Chapter 8 #2
Owen raises his eyes from the book he’s reading, noticing Will standing by the entrance. For some reason, his usual friendly smile is replaced by a cautious expression. Will tries to remember if he said anything rude to Owen or accidentally commented on his bitch of an aunt—but he didn’t.
It’s getting awkward just standing there, so he walks over to say hello. Owen manages a polite smile, but there’s uneasiness in his blue eyes. “Hi, Will.”
“How’s the new job going?”
“It’s cool.” He goes quiet, and Will doesn’t know if he should walk away to search for books on his own. Before he can decide, Owen clears his throat. “I mean, there isn’t much to do, but I’m writing down some projects I want to try out.”
“Like what?”
“Well, there isn’t a book club anywhere in town. There’s enough space here, so why not make an event out of it?”
Will nods, seeing the logic. “People here would like that, if only for the extra chance to gossip.”
Owen smiles. “Who am I to stand in the way of gossip? Is your sister done with the books I recommended?”
“Yeah, she loved them. Mind helping me out with new ones?”
“Sure.”
They reach the Fantasy section, and Will can’t help but notice how Owen keeps his distance.
He doesn’t stand far enough to come across as rude, but the change in his attitude is noticeable.
Will can think of two reasons that might be behind this—either Will’s reserved behavior has finally made Owen want to keep his distance, or someone in town mentioned Will’s past to him.
“Did she read any of these?”
Will looks through the books and picks out three he knows Julie didn’t read. “These will do.”
“Cool. Let me do the swipe.”
They return to the circulation desk, and Will wonders if he should apologize for his frosty behavior. He was never rude or hostile, but he didn’t act as friendly as he would have if Owen weren’t related to Sheryl.
Owen scans the barcode inside the books, still looking a bit tense and uncomfortable.
“If I did something to offend you, I’m sorry.”
Owen looks up, his eyes wide. “What? No, you didn’t offend me.”
Which means that someone has been talking about Will behind his back.
It was only a matter of time, but it still hurts.
It’s a reminder that even though people are mostly polite to him these days, this town is never going to forget his past, nor stop talking about it behind his back.
He should take his books and leave, since he’s not about to apologize for anything that Owen might have heard—whether true or not—but something stops him.
That same something makes him ask, “Do you want to grab dinner?”
Owen frowns. “You mean at Rodie’s?”
That would be the safest choice, but he doesn’t want to see Nate there, especially not while he’s having dinner with Owen. “I was thinking of going out of town. There’s a place I like not that far. We can take my truck.”
“I’m… hmm, yeah, that sounds cool. I’m supposed to close up soon.”
“Then I’ll go take these books to Julie and come back to pick you up.”
Owen nods, looking slightly worried, as if maybe he shouldn’t have agreed. “I’ll see you soon,” he finally says. “And here are your books.”
*
He regrets inviting Owen to dinner from the moment he leaves the library till the moment he returns to pick him up.
With how much of a shitshow Will’s life is these days, adding anything more to the mix is downright crazy.
He tells himself it’s only dinner, but he can’t ignore the fact that Owen is related to Sheryl, not to mention gay.
Hanging out with another gay man isn’t something he does.
I’m being selfish and careless. Even if they are about to have dinner out of town, someone from Van Buren might see them.
Will decides to bail on Owen and drive home instead. He’ll tell him later that something involving Julie came up. But before he can start the car, Owen exits the library.
Damn it.
He locks the doors, then walks over to the truck. His steps are light, but there’s still tension in his shoulders. He slides inside and fastens the seatbelt. “Did she like the books we’ve picked?”
Will starts the car. The engine is old but reliable; its familiar rumbling always brings comfort. “Yes. She’s excited to dive in.”
“Good. I’m starving. What kind of food do they have?”
“Mostly burgers, but good ones. They also have a few salads if you prefer.”
“Nah, a burger sounds good. I used to be a vegetarian, but I think it was mostly to piss off my dad.”
Will smiles as he drives away from the town center. Since this dinner is happening, he should at least try to enjoy it instead of overthinking things. “What made you stop?”
“It felt a bit pointless when he ended up also turning vegetarian.”
“Maybe he did that to make you stop.”
“That makes sense actually.” He clears his throat. “You didn’t come to Rodie’s on Saturday and Sunday. Were you out of town?”
