Chapter Three
The grin that took over was hurting his face, making him feel like his cheeks were made of plastic. Glenn internally laughed. That wasn't right. There was no other way to describe the soreness in his cheeks from pure delight, and all of it seemed to come from this man sitting across from him.
And just hours ago, he had been seething with rage. He was glad he let it go.
“I'm quite fond of the outdoors,” he announced. “If you'd like to go to the mountains and venture up the trails there.”
“That sounds marvelous.”
Another grin. Glenn might have been tired of it were it not for his lovely company. He couldn't help noticing the ways Kaleb moved and smiled and laughed and brightened up at the jokes thrown his way. He wasn't shy about anything, especially not about his interest. And that just made Glenn more enthralled.
“I haven't been up there recently. How does it look?” Kaleb queried.
“Pretty gorgeous. It's the perfect time for it, too, before it gets too cold.” Glenn regarded the last few rays of the August sun setting in the distance. “And it's much more beautiful after dark.”
“Don't the parks close after dark?”
“Maybe with that attitude they do.” It was a playful jab, but he regretted it almost instantly until Kaleb's face lit up with pleasure. “I'm sorry. I can't control my sarcastic humor at times.”
“No, by all means, please. I like it.”
“I wasn't sure if you would.”
Kaleb winked. “I like that kind of playfulness.”
“When are you free?” Glenn bit his lower lip, sucking on the skin nervously. “I mean, for hiking. You can bring Eve, too.”
Before Kaleb could reply, the waiter approached with their plates. He set them out in front of them and nodded toward Eve before asking if they needed anything else. They replied in unison that they were fine, and Glenn relaxed back in his chair. When the waiter disappeared, he stared at Kaleb. Not so much a passing glance for anything else at this point. Even his food didn't interest him, but his stomach growled otherwise.
“Friday? Is that cool? I have some articles to write over the next couple of days that will take up a great deal of time,” Kaleb replied.
“That's perfect. I'm free on Friday. Perks of working at home.”
Kaleb nodded. “Well, I look forward to it. Not that I'm not having a great time now.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
Pearly teeth. A huff of amusement. Kaleb's nostrils flared when he was entertained. Glenn wondered if he knew that.
“So, I'm really curious,” Kaleb relayed.
“About?”
“How you could tell.”
“Tell…?”
Kaleb laughed. “You know, being gay.”
Glenn's eyes fell to the tattoo on Kaleb's wrist. “I'd have to be a complete idiot not to notice that, especially if I'm an artist.”
Laughing, Kaleb raised his wrist. “My rainbow? Anyone can wear a rainbow for any reason. It's like a thing now.”
“Still, it was a small cue. I took it.”
“Details.”
Glenn nodded in agreement. “What about you?”
“You mean about you? Well…” Kaleb picked up a bottle of ketchup, squirting a bit over his pizza. “I guess I just took a shot in the dark.”
“You have pretty good aim.”
Kaleb smirked. “You have no idea.”
That devilish grin was going to make him come undone. Every little expression and flirtatious charge was enough to cause his thighs to flex with anticipation. It was a wondrous feeling and he felt compelled to return it in some form or another. As his eyes lowered to the ketchup-covered pizza, he furrowed his brows together out of curiosity.
“Ketchup and pizza, eh?” he commented.
“It's my favorite thing in the entire world. We did well today with training, so I thought I'd treat myself.” Kaleb winked. God, that playful grin was going to kill Glenn. He readjusted the collar of his shirt even though it wasn't tight at all. It was nerves. His nerves were shot. But in a pleasant sort of way.
“I'm not partial to the taste,” Glenn joked.
“Different strokes, right?”
“For sure.”
As they began to eat, they fell into a comfortable silence. It was one, Glenn noted, that made him feel like he had known Kaleb forever. The way they sat across from each other as agreeably as they did with heads bowed forward together made it feel intimate. Though they were worlds apart, they were still somehow close even as perfect strangers.
Just as Glenn began to enjoy their brief break in conversation, his left ear pinged. The ringing came back, fiercer than before. He cursed the mail service for being slow to deliver his earpiece and cursed himself double for waiting so long to order it. While flicking his earlobe, Kaleb looked in his direction and he stopped.
Kaleb's lips moved over and over, grins intermittently appearing to reveal his white teeth. A hot flash ran through Glenn's face and trickled down into his neck and arms—pure embarrassment. He tried to keep up by reading those delightful lips. They moved sensuously slow, prompting him to lick his own lips as he followed along.
