“There’s someone at the door!”
“At this hour?”
“We’re usually up by now! Let me up!”
Ben reached down, grabbing the base of the condom so Thom could make a clean exit. Ben headed to the bathroom to clean up while Thom wiped off with a tissue, sticking his head out the bedroom door to shout, “Be right there!” down the stairs.
Thom ran to the sink, splashed some water on himself, and ran back out, throwing on the clothes he had been wearing last night before rushing down the stairs.
Ben finished cleaning up, washed his hands, and splashed some water on his face before crossing over to the guest room to put on fresh clothes. He frowned at the dresser as he closed the drawer. He needed to figure out how to get himself moved in across the hall. Oh well, one thing at a time. He heard voices downstairs and recognized his uncle’s, so he hurried to finish dressing and get downstairs.
He followed the sound of voices to the kitchen where Thom was pouring Chuck a cup of coffee.
“Morning, Uncle Chuck.”
“Morning, Ben. Just the man I came to see.”
“Yeah? Let me get some coffee first.”
“I’ll leave you two to talk. See you later Chuck.” Thom picked up his own mug and headed down the hall.
“What’s up, Uncle Chuck?” Ben sat at the table. Chuck sat down across from Ben and looked at his nephew with a smirk. “What?”
“That’s, uh, quite a love bite Thom’s got.”
“What?!” Ben sat up straight. “What are you talking about?”
“Right about here,” Chuck pointed to his own neck, just above the collarbone where the open collar of Thom’s shirt must not have concealed it.
“I hadn’t noticed,” Ben tried for nonchalant, but figured his uncle wouldn’t be fooled.
“Mm hmm.”
“Shit.”
“Oh, I remember what it was like to be young and impetuous. Just be more careful next time.”
Ben hung his head, embarrassed for Thom’s sake. “Don’t say anything to him, Uncle Chuck.”
“Of course not. Thom’s the private sort. Discreet, you know. He’d be embarrassed if people saw.”
“Are you mad?”
“Why would I be mad?”
“Well, Thom and me. Thom figures you wouldn’t approve. He thinks you’ll think he’s betraying your trust or something if he gets involved with me. Also, he thinks you don’t know he’s gay.”
Chuck snorted and sipped his coffee. “I’ll admit it took me a while to figure out, but even I’ve got the lay of the land now. As far as I can tell, the only person in this town who hasn’t figured out Thom Caldwell is gay is Thom Caldwell.”
“I think he knows.”
“You know what I mean. Look. I’m an old man. Okay, getting old. But even I can see how he’s changed since you’ve been here, especially lately. He’s always stayed out here too much, especially now that Steve’s moved to Arizona. See if you can drag him into town now and then for more than a grocery run.”
“Uh, okay.”
The two men sat and sipped their coffee for a couple of minutes before Chuck broke the silence.
“So, about the reason I headed out here this morning.”
“Yeah?”
“I tracked down your father.”
Ben took another sip of his coffee, not sure what to say.
“Ben?”
“Yeah. Okay, that’s good, right?”
“Well, that’s for you to say.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“No, of course not. I wanted to talk to you first and tell you what I found out. Then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
“Okay. Well, he may not want to hear from me. I don’t know… What did you find out?”
“He’s living near Los Angeles. It wasn’t all that hard, really, what with the internet. He’s a history professor and has a university web page. He teaches American history and he’s written a couple of books about the Gold Rush and early California. Also, there’s sites where students can rate their professors, and he’s popular with the students. And apparently a lot of them think he’s ‘hot’.” Chuck paused to sip his coffee, “Do students really do that? Rate their professors and talk about how good looking they are?”
“Oh, yeah. We did, anyway. Didn’t students have crushes on teachers when you were in school?”
“Sure, but we wouldn’t want the teachers to know! The world sure has changed since I was a kid.” Chuck shook his head and drank more coffee.
“So, we know my father is intelligent, well-liked, and good-looking. Could be worse, I suppose.”
