Taste Test: A Day at the Beach

by Nevermore (Torquere) (lit)

  “Yeah? That’s good.”

  “Tell me something, do you like being Raven? Or is that something you only did as a disguise?”

  Ted laughed. “I liked the freedom of being Raven, but if I felt free to be myself? It would probably be without the hair and eyeliner. Would that bother you? Is that what attracted you?”

  “Nah, I was attracted to your passion and what I saw inside your eyes, not what was lining them.”

  “So if Raven was ‘nevermore,’ so to speak, you’d be okay with it?"

  Caesar laughed and took Ted’s hand in his. “As long as Ted was evermore, and finally gave me his phone number, I’d be a very happy camper.”

  Ted smiled. “Yeah, you can have my phone number. I’m out.” He laughed. “And you’re right -- I can’t believe how good it feels just making that decision.”

  Apparently, their hand-holding hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Ew! Dad! You can’t hit on my teacher -- that is so wrong!”

  Caesar laughed. “He's your former teacher, Megan. That makes him fair game now.”

  The two girls looked at each other and burst into a fit of giggles. Harris rolled his eyes at it all and Madelyn was just oblivious.

  Ted turned back to Caesar and smiled. Caesar wiggled his eyebrows and asked, “Wanna go out next Friday night, sweetheart?”

  “Yeah.” Ted winked. “Somewhere different this time, babe. Somewhere very public, in mixed company, and lots of hand-holding.”

  “As Ted?”

  Ted laughed. “Yeah, as Ted. Raven is nevermore.”

  Chasing Sand

  by Ava Matthews

  Vacation was supposed to be relaxing. It was also supposed to be quiet, but Adam couldn't remember what quiet sounded like. At 7:25 that morning, his nephew started beating a plastic spoon against the wall. An hour later, the kid traded in his spoon for a shovel, and Adam had to get out.

  He didn't have anywhere to go, but even buying toilet paper would have been preferable to listening to the banging.

  He drove around for hours with the windows down -- no talk radio, no music -- just silence. When his gas ran low, he headed back, almost pulling into his usual parking spot before he realized it was taken.

  "New arrival," Adam muttered, staring at the guy's backside. The guy might have stolen his spot, but he did have a nice ass. Adam let himself look for a minute before parking and getting out of the car just in time to see a large bottle of vodka roll out of the guy's SUV.

  "Damn," Adam said, watching the bottle crash. He stared at the mess on the ground. "That sucks."

  The guy shook his head, eyes fixed on the liquid trickling across the asphalt. "I just bought that. Fucking stupid of me to put it in the back next to the hatch." He sighed and bent down, gathering pieces of glass.

  Adam winced in sympathy and grabbed a paper sack from inside his car. He crouched next to the guy, picking up some of the larger pieces and tossing them in the sack.

  "Thanks." The guy dumped the glass he'd already gathered into the bag and continued cleaning. "I'm Matt." He laughed and nodded toward his hands. "I'd shake your hand, but I might cut it off."

  "I appreciate that. I'm Adam," he said, grinning at Matt's attitude. A smashed bottle of alcohol would have sent other men into a rage, but Matt was over it already, almost cheerful. Once all the visible pieces were gone, Adam tossed the sack into the garbage chute and motioned toward the back of Matt's SUV. "You need any more help?"

  "Nah. I can get it."

  "Honestly, it would be a good excuse for me not to go back to my condo."

  "In that case..." Matt pointed to a blue cooler. "You can grab that," he said, lifting a large suitcase out and pulling a backpack on over his shoulders. "You mind walking? It's only two floors, and I fucking hate waiting for the elevators."

  "Lead the way."

  Adam followed him, studying Matt's ass again as they climbed the concrete steps. The rest of Matt was hot, too -- his hair was dark, almost black, a contrast against his pale skin and green eyes. Adam felt his cheeks redden and then flush, heat spreading all over his body, which was unusual for him. Attraction was one thing, but he rarely got an erection just from walking behind someone. He barely knew the guy and he already wanted him.

