Bailey wasn’t sure he’d ever anticipated a date as much as he looked forward to his dad’s retirement party. He spent the short flight to Los Angles reviewing his last series of messages from Landon. In the two weeks since they’d first had cybersex, their messages had become a lot more flirty, their late-night conversations longer and deeper, and Bailey’s pulse sped up every time his phone dinged with a fresh message from Landon. The latest one made Bailey smile big.

I’m so distracted today. I blame you. Not saying I’m counting the seconds but… Landon had attached a screen shot of a reminder to pick up Bailey at the airport. Originally, one of Bailey’s sisters was going to do the airport run, but then she’d had a work conflict with her shift at the hospital, and Landon had volunteered since that way they could just go straight to the party together.

The airport was a fair hike from both Pasadena, where Landon taught, and Glendale, where the party was being held at a local banquet hall, so it was super nice of Landon to offer, and Bailey couldn’t help but hope that maybe Landon was as eager as he was and that maybe his crush wasn’t entirely one-sided.

Even though he only had a carry-on, Bailey exited the plane and made his way toward baggage claim, assuming that Landon would pick him up in the cellphone line. But he was surprised to see a familiar face waiting outside the security barricades.

“Bailey!” Landon called as he stood up from one of the chairs, yanking earphones off.

“Is that what you wore to teach?” Bailey gave him an appreciative once-over. Damn. He really was heart-stoppingly gorgeous, especially in dress clothes for the party. He wore a crisp blue dress shirt with a gray tie and gray pants. Bailey immediately wanted to find a hidden alcove and go mess him up some. Landon’s hair was back in a neat ponytail. He’d made noises in chat about needing a haircut, but Bailey had confessed to loving the longer look on him, and he’d gotten adorably flustered.

“Yeah, no time to change.” Landon’s arms moved restlessly, like he wasn’t sure whether or not to hug Bailey hello. With anyone else, Bailey would be the one to do the hugging, but he was trying hard to let Landon set the pace between them.

“Well, damn. I guess Savannah wasn’t kidding about you winning hottest professor.”

“That’s not a real award,” Landon protested as he started walking in the direction of arrows pointing to the parking structure. “Only something one of the clubs dreamed up as a fundraiser thing. I was a good sport. And Savannah needs to stop telling tales to Rachel.”

“Oh come on. They’re so cute together.” Bailey had talked to Rachel often enough to get the scoop on how her cautious courtship of the more reserved Savannah was going. They’d both be at the party, which Bailey took as a good sign for the two of them.

“Savannah’s worried that she’s just a distraction for Rachel. Something to take her mind off her mom’s situation. I think she’s worried about really putting herself out there and getting hurt.”

“Well, I hope they work it out. I think they could have something real.” And so could we. Bailey wasn’t about to startle Landon with a declaration like that, especially when Landon hadn’t even hugged him hello, but he’d certainly thought it often enough lately.

Landon’s little Nissan wasn’t too far from the entrance to the parking structure. Bailey threw his bag and jacket in the backseat before sliding into the passenger seat. To his surprise, though, Landon didn’t immediately turn on the car, instead tugging on Bailey’s arm.

“Hey. Come here.” Landon pulled until they were face-to-face, almost touching. “I didn’t hug you back in the terminal because I was nervous. I knew I’d want to kiss you if we touched, and I wasn’t sure I felt like doing that with an audience.”

“Oh?” Bailey let Landon be the one to lean in, graze his lips across Bailey’s. “Feel free to make up for lost time.”

Landon’s response was a deeper kiss, one that showed he hadn’t forgotten how well they fit together. The kiss was warm and familiar, more about reacquainting their mouths than getting worked up, although Bailey was plenty turned on too.

“Better?” He pulled away with a laugh. “Man, I’m glad to see you.”

“Not sure. Might need ten more.” Bailey winked at him. “And likewise.”

“Fine. Twist my arm.” Landon leaned back in, and their mouths met hungrily. The gearshift console pressed into Bailey’s thigh and the angle sucked, but he wasn’t going to be the first to pull away.

“Fuck. Do we really have to go socialize now?” Still holding onto Bailey’s shoulder, Landon released a shaky laugh. “I’d kinda rather skip rush hour traffic and just stay here all night.”

“Ha. My mom will send out the National Guard if I skip, but we can kiss all you want after we make an appearance.” Bailey didn’t even try to play it cool, hope and longing lacing his words.

“All I want?” Landon winked at him before finally turning the car on. “That might take a while. It’s been a month. I’ve got a lot of missing you to make up for.”

“Been a month here too,” Bailey reminded him. They’d never really come right out and said they weren’t seeing other people, but they’d gamed and chatted enough on the weekends that Bailey was pretty sure he’d know if Landon had had another date.

There was no really direct way to get from the airport to the banquet place in Glendale, so they were looking at over an hour to fight through traffic according to Landon’s GPS, which he had displayed on a nifty hands-free screen.

