“Hey, no problem,” I offer, eager to keep it light and stay in that good feeling. “At least I have my water bottle.” I take a sip, then hand it to him. “Was the plan to meet back at the cars at five?”
“Yeah, five.” He glances around, then sighs. “I guess there’s a park nearby. We could hang there?”
I shake off my minor disappointment. It’s a beautiful summer day, and even though the con is an important tradition, I don’t mind the excuse to spend the afternoon with Rafael instead. It’s weird to feel greedy about my time with him, considering how often we’re together, but I’m still excited to have him all to myself.
“You’re smiling,” he says, then laughs. “How are you always so forgiving when I mess things up, Alexander?”
Warmth flutters through me. “Because a day in the park sounds perfect,” I answer. “And I’m sure we can find some way to make it memorable.”
* * *
Rafael
Alexander and I sit by the little river that runs through the park. We have twenty dollars worth of gas station food spread out on the grass, the best lunch we could track down in a short walk. The park is pretty quiet, and we found some nice shade under a giant old elm tree.
I’m a little bummed that I’m missing the chance to pick up some old illustrations. I’m craving inspiration for my latest city, but I’m equally geeked to look at the old comics through the eyes of a tattoo artist. The con must be a goldmine of inspiration.
But most of the disappointment fades the second Alexander and I start digging into the pickles, crackers, and cheeses, and I’m just relieved that he’s such a good sport about things. The dappled light is so pretty on my friend’s face, and there’s just enough of a breeze to cut the heat. He’s wearing the T-shirt with my illustration from the show on the front, which I love, and he’s pinned to it a big rainbow button for the LGBTQ librarian association.
Funny how I see Alexander every day, but I still need alone time with him like this.
I hesitate. I want to lean over to kiss him, so why don’t I just do it? We hooked up this morning, so sex brain shouldn’t be a problem.
Then Alexander smiles, hesitates himself for a second, and leans over to kiss me first. The wind blows gently, whispering across my skin, and I hear Alexander make the softest noise.
“Thanks for being nice about the car,” I tell him.
He shrugs. “You didn’t do it on purpose,” he offers, then bites a pickle.
It is actually that simple for Alexander. He forgives all my faults in a way pretty much no one else will. That makes it all the more guilt-inducing when another thought whispers in the back of my mind.
He won’t have his con date with Davis, now that we’re locked out.
I shift my weight, my legs folded on the grass. I definitely didn’t lock us out on purpose, but could my subconscious have played a role? I hate that thought, but the relief I feel that he won’t see Davis is too significant to ignore.
Weird.
“Anyway, a park day is relaxing,” Alexander continues. “Maybe we’ll even have an adventure.”
Right then is when I smell it. I sit up and tilt my head to the side, then sniff the air again.
“What?” Alexander asks.
I look him in the eyes. “Do you remember that you promised you would try smoking weed with me one day?”
Alexander sucks his lips in his mouth. “Weirdo,” he whispers, like he’s scolding me for telling a secret.
I chuckle. “Come on. We’ve got all this time to kill. Why not?”
“Where are you even going to get marijuana?” he asks, dropping his voice to a whisper on the last word.
“Give me that other twenty,” I say. “I’ll show you.”
Alexander stares at me, mouth slightly open, but I can see the smile in his eyes. He’s open to the idea, which means I should move now before he rationalizes his way out of it.
“Please?” I try, then tap my fingers on his knee. “You said you want an adventure.”
Alexander digs into his pocket with a grumble. “You better know what you’re doing.”
