Page 142 of Something Like Winter

Tim was sitting cross-legged at the edge of the pool, breaking apart a bratwurst and feeding the pieces to Chinchilla, when Ben came over and sat next to him. “What did you guys talk about? Jace won’t tell me.”

“You, of course,” Tim said. “Your morning breath, your terrible cooking—the usual.”

“I see I’ll have to keep you two separate,” Ben said in mock exasperation.

“So catch me up on your story,” Tim said. “Last time all I did was whine about my problems. How’s life after college for Benjamin Bentley?”

“Good.” Ben slipped off his sandals and dipped his feet in the pool. “I got a job as a speech therapist, which is nice. Makes me feel useful.”

“So the dinner theater thing is just a hobby?”

Ben shook his head. “More like a second job. They’re both only parttime, but I like the variety. What about you?”

“You’re looking at it. I’m a housewife without a husband.”

Ben snorted. “Seriously. You once said something about celebrities working out of boredom, even after they get rich.”

“Words of wisdom,” Tim said with irony. “Iwasbored. Then I met Ryan and everything went crazy. Frankly, I’m looking forward to being bored again. Afterwards, I don’t know. But I want to hear about your life. What else has happened?”

Ben took a deep breath. “I got married.”

“Oh.” Tim paused. “Does Jace know?”

Ben shoved him playfully. “That’s who I married.”

“Ah, I see!” Tim grinned even though his insides felt crushed. Better man or not, he couldn’t help feeling jealous. “Is that legal in Texas?”

“Nothing fun is. According to the law, we’re still second-class citizens, but they can’t stop us from making the commitment. Marriage isn’t a piece of paper, right?”

“True. Did I tell you I’m marrying Chinchilla?”

“Really?” Ben said with faux interest.

“Yeah. We haven’t picked out rings, but I thought I’d give her a pair of my shoes to chew up. Then I would wear them around town as a sign of my commitment to her.”

Ben looked impressed. “Sounds romantic.”

“I thought so.” Tim nudged shoulders with him. “Are we going to make this work?”

“You and me?” Ben nudged him back. “Yeah. We’ll make it work. Somehow.”

* * * * *

“Your eyes light up when you look at him.”

Marcello was at Tim’s right, startling him. For a big guy, he sure could move with stealth. Of course the orchestra music helped disguise his arrival, as did the sounds of the dancers in the ballroom. Another Eric Conroy Foundation fundraiser. Each served as a reminder of how long he had been gone, the years adding up quicker than Tim cared to contemplate. This year he invited Ben and Jace, and as they danced together in their rented tuxedos, Tim couldn’t pull his eyes away. They were—

“Beautiful,” Marcello said, having seen them as well. “No waging a war of the heart this time?”

“Me?” Tim grimaced. “I don’t think I could wedge myself between them even if I wanted to.”

Marcello patted him on the back. “You could have anyone you want. Maybe Ryan wore you a bit thin, but the last few weeks have marked the return of that handsome face that sells so many photos. I’m still making money off that weekend of modeling you gave me.”

Tim was flattered, but he wasn’t quite there yet. He had started jogging again, but the pounds went on a lot easier than they came off. Staying away from beer helped, although tonight he allowed himself to sip from a glass of champagne to celebrate: His second round of HIV tests had come back negative. Any mistakes he’d made with Ryan wouldn’t be permanent.

“No,” Tim responded at last. “This time I’ll let them be. I’d say they were made for each other, but it’s more like Ben was made for me, and Jace was made for him. Does that make sense?”

“Few things in love do. Regardless, it’s nice to see such a happy couple here tonight.”