“Okay, really wishing we’d decided to make out all night.” Landon maneuvered around two tractor trailers. He drove like he gamed—fierce concentration, a seriousness to his demeanor belied by his tendency to trash talk, and highly competent without being a show-off. “Or hell, I’d take a repeat of two nights ago over this traffic.”

Bailey’s skin heated at the mention of their last cyber encounter, one where they’d each been in bed, and they’d taken a long time with lots of edging before finally getting off. “I did pack my laptop. So like, you know, if you want a repeat while we’re in the same zip code…”

“I want more than pixels on the screen.” Landon flashed him a seductive smile that made Bailey’s stomach flutter.

“You gotta go telling me that moments before I have to deal with family? Thanks a lot, buddy.” Bailey laughed.

“Hey, if we’re both uncomfortable so much the better. I’m trying not to dwell on whether your mom saw me in the robe—or less— at the photo shoot. And I’m not always the best with crowds. Sometimes I get overly sarcastic to cope.”

“I like you overly sarcastic.” Bailey gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “And if it’s too much for you, we’ll duck out early. And remember what I said—my dad has panic attacks. He’ll totally understand if you’re on edge. Heck, he probably will be too. This sort of party is way more my mom and sisters than him.”

“I brought my meds.” Landon’s mouth quirked. “But thinking about kissing afterward is good distraction too. Like a reward.”

“You can have whatever you want,” Bailey said fervently.

“Including your new Space Villager ship?” Landon wiggled his eyebrows at him before returning his attention to the barely moving traffic.

“Hey now. Some things are sacred.” Damn. Bailey loved joking around with this guy, loved how easily they got along. They chatted about the game the rest of the drive. Bailey didn’t miss that Landon tensed back up as they entered Glendale and made their way to the banquet hall.

“Come here,” Bailey ordered as they parked in the back of the lot. “I think you need a reminder of the reward.”

“I do.” Landon leaned in for a quick kiss, eyes darting around like Bailey might have relatives in the bushes. Which, knowing his family, was a strong possibility.

“And I meant what I said—we can leave early if you’re having a terrible time.”

“I’ll be okay. But thanks.” Landon gave him another lightning-fast kiss. “Now, lead me to the firing squad.”

“Ha.” Bailey grabbed his jacket and camera bag from the backseat. He’d lose the sport coat ten minutes into this party, but at least he could show his mom he’d tried. He wore the gray jacket over a black shirt and gray pants, no tie.

The banquet hall was a white art deco building with a party room big enough to hold a few decades’ worth of coworkers and Bailey’s whole extended family. The room looked classy with dangling chandeliers and a polished wood floor. His oldest sister’s latest boyfriend was a DJ, and he’d set up in the corner by the dance floor. The tables were draped with gold and blue, the colors of his father’s longtime employer. Waitstaff were setting up a buffet along the far wall, the smell of tomatoes and garlic making his stomach rumble.

“Bailey! You made it!” His mother launched herself at him for a tight hug. She wore a flowing purple pantsuit and smelled like her favorite of the perfumes his dad’s employer made.

“Everything looks great, Mom.”

“And Landon. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” Luckily, she didn’t try to hug the reluctant Landon, instead extending a hand. “We’re so delighted to have Bailey’s friends join us for such a special night.”

“Happy to be here.” Landon shook her hand and let her introduce them to some of Dad’s coworkers. And of course, the sisters wanted to meet him too. They had all been forewarned to not call him a boyfriend, but they were still all curious and not playing it particularly cool.

“Your mom would like my mom,” Landon observed as they got in line for food. “They’re both good at organizing things, getting people together. My mom works in special events for a Santa Barbara hotel—they could swap party stories.”

“She sounds awesome.” Bailey’s chest pinched. He wanted a future where their moms would have reason to meet each other, where them getting along would be a good and necessary thing.

After getting food, they sat with Rachel and Savannah, who seemed to be having some sort of personal drama, the kind where they asked Bailey and Landon lots of questions but didn’t speak to each other. When the speeches started, Bailey had to leave the table to take pictures. And maybe he was a little glad to leave the tension behind. He’d get the full story from Rachel later.

He got some good shots of his mother beaming as coworkers praised his father, who stayed red in the face, stammering through his thank-yous. Not for the first time, Bailey envied his parents’ long relationship. They made a good team, supporting each other’s successes and failures, and working within each other’s limitations. That was what he wanted, why he’d always been picky when it came to relationships. He wanted something real and lasting. His eyes flitted back to Landon. Maybe. Maybe.

“We should dance,” Landon announced when Bailey made it back to the table right as the DJ switched to oldies dance music.

“We should?” Bailey was way more comfortable taking pictures of everyone else dancing and mingling. Landon looked serious about the request, eyes all big and mouth soft, but Bailey would rather go find the nearest coat closet with him.

“Come on. You made me dance naked in a library,” Landon hissed as he grabbed Bailey’s arm. “You owe me.”

