“Oh,” she said, waving away the thought like a gnat, “Steven thinks I’m off with the girls. If I’d told him I was visiting you, he’d want to come along, and then we’d have to make up some outlandish story about why Paul is here.” She turned to Paul, who was lounging on the sofa. “You know, it would be so much easier if you could just ”
“I know, I know,” Paul said impatiently. “It’s on my list. I promise.” He tugged Ace down to the seat next to him and tucked him under his arm. “Just let me enjoy this calm before the shit storm a little while longer.”
Mmmm. Me too, Ace thought.
For all the steps Paul had made a couple of shopping trips in Lawrence, dinner at a sports bar in Kansas City, one furtive trip back to Sparks he and Ace were still essentially hiding from the world. Specifically, from Paul’s world.
Ace was being patient. But his patience came with a big, blinking “don’t forget” sign hanging over his head.
That night, the three friends ate Chinese food in the living room while Holly quizzed Ace about every bit of art and architecture in his house. Paul was content to let Lola walk all over him and occasionally offer bits of his lo mein to the cat’s imperious requests.
When talk switched to Holly’s wedding plans, Ace sat back and let Holly fret over the details in the way a bride was wont to. He looked over to Paul, who sent him a slow, almost sleepy smile that spread all over his face and to the depths of those grey-blue eyes. It hit Ace so hard that he almost choked on his tongue.
Ace was in love with this man.
Ho-ly crap.
It wasn’t a grand gesture that brought this about. It wasn’t a holiday or a rescue or a heartfelt speech. It was the sight of Paul leaning back on the sofa, Lola curled up on his lap, a smile that went all the way to his blood. He looked like he belonged in Ace’s house in Ace’s life. He fit, almost effortlessly.
Ace loved him.
He wasn’t ready to say it out loud yet. He’d been burned by that before. People tossed around those words too cavalierly, in his opinion. When he said “I love you,” he wanted it to mean more than, “that was a very satisfying orgasm” or “thank you for doing what I wanted.”
And, even though it was selfish and cowardly of him, he didn’t really want to be the first to say it. A relationship was a delicate balance of power, especially between two men. As soon as he said the L-word, Ace would be the one waiting for validation, for reciprocation.
He’d been in that position before, and he didn’t want to suffer in that ring of hell again.
Like Paul, he wanted to enjoy this comfortable calm for a while longer. Even if his heart was beating up a storm.
*******
It had been three weeks since Erik had seen Ace, that night he helped pick out a shirt for the big date. In that time, Erik had heard Ace’s voice exactly once, when their first Sunday afternoon was canceled. He didn’t even get to hear any good play-by-play after the date as he had expected. A few rushed texts with apologies and promises that’s all Ace had for him anymore.
Erik knew he should have been expecting this. A guy as hot as Ace couldn’t stay single forever. But it was jarring how completely Ace had dismissed him once Paul had decided to act like a boyfriend. At the very least, Erik had thought he and Ace would talk about this new guy the way friends did.
He’d even driven by Ace’s house a few times hoping he could just pop in, but that black Acura was almost always in the driveway.
It was a sorry statement about Erik’s social life that the absence of one friend left him essentially alone. He couldn’t even make himself seek out distractions in Kansas City that was still Richard’s territory. It was a ridiculous, self-imposed rule, but one that Erik never broke.
So he threw himself into his work and found himself still in the university’s public relations office after dark on a Thursday night. In theory, he was there to supervise his Web team on a project that needed to be presented in the morning. But, really, he didn’t want to be at home alone with nothing to do but stew.
Erik glanced at the clock. Nine on a Thursday night. Maybe Ace would be home alone? Surely they took nights off from each other?
He picked up his phone but hesitated on the dial button. What if they were in the middle of something? What if Ace answered the phone all out of breath and obviously mid-fuck?
Three weeks, he reminded himself. You exist too. He pressed the button.
“What now?” Ace immediately growled.
Erik flinched. “Um, you’re busy then?” he asked in a small voice.
“Erik,” Ace sighed. “So sorry. Thought it was someone else.”
Erik frowned. “If it’s the someone I think it is, he should be working in the room next to me right now, not bugging my best friend.”
“My best friend should definitely tell him that, right, best friend?” Ace said.
“You chickenshit. He seems impervious to your cunning policy of ignoring him. It’s not my job to do pest control for you.”
Erik could hear voices in the background and not just that deep rumbling tone of the boyfriend.
“Am I interrupting?” he asked.
“Ah,” Ace hesitated. “Not really, no. I’ve got some time. Haven’t talked to you in a while.”
No shit, Erik thought bitterly. Whose fault is that?
“Actually, that’s kind of why ” Erik started. A woman’s voice broke in loudly in the background.
“Hey sweetie, what’s your wireless password?”
“One sec,” Ace said to Erik. “No wire hangers exclamation mark, all one word,” he called out to the woman.
Erik chuckled despite himself. “I thought you said that one was too gay even for you.”
“I decided it was subtle enough on the gay reference quotient.”
“So who was that just now?” Erik asked.
“That would be Holly,” Ace said. “Paul’s soon-to-be sister-in-law.”
“She broke through the firewall, huh?” Erik said.
“She is hard to stop,” Ace said warmly. “You’d love her.”