Newton still couldn’t help but smile every time he thought about how tongue-tied Gage had been earlier that afternoon. And that meant he’d done a lot of smiling throughout the rest of the day, since he hadn’t thought of much else between that moment and the time he had to get ready for dinner.

Surprisingly, shockingly even, he hadn’t been nervous then. Well, a little nervous. But mostly just… happy.

Happy that Gage had come to see him again. Happy that Gage had actually wanted to invite him anywhere, for anything. And even a little happy to learn that Gage got nervous sometimes, too.

It didn’t necessarily add to Newton’s self-confidence, but it was nice to know that maybe Gage might understand him a little more than Newton had originally thought.

Now, though, standing in front of the mirror in his bathroom as he brushed his hair, those nerves that had been mostly absent all day were starting to show up.

He was still happy, though. Really happy. And he had the butterflies in his stomach to prove it, though they were currently fighting a turf war with his sudden bout of nerves.

Newton picked up his phone to check the time. Still seventeen minutes until Gage would be there to pick him up. Still seventeen minutes to wonder how the night would go, to try and get that stray piece of hair to lay down, to try not to throw up since the butterflies seemed to be losing that war in his stomach.

Okay. Right. He needed to calm down and center himself a little. He needed this night to go well. Not just with Gage—although, if he was being honest, that was the part he was most nervous about—but with Calvin and Jack, too.

He didn’t know many people in Silver Lake, but he knew that those guys were respected in the community, and a few good words from them could really give a boost to Newton’s business.

They were nice, though—or they seemed nice, anyway. Gage liked them, and he was nice, so they couldn’t be too bad, right?

Taking another look in the mirror, Newton sighed. One strand of hair was still sticking up a little, but it was probably not going to get much better than it already was. Should he wear cologne? He normally didn’t, but this was sort of like a date…

Did Gage like cologne? Did he wear cologne?

Newton closed his eyes and tried to think back to the handful of times Gage had been near enough to tell. He usually smelled soapy. Clean. Surprisingly soapy and clean, considering he owned a gym and probably—judging by his perfectly toned muscles—worked out daily.

But Newton couldn’t really think of a particular scent to associate with Gage aside from clean. So if he did wear cologne, it was either really infrequently or really light.

Or maybe it just smelled like soap.

Newton opened his eyes again and considered that possibility. Then he considered the possibility that he was seriously over-thinking things.

Right.

So.

No cologne tonight.

And no raging anxiety, either, as long as he was making resolutions.

He would just go have dinner with Gage, Calvin, and Jack. They would have a nice time. They would talk about business and photography and maybe some other fun things. And then Newton would go home again.

It was as simple as that, really.

Easy-peasy.

No need to stress. No need to worry. He might even make a couple of new friends. And he would most likely have a new commission out of the deal.

At the very least, he’d get a free meal and a little extra time hanging out with Gage. That was definitely worth fighting through any possible nerves and anxiety.

Newton checked the time again.

Twelve more minutes.

He turned off the light and walked out of the bathroom. He could do this. He was ready.

He would have a good time.

And the next time he talked to Aunt Sandy, he could report back that he had gone out and lived life a little.

This had to count for that, right?

“You’re right on time,” Newton said, climbing up into the seat of Gage’s bright yellow Jeep. “I should have figured this is what you drove when I saw it parked in front of the gym.”

Gage grinned and quirked an eyebrow. “I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing…”

“Oh, definitely a good thing,” Newton said, hurrying to add, “It fits you. Bright and sunny.”

Gage didn’t say anything else as he pulled out of the tiny parking lot behind Newton’s building, but he was still smiling, so Newton was going to hope that was a good sign.

And even though Newton’s reasoning for comparing Gage to his vehicle sounded sort of ridiculous when he had tried to explain it out loud, it was the honest truth. Gage always seemed to be smiling, always seemed to be upbeat and optimistic and encouraging.

It really was like he carried a little bit of sunshine with him, and just being around him made Newton feel happier.

