Page 105 of Sharing Shadow Secrets
When Brandon asked me where I’d always wanted to go for dinner, I gave him this place, not expecting him to jump at it. But he did. It feels significant, him choosing somewhere public. Maybe this neighborhood helps him exhale the same way it does for me.
“Hey,” he says, his voice low and a little breathless. I turn and see him striding toward me, wearing a hunter green utility jacketover a white shirt, black jeans, and Chelsea boots. His effort is obvious, and damn—he looks good.
“You got dressed up for me?” I tease.
He shrugs, dropping his gaze for a second. “Were your pants this tight on your date with Taylor?”
I laugh, remembering the long bike ride along the lake path. We talked about social media for hours—what it gives, what it takes.
Then Brandon surprises me, reaching for my hand.
“Look at you,” I say, genuinely impressed, no sarcasm in sight.
“When I like someone, I like to hold their hand.”
My chest warms. This soft side of him is new to me. He leans in and presses a kiss to my lips. It’s quick but charged.
I blink, not because I’m shocked by the kiss, but by the fact he did ithere. In public.
“That felt appropriate, given everything,” he says.
“Because we’ve fucked?” I arch my brow. “Or because we’re dating the same woman?”
He chuckles, intertwining our fingers. “All of the above. And because you look really good tonight.”
“Swoon,” I say as we walk into the restaurant together.
At the host stand, he says, “Two, under Brandon.”
“Your favorite,” I whisper, and he elbows me as the host picks up menus.
“I havetoomuch sass in my life,” Brandon mutters with a wink. I like this playful rhythm between us.
Walking deeper into the restaurant, booths line the walls. Each one has a unique, red abstract painting above it. The host gestures for us to sit at a booth in the middle of the restaurant. Nice. Cozy. A chance for Brandon and I to really connect. As we take our seats, I stare into his blue eyes.
“I never really come to this neighborhood,” Brandon says, studying the menu.
“It was more fun before the apps,” I say, then take a sip of water.
“Why’s that?” he asks, flicking his eyes up from the menu.
“They changed the dynamic … People scan you, swipe past you, vet you all before saying hi. It made something that used to feel organic … transactional.”
He shifts his fork on the table, then says, “I’ve always been too afraid to download any of the exclusively gay ones.”
“Afraid?” I ask, curious about that word.
“That someone I know might see me there.”
I hum, finding irony in this. “But not too afraid to hook up with a stranger in a bar bathroom.” I cock a brow and sip my water. “You know it’s hard for me to believe that you’ve been telling yourself that you’re straight all this time. I mean …” My cheeks flush, thinking about the night we met. We were so drunk, messed up. “I squeezed your ass, then you grabbed my wrist so tight and pulled me into a bathroom stall, and next thing you know I was blowing you,” I whisper.
He smirks, then takes a sip of his water. “We were drunk sluts. But now …”
“We’re classy bitches.”
Brandon chuckles then grabs for my hand. “You’re the only guy who’s ever gotten a call back.”
I rest my chin on my other hand, feeling special. “So there have been other guys?” I ask, wanting to know more about that.
