Page 55 of Twice Shy

“Okay. It’s healthy.”

“It’s— I have a special recipe, actually. It’s good.”

Ollie’s eyes smiled. “Yeah? Show me.”

So he did. Oatmeal made with fat-free milk, half a banana, cinnamon and a spoonful of honey, simmered on the stove for five minutes, then topped with the rest of the banana, a dollop of Greek yogurt, blueberries, toasted almonds and another drizzle of honey. Delicious.

Ollie looked impressed when Joel set two bowls on the dining table next to the window and topped up their coffees. “This actually looks amazing,” he said. “Like something you’d get in a restaurant. You eat this all the time?”

“Every day.” He rubbed his neck self-consciously. “I’m, uh, quite the creature of habit I’m afraid.”

Ollie took a tentative bite, seemed to like it and dug in. “Good,” he pronounced, nodding to himself. “I could definitely get used to this.”

Joel’s heart did a little back flip.I could get used to this, too, it seemed to say as he watched Ollie eat.All too easily.

When Ollie had scraped his bowl clean, he sat back in his chair and cupped his hands around his coffee. “Uh, listen,” he said, sounding awkward. A hot flash of heat overcame Joel, sharp with anxiety. This was it. Of course it was. This was the ‘it’s been nice but…’ moment. He braced himself. Ollie said, “I don’t want to hold you up if you have plans today, so, you know, just let me know…”

“I… no. No plans.” He cleared his throat. “But if you do…?”

Ollie shook his head, lips curling into a cautious smile. “You want to hang out?”

God, yes. So much. He glanced back out the window to the crisp blue morning. “I often go for a bike ride at the weekend,” he said. “You mentioned before that you used to ride?”

“I did.” A pause. “I don’t have a bike anymore.”

“Want to borrow one of mine? I’ve got a hybrid and a mountain bike. We’re about the same height, right?”

Ollie’s eyes lit up. “Sure. I’m five eleven in heels, and you’re, what? Six foot. I could easily ride one of your bikes.”

“You want to? There’s a sweet trail out past the old lighthouse and down to Whitman Beach. It’s pretty packed in the summer, but this time of year we’d have it mostly to ourselves. Especially if we leave early.”

Ollie downed the rest of his coffee. “I’m ready, but can we swing past my apartment so I can pick up a change of clothes?” He plucked at his wool sweater. “This was not made for exercising.”

An hour later, they were heading out. Since the trail was pretty level, and only a few miles long, Joel didn’t bother with all his cycling gear—just wore jeans and a cycling jersey, and his gloves and helmet. Ollie was similarly dressed and borrowing Joel’s spare helmet as well as his mountain bike. He looked good as he cycled slow circles around the empty parking lot at the head of the trail, adjusting his sunglasses and testing out the gears and breaks. Frankly, Ollie looked good in anything.

And nothing at all.

Joel pushed that stray thought away and squinted toward the trail. It ran along the coastline and out to the old lighthouse building. The light itself hadn’t worked for years, decades probably, but people still enjoyed hiking or biking out there, to the small semi-private beach at the end of the trail. In the summer it could be busy, but a brisk November morning was a different story entirely. There was nobody around and the only sound was the blustery wind in his ears, the roar of the surf, and the occasional cry of a seagull swooping high in the sky.

They’d driven up, bikes on the back of Joel’s car, but could easily have ridden if they hadn’t needed to stop at Ollie’s on the way. He often cycled here from home. “Ready?” he called.

Ollie came over, his cheeks flushed from the chill. “I’ll follow you.”

The trail was well maintained, and quiet this morning. The land sloped down into boulders on their right, a rocky shore with no beach, and beyond that lay the Sound and Connecticut. On a clear day—and this was a crystal-clear day—the view was spectacular. Joel kept his gaze flitting between the trail and the ocean, and after they’d been riding a few minutes he slowed and stopped, Ollie pulling up beside him. “Look,” Joel said, pointing. “Just beyond those rocks—a couple of seals in the water.”

“No way, really?” Ollie looked and exclaimed when a little brown head popped up and disappeared beneath the water. “I see it! There’s two of them. Oh, look, he’s sunbathing. That’s adorable.”

And that was it, that was the moment. Gazing at Ollie’s smiling expression as he watched the seal float on its back, flippers in the air, Joel’s heart started drumming in a new rhythm, keeping time with another’s beat.

“There are a couple beaches around here where they come on shore,” Joel said, sounding surprisingly normal. “You should take the kids—they have free tours.”

“Yeah? Rory would love that. He loves animals.” Ollie adjusted his sunglasses. “Maybe you could come with us or…or something.” Struck silent by the image of a family outing with Ollie and his boys, Joel just stared. The prospect was breathtakingly perfect. It was everything he wanted, and therefore terrifying. Ollie laughed nervously. “Although, I guess you have enough of kids at school so the last thing you’d want to do—”

“I’d love to,” Joel blurted. “I’d love to go with you and the boys.”

Ollie’s smile relaxed. “It would be great to have the company.”

“That’s a date then.”

---