Page 48 of Wingmen

No reply, so he went to get in the shower. When he came back, there was a new message on the screen:

they got donuts around here?

Frowning, Dustin sat on the bed with a towel around his waist and replied,Why?

IDK if I forgive you yet. Might need some sugar on it

He laughed. He felt relieved…and a little nervous again, which was a feeling he was beginning to weirdly enjoy.

Aren’t you at Force today?he sent.

not til this afternoon. You?

Taking it off. Knee’s a little stiff.

Three dots. Then:Okay sooo…and the donut emoji.

Elliot

The donut shop Dustin sent a pin for was called VooDoo and it looked nothing like what he wanted: He’d been aiming for something like Dunkin, and what he was getting was fussy pink brickwork and art in the windows. But the place was famous, according to Google, so he figured he’d give it a chance.

“I’m trusting you on this,” he said, as Bennet walked up.

“Trusting me?” Dustin frowned over his sunglasses. “On what?”

“This is not Dunkin. I don’t know if I can go here.”

Scoffing, Dustin opened the door and held it for him. “This place is about to blow Dunkin out of the water, little man.”

The chatter and the smell of coffee and burnt sugar hit Elliot as they walked in. It was surprisingly busy. They got in line behind a girl with pink hair and tattoos all over her neck. By the time they got to the front, Elliot was so ravenous he felt like buying the whole shop, but Bennet put his arm across his chest to keep him back from the counter and looked at Elliot over his sunglasses again.

“How much do you trust me?”

Elliot’s stomach did a little flip, and he silently cursed it. Stupid sunglasses. Stupid arm on his chest. This wasn’t supposed to be about getting horny for Bennet again. This was supposed to be Bennet buying him donuts to make up for being judgy.

He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because if all you’ve ever eaten is Dunkin Donuts, then I think I should be in charge here,” said Bennet.

Elliot surveyed him just long enough to let him know he was being generous by conceding this, then stepped back, putting up his hands. “Alright, Daddy. Take it away.”

That ‘Daddy’ looked like it landed exactly where he wanted it; Elliot wasn’t surewhyhe liked seeing Bennet flustered, but fucking with him in English was even more fun than fucking with him in Spanish.

Dustin bought a box of twelve, and when he turned around with it in his hands, he had a look like he hoped Elliot would be satisfied with this.

“Alright,” Elliot said, putting his back to the door and holding it as Dustin went out. “I forgive you.”

Dustin

Elliot’s hotel room was quiet. Sixth floor, thick carpet, floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony with a view of the river in the distance. A flatscreen TV on the wall was playing an old sit-com on mute when they walked in, but Elliot snatched up the remote and turned it off before Dustin could see what it was.

Elliot dropped the donut box on a dining table by the sliding door to the balcony and kicked off his shoes. He turned with anembarrassed shrug that made Dustin think he was not quite comfortable with the expensiveness of the room.

“Not bad digs,” said Dustin.

“I’ve been to nicer places.” Elliot sounded defensive. “But…you know. Sometimes you have to share with other guys.”

“Right.”