more. Michael appreciated the restraint even as a part of him wanted to see it crumble. He didn’t want to rush, though. For one thing, they were on a path in a public park in broad daylight. Not exactly conducive to anything but bug bites and getting caught. More than that, though, he liked the idea of spending the day with Lee without constant sexual tension between them. Drawing back slowly, he squeezed Lee’s hands. “Let’s finish our hike. We have a picnic waiting for us.”
The picnic went over exactly as Michael had hoped. When they had packed up the leftovers, all five bites they couldn’t eat, Lee had shown no interest in rushing back to Houston, so Michael suggested they hike some more. They’d ended up wandering the park until nearly dark. “I’ve got some steaks at the house,” Michael said as they started back to the city. “We could toss a couple on the grill and watch a movie or something if you don’t have anywhere you have to be.”
“I think that sounds wonderful,” Lee agreed, which was how they had ended up sitting on Michael’s couch, steaks and sodas on the coffee table, and Raiders of the Lost Ark playing on TV.
“I can’t believe you want to watch this,” Michael said as the opening credits rolled.
“I can’t believe you have it and don’t watch it at least once a week,” Lee retorted. “Come on. Harrison Ford all dusty and sweaty and doing the hero thing? It’s like a wet dream come to life.”
Michael flushed a little. “He was my first crush.”
“Good taste,” Lee said. “Mine was Johnny Depp.”
“ Donnie Brasco ?” Michael asked, trying to think what movies might have been out at the time Lee was fourteen or fifteen.
“ 21 Jump Street all the way,” Lee said. “I saw it in reruns, but I was so in love with him.”
“They’ve both gotten even better with age,” Michael said. “It gives me hope.”
“Hope for what?”
“That I’ll still be able to catch a man’s eye when I’m their age,” Michael replied.
“You don’t have anything to worry about,” Lee assured him. “They still look good, for sure, but it’s character that holds the eye, not looks. That’s what all the good ones, the ones we follow for years, have. It’s true for actors, but it’s also true for friends and lovers. The ones we stay with are the ones with depth, not the ones with pretty faces.”
“The pretty face doesn’t hurt,” Michael joked.
Lee shook his head. “That face,” he said, pointing to the screen as it showed a close-up of Harrison Ford, “has never been pretty. Attractive, handsome, chiseled, drop dead gorgeous, but never pretty. It’s the interesting faces that catch our eye and the interesting characters that hold our attention.”
Michael had to admit the truth in that statement when what had caught his eye about Lee was the way his smile changed his face from average to stunning. Lee’s flustered expression when Michael told him that was too adorable for words, so Michael settled for kissing him instead.
“I thought we were watching the movie,” Lee said, his voice slightly breathless, when they parted.
“We are,” Michael said, putting his arm around Lee’s shoulders and relaxing against the back of the couch, “but don’t tell me you never sat on a couch with a boyfriend and made out while you watched a movie.”
“Maybe once or twice,” Lee chuckled. “So is that what we are now?”
“I thought it fit,” Michael said. “We’ve had two dates, a handful of very enjoyable kisses. You’re sitting on my couch watching a guilty pleasure movie with me. What else would you call it?”
Lee grinned. “Perfect.”
Michael grinned back and settled in to watch the movie. It didn’t take long before he was caught up in the action. It didn’t matter that he could recite half the dialogue with the characters because Lee could recite the
The picnic went over exactly as Michael had hoped. When they had packed up the leftovers, all five bites they couldn’t eat, Lee had shown no interest in rushing back to Houston, so Michael suggested they hike some more. They’d ended up wandering the park until nearly dark. “I’ve got some steaks at the house,” Michael said as they started back to the city. “We could toss a couple on the grill and watch a movie or something if you don’t have anywhere you have to be.”
“I think that sounds wonderful,” Lee agreed, which was how they had ended up sitting on Michael’s couch, steaks and sodas on the coffee table, and Raiders of the Lost Ark playing on TV.
“I can’t believe you want to watch this,” Michael said as the opening credits rolled.
“I can’t believe you have it and don’t watch it at least once a week,” Lee retorted. “Come on. Harrison Ford all dusty and sweaty and doing the hero thing? It’s like a wet dream come to life.”
Michael flushed a little. “He was my first crush.”
“Good taste,” Lee said. “Mine was Johnny Depp.”
“ Donnie Brasco ?” Michael asked, trying to think what movies might have been out at the time Lee was fourteen or fifteen.
“ 21 Jump Street all the way,” Lee said. “I saw it in reruns, but I was so in love with him.”
“They’ve both gotten even better with age,” Michael said. “It gives me hope.”
“Hope for what?”
“That I’ll still be able to catch a man’s eye when I’m their age,” Michael replied.
“You don’t have anything to worry about,” Lee assured him. “They still look good, for sure, but it’s character that holds the eye, not looks. That’s what all the good ones, the ones we follow for years, have. It’s true for actors, but it’s also true for friends and lovers. The ones we stay with are the ones with depth, not the ones with pretty faces.”
“The pretty face doesn’t hurt,” Michael joked.
Lee shook his head. “That face,” he said, pointing to the screen as it showed a close-up of Harrison Ford, “has never been pretty. Attractive, handsome, chiseled, drop dead gorgeous, but never pretty. It’s the interesting faces that catch our eye and the interesting characters that hold our attention.”
Michael had to admit the truth in that statement when what had caught his eye about Lee was the way his smile changed his face from average to stunning. Lee’s flustered expression when Michael told him that was too adorable for words, so Michael settled for kissing him instead.
“I thought we were watching the movie,” Lee said, his voice slightly breathless, when they parted.
“We are,” Michael said, putting his arm around Lee’s shoulders and relaxing against the back of the couch, “but don’t tell me you never sat on a couch with a boyfriend and made out while you watched a movie.”
“Maybe once or twice,” Lee chuckled. “So is that what we are now?”
“I thought it fit,” Michael said. “We’ve had two dates, a handful of very enjoyable kisses. You’re sitting on my couch watching a guilty pleasure movie with me. What else would you call it?”
Lee grinned. “Perfect.”
Michael grinned back and settled in to watch the movie. It didn’t take long before he was caught up in the action. It didn’t matter that he could recite half the dialogue with the characters because Lee could recite the
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