  Matt swung his door open and Adam walked in, dropping the cooler in the kitchen. "Ah, nice," he said, taking in the uncluttered living area. Quiet, empty, peaceful, unlike the three-bedroom condominium he was sharing.

  "You suffering from too much togetherness?" Matt asked.

  "You could say that. I'm a tag along with my brother, his wife, and their kids." Adam snuck a few glances around, relieved to see that there was no additional luggage littering the condo. Of course, someone could be meeting Matt later, but Adam didn't want to think about that.

  "How many kids?"

  "Two boys, and, of course, I'm the single uncle -- always up for a good time."

  Matt laughed. "I know that role very well."

  Adam wondered if that meant Matt was single, or just that he was an uncle, too. "I love my nephews, but if I have to dig one more hole in the sand or fly one more kite, I'm going to throw myself off your balcony." Adam rolled his eyes. "I think my brother just asked me so they'd have a free babysitter."

  "Lucky you." Matt popped open the cooler lid and looked inside. "You want a beer?"

  "If you have enough," Adam said, moving closer and taking a bottle.

  Matt grabbed a beer for himself and walked out onto the balcony, not saying anything about Adam joining him. Adam wondered if that was his cue to leave, but Matt had been friendly so far, so he figured if Matt wanted him gone, then he'd say he needed to work, or take a nap, or some other excuse that would tell Adam it was time to go.

  Or maybe he wanted Adam to follow him out there. Adam hurried after him, nearly tripping over one of the barstools. He stopped and took a deep breath, reminding himself to stay calm. He rarely got anxious about dating, so he wasn't sure why sharing a beer was making him jittery.

  He joined Matt on the balcony, inhaling the fresh air. "Nice view."

  "Don't you have an oceanfront condo, too?" Matt asked. "I thought all these units had them."

  "Yeah, we do, but we're on the ground floor -- gotta make sure the rug rats can't jump off." Adam leaned on the railing. "It's got a decent view, but this is much better."

  "Don't do that."

  "Don't do what?"

  "Lean on the railing. Makes me nervous."

  "Yeah?" Adam turned around, letting his full weight rest against the metal bars.

  "Stop. God. Seriously, I read a news article once about how some of the rails broke and the person died."

  "You sound like someone's grandpa."

  Matt scowled.

  "I'm teasing." Fuck. Adam wanted to beat himself over the head with his beer bottle. Here he was with an actual adult he wasn't related to, who was incredibly sexy, and who just possibly might be interested in him, and he managed to insult the guy. "Sorry. I get carried away." Adam flashed a grin at Matt, hoping he wouldn't hold this against him and exhaled in relief when he saw Matt smiling back.

  "No problem." Matt lifted the bottle to his lips, swallowing. "Ugh. I don't really like beer."

  "So why do you have it?"

  "I have a friend who lives in the area. He and his buddies are coming over for a poker game."

  Adam raised his eyebrows, interested. He played poker every Tuesday night at home, on the nights he wasn't studying. "You play a lot?"

  “Yes, but I suck. Just like I suck at golf, which we're doing tomorrow afternoon, and water skiing, which they always talk me into."

  "I bet you're not all that bad. Surely there's something you can do well?"

  "Yeah," Matt said, the corners of his lips curling up. "Maybe a few things."

  Adam's stomach flipped as he considered the implication, hoping he didn't imagine it. He could take a risk. If he was wrong, Matt might punch him in the face, but it would be worth it.

  Adam was just an i
nch or two taller than Matt, but he stood straighter, leaning over him. "Why don't you show me?" he whispered next to Matt's ear. Matt's eyes were wide, but he wasn't resisting, so Adam bent forward, intending to press his lips against Matt's.

  Then someone started beating on the door.

