Page 22 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong (Lost Arts #2)
They all squished in along the benches, people shuffling until there was room for everyone. Nisal ended up between Onadal and Perian, and Arvus and Molun were on Perian’s other side, like they really were buffering him. Bennan was already seated on the other side of Onadal. He grinned at Perian.
“There you are. How’s it going?”
Perian smiled back. “Good, thank you. No new injuries or trips to the doctor today.”
The smile deepened, revealing an actual dimple. He was almost breathtakingly handsome… and Perian would have cared a lot more if he didn’t have Brannal.
Bennan said, “I’m glad to hear it. It would obviously have been an inferior experience since you wouldn’t have had the best escort ever.”
Perian laughed. “That’s very true. The abs alone almost made the journey worthwhile.”
Bennan and Nisal laughed, Arvus snorted, and Molun looked confused.
“Why exactly was it necessary for him to show you his abs as he was escorting you to the doctor while you were injured?”
“I mean, I can enjoy the abs through clothing as well as when they’re on full display,” Perian told Molun.
Molun’s lips tipped up. “All right, yes, that’s true.”
“The full display was actually today. Someone stripped off their shirt a lot more slowly than I think was strictly necessary.”
Bennan tried and failed to adopt an innocent expression. “It’s always safer to do it slowly. I mean, imagine if I whipped it off and got tangled with my shirt over my head. Think how embarrassing that would be.”
“We would be staring at your abs and wouldn’t notice,” Perian assured him.
Everyone laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Bennan said, grinning.
His eyes strayed, just a little, down the table, and Perian knew what he was going to see if he looked there.
Since it was on the same side as him, he played it cool and waited until he was reaching for some food before he peered to his right.
Sure enough, the big redhead was a handful of seats down the table.
Perian sat back with a satisfied smile on his face.
Molun nudged him in the side and said quietly, “What’s that smile for? I’ve never seen anyone look so happy about their potatoes.”
Perian shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
Molun didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t pursue the topic.
When asked how he’d spent the rest of his day, Perian mentioned the picnic with Renny in only general terms, and then relayed his very careful horse-riding experience.
“So, just to clarify,” Bennan said, sounding thoroughly amused, “your definition of ‘being very careful’ means going to find the horse that no one else can even attempt to ride, explaining to him that you’re injured, and hoping for the best?”
Arvus said, “He’s got a point.”
“Hey!” Perian protested, as everyone in the vicinity burst into laughter. He couldn’t help laughing himself, but he protested, “No, hey, I was really careful! I used a mounting block and everything! Do you know the last time I used a mounting block? I was shorter than Nisal!”
More laughter, and Nisal elbowed him in the ribs, which he accepted as his due.
“Seriously, though,” Perian said, still smiling, “that horse was lonely. I don’t know why he picked me, but he did. I don’t want to leave him out there wondering what happened to me.”
A moment of profound silence hit their end of the table, and it occurred to him too late that they were now thinking about his last rider who hadn’t come back.
Molun patted Perian on the shoulder. “You are such a bleeding heart.”
Thankfully, everyone laughed again, and Perian protested, “Oh, I’m sorry, is it a bad thing to care about people and animals now? I pity Arvus if that’s how you feel.”
A collective “ooh” went up around the table, and Molun winked at him before saying, “I’ll have you know that Arvus doesn’t have any complaints.”
Perian grinned. “I know he doesn’t.”
Another swirl of sound went up and down the table, and Perian was having trouble not grinning so stupidly wide that people would wonder what was wrong with him.
Molun and Arvus took this in stride, Molun’s grin matching Perian’s.
Bennan was looking at them a little curiously, like he was trying to figure out exactly what was going on.
Onadal looked… not at all surprised, now that Perian was looking at him, like he absolutely expected dinner to go something like this.
Nisal looked entirely amused. “Do I take it you graduated from massages?” they wanted to know.
Perian offered them a coy look. “Who do you take me for? I don’t kiss and tell. ”
They eyed him. “I take you for someone who absolutely kisses and tells.”
“No, no, no,” Perian protested. “Flirt with everyone who would like to be flirted with, yes. Reveal that I am having sex if everyone is comfortable with it, sure. But what happens in the bedroom—or anywhere else—stays in the bedroom with whoever happens to be participating. I mean, unless everyone is all right with sharing the details, but there’s something nice about having the details be all for you, you know? Something private.”
Their expression softened. “You know, every time I think I have you figured out, you say or do something that is at once completely confounding and also extremely you. I’m not sure how you do it.”
“Oh, no, I’m just me,” Perian said at the same time that everyone close to him was nodding as though what Nisal said made perfect sense.
It was a nice dinner, and he was glad he’d come. He got to chat a bit with some people he knew less well, plus he had the chance to observe Bennan and the redhead. There was definitely something there.