“I agree.” Micah offered him a soft smile. “For whatever it’s worth, I think Jeff was a fool to let you go.Hisloss.”
Warmth and gratitude reflected back from Mark’s creamy brown eyes. “It’s worth a lot. Thank you.” His gaze sank to his glass of Merlot, a pinch in his brow.
Micah reached over and lightly touched his hand. “Mark…if you’d rather not be here with me, you’re not obligated to stay.”
An uneven breath slipped out of the younger man. “I’m not ready to go back to my hotel room,” he whispered. “After talking about Jeff…Iwoulddwell on the past for the rest of the night.”
“So, stay.” Micah smiled. “Just because we’re not soulmates doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy your company. In fact, I’m enjoying it quite a bit.”
Mark returned his smile. “I’m enjoying your company as well.” He licked a glisten of wine from his lips and Micah decided he had very nice lips.Kissablelips. “I have friends, but no one I feel comfortable confiding in about deeply personal things.” He gazed into Micah’s eyes. “But for whatever reason, I feel comfortable talking to you. Is that odd? We just met.”
“I don’t think it’s odd,” Micah said. “Love doesn’t corner the market on theat first sightphenomenon. I believe you can have such an experience in a friendship manner as well.”
“Friends at first sight.” Mark nodded, his smile growing. “I like that.”
∞∞∞
With their dinner cleared away and a fresh glass of Merlot before them, Micah and Mark talked about everything from careers to family to favorite movies and books. It had been a long time since Micah had felt so comfortable “shooting the breeze” with someone other than Nick. It had a calm, relaxing effect. There were no romantic expectations or even obligations of future engagements. They were justtalking, and whatever happened later remained to be seen. No pressure.
Micah had come into this blind date a bit stressed and uncertain what his date was hoping to happen between them. Now, he and Mark were on the same page and Micah was wholly enjoying himself. A pleasant, unexpected turn of events.
Circling around to their former subject, Mark asked, “I told you about Jeff. So, tell me the story of your past loves.”
Micah chuckled. “I don’t have any love stories to tell. I haven’t been in love. I’ve dated, been intimate with a few of those dates…but neverin lovewith any of them.”
“There hasn’t been even one youthoughtyou might be in love with?”
Laughing softly, Micah said, “For a minute, when I was in my early teens, I thought I was in love with my straight best friend, Nick. But I wasn’t. For me, itwasjust hormones.”
“So, your heart is perfectly intact?” Mark wondered in awe. “And how old are you, exactly?”
“Thirty.”
“Wow. After thirty years, not a single scar. That’s…amazing.”
Micah cleared his throat and scratched his temple. “I wouldn’t say it’s perfectly intact. Romantic love isn’t the only thing that can damage a heart.” He glanced absently around the restaurant. “There was a reason I had such a hard time connecting with other men intimately.”
“What’s that?” Mark asked.
Micah recounted his adolescent years and the damage his father caused to both Micah and his mother. “I guess maybe a part of me didn’t want to risk such devastating heartbreak. I’d witnessed its effects up close and it broke me. My mom was brought to ruin and never recovered.” His throat lumped. “I’ll always believe it was a broken heart that sent her to an early grave.”
Sympathy etched Mark’s face. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you,” Micah whispered.
Mark gazed at him, his brow creasing. “You speak of your issues in the past tense. Do you think you’re more capable of falling in love now?”
Micah sighed. “I think so.” He smiled softly. “I was encouraged by a dear friend not to give up on love. He was an older man who had made many mistakes in his life that left him aged and alone. He told me I didn’t want to grow old alone.” He shook his head. “And I don’t. I really don’t.”
“Neither do I,” Mark admitted quietly. A small smile formed. “Maybe we should make a pact. If neither of us is married by the time we’re forty—we’ll marry each other.” He laughed lightly, clearly making humor.
Micah was somewhat sold on the idea. “Maybe we should.”
Mark stared at him uncertainly, his smile wavering. “Are you serious?”
“If true love hasn’t happened for me by then,” Micah said, “I will have to assume it isn’t going to. At that point, just having the companionship of a friend will work for me.”
Mark licked his lips and smiled a bit shyly. “We would get to…have sex, right?”
Micah chuckled and winked. “I wouldn’t marry a man without every intention of performing my husbandly duties.”
His smile stretching into a grin, Mark raised his glass. “We have us a plan.”
Micah nodded, smiled, and tapped glasses with him. “Tonotgrowing old alone.”
