Page 38 of Daily Grind
“I don’t look any different than I did five weeks ago.” He didn’t feel any different—other than being heels over head for Rob.
Rob lifted an eyebrow. “You do when you’re with me.”
Probably because he was so fucking infatuated. He examined the gravel at his feet and smiled. “Maybe.”
A click of a shutter. Brian looked up. Rob flicked a dial on his camera, then held it out.
There on the screen was the evidence that proved Rob’s point. The man in the photo looked smitten. Tinged cheeks, lidded eyes, and a smile that radiated happiness and desire. “Oh.” Shit. Hedidlook different.
“You’re fucking adorable.” Rob pinched his cheek.
“Hey!” Brian batted Rob’s hand away and laughed.
The lady from before didn’t look pleased, but just about everyone else was grinning, so whatever.
A moment later, the tour guide arrived. She gave a fairly normal introduction spiel that included dos and don’ts. “I see some of you are here to take pictures.” She nodded at Brian and Rob. “No climbing on structures to get a better shot, please.”
Rob put his hand over his heart. “Promise.”
Satisfied by that, she finished by talking about the history of the site before taking them in.
As they walked onto the grounds, Brian took out his own camera. As they moved through the site, he listened to the tour guide with one ear and took plenty of interesting shots—hard not to find good composition. Old rusting structures. Weeds. Hulking buildings. Brick stacks. Blue sky.
More and more, he was drawn to Rob. The way he moved. How he held his head. The parting of his lips when he studied a piece of equipment. The sunlight in his hair, the light in his eyes, his goddamn heart-melting smile.
Brian took a few candid shots, then one of Rob giving him that look—the one that askedwhat the fuck are you doing?Rob held up his own camera, and they shot each other.
Brian hadn’t laughed like this in ages, not since the early days with Anita.
He had it so bad for Rob. Part of him wondered if that was because Rob was aguy. His first. He walked on to study a Bessemer converter, a giant hulking crucible of steel. He didn’tthinkso. Even if he hadn’t been attracted to Rob, he was an interesting guy, certainly someone he’d want as a friend.
Over by the foot of a building, Rob crouched down to take a shot of a spring flower blooming against the rust.
Jesus, the man had an eye.
Rob took the photo and looked up and the delight there flipped Brian’s heart over. Goose bumps rose on his arms.
No, there was more there than infatuation. And that was perfectly okay.
* * *
Everythingabout the Carrie Furnace site was brilliant, down to the sun that warmed Rob’s back to Brian’s occasional dumbfounded expressions. Those melted Rob’s heart. Thiswasa mutual romantic thing, not the wants and desires of a man who only wanted to fuck.
Then again, Brian had already invited Rob home to meet his parents.
A tiny sting there and fear. What if they didn’t accept Brian? What if they hated Rob? He shook his head and searched for another interesting shot. What-ifs were deadly and he’d had enough of them in his life.
The tour was interesting, too. Little tidbits of history about the site. Built in the early nineteen-hundreds, it was one of the few remaining examples of pre–World War II iron-making tech. In a strange way, it reminded Rob of the village he’d grown up in, though they’d been a coal town and had nothing like this. Steel and iron had been farther north. Still there was something about this place that felt like home.
He walked around one of the brick stacks, looking for the right shot when he spied Brian doing the same thing. Brian lookedalive, eyes clear and his smile free of worry. Rob raised his camera, adjusted the focus and shutter speed, and held his finger over the button.
“Hey Bri!”
Predictably, that smile leveled on him, all sun and charm.
Snap. Snap snap snap. He captured the surprise, the laugh and the joy, and finally, the raised middle finger.
When he was done, he joined Brian. “Serves you right for all the shots you took of me.”
