Lucas leaned his elbows against the desk and stared down at the printed schedule Brandy had left in the drawer. She’d planned each class before she left but also told him he could change things up however he wanted. In that class, his mind drifted to other topics. First, his still-worrisome financial issues. The teaching position helped for sure, but he still skated the edge of comfort. Then to Ryder.
“You’ve been distracted today.” The lady in the second row back, Geena, called out. “What’s her name?” A few other students twittered.
Lucas paused for a half second too long.
“It’s a him, isn’t it?” Lori asked. There wasn’t any mockery in her voice, only curiosity.
He looked up quickly to check the group for any sign of trouble. A few people frowned, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from living his truth. “Yeah.” He chuckled and lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Let’s say my head’s been pretty full lately.”
That seemed to satisfy them, and they moved on. Lucas flipped open his laptop and brought up the slideshow on the projector.
“Okay, tonight, we’re going to talk about framing. Not the kind with wood and nails. The kind that makes your photos tell a story.” He moved into his rhythm then, showing examples on the screen. Some portraits with off-center subjects, landscapes with foreground anchors, close-ups that used shadows and light to direct the viewer’s gaze.
The class stayed lively, full of questions and laughter, and Lucas found his groove again. They moved on from the slideshow to practical work. Everyone adjusted their own photos on their laptops or tablets, and he circulated through the room to offer advice. But every so often, he’d catch himself drifting.
He thought about the way Ryder looked when he laughed, not the polite public chuckle but the deep, crinkly-eyed kind that showed up when they were alone together. He remembered how warm Ryder’s voice got when he talked about his niece and how careful he was when Ritz’s paws got icy on a romp in the little backyard at his place.
They’d spent more time together since that first cocoa meetup. Some casual, some tied to the calendar project. There had been dog park runs, a late-night planning session over greasy takeout, even a walk downtown during a light snowfall where Lucas couldn’t stop stealing glances at the way Ryder’s jacket clung to his broad shoulders.
They were becoming friends, and that was both wonderful and problematic at the same time. Lucas didn’t want only friendship. He wanted naked time with the man, to feel those big hands on his body, his dick, and to finally know what it felt like to be thoroughly kissed by someone with a full mustache and beard like Ryder’s. But with such a shaky foundation, dating wasn’t something he should even consider, and he was way past being okay with a mere hookup.
The teaching job helped. Four nights a week and Saturday mornings meant his budget finally had some breathing room. The constant pressure in his chest had eased slightly. He’d even caught up on a few overdue bills and refilled his precious cocoa stash.
Ryder didn’t need to get stuck with someone -- a boyfriend -- like him. Ryder was stable, strong, and established in agreat, rewarding career. He deserved more than someone barely holding their life together.
Still… when Lucas thought about that night Ryder had showed up smelling like smoke and grief, he remembered how easily they’d fallen into a gentle quiet. It had felt so good to be able to sit next to him and know that Ryder got some comfort out of it.
“Lucas?”
He blinked, pulled back into the present by a student cradling their laptop.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, taking it from her. “Brain hiccup.” He really didn’t need to get lost thinking about the other man during class. Sometimes memories and desire showed up like a soft-focus shot that lingered in his mind, though.
“I was asking about this photo. Should I crop the edge out, or does it add something?”
Lucas leaned in and smiled. “Hmm. Let’s see. What does it add to the composition?”
The rest of the class passed in a blur of shared images and feedback. By the time the students began packing up, Lucas felt more grounded again.
Sometimes, the power that art held over him floated away and left him with the dull reality of everyday life. Teaching classes about it blurred the lines. He loved helping these folks explore their own creativity, and he appreciated the paycheck. Besides the photoshoot at the shelter, he hadn’t been out with his camera for a while.
He needed to set aside some time for himself, a few moments to capture the joy that photography always brought him. When he thought of exploring now, however, he pictured Ryder and Ritz at his side. Maybe he’d like to come alone on a photo ramble sometime. Maybe they could do some urbanexploring and try to catch an image of their own ghost or cryptid lurking at the edges of town.
As much as he liked the spooky midnight podcast, Lucas wasn’t sure he could handle that kind of investigation on his own. With Ryder at his side, probably putting on a really good front of not getting creeped out by shadows, Lucas felt like he could handle anything. If the man had to sling an arm around his shoulders to protect him, all the better.
Lucas packed up and checked his phone as he headed out to the parking lot. A few notifications blinked on the calendar project group, more shares on the social media posts, a couple comments praising the shelter’s mission, and a few flirtatious words on candid pictures of a firefighter hugging a cat. The guy was hot, but Lucas scrolled past.
He didn’t care about that guy or any of the others who laughed and even flirted with him during the photo shoot. He cared about the big blond with his hands in his pockets, the one with the little smile and the gleam of emotion in his blue eyes. The man who trusted him with his dog and looked both ridiculous and so hot in Lucas’s too-small clothes.
Caring about Ryder scared him. If this spark he felt grew any stronger, Lucas wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to reach out and ask for more.Would that be such a bad thing?He tried to push the question away and focus on climbing into his car and getting the heater on, but not even driving back to his apartment could distract him much.
Ryder wasn’t just an inconvenient crush. He’d already taken up space in Lucas’s life as a friend, and he thought maybe he was something else, too. Lucas wanted many things in life. He’d walked away from comfort and security to follow his own dreams. Wanting Ryder felt as thrilling and scary, but he couldn’t pretend he wasn’t going to go for it anyway.
Romance was a bit like photography in that way. It was all about making the most of a moment and capturing something worth preserving forever. Lucas wasn’t sure if he was setting himself up for another struggle he couldn’t afford – this time with his heart – but he really didn’t want to resist anymore. Ryder was someone worth the risk.
Chapter 8
Ryder
