Page 15 of Walking on Broken Paths

Parker’s stomach sank to his knees. His fingers clenched on his water glass. “So you’re...” He drew a deep breath and forced a smile. “How long have you been together?” And why hadn’t Jesse mentioned him even once in the last month?

Jesse choked on his water, his eyes going wide.

“Me and Gavin?” He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

“No, that’s...” He gave a rueful laugh.

“That’s not and never will be a thing. He’s been with the same guy since before I knew him, for starters.

And besides... there’s no spark between us and there never has been. We’re just friends.”

“Oh. Uh. Okay.” Parker wasn’t convinced. How often did a “friend” fly to a different city to watch a “friend” perform in a play? Even if it was a Mirvish play—basically the Canadian equivalent of Broadway. “How did Gavin go from after-school theatre in Vancouver to Mirvish?”

“He co-wrote a couple of plays that debuted in Vancouver. Both were incredibly well received. One came here, and the other came here, then went to New York. He also co-wrote the one we’re seeing tonight and it’s debuting here, so that’s a big fucking deal.”

Damn. Parker was impressed despite himself.

“Gavin and his guy have been living here for the past few months,” Jesse said. “And they want to take us out for drinks after the show if you’re up for it.”

“Sure,” Parker said. He couldn’t deny the niggle of curiosity that wormed its way through him—who was this guy Jesse had flown all the way here for? “Sounds good.”

* * *

Jesse’s exposure to musical theatre—or any theatre—had been virtually nonexistent until he’d gone to see Hocus Pocus: The Musical almost a decade earlier. He’d been invited by a teammate, Emery Stanton, whose husband had helped write the original music.

Jesse and Stanton, at the time, had been like sailboats and bad weather—incompatible.

Jesse always credited his former coach for setting him on the right path after years of being a hard-ass bully, but it was Stanton who’d caught him bullying their team’s baker and Stanton who hadn’t hesitated to report what he’d witnessed when Coach Vernier had walked in on their altercation.

Jesse had more or less ignored Stanton after that unless they were on the same shift on the ice. And he’d intended to ignore Stanton’s invitation to the musical too, but ticket sales supported the after-school musical theatre program, giving kids a place to go so they wouldn’t get into trouble.

Mostly, he’d attended because Coach’s words had been fresh in his mind.

Your actions have consequences, Melnik.

Yes, they did. And maybe his one ticket purchase would do its tiny part in helping to keep the after-school program afloat. It had been the first step of many in doing what he could to make amends for being a class-A douchebag.

Plus, Mikey would’ve loved the play. His exposure to theatre had been as nonexistent as Jesse’s, but he would’ve gotten a kick out of Hocus Pocus: The Musical . And that had made Jesse feel just a little bit closer to his brother.

His and Parker’s seats were near the back row of the orchestra at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

His original seat had been closer to the stage.

“Middle-middle,” as Gavin liked to say. But when Jesse had looked online for an additional ticket, there hadn’t been any available seats left next to or around him.

And he wasn’t about to get Parker a seat all the way in the back while he enjoyed a middle-middle seat where he’d actually be able to see the expressions on the actors’ faces.

So he’d purchased two tickets near the back so they could sit together and told Gavin he had an extra middle-middle seat in case he knew anyone who wanted it, free of charge.

He and Parker had taken a selfie outside in front of the poster for the play, before Jesse had been stopped by a local TV reporter who was here covering opening night.

Jesse hadn’t had much to say, considering he hadn’t seen the play yet, but he’d mumbled something halfway intelligent he figured his team’s PR people would be happy with.

They didn’t like it when players spoke with reporters without preparation, but what was Jesse supposed to do when someone stuck a microphone in his face, called him by his first and last name, informed him he was very far from home—as if he wasn’t aware—and asked what his expectations were of the play?

Answer, that was what. Parker had stood aside, looking much too amused by the whole thing.

Now, Parker munched on the popcorn he’d gotten at the concession stand. Around them, people were taking their seats, but Jesse only had eyes for his best friend.

In fact, he’d had to force himself not to stare at Parker since he’d found him dressed in snug white jeans and a blue V-neck top. He looked like he belonged on a Caribbean cruise, and the effect was very casually sexy without even trying.

Sitting across from him at dinner had been torture. Parker’s smile had been bright under the summer sun and his skin shone like it’d been brushed with glitter.

But sitting next to Parker? Their elbows brushing, their knees resting against each other, the scent of Parkers cologne thick in his nostrils, and Parker’s lips right there whenever he turned his head to speak to Jesse?

That was torture on a whole other level.

“What’s that smile for?” he asked Parker.

“I don’t know.” Parker shrugged, his smile widening. “It’s cool to be here. The theatre’s so fancy. Last time I was here, it was on a date.”

Jesse wasn’t sure he liked that word—date—coming out of Parker’s mouth. “Your boyfriend was into theatre?”

“He wasn’t my boyfriend. It was a blind date.”

Jesse raised his eyebrows. “Damn, Parks. You’re an expensive date.”

“No,” Parker said, chuckling. “The ticket was free. Everyone’s ticket was free.

They were doing this blind-date event where you filled out a profile online, and once you arrived at the theatre, you were given the name of your date, and they had the seat right next to you.

I happened to be here for work the night they were doing it, so I figured. ..” He shrugged. “Why not?”

“Did you and your date hit it off?”

“Eh. Not really. She was nice, but there was no spark. We kept in touch via text for a few weeks afterwards, but that eventually fizzled out.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” came a voice over the loudspeaker before Jesse could respond.

