Escaping Cupid (International Affairs)

by Devaux, Olivette

  He would call her tomorrow. Or late tonight, if he could catch her early on Monday morning. For now, he wanted to see those images Wade had thought were so exceptional.

  SHOWING ARIEL THE PHOTOS was worse than having his first-ever art opening. Was there anything more intrusive that taking a photo of a nude person without their knowledge? By then, Wade had known Ariel was not an apparition from the distant past, and he could blame his artistic drive for only so much.

  “I have to reiterate that I do apologize,” he said once again. “And I’ll be happy to erase them. Your good opinion is worth a thousand award-winning images!”

  Ariel’s eyebrows rose. “Award-winning? Let’s see. I’m truly curious now.”

  Wade had the photo gallery all set up, and he showed Ariel the controls. Then he left him to it. As he leaned back, he could see which image Ariel was viewing, but more importantly he saw Ariel’s reactions.

  Some of the photos were blah, or something was out of focus, or they badly needed to be cropped. Others, though... he noticed Ariel leaning back too, as though he could better evaluate the compilations of gray tones from afar. Then he leaned closer again, and turned to Wade. “This one’s awesome.”

  “Thank you.” Wade voice was barely a whisper.

  “You can’t tell it’s me unless you know me really well,” Ariel mused. “And maybe not even then.” He turned to Wade. “Is this one of the ones you wanted to submit?”

  “Yes.” How could a whisper turn into a croak?

  “Show me your model release form. I’m generally in favor.” He smiled. “I’m not really close to my family. They disapprove of my ‘lifestyle,’ so I don’t have to worry about their reactions anymore.”

  “What, they didn’t want you to be a chemist?” Wade quipped as incredible warmth spread through him. Ariel didn’t hate him. He even appreciated the dratted photos, and now Wade would have to submit at least one, and share Ariel with the world. He wanted to hoard Ariel all to himself, but considering Ariel’s family situation, unresolved issues still weighed on this lovely man.

  Issues which Wade’s photography could, quite possibly, address.

  “Whatever you want,” Wade said. “Really, it’s either offer it to the world, or ditch it. There’s no middle way. Not with social media.”

  “They’re great,” Ariel said. “I’ve never photographed well. And I never knew I looked like that. Not that appearance is hugely important, but it sure doesn’t hurt.” He made space for Wade to lean in, so they could view the photos together. “I love the big stone, and I love the way the sun comes out over it. I really do look like a wraith!”

  “The only sexy wraith in the world,” Wade said with a laugh. “If we can set this aside for a while, we could enjoy a Sunday walk.”

  “It’s raining,” Ariel pointed out. “Do we have umbrellas?”

  Bubbles of laughter, most of it a product of intense relief, welled up from Wade’s chest. “Is that even a serious question? You’re in England, my lad. Of course we have umbrellas. In every foyer, in every car, by every door. And that’s not counting the special, favorite ones people keep hidden away.”

  CHAPTER 11 – Epilogue

  The apartment was still and mostly empty. The modern bedroom closet held enough clothes for only a week, as Ariel’s possession were still in boxes in the living room. He scanned the blank white walls, the large windows covered with sheer lace curtains. The May breeze stirred them, bringing in the scent of somebody’s weekend baking and the distant laughter of children four stories below.

  “I see you already bought a bed,” Wade said. “The largest one you could find!”

  “Because you sprawl,” Ariel said with a shrug. “And I’m leaving a half of the closet empty.” He turned to face him. Wade’s hair curled around his forehead and above his ears in a style Ariel had begun to think of as ‘typically professorial.’ Their gazes met, and Wade’s blue eyes sparkled with color of holiday promise as he took a step closer, then closer still.

  If the air could’ve crackled between them, it would have.

  “My boxes are in the big car,” he said, referring to the sensible, used Land Rover he bought for their general use. “But I stopped in the store on the way here and brought a little contribution.” He tossed a bag at Ariel, who deftly caught it.

  He peeked in. “Another whole box of condoms and an economy bottle of lube?”

  He threw the bag onto the bed.

  Three steps, and he was in Wade’s arms. It felt like forever, being gone and then here again so many times. “Let’s do as much moving and packing as we can today,” he mumbled into Wade’s shirt. “The whole weekend will be like this, sunny and nice. So they said.”

