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Savannah was by no means temperate. The high noon sun was hot on his bare arms, and the humidity was pressing, but there were enough trees to keep him shaded as he moved toward Forsyth Park. He turned the corner, the way he’d gone when Noah had taken him to the market, and he saw the stall skeletons still set up with rolled tent flaps and pinned signs.
Tomorrow night, he’d be back. Noah had reluctantly agreed to let him help out both in the kitchen and at the booth, and he felt a sort of thrill to be allowed to step into Noah’s world. He felt the pressure to prove himself too. To prove that he was more than a spoiled rich diva.
He glanced down at Jude, then looked around to see if there was anywhere that might sell water for the dog. The fire station was across the street, and he half considered peeking into the building when he saw a familiar white truck with the metal shutters propped open and a handful of people eating at folding card tables.
The Lofty Latke food truck was the mark of Noah’s official split from his brother—and maybe his self-sacrifice. Adriano knew he had never loved his brothers with the same intensity that Noah loved his, and he wasn’t sure if that made him a bad person or not. But he did take comfort in knowing that they felt the same way about him.
Pietro had been worried, and Luca had stepped in when Adriano needed him, but neither had bothered to text and check in. The rest of his siblings had scattered after college, and being the baby, he hardly remembered any of them.
As he drew closer, he saw Talia—Adam’s girlfriend—lean out of the truck and hand something down to a little girl, who grinned and moved back to her table. Adriano softened. Talia had a hardness to her which Adriano noticed first, but that wasn’t the only thing. It couldn’t be.
A hand tapped Adriano on the shoulder, and he startled, turning to find a familiar face standing a few feet away. He’d met Oscar when he was perusing the streets, standing outside of his snack shop holding a tray of samples, and Adriano had stopped for a quick chat. Oscar was a lot like the other people around the area, friendly and oddly eager to get to know him, even with a communication barrier.
Adriano couldn’t help his grin as he dropped to his knees, giving the Golden Retriever a thorough scratch before smiling up at the guy.
“Taking a walk?” he asked.
Oscar shrugged. “Needed to think,” he said. Or something like that, but Adriano had only caught part of it. ‘This is Paisley,’ he spelled.
Adriano grinned and gave the dog another scratch before he stood up. “Do you think the food truck has water for Jude?” Adriano signed water, and Oscar copied him, then nodded and gestured for Adriano to follow him. Jude trotted right alongside Paisley, obviously excited to make a new best friend, and Adriano kept his gaze mostly fixed on the truck.
Talia noticed them first, her eyes widening, then going narrow. She elbowed Adam and leaned in to say something, which had Adam spinning in place, gaze fixed on Adriano as they came to a stop at the window.
Adam dragged his tongue over his bottom lip, then with shaking hands and in signed English said, ‘How are you?’
Adriano snorted and repeated the signs in ASL. “I’m fine,” he added and signed along with his voice. “Just need some water for the dogs.”
Adam took the lead and came out of the truck and around with two bowls of water for Paisley and Jude, setting them up in the shade.
His eyes were on Adriano the entire time. Adriano saw all the similarities and all the differences between the brothers. Adam was classically good looking—sharper cheekbones, well dressed, his hair just as curly but left wild and long. His eyes were a richer brown than Noah’s, whose eyes were more like honey, and his lips were held in a half sneer when at rest, which Adriano knew many people enjoyed. His own was much the same.
But he lacked the homeliness that Adriano had become obsessed with in Noah. The curved jawline, and the soft belly, and the sprinkle of freckles. Adriano knew he’d probably grow to be friends with Adam if Noah wanted to keep him, and he also knew he’d never regret his choice to pursue Noah, even if it started on a whim.
Adriano was vaguely aware that there was a conversation going on around him, but before he could try to participate, his phone buzzed. His heart leapt a little in his chest when he saw his lover’s name on the screen.
Noah: I hate to ask, but I need a favor. There’s a bar near Central Ave called the High Street Tavern, and I need a six-pack of OU Blue Moon. I already called Rose, and she said she has it ready for me. No worries if you’re too busy.
Adriano: nvr 2 busy. OU?
Noah: means Kosher. It’ll have an O with a U in the center of it. Just double-check for me, and if you don’t mind, could you bring it here?
Adriano: drunk on job. Lol. B there soon.
He set his phone down and waved his hand at Adam until he looked at him. “High Street Tavern?”
Adam looked surprised. “Um.”
“Noah needs beer,” Adriano clarified, though he didn’t ask for what, and Adam didn’t seem like he was going to ask.
After a beat, Talia tapped him and pointed at Adriano, then at herself, then down the street. Adriano wondered for a moment if she would ever learn enough ASL to converse like two grown adults. He’d done the pantomime thing more than he wanted to think about, and it wasn’t under his skin yet, but he could feel it starting to itch.
All the same, he knew what Talia was saying, and he nodded. He turned to Oscar and affected puppy-dog eyes. “Keep Jude for a little while?”
Oscar rolled his eyes, but he nodded his fist then spelled, ‘OK. Give me your number, and you can text me when you’re done.’
Adriano did, quickly tapping his number into Oscar’s phone before sending himself a text. Jude seemed more than content to continue biting on Paisley’s ear and didn’t seem to notice when Adriano stood up and headed down the sidewalk after Talia who had taken up a brisk pace. Adriano knew it was probably awkward for her too. Communication barriers often made him want to put his fist through the wall. Hell, he was confused why Talia wanted to come along in the first place.
But she had, and she led the way across the street and down another until they were stepping into a bar that looked old and rustic. There was no one inside, and it took a moment for Adriano to realize the place was closed.
