Grant
GRANT
watched the traffic in front of him, fingers playing with the edge of his jacket. He knew there was no point in checking his phone, but he did anyway. He’d stopped keeping track of how many times he’d checked after the seventh time. was sure he’d doubled the number and chided himself every time.
There were still at least five minutes before Theo would be considered late for their date. Their conversation over the phone had been brief, and Theo’s voice had sounded hazy and a little rough around the edges. The best could guess, the man had either just woken up or was coming off the tail end of a long drinking binge. He honestly didn’t know Theo well enough to know which.
Which only made his nerves all the more tight as he stood by the curb. The decision to ask Theo out on a date had been entirely impulsive. There had been a strange intimacy between them as they’d talked about Theo’s painting, not to mention the warm look Theo had given him. had contemplated the idea, but it had sprung out of his mouth before he could give it more thought.
Theo was clearly younger than and didn’t seem interested in anything serious. Those two facts should have been more than enough to deter from even trying. Yet there he was, standing at the designated spot, nervous like it was his first date.
His hands froze as he went to check his phone again. A car pulled to the curb, stopping a few feet from him. There was movement in the back, and then Theo appeared.
The man bent down, speaking to the driver. “If I give you a good tip, do you promise never to torture someone else with that noise you call music?”
couldn’t hear what the driver said in return, but it brought a smile to Theo’s face. He watched as Theo stood upright, closing the door and looking around. said nothing, his heart giving a few extra hard beats as he watched. Too young, a flight risk, but damned if Theo didn’t make it look attractive. He’d gone for a burgundy deep v-neck shirt, showcasing the edges of the tattoos on his chest. He was also rocking a pair of boot-cut jeans that hugged his waist and what appeared to be combat boots.
Theo’s gaze locked on ’s face, and he cocked his head. “Oh. You’re already here.”
“I was early,” said, unable to help looking him over again.
Theo smirked as he watched him. “And you were just going to let me stand around like an idiot?”
looked around him. He was the only person besides Theo. “I figured you’d locate me eventually.”
Theo approached, cocking his head again. “I stand by the theory that you liked watching me look like an idiot for a bit.”
screwed his face up as though thinking about it. “Well, considering you managed to make a fool of me when we talked over coffee, I’d say that’s perfectly fair.”
Theo looked him over, and subconsciously checked himself. He’d gone for a simple green and yellow plaid button-up and comfortable khakis. Fashion wasn’t exactly ’s area of expertise, but he’d dressed in what he thought was appropriate. That was especially true because he didn’t know what Theo had planned for later that night.
“As much as I like you in a suit, Doc, I have to say, I like you casual too,” Theo murmured.
“We talked about this,” chided him.
Theo chuckled. “That we did. So, , hold your arms out for me.”
“Why?” asked, holding them out for him anyway.
Theo took hold of the left cuff of ’s shirt. “Because you could be a little more casual.”
watched as Theo pulled the button free and folded the cuff over on itself. Theo was meticulous as he folded it repeatedly until he reached ’s elbow, pushing the sleeve the rest of the way so it sat above his elbow. Theo did the same with the other sleeve, and felt a shiver go down his spine at the light brush of Theo’s fingers against his arm.
Theo gave him a crooked smile. “Well, you dress down as well as you dress up. You should show off your arms a little more, , they’re good ones.”
Still thinking of the contrast between his bare arms and Theo’s tattooed ones, nodded. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
Theo nodded, looking around. “So, what exactly are we doing here on this...marvelous piece of Port Dale?”
chuckled, knowing the street wasn’t that impressive at first glance. “You wouldn’t know it, but a couple of decades ago, this place was the place if you wanted good food or drink.”
“Was it?”
“Probably before your time.”
“A couple of decades ago, I was six, .”
That wasn’t nearly as reassuring as he imagined Theo had meant it to be.
“Well, all the same. It was where you went. It’s only in the past decade that everything started moving downtown. There are still places around here that held on, though.”
“Tenacity or smarts?”
shrugged. “Bit of both. A loyal fan base helps, I’m sure. But so does having quality every time someone shows up.”