“As a courtesy to the performers, photography and video are prohibited for the duration of the performance. The show will begin momentarily. Please take your seats, keep your arms and legs inside the train at all times, and turn off your cell phones. Enjoy the show.”

Parker waggled his eyebrows. “You’ll have to point out your friend Gavin.”

“He’s the lead, Parks.”

“Huh.”

Jesse didn’t know how to interpret that huh , and he didn’t have time to anyway—the lights dimmed, music started with a clang, and the curtain rose.

Two hours, much laughter, numerous catchy show tunes, and a standing ovation later, Jesse lost Parker in the throng of people exiting the theatre.

Outside, night had fallen but the daytime’s heat remained.

The sidewalk was bursting with pedestrians, theatregoers mixing with people out enjoying the warm evening.

Jesse got out of the way, moving closer to the theatre’s wall, near the poster he and Parker had taken a selfie next to earlier, and craned his neck this way and that.

Had Parker disappeared into thin air?

“Jess!”

That had come from... his right? He stepped away from the wall and glanced around. Christ, it was busy, and the locals walking by were full of eye rolls and annoyance as they tried to slip through the crowd of theatregoers heading east toward the subway.

A set of hands landed on Jesse’s hips from behind, and he jolted before a chuckle at his ear had him relaxing. He turned, and there was Parker, grinning from ear to ear, his eyes alight with laughter, his hands still loosely cupping Jesse’s hips.

In fact, he hooked a finger from each hand through Jesse’s belt loops in a gesture that was so quietly intimate that it settled something restless in Jesse’s chest.

“Reason number seventeen why I hate this city,” Parker said. “All the goddamn people .”

“What are reasons one through sixteen?”

“The traffic, the high-rises, how it takes an hour to get anywhere, the summer humidity, the cost of living, the smells...”

He continued to prattle on as Jesse led them west along King Street, then up Ed Mirvish Way to Grace O’Malley’s.

They had to separate around a group parked right in the middle of the sidewalk as they chatted, and Parker had to let him go, which was a crying shame.

When they met back up on the other side, Jesse grabbed onto Parker’s belt loops, partly so he wouldn’t lose him in the crowd again, mostly because he wanted to touch him.

And if he was reading Parker right, Parker wanted to touch him too.

Jesse still wasn’t sure what he should do about that, if anything, but it was quickly becoming almost impossible to keep his hands to himself.

Grace O’Malley’s was an Irish pub with patio seating that was unfortunately full.

Inside, the lighting was dim and it smelled like beer.

It was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday, but they managed to squeeze themselves in at the bar.

Squeeze being the key word—the only way they managed to fit comfortably was by standing face to face.

Faced with those grey-green eyes and the stubbled jaw, it was everything Jesse could do not to sink his fingers in Parker’s dark hair, cup the back of his head, and bring him in for a lingering kiss.

Parker leaned an elbow on the bar. “What time are we expecting your friend?” he asked, yelling to be heard over the music and conversations.

“Anytime. Gavin said it doesn’t usually take long for him to change after a show, so he and Trev should be here any minute.”

“Trev?”

“Gavin’s partner.”

Parker replied with another “Huh” that Jesse didn’t know how to interpret. There was barely an inch of space between them, and the warmth of Parker’s body was unbelievably tempting. Sweat broke out at the base of Jesse’s spine, and he was about to ask Parker...

What?

If this was one-sided?

If he wanted to get out of here?

If he could please, please kiss him?

But he caught sight of Gavin over Parker’s shoulder, and the opportunity evaporated like dandelion fluff. Jesse waved to catch his attention.

Gavin Galassini’s entire face lit up when he spotted Jesse, and he bounded over and threw his arms around Jesse’s shoulders, hugging him tight.

“Hey, kid,” Jesse said to the top of his head.

Gavin was considerably shorter than him, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in personality.

He was four years younger than Jesse, and he had the kind of effervescence Jesse thought Mikey would’ve had at this age if he’d still been alive.

When Jesse had first met him, Gavin had been eighteen and only a few months away from heading off to college, and there’d been something about him that had reminded Jesse of Mikey.

Possibly it was because they were both artists, though in different mediums, or possibly it was because Gavin had the same guileless innocence that Mikey had had.

Either way, every protective bone in Jesse’s body had gone on red alert, and he’d sworn he’d never treat Gavin like he’d treated his teammates.

Coach Vernier might’ve saved Jesse. But it had been Gavin who’d shown him that there was still good in the world—and he’d done that simply by being himself.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you came . And you’re here .” Gavin pulled back but kept his hands on Jesse’s biceps. He bounced on his toes in excitement. “How was the flight? Did you enjoy the show? Have you gotten drinks yet?”

Jesse was rudely elbowed out of the way by a Parker who was grinning a little too widely to be sincere, dislodging Gavin’s hands from Jesse’s arms in the process.

Jesse raised an eyebrow at the gesture, and his other eyebrow joined the first when Parker thrust out a hand and said, “Hi. I’m Parker. I was Jesse’s date for the play.”

Wait. Was Parker... jealous?

Of Gavin ?

No.

Was he?

“Nice to meet you.” Gavin pumped his hand, teeth flashing in a smile. “Thanks so much for coming to my show. One of the tables opened up on the patio as we arrived.” He jerked a thumb that way. “Trev’s saving it for us. Why don’t we order drinks and maybe some food and head outside?”

Jesse nodded and lifted a hand to grab the attention of one of the bartenders. “Sounds perfect.”