Page 26 of No Reservations

Thad seemed to find it as shocking as I did. His eyes widened behind his glasses as he looked between us. “Well, I… just forget it.” He shouldered past me and stalked away down the sidewalk until he disappeared around a corner.

A wild declaration teetered on the tip of my tongue, three little words that I had never said to anyone before in my life.How had this unbelievable man fallen into my life? What had I done to deserve such brightness and support? Somehow, I managed to keep the words inside. It was too early for such things. There was still so much up in the air about the whole contract.

I reached out and clasped his hand. “Thank you, Matty.” His face lit up at the pet name, and I had to fight another urge to kiss him right there in front of a shoe shop. “Let’s go home.”

***

The coffee and scone fortified Matthew enough to keep up his usual high energy for the drive back to my condo so we could get ready for the event that evening. At least it wasn’t a huge industry party or awards show that required tuxedos. Instead, he’d be my plus one for an LGBTQ+ organization fundraising dinner that collected money for special projects and presented new ones to consider in the upcoming year.

Matthew’s usual outfit of cargo shorts and t-shirt wouldn’t do, and we didn’t have time to go shopping, so I presented him with a few options I’d picked out in the week since I’d seen him last. “I had your measurements from the tux fitting,” I said as he scanned the options hanging in the guest room closet. “I hope they suit you. I don’t want to erase your own style or anything.” I was babbling, something I never did in my professional or personal life.

He shot me a sparkling grin and pulled a pair of chocolate chinos, sport jacket, and cream shirt. “I don’t have anything that would work for your world, Cole. My style is basically nature bum. This is great. It’s all part of the deal, right?”

The mention of the business deal shaved a bit of happiness off the evening. I wasn’t going to let it ruin the forward momentum of our relationship. For once in my life, I was goingto put as much effort into what I wanted as I did for business contracts for the band. “Your comfort at my side means more than the particular style of clothes you wear.”

How could I help but fall for a man who gave me looks like the one he aimed in my direction next? Matthew pulled his t-shirt off over his head, exposing the delicious planes of chest and abs and those thick arms that felt so good wrapped around me. “Well, go get ready, Cole.” He waved a hand toward the door before unbuttoning his shorts and letting them fall to the floor in a heap.

I groaned and tore myself away from the delicious sight. With the image of his meaty ass in mind, I couldn’t resist taking myself in hand in the shower. There was no way I was going to get through the dinner battling a hardon the whole time.

It took about half an hour to drive to the dinner venue. I handed my keys to the valet, took Matthew’s hand in mind, and headed inside. Several round tables clustered around a raised dais with a podium for the host who would introduce the various charity options group members could support in the coming year.

We circulated through the room. I introduced Matthew to people, and he charmed them with his warm smile and personality. The man could adapt to any situation, and I couldn’t help but imagine him on my arm at everything from after-concert parties to black-tie galas in the future. He seemed as at home nibbling on caviar-topped appetizers as he did roasting marshmallows for smores.

Somehow, I managed to listen to the presentations and engage in the conversations at our table during dinner. The world was unfortunately filled with LGBTQ+ folks who faced challenges every day. I turned away from a discussion about the Indigo Initiative, an emerging organization that builttransitional communities for unhoused people, to hear the man on the other side of the table ask Matthew a question.

“And how did you meet Cole here?” The older gentleman toyed with the fingers of his much younger date’s manicured hand.

“We ran into each other on the way out of his favorite coffee shop. I was vacationing in LA, seeing the sights.” He turned to catch my gaze. “He was the best thing I’d ever seen.”

The man bobbed his bushy gray eyebrows. “Ah. Love at first sight. How romantic.” He kissed his date’s fingers, but the younger man just rolled his eyes and stared off into the distance.

“Yes,” Matthew replied, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “I suppose it was.”

The evening ended much earlier than the other events we’d attended together. There was no dancing or after dinner drinks. We made the rounds of handshakes and air kisses that seemed compulsory at these things before we headed back out to my car.

“Ugh, Cole. Jet lag is catching up to me.” Matthew leaned against my shoulder and wrapped an arm around my waist as we waited for the valet.

“It’s only a three-hour difference.” When he just sighed and snuggled closer, warmth filled me from head to toe. “We’ll get you in bed as soon as we get back to my place.”

“Your bed.” He picked his head up. “I don’t want to stay in the guest room.”

There was no way I could resist him anymore. I pressed my mouth against his once, twice, before teasing the plump curve of his bottom lip with the tip of my tongue. “I don’t want you to stay in the guest room either, Matty. I want you with me.”

The valet handed over my keys, I tipped him, and we slid inside the dark confines of the sedan. My last comment hung in the air between us, full of meaning and worry, but I didn’t haveto wait long for Matthew to soothe my tension just like he always did.

“I don’t want to break up on September first, Cole.” He stared straight out the front window, and his voice shook ever so slightly.

Throughout this whole wild adventure, Matthew had never expressed one moment of fear or uncertainty. The tightness in his voice sparked the urge to take care of him for once, to find a way to soothe away his concerns. With startling and sudden clarity, I realized that I had something to offer more than my money or social position. Matthew never wanted those things in the first place. I hoped he wanted anything else I had to give.

“I don’t want to either, Matty. This has been real for me for quite a while.”

Silence spun out as I drove back to my condo and pulled into my space in the underground parking garage. We didn’t speak as I rounded the car and took Matthew’s hand in mine. No words were exchanged on the elevator ride or short walk to my door and then into my bedroom. We peeled away each other’s clothes in silence and climbed between the sheets, bodies pressed close, arms and legs entwined, sharing breath and dreams of a future together.

Chapter 15

Matthew

Finding an upgraded ticket waiting for me put a smile on my face, but the knowledge that Cole waited for me at the Burlington International airport in Vermont was better still. His flight landed about an hour before mine, and we planned to meet at the car rental counters. He’d been the one to suggest joining me at the convention. The offer had surprised and delighted me.

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