“Listen,” he continued, “I want to take a little nap before I meet Ben in the bar for drinks later, so I’m gonna say goodbye now, sweetie. I’ll see you in a week. Love you!”
“Love you, too, Rob! And remember, I want to know everything that happened between the two of you, so be ready to tell me when I see you in a week!” And with that, she ended the call.
Rob set an alarm on his phone, quickly undressed, and slipped under the covers. He fell asleep thinking about kissing Ben.
* * *
Ben sat at the bar sipping a glass of Tempranillo. Carlos had actually held up the bottle when he saw Ben approaching the bar. When he nodded, Carlos poured a glass. By the time Ben got to the bar, the glass was waiting for him.
Rob wasn’t there yet, but Ben had arrived a few minutes early. He planned it that way so he could examine how he was feeling. As he swirled the wine in his glass he thought of Rob. It had only been natural for him to get undressed at the spa, so he'd been expecting that. What he hadn’t anticipated was his reaction to it. It had excited him. If he hadn’t turned around and adjusted the water temperature in the shower, Rob would have seen more than he bargained for, or at least more than Ben intended.
Yes, he had feelings for Rob. But did he want to act on them? What if Rob didn’t feel the same way? Something about Rob felt special and Ben didn’t want to hurt him. Damn it. Why was this so difficult?
Okay, maybe if an opportunity presents itself, I’ll say something.If I don’t chicken out that is.
A few minutes later, Rob walked into the bar and sat down next to Ben. He gave Ben a smile then looked at Carlos and said, “I’ll have what he’s having.”
Ben laughed and teased, “You sound pretty sure of yourself. What if I’m drinking something awful?”
“Nah, you seem to have pretty good taste, so I’m willing to take my chances.”
Carlos set a glass of red wine in front of him. Lifting it, Rob said, “Cheers!”
Ben smiled at him and raised his own glass to clink against Rob’s.
Rob sipped the wine and declared, “I was right. It’s perfect.”
Just like you,thought Ben.
Rob broke into Ben’s reverie. “Did you take a nap?”
“Yeah,” Ben said, a little flustered. “I tried to read but only got through about a page when my eyes started to close. So I gave up on reading and just slept. What about you?”
“I called Sam and chatted with her for a while and then yeah, I napped too.”
“How is Sam doing? Did she badger you for information about me?” Ben had a bit of a devious look on his face when he asked his question.
* * *
“Shit, it’s like you know her! Are you two ganging up on me?” Rob grinned, enjoying the banter. “Actually, she thinks it’s great that I met someone to chat with and is jealous that she’s not here to badger you herself.”
Ben laughed, “She sounds like quite a character. I’m sorry I won’t get to meet her.”
“Well, I have a week to convince you to pay me a visit in Massachusetts sometime. You’d meet her for sure then.” Rob was a bit surprised at himself for being so bold, but it felt right so he went with it.
“I would definitely consider that,” Ben admitted, “especially if it meant meeting Sam. I imagine the two of you together are probably quite a pair. Although, you’re gay, right Rob? So you’re not like a ‘pair’ are you?” Ben asked, putting air quotes around pair as he spoke.
“No, we’re definitely not that kind of pair. She’s really more my sister than anything else.” Rob looked at him thoughtfully. A visit from Ben would be great, and he and Sam would definitely get along. “We’ll have to make plans for that, then.”
Switching subjects, Ben asked, “Do you have any thoughts about dinner tonight? Something similar to last night, or are you wanting a bit more?”
Oh, I definitely want more, Ben. Lots more,Rob thought. Out loud he said, “I think a larger meal tonight is in order. I mean, we didn’t have much for breakfast and just a salad for lunch.”
“Yes, that’s true,” Ben agreed. “Would you be interested in seafood?”
“Definitely. But I wouldn’t object if they also had somejamónas an appetizer,” Rob said, with a twinkle in his eye.
Ben laughed, “I agree! I think I know just the place.”
