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“What are you thinking by out?” Renzo didn’t sound unwilling, which was a start. Canaan had tolerated some of the hibernating because he’d known that Renzo had needed to recharge after his family’s visit, but the past few days, Renzo had seemed back to his usual self, not as deep in his thoughts as he’d been right after the visit. “I can’t be up too late—training tomorrow.”
“We won’t keep you too late,” Canaan promised. “Some people I go to nursing school with are going out in Hillcrest tonight. You don’t have to drink, but there will be live music, and you said you like that some. We can get pho at this great place on Fifth Avenue before meeting up with the others.”
“You had me at pho. Yeah, we can make an appearance. No drinking for me, but I don’t mind if you have something. You tipsy could be fun.”
“You do know I’m putting out regardless, right?” Canaan was already at his closet, trying to pick out a shirt to wear.
“Counting on it.” Renzo’s laugh was low and dirty, imbued with weeks of memories now, the intimate knowledge they shared of how to turn each other into jelly.
They decided that Renzo would pick him up so they didn’t have to both try to find parking in Hillcrest. Seeing as how much he hated parallel parking Grandpa’s sedan, Canaan was only too happy with this plan, and he was rather bouncy as he slid into the passenger side of Renzo’s truck.
After Renzo managed to put away enough pho for a party of four, they walked to the bar on University. It was smaller than the more popular Hillcrest dance clubs, but one of his friends from school knew the all-female band that was playing, and said that it was a relaxed, mixed-crowd place with good acoustics. He was hoping for a chill atmosphere that would let Renzo meet Maureen and other school friends without a lot of pressure.
The venue was nice—great stage area with good lighting. If Canaan was still performing, he’d approve of the setup, and the experience for the audience was nice as well with tables and chairs far enough back from the stage that they could talk and not have to scream to be heard. The lead singer had pink-and-blue bi-pride hair and quite the cheering section up front, which was cute. And as luck would have it, Renzo did seem to like Maureen more than he had certain people on the camping trip, thanking her for helping out with Canaan’s grandfather.
“I recognize you, you know,” Maureen confided in a low whisper.
“Oh?” Renzo shot Canaan a look, but Canaan hadn’t shared his social media deets with anyone.
“Don’t blame Canaan!” Maureen laughed. “And I won’t tell, promise. I collect fitness Instagram accounts like candy. Yours is incredible motivation. A year ago I couldn’t do a single burpee, and now I go to an interval class three times a week.”
“Right on.” Renzo gave her a fist bump, and they spent the rest of the show happily discussing workout regimens and eating plans. Canaan talked to his other friends and enjoyed his first rum and Coke in ages. If he felt a bit of wistfulness when the drummer rocked out to a good solo, he pushed it aside. Maybe if he looked, he could find a group that needed someone to sit in for few sets, but ever since the camping trip, his regrets over leaving the band were a lot less potent. What he had here and now was so damn good that he couldn’t waste time thinking of what might have been.
He wasn’t tipsy as the show wrapped, but he was buzzing with the sort of energy he’d been searching for. He couldn’t wait to get Renzo alone so he could properly thank him for coming out. Wrapping an arm around Canaan on the way out, Renzo was apparently on that same page as he bent to whisper, “Your place next?”
However, Canaan was prevented from answering by almost running into the people in front of them.
“Bianchi?” one of the people asked. Canaan recognized the voice but couldn’t place it until two of the men turned. And fuck a duck, it was SEALs. And not just any SEALs, but ones Canaan knew a little too well.
“Chief Tovey.” Renzo shook the hand of the guy who Canaan knew only as Ben. “Your team back stateside?”
“All present and accounted for.” Ben laughed and only then seemed to notice Canaan, eyes going wide. The guy with him, Maddox, also looked decidedly uncomfortable, and Canaan hadn’t missed the matching gold bands on their ring fingers. Finally, Ben gave him a nod. “Canaan. You...friends with Roo... Bianchi here?”
“We’re dating,” Renzo answered for him, and Canaan would have been thrilled about the public acknowledgment had the vibe not been so funky weird.
