“Okay, maybe once upon a time I hoped.”
“Have you ever told him?”
Rory would run the other way. The reason they were friends was because Bernard didn’t hit on Rory.
“Oh no, I’m not doing that. We’re friends, he’s straight, and I won’t do anything to ruin things.”
“I can understand that.”
“I need friends. He’s a great friend, and even if he was gay, I couldn’t ask him out.” Bernard took another sip from his shake.
“So, if you found out that Rory was gay, you still wouldn’t ask him out?” Sean asked.
“No, I couldn’t do that.” Bernard felt his face flush.
“Why not?”
“He was my best friend, and I have him back after six years. I want that friendship back.”
“The best partner is someone who is your best friend,”
“How can you tell what I’m thinking?”
“I’m a high school teacher. I’ve learned to see the signs. It’s not much different with adults. Do you want some advice?”
“What could it hurt?”
“See how your friendship goes. If you see any signs that he might be interested in you romantically, then ask him out,” he said.
“That’s sound advice.”
“Great, now let’s get going so we don’t have to struggle to find parking.”
They reached the parking lot and found a spot in the rear.
“Why are you parking here?” Bernard asked.
“Because they usher people out from the rear first then the front to prevent a traffic jam inside the lot and the outside street.”
“That’s brilliant,” Bernard said.
“I’ve been to enough games to know.”
They followed the crowd through the ticket booths and into the stadium. A crescendo of sound echoed as they walked through the tunnel to the stands. Excited voices surrounded them. A sea of black and maroon came into view as they entered the stadium. The scent of hot dogs, popcorn, and nachos swirled around them.
Sean led Bernard to their seats behind home plate.
“How did you get these seats?” Bernard’s eyes widened.
Sean smiled. “From the coach. We went to college here together, so sometimes I get perks.”
“This is fantastic.”
Sean got him a root beer and a hot dog. Sean got a beer with his. Bernard smiled. Sean remembered he didn’t drink. Sean was treating him like they were on a date. Did he want something to happen?
They settled in to watch the game. There wasn’t a run until the fourth inning by the Diamondbacks. The Giants came back in the sixth inning with two runs. The Diamondbacks didn’t have a chance after that.
After the game, they shuffled out with the crowd. “I can’t believe that—4-1. That was amazing,” Sean said.
