“Seriously, Ben,” Dahlia said with a grin across from him, chin propped on her hand.“It’s a pleasure. London has told meso muchabout you.”
London sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling.
“Wow,” they said. “You couldn’t wait even two seconds.”
“Ooh!” Julie jumped in from Dahlia’s other side. “Are we talking about how London had a big silly crush on Ben all throughout high school?”
“I hate you all,” London muttered, opening their menu and staring at it resolutely.
“I mean, I get it!” Dahlia said to Ben. “You are pretty dreamy.”
London scowled. Ben bit the inside of his cheek.
“You know, it truly is the most typical Ben Caravalho thing to ever happen,” Julie said. “That you went to the fucking backcountry and somehow still brought back a hot boyfriend.”
She grinned at him as she said it. Ben grinned back.
It occurred to him a second later, though, that while he knew Julie meant this affectionately—she had texted him lots of complimentary, encouraging things yesterday after finally meeting Alexei in person—the statement had probably sounded a little odd to Alexei.
And she had called Alexei his boyfriend. Shit. Out of nerves, Ben gave Alexei’s hand another squeeze.
He had never quite known how to describe what they were, him and Lex. Boyfriend didn’t even seem to cover half of it. And labels didn’t seem to matter on the trail. But they probably should have discussed it before flying here. He knew Alexei had never had a boyfriend before. That the label would be a big deal to him.
Ben squeezed his hand one more time, for good measure.
“Julie,” London said, shaking their head.
“Are we disputing the fact that Alexei is hot? Or that Ben’s a little slutty?”
Ben choked on his water. Khalil, on his other side, snorted.
“You know I mean it in an empowering way!” Julie protested.
“We’re really easing Alexei into the group, huh,” Laynie said.
“You know.” Reina spoke up from the end of the table, her light brown hair twisted into a clip at the back of her head. “When I met you last year, Ben, I did think, this one seems a little slutty.”
Ben laughed at that. But okay. Maybe he should have filled in Alexei about his dating history. At least a little. Before, you know, right now.
He turned his body toward Alexei, finally looking him in the eye. And while he’d expected to see that crease of worry across Alexei’s forehead, his face was clear. If anything, it seemed like Alexei’s eyes were almost…amused?
Still, Ben should address this, even if he hadn’t planned to do so before breakfast, in front of all of his friends.
“I have…dated,” he started, “kind of a lot of people. I haven’t told you about them because you didn’t ask, and most of them honestly didn’t even matter. Okay?”
“Ouch,” Khalil said, a hand over his heart.
“Oh shit, I always forget you guys dated,” Laynie said.
“For aweek,” Ben scowled. “Intenth grade.” He said this to his friends, the jerks, but kept looking at Alexei, his fingers running over Alexei’s knee.
“You okay?” Ben asked quietly.
Alexei looked back at him for a beat.
“I think,” he said with a smile, “that I am rather proud to be with a slut.”
Ben’s eyebrows raised in surprise. Dahlia gave a loud laugh from across the table.
