by Liv Rider
Joel was still looking at the coaster in his hands. “I thought I should at least be aware of… what was going on in Lewiston.”
What was going on with shifters, he meant. “That’s understandable. You were worried. I looked into it this afternoon before I came here.”
Joel’s eyes widened as he raised his head. “You did what?”
“I wanted to see if your situation had been reported to the council. I couldn’t find anything.” He didn’t want Joel getting worried over nothing. “The only things I could find from Barnhill from the past five years were the usual updates and a report on some conflict between shifters from Barnhill and some other nearby town. There was nothing on you.” He reached out one hand to take Joel’s.
Joel squeezed his hand and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I don’t know if I should be relieved or not.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Thomas was starting to feel bad for bringing it up. He wanted to be honest with Joel, but this was meant to be a fun dinner where they wouldn’t be talking about shifters again. It was clear to him that Joel needed someone to talk to about his past with shifters and he was more than happy to be that person.
Joel was silent for a long moment. “I guess I’m also disappointed, in a way. Like they didn’t even care enough about me to report it formally.”
Thomas didn’t know what to say to that, so he settled for squeezing Joel’s hand back. His family had always been there for him when he’d needed them, and he couldn’t imagine what Joel had gone through.
Joel sighed. “I’m sorry, I know we agreed not to talk about… this kind of thing tonight.”
“Hey, we can talk about whatever you want to talk about. But we should be a little careful because of…” He trailed off, then gestured at the other people in the restaurant.
“Yeah, I know. How did we even get onto this topic?”
“Oh wow, good question. I think I started it, talking about ordering take-out with the council sometimes.”
“Right, you did!”
“It’s a Thai place nearby that everyone can agree on as acceptable,” Thomas explained, remembering far too many discussions on where to order take-out. “It’s why I try to make sure meetings don’t take so long that we have to order food.”
“Are they that bad?” Joel sounded surprised. “Your council?”
“Two friends of mine are Keepers for the other two districts. I suspect all councils are that bad. I really don’t want to bore you with examples, but trust me, it can take a lot of discussion to get them to agree on something.”
“Like hiring Hampton’s?”
“Oh, definitely. But like I said, zero complaints about the food and everyone had a good time.”
“That’s good to hear.” Joel’s smile was genuine, then he looked down at their entwined hands. Maybe it was the candlelight, but Thomas was sure he could see his cheeks redden. “Um, since you didn’t want to talk to me Saturday about Barnhill, what was it about? Why did you come to Hampton’s?”
Joel looked so genuinely confused that Thomas wondered if he’d messed up somehow. He had asked Joel out to dinner and as far as he knew, that was pretty standard when it came to dating between humans. Did Joel not realize this was a date? What was he supposed to say now? He couldn’t explain about them being true mates, not here and not right now. “Because I want to get to know you better and I thought I’d ask you out.”
Joel stared at him. His cheeks were definitely red now.
“You knew I was asking you out, right? For a date?” Great, his first date with Joel and things were not going well. He could imagine the mocking he’d get from Mitchell and Parker.
“You actually—with me?”
“Of course.”
“But you’re a shifter,” Joel hissed after glancing around.
“And?”
When Joel fell silent again, Thomas realized why it was so strange to him.
“I’m guessing there’s not a lot of shifters dating humans in Barnhill?”
Joel shook his head. “Except for my mom, I guess.”
“Well, it’s getting more and more common here every day.”
“Huh. I guess that’s what I get for avoiding everything.” Joel looked a little sheepish. “Still, you’re a… I mean, I know what Keepers of the Peace are.”
They were interrupted by the waitress bringing their pizza over and even Thomas’ dragon was momentarily distracted by the wonderful smells.
“Right now I’m hungry.” He flashed Joel a quick smile. “And we should try talking about something else.” He used his fork to gesture at the family at the other table. “Just in case.” He was pretty sure no one was listening to them, but you could never be too careful.
Joel looked like he wanted to protest, then nodded. “You’re right. I didn’t think I’d be talking so much about you know what tonight. You’re just so easy to talk to, even though we met a few days ago. Is that weird?”
“Not at all.” Thomas felt a lot lighter. Joel was definitely feeling their bond on some level, even if he didn’t know it. “I’m glad you feel that way.”
7
Joel
As they ate and commented on their pizzas, Joel still couldn’t believe that Thomas was genuinely interested in him. The part of him that had been hoping for this was feeling very pleased, but the rest of him was too busy being surprised. Thomas was hot, incredibly kind, and a powerful dragon shifter. What could he possibly see in Joel?
It wasn’t that he thought he wasn’t attractive; he’d had his share of dates. He had even had a boyfriend for two years, but they had split up when Evan had to move across the country for work. But Thomas was definitely out of his league, so a part of him remained suspicious. He couldn’t let himself fall for Thomas. The man was Keeper of the Peace around here. Shifters like that didn’t date humans, or at least not for long.
Maybe that was it. Thomas was after a one-night-stand, something no strings attached. That made sense. Someone who had as much power and responsibility as Thomas did needed to have fun every now and then.
