“What are we talking about?” Mike looks from Dennis to Wes, so Wes tells him the story, giving us all a good laugh. I reach for Wes’ hand under the table and squeeze his fingers. He brushes his thumb along my knuckles, then leans in and kisses me softly.
After dinner, Wes catches up on some bro time with Dennis, while I help Mike clear the table and do the dishes in their kitchen, which overlooks the backyard.
“Den really misses Wes,” Mike says as he hands me a plate to dry. “I keep telling him we should go to Eugene more so they can hang out, but we’ve just been so busy lately.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling. After I started my new job and then started dating Wes, it feels like I’m on this high-speed train.”
Mike chuckles. “That’s not a bad metaphor, actually.” He eyes me, then dips a glass into the sink. “You know, I gotta admit I was a little surprised when Den told me Wes was dating a guy.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. I mean, he’s always been such a ladies’ man. Then again…” Mike shrugs as he trails off. “I never once thought about being with a guy before Den.”
“You didn’t?”
“Nope. I dated women, if you could even call it that. I’m demisexual, but it wasn’t until I fell for Den that I felt actual attraction to another person.” Mike turns, facing me as he leans his hip against the counter. “Just goes to show that when you meet the right person, it doesn’t really matter who they are. To me, it was the emotional connection that mattered.” Mike smiles, his eyes going soft. “You know that moment when everything suddenly makes sense? Like something that was missing for a long time is just there, right in front of you.” He gazes out the window, then chuckles at Wes and Den, who are engaged in some kind of mini sprint contest with Willow. “Den is just Den, you know? It doesn’t matter whether he’s a guy or a girl.” He looks back at me. “It’s like… You meet people all the time. They come in and out of your life, and you don’t really think about it. They’re just people. And then one day there’s someone who’s different. Special. You feel that connection, and you know everything is gonna change, but in a good way.”
“Special?”
“Yeah. I’ve known Den all my life, and then one day he wasn’t just Den anymore. He was more than that. Or perhaps it was me who’d changed. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”
“No, I think you’re explaining it just right.” He is. That feeling Mike talks about is exactly how I’ve felt since I met Wes. That he wasn’t just some random person coming into my life, but that he was different. Special.
“I guess it must be the same for Wes,” Mike says.
“What?”
“That you’re special to him, too. It doesn’t really matter that you’re a guy, you know?”
“I guess.” I haven’t really thought about it like that before. He’s become important to me, too. It’s no longer just about physical attraction. It’s about a deeper connection.
“Did it worry Dennis at first that you’d only been with women before him?”
“No, not really. I think he realized it before I knew what it meant to be demisexual.” Mike empties the sink, then reaches for a towel and wipes his hands. “Does it worry you that you’re the first guy Wes is with?”
“Yes, at first, but Wes is very reassuring, I guess. He’s very affectionate and…” I suck in a breath. “I wasn’t used to that with my ex, like the way Wes holds my hand in public without a second thought. My ex would never do that.”
Mike nods. “Yeah, Den is the same.” Then he laughs. “Which is sometimes a little awkward since Jon, Den’s dad, is also my boss.”
I laugh too. “Shit, I can see that being awkward for sure.”
We join Wes and Dennis in the backyard, and Wes gives me the sweatiest kiss ever, then grins at me, his eyes swimming with happiness.
“Hey, you,” he hums against my lips. “Missed you.”
I kiss him back as I’m struck by this rare feeling that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. “We should come to Cannon Beach more,” I say, linking my hands around his neck.
“We should.”
“Ready for dessert?” Dennis says, jogging up the stairs to the deck.
“Always.” Wes grins, patting his stomach.
“I made a rhubarb and almond pie.”
Wes’ eyes roll into the back of his head. “Oh my God, your mom’s recipe?”
Dennis gasps. “Of course! Anything else would be blasphemy.”