“Oh, okay. But no complaining if I step on something vital.” Unlike Landon and his effortless coordination, Bailey sucked at dancing, even the fun, swaying-in-place kind. Somehow, body parts always got squashed, right along with his ego.

“You’ll be fine.” Landon headed to the dance floor, towing Bailey behind him.

“Did you really want to dance or did you just need an excuse to leave tension city?” Bailey asked once they were out of earshot of Rachel and Savannah. He could seriously use an excuse to leave early before he embarrassed himself.

“I like dancing. Not usually to this music, but something about dancing always relaxes me. I miss back when my friends were all still single and we’d go out. I always felt safe dancing in a group with them.” Landon’s smile turned wistful.

“I’ll dance with you.” Bailey’s voice came out gruffer than he’d intended. He’d do anything to give Landon that safe feeling.

“Good.” Landon beamed at him.

Trying not to focus on his own lack of rhythm, he let himself enjoy watching Landon move. It was a fast song, with lots of antics from Bailey’s younger cousins and party guests trying to one-up each other with wacky dance moves. It was all very silly and fun, but Bailey still felt about as coordinated as a wet chicken. But Landon was all smiles, both for Bailey and for the kids around them. Off to the side, Bailey’s surly cousin Melanie had brought her latest boyfriend and seemed hell-bent on embarrassing her parents with dirty dancing.

From across the room, Bailey’s own mom smiled encouragingly at him and Landon. She wouldn’t have to worry about grinding from them—Bailey was doing good just staying upright. He’d told her that it wasn’t a date date, but she’d always been one to hope.

Me too, Mom. Me too.

The song changed to a slower ballad that got more of the older attendees on the floor. As it was a favorite of his mother’s, he wasn’t surprised that she managed to drag his dad to dance at the edge of the dance floor. The music was a better choice of the sort of swaying Bailey was capable of, but he’d still rather be behind his camera.

“Relax,” Landon whispered as he tugged Bailey closer. “This is supposed to be fun, remember? And I’ve been wondering how we’d dance together, so indulge me.”

“Oh crap. Is this a test?” Bailey blurted as he immediately tried to do a better job of letting Landon lead. If he’d fantasized about this, Bailey wanted it good for him, but had a feeling that good might be overselling his abilities.

“No. Not a test.” Landon laughed.

“And was I better in your imagination?” Bailey had to ask. Landon felt nice in his arms, distractingly so, smelling beachy and clean, hand warm against Bailey’s back.

“Don’t be silly. Honestly, the whole evening has been great. I like hanging with you, and your family is fun. There is one problem, though…”

“Yeah?” Bailey would smash whatever it was.

“I keep looking forward to that reward.” Landon gave him a meaningful look.

“And now I’m thinking more about kissing than dancing.” A laugh escaped as he stumbled again.

“Good.” Landon narrowly avoided getting his foot trampled and pulled him closer still, torsos touching. “You make me want to escape to the car, say goodnight for a solid hour or so.”

“I am so on board with that plan,” Bailey said fervently. “Want me to make my goodbyes?”

“Yes, please.” Landon gave him a conspiratorial grin as the song blessedly ended. Bailey had never been so quick to say goodnight to everyone. Rachel and Savannah were dancing, all apparently forgiven for the moment, which was nice. Bailey wanted good things for them. His parents were done dancing and in line for drink refills, so he told his mom he’d see her at home while his dad fetched her a drink.

“But don’t wait up, right?” she whispered when he hugged her tight.

“Mom.”

“What? I’m just saying, have fun. Be safe.”

“Mom.” He pulled away before Landon could hear. But judging by Landon’s sly smile, he’d heard something.

“Ready?” Landon asked after he’d finished with his parents and sisters.

“So ready.” They held hands crossing the parking lot, but Bailey pulled up short by Landon’s car. He recognized the red Volt parked next to them as belonging to his rebellious cousin, but his alarm was more for the fact that it was rocking.

“Um. I think someone beat us to my big idea.” Landon’s blush was visible under the parking lot lights.

“I’m not sure I want to compete,” Bailey admitted. “If her parents come looking…”

“Oh hell no.” Landon’s eyes went wide and he swallowed hard.

“Want to drive me back to my mom’s? We can beat them back, say goodnight in the driveway. Or if you felt comfortable, you could come in. They won’t care, I promise.”

“Um. Not the most up on them walking in.” Landon’s blush deepened.

“Okay.” Disappointment coursed through Bailey, but Landon feeling good was the most important thing here. “Fast goodnight in the driveway then?”

“I don’t want fast.” Landon squeezed his hand before taking a deep breath. “How about…come back with me for a while? We’re too old for make-out sessions in the car like teenagers.” He jerked his head in the direction of the still-rocking Volt.

“Only if you’re sure.”

“I am.”

Bailey was sure. Sure he was falling for this guy, sure he was bound to get hurt, but powerless to stop it. And it was so damn easy to fall, what with Landon looking at him like he was tastier than chocolate cake. All he wanted was to make Landon happy. Safe. Please let me be able to do that.