Reflexively, I yanked my arms up and spun around, only to find my friend Jack standing right behind me. Sporting the yellow jacket anyone from Seastone would recognize, he beamed like a puppy. He was the town’s handyman—or, as the little logo on his jacket announced, theHome Services Expert—doing all kinds of odd jobs, from cleaning to grocery shopping, for anyone who needed a hand. Jack and I had been friends ever since we met during that Halloween prank for our mutual friends Nicholas and Jason, and he was one of the gay guys I regularly hung out with on the weekends.
“Alex!” Jack yelled, loud enough for me to hear him over the Swedish metal.
“Hey,” I said, reluctantly removing my headphones and allowing the airport noise to take over again.
“I’ve been yelling your name for at least a minute!” He spread his arms and wrapped me in a friendly hug like he always did when we met. “What are you doing here?”
“I, uh—” I stuttered, suddenly afraid I had been caught doing something illegal, even though Sebastian’s arrival wasn’t even a secret. “I’m picking up Dany’s and Laura’s son.”
“Aren’t they leaving for their vacation tomorrow?” Jack’s ears perked up as he made a face. “How mean of him to come while they’re gone.”
“No, it’s not like that. He’s…” I couldn’t tell Jack the whole truth. He was fairly close to Dany since they sometimes worked together. As much as I loved Jack as a friend, I wasn’t sure he was good at keeping secrets. “He’s here to study for his exams in peace.”
“Ah! Okay,” Jack nodded exuberantly.
“How about you?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m picking up a guy for Jason and Nicholas, who’s helping them with… something at the hotel? They didn’t tell me much. I mostly just know his name’s Remy or Rami… I’m not really sure. Let me check again.”
He fumbled his phone out of his pocket and searched through messages, his eyebrows clenched together.
“Shit! Where is it?” He tapped his screen frantically, growing more impatient by the second. “Oh, man. I should at least know his name! How embarrassing is that?” His feet shuffled restlessly in place. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
He brought his phone to his ear, probably calling either Jason or Nicholas to ask for the name, and rushed toward the exit, either to get better reception or to escape the noise.
For a moment, I stood there alone, my phone still in my hand, unsure what to make of that conversation, when a distant tune pulled me out of my thoughts—a faint hum I could recognize from a mile away. My head snapped toward the double doors that slid open whenever a passenger from an arriving plane stepped through.
There he was, his left hand hooked behind the strap of his backpack, and his right hand rolling a small suitcase beside him. As soon as his eyes found mine, the biggest smile spread across his face.
I raised my hand, waving at him, still frozen in place.How was I supposed to behave now?I had prepared for almost everything: some sketches we could work on together if he was up for it, recipes we could whip up easily, a bed for him if he didn’t want to sleep in mine, and even a pack of condoms, just in case. The only thing I hadn’t thought about even once was the exact moment we’d see each other again.
He picked up the pace as he walked around the hip-high wall separating us. I followed his lead and walked in the same direction until we stopped in front of each other, both smiling, only a foot of space between us.
“Hey,” he said, not moving.
“How was your flight?” I replied, not moving either.
He let go of his suitcase and backpack and pulled me into the tightest hug. Without hesitation, his lips found mine, and I let him kiss me. Warmth flooded my body, and the world went quiet. His breaths slowed everything down. His hand rushed up to cradle the back of my head like we’d been a couple for years. He held the kiss for three more seconds before burying his face in my neck. My heart skipped a beat.
“Thank you for picking me up,” he said, his words muffled against my jacket. “I couldn’t stop thinking about wanting to kiss you for days.”
He leaned in to press his lips against mine again, when the clearing of a throat behind us made my blood freeze.
I was so absorbed in Sebastian that I had completely forgotten about Jack. I slowly turned my head toward the sound, and, of course, there he stood, only a couple of feet behind us. Seb followed my gaze, loosening his grip on me as my breathing quickened.
Jack’s eyebrows nearly hit the ceiling. He lifted his right hand, showing off his phone. “His name was Rami. And I guess, you’ve already found the person you were here to pick up.” He held out his hand toward Sebastian. “Hi, I’m Jack, a friend of this one here.” He nodded at me. “And, uh, I figured I’d say hello.”
His mouth hung open after he finished speaking. None of us moved at first, but eventually Seb reached out and shook Jack’s hand.
“Sebastian. Nice to meet you,” he said to Jack, though his eyes glanced at me, clearly looking for an explanation.
“We ran into each other a few minutes ago,” I said. “He’s here to pick up…?”
“Rami.”
“Rami, that’s right.” I nodded, as if I had any idea who that was.
Sebastian nodded, too, and finally let go of Jack’s hand. “And who’s Rami?”
