely contain it. He wanted to laugh and grin all the time, tell the whole world how lucky he was.
“You two are made for each other,” Violet said, rolling her eyes, but still smiling. “I’m glad to see Zach so happy. He’s glowing. I’ve never seen him quite like this before.”
Flynn hoped some part of that was down to him. He knew Zach was mostly glad his future was on track, but… he really hoped that Zach saw Flynn as a part of his future, maybe, too.
There was no rush. They could afford to take their time once they’d convinced Violet that they were both happy and that this would last.
It made sense that she was suspicious, after all. She’d met Flynn for the first time on the day he’d married her grandson.
And theyhadbeen faking it then.
But now…
Well, it was still early days. And all the excitement Flynn was feeling might just have been a new relationship high.
All the same, he couldn’t see himself wanting to be with anyone else in the near future. Zach was special.
Hell, he had to be if he’d been responsible for Flynn figuring out he was bi, didn’t he? If nothing else, Flynn would always be grateful to him for that.
“Yeah,” Flynn said. “Yeah, I think we are.”