Will tightens his grip on the steering wheel. He was either at Nate’s, high and hurting, or he was waiting for the pain to pass alone in his house. “I had some things to take care of. It’s hard to find the time during the week now that spring’s here.”
“Do you also work during winter?”
“Yeah, but it’s harder, especially waking up at dawn when it’s freezing outside.”
“I feel cold just thinking about it.” Owen leans his seat back to give his long legs more room. “How long have you had your own business?”
“Almost three years. My old boss sold it to me for a good price. He was looking to retire, and he didn’t want his hard work and connections to go to waste.”
“That’s good. Your employees really like you.”
“Well, they’re also my friends, so they better like me.” But he still enjoys hearing that. “You’re settling in nicely, I see.”
“It feels like I’ve been here for months. I don’t know why that is.”
“Maybe because there isn’t much to get used to. When things are simple, you get the hang of them quickly.”
Owen nods. “Didn’t think of it like that. I’m fine with simple. Simple’s safe.”
Will wouldn’t call Van Buren safe. He hasn’t felt safe here in a long time, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. But he’s glad that Owen found his safety here, since he clearly needed that, though Will can’t imagine why.
It’s getting dark, and Will drives slower on these dark, winding country roads. “We should be there in a few minutes. It’s right by the river. They put out lights that reflect in the water.”
“Sounds romantic.”
Will’s stomach tightens, because yes—it sounds romantic. He likes going there to get away from familiar faces, but he’s never been there with anyone, so romance wasn’t on his mind.
“I’m just kidding,” Owen says once Will doesn’t respond.
“It’s a cool place,” he says lamely and drives a bit faster.
They remain quiet until they reach their destination. It’s the only restaurant in the area, and since it’s the middle of the week, the parking lot is almost empty. The sign at the front says By the Current, which is fitting since it’s right next to Current River.
They walk into the restaurant, and a young waitress asks if they prefer to sit inside or outside. Will almost chooses to sit inside, where it’s less romantic, but that would be strange after he mentioned the river and the lights.
They ask to be seated outside, and the waitress leads them to a table by the river. String lights hang above them, running from the restaurant to the nearby oak trees. Both the lights and the moon reflect in the clear water since this section of the river is calmer than the rest.
“If the food here is decent, this is going to be my new favorite place,” Owen says as he picks up the menu. His eyes dart from option to option as he chews on his lower lip. Will stares until he notices he’s doing so.
“I think I’ll go for the Salmon Club Sandwich,” Owen says. “Or maybe a burger? Hmm, too many options.”
“Shut your eyes and picture yourself eating. My mom taught me that trick.”
Owen shuts his eyes. “I picture myself eating… a burger! Good trick. Ready to order?”
“Sure. I’ll go for the Salmon Club Sandwich. It’s the best thing on the menu.”
“What? No!”
Will laughs. “I’m kidding. A burger for me as well.”
Owen nods. “I like your sense of humor. Didn’t think you had one when we first met. I mean—shit. That came out rude. I just meant that you seem very serious. Is that also rude?”
“It’s fine.”
The waitress comes, and they order the same burger, though Owen asks to remove the cheese from his.
They take onion rings and French fries to share, with two beers.
When the waitress leaves, Will isn’t sure how to handle the conversation.
He doesn’t want to be overly aware of how he sits and what he says, but he is.
Luckily, Owen is chatty enough for both of them.
He talks about his favorite restaurants back in Kansas City and how hard it was to be a vegetarian when the only options were either basic vegetables or empty carbs.
“I could also tell when a waiter thought I was gay whenever I asked about the vegetarian options. I mean, they weren’t wrong, but it still felt silly.
” His eyes widen. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drop it on you like that. ”
Will frowns, then he remembers that it was Nate who told him Owen was gay.
“I’m also gay, so don’t worry about it.”
Owen gasps and places both hands on the table. “You’re shitting me!”
People around glance at them.
“I promise I am not shitting you.” Based on his response, Will realizes that whatever gossip Owen might have heard about him, nobody mentioned his sexuality, which makes him wonder if maybe he jumped to conclusions.
Owen leans forward and whispers, “How can you be gay? You’re so manly, and you wear flannel shirts.”
Will bursts out laughing, loud enough to make people turn again to look. Both of them might be thrown out at this rate.
Owen rubs his face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
Will calms down. “It’s fine. Flannel can throw people off.”