Warmer.

Sunnier.

“I was talking to Calvin earlier, and he’s really excited for tonight,” Gage said. “They’re already so impressed with your work.”

“Oh wow, no pressure at all,” Newton said, laughing. “But I’m actually kind of excited for it, too, if I’m being honest.”

Gage glanced over his ever-present smile shining even brighter. “Yeah? I’m glad. I don’t want you to be nervous. Calvin and Jack are really easy-going.”

“Have you guys known each other for a long time?” Newton asked. “I sort of get the feeling that everyone knows everyone else around here.”

“It really is like that, for the most part,” Gage answered. “But yeah, we’ve all been friends forever. We all went to school together. Jack moved away for a few years—well, like ten years, I guess—but he moved back to be with Calvin not too long ago.”

“That’s really sweet,” Newton said, nibbling at his lip. “I mean, I don’t know them, of course, but I’ve seen them both and they look like they make a good couple.”

“They’re a great couple,” Gage said, nodding slowly but keeping his eyes on the road. “Like… complete opposites but somehow perfect for each other, if that makes sense?”

“It makes perfect sense.”

Newton tried not to sigh as he looked out the window. The way Gage described his friends, it was almost as if they had stepped out of a fairy tale. And even though Newton knew that nobody—no relationship—was actually perfect, he still sort of hoped that one day he’d find the kind of love that people would talk about like that. The kind of love that felt perfect, because both people were just so right together.

“How about you?” Gage asked. “I know you just moved here not too long ago, so you probably haven’t had a lot of time to get out and date…”

“I don’t really date much,” Newton said, grimacing a little. “Even before I moved here, I pretty much kept to myself. It just makes things… easier.”

Gage stopped at a red light and looked over, holding Newton’s gaze for a moment before replying. “Yeah, it does sometimes make things seem easier. Then again, maybe you’ve been dating the wrong people if it feels like things are complicated.”

Newton looked away, doing his best not to smile as the light changed and Gage started driving again. “Maybe I have been,” he said, quietly. “I’m not sure how to know the difference.”

“When it happens, I think you’ll know.” Now it was Gage’s turn to sigh. “I totally know how it feels to date the wrong people, though. I’ve kissed a lot of frogs in my time.”

“No prince yet, I take it?”

“Not yet,” he stole a quick glance at Newton again as they pulled off onto a residential street with cute houses and well-manicured lawns. “I’m still holding out hope that my luck will change, though. And when it does, I’ll be ready.”

Newton couldn’t help but feel a little bit uplifted by Gage’s optimism. Even though the idea of happily-ever-after, fairy-tale romance seemed a little far-fetched, Newton wasn’t ready to rule it out completely.

It had apparently happened for Calvin and Jack, so at least he knew it was possible.

Just maybe not very probable.

Still, he could hope, right? No harm in that.

And as corny as it sounded, he was glad that he and Gage had that shared hope in common. It was like having a little ray of Gage’s sunshine that Newton could hold onto, especially now that he was here in Silver Lake on his own.

“We’re here,” Gage said, pulling Newton from his thoughts as they stopped in front of a gray Cape Cod style house with crisp white trim. “And I hope you’re hungry, because if I know Calvin, he’s probably been cooking non-stop all afternoon.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Newton answered, opening the door and climbing down out of the Jeep as Gage walked around to meet him.

Newton felt a little frisson of excitement pass through his body as they took the little cobblestone path that led from the driveway to the large front porch. He was here with Gage, about to have dinner with Gage’s friends.

For as much as he’d tried to convince himself that it wasn’t really a date—and it genuinely wasn’t—he couldn’t help the fact that it really did feel like one.

And the funny thing was that even though Newton had just said a few minutes before that he didn’t really go on dates, there was a part of him that sincerely hoped this wouldn’t be the last time he went out with Gage.

That part of him even dared to hope just a little bit that Gage would ask him on a real date sometime. Newton knew it was a silly thing to wish for, but he couldn’t help himself.

After all, there was always hope.