  "Shit," Matt said, his voice shaky as he moved away. "That's probably my friend. You want to stay and play?"

  Adam wanted to say yes, but he'd promised his brother he'd help with the kids at dinner. He also wanted to throttle this friend who'd interrupted them.

  "No, but thanks for the offer. We're supposed to be leaving in twenty minutes for an oyster bar."

  "So you're choosing the evil family over a round of poker?"

  "Sadly, yeah. I wish I weren't, but my sister-in-law might make my life hell for the next few days if I don't." He'd just have to hope that he ran into Matt again. He'd made it clear that he was single, so maybe there was a chance for Adam to finish what he'd started.

  "Got it." Matt clapped Adam on the back, still looking a little flustered. "Enjoy your oysters. And hey, man, thanks for the help. I appreciate it."

  "No problem." Adam pushed the door open, yelling back into the condo. "Thanks for the beer."

  "Anytime," Matt called after him.

  Ignoring the elevators and trudging back down the stairs, Adam fixated on Matt's use of the word 'anytime.' Was Matt being polite, or was that an invitation? Years ago, Adam had been more adept at reading people, but it had been way too long since he'd pursued anyone. He was out of practice. Even if he was successful, it might be a bad idea. Adam didn't even know where Matt was from. His accent sounded familiar, but he could live in Halifax for all Adam knew, and already he wanted more with Matt than a one-night stand.

  He arrived in front of his condo door just in time to see his brother dragging the jogging stroller and a huge box of fruit snacks toward their car. He sighed as he took the stroller and shoved it into the back of the car. No wonder he was freaking out. His life was pathetic.

  ***

  Adam was silent during dinner, thinking about Matt, wondering if they'd run into each other again. He didn't know how to contact him, other than walking up and knocking on his door. He was so distracted that he barely noticed when his youngest nephew slung ketchup onto his leg, and he wiped at it idly with one of the restaurant's napkins.

  Dammit, Adam had made fun of Matt and called him a grandpa, but now he was the one who was obsessing, which was unusual for him. Since he'd broken up with Jesse, he'd been laid-back about dating. He waited for guys to approach him, and he never had to wait long. What had this guy done to him?

  "Adam. You're spacing out," his sister-in-law said, nudging his plate with hers. "Is something wrong?"

  "No, I'm fine." He couldn't stop thinking about the way Matt's pants hugged his ass, which was totally not what he should be thinking about at dinner. He scooped a glob of cocktail sauce onto a cracker and crammed it into his mouth, ignoring the look on his brother's face.

  ***

  At sunset, Adam stepped out onto the pool area overlooking the ocean, staring at the water. Pretty soon the people chasing crabs would be out, waving their flashlights and swinging their nets. But right now, most people were still at dinner, and he was alone. He inhaled, letting the sound of the waves wash over him, hoping he could distract himself before he ended up going upstairs to find Matt.

  He planned to look for Matt later on, but he didn't want to seem too eager or desperate. He'd already been enough of a stalker, peeking at Matt's license plate on the way back from the oyster bar. Even though he told himself it was too early to be thinking about a relationship, he was excited that Matt was from Georgia, with an Atlanta area car dealership sticker. Atlanta was still a few hours from Knoxville, but it was better than Halifax.

  He was just about to step off into the sand when he heard a voice behind him.

  "Did you have a good dinner?"

  Adam froze for a moment before turning around. "Yeah. I only got ketchup on my leg and sugar packets dumped down my shirt. Others weren't so fortunate." He hoped he sounded casual. "Poker game over already?"

  "Yeah. The guys all have to work tomorrow, so that's why we got started so early."

  Adam had always been good at small talk, able to bullshit with ease, but he could barely get the words out with Matt. "So what brings you out here?"

  Matt motioned toward the patio. "Um, seeing as how there's a pool, I was going to take a swim."

  Adam opened his mouth to clarify that he meant the Gulf area in general when he saw that Matt was smiling. "Are you fucking with me?"

