Across Two Divides, by Sol Crafter – Chapters 1+2

CHAPTER TWO

Nicholas woke with a groan. “Stop shaking me, you’ll give me the syndrome.”

“You’re not a baby,” Christian sounded amused, “so get up before I pour water on you.”

Knowing that there was no way Christian was going to let it go, Nicholas forced himself to sit up. His hair felt crazy around his head and his eyes were so dry and sore that he had to rub them until he could see clearly. “Why do you have to do this to me?”

“Because your brother made me promise to get you up so you could arrange our lunch with that guy from last night,” Christian said patiently. He knew that Nicholas was not at his best just after waking up.

“What are you talking about?” Nicholas threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, his hand going out to catch himself on the hotel nightstand before he went over. He yawned hugely and stretched his spine until it made the unpleasant cracking sounds Christian always professed to hate.

“You told that David guy that you would let him take you to lunch, remember?” Christian followed him into the bathroom and unscrewed the lid of a water bottle while Nicholas urinated. “Frankie said to make sure you called the guy.”

Nicholas sighed and flushed the toilet. “Do you have anything for my head?”

“Of course.” Christian filled a water glass and shook two Advil out of a small bottle. “Wash your hands,” he ordered, then preceded to ignore Nicholas’ roll of the eyes and turned on the tap for him.

“Yes, master.” Nicholas quickly washed his hands, then reached for his toothbrush. He couldn’t even manage to drink plain water with the horrible taste in his mouth. He’d always been finicky.

Christian was ever patient and had the water and pills held out toward him before he lowered the towel from his face. “Swallow these and drink all the water. I don’t know why you have to get so wasted whenever we go anywhere.”

“Because it makes me feel special.” Nicholas gave his best dipshit smirk and reached for the pills. “You’re such a dear.”

“Darling, you are a real bitch in the morning,” Christian said. He watched to make sure Nicholas really swallowed the analgesics, then pressed the water on him. “At least you’re getting some color back in your cheeks. We’ll eat some breakfast, then you can take a shower and we’ll go.”

“Why do you always have to push me around?” Nicholas gave him a quick shoulder bump as he took the glass in his hand and began drinking the water. “I’m not a little kid, you know.”

“Of course you’re not.” Christian gave him a catlike look of amusement. He was dressed in black slacks and a bright blue sweater. His black hair was neatly combed and he smelled like clean skin and cologne.

Nicholas huffed a breath and thunked the glass down on the counter. He was dressed in his pajamas, his hair was a mess, and he felt absolutely ruined from the night before, and Christian looked like he’d stepped out of a magazine. It just wasn’t fair.

“What?” Christian asked, quirking a brow.

“Nothing,” Nicholas said hurriedly, then felt a twinge of guilt go through him and he couldn’t even say why. He thought maybe he should tell Christian that he was having some of his weird moods again, but then Christian would get all paranoid and they were only going to be in Seattle for a few weeks before they went back to Malibu. Everything was going to be all right and he could maintain for a little while.

“Let’s get some food,” he said, pushing himself so he could be the first one out of the bathroom. Those bright lights would make it easier for Christian to read his face and there wasn’t anyone on the world that knew him better. One good look and it would be over.

“I’ve already called for room service and it should be here…” There was a knock at the door and Christian gave a pleased sounded grunt. “Right on time. You sit at the table.”

Nicholas mock-grumbled as he settled down on one of the chairs at the round table. He tried to flatten his hair with his hands, then gave it up as a lost cause even before Christian let the stiffly uniformed girl in with her service cart of covered dishes.

Pulling his feet up on the chair in front of him, he wrapped his arms around his legs and leaned his cheek against his knees. He watched Christian’s face as he watched the girl arrange the food on the table–scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, Belgian waffles, a whole platter of sliced fruit, orange juice, and coffee–he was very focused on the task.

Most of the time it was great that Christian cared about him so much. It was comforting and made him feel safer than he ever had before in his life. But then there were the times when Christian sacrificed something from his own life to make Nicholas happy and it was too much.

It hadn’t taken Nicholas long to realize that Christian seemed to really get something out of making him happy. There would be a glow about him and he’d have this satisfied smile and he didn’t seem to care what he had to do to give Nicholas whatever he thought he wanted. It was nice to be fawned over a bit and he loved that Christian cared that much about him.

