I smiled quickly. “Sure. That steak of yours looks good.”
Points for stellar conversation, Jamie.
“It’s delicious. Want a bite?”
“Oh, um—” Hank held his fork out, waiting, so I leaned in and took the bite from the tines, humming appreciatively as the flavor of well-seasoned beef and caramelized onion hit my tongue. “That’s good.”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Looks even better when you eat it.”
I flushed as I licked my lips clean of the juices from my last bite. “Uh, thanks?”
He smirked. “I love your blush. I might have to make it my new pastime to put it there.”
I kicked his ankle, making him laugh.
“You’re not really…” I raised my hands to my hot cheeks.
“Not really what?” he asked.
I shook my head, unable to put the thought into words. It just seemed impossible that Hank would be attracted to me that way after weeks of indifference.
“Nothing,” I murmured. “This is just an adjustment. You looking at me like that.”
He nodded in understanding. “I guess I didn’t consider you might need time to wrap your head around it.” He shrugged. “I, um, was in denial for a while. I’d never been into a guy before.”
“You weren’t into me either,” I pointed out.
“Maybe not at first. I thought you werecute, though.”
That surprised me. “Really? You didn’t show it. You seemed more uncomfortable than anything else.”
“Well, I was caught off-guard by the mix-up. I expected another kind of Jamie.”
I waved my hand toward the front of the restaurant. “Thatkind of Jamie.”
“That’s what I thought I wanted, anyway. I was wrong. I’ve been thinking you’re adorable, Jamie. I’ve been wanting to spend all my time with you. And I did a lot of thinking these past couple of days. Did a lot of, um, research into my desires.”
“Research?”
Hank glanced around the restaurant, his cheeks a little pink this time. “Let’s get out of here and I’ll tell you all about it. Or even better, I’ll show you.”
My stomach somersaulted. Show-and-tell with Hank Reeves? I couldn’t resist that.
“Check please,” I called as Marco passed by.
Once we were in the car and headed back toward my house, I turned in my seat. “Okay, spill it. What did you mean by research?”
“Well, I did the obvious things. Watched some gay porn. Fantasized about what it might be like with you.” He cast me an almost shy look. “Favorable results, by the way. Not that I was too surprised after kissing you. I would have stayed the night then and there if you’d let me.”
“That’s…so you liked the porn?”
“Eh. Less favorable results there. I realized something as I was reflecting on my past relationships.”
“Yeah?”
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, lost in thought for a moment. “I, uh, have only had one really good relationship in my life prior to this. It was in high school.”
“Oh?”
