Page 80 of Something Like Summer
Ben’s trust in Tim wasn’tthe issue. Rather he didn’t trust himself. Ben needed very badly togo home, relieve some sexual tension, and reexamine everything froma healthy distance. After resisting a few more onslaughts of charm,he won and was driven back to Jace’s apartment. Tim killed theignition after parking, the resulting silence creating pressure inthe car. Why was it suddenly so hard to reach over and open thedoor?
“Thanks for the lastcouple of days,” Tim said. “I know I went a little overboard, butit’s been a long time since I’ve had someone like youaround.”
“I liked it, too,” Bensaid, “but I’m also looking forward to Jace being backtomorrow.”
“Hint taken,” Tim saidwith good humor. “I’m serious about meeting him though. The manbehind the legend and all that.”
“Yeah?
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
Maybe it would be fun. Thetwo greatest loves of his life together in one place. What couldpossibly go wrong, aside from everything. The scientists who splitthe atom had probably felt the same way. They knew what they wereabout to do would be dangerous, but like Ben, they were too damncurious to stop themselves.
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Chapter 23
The airport buzzed withconversation, people weaving in and out of each other withsubconscious precision like worker bees tending their hive. Outsidethe gate’s security checkpoint, a group of people waited, eachfidgeting with anticipation, their minds focused on the arrivingpassengers. All but Ben, who couldn’t stop thinking of the cellphone, turned off and stowed away in a kitchen drawer. Instinctdrove him to hide it, and only later did he recognize how odd thisbehavior was.
Hugs burst out around himas reunions took place, but he couldn’t stop thinking of the phone.Had he time, he would have driven home and set it out on thecounter in plain view or even brought it with him. Anything wasbetter than it being hidden.
“Ben?”
Luggage in tow, Jace wasdressed in uniform, wearing just a vest over his dress shirt andtie due to the warm season. His smile was bemused, as if Ben werebeing silly by staring at him dumbly, before his long armsenveloped him in a hug. The scent of Jace’s aftershave and themurmured words against his neck were like a tonic. With a kiss,Jace broke Tim’s spell, woke Cinderella up from the strange dreamof the last couple of days.
“I’m so glad you’reback!”
Ben almost cried, but thatwould have been even stranger than hiding a cell phone.
When they were home, theymade love with desperation. Jace might not have understood why, buthe was happy to comply. Afterwards, securely nestled in Jace’sarms, Ben felt safe enough to speak the truth.
“I ran into Tim the otherday.”
“Ah,” Jace said, thepuzzle pieces falling into place. There was no need forexplanation. There was only ever one Tim, and Jace knew Ben’shistory well enough to understand how monumental an impact thiswould have on him. “I don’t suppose he’s horribly overweight?Probably bald and missing a few teeth too, I imagine.”
Ben wanted to laugh, butinstead the details poured out, everything except his fear that hisfeelings for Tim were still alive. Jace would share the same worry,so there was little point in voicing it. There was no arguing oraccusations, not from Jace, but he did frown about the cell phone,and sighed at the mention of the theme park visit. For once Jacehad little advice to offer. Instead he held Ben tightly, as ifknowing this was the more effective strategy.
As they dozed off, Ben’smind drifted to the distant teenage world he’d once inhabited. Allof it seemed so far away. This new Tim, with his money and strangerelationship with Eric, didn’t fit into that time and place and wasstill too new and alien for Ben’s comfort. Jace was reassuringlyfamiliar, a solid part of the last two years that Ben intended tohold onto like flotsam in a storm-ravaged sea.
* * * * *
The cell phone came out ofits drawer, but only two days later did Ben consider turning it on.His finger hovered over the power button, as if pressing it wouldsummon a genie from its lamp. Not the big, blue, friendly varietyeither, but the sort who twisted the meaning of a wish beforegranting it. Ben hated that Tim was all alone inside his silentmansion, but at least there he didn’t pose a threat to hishappily-ever-after with Jace. And so the genie bottle stayedplugged. They were just friends, after all. Friends could go dayswithout speaking, weeks even.
Or about four days as itturned out. After class, Ben made a token appearance at home forAllison’s sake before rushing over to Jace’s apartment, stoppingonly to pick up their favorite Thai food. He took the steps two ata time and rapped on the door instead of struggling with his keys.The door swung open, but where someone tall and debonair shouldhave stood, was someone brawny and completelyunexpected.
“For a pizza boy, you’repretty hot,” Tim said.
Mouth agape, Ben stareduntil Jace arrived on the scene. He gave a helpless little shrugfrom behind Tim before speaking. “Look who dropped by. Says he hasa surprise for us.”
“It’s nothing, really,”Tim said, gesturing for Ben to come in as if it were hisapartment.
This was getting a little creepy.Had Tim felt this way when Ben played stalker in high school?Surely Ben hadn’t been as transparent. Still, as stalkers went hecould do a lot worse. He kissed Jace hello, which felt strangelylike cheating, before heading to the living room to tackle hisfood. Let them do all the talking. He planned to keep his head downand his mouth full until the entire incident was over.
The doorbell rang, causing Tim tojump out of his seat just seconds after he had sat.
“Thatmust be the pizza,” he said.