But there were some times when Christian went overboard. He had no problem rearranging his schedule at the tip of a hat if it had something to do with Nicholas, and because of that he’d managed to offend some very important people. He’d lost out on several multi-million dollar deals and not given them a moment’s thought. And when Nicholas had found out what was going on… he’d been horrified to think that he’d been abusing Christian’s kindness and he was a terrible friend.

So he’d been careful about the things he asked for and he kept a copy of Christian’s schedule overlapping his on his phone. He was trying really hard to be responsible and he knew their Seattle trip was anything but a vacation and whatever Chirstian was doing was incredibly important for the future of DeLongeria Enterprises.

His bit of crazy was going to have to take a back burner to Christian’s schedule. Nicholas had made a promise to himself that he would maintain his control this whole trip. He could wait to fall apart when they got home and Christian could call the Doc.

Christian signed the receipt with a flourish, making sure to write in a very generous tip, then watched to make sure the girl and her cart completely left the suite. He was paranoid about that kind of thing, though he’d never said why.

Nicholas grabbed his fork and reached out to begin poking food onto his plate. He was feeling much better than he had when he’d woken up, but that didn’t really mean a whole lot. He still felt as though his head was stuffed full of straw.

“Here, stop, let me do that.” Christian gently pushed his fork out of the way and picked up Nicholas’ plate. He had an easy kind of grace as he used the serving spoons and tongs Nicholas had ignored. “You’re like a savage or something. If I left it up to you, you’d stab things with sticks and cook them over a fire. Or half-cook them knowing you and your impatience.”

Nicholas rolled his eyes and sucked on the tines of his fork. The smell of the food was making his stomach rumble, which was weird because he hadn’t even felt hungry before. “You nag so much I think I can hear your voice in my head even when you’re not there.”

“Good,” Christian set the plate down in front of Nicholas, “hopefully the me in your head at least tries to keep you out of trouble. I could use the support of someone that knows just how wily you can be.”

“Whatever.” Nicholas slid his feet back on the floor, curling his toes against the morning chill. He used his butter knife to first slather his waffle with strawberry jam, then quickly cut it into bite-sized pieces, then shrugged and cut his sausage up too.

Christian prepared two cups of coffee, sliding Nicholas’ across to him first. He always knew just the right amount of sugar and cream to mix in and Nicholas didn’t hesitate to give him a heartfelt “Thank you” before taking the first sip. He already felt as though he was being brought back to life by the delicious brew.

“Eat your breakfast and we’ll call that guy,” Nicholas said, pointing his fork rudely.

“You’re a real class act.” Christian shook his head fondly, but quickly swirled some maple syrup on his own waffle before sitting down to eat. “He better take us to a nice place.”

“You’re a snob.” Nicholas speared a cut strawberry and popped it into his mouth. “I’m the one that will be deciding whether I want to date the guy. Besides, there’s no way you’d let me live in a dirty hovel raising barefoot children, is there?” He raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

Christian’s nostrils flared. “Of course not. Just because you always feel like you need to sacrifice yourself for the good of other people, that doesn’t mean I’d ever let that happen to you.”

Nicholas hid a smile and went about the business of eating. “I’ll call the guy. We can find out if he’s good enough to date me.”

“You don’t have to put it like that,” Christian said. “At least don’t say it like that, especially if we’re in public.”

“It’s just the two of us here right now. Get over it.”

* * *

David had woken up, hopped on the treadmill and quickly bolted out four miles, then had a well-balanced heart-healthy breakfast. It was the kind of meal he wouldn’t have poked with a stick even just five years ago, but now he had to worry about putting on weight and there was a history of heart disease in his family. He’d never thought that he would be the kind of person to give up delicious fats in the name of being able to fit into his pants.

He kept glancing at the clock even though he told himself to keep his cool. That guy from last night–Nicholas–was either going to call or not, it wasn’t the end of the world.

His memory kept insisting that Nicholas was surrounded in a glow of light and he was the kind of beautiful that poets spoke of and angels wept over, but he was sober now and his common sense had taken back the reigns of control.

There was no way Nicholas was as incredible as he remembered. He might have been good-looking, but David’s mind kept insisting he was something entirely amazing. So he would have to be ready for the inevitable disappointment.

If Nicholas ever called him.

David glanced at the clock again, then groaned when he caught himself. It was only nine o’clock; there was plenty of time for Nicholas to call.

He’d showered and dressed in jeans and a black Henley and he hated to admit it, but he was ready to run out the door the minute Nicholas called him. It was embarrassing to be so needy, but for the first time in a long time his heart was beating fast and he was actually looking forward to going out with someone.

