Chapter 8

Mental Note: You've been waiting for something like this for a long time.

Ryan pulled into the lot for the warehouse, and the headlights from Alex's car splashed across his vehicle and then the building as he parked beside him. Something had happened while bowling, and he wasn't sure what to think. Maybe whatever he felt was a lie. Had Alex felt it, too?

The rain came down hard as he stepped out of his truck. Alex had moved the picnic basket into the front seat of his car but was having trouble getting it out. Ryan grabbed the heavy basket, and they raced for the cover of the building. It took him only a few seconds to open the door and then they were inside, the pounding rain echoing on the metal roof above. Not really romantic, but at least they'd stay dry.

He locked the door so no one else could get in and paused before turning to face the appealing man he was on a date with. Brett wouldn't believe it, or maybe he would.

This could mean nothing, or it might be the start of something he'd been avoiding his whole life. Excitement buzzed through him.

When he turned, he noticed rivulets of water running down Alex's face from his totally soaked hair. Laughter filled the space between them. And he knew whatever he'd felt at the bowling alley still flowed between them.

"We need a towel."

Alex smiled. "We are a little damp."

Ryan chuckled as he shook his head. "That's an understatement." The weight of the last few months seemed to be so much less with Alex by his side. The smile on his lips wasn't fake, and the laughter wasn't a lie. He really was enjoying himself. Something inside seemed to pop.

When Alex reached out and pushed Ryan's hair off his forehead, heat exploded. They both froze, their gazes locked, communicating something dark and dangerous that could get him into real trouble or release him from a prison he'd not even known about.

Thunder crashed, and they both jumped and then laughed nervously. He took a step back and then lifted the basket.

"What all did you pack?"

Alex shrugged and smiled. "Just a little food and some wine."

"Cool. It might take me a moment to set this up."

"I can help."

"Follow me."

Ryan led them down the main aisle, which was flanked on both sides by storage shelves. About a quarter of the way down, they came to an area with benches and chairs and a water cooler for the workers to take a break. It was surrounded by photos of mountains and the ocean. When he'd seen how hard the men and women worked, he'd told his dad about the idea. It had taken some convincing on his part but finally his dad conceded.

Alex paused, taking in the area. "That's interesting. Like, I didn't think warehouses had areas like this."

Ryan paused and smiled, a touch of pride firing within. "It's just a warehouse, but yeah, most warehouses don't have areas like this."

"The place is very clean. And these photos..." Alex said, pointing at the large landscape shots flanking the area. "They make it feel less…confined?"

"Workers like it," Ryan admitted, not saying that had been his idea, too.

"Who came up with the idea?" Alex asked, then turned to Ryan, narrowing his eyes. "It was you. You were the one who had this idea."

Ryan shrugged, not wanting to brag. "Yeah. When I started working after college, I realized we needed more to make workers stay. Dad thought it would make the workers lazy. But it helped increase productivity by giving them a place to take a quick break if they were tired."

"I bet your parents are proud of you."

"Eh, it was touch and go. My dad was a hard man to deal with, but I didn't want to abandon the family business."

"That's cool. Do you like working with them?"

Grief twisted through him. "Well, they passed away last month. It was a traffic accident." The raw truth slipping out made his chest feel hollow.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's weird. I've woken up a few times and forgotten but then I remember. Just feels weird."

"I bet. That would be hard to deal with."

Ryan shrugged. "I've been okay. Work keeps me busy."

"Death is stressful."

Ryan blew out a heavy breath, trying not to get into the weeds of it all. "I'm starving. Let's find a place to eat this picnic."

Walking through the warehouse didn't bring up as many memories of his parents as it had even two weeks ago. Maybe having Alex by his side helped. He led them deeper into the warehouse to an open area near the back wall, which also supported large nature photos. He set down the basket and glanced around.

"What can I help you do?" Alex asked.

"Let's set up a tent."

"A tent?"

"Sure, it will be like we're camping."

Alex's smile spread slowly, making him look very sexy. "Sure, that sounds great."

It only took a few minutes for them to get the tent out and set it up. It helped that there wasn't any wind or other natural elements, making setup difficult. Next, Ryan grabbed pillows and two mattresses, placing them inside the tent. He'd grabbed two battery-operated lanterns but decided they only needed one turned on at the lowest setting.

Alex entered the tent with the basket and paused. He seemed enchanted by the setup.

"This is nice," Alex said.

"Not quite as good as under the stars, but still good."

"I don't know, maybe this is better than under the stars. At least we know there won't be any ants."

Ryan chuckled as heat spread from his belly. Everything about this tent and the pillows, along with the lighting, screamed intimacy. Would Alex be insulted he'd set the tent up like this? He didn't seem upset and wasn't doing all the posturing most guys would do in a situation like this. Maybe the signals he'd wanted to see really were happening.