  “So they said,” Wade echoed. “Which means a stray spring shower will get us soaked when you least expect it.”

  “I don’t care,” Ariel said. “I want us to have a lovely day, and I want us to take the convertible to Avebury tomorrow!” He pulled away from Wade’s short-sleeved button-down shirt, when he’d been wallowing in his familiar scent. “And I’ll drive.”

  “It’s manual,” Wade reminded him.

  “I’ve been learning. And we can take the little roads. Through the hedge tunnels. And when we get there, we can visit the blooming trees and you can take amazing photos, and we can see if your weekend guests at the cottage need anything.”

  “That’s the thing,” Wade said with a tinge of regret. “With the cottage getting rented out every so often, we don’t have it at our beck and call.” Ariel saw him glance at the large, comfortable bed.

  “There’s always the long barrow,” he whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “If we leave early enough, we can get there before the sun is up. And we can get the ancient one’s blessing the right way.”

  Ariel loved the way Wade ran his fingers through his too-long hair, the way he tightened his fist just enough to remind Ariel that he was there, and appreciative. “I never thought a proper scientist can be such a nutter. Next thing you’ll be worshipping crystals.”

  “Don’t knock ‘em,” Ariel said. “They’re pretty.” Then, seriously, he met Wade’s gaze. “Are you entirely sure you don’t mind living this far from the university? It’s almost an hour to your classes now.”

  “I’m saving a ton by renting my old apartment,” Wade reminded him. “And I can combine my teaching with trips to photo shoots. I’ve always done a lot of driving. It doesn’t bother me. Not when we’re together, like this.”

  Their lips met in a brush of a kiss that deepened to something more passionate yet just as lasting. When they broke for air, Ariel pushed Wade away at arm’s length. “As much as I’d like to see where this goes, the boxes...”

  “Yes, the boxes. And then we have to assemble my desk in the spare room so I can set up my computer on it.” Wade got that work-mode look, the one that told Ariel he had not only boxes to unpack, but photos to edit and submit to various venues. The art world was new and alien to him, just like the corporate science world was a new environment for Wade.

  This was good for them, this mixture of yin and yang.

  As soon as Ariel thought that, he gave a sharp nod and a grin. For sure, Wade had somehow turned him into one of those nutters.

  THE FIRST HEAT OF JUNE had Wade strip to his waist and relish the rare sun in the sky as they hiked through the fields outside the village. He was covered in sweat, but his breath came easier than when he tried to run with Ariel for the first time.

  Ariel was barely marked by the exertion. “This isn’t even hot,” he said. “Back in Atlanta, they have their air conditioning on already!”

  The field road’s dust rose as their footsteps disturbed it. Wildflowers bloomed in the divide between the road and the field, and the surface of the pond glistened from far away. The buzzing of grasshoppers soothed Wade with its familiarity, which had him wonder about Ariel’s state of mind. “Do you miss Atlanta?”

  “Only a few specific things, and only sometimes,” Ariel said as
he looked around with a fond eye. “This is so nice. I sure don’t miss the chiggers or the mosquitoes. Or the ticks.”

  Wade shuddered at the thought of the blood-sucking insects American hikers had to contend with on a regular basis.

  “But I could stand a lunch of fried chicken and waffles every so often, and some dark sweet tea,” Ariel confessed.

  Wade shuddered again. “You drink your tea however you like.” They had the cottage to themselves this weekend, but even so they would end their walk in the cafe on the square. As the only place what was open on Sunday, the cafe was the hub central for the village telegraph, and the news traveled fast. All the locals knew Wade’s new partner now. Some of their scrutiny came across as intrusive to Wade, but Ariel seemed unbothered by it.

  That might, however, all change once Wade found a good time to break the lastest news to him. The news of a certain advertising agency, who found the photos of Ariel’s naked yoga at the henge innovative, mysterious, and just the thing for one of their clients.

  What would images like that, plastered across magazine pages and billboards, do to Ariel’s sense of belonging? How would they affect his professional standing at work?

  “What’s on your mind?” Ariel picked up on Wade’s shift of focus the way he almost always did.

  Wade drew a deep breath. The air was fragrant with cut grass and a far-away rose in someone’s garden. It would soon be time to put his shirt on. “Um, I did get an interesting piece of mail. About those photos from Avebury.”