“I didn’t know him real well back when he was with your mom. I was already here, starting my own family, so I only met him a few times. You look like him, though. And he seemed nice, but I couldn’t say for sure. No one really knows what goes on in other people’s marriages.”
The two men sat for a minute, drinking their coffee. “What now? Do you want to think on it some?”
“No,” Ben shook his head. “I’ve been thinking about what I’d want to do if you found him. I’d like to meet him, if he wants to meet me. What do you think?”
“Okay. I was thinking, maybe I should call him, find out if he’d be open to meeting. I didn’t see anything about his personal life, and to be honest I didn’t do any real digging. I don’t know if he’s married, or what.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. I don’t want to screw up his life or anything, just get some answers. That’s a lot of trouble for you, though, Uncle Chuck.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to do it. Besides, I have to admit I’m kind of curious myself.”
“Okay, let’s do it then. Thanks.”
Chuck stood to leave and Ben walked him to the front door. As he started down the steps, Chuck turned back.
“You know, your cousin Donna just got a job as a hostess at The Inn.”
“What’s The Inn?”
“It’s kind of like a bed and breakfast. Maybe more like a small hotel, since they’ve got a restaurant. It’s a popular date spot, I hear. Anyway, Donna says they’re not very busy on Thursdays. Okay, gotta run!”
Ben watched his uncle drive away, his truck bouncing on the gravel road. Not the most subtle of guys, his uncle. Ben headed back into the house to invite his man on a date.
* * *
Thom wasn’t in the office, but Ben thought he could hear water running, so he went upstairs. Sure enough, he could hear the shower going in the master bath. Thom’s dirty clothes were tossed in a pile near the hamper, so Ben picked them up and put them in – he couldn’t figure out why someone as organized as Thom could never seem to get his dirty clothes all the way into the hamper.
The bathroom door was open, so Ben went on in. Sliding back the frosted glass door, he stuck his head in the shower to see Thom rinsing shampoo out of his hair. Sure enough, there was a livid hickey at the base of his neck. Oops.
Thom must have heard the shower door open, or felt a draft, because he opened his eyes and glared at Ben. He must have looked in the mirror, then.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Ben gave Thom his best smile, because he knew how much Thom like his dimple.
“Hey yourself.” Not a friendly tone. Maybe the dimple didn’t work for every occasion.
“Uh… sorry?”
Thom turned his back and started soaping himself up.
“I can’t believe you did that. What if people see? What if Chuck saw it?”
“Um, did he say anything to you?” Ben knew he hadn’t.
“No, of course not.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it – it’s where a collar can cover it. And even if people did see it, so what?”
“That kind of stuff is private. I don’t want the whole world knowing my private business.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Okay, I won’t do it again. Not where people can see anyway.”
Thom turned back around to give him another glare. Ben enjoyed the v
iew – angry Thom was too pissed off to worry about being embarrassed, and the soap suds and water were making interesting trails down his torso and legs.
“I haven’t had a shower yet either. I don’t suppose I could—”
“No.”
“Even if I promise not to leave any marks?”
“No. I’m getting out anyway.” Thom finished rinsing and turned off the water. Ben handed him a towel from the rack on the wall and stepped back so Thom could get out of the shower. He waited for Thom to dry his face and rub the towel over his hair, then reached out to place his hands on Thom’s cheeks and pull him in for a kiss.
“I really am sorry,” Ben whispered. “I guess I got carried away.”
Thom sighed, “It’s okay. Maybe I overreacted.”
“So, I wanted to ask you out. On a date.”
“A date?” Thom pulled back and started drying himself.
“Yeah. I thought I could take you out to dinner. We’ve never been on a proper date.”
Thom blinked up at him, his eyes wide. “I haven’t been on a date in years.”
“Well then, it’s high time you went on one. I’ve heard about this place called The Inn that’s supposed to be nice.”
