He’d already sent Patrick a text, saying he was stuck at work. It sounded like a lame excuse, even if it happened to be true, and he hoped Patrick didn’t think he was giving him the brush off. He’d seemed okay when he replied, but it was so hard to judge a person’s mood from a text message. Will had thought about calling, but his phone kept going off every five minutes, so he hadn’t had the chance.
He’d been looking forward to tonight. After breaking up with Darren, he’d only been with a couple of people. The thought of hooking up with some random stranger lost its appeal pretty quickly, and he hadn’t felt like trying to meet anyone new.
But Patrick slotted somewhere between the two. He definitely wasn’t a stranger, but he wasn’t expecting a long-term relationship either, and the more Will thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Especially after the kiss they’d shared that morning. He thought about pushing Patrick up against the wall, the way he’d been so eager for it, and Will felt the familiar flutter of excitement that always came with the start of something new. For what seemed the tenth time that day, Will cursed the fact that he was still at work and not currently at home enjoying what had promised to be a great evening.
Finally, after an hour-long phone call that left him with a pounding headache, Will shut down his laptop and grabbed his coat. He glanced at his watch, groaning when he saw it was already twenty past seven. The last thing he wanted to do now was cook. He took out his phone and fired off a quick text to Patrick.
Leaving now. Too knackered to cook, getting takeout.
The reply came almost immediately.
I can cook if you like? It’s no problem.
Will smiled, pleased at the offer, but now he’d thought about it, he really fancied Chinese or maybe Indian.
That’s okay, I’ll pick something up on the way home. Any preference?
Nope. I’m easy.
Will was still stuck on all the ways he could take that, when his phone chimed again with several follow-up texts, making him laugh as he headed to his car.
Maybe Chinese? But nothing too hot.
No mushrooms either
And get prawn crackers
And spring rolls too
Will shook his head as he typed his reply.
So not easy at all then. Chinese it is. C u in a bit.
He got a smiley face in return and grinned all the way home.
PATRICK HADthe door open before Will even had his keys out.
“Hey,” Patrick said, shifting from foot to foot and looking a little uncomfortable. “I thought you might need a hand.”
Will smiled, hoping to alleviate some of Patrick’s nerves, because Will was pretty sure that was the problem. “Yeah, thanks.” He handed Patrick both of the takeaway bags and followed him inside, pausing to kick his shoes off, hang his coat up, and drop his keys and wallet on the counter. “Good day?” he asked, grabbing a couple of plates and some cutlery as Patrick unloaded the bags.
“Yeah, really good actually.” Patrick paused to sniff at one of the containers, blushing a little when his stomach rumbled loudly.
Will hid his smile, since Patrick already seemed a little on edge, and got them a couple of Cokes out of the fridge.
“I think I managed to score a job at the coffee shop up the road, and then I went for a run after lunch.” He grinned a little sheepishly when his stomach rumbled again, and gave it a rub. “Which is why I’m absolutely starving.”
Will felt a rush of guilt about being so late back. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Work was a bitch today.”
“No, it’s fine, really. I wasn’t moaning, just saying.” Patrick looked guilty then, and Will wanted to groan in frustration at how none of this was going the way he’d imagined.
“Look.” He motioned for Patrick to take their food into the lounge and followed with the plates and drinks. “Let’s pick a film and enjoy our food, yeah?”
“Yeah, okay.” Patrick put the cartons down on the coffee table and grabbed the remote. “What are you in the mood for?”
“Something with guns.” After the day he’d had, he wanted action and explosions.
“Okay, then.” Patrick smiled as he scrolled through the films, some of his obvious tension melting away, and Will finally began to relax a little. “How about this?” He’d paused onCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.