  “Yes?” Ariel’s tone was flat. By now, Wade knew that meant Ariel was merely reserving judgment until he had more data.

  “How would you feel if those photos were used to advertise a prominent Italian perfume?”

  The laughter that Ariel let out mixed incredulity with amazement. “You can’t be serious,” he said. “Me?”

  “Not just you. You, recognizably you, in your birthday suit at Avebury. All over the pages, in the metro, all over Europe...” He named the brand.

  “Even in the States?” Ariel interrupted.

  “Yes,” Wade said. “Most especially in the States.”

  “My mother uses that perfume,” Ariel mused. “She said she found me to be unacceptable before.”

  Wade scuttled the project in his mind. Ariel’s family was estranged. If they saw him like that, any kind of reconciliation would be out of question.

  “I’ll do it,” Ariel said. The resolve in his voice was hard and cold, like steel. Then he stopped and pulled Wade in for a brief kiss. “Is this too soon to be talking of forever?”

  Wade shook his head. “It’s never too soon to plan ahead, not when the partner by your side is the best thing that has ever happened to you.”

  They entered the cafe many minutes later, still holding hands.

  The owner nodded a hello to them. “And how might you two gentlemen be doing today? Will you have the usual?”

  Wade looked at Ariel, whose happy smile said it all. Wade gladly echoed it.

  This was home.

  ~ the end ~

  Thank you for reading “Escaping Cupid,” the second title in the International Affairs. This series features couples from various cultural backgrounds and at interesting international locales. If you liked it, check out other stories in my catalogue below, or check out my website at www.olivettedevaux.com.

  You’ll find a link to my own bookstore, where I can sell titles at the best prices around! And because of the great terms, the both you and I benefit and I can pass on the savings to readers like you. You will find all of my books there eventually, unless they happen to be in KU at the time.

  Your opinion counts – and so does your review. Any review you drop, at any venue, is much appreciated!.

  Be well,

  ~Olivette

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  PUBLISHING AS OLIVETTE DEVAUX:

  WILD HORSES

  Untamed (Wild Horses 1)

  Wild Horses (Wild Horses 2)

  Broken Gait (Wild Horses 3)

  Sire (Wild Horses 4)

  Horseplay (Wild Horses 5)

  Change of Lead (Wild Horses 6)

  DISORDERLY ELEMENTS:

  Zero Power Signature (D .E. short story 0.5)

  Like a Rock (Disorderly Elements 1)

  Forbidden Kiss of Life (D .E. short story 1.5)

  Like a Torrent (Disorderly Elements 2)

  Within a Crowded Blade (D .E. short story 2.5)

  Like a Jetstream (Disorderly Elements 3)

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  Like a Phoenix (Disorderly Elements 5)

  Three Solstice Gifts (D .E. short story 5.5)

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  FOREIGN AFFAIRS

  The Fighting Dutchman

  Escaping Cupid

  Relativistic Phenomena (Novella)

  Strawberries in the Snow (Novella)

  Adrenaline Rush (Novel)

  SHORT STORIES

  (in Heart’s Kiss Magazine and various anthologies)

  I am here for you

  The Aswang Who Ate Stardust

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  Compatible

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  Writing as Kate Pavelle:

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  The Crone who Leaned on a Sword Cane (Crone World 1)

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  On the Run (Cancelled Czech Files)

  Naked Gun (Cancelled Czech Files)

  Just Blow It Up (Cancelled Czech Files)

  Raisin Raid (Cancelled Czech Files)

  Unsavory Company (Spy suspense 1991 Balkans)

  The River Pearl (Short Story M/F, recent history)

  Airborne for Love (Short Story M/F, recent history)

  Writing as Kate Pavelle and published by Dreamspinner Press:

  Breakfall (The Fall Trilogy 1)

  Swordfall (The Fall Trilogy 2)

  Landfall (The Fall Trilogy 3)

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Under another name, OLIVETTE DEVAUX is an award-winning author and Amazon best-seller.

  Her Olivette Devaux pen
name is dedicated to over thirty works of LGBT fiction and hot romance.

  She writes crime, espionage, thrillers, recent historicals, humor, urban fantasy and weird fiction stories under Kate Pavelle.

  You can contact the author at www.olivettedevaux.com, or through her Olivette Devaux FB profile. She checks both about once a week.