“I don’t know…”
“Don’t you want to go on a date with me?”
“It’s not that.”
“What is it then?”
“I…”
“Are you worried about being seen on a date with a guy?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it.”
“Are you ashamed of being gay? Is that it? Because if you are, we might have a problem.”
“No! I’m not ashamed, I’ve just never really talked about it. I don’t want to have to explain myself and have a bunch of awkward ‘yes, I’m gay’ conversations.”
“Well, how about we go to dinner, and if anybody says anything I’ll deal with it? You don’t have to have any conversations with anyone but me unless you want to.”
“You’re not going to give up, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Fine. Okay, yes, I will go to dinner with you.”
“Great. I’ll make a reservation for Thursday.” Ben started undressing.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to take a shower.”
“Oh yeah. Okay.” Thom stepped over to the sink to shave while Ben got in the shower. “Everything okay with Chuck?”
“Yeah. He came over to tell me he’d found my father. I guess he didn’t want to talk about it on the phone.”
It was Thom’s turn to stick his head in the shower. “What are you going to do?”
Ben finished rinsing the soap from his face before he answered, “It’ll be up to him. Chuck is going to contact him, let him know I’m open to a meeting. We’ll go from there.”
“Wow. What if he says no?”
Ben shrugged, “I’ll have to accept it. But at least I’ll know I tried.”
Chapter 11
It seemed to Ben that time had never passed so slowly. He called his cousin Donna to make a dinner reservation for Thursday and find out if there was any kind of dress code. He hoped not, because his wardrobe didn’t run to fancy.
Thursday did manage to arrive, though, and Ben shut down the computer and headed upstairs to get ready for his date. Thom had been jumpy all morning, so Ben had finally suggested that he go down to the worksite to check on progress and get some fresh air. Thom was probably nervous about their date. Ben smiled as he stripped off his work clothes and stepped into the shower. He was a little nervous too, but mostly he was excited and looking forward to going out with Thom. Maybe if they went on a few actual dates, Thom would settle down and start taking Ben seriously.
He shaved carefully, not wanting to cut himself. He loved Thom’s dark five o’clock shadow and the way it felt rough against his skin, but his own beard was light brown and not as thick, and he always felt like it just made his face look dirty. He looked down at the thatch of hair at his groin. He thought briefly of trimming it, but Thom didn’t manscape, and seemed to like running his fingers through it when they were lying in bed together after – no, best not to think about that right now! He needed to get ready for their date. Plenty of time for that later.
Getting ready for this date – a real date – was a lot more fun than the last time. He definitely wanted to look his best tonight. His charcoal dress slacks, white dress shirt, and a black V-neck sweater – it was the dressiest outfit he had, and Donna had said it would be perfect for dinner at The Inn. He gave his hair a final look in the mirror, checked his face for toothpaste drips and missed whiskers, and took a deep breath. Time to pick up his date.
He crossed the hall to the master bedroom where Thom was getting ready and knocked on the door.
“Just a minute!”
“Everything okay in there?”
“Yeah, I’m just not sure—” The door opened, “Is this okay?”
Thom was wearing black jeans, a pale blue dress shirt that matched his eyes, and a dark grey sport coat. “You look amazing,” Ben told him. “You clean up real nice, sweetheart.”
Thom flushed and looked away. “You look pretty spiffy yourself.”
“Yeah?” Ben smiled, holding out his hand for Thom to take. “You ready for our date?”
Thom nodded, taking Ben’s hand. “Let’s give Cable’s Bend something to talk about.”
“That’s the spirit.”
* * *
Thom drove, and Ben leaned back in the passenger seat, watching him. Thom’s hands were confident on the wheel and gear shift, and Ben was starting to get a little turned on, thinking about where he planned to get those hands after dinner.
Thom glanced over at Ben. “What?” he asked.
“Nothing. Just admiring the view.”
Thom rolled his eyes.
“What? You are looking exceptionally handsome tonight. I’m glad you left the stubble – very sexy.”
