Page 44 of Role Model

When Troy got into the truck half an hour later, he definitely smelled apples. But Harris had an explanation ready.

“Brought some warm cider for you.” He gestured to the two travel mugs nestled into the cup holders between the seats.

“Drover family apples?” Troy asked. When was the last time he’d had warm apple cider? Probably around the last time he’d taken a drive explicitly to look at Christmas lights.

“You know it.” Harris’s smile was wide and bright, and Troy knew he was staring, but he couldn’t look away. He was so cute, bundled into a festive dark green scarf that was patterned with white snowflakes. Quiet Christmas music played from the stereo.

“You’re really into Christmas, huh?” Troy said.

“Buddy. You have no idea.” Harris pulled out of the hotel parking lot. “You’re not?”

“Not really. I don’t think I’ve ever voluntarily listened to Christmas music.”

“You can turn it off if you like. I don’t mind.”

Troy was already being a massive dick. Great. “No, it’s nice. Festive, y’know?” It was nice. To make up for being an ass, he took a sip of the cider. “Shit. This is good.”

“Mulled it myself!”

“Is that, like...what is that? What’s mulling?”

“Basically just warming it with spices and stuff.”

Troy took another sip. It was sweet, but it was also spicy and comforting and wonderful, and it soothed him like medicine.

“I do it in the slow cooker,” Harris explained. “Then I come home to an amazing-smelling apartment. Do you have a slow cooker?”

“No. I live in a hotel room.”

“Yeah, I know but, like, will you have one when you move into an apartment? Did you used to have one?”

“I barely even know what a slow cooker is.”

“Oh man, they’re great. They cook stuff slowly.”

Troy was really glad he’d agreed to come. He felt better already, listening to Harris say stupid, adorable things. “Why is that good? Don’t you want things to cook faster?”

“So you can come home to a meal that’s been cooking all day! It’s like a little husband.”

That actually made Troy laugh. “That’s bleak.”

“Said like someone who’s never known the love of a slow cooker.”

“I don’t want to hear how you thank the slow cooker for dinner.”

Harris laughed so hard Troy thought they were going to drive off the road. “It’s the best relationship I’ve ever been in. Easily.”

They got on the highway, which Troy thought was weird but didn’t say anything about it. Frankly he didn’t care if they saw a single Christmas light. He was just enjoying the ride.

Harris hummed along to “Winter Wonderland” while Troy sipped his cider and tried not to find everything about Harris painfully charming.

“Is this what you do for fun?” Troy asked. “Look at Christmas lights?”

“Well, not in the summer,” Harris said dryly.

Troy checked himself. He was being a dick again. “What do you do normally? For fun.”

“Lots of stuff. I go out a lot. Or at least I go out as much as I can these days. This job keeps me pretty busy. Wyatt hosts a monthly board game night at his place, so I go to those usually.”

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