But why was he going through all the trouble of asking Joel out to dinner and coming to Hampton’s? Thomas could go into a club and easily find some hot guy to take home.
Thomas was talking about his first few months as Keeper of the Peace in Lewiston and the trouble he’d had getting the council to work with him. While he was vague about a few things so they wouldn’t be overheard, Joel was nodding along in understanding. He knew what it was like to be the newcomer in a team where everyone else had been working together for a few years and you had to figure out your own role. It had taken him a while to feel part of the team at Hampton’s too.
It would be so easy to fall in love with Thomas. Joel couldn’t stop looking at him. His bright eyes, his infectious smile, and his golden hair that Joel wanted to run his fingers through. The way he talked about his job and the council, still enthusiastic and passionate even when he was talking about how he had struggled at first.
Joel had never met anyone like Thomas. Someone who was so sweet and easy to open up to. Thomas didn’t just talk about himself. He asked Joel about his job and interests, and listened intently. Joel had been on dates where he could tell the other guy was only asking questions to be polite and waiting for Joel to finish replying so he could talk about himself again.
He had told Thomas things he’d never told anyone, and seeing Thomas get angry on his behalf had been strangely gratifying. He had been right to run away from home. He had been right to resent the way everyone back home had treated him. Even another shifter thought so.
But before he opened his heart further, he had to know where Thomas wanted this to go. If this was meant to be some casual fun, well, Joel would take it and hope he wouldn’t get his heart broken once it was over.
“I have to ask,” Joel started, before his courage gave out, “why did you ask me out? I mean, there were plenty of people at the event.”
Thomas clearly hadn
’t expected that question. He was silent for a moment. “Yeah, but those people weren’t you.”
His cheeks reddened again. “Okay, but why me?”
“Why not you?”
“Come on, why? What was it that made you ask me out? Because if it’s the coffee or the muffins, I have bad news for you about who makes those.”
Thomas laughed at that, wiping his mouth with his napkin. Joel wondered if it was a move to buy himself some time. “It’s not the muffins or the sandwich. It’s more than that. It’s how brave you are.”
“Brave?” That was the last word he would use to describe himself.
“Yeah. I mean, you worked at an event filled with people you’ve spent years trying to avoid. You ran from me, but you still agreed to talk to me today, because you decided to face your fears. That’s pretty brave.”
Joel gave him a wan smile. “I think that was more resignation than courage. I figured that if you knew, sooner or later someone else would realize too. Besides, I was completely wrong about why you came to Hampton’s!”
“Doesn’t matter,” Thomas insisted, pointing at him with a fork. “You thought I was there to ruin your life. You could’ve refused to talk to me or agree to meet.”
“And wait for the next person to come along instead? I thought my time of running away was up.”
“Exactly, and you didn’t run further. You didn’t hide. You stood your ground and faced your fear. Me.” Thomas looked down at his pizza.
Had that been a flash of hurt in his eyes? It must have been strange for Thomas to think Joel had been scared of him. “I wasn’t scared of you. I mean, I kind of was, but I was scared of having to go back to my parents. Not of you personally.”
“You were scared of what I might do to you.” Thomas met his eyes. Joel had been right. Thomas did look hurt, but he also looked determined. He took Joel’s hand and Joel felt a shiver run down his spine. “I want you to know that I would never hurt you. Not as myself, and not as Keeper of the Peace. I want people in my district to be happy. You’re not the first person I’ve met who left a family behind they’re not on speaking terms with. Even if your family had filed a report, I wouldn’t make you go back, not if you don’t want to.”
Joel’s throat was tight. “Thank you.” He took a sip from his beer before looking at Thomas again.
“So, you’re brave,” Thomas told him, in a tone that meant he wouldn’t accept any more arguing. “You’re also incredibly loyal.”
“What? Why?” How had Thomas jumped to that conclusion?
“Well, your bosses asked you to work the event, right? And you knew what kind of event it was before you got there? What kind of people?”
“Oh yeah, Charlie mentioned your cover name, Shift South.” He still remembered how shaken he had felt.
“See? You’re loyal to them.”
Joel shook his head, laughing. “Hey, I got paid extra for working an event at the last minute. That’s not about loyalty.”
“The money does help, but was it just the money? Or was it also because you wanted to help out where you could?”
“Branching out into catering is important for them. They don’t want to rely solely on the café for money. I mean, I want to have a job next year and the year after that, so I want the café to keep existing.”
“And that’s all it was?”
It wasn’t and they both knew it. Joel just didn’t know how Thomas knew it. “They’re great bosses and it’s a great place. They deserve to do well. Hampton’s isn’t the first place I’ve worked since moving here, but it’s definitely the best place.”
“See? Loyal.”
Joel rolled his eyes at how pleased Thomas sounded. “You didn’t know any of that on Saturday, though.”
“True. On Saturday, I thought you were cute and smelled more delicious than the sandwiches.”
His cheeks reddened again. He knew that shifters had sensitive noses and someone smelling good could be as important as someone looking good, but no one had ever told him they liked his scent.
“Wait, sorry, was that weird?” Thomas looked worried. “It was weird talking about how you smell, wasn’t it? I shouldn’t have said it.”
