Page 49 of Twice Shy

Odd choice of venue. They usually went to the Rock House for these things, but maybe they wanted somewhere different. Joel didn’t care; all that mattered to him was that Ollie would be there.

It being a clear, crisp evening Joel decided to leave his bike at home and walk to the Majestic. There was a lovely path along the clifftop that he’d walked plenty of times in daylight, and he was confident of navigating it by moonlight. It was about a forty-minute walk from home, but that didn’t bother him. Walking gave him time to think and the sight of the silvery moon shimmering in the ocean was quite breathtaking. Shame Ollie wasn’t there to enjoy it with him. As he paused to admire the view, he flexed his fingers and imagined what it might feel like to walk hand-in-hand with Ollie, to kiss him in the moonlight.

So much for keeping things low-key, you romantic fool.

But it was too cold to be standing about dreaming for long, so he walked on, letting the shushing of the surf at the base of the cliff soothe his thoughts. Yet it couldn’t hold back his mounting excitement as he saw the lights of the Majestic ahead. Although he’d tried not to think too hard about what might happen later that night, Joel liked to be prepared so he’d made sure the house was tidy and that there were clean sheets on the bed. He’d even cycled all the way into Commack after work on Wednesday to buy condoms. Just in case.

The gardens of the Majestic opened onto the cliff through a wrought iron gate, but Joel didn’t go in that way, instead walking around to the driveway at the front of the hotel. As he emerged from the cliff path, he saw Alyssa climbing out of her car and called a greeting.

She turned in surprise. “Hey! Where’d you spring from?”

“I walked,” he said. “You look lovely, by the way.”

Alyssa smiled and gave a little twirl. “Why this old thing? Thank you.” She was wearing a pretty dress in a color that would be called something like ‘teal-blue’ on his paint charts. “Great idea of Ollie’s that we come here, huh? Better than beer and burgers at the Rock House.”

“This was Ollie’s idea?”

“Yeah. I like that kid, a breath of fresh air around here. Jackie’s crushing on him big time, by the way. I still haven’t told her he’s gay.”

Joel laughed, rubbing self-consciously at the back of his neck. Speaking of crushing on Ollie big time… “Maybe you should tell her. Jackie does tend to, er—”

“Put her foot in it? Yes. She doesn’t mean any harm.”

He inclined his head. “Doesn’t mean she can’t cause harm anyway. Careless words hurt too.”

Alyssa studied him. “I know. I’ll fill her in.” A pause. “Ollie’s never mentioned anything to me, but has Jackie said something to upset him?”

“No, not that I know. But— Well, you know what some parents can be like, and I think the PTA should lead from the front when it comes to inclusion and diversity.”

Alyssa favored him with an old-fashioned look. “Right. Well, you’ll get no argument from me.”

“Of course.” He blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“I guess we all have to pay attention to what we’re saying, huh?” She cocked her head, still watching him. “I hear Ollie’s still driving your car.”

“Oh.” Flustered, he said, “It’s no big deal. I hardly use it and he’s stuck after the accident so….”

Alyssa’s expression softened and she looped her arm through his. “Come on, let’s go inside. I’m freezing my butt off in this dress.”

The Majestic looked different at night. The foyer was softly lit, giving the impression of space and warmth and old-time elegance. But the dining room was stunning. It had wide windows which, in daylight, must have had spectacular views over the cliffs, but tonight were draped in gauzy net with tiny twinkle lights giving a starlit effect. A hardwood floor gleamed golden in the light of candles on all the scrubbed wood tables, giving the place a less formal, seaside ambiance that both contrasted and complemented the elegant chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Several of the tables were occupied by couples or small groups, and Joel’s eyes lit immediately on two women holding hands across their table as they spoke smilingly together. Romantic, intimate. Quite lovely, really.

“There’s Jackie,” Alyssa said, and headed over to the large round table in the center of the room. Joel hoped they wouldn’t be too raucous and disturb the romantic evening for the Majestic’s other guests.

Like Alyssa, Jackie was dressedup. Unlike Alyssa she resembled an outré stick of bubblegum in a figure-hugging pink ensemble. “Mr. Morgan!” she cooed as he approached, standing up to ‘Mwah!’ him on each cheek. “Don’t you look handsome? Look, Alyssa, doesn’t Mr. M look dashing tonight.”

Alyssa glanced up from tucking her purse under her chair, dark eyes bright and amused. “He does indeed.”

Flushing, he said, “Thank you. I thought—” Whatever it was he’d thought, the idea fled his mind at the sight of Ollie entering the room. Their eyes met over the heads of the seated guests and Joel’s insides gave a disconcerting swoop at the sight of him in smart jeans and a nice moss green sweater that brought out the auburn in his hair—which was styled for once, artfully tousled curls falling over his forehead in a way that made the pit of Joel’s stomach tense with hard, unadulterated want.

“Hey,” Ollie said, smiling as he reached them. “Jackie, Alyssa—how is everyone? You all look beautiful.”

Joel’s mouth felt dry and he fumbled himself into a seat next to Alyssa. But Ollie hesitated a beat too long and Jackie snagged him.

“Come here, Ollie! Sit next to me. Now, I’ve never eaten here before, but I already think it was a wonderful idea. Such pretty decor.”

Ollie flashed Joel a regretful smile as he took his seat, but Joel thought it was probably for the best that they weren’t sitting next to each other. The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to the way he was swooning. Okay,moreattention; Alyssa was already grinning.

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