He made his way over, weaving through bodies and pretending he wasn’t tracking Maurice across the room like a heat-seeking missile. David was already seated, smiling politely in that calm, observant way he had noticed earlier.
“Finn, right?” David said as Finn sat down.
“Yeah.” Finn tried to focus on him, not the tall, broad man at Table One who kept glancing over like he was checking on him. “Hi.”
David tapped the deck of question cards in the center. “Want to start?”
“Sure.” Finn pulled one, flipping it over. “Okay… ‘What’s something you’re proud of this year?’”
David laughed softly. “Starting with the deep ones, huh? I guess… taking more time off work. I’m terrible at that.” He nodded at Finn. “You?”
Finn opened his mouth—then caught Maurice leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, eyes unmistakably on him. Finn’s pulse jumped.
“Uh—sorry, what was the question again?”
David followed Finn’s gaze, then smirked as if he understood everything instantly. “Something you’re proud of.”
“Oh, right?” Finn cleared his throat. “Um… I guess… trying new things. Like this.” He gestured vaguely at the room. “Speed-dating on a train. Very normal.”
David chuckled. “Want to pick the next one?”
Finn shuffled the deck of question cards mostly so he’d stop staring at Maurice like a lovesick idiot. He pulled one at random, but the words didn’t even register. His brain was too busy replaying the way Maurice had smiled at him a minute ago—slow, warm, like Finn was something worth lingering on.
He cleared his throat. “Uh… can I ask you something that’s not on my card?”
David leaned back in his chair, giving Finn a look that was half amusement, half he already knew where this was going. “I can probably guess who it’s about. Go ahead.”
Finn hesitated, then blurted, “Can you tell me about Maurice? You two are close, right?”
“Close enough,” David said with a shrug. “Ask something specific.”
Finn chewed his lip. “Is he… looking for something real? Or is he just here to have fun this week?”
David let out a low whistle. “Jumping straight into the deep end, huh?” He tapped the table with one finger. “Before I answer anything, I need to know where you are at.”
Finn blinked. “Me?”
“Yeah, you.” David smirked. “I’ve heard people calling you Rainbow Flirt.”
Finn groaned. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. So.” David raised an eyebrow. “Are you actually looking for a daddy, or are you just collecting admirers?”
“I thought I was the one asking questions.”
“You are,” David said, still annoyingly calm. “But I’m not giving you anything about Maurice unless I know you’re not about to play him.”
Finn sat up straighter. “I’m not. I’m done flirting. I want…” His voice dipped. “I want Maurice. I didn’t even know I needed someone like him until I saw him.”
David studied him for a long moment—long enough that Finn started sweating. Then David nodded once, as if he’d decided Finn wasn’t full of it.
“Okay,” he said. “Good to know.”
But he didn’t launch into some big explanation about Maurice’s intentions. He didn’t spill secrets or give Finn a neat little roadmap. Instead, he picked up a card and flicked it toward Finn.
“Your turn.”
Finn stared at him. “That’s it?”