“It was kind of unusual.” Joel tried not to laugh. “It’s fine. I’ve never dated someone like you before, but I guess I should get used to a little bit of weirdness.”
“I’ll try to keep it to a minimum, but I’ve never dated someone like you either. I hope it’s not too different.”
Joel hoped it wasn’t. “Wait, never? I’m the first? You’ve only dated other… you know?”
“Yeah, and ever since becoming Keeper that has become, well, awkward. Like I said, everything I say or do gets talked about and I don’t want to look like I’m taking sides. It’s easier not to date at all.”
That made a lot of sense. “You thought, I hired Hampton’s to avoid taking sides, so I might as well start dating the staff?” he joked.
Thomas laughed as well. “You’ve figured me out! I considered your boss, but she’s not my type.”
“And she’s married.”
“Another reason why I should be going out with you.”
“Okay, now I definitely get why you didn’t want to date someone who, you know…”
Thomas’ smile turned concerned. “Joel, why do you keep asking me about why I asked you out? Do you find it hard to believe that someone could find you attractive?”
He had been pushing Thomas about that, so it was a logical question. “No, I found it hard to believe that you could find me attractive.”
“Because of what I am?” Thomas ate another bite of his pizza.
“Yes, kind of.” How the hell was he supposed to say ‘because you’re incredibly hot and kind and you could have any guy you wanted’ without coming across as pathetic? “You’re a good-looking guy, you’re charming, and you went through a lot of trouble to get me to even talk to you. You could’ve scored an easier date.”
“Maybe I like trouble.”
Joel considered that as he ate more of his pizza. He’d never tried playing hard to get with guys he was interested in, but maybe there was something to be said for it after all. “I guess I’m still surprised. I’m not used to someone like you wanting to ask someone like me out.”
There was concern in Thomas’ eyes as he leaned forward. “Because of how you were treated?”
His throat was getting tight again as the memories of being ignored and mocked played in his mind. “After years of people telling me how useless I am and how I should be pitied, it’s kind of hard accepting someone saying I’m not.”
“Joel…” There was pity in Thomas’ eyes and he took Joel’s hand again.
Joel wasn’t finished, because he was starting to dislike the look of pity. He didn’t want Thomas to go out with him because he felt bad for him. “I know I’m not useless. This isn’t my first date ever. I’ve had boyfriends before. My self-esteem is fine.” It was definitely better than five years ago. “I’m just… part of me is suspicious of you. Even after talking about it and knowing you’re not like them. I can’t help it.”
Thomas was silent for a long moment while his thumb kept rubbing circles across the back of Joel’s hand.
Joel hoped he hadn’t hurt the other man, but he wanted to be honest. Thomas deserved to know, in case Joel panicked over something related to shifters again or didn’t want to go somewhere Thomas wanted to go.
“I guess that’s to be expected. I’m glad you told me.” His smile grew. “I’m glad you feel able to talk to me about those things.”
“I just want to be honest.” It really was ridiculous how easy it was to talk with Thomas about these things and open up to him. “Give you warning.”
“A warning for what?”
“That this.” He paused to gesture at the two of them. “Isn’t going to be easy. I don’t know what the guys you previously dated were like, but I bet they didn’t freak out around you.”
“You’d be surprised.
” A sad smile crossed Thomas’ face. “I never thought dating you was going to be easy. Dating hardly ever is, right? There’s always something. You’re not the first guy to be a little suspicious about me.”
Joel wondered why. Did a previous shifter boyfriend think Thomas had ulterior motives in dating him? “Because of your job?”
“That too. Being Keeper makes a lot of things more complicated, like I said. Meeting you was the best thing to happen to me!”
The suspicious part of him perked up while the rest of him felt warm. On the one hand, it was great that Joel’s issues with his family and shifters didn’t seem to bother Thomas one bit. On the other hand, they had only met a few days ago. Saying he was the best thing that had happened to Thomas was kind of intense. “Really?” He couldn’t keep the skepticism out of his voice.
“One of the best things, definitely.” Thomas let go of Joel’s hand to count on his fingers. “One, you’re cute. Two, you’re not like me. Three, you already know about people like me, which saves me a lot of time explaining things to you step by step.”
“Oh, I’m convenient now?” Joel laughed. He supposed it did make it easier on Thomas that he already knew about shifters.
“Extremely.” Thomas raised a fourth finger. “Four, you’ve agreed to date me despite your issues. Five…everything else I know about you, and probably most of the things I don’t.”
“You’re very charming.” Joel knew he was getting flustered again.
“I try.” Thomas looked down at his empty plate. “Now, you mentioned something about tiramisu?”
Once their plates were cleared and they placed an order for dessert, Joel began to think about the end of this date. He knew that if Thomas had been a regular guy, he’d have been tempted to invite him home or go back to Thomas’ place to see where the evening took them. But Thomas wasn’t a regular guy. The part of him that wanted to go home with him was as strong as the part that wanted to wait and see if the charm was an act. Sure, right now Thomas thought it was a great idea to date a human, but how long would that last? How long before the differences would start to annoy him? How long before Joel’s trust issues frustrated him?
