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“You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t. I want to. Big difference.”
“Twist my arm.”
Instead, Barrett tugged on his arm until they were pressed together. Barrett dipped his head for a kiss just as the sound of tires on gravel made them pause.
“Oh, please. Don’t stop on my account.” Raf’s head poked out of the window of the car for a moment before withdrawing, then the man himself stepped out, bags in hand.
Barrett chuckled and thrust a hand out just as Dandi galloped by. “Down, girl.” Then with a wink, he stepped back to wave at Raf. “I’d come over there and greet you, Raf, but until the beast calms the hell out, I’ll stay back here.”
Barrett nudged him forward and Ambrose needed no further encouragement to close the distance and wrap his best friend in a hug. “I thought I said dress down,” he teased, eyeballing Raf’s understated but still very stylish black jeans, black hiking boots with dark purple laces, and wine colored sweater with too many buttons.
“You know me,” Raf shot back with a grin. And then in Italian said, “I can’t help myself. Besides, these are my outdoor clothes. Didn’t want yourboyfriendto think I was a slacker.”
“I know you’re teasing but you’re an idiot,” Ambrose replied back in Italian. He’d learned the language from Raf, whose mother was Italian and insisted her son learn to be multilingual from a young age. Ambrose had a head for languages, so when Raf grew bored of speaking it except when around his mother, Ambrose would come up with insults or bad jokes to keep Raf’s skills up. Dragging a begrudging best friend through the translations of several colorful phrases could only be done not around Francia, of course, but it also gave them both ammunition to use on the playground.
“You’d better let that beautiful dog go, Barrett. I want to be absolutely knocked on my ass.”
Barrett’s eyes widened. “You will regret that the moment she charges you.”
With a kiss to Ambrose’s cheek, Raf smoothly stepped around him and walked about twenty feet away before crouching. “Let her go.”
Eyes still comically wide, Barrett looked to Ambrose, who shrugged. “I told you he’s mad.”
”As a wax banana, my friends. But wait, let me just…” Raf pulled a hair tie from his pocket, spun his thick, black hair up into a bun on top of his head, and said, “Now I’m ready.”
“Sweet Jesus,” Ambrose heard Barrett mutter. Dandi was being good so far, but Ambrose could tell from her little butt wiggles that she waseagerto greet the new person in her midst. And by greet, she would fully knock Raf into the mud, step on him, and lick him.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Barrett said more loudly.
“Raf will sign any waivers you want!” Ambrose said back.
By now, Dandi was dancing in place too much and Barrett’s grip was visibly slipping on the leash. Barrett grit his teeth and let go.
Dandi was off like a bolt, but as soon as she got within two feet of Raf, she started turning circles, tongue lolling, tail a blunt force object. Laughing, Raf put his hands down and let the dog sniff him to her content. Soon, Raf was up and moving toward Barrett, Dandi prancing at his side.
“I should have told you I grew up with Bull Mastiffs. They’re calmer than Great Danes but have about the same kind of energy when they’re young. I kind of get them.” Ambrose watched as Raf bypassed Barrett’s hand. “Are we too gay to hug?”
The smile Barrett gave made Ambrose sigh. He welcomed Raf’s hug, easily dwarfing the shorter, lither man. Raf was built like a runner and he was several inches shorter than either Barrett or Ambrose. And as if they’d practiced it, then Barrett and Raf turned toward Ambrose. “We might have out-gayed Ambrose!” Raf said, voice pitched higher in faux shock. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
Laughing, Ambrose went to them. Dandi gave his fingers a cursory lick. “You are very stupid,” Ambrose told Raf fondly.
“And that’s why he keeps me to this day,” Raf replied in a breezy tone. “But seriously, it’s really nice to meet you, Barrett.”
Watching his best friend and his boyfriend interact so easily together made Ambrose fully understand the meaning of a few things. Loyalty. Love. Confidence, but not jealousy. How at ease Barrett was in something that could have been a high stress situation; he did this thing with his hands balled in his pockets when he was nervous or worried. But Barrett was starting to tell Raf about Dandi and the casual gestures he knew that came with Barrett were there. A gesture to Dandi, a scratch of her ears. Barrett pointing east without having to consult his phone. The way he rocked back on his heels as he listened. The little smiles he sent Ambrose’s way.
Confidence was attractive. Competence came hand-in-hand with that. Barrett’s wasn’t intimidating or weaponized. From the stories he’d told Ambrose, Barrett fought hard to be able to stand on his own two feet, and it could have made him a gratuitous jerk who took everything for granted and looked down on others. But he was genuine and kind.
Ambrose was definitely falling in love. And he was more than okay with it.
“So we’re heading out in the morning. Ambrose said you know all the non-touristy areas and I am not looking to get in a proper hike while dodging people.” Raf tipped Barrett a small salute. “Much obliged for that, by the way. This is a much better spot than anything we’ve gone to in the past.”
“That waterfall from…five years ago? That was quite something,” Ambrose said, immediately opening his photo app on his phone to find the evidence.
“Oh, Southward Falls!” Raf sighed. “That was pretty. I also got hit on by a completely charming woman.”
Barrett’s eyes widened, a smile spreading on his face. “And how’d that go?”