Smile and nod, take a bite of food, repeat. It was his usual series of motions whenever his hearing decided to act up. Lucky for his right ear to still be sharp enough to hear, but it was facing the street, the noise, and the other people still walking in drones past their table. More red-hot flashes came in waves, waves of panic, as he dropped his fork.
Breathe. He had to breathe. If he stopped breathing, then surely the hot sensation taking over his body would cause him to pass out. His heartbeat leveled out and his skin cooled, thanks to the passing breeze. The ringing stopped. Everything was as good as normal.
For now.
“I just love that movie,” Kaleb said.
“Yeah, absolutely. And I love the way the dialogue flows.”
Kaleb raised a curious brow. “Hex is a silent film, isn't it?”
Caught red-handed. “Oh, actually, I meant how it appears that the dialogue flows. I remember that film now. Yes, it was silent. Right, I knew that. I just had a strange thought, I think, about another related film.”
“Yeah, which one?”
Like a deer in headlights, Glenn stared. “You know, I forgot the name.”
Kaleb nodded knowingly while taking another bite. He seemed not to be phased by it even though Glenn felt completely exposed. As Kaleb chewed, he motioned with his fork, perhaps to encourage Glenn to keep thinking. As normal as any gesture could be. It put Glenn at ease.
“Thinking is a bit slow this time of day,” he lied.
Not that it wasn't entirely true. It was the circumstances that forced him to use the excuse, making him feel a little less confident about their date. He played with his food.
“Of course. I understand completely,” Kaleb said. “I get that way often, especially after a good few days of typing non-stop.”
“Yeah, exactly.” Glenn lifted his cup of water, noticing how it was much cooler than his hands. Had his hands started sweating? He hadn't even realized it. He took a sip before saying, “Any other movies you favor? Actually, how about books?”
“Classic literature.”
“As you do.”
“And some contemporary authors. Science fiction and paranormal romance are my weakness.”
Glenn raised his brows. “I could never get lost in a book, especially not anything paranormal.”
“Good. More for me.”
One more wink would certainly send him over the edge. Glenn couldn't wait for Friday to come along. He needed time to rush them past this dinner, to get him out into the world and really see it. Eve brushed against his leg, prompting him to return to reality.
Kaleb wiped his mouth. He set his utensils on his plate neatly over his napkin before reaching for his water.
“I'm glad we ran into each other,” Glenn expressed genuinely. “Really. I think Friday is going to be awesome. It's hard meeting new people.”
“Tell me about it. Most bars are just annoying, and I really don't drink. And dating sites are even worse. I'm not particularly fond of hook-up culture.”
“It was nice in my college years to explore, but I agree. I can't handle all the noise of a bar or the confusion of digital messaging.”
“Does it cause over-stimulation to be in a bar?”
“In a way, yes. I get overwhelmed easily. That's why I prefer the outdoors. It's much more peaceful.”
“Well,” Kaleb announced. He was beaming. “Friday can't come soon enough.”
“I agree.”
“I'm an outdoors sort myself,” Kaleb added. “Mostly because of Eve, but I'm glad I have her to help me exercise.”
“Well, you certainly have nice legs.” Glenn froze, realizing what he had said. He tried not to look at Kaleb, certain that maybe the man would be offended, but he heard a faint snicker.
“You really think so?”
“I mean...” He croaked as he tried to think of the words. What words? He wasn't exactly the best at speaking, or listening for that matter, but this man had really swept away his ability to articulate how he was feeling. It was unusual, a little intimidating, and all the more alluring. “Yes. They're nice. Muscular.”
“As you could tell earlier, it's because of running after my little pup.”
Glenn laughed. “That's a good thing. Keeps you healthy.”
“Keeps me a little aggravated, too.”
“Awe, I'm sure she's absolutely worth the trouble.” Glenn looked at the happy dog lying down underneath the table. She looked slightly at ease for being in a busy part of town, a little more alert than she had been at the park, but still calm. “You know, I should be a little honest.”
“What's that?”
“I'm not very fond of dogs.”
Kaleb sat back in his chair and pretended to be shocked, exaggerating his facial expressions to match his acted betrayal. “No!”
“It's the dander and the slobber. But this one is a cool cat.”
“How dare you call her a cat,” Kaleb joked.
“You know what I mean!”
It was too much, the laughter that filled Glenn. He was overflowing with it, pouring it out of his lips and across the table to his laughing reflection: Kaleb. A beautiful vision that he wanted very much to put on canvas. And maybe he would. But in due time. Everything would come in due time.
He just couldn't wait.