Paul chuckled and briefly envisioned Ace battling wannabe suitors. Shirtless. Sweaty. Fierce. He shifted to ease a sudden tightening of his pants.
“Incoming, two o’clock,” Ace murmured.
Paul blinked. “Two o’clock?”
Paul turned around to see Mrs. Donaldson, one of his favorite patients, approaching their table with her eyes lit up in delight. Paul skipped over the question phase and immediately introduced Ace as his boyfriend.
“Oh I wish I had known about this!” Mrs. Donaldson cried. “I could have introduced you to my nephew. He’s the sweetest boy, and you’re a doctor and everything!”
“Well, for my part, I’m glad you didn’t,” Ace said with a smile.
“At any rate, you boys make a handsome couple.” She squeezed Paul’s upper arm. “Congratulations, sweetie.”
She walked away muttering, “A doctor, too! My poor Shane could have had a doctor.”
“You know what I miss from the closet?” Paul said, once Mrs. Donaldson was out of earshot.
“Anonymous, terrified sex?”
Paul gently kicked him under the table. “Fewer matchmakers. They are absolutely legion.”
“Well, consider your match made,” Ace said. “You’re safe from the yentas.”
“Honestly, I figured it was the older folks who would have the biggest problem,” Paul said.
“I think it’s actually the more middle-aged who are likely to object. Grandparents are a lot more live-and-let-live. They know there’s more to life than bitching and moaning. Well, about things other than their hip pain, I suppose.”
“Maybe for our next date, we can go somewhere with fewer grandparents,” Paul muttered. “They’re kind of throwing me off my game.”
“Who says you’ve got game, doc?”
Ace and Paul spun their heads to the fence and found Tanner standing on the other side of the fence surrounding the patio.
Of course. Of course he’s here. Every fucked-up cake needs its icing.
Tanner easily hopped the low fence and sauntered over to their table.
“So, Ace, you finally pushed the bone doc out of the closet,” Tanner said, making no attempt to lower his voice. “Can’t say that I blame you,” he continued with a leer in Paul’s direction.
Ace sighed. “Tanner, please leave. We are not interested in anything you have to offer. I’m sure there are plenty of guys who would love to hook up with you. Go find them.”
Tanner slid into a chair between the two men. “But why bother with them when I’ve got two hot guys right here?” He leaned in confidentially. “I’ll let you guys play finger cuffs with me. C’mon, how hot does that sound? We’re all fags here. Let’s really act like it.”
Paul gritted his teeth against a growing urge to toss Tanner bodily over the fence.
“Look, kid,” Ace said, weary with having to deal with this. “You’re starting to embarrass yourself. We don’t need to add anybody to our relationship to make it hot.”
“You mean this just-barely-out-of-the-closet relationship?” Tanner scoffed. “Please. You’ll get bored — or he will — and you’ll beg me to jump in your bed. Same old story.”
Something in Paul snapped. He’d heard exactly enough from this asshole. He towered over Tanner in a menacing pose. “You think I need to keep us a secret?” he growled. “You think I’m not satisfied here?”
Paul stood abruptly and climbed onto his chair.
“Excuse me, everyone, can I have your attention?” he called out to the other diners on the patio. A few of the customers inside swiveled his way as well. “I doubt it matters to anyone, but I want to make an official announcement. My name is Dr. Paul McDonnell. I am gay, and I am in love with his man.” He pointed to Ace, whose mouth hung open in shock. “He’s the one who’s blushing right over there. Isn’t he beautiful?” He paused, trying to think of anything else he needed to say. “This concludes my announcement.”
In the total silence that followed, Paul hopped down from his chair, rounded the table to Ace and kissed him deeply.
People on the patio burst into applause. Paul threw down a handful of bills on the table to cover their meal and a generous tip and led his man out of the restaurant. Tanner stayed slumped in his chair, annoyed and defeated.
*****
Ace held tight to Paul’s trembling hand as they left the restaurant. Talk about jumping off the deep end. He couldn’t believe Paul did that just now.
“What happened to baby steps?”
Paul shrugged. “I guess I grew up.”
“Well, if that shows up on YouTube, there will be such punishment.”
Paul squeezed his hand, calming a little. “Promise?” he rumbled low.
Ace pulled him around the corner to the back side of the restaurant. “I could give you a preview of your punishment now,” he murmured. “Wanna go home?”
Paul breathed deeply. “Not yet. Let’s walk for a bit.”
Ace shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re delaying sex. You of all people. This feels backward.”
“It’s part of my plan for tonight. I’m trying immersion therapy.”
Ace looked at him questioningly.
“Let’s take a walk on Mass.” Paul took his hand again. “I want to get so used to this that it never gives me the shakes again.”
Ace squeezed his hand tightly in response, and the two of them joined the summer throngs.
While not as densely crowded as on an early autumn evening after the university was back in session, Massachusetts Street was bustling with a relaxed and steady flow of people — college students still in town over the summer, recent grads who weren’t ready to fly away just yet, long-time locals who couldn’t resist the melting coolness of a summer evening.
They walked unhurriedly, pausing to look in at any shop that caught their eye, rarely breaking contact with each other.
Ace couldn’t remember the last time he felt this comfortable in his own life.
“Hey, isn’t that your friend?”