He tried to picture Nicholas’ face, but all he could imagine were the different parts that made up the whole–fair skin that flushed delightfully when he drank alcohol, sunny blond hair, a kissable mouth, and bright blue eyes. He wished he’d been under better control the night before so he could remember that face as a whole, but all he knew was that he would really like to see Nicholas again.

I am such a loser, he thought in pained amusement. Once again being all caught up in the ideal of some perfect guy.

It’s what always happened to him. He built people up on pedestals, then he was always destroyed by the inevitable disappointment.

He would have thought the hurt would get easier to deal with, but somehow every time always felt like the first time.

Sighing heavily, he trudged into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. He always drank it strong and black, not wanting to ruin the taste of the expensive beans he got from the import shop downtown. It was one of the few luxuries he allowed himself and he tried not to think about what his mother would say if she ever saw the price tag attached to such a small bag of beans.

He closed his eyes and breathed in the rich aroma of the coffee, his lip resting on the rim of the mug. He took a careful sip, hissing a little at the heat, and felt some of the tension flow out of his shoulders.

He leaned against the counter and stared over the breakfast bar through the window in his living room as he drank his coffee. He lived on the fourth floor of an eight story apartment building and had a great view of the neighborhood park. He’d chosen the location of his apartment based on how clearly he could see into the dog park portion; he’d always wanted to have a dog but allergies had gotten him used to the idea that it was never going to happen.

There was the jangly tune of his cellphone going off and he hastily put down his mug before hurrying into the living room. He jumped over the back of the couch and began digging around in the cushions, tracking the sound of ringing.

“Hello?” David said, then winced when he realized just how breathy he sounded. He hoped he didn’t come off as some needy loser.

“Is this David?” an accented voice asked.

“Yeah, hey, hi,” he licked his lips, “this is Nicholas, right?”

There was a warm laugh. “Yeah, Nicholas Underwood. I’m calling to see if you still want to go out to lunch today.”

David covered the end of the phone with his hand and took in a deep breath before he tried to speak as calmly as he could manage. “Lunch sounds great. Do you know the Die Schwarze Maus restaurant?”

“Did you just say the Die Schwarze Maus?” Nicholas chuckled. “‘Die’ means ‘the,’ so you just called it ‘the The Black Mouse.'”

“I admit that my German is terrible,” David huffed, “but the food there is delicious. They have some German food on the menu, but they have other things too.”

“I can find the place,” Nicholas said. “What time do you want to meet?”

“Is twelve-thirty good with you?” David asked.

“Sure.” There was a moment of hesitation. “Um, did my brother say that I would be bringing my friend Christian along anywhere?”

“Christian? Who’s that?” David rolled to his feet and went back into the kitchen for his coffee. His hands were sweating a little and he felt as though he really needed something to hold before he completely lost his shit.

“He was the guy with me last night, remember? He’s my best friend and he kind of looks out for me. He goes with me most everywhere, so if you’ve got a problem with him being there… well, you should say something now and we can just stop this before anything can start.”

David licked his lip, thinking back to the guy last night that had hung at Nicholas’ shoulder and hadn’t said a word. It had been strange and he’d seriously wondered if maybe they were together or something.

“Why don’t you explain everything at lunch?” he said slowly. Part of him wanted to tell Nicholas that lunch was off, but that clingy part of him was screaming that he had to see Nicholas one more time and he didn’t care about much of anything other than finding out whether Nicholas was as luminous as he’d seemed the night before. “If things don’t work out, well, we won’t be hungry at least.”

“Okay,” Nicholas said. “I’ll see you at twelve-thirty at Die Schwarze Maus.’

“All right then,” David said. “I’ll get a reservation for us. Party of three.”

“All right. See you there. Bye.”

“Bye.” David hung up the phone and just stood there for a long moment. He closed his eyes and thought about how weird it was going to be to show up for a date with a guy that brought his own chaperon around with him. It was definitely a new one for him.

Finally he opened his eyes, drained the last of his coffee, then began looking up the number for the restaurant on the phone. They probably weren’t going to need a reservation for lunch, but he didn’t want to be caught out.

Because he was going on a date with the man of his dreams and the man of his dreams’ best friend. Hopefully it wasn’t going to be as awkward as the idea sounded in his own head.

* * *

The car service dropped them off in front of Die Schwarze Maus and Nicholas stood still for Christian to tug at his jacket and straighten his hair, then they headed inside.

