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ADAM
“This is the first place that I visited when I moved to the city,” I say as we slowly circle Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.
Nick laughs. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“Not at all,” I reply. “I took a cab from the airport and asked the driver to bring me here. When I was growing up in Omaha, I used to dream about two things: this fountain in the park and the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since I got to the city in June, this place made the most sense. Otherwise, I would’ve been loitering outside of Macy’s for a few months to bring one of my fantasies to life.”
He looks at me for a few seconds with a playful smirk on his face.
“What’s funny?” I ask.
“You just said something that…” He pauses. “Well, it just hit me. You said seeing the park for the first time was like turning a fantasy into reality, right?”
I nod.
“That’s how it feels to be with you,” Nick says. “Like a dream that suddenly becomes real.”
I keep watching his face as he lowers his gaze and stares at his feet.
“Like a fantasy?” I ask, coming to a stop.
He shrugs. “That probably sounded totally stupid, but it’s how I feel.”
“It wasn’t stupid.” I rest one hand on his shoulder as he turns toward me. “It was a really nice thing to hear, actually. I haven’t done this for a long time, so—”
“Walked around the park?” There’s a mischievous edge to his voice. “Or are you talking about something else?”
I squeeze his shoulder. “I was talking about you and me.”
“I don’t get it,” he says, squinting slightly. “You haven’t hooked up with anyone in a while?”
“That’s not what I mean, Nick. It’s more…the easy way we fit together, the way it feels to be with you.”
His eyes widen. “Oh, right. I thought you were talking about…you know, the sex.”
“I was,” I say. “Because that’s part of it. The sex is astonishing. And I bet it’ll only get more so if we keep going. But hot sex alone does not really fulfill you after a point.”
Nick smiles. “It’s a pretty good place to start, don’t you think?”
I move my hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck. Then I ease him closer, narrowing the gap until we’re inches apart.
“A fucking great place to begin,” I say, leaning in to rub the tip of my nose against his. “And everything else makes it resonate even deeper.”
He laughs. “Resonate? So now you’re bringing out the big words to impress me?”
I kiss him quickly. “Try again, Einstein.”
“What do you mean?” His frown quivers as he stares at me. “Did I say something wrong again?”
I shift my hand around and cup his
chin. “Listen to me,” I say firmly. “You don’t need to keep apologizing, okay?
I’ve already made it clear that you do that too much.”
He shrugs. “It’s a bad habit.”
“And those can be hard to break,” I say. “I know from experience.”
Nick considers my remark. Then he smiles and asks for an example.
“An example?”
“Yeah.” His grin brightens. “You’ve got more skill than I do. At life, I mean. And I’d like to hear about one of the habits that you broke. My grandmother always told me to learn from my—” He stops short, laughing and blushing. “That might not sound right, huh?”
I smile. “Learn from your elders? Is that what you were going to say?”
He nods. “But I don’t want to make it about the age difference. That’s a big deal for some people.”
“Is it for you?” I ask.
“No way,” he says, shaking his head vigorously. “I like older men. Always have, always will. My friend Oliver and I—”
“Aha!” I cut in. “The world famous Oliver. With the Thom Browne suits and Hermès scarves and collectible editions of Vogue.”
Nick grimaces. “He really went overboard when you guys talked at Dirty Secrets, didn’t he?”
“Nope. I would’ve listened to whatever he said if it meant learning something about you.”
His mouth falls open, but he doesn’t say a word.
“I told you,” I continue, “I’d seen you before. And I wasn’t going to miss the chance to meet you that night.”
His cheeks go pink. “I’m still blown away that you did.”
“You shouldn’t be. You’re a good-looking guy. Actually, you’re just my type. And when I discovered that you’re also smart, creative and ambitious, well…let’s just say I was all in.”
“Yeah?” His voice crackles with nerves. “I’m just me. Nothing special and nothing fancy.”
The simple admission sends a bolt of eagerness to my core. “That’s the difference between perception and reality. You think that you’re nothing special, but the truth is exactly the opposite.”
He narrows his gaze. “You being serious?”
I nod. “Completely.”
“So what about before?” he asks. “When I saw you with that other guy and ran away?”
“I think we already covered that,” I tell him.
His lips slowly pinch into a worried smile. “I’m still a little nervous,” he confesses.
“Who isn’t now and then?”
“Really?” He blinks in disbelief. “Are you nervous?”
“Not about you.”
We start walking around the fountain again, unhurried and relaxed, as people pass by with their dogs and children, lovers and secrets.
“So what should we do about all of this?” Nick asks.
“We figure it out.” I reach for his hand. “One day, one night, one moment at a time.” Our fingers twine together and I squeeze tightly. “How’s that sound?”
He smiles. “Amazing. But I have another question for you.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Do you still have the mask from the night that we met?”
“Possibly.”
“Will you wear it later when I come over?”
I nod. “Any other questions?”
Our eyes lock for a long moment, a gaze that simmers with heat and clarity and passion.
“Hundreds,” he says in a husky whisper. “But let’s take them one by one.”