  "Me?" Matt clasped his hands over his chest. "I'd never do that." He moved to stand beside Adam. "Work conference. I came down a few days early to relax."

  Adam scooted closer as Matt spoke. He could see Matt watching him out of the corner of his eye; he knew that Matt noticed that he'd inched closer. "What do you do?" Adam asked, managing to not choke on the words.

  "Dentist. You?"

  "Grad student." Adam studied Matt's hands. They looked soft -- not delicate, but not rough either. His fingernails were short and clean, and Adam wanted those fingers in his mouth. His breath quickened and he gripped the railing tighter. He'd been around a lot of hot guys, had dated several, and slept with even more, but he'd never felt this sort of crackling tension before.

  This was the point where Adam should ask Matt where he worked, and where he'd gone to school, and murmur some token comments about dentistry. Or mention that he was one semester away from finishing his Master's in Social Work. But he didn't care. He didn't care about clean teeth or mental health. All he wanted was Matt, underneath him on the sand.

  Adam sucked in a breath. If anything was going to happen, it couldn't happen here in full view of the condos. "I'm going to walk down on the beach. Wanna come?"

  "Yeah," Matt said, pausing to roll up the cuffs of his jeans.

  Matt looked good in his blue t-shirt and jeans, and Adam wanted to run his hand down Matt's arm, touch the small of his back, kiss his jaw -- oddly affectionate feelings for someone he'd just met.

  They walked in silence at first, watching sun's light fade, blending the sky, ocean, and sand into one color. Then Adam couldn't take it -- he couldn't wait any longer. He stopped walking, plopping down in the sand.

  Matt joined him on the ground. "Tired already?"

  "Yeah, I'm a wimp."

  "Yes, very wimpy. I can see that," Matt said, letting his gaze roll over Adam.

  Adam pulled his shirtsleeve up, trying not to smirk. "See? No muscles."

  Matt reached out, fingers skimming over Adam's well-defined bicep. "Absolutely puny."

  Adam shifted, turning toward Matt, ignoring the sand that crept up into his khaki shorts. "I'm glad I was right," Adam said, his voice low.

  "Right about what?"

  "This." Adam leaned forward tentatively and kissed him, brushing his lips over Matt's mouth. Matt responded, licking across Adam's lower lip until Adam pulled back. He hadn't seen Matt chewing any, but he tasted like cinnamon gum. Adam's lips tingled, and he wanted to grab Matt and throw him down. "Not so nervous now, huh?"

  Matt cupped his hand and flung sand at Adam. "No."

  "Good," Adam said, dodging the flying grains and smiling. "I was tired of waiting."

  Matt scooped more sand up, burying Adam's hand. "What were you waiting for?"

  Adam moved his hand over, covering Matt's fingers with his own. "For you to give me a clear signal."

  "Signal? I thought having you haul shit up to my condo was pretty apparent."

  “I'm not a subtle guy."

  "I'll keep that in mind."

  Adam shifted until he was even closer, sucking on the edge of Matt's ear. "God, I want to lay you out right here in the sand."

  Matt moaned. "Please."

  "We can't. We have to move somewhere else. The city police usually make a run through here, and I'd rather not be arrested." He was considering what to do when his phon
e buzzed. He glanced at the screen, turning it on silent when his saw his brother's name. Shit. His sister-in-law would throw a fit if he stayed out all night, but he was on vacation, damn it, and he'd paid for his share of the condo. He could do whatever the hell he wanted.

  Adam wished they could stay on the beach. It was nearly deserted, but there was a woman not far away staring at them with interest. This wasn't exactly Miami. She might be okay with their affection, but two guys making out on the beach might cause some alarm among the other guests, and the last thing he wanted was to attract attention. He kept touching Matt, though, rubbing his hand all over the back of Matt’s neck. He watched Matt's eyes close, not wanting to take his hands off him, but he was tired of waiting.