Page 68 of Road to a Cowboy

“Uh...”

Austin went stiff next to him, but they were both saved from answering by the arrival of two women carrying portfolios and camera bags.

They were both international students, one from Poland, the other from Australia, and they had stars in their eyes when they looked at Austin.

“We’re huge fans of your work,” said Abi, the Australian. She bumped her friend’s hip. “Margaret especially. She was wondering if you’d take a look at a project she’s working on while you’re here. It’s on the Aurora Borealis.”

“What?” Margaret whisper-shouted, glaring at Abi. “No, I wasn’t.” She turned wide hazel eyes on Austin. “I wasn’t.”

“If you don’t mind sharing, I’d love to take a look.” Austin looked at Hedda. “Assuming we have time before lunch?”

Hedda’s eyes gleamed. “Go ahead,” she said, as though she knew, just like Cal did, that introducing him to the students was the way to win him over on this job.

Meeting other professors? Cool.

Meeting actual students he’d get to help and mentor and work with? Cal would be surprised if Austin didn’t accept the job by the end of the day.

It was clear Hedda was quite proud of herself as Austin stood in a classroom with Margaret and Abi, eight-by-ten prints of the Aurora Borealis spread out on the table between them. Color sharpened Austin’s cheeks, and there was a passionate intensity in his aquamarine eyes Cal had only ever seen in two other situations: when he worked with his students back home, and when he and Cal had sex.

“I have a friend who saw the northern lights for the first time recently,” Margaret said in her slight Polish accent, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “And she was disappointed because they didn’t look anything like what’s often shown in pictures.”

Austin nodded. “Cameras can detect colors that the rods in human eyes can’t.”

“That’s what I told my friend. And she said she wished photos of the northern lights showed what they actually look like to the human eye, so people like her won’t be disappointed when they see the real thing.” She moved a trio of photos in front of Austin. “So I’m calling my portfolio Rods vs Tech. One image of what my camera captured, a second where I’ve edited the contrast, saturation, and brightness to demonstrate how photographers adjust their photos to make them brighter and more appealing, and a third that I’ve processed to more or less reflect what I saw with my eyes.”

“I love the idea of this concept,” Austin said, pulling one of the photos closer.

Cal checked out as they started talking about long exposures and camera lenses and ISO values and apertures. None of it made sense to him anyway.

This, though? The way Austin lit up when he worked with others? The way everything else fell away for him and he gave his full attention to his student? The way his gestures became grander and his entire body leaned toward the photographs?

He was gorgeous, and as a ray of sunshine filtered in through one of the windows to shine on Austin, it was like the universe was agreeing with Cal. Admiration flooded through Cal, as well as desire, despite the crowd, and pride that this man was his.

But he’d be his from a distance very shortly.

Because Austin was born for this.

He needed this job.

Not because it would help him launch his professorial career back home.

But because it would make him a better photographer and a better mentor. He’d learn just as much from the students as they would from him—Cal was sure of it.

A hollow ache spread through Cal’s chest, but so did a kernel of excitement.

Because he could be sad that he was losing his best friend and partner while also being excited for him. The two weren’t mutually exclusive.

While Margaret packed up her photos a few minutes later, Rolf offered to show Austin his classroom, and when everyone filed out of the one they were in, Austin slipped his hand into Cal’s.

Swallowing hard, Cal held on as tightly as he could.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Where is it exactly that we’re going?” Austin asked from the bedroom, raising his voice so Cal could hear him from the bathroom.

“It’s a surprise.” Cal’s voice was muffled through the door.

“How the hell did you manage to organize a surprise? We’ve been here two days.”

---