Page 38 of One Chance to Stay
“She sounds an awful lot like her father.” I sniffed the glass, taking in the hints of pine. “Wonder if she’s as stubborn?” The liquid burned as I took a sip.
“She gets that from her mother.”
“Her mother?” I raised an eyebrow. “Maybe her gift for talking, but I think she got stubborn from dear old dad.” His eyes narrowed. “Is her mum…” I let the words hang in the air, worried I had stepped on toes.
“She lives in Millinocket.” I held my tongue, letting Seamus decide how much he wanted to share. “We divorced.”
I didn’t press. “I was polite this time. When I see her next, I’m going to ask for all the dirt. I bet she has some great stories about her father.”
Seamus sat quietly, his hands resting in his lap as he mindlessly spun the glass, swirling its contents. He sat close, but the inches separating us might as well have been miles. I could hear Walter’s voice, encouraging me to not give up.
“Are you going to Walter’s wedding?” No nod. “What? Not going to see Walter get hitched? You’d be missing out on Harvey giving away his bestie. Those two men… Walter’s wife doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into.”
“I’m not a fan of crowds.”
I had been surprised he attended the bachelor party. Even a small crowd made him uncomfortable. He hadn’t joined them for the football game. Even amongst hisfriends, he preferred the solitude. I wondered if this agoraphobia had always been there, or did it come as a result of living in the sticks?
“I bet you look handsome in a suit.”
He looked up from his glass. “Will you be there?”
Somewhere between the fifth and tenth shot of tequila, Walter had invited me to attend his special day. I’m pretty sure I accepted before slamming another drink. Though as I tried to piece together the evening, things turned increasingly fuzzy. Never again. Age had lowered my tolerance.
“I suppose if I can find a date.” Seamus didn’t pick up on the suggestion. “I hear you’re free.”
Like Bigfoot in the wild, I thought I spotted his lip turn upward. It seemed as if Firefly might know Seamus’s secret, or at least I think this is what they meant. I still didn’t know if he’d be comfortable with the idea. Heck, what would Jason, Amanda, and Jon say if I showed up, arm linked with this grizzly wolf?
“Seamus Finnigan.” I scooted closer. When my hand rested on his shoulder, his attention turned back to me. “Would you be my date to Walter’s wedding?”
Before he could mumble a reply, I broke out laughing. The suspicion in his glance only fueled the fire.
“Sorry.” I wiped the tears from my eyes. “I just realized that’s the first time I asked a man on a date.”
“Really?”
“This.” I gestured between us. “That.” I pointed at the ceiling. “It’s all new to me. I work at a gay bar, but I’ve never… You know.” Hell, even talking about it, my face turned red. “This is uncharted territory.”
“I didn’t mean?—”
Leaning forward, I covered his mouth with my hand. “I’m a big boy, and I make my own decisions. I’m glad it happened.”
Seamus held still, every exhale dampening my hand. He reached up, taking my hand by the fingers. His lips touched my knuckles. Soft. Warm. Tender. He kissed them four times, once along each knuckle. He provided no verbal confirmation, but when he didn’t let go of my hand, I interpreted.
I set my drink on the coffee table. I wrangled the glass from his death grip, setting it next to mine. Crawling over the couch, I threw a leg over his lap. Seamus’s eyes went wide in disbelief, as if I were violating his sacred space. The crotch of my pants tightened, not giving me the stretch I needed to make it comfortable.
I shifted, trying to get myself into place to straddle him. He let out a huff as my knee landed on his groin. I’d need practice. This required more skill when the other person didn’t have a petite frame. Not perfect, but as I settled in, resting on his lap, I smiled.
“We’ll work on the execution.”
“You arebadat this.”
“Shh.” With a finger on his lips, his eyes crossed, trying to look at it. I leaned forward, awkwardly smooshing my lips against his. Wrong angle. Bad position. This served as the anthem for our time together. Seamus moved his hands to my hips, giving them a tight squeeze as he returned the kiss. He tasted like whiskey and… man. Manly smells.
I only stopped when I had to come up for air. For a moment, his eyes remained closed, and he appeared almost serene. Knowing I did that made my heart thump against my ribcage. When they opened, he wasn’t staring downward. His gaze locked with mine, and whatever confusion might be swirling in the back of his head vanished. We existed in this moment.
“Me too,” he whispered.
“Huh?”
