Page 55 of Flirt
Ignoring the curious glances and open stares, he skirted the edge of the diner, leading Asher by the hand tohis favorite booth in the back. The wooden frame had been chipped and dinged over the years, and the green vinyl that covered the cushioned seat had faded and cracked, showing the yellow stuffing beneath. Still, the slight indent in the center of the bench seat cradled his ass perfectly as he dropped into it and motioned for Asher to take the seat across from him.
“People aren’t going to chase us out of here with torches and pitchforks, right?”
Cameron snorted as he grabbed the laminated menu from behind the napkin dispenser and slid it across the chipped tabletop. “No, nothing like that. It’s been a while since they’ve seen me with anyone. They’re just curious.”
Growing up gay in No-One-Cares-Where, Texas had been brutal in the beginning. Then, right around his junior year of high school, things had started to change. All because Mayor Linwood’s son had announced—after a few too many beers during the annual Fall Festival—that hereallyliked cock. Oh, it had been scandalous, and Mrs. Linwood had nearly fainted.
Change hadn’t happened all at once, but eventually, the good townsfolk of Mission Grove had strolled right into the twenty-first century. Sure, a few of the old timers still held to their stubborn misconceptions, but for the most part, the town had been given no choice but to move ahead with the times.
It also didn’t hurt that they resided a mere twenty-minute drive from Dallas, and not everyone who worked in the city wanted to live there. With new blood moving into the town, the ball had really started rolling. Now, no less than six gay men and one lesbian couple resided within town limits, and honestly, no one seemed to give a shit anymore.
“Hi, Mr. Stone.” A perky blonde with bright blue eyes and freckles across her button nose bounced up beside their table. “What can I get you this morning?”
“Morning, Kimmy.” Kimmy Picklesimer looked just like her momma, and she packed a whole lot of personality into a tiny little package. “Coffee and my usual.”
Her smile widened, showing off her perfectly straight teeth. “You got it.” Angling toward Asher, she looked him up and down with a curious gleam in her eyes. “You, sir?”
“Kimmy, this is Asher Dare.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Dare.”
Asher blinked, his smile slow in coming. “Nice to meet you, Kimmy.” He glanced at the menu with a shake of his head. “I’ll just have what he’s having.”
“Good choice.” She tucked her green ticket pad into the pocket of her apron and turned back to Cameron, right hand raised. “Same to you, Mr. Stone. Good choice. He’s hot.”
Cameron gave her raised hand a high-five and winked. “He is, isn’t he?”
His smile turned into a low chuckle when, for once, it was Asher who blushed all the way down his neck. There was something to be said for being on his own turf. Surrounded by familiar settings and friendly faces, he felt like his feet were firmly on solid ground for once. Relaxed and confident, he found it easy to flirt and tease, and Asher’s responses only made him want to do it more.
“I’ll be right back with your coffee,” Kimmy said around her giggles before bouncing away from the table.
“Who are you?” Asher asked. “Where is my mild-mannered computer nerd?”
Cameron laughed again. “Homefield advantage?”
Asher considered him for a few seconds, his mouth curving into a crooked grin. “Touché.” Turning his head, he stared through the window. “So, where is this Fall Festival taking place.”
Kimmy came back with their coffees, and Cameron thanked her before waving his hand around in an all-encompassing motion. “Kind of everywhere.” He lifted his mug to his lips, wincing when the liquid scalded his tongue. “There are vendors set up at the Boardwalk down by the lake. Rides and a hay maze in the park. Games and contests at the elementary school.” Pausing, he sipped his coffee around a grin. “A haunted asylum at the old courthouse.”
Asher didn’t flinch, but his expression turned challenging. Leaning his elbows on the table, he rubbed ishands together and arched both eyebrows. “Where do we start?”
~
“When you said therewere games, I was thinking like a ring toss or a dunk tank.” Asher finished removing his socks, tucked them into his shoes and set them on the bench beside him. “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
“Thereisa ring toss and a dunk tank.” Placing his own shoes and socks beside Asher’s, Cameron rolled up the legs of his jeans to just below his knees. “This is way more fun. Plus, I really want a year of free cupcakes from Half-Baked.”
Cameron had taken him to the bakery just after lunch—after they’d visited the vendors at the Boardwalk and talked to what felt like a couple of thousand people. The cupcakes had been divine, but Asher didn’t mind paying for them.
“How about I just buy you a gift card every month for a year?”
“Nope.” Grinning from ear to ear, Cameron tucked his T-shirt into his jeans and rolled his neck. Clearly, he’d done this before. “It wouldn’t be the same.”
Copying him, Asher rolled up his jeans and tucked in his T-shirt as well. “This is going to be humiliating.”
“That’s kind of the point, but it’s also fun.”
“Debatable,” he muttered.
