Nathan Winslow
Pick you up at 11.
Me
See you then.
I check the clock. I’ve got enough time for a quick breakfast and shower.
Nathan Winslow
The guys will be there, too. They want to hang out with you again.
Oh. Not only were we doing things now, but we were doing things with other people. Other people who happen to be very important to him. I groan and roll out of bed. I’m pretty sure Matthias and Aaron are not my biggest fans. I’m not sure my house has enough coffee to manage this. The Farmers’ Market better have a stand.
The whole thing is a test. I’ve met Nathan’s friends, but meeting them as some random guy is one thing. It’s an entirely different thing as the boyfriend.
Boyfriend? I guess we haven’t put a label on it yet. We’re taking it slow, but is it too soon to call him my boyfriend? I wish someone made a guidebook for this sort of stuff.
Nathan, as always, is right on time. I’m not clear on the dress code for something like this, so I wear jeans and a sweater. The weather is warming up, but some crispness still lingers in the air. As long as the clouds stay away, the sun should be enough to keep me warm while we’re out.
I hop in his car and lean over for a long kiss. I only left his place a few hours ago, but I miss how his body feels against mine. I wonder if there’s any chance I can talk him into coming up to my place and spending the day cuddled up on the couch. Preferably naked.
And that’s why we’d avoided going out.
Plus the fact that so far, those expeditions haven’t been successful. We didn’t give it a lot of chances, but still.
“So I think we’ll have most of the crew today. Tyler’s visiting his family, but the other guys will meet up with us.” He puts the car in drive and starts toward the downtown area. “I thoughtwe could walk around and see what they have. Then we can grab some lunch and make a game plan. If we see anything we like on our first pass, we can return for it so we don’t have to carry it around.” He pauses and bites the bottom of his lip like always when thinking about something—or maybe only when overthinking. It’s adorable and uniquely Nathan. “Unless it looks like something might sell out. If it’s heavy, we can always return to the car. It might be a lot of walking, though.”
I reach across the center console and rest my hand on his thigh. “I’m sure it’ll be great. We can carry some stuff around if needed. I don’t mind.”
“Okay.” He doesn’t sound convinced, but I promise to ensure he enjoys this outing. It seems important to him. Maybe it’s a test of how well I get along with his friends. Especially since I’m no longerColt, the guy I grew upwith, butColt, the guy I’m currently dating.
Dating. Thinking about it still fills my stomach with butterflies.
We park in the public lot, following the instructions of the parking attendant in the neon orange vest. As we hit the edge of the market, Nathan’s hand slips into mine, intertwining our fingers. I miss a step and struggle to catch up. I stare at our hands for a moment. It’s strangely intimate, which is weird to say, considering I had my cock in his ass last night.
“Is this okay?” He nods toward our hands and looks at me with concern.
“Yeah,” I croak, my mouth suddenly dry. I’ve dated some, but never where I could be open like this. The brief period in college when I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted without my family finding out didn’t last long—mainly because I spent the first two years trying to convince myself I liked women. That’s left little time for the kind of relationship where you hold hands in the middle of town on Saturday.
My brain is still trying to catch up when we find his friends. He nudges me as we approach them, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Hey, you guys remember Colt.” He doesn’t let go of my hand, and I squeeze it, hoping he gets the message. I’m not sure what the message is other than wanting him to know how happy I am.
Aaron and Matthias give me a quick nod. It’s exposing standing here holding Nathan’s hand, especially since the last time I spoke to them wasn’t pleasant. The three of them launch into a discussion about someone from college. It’s clear how much history there is among all of them. Nathan occasionally pauses to fill me in and ensure I follow the conversation. Honestly, I don’t care. I’m enjoying being here and enjoying the day. I can picture doing this every weekend. The trips to the market. The time with various friends.
This outing has turned into spending the day with Nathan’s friends, and while I’m not complaining, it does raise several concerns. They’re great guys with whom I can see myself hanging out with regularly. They can’t be my social group, though. They belong to Nathan, and if something goes wrong between us, they’ll side with him. I’ll not only lose Nathan but all the friends I’ve made. That would be quite the extra fuck you from the universe.
I try not to think about it. I remind myself things might not go wrong with Nathan. Our friendship is the longest relationship I’ve had, though I’m not sure you can count those years where our only contact was me liking photos on hisInstagram.
We wander around the market for quite a while, stopping to look at things at each of the booths. We sample a few delicious homemade items but nothing I want to buy. I’m looking through a pile of art prints at one of the booths when Aaron starts complaining that he’s hungry.
“The lines for the food trucks are dwindling; it might be a good time to take a break,” Matthias agrees, though they exchange a look I can’t quite place. We walk back, making a few stops even though Aaron grumbles each time about his hunger. Eventually, we reach the picnic tables next to the row of food trucks.
“Why don’t you find a spot for us to sit, and I’ll bring you something.” When I nod, Nathan kisses my cheek and squeezes my hand before walking off with Matthias. It’s innocent, but I look around to see if anyone is looking. No one seems to be paying us any mind.
“Let’s go.” Aaron grabs my arm and starts pulling me toward an open table. “So, how are things?”