“You know, you really don’t have to do that for me,” Nicholas said. “I’m pretty sure I can make myself look acceptable without your spit stained handkerchief wiped across my face.”

Christian rolled his eyes. “I did no such thing.” He huffed. “As though I would rub spit all over your face.”

“Come on, wifey, let’s just get in there.” Nicholas hooked his arm with Christian’s. “We have a date to get to.”

It wasn’t Christian’s fondest pet name, but he knew that Nicholas liked it and that raised it in his estimation. Just seeing that crinkle at the corners of Nicholas’ eyes every time he said “wifey” made it completely worth whatever public embarrassment.

“Oh darling, you always make me feel so special,” he said, walking beside Nicholas as tall as he could, his shoulders thrown back. He knew he looked distantly royal and had been told before that he looked intimidating; it was one of the tricks he used to keep from being hassled by anyone he didn’t want to deal with.

Two teenagers in uniforms of dark green vests and black bowties held open the doors for them and Christian tugged Nicholas closer to him. He’d seen a definite gleam in the girl’s eyes and he didn’t want to deal with flirty interruptions all through lunch.

There were times when he wanted to make Nicholas wear a mask. It was awful dealing with all the men and women that Nicholas so effortlessly charmed. He preferred the ones that maintained a respectful distance, because the bold ones usually ended up being a pain to get rid of. Especially the ones that considered him a rival for Nicholas’ affections and tried to get rid of him. As though Nicholas would ever give up lifelong friendship for meaningless sex.

“This place doesn’t look bad at all,” Nicholas tilted up to murmur toward Christian’s ear. “It’s got a very comforting metropolitan vibe to it.” Christian’s brows went up a little. “There’s the scent of homestyle cooking, but it’s all a mashup of different foreign countries.”

“You don’t even know what you’re saying, do you?” Christian shook his head. “It’s like the art museum all over again.”

“Hey, I know a lot about art,” Nicholas hissed. He was trying hard to keep his voice down as they waited in the short line in front of the empty host podium. “Don’t you remember that art appreciation class we took in college?”

“The one that you couldn’t seem to figure out so I had to help you with every single assignment and you learned nothing? I think I kind of remember the one you’re speaking of.” Christian couldn’t resist a small smirk. “I told you you’d hate the class, but you insisted you were going to love it.”

“I thought we were going to paint naked people,” Nicholas shrugged, “I was wrong. It’s your fault for not explaining the course to me more clearly.”

“Your rationale leaves a lot to be desired.” Christian stepped forward to face the reappearing host. “We’re here to meet our party–David Jacobson.” He gave her a polite smile.

“Oh, yes, let me get someone to take you over.” She gestured over a tiny girl wearing a black apron with the restaurant name stitched in red thread near the right bottom hem. “Jacobson party. Table 33.” She held out three sets of menus.

“Hello, I’m Nina,” the tiny girl smiled, revealing a single tooth that was turned oddly, yet added charm to her face. She was a cute girl with a bright red pixie cut, her roots coming in solid black. “Let me take you to your table.”

They followed her through the restaurant toward the secluded back dining room. The lunchtime rush was being kept in the more common area so they weren’t going to have to deal with a bunch of noise.

Nicholas felt a nervous flutter, but Christian’s presence kept him anchored. There was David sitting at a square table ahead of them. He had a glass of seltzer water in front of him and he came to his feet when he saw them, a faint smile curving his lips.

It was a nice smile, but Nicholas remembered him from last night and he’d seen the expression he’d worn before he’d seen them, and he quickly understood that he was going to have to dig a little deeper with David. He was dealing with the kind of person that gave the impression of a cold and forbidding nature. It didn’t help that the way his face was put together actually made him look kind of dangerous.

David was all proud severe lines, with broody eyes, a hawk nose, and a mouth that seemed made for sneering. He’d looked handsome, but arrogant sitting alone at the table; the kind of guy that would verbally eviscerate someone before they could even stop nervous-blushing.

Then David had looked across the room at him, and Nicholas had seen a transformation take over his face. It was weird to see a man change so quick, yet thrilling at the same time.

Nicholas somehow felt as though he’d done something, which was completely ridiculous.

“Nicholas, hi,” David’s eyes ran over Nicholas’ face and he seemed to like what he saw by the smile he wore, “and you must be Christian?” He held out his hand for a shake.

