Page 15 of Play Hard

He picked the produce Liam needed, staying within prescribed amounts so as not to exceed the budget. He soon created a game for himself, predicting the weight of each veg before putting it on the scale.

“Yaaaass,” he hissed when he estimated the tomatoes bang-on. A short woman in a purple headscarf looked up from the garlic and peered at him over her glasses. “I guessed right,” he told her, his ears warming as he tied the bag shut.

He’d barely made it out of the produce area when Liam appeared beside him, nose reddened from the cold air.

“That was fast,” Robert said. “Find what you needed?”

Liam’s amber eyes flicked from side to side as he tried to suppress a smile. “Ordered it online yesterday, so I just needed to collect it.” He tapped the left side of his jacket, where a plastic bag rustled. “It’s here, close to my heart.”

“It better be good, after this buildup.”

“No, it’s very bad.” He grabbed the trolley handle. “I’ll drive. I know where everything is after they rearranged the aisles.”

Robert followed, reminding himself not to get lost in thought simply because he had nothing to do. He had one very important task: pay attention to Liam.

So he stayed in the moment, watching his partner choose amongst the items on the shelves, muttering calculations to himself, working out which brand was the right choice, considering price and quality. Though Robert excelled at higher maths, his ability to add, subtract, and multiply in his head couldn’t hold a candle to Liam’s. Perhaps the bartending job had made Liam such a deft arithmetician, or perhaps he was simply a master at all things important to real life.

In this most mundane of settings, Robert was reminded of the simple joy of being with this man. Lately, he had to admit, he’d only paid close attention to Liam when they were in bed or on the football pitch.

For instance: It was already mid-January, and Robert was just now discerning Liam’s “winter plumage,” as he called it. His hair had darkened from bright red to a rich auburn, and the temporary, sun-induced freckles had faded, leaving behind only the permanent ones, the ones Robert had mapped and memorized over many a naked afternoon.

And in the dairy section, when Liam pulled off his cap and stuffed it into his pocket, Robert realized he’d missed a major detail.

“Did you have a haircut?” he asked.

“Aye, a week ago.” Liam looked up from the two hunks of cheese he was comparing. “Just the usual. Nothing exciting.”

“Still, I didn’t notice, and I’m sorry.” When Liam shrugged, Robert added, “It looks good.”

“I know.” Liam grinned at him. “Thanks for noticing now.”

Robert stepped closer. “I’d like to take you home and make you feel more noticed than you’ve ever been in your life.”

“Oh. That sounds…” Liam paused. “My ears are turning red, aren’t they?”

“They are,” Robert murmured. “Almost as red as they do when you come.”

Liam let out a low curse, then tossed one of the cheeses into the trolley. “That’s me finished here.”

Robert glanced at the list in his hand. “But you still need—”

“It can wait.” Liam headed toward the checkout tills at full speed.

“And also—”

“It can all wait.”

Robert followed, unable and unwilling to argue.

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