Page 44 of Private Exhibit
Andy bit back a smile. “Alright. Well.” He found himself swaying towards Devon and quickly stopped himself, trying to cover the movement with a shift in his weight from one foot to the other. Andy shoved his hands back into his pockets, determined to keep them there. “Have a good night.”
“You, too,” Devon whispered.
Andy took a step back, watching the boy let himself into the apartment. Once the door was shut and the lock clicked into place, Andy let out a heavy sigh and turned away.
He rode the elevator back down to the lobby, then walked back to his car in a daze. The whole evening had felt like a date. That hadn't remotely been his intention, but that was how itturned out. Andy shook his head.Gods. He hadn't been on a date in over twenty years. He'd actually forgotten how it felt.
Despite all the painful discussions, it had been perfect.
Andy dropped into the driver's seat of his car, punched the icon forHomeon the navigation system, and sat back, closing his eyes out of habit.
He jerked upright in the seat. Devon wouldn't close his eyes. The boy would look at everything, taking it all in, looking for the beauty through the overwhelm. Andy purposely studied the view all around him as the car drove itself.Gods. So many things he'd missed. So much he'd ignored. Even the little things like a stunning piece of architecture or a vibrant flower. It was like seeing the world for the first time all over again.
A store sign flashed by. Andy pulled a double-take, practically twisting around in his seat, then slammed on the brake, overriding the automated system. Cars behind him lurched to a stop and a chorus of horns blared. Andy put down the window and waved an apology, then yanked the car into the first available parking spot.
He got out and jogged back down the block, looking for the sign. When he spotted it, he ducked right into the shop, relieved that it was still open.
The cloying scent of flowers surrounded him. Andy quickly browsed as he made his way to the sales counter, but there were too many choices. Too much color.
Gods. What are you even doing here? This is a mistake. Andy turned to leave.
“Good evening,” the sales clerk called, greeting him with a smile. “Can I help you find anything?”
No, Andy told himself. “Yes,” he blurted out, reaching for his wallet. “Can I have something delivered tomorrow morning?”
“Absolutely. What would you like?”
Andy felt his heartbeat kick up a notch.Fucking hells. He shouldn't be doing this, yet he couldn't seem to resist, hoping it would make Devon smile.
“Snapdragons,” he murmured. “He likes snapdragons…”
Chapter 17
DEVON PUT his back to the door and slowly pushed it shut.
Oh my gods. Did that really just happen?
A simple walk with Andy, and the night had turned completely around. It had felt like a date.No, not just a date, Devon thought. It had been so much more than that. He'd connected with Andy in a way that he'd never connected with another human being in his life. Not even with Oliver.
“Whoa.”
Devon looked up, seeing Oliver stretch up in his chair, peeking over their monitors. “What?” Devon asked.
“I've literally never seen that look on your face before.”
Devon felt himself blush. “What look?”
“That look,” Oliver said with a chuckle. “Wow. Somebody's got a major crush.”
Devon's cheeks turned red-hot.
Oliver barked a laugh. “Oh yeah.” He shook his head. “Come on. Take off your shoes and come sit.”
Devon frowned and looked down. “Oh.” He dropped to a crouch and quickly pulled off his shoes, having to fuss with them for several seconds to get them to sit just right on the mat, then pulled off his socks before making a beeline for his bedroom. Devon changed back into his pajamas, feeling his body go lax as he padded back out to the dining area.
“So what the heck did you guys do?” Oliver asked, sinking back into his seat on the other side of the table.
“We just talked,” Devon replied, then shook his head.Gods. That made it sound so simple and trivial. They'd done so much more than talk. They'd shared things. Important things. They'd gotten close in a way that Devon had never thought he'd get to experience. “His son had A-G,” he blurted out.