Thom blushed. “Well, you said the other day that you liked it…”
Ben perked up. “You left it because I like it? Nice. Are you hoping to get lucky tonight?”
Thom just smiled a little and shook his head.
“Can I flirt with you at dinner?”
“Could I stop you?”
“Probably not,” Ben grinned. “Have you been to The Inn before?”
“Not for dinner. I went to a party on the grounds once. It’s supposed to be really good. The chef is some temperamental genius who got tired of the big city. He cooks what he wants and the menu changes all the time.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“It’s not for picky eaters. I heard that one time someone asked for a substitution and the chef came out and read them the riot act. Something about his dishes being perfectly balanced works of art and if they didn’t like it they could leave.”
“Wow. For real?”
“Well, I heard it from Reverend Martin. He was there having dinner with some members of the church board. He’s a reliable source.”
“Okay. Glad I’m not a picky eater.”
Thom slowed the truck and turned into a long driveway lined with trees. He parked on the edge of a circular drive in front of a large stone building trimmed with bright white paint. Ben got down from the truck and jogged around to the driver’s side to take Thom’s hand. “We’re a little early,” he said. “Can we walk around some?”
“Sure. We’ll go around back to the gardens. That’s where the restaurant entrance is, anyway.”
“Perfect.”
Thom led Ben around the corner of the building, which turned out to be larger than it looked from the front. As they approached the back they could smell meat roasting in the kitchen and Ben’s mouth started to water. He stopped and took a deep breath. “I don’t know what that is, but whatever it is I want to eat it.”
Thom laughed. “Right this minute?”
“A little walk first.” He turned to look into Thom’s laughing
eyes. “Sometimes,” he whispered, leaning closer until their lips were just a breath apart, “anticipation is half the fun.”
The noise Thom made was somewhere between a moan and a whine, and he blushed. Ben grinned, tucked Thom’s hand in the crook of his arm, and headed for the garden.
They strolled down one side of a large formal garden laid out with pebbled paths and a fountain near each end. Stone benches were set in vine-covered arbors at regular intervals along the sides, and at the end was a large stone gazebo decorated with scrolling black metalwork.
“This is beautiful,” Ben breathed, running his hands over an ironwork grapevine wrapped around one of the white stone columns. “It’s a work of art.”
Thom nodded. “The artist is based in Portland, but he’s from here originally. He’s in high demand now, but did this before he hit it big. There are tourists who stop here just to see the gazebo.”
They turned and walked up the other side of the garden. The back of The Inn was in front of them now, and Ben could see that an addition had been added to accommodate the restaurant. It was mostly glass, overlooking the garden and with a view of the mountains in the distance. Ben smiled – his cousin Donna had promised them a table with a view and suggested the perfect time to catch the sunset.
Ben could feel Thom start to tense up as they approached the entrance, so he released his hand. This was already a big step for Thom, and Ben didn’t want to risk pissing him off by pushing too hard. The door opened as they climbed the steps, and Donna stood there smiling at them with menus in her hand.
“Welcome to The Inn, gentlemen,” she greeted them with a professional smile, which she then ruined by winking at Ben.
“Donna! I didn’t know you were working here,” Thom gaped at the young woman in her sleek black dress and pumps.
“Gosh, Thom. How do you think Ben found out about this place? And managed to get one of the best tables in the house?”
Thom turned to glare at Ben, who shrugged and flashed his dimple shamelessly. It must have worked, because Thom just sighed and turned back to Donna. “Well, okay. Let’s see this amazing table, then.”
“Follow me please, gentlemen.”
Donna led them to the far end of the restaurant, to a table by the windows. Columns between the tables gave an air of privacy, and as Chuck had said, there was not a crowd. Ben counted three other couples at window seats, and a party of four women who appeared to be having a celebration of some kind. No one was paying any attention to them.
Saving Grapes (Cable's Bend Book 1) Page 8
