Page 109 of Attractive Forces

Jake’s just taken his first sip of beer as I say the words. He splutters on his mouthful, his eyebrows shooting up.

“We’re calculating dowries for each other now, are we?” he asks when he’s recovered.

I shrug. “I see that in my future.”

The future may be unpredictable, but I’m absolutely certain Jake will always be a big part of mine.

Jake just grins at me, and I grin back. And for a moment, we’re locked into one of our Logan-and-Jake staring matches where we smile goofily at each other. I blink to break it before it goes on too long. One of Jake’s new friends told him we’re one of those nauseatingly cute couples, and I don’t want to generate nausea en masse at the pub. The beer does a good enough job of that.

Jake is still grinning as he takes another sip of his beer.

“So what rating are we giving this?” I ask.

He swallows before answering me. “About a four.”

I nod my approval. “That’s not too bad for this place.”

“I know.”

I take my first mouthful. Despite how cheap the beer is, Jake and I don’t come to the student pubs that often, preferring to spend our free time in one of our dorm rooms together.

But tonight is the end-of-season rugby celebration, and I couldn’t miss that.

I was shit-scared when I first signed up to play for the university. But two professional New Zealand rugby players recently came out, and it definitely seems like rugby is making a real effort to be more inclusive throughout all levels of the game.

I felt better after I got to know the guys on the team because they’re all good guys.

And at the team’s first social event, none of them batted an eyelid when I took Jake along and introduced him as my boyfriend.

It helps that Dunedin is definitely different from Heath Valley. Despite being nestled in the deep south of New Zealand, the university is a big part of the city, and overall, it’s very liberal. There’s an active LGBTQ+ support group on campus, and Jake and I can quite happily stroll across campus holding hands without getting second glances.

With Jake’s encouragement, I found a church here that’s LGBTQ+ inclusive, and I try to attend when it doesn’t clash with my rugby training.

I’m still working out exactly what I believe, but Jake’s been insistent I shouldn’t completely cut myself off from the church, saying he knows only too well what happens when you try to cut out a huge chunk of your life.

As I finish my beer, a blonde girl slides into the gap in the bar next to me.

She tosses her long hair over her shoulder. “You’re Logan, right? I’m Lucy.”

Oh shit. From the corner of my eye, I see Jake trying to hide a smirk. He always finds it amusing when girls hit on me. He claims I look like I’ve just walked into a lion’s den dressed in an outfit made of meat.

“Nice to meet you, Lucy,” I say.

“You too,” she coos.

I reach out and put a hand around Jake’s waist. I can feel the heat of his skin through his shirt as I pull him close to me. “This is my boyfriend, Jake.”

Lucy’s eyebrows shoot up, but to her full credit, she recovers quickly. “Nice to meet you, Jake.”

“Hi,” he says.

“Are you guys in your first year?” Lucy asks.

“Yep. I’m doing a PE degree, and Jake is studying physics,” I say.

“Oh, cool.” She looks at Jake with more interest. “I’m in my second year doing calculus with a minor in physics.”

After that, Lucy pretty much ignores me while she chats with Jake about different lecturers and papers.