Page 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Will

“Tonight’s the big night, isn’t it Will?” Jeff asked. Jeff was working the overnight shift, and Will was relieved to see him walk through the door almost twenty minutes early.

“Yup, my first, but hopefully not my last date with Tom.”

“I thought you might like a few extra minutes to get ready, so why don’t you take off, and I’ll start my shift now?” Will didn’t normally work on Saturdays, but Melissa had asked him if he could work that afternoon for her. Since the extra money would come in handy with Christmas just around the corner, not to mention tonight’s date, he had agreed.

“Thanks so much, Jeff!” Will effused. “I owe you one.”

“Just have a good time. And relax, dude. It’s gonna be fine.”

“I sure hope so,” Will said, loading up his backpack and heading for the door. “See you later.”

Home was only seven minutes away from the B he just seems tentative about things, so I plan to take it slow.”

“Nothing wrong with slow, Will,” Emily agreed. “You’re young. You’ve got plenty of time before you decide on one person.”

“I know.”

“Do you have enough money?” his mom asked.

“Yeah, I stopped at the ATM when I left work. It’ll be fine.”

“Well, you run along then. I’m sure Tom won’t mind if you’re a few minutes early to pick him up.”

Will parked around the corner from the restaurant, and they walked side by side to the entrance. Will glanced at Tom. Damn, he looked so good in dark jeans and an oatmeal cotton sweater along with a dark-green barn jacket.

The restaurant didn’t accept reservations, but there were a couple of tables free when they entered, and Will breathed a sigh of relief. They were seated quickly and took a moment to catch up before ordering. The restaurant was bright and welcoming, with a front wall of windows. It was all done in black and white, giving it a slightly retro feel, but somehow updated and modern in its own way. Tables were arranged in the front and on one side while a bar graced the opposite wall.

“So how was work today?” Will asked.

“Lunch was busy, but it slowed down this afternoon,” Tom replied. “Since Char agreed to work a double today, I was able to get out a little earlier than normal. How about you?”

“It was pretty steady for me, actually. As you know, I don’t often work on Saturdays, but my sister needed some time off, and I was happy to make a few extra dollars. Fridays and Saturdays can get crazy since they’re often the days we have folks leaving and new folks coming in,” Will explained. “But it made the day fly by, so I’m not complaining. And Jeff showed up early ’cause he knew I had plans for tonight, so I got out a few minutes early.”

There was a short lull in the conversation, and they both picked up their menus. When their server stopped by, Tom ordered a wheat beer from Lone Pine Brewing, and Will opted for a red ale from Pipeworks Brewing. They asked for a few more minutes to decide what to eat.

By the time their server came back with their beverages, they’d decided on some dirty fries—currently loaded with pulled pork, BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, and cheddar—for an appetizer, and the sausage-and-ricotta pizza.

“I hope this place was an okay choice,” Will said. “Clay and Finn recommend it to me. They told me they came here a few weeks ago, and the food was really good.”

“Char said we’d love it. She and her girlfriend, Cee Cee, consider themselves pizza aficionados, and they’ve been here a few times. She was really excited that I was finally coming here.”

Their appetizer arrived, and they dug in, chatting about their classes but avoiding Calculus to keep things upbeat.

Dinner was great. The food was, indeed, wonderful, and they were both stuffed. It was still early, so they decided to take a walk, hoping to burn off a few of the many calories they’d just consumed. Fishmans Memorial Park was just a block away, right on the water, so they headed there. There was a brisk breeze coming from the harbor, so they walked quickly, agreeing that this probably wasn’t the best idea but still determined to get in as many steps as they could.

By the time they got back to Will’s vehicle, they were laughing about how foolish they had been to try such a thing. Will started the engine and turned the heat to high so they could warm up. As Will turned down the street where Tom lived, they were both toasty.

“Thanks for a great evening,” Tom said as Will parked in the driveway. “I hope we can do this again.”

“I hope so too, Tom,” Will said sincerely. “I like you, Tom. A lot. So yeah, I definitely want to see you again.” He leaned over and kissed Tom chastely on the lips.

“Thanks again,” said Tom. “Goodnight.”

Will’s mind swirled with both confusion and happiness as he drove home. Had he done the right thing, kissing Tom like that? Was it too soon? Tom hadn’t seemed to mind, but he didn’t really do much. Maybe he was just too surprised to react. It’s not like he’d pushed Will away or anything. Well, at least Will had enjoyed the kiss. Tom’s lips were soft, and Will got a whiff of his cologne as they smooched. Something citrus, with an underlying herbal mix; Will found it quite intoxicating.

His mom was already in her bedroom when he got home, so he went up to his room, stopping in the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. He fell asleep thinking of the kiss and the smell of Tom’s cologne.