Chapter 14

Message: I'll see you at one.

Excitement filled Alex as he dressed to meet with Ryan. They had texted a few times but hadn't seen each other since Ryan left the clinic early in the morning after their date. They planned to meet a few blocks away at the diner. Excitement and a bit of trepidation wound through him. Would nice Ryan show up, the man other people seemed to think he was, or would it be the guy Alex had met when Ryan's tire had been flat?

With butterflies of anticipation, he stepped into the diner and glanced around, seeing Ryan in one of the back booths. Ryan stood as Alex strode over, taking in the tight t-shirt and blue jeans that looked hot on Ryan.

The clink of metal against ceramic told him no one was paying attention, but would they all turn to stare if Alex pulled Ryan into a kiss? He didn't chance the kiss. Instead, he settled for a quick hug before he sat across the table from Ryan.

"Hey, you look rested," Ryan said.

Alex chuckled. "Thankfully, we haven't had any more emergencies. And yes, the dog is doing well."

"That's great."

The waitress came over and they ordered burgers and sodas. He liked how easy everything seemed with Ryan. There was no one telling him what to eat, or demanding he eat more or less than he felt like eating.

Alex picked up the napkin his fork and knife had been on and set it on his lap, his excitement growing from being with Ryan. "How was your week?"

"Good. I got more stuff cleaned out of my parents' house. I think I can sell the things I don't want and get the house put up on the market."

"That's good. So you don't want to live there?"

Ryan frowned before he shook his head. "No. Besides, I need to split the money from the sale with Brett. He deserves to have something, even if he does give the money to an LGBT group."

"Oh, do you think he would do that?"

Ryan shrugged. "Maybe. He really doesn't want anything to do with our parents. I get it. He had it rough. They were horrible. I've told him more than once he was right to do what he did. He still doesn't understand why I didn't leave and why I'm taking over the business."

"Will that be a problem with splitting it?"

Ryan shook his head. "No, Dad was very specific with Brett, saying that he was leaving me the business because I've been working there for years, and if Brett wanted any part of the business, he had to work there, too. Brett only worked one day in the store when he was a teenager. Brett did write a letter that he had notarized, stating he wanted no part of the business and never to leave him any part of it."

"Wow, that's a lot of anger."

Ryan nodded. "It is. But I am almost done with all the extra stuff I have to do. Now, I can concentrate on the business and maybe build a personal life. The stress has been getting to me, as you witnessed, not only when I had a flat tire but also the next morning. I'm still so sorry about that."

No reply came to Alex as he stared at Ryan, a little shocked that he was the one who brought up his bad behavior. He'd expected the subject to not be mentioned at all.

"Let me guess, you didn't expect me to talk about how I made a complete ass out of myself."

"Nope, I really didn't."

"Well, I was wrong. I didn't behave right, and I can make all the excuses in the world, but the truth was I was being an ass."

"You were, but having an understanding of the situation makes me see it through your eyes. And especially since you're apologizing again, I get it. You had some stress and were a jerk. I've been there, and I really do appreciate that you're apologizing."

"And I hope I can show you that I'm not a jerk. And I'm really interested in you."

The food came out, and they started eating. Everything tasted great, and he was enjoying his time with Ryan. It seemed like the date would be perfect, but he needed to know something about Ryan first.

"Have you ever dated a guy before?"

Ryan shook his head, and Alex wondered if he was expecting too much from Ryan. Could he keep up with the relationship if the pressure got too much? What if people stopped going to the store and his business died?

"Are you sure you're ready for the consequences?"

Ryan shrugged. "How bad could it be? I've lost my family, and I don't want to lose my life or sanity because I refuse to admit that I'm attracted to guys."

Alex paused, his gaze on Ryan. "Is that a possibility?"

Ryan shook his head. "Not in a bad way. I mean losing myself. Like I'd abandon everything that was me. I don't want to wake up in ten or twenty years thinking I didn't do enough to have happiness when I had the chance."

Alex's eyebrows shot up. "Do you think being in a relationship with me would bring you happiness?"

Ryan set his drink down before wiping his mouth and sitting back. "I don't know. I've enjoyed the small amount of time we've spent together. I can see us spending more time together. I want to get to know you better."

Alex nodded. "Yeah, I'd like to get to know you better, too."

Ryan's lips spread into a wide smile. "That's awesome."

Alex chuckled. "So, the art gallery. You know this town, it's not too far from here, right?"

Ryan shook his head as he took another bite of food. After he finished chewing, he answered. "No, it's close enough we can walk."

"Cool." Alex ate more of his burger. They were having a good time together. He felt a little less awkward than the previous date, but that made sense. They'd not even known each other when they'd done bowling and then had the picnic.

"So if you like, we could try for the picnic again. This time, it would probably be better since it's not supposed to rain next weekend."

Ryan chuckled. "I think doing a picnic under the stars would be nice, but you don't have to do it because of the auction thing."

Alex shrugged. "I just want another excuse to see you again."

Ryan held his gaze. "You don't need any excuse. I want to see you."

Excitement twisted through Alex. They really were doing this. He was looking forward to the fun of a new relationship as they learned more about each other. Maybe this time, he had actually found a good man.