Page 81 of Something Like Summer
“Or another ex-boyfriend,who knows,” Jace murmured as he watched him leave the room. “So,that’s the famous Tim?”
Ben nodded, following it upwith a sympathetic sigh. “How long has he been here?”
“Half an hour or so,” Jaceanswered, poking around in the Thai bag for any sign of a fortunecookie. “He’s a little different than I expected. You didn’t tellme that he looked so-- Uh…”
“Abercrombie andFitch?”
“Exactly.”
“Well, maybe he’s here fora threesome,” Ben said in just the right tone to pass it off as ajoke.
“You’re more than enoughfor me,” Jace replied smoothly. “Anyone else in the bedroom wouldonly be an unwelcome distraction.”
Ben smiled, surprised byhis feeling of relief. At least he could count on Jace not todevelop any unwanted feelings for Tim.
“Look, Ben--” Whateverelse Jace was going to say was cut short by Tim’s reappearance inthe room, pizza balanced on one palm.
Ben bartered for a fewpizza slices by offering some of his Thai food, and soon they wereall eating a mix of both meals. The combination was strange andnever meant to come together, but the same could be said aboutthose dining. Ben watched while Tim focused on developing a rapportwith Jace. Was he interested in who Ben had chosen to be with orwas he sizing up the competition, gaining his trust and collectingdata that he could later use?
Once the Italian-Thai mealwas finished, Tim finally revealed his purpose incoming.
“I have a friend, well,the friend of a friend really, who is throwing a big birthday partyat Splashtown in San Antonio.”
Ben didn’t know San Antoniohad a Splashtown, but he assumed it was the same as the one inHouston: a massive water park full of pools and slides.
“He has the whole placebooked just for his party,” Tim continued. “He just so happens toowe me a favor, and I asked if I could bring you guysalong.”
The pretense for droppingby was weak, but Ben’s interest was piqued. Crowds and lines alwayslimited the fun at theme parks, but there would only be so manyguests at a birthday party. As a kid he’d always fantasized aboutnever having to get off the rollercoaster, and this was the nextbest thing.
One look at Jace broughtthese fantasies to a screeching halt. The smile on Jace’s face wasjust the slightest bit too tight.
“We don’t have to go,” Bentold him when Tim slipped away to the restroom.
“But you want to,” Jacesaid.
“Well, yeah, it would befun, but we could always go together some other time.”
“Do you plan on stayingfriends with Tim?” Jace asked. “He’s going to be in your life fromnow on?”
Ben cast a nervous glancetoward the bathroom. He knew the risks, but he didn’t like the ideaof abandoning Tim to his lonely life. Surely he had other friendstoo, but he seemed so happy to be around Ben, so grateful. “I guessso,” he answered.
“Then it’s a good idea forTim to see us together as a couple.” Jace’s smile was not at allresentful, causing Ben to feel a sudden surge of love for him. Anyother guy would be jealous and possessive, but Jace’s solution wasto welcome Tim into their lives.
Still, the trip might beawkward. Tim brought out the impulsive teenager in Ben, while beingaround Jace encouraged him to be smart and responsible. Situationslike these always made Ben feel like he had multiple personalitiesand left him unsure of how to act. If only there was only some wayto disperse any tension before it began.
* * * * *
“Double date!” Allisonsang as they all piled into the car.
Ben beamed at his secretagent. Allison was the solution to all of his problems. She was tokeep whatever guy Ben wasn’t talking to busy. That way he could behimself around either one of them. Already she had outperformed hisexpectations, calling shotgun and sitting up front with Tim to keephim occupied. This worked for a short time, but soon Tim wascraning his neck around to talk to Ben in the backseat as the carswerved dangerously.
At the next gas stationthey thanked various gods that they were still alive, and decidedto switch plans. Allison hopped into the backseat with Ben, leavingTim and Jace to talk to each other. Every time either of the guysin the front tried to talk to them, Allison and Ben would breakinto song or pretend to be deep in conversation. Eventually the twomen were forced to keep each other company.
After a guard checked theirnames against a list, they were allowed into Splashtown. Therestaurant nearest the gate was set up as birthday headquarters.The birthday boy turned out to be a toadish man of about fifty,whose fingers, wrists, and neck all strained under the weight ofjewelry.
“Bling bling,” Benmuttered to Allison as they approached to wish him happy birthday.He couldn’t help but wonder what sort of favor the man owedTim.
After some small talk theywere free to strip down to their swimsuits and roam around thepark. Ben did his best not to stare at Tim, but he hadn’t seen himshirtless since high school. His physique was a strange mix of thefamiliar and the unknown. The curves and lines of his muscles weremostly the same, just bigger, but he now had a scar running downhis shoulder. Ben wondered at the story behind it. Where had hebeen the past five years and would his body feel different to thetouch?
