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CHAPTER FIVE

Will

Things were going well, both at school and at work. He and Tom had managed to meet up a few more times—twice at school and once at Cuppa Joe’s—and Will was finally getting the hang of the calculus stuff. Tom seemed to be picking up on most of it as well. Will was so thankful that Tom had approached him about studying together. It was definitely the right thing to do.

But every time they met, Will felt a stirring in his loins. And his belly. Yes, he was definitely developing feelings for Tom. And why not? Tom was great looking, with a terrific sense of humor and a killer smile. He was a bright guy and could talk on most topics with ease although sometimes Will had to work at getting him to actually talk. There was a quiet, almost timid quality about him that Will found adorable. They shared some similar interests, like movies and reading, but even when Tom talked about things that Will normally wasn’t interested in, he found the subject fascinating when the words flowed from Tom’s mouth. Yep, he had it bad.

At first glance, Tom didn’t seem to share Will’s feeling. But the more time they spent together—they had started hanging out together for lunch after Calculus class—Will realized that Tom was actually quite shy, especially when there were other people around. There was something else; Will couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was some kind of hesitancy that exuded from Tom. More than just the shyness. It was almost like Tom was trying to avoid getting to know Will too well.

All Will knew was that he absolutely wanted to get to know Tom better; he just wasn’t exactly sure what to do next. Maybe he needed some advice. And he knew the perfect person to ask.

“Hey, Clay,” Will greeted his boss when he walked through the door at the B&B. “How are things going?”

“Not too bad. How were classes today?” Clay asked.

“Okay. Now that Tom and I are meeting up to study, I’m actually starting to understand things.”

“That’s great!” Clay effused. “I’m happy that’s working out for you.”

“Um, yeah, about that …” Will began.

“Oh, is it not working out so well?” Concern painted Clay’s words.

“No, the studying part is working out great. It’s just that, um, well, can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“When you and Finn started seeing each other, how did you know that he liked you? How did you actually start dating?”

“I see. Am I correct that you’re starting to have feelings for Tom?” Clay asked.

“Yeah, I am. But he isn’t showing any interest that I can see,” Will lamented. “I mean, he’s friendly enough, but he’s also pretty shy, and I’m wondering if that might be the problem.”

“So Tom may be interested, but he’s just too shy to say or do anything?”

“I think so,” Will said slowly. “So … what do I do?”

“Well, to answer your question, the first time Finn and I went out to dinner, it wasn’t really a date. It was just two friends getting together for a meal and catching up a bit,” Clay told him. “I hadn’t been back in town very long, and frankly, I was getting the cold shoulder from a lot of people because of my time in prison while I was in Chicago. But Finn never held that against me. He said that Emma trusted me, so he did too.” Clay was referring to his grandmother, who had supported him through all the bad times he’d gone through. “And honestly, by the end of the night, it did kinda feel like a date.”

“Hmm, just friends getting together. We’ve kind of done that already. What’s next?” Will asked.

“Oh, you’ve spent time together besides just studying and in class?”

“Yeah, we’ve had lunch after Calculus several times now,” Will said.

“Since you’ve already done the ‘just friends eating together’ thing, I think it’s time you asked him out on a proper date.”

“Shit. What if he says no?” Will felt himself hyperventilating.

“Relax. If he says no, then you’ll know that he’s not interested in you like that. No harm, no foul. You can still be friends and continue to study together.”

“Okay, yeah.” Will’s eyes grew wide. “Fuck, what if he says yes?”

Clay laughed. “Then you go out on a date with him. That is what you want, after all.”

“Oh yeah, right.” Will sagged against the front desk where he’d been standing. “Thanks, Clay. Sorry to sound so needy, but I really needed to talk to someone about this.”

“No worries, Will. I’ve got your back.”

Will talked to himself all the way to school that morning, practicing how he was going to ask Tom out on a date as well as how he’d react if Tom said no. He wanted to keep a neutral expression so that Tom wouldn’t know how disappointed he was if he was turned down.