“Christian DeLongeria,” Christian said, taking David’s hand, and Nicholas was surprised that he used his full name. It was something Christian tried hard not to do as it always brought him a fair amount of attention wherever he went; even now the waitress’ eyes had gone a little wide and there was a more than good chance that they were going to be looking at extra fawning service–just what Christian always professed to hate.

“Nice to meet you,” David said, then waved at the table, “why don’t we sit down?”

Nicholas took the seat facing David and Christian settled down next to him with enviable grace. The tablecloth was a deep red color, the napkins white linen, and the wineglasses had the look of real crystal. They were the only people in the dining room and there was the soft sound of cheerful music being piped in through the overhead speakers.

“Hello, my name is Nina,” the waitress said to David, giving him a charming smile that he barely acknowledged. “Here are your menus and can I get you anything to drink while you decide on your meals?”

They ordered their drinks and the woman trotted off to fetch them. She was probably going to tell everyone that the Christian DeLongeria was in the restaurant, but there wasn’t a whole lot that could be done about that.

“I like this place,” Nicholas said, feeling as though he should make some form of conversation. He opened his menu and began scanning the list of mouthwatering dishes available.

“I’ve only been here a few times, but they make fantastic desserts and they do things to steak that I’ve only ever dreamed of,” David said. “Marinades and stuff.”

Nicholas was momentarily tempted to say that he was vegetarian just to see how David would respond, but he nodded instead. “Christian has me on a strict diet, but I do love a good steak now and again. When he lets me.” He shot Christian a pleading look and received a gracious nod in return. He couldn’t help an avaricious grin as he thought about all the deliciousness he was about to enjoy.

“Don’t go all crazy, darling,” Christian said, looking over his own menu. “Not unless you want to spend an extra couple of hours in the hotel gym.”

Nicholas pouted. “Why do you always have to be so mean to me?” He looked at David. “He’s always trying to keep me healthy and shoving salads down my throat, never mind that sometimes all I want is a nice juicy burger with bacon and extra cheese.”

“I can’t really say a whole lot,” David said, “considering I come from a family with a history of heart disease. Eating well most of the time is the only way I can allow myself to enjoy any of the good stuff.” He sighed. “I miss being able to eat a slab of cheesecake whenever I want.”

He sounded so sad about the cheesecake that Nicholas had to hide a smile. “I think your health is more important than some cheesecake.”

“But it’s so delicious!” David closed his menu and set it down next to his elbow. “I think I’m going to try the steak fajitas sizzle. It sounds like it will be good.”

“I’m going to try the sauerbraten,” Nicholas said. He’d never had it, but anything that involved pot roast sounded great to him on a chilly day. He glanced at Christian. “What are you going to get?”

“The grilled chicken Caesar salad,” Christian said. “At least one of us should stay on point.”

Nicholas rolled his eyes. “I’m sure your amazing dietary fortitude fills you with all kinds of good things, but I’m going to enjoy my lunch and you can’t stop me.”

Nina must have been keeping an eye out for when they set aside their menus, because she promptly appeared at the table with their drinks. “Are you all ready to order now?”

Nicholas lifted his drink to his lips and let Christian order for him. It made the other man happy to feel as though he was in charge. Besides, Nicholas always felt awkward talking to new people.

The waitress took the menus and left to place their orders with the kitchen.

“Are you sure you didn’t want to get a bottle of wine?” David asked.

“No thank you,” Nicholas said. “I drank enough alcohol last night to last me the whole week.” He made a funny face.

David laughed. “I see where you’re coming from. I drank a lot more than I’d planned too. I was really feeling it when I woke up this morning.” He shook his head. “I was worried there wasn’t going to be enough coffee in the world to handle my hangover.”

“Well, you don’t look like it did you any harm,” Nicholas said, smiling. “I barely pulled myself out of bed this morning and I probably drank a whole carafe of coffee by myself.”

“You may have had a hard time waking up, but you certainly don’t show it. You look very nice today,” David said, sounding honest with his praise.

“Thank you,” Nicholas said, not mentioning that Christian had been the one to pick out his outfit. “You look good too.” It was true. The jeans David wore hugged his lean hips and the black Henley showed off a broad chest and some really nice arms that Nicholas thought he might want to explore more closely later. He also thought there might be some nice abdominals in there too that he would like to run his fingers over.

“So,” David flicked a glance toward Christian and back, “do you always go around with a chaperon?”

Nicholas had long since given up any kind of embarrassment about his dependence on Christian. “He’s my best friend. We met in ninth grade and have been together ever since. He looks out for me.”