Theo’s cocky grin returned. “So, a little hole-in-the-wall place then?”
“Believe it or not, you’re not far off the mark,” said, putting his hand on Theo’s lower back and leading him up the street.
They stopped at a set of stairs leading down to a well-lit door. A wooden sign hung just below the light with the name Essentials .
“Oh shit, you were being literal,” Theo said with a laugh.
“Well, if you think about it,” said as they descended. “Any place with a door could be called a hole in the wall.”
“I see you’re wielding your wit today,” Theo said dryly.
opened the door. “Let’s hope you didn’t come unarmed.”
Theo chuckled as they stepped into the restaurant. The owner had kept the bare brick of the original building, offsetting it with wood molding and lattice decorated with fake ivy in between the booths. Torches were set into the wall, flickering with light, just as the wrought-iron chandeliers danced with candles. It was dimly lit, and soft jazz played from hidden speakers.
Theo chuckled. “Well, how very rustic.”
“I know, it’s not all that impressive to look at, but I promise it gets better,” assured him.
Theo gave him a sideways glance. “Are you kidding me? This is gorgeous. Look at this place. It just screams history. Probably shady history, but that’s half the appeal.”
A hostess appeared from behind a partition to their left. “Then you’ll be happy to know that the original owners of the building used this as a speakeasy.”
“Ooh, law-breaking and illicit drinking? Sign me up,” Theo said.
She grinned. “Two of you then, Dr. Andrews?”
“Yes, that will be perfect. Thank you,” answered.
“I take it you’re a regular,” Theo muttered as they were led to a private alcove in the back.
“I try to come here when I can,” admitted.
The table was just large enough for the both of them as they squeezed their way in. It was his usual seat whenever he came, and it was just enough for him. With Theo, though, the two of them had to sit almost shoulder to shoulder.
“Cozy,” Theo noted, looking askance at .
“I can assure you, this wasn’t planned,” chuckled.
“You don’t hear me complaining.”
Their waiter greeted by name again, much to Theo’s amusement. stuck with an iced tea, a little surprised when Theo did the same despite having perused the wine selection.
Theo raised a brow. “What? I don’t always drink.”
raised one shoulder and let it drop. “Past couple of times I saw you, drinks were involved.”
“No, the first time I saw you, I was tied to an idiot.”
bowed his head, trying not to laugh. “I could smell the alcohol on both of you, so there were drinks before your little accident.”
Theo sighed, leaning back and making his shoulder brush ’s. “It’s true. I’d been cooped up in my apartment for over a week and was going stir-crazy.”
“If you were going crazy, why didn’t you go out sooner?”
“Probably because I’ve been trying so damn hard to get something onto the canvas that didn’t make me want to throw it through the nearest open window.”
cocked his head, looking back at Theo. “Really?”
Theo grimaced. “Blair calls it a meltdown, Emily called it a ‘crisis of the muse,’ whatever the fuck that means. Me, I call it being sick and tired of seeing the same thing come out of me every time I put the brush to the page. It’s frustrating.”
“Would it help if I told you I liked them?”
“Did you, though?”
blinked. “Well...I could appreciate them.”
Theo grinned. “Ah, there’s an honest answer or at least a tactful one.”
sighed. “I’ll be honest, doom and gloom isn’t my thing. And a lot of your paintings had just that.”
The waiter returned with their drinks and some freshly baked bread. hadn’t thought Theo had even glanced at the menu until the man ordered the fish in white sauce while went with the ravioli.
“Huh, stuffed with lobster. Maybe I should have gone with that,” Theo said after the waiter walked off.
“You can steal some of mine. I never manage to finish it all.”
“Is it stealing if you’re offering?”
“I can look away and pretend I don’t know what you’re doing if that helps,” offered.
Theo chuckled. “I watched you for a little while.”
cocked his head, trying to follow the track they’d jumped to. “When?”
“At the gallery before I approached you. I saw you going around, looking at everything. You didn’t light up until you saw The Precipice.”
“It caught my eye.”