They didn’t have Calculus that day, but a few weeks before, Will had discovered that Tom usually hung out in the library before his morning classes. So that’s where he headed, backpack slung over his shoulder. Sure enough, there was Tom, sitting in one of the carrels near the long expanse of windows on the far wall. Now that he was there, with Tom just across the room, butterflies fluttered in his stomach, and he felt like he might throw up.

Deciding on the direct approach at the last moment, Will sauntered up to him, trying to look calmer than he actually felt. “Hey, Tom,” he whispered, “I’m glad I found you here.”

“Hi, Will,” Tom replied. “Is something wrong? We’re not supposed to meet until tomorrow, right?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure. What’s up?” Tom asked.

“What time are you off work on Saturday?”

“I should be done by six or so. Why?” Tom queried.

Okay, you can do this. Just relax. Will took a deep breath, wiping his sweaty palms on the legs of his jeans. “If you don’t have any plans, I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me?” Will said, praying his nervousness didn’t show.

“Dinner?” Tom seemed confused for a moment, then his eyes lit up. “You mean like a date?”

“Um, well, yeah. A date,” Will stammered. “You know, um, well, if you want, that is.” Crap, I’m babbling! I shouldn’t have done this! He’s gonna say no!

Tom’s smile lit up his face. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

“You would?” Will said, trying to keep the surprise out of his voice. “I mean, that’s great. Okay. How about I pick you up around seven. Is that okay?”

“Seven is perfect. But if for some reason I’m running late, I’ll text you.”

“Okay, cool.” Will nodded. “I’ll let you get back to your studying. See you tomorrow.”

Will turned and left the library, trying not to hoot and holler in excitement. Oh my God, he said yes! When he exited the library, he turned the corner and leaned heavily against the side of the brick building, wrung out from a mixture of worry and excitement.

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Clay.

He said yes!

A few moments later, his phone buzzed in reply.

Great! I know UR not working today, but stop by later & we can chat.

Will hurried off to class with a bounce in his step as his mind swirled. He was going to go on a real date with Tom!

The lobby of the B and B was quiet when Will arrived. He had texted Clay when he left school, saying he was on his way. Jeff was sitting behind the reception desk, and he looked up when he heard the door.

“Hey, Will. What’s going on? You’re not scheduled to work today,” Jeff said in greeting.

“Hi, Jeff. No, I’m here to see Clay.”

“He’s upstairs getting ready, but he should be down shortly. Finn’s picking him up in a few minutes.” As Jeff spoke, the door opened once again, and Finn walked in.

“Hey, guys,” he said in greeting.

“Hi, Finn,” they both replied in turn.

“Clay should be down in a sec,” Jeff added.

“I understand congratulations are in order,” Finn said to Will, smiling. “I’m told he said yes.”

“Um, yeah. So why am I still nervous?” Will answered.

Finn laughed. “First-date jitters. But don’t worry, it’s gonna be okay.”

“What’s this?” Jeff asked. “You’ve got a date, Will? Is it with that guy Tom?”

“Yeah. I asked him this morning before class.” The color rose in Will’s face. “We’re going out Saturday night.”

Clay sauntered down the stairs just then and headed directly for Finn, kissing him lightly. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“Hi, you,” Finn replied. “We were just talking about Will’s upcoming date.”

“Oh yeah, that’s why I wanted you to stop by,” Clay said, turning toward Will. “Finn and I went to this great place a couple of weeks ago, and I figured we could tell you about it.”

“That’s right,” agreed Finn. “The Artisan Pig in Plymouth. Nice, but casual. I think you’ll like it.”

“I’ve heard of it,” Will said. “It’s a pizza place, right?”

“It is,” replied Finn. “The food was great, and best of all, it won’t break the bank.”

“It sounds perfect,” Will agreed. “Thanks, guys.”