David looked like he wanted to say something completely different, but just said, “It’s good that you have someone willing to watch over you.” His lips quirked. “There’s been times in my life when I probably would have done better with someone to help me out.”

“Christian has always been there for me,” Nicholas said, fingering his silverware so he didn’t have to meet anyone’s eyes. “I never had much of a problem with bullies, especially when Christian promised to smash the face of anyone that caused any trouble.” He huffed a laugh. “Everyone at school school was a little afraid of me after that. The solicitous behavior became quite annoying. They were all scared Christian was going to fly off the handle at any moment.”

“They learned quicker than I thought they would,” Christian said. “I was actually pretty proud of them.”

“Do you see what I had to put up with all through school? And this is him after he’s mellowed.” Nicholas used his palm to block his mouth from Christian’s view, but didn’t bother to lower his voice. “He used to be a real asshole.” He laughed at the expression Christian wore.

“Darling, you wound me so.” Christian looked at David. “There are times when he shows all the manners of a rabid wolf. You have to excuse him when that happens because he mostly doesn’t mean it.”

Hearing that warning note in Christian’s voice, Nicholas felt as though he should say something in the name of disclosure. “I have some issues that I mostly keep under control. Christian cleans up the mess when I get too mean, which is why he comes with me almost everywhere.” He gave Christian a sweet smile and reached out to pat his hand. “He’s the better half of me,” he told David.

“Are the two of you together?” David chewed on his lower lip. “I’ve had it before where a couple has tried to get me to be the third in their threesome. It might seem a bit vanilla, but I’m not into that kind of thing.”

Nicholas waved it away with his hand. “No, no, it’s nothing like that. Christian is one hundred percent straight; he’s just my best friend in the world.”

There was a slight furrow between David’s brows and he seemed about to say something until Nina appeared. She was carrying a large platter and her steps were careful as she walked toward them and set her platter down on a neighboring table.

She picked up a heavy pottery plate and a wide bowl, the muscles in her arms flexing through the thin cotton of her shirt white blouse. “Here you go. Sauerbraten for you and the grilled chicken Caesar salad for Mr. DeLongeria.” She gave Christian a big smile, then turned to her tray to carefully lift a wooden platter that was shaped to hold the still sizzling pan of steak, onions, and brightly colored bell peppers.

“Be careful, sir, this is very hot. And here’s the tortillas for your steak fajitas.” Nina tucked her hands behind her back and gave them an attentive look. “Can I get you gentlemen anything else today?”

“We’re fine,” David said, not even looking at her. He sounded brusque, all the warmth drained from his voice.

Laying his napkin across his lap before picking up his fork, Nicholas realized that David was like Christian used to be and still was with anything that wasn’t Nicholas. It was nice to receive special treatment from two such introverted men, but it worried him too. As though there was something about him that attracted a certain kind of person.

Nicholas took a tentative bite of his food. “Mm, this is really good. The meat is so tender.” He kicked Christian’s shoe. “This restaurant is going on our list of places to return to.”

“I’m making a mental note right now,” Christian said dryly.

They went about the task of eating their lunch, making the occasional comment here and there, but mostly just enjoying the food.

Watching the way David assembled his fajitas, knocking the onions out of the way with a tiny sneer, Nicholas couldn’t resist a little smile.

There was something about David that he liked–second date liked.

“So what is it that you do?” Nicholas asked.

* * *

His drunken brain had been absolutely right. Nicholas Underwood was a perfectly beautiful man and David hadn’t embarrassed himself, and now he was going to go on another date with Nicholas.

He held the back of his hand to his mouth to cover his rather dopey grin as he walked back toward his apartment. This had definitely been the best Saturday of his entire life.

And tomorrow will be the best Sunday, he thought. He felt as though he could float up off the ground and he had to press his lips together to keep from bursting into song like in a musical.

He was just so happy, and it was all thanks to Nicholas.

Sure, the whole “best friend Christian, long time heterosexual lifemate” thing was a bit weird, but David didn’t know what he was supposed to do about it so he’d decided to just go along. He was willing to put up with a lot just to have Nicholas give him a chance.

He hurried down the street, wanting to get home fast so he could get out of the cold, and somewhere along the way he found himself humming. It took him two more blocks to realize he’d been humming “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” from Willy Wonka.

He was a bit baffled for a second, then he decided that he didn’t really care, and went back to humming all the way home.

He definitely felt as if he’d been given a golden chance.

/EXCERPT

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