Theo tapped on the table thoughtfully. “But that’s what I mean. That’s what I want to see. Everyone cooed over everything else there, saying all the right things. Calling them delightfully grim and foreboding, speaking to the harshness of city life, of life itself.”
nodded. “I can see that.”
“Which is what I went for, for ages, what I craved to see for so long. Hell, I live right in the heart of one of the most downtrodden, rundown places in the city. After being locked in a gilded cage with crystal chandeliers and expensive food, I wanted to see, feel, know, and show the gritty and rough part of the city. I wanted to show just how hard things were once you peeled back the golden curtain and looked past the razzle-dazzle of the high-end clubs and glamorous nightlife. I worked so hard for it for years and years, peddling what I could to rub a few dimes together. Then, I finally managed it; my name was known, and even rich people wanted to buy into it. Pretty sure I’ll have commissions up the ass coming in soon, but I can’t bring myself to check my messages. All I can think is how much I despise everything that comes out, even though it’s exactly what I wanted.”
stared, unable to help himself as Theo flailed and ranted through the speech. All the charm and cockiness had bled out of the man, leaving a more frustrated and yet eminently more passionate man instead. couldn’t say which surprised him more, the sudden outburst or that, apparently, painting was such a challenging profession.
“Why not take a break?” asked.
Theo sighed, leaning forward on the table. “I thought about it, but I can’t do that.”
“Even with the money you’ll make from the gallery after this last show?” asked.
Surely, the man had made a mint.
Theo screwed up his features and shook his head. “Naw, not in the cards.”
“So, you sit around in your apartment for days, trying to find something new and frustrated that you can’t.”
“Right.”
“And then you use those paintings to sell to the people who fell in love with the style you tried for years to perfect.”
“On the nose.”
“And you can’t take a break to sort yourself out because?—”
“Because.”
snorted. “Alright, keep your mysteries.”
Theo smirked, his old humor returning in a flash. “It’s part of my charm.”
“So instead, you keep doing the same thing, only breaking out of your pattern once in a while to find a warm body or something to drink.”
Theo wrinkled his nose. “I know I’m blunt, but that was run over by a speeding train blunt.”
chuckled, laying a hand over Theo’s, squeezing gently. “I don’t mean to sound judgmental. I’m just stating the facts.”
“Going doctor mode on me?”
He winced. “Habit.”
Theo laughed, turning his hand around to grasp ’s. “Ah, you’re not wrong, though.”
watched as Theo stared at the tabletop as though it would hold the answers he sought. His pale brow was bunched, his lips pursed. knew Theo was frustrated, but it didn’t detract from his urge to reach out and run a finger over the wrinkles in Theo’s brow to see if he could make them disappear.
“So, what did I do different?” asked.
Theo shook himself, pulling his hand out of ’s grip. “Hard to say. Like I said, you were just...seeing the other paintings and didn’t linger for more than a few seconds. But that last one...you just stopped, and I watched... something come into your eyes.”
“It caught my attention,” told him.
“It did more than that. I could see it in your eyes, the way you just...sank into it. You saw it. You saw what I saw and something else entirely, and that something else pulled you to it. That is what I want from my work. Not the accolades and the standard compliments, but to see someone swept up by my work and carried along by it.”
“Passion,” supplied.
Theo looked up, nodding. “Yes. I didn’t realize that’s what I was looking for until I saw you staring at that piece. And now that’s all I can think about.”
“Well, if you can manage to charm me into the first date I’ve had in eight months, then I have every faith you’ll find the way,” told him.
Theo squinted at him. “Me? You were the one who asked me out.”
“Yes, but you started the flirtations, so I’m blaming it on you.”
“That...is probably fair.”
chuckled. “Good, I’m glad we got that out of the way because here comes our meal.”
Theo frowned at the approaching waiter. “Seriously, it’s been eight months?”
burst out laughing, leaving the waiter to give him a curious glance as he set the food down. Well, he had been saying it had been too long since he’d gone out. Maybe Theo wasn’t the only one who needed a little more passion in their life.