“Where were you when I was in high school?” Ben sighed.

“I was wondering that myself. You look much younger now that you aren’t suffering through a late flight.”

“Oh.” Ben wasn’t sure if this was good or bad. “I just turned twenty. You?”

Jace exhaled dramatically. “A little bit older than that.”

“Thirty?” Ben asked in shock.

“Hey!” Jace let go of Ben to express how offended he was. Ben’s arms pinwheeled for a second before Jace came back to stabilize him with an arm around his waist. “I’m only twenty-six!”

“Well, you were the one acting dramatic about it,” Ben teased. “What do you like better anyway? Younger or older?”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s the personality that counts. Mind if I do a couple of rounds on my own?”

“Sure.”

Jace parked Ben somewhere safe before gliding away. He moved gracefully, navigating skillfully past slower skaters and travelling in sweeping arcs. Ben watched him, admiring his skill while taking the chance to check out Jace’s body. His frame was tall and his shoulders broad, but it was hard to tell more with the thick winter clothing. More than Ben’s curiosity was becoming aroused.

Ben struck out bravely on his own, determined to do at least one round under his own power. Jace nodding approvingly as he swept by, showing off by skating backwards for a few strokes. When they met back at the entrance to the rink, their stomachs grumbled in unison. Carpooling in Jace’s practical silver coupe, they drove to a seafood place not far away.

“My legs are really starting to hurt,” Ben winced as they sat down at the table.

“Wait until tomorrow,” Jace informed him. “You’ll be walking bowlegged all day.”

“Because of the skating you mean?”

“Of course,” Jace replied innocently.

Their order was taken by a disgruntled waitress who rightly felt it was much too soon to be returning to work after Christmas. They sipped their drinks when she brought them, making eyes at each other and often smiling without reason.

“So I take it you’re still in college?” Jace asked.

“Yeah, up at Columbia College in Chicago.”

“How do you like it?”

Ben shrugged. “It’s all right.”

“I couldn’t wait to get out,” Jace said. “The only good thing about college was having four extra years to figure out what I wanted to do.”

“I didn’t know flight attendants went to college,” Ben said, considering too late how it might sound, but Jace didn’t appear offended.

“It’s not a requirement. It’s just that-- Well, what do you want to be when you grow up? What’s your major?”

“I have no idea,” Ben chuckled. “It changes on a daily basis.”

“There you go. Paying tuition is just an expensive way of buying time.”

“So I take it you didn’t always want to be a stewardess?” Ben taunted.

Jace smiled. “I originally wanted to be a nurse.”

“That’s cool. What changed your mind?”

“I started to doubt that I’d be able to handle the job emotionally. In the long term it either depresses you or you become numb. I didn’t like the idea of either happening.”

“Hm.” Ben eyed the plates of the other diners, impatient for his own to arrive. “Can I ask you a very direct question without you getting mad at me?”

Jace cocked an eyebrow. “Sure.”

“How come flight attendants always act so pissy?”

“Was I so terrible to you?” Jace laughed. “No, I know what you mean. The reason we act a little, uh, irritable sometimes is because people misunderstand our job. Everyone thinks that we’re the waiters and waitresses of the sky, when we’re not.”

“You’re not?”

“Not at all. Our primary duty is to ensure the well-being of the passengers. There are a number of safety checks and procedures that we are responsible for, and I don’t just mean the emergency demonstration that everyone ignores. Ensuring the health and safety of every passenger is a flight attendant’s primary function. It’s much more than just food service, and there are a great number of unsung heroes who have saved lives because of the skills required for the position.”

“Wow.” Ben had to respect Jace’s passion for his job. “I didn’t know that.”

“The first-ever stewardess was a nurse,” Jace continued. “Ellen Church. Before her there were only stewards, and they really were just errand boys. Ellen Church realized that a nurse had a number of skills useful in an emergency, and the rest is history. Reading her story is what made me want to be a flight attendant. That, and the travel.”

Plates appeared on the table, barely noticed through the conversation. Jace spoke more about his job and the long miles involved before asking about Ben’s life and discussing the different possible options for his future. Ben had never dated someone as old as Jace, and he was finding the stability of his life comforting. Guys around his own age were just as confused as he was about the future. Jace had figured out what to do with his life, something Ben admired greatly.

They talked for hours, even after the food had disappeared, until Ben announced that he had to make his way home. Jace paid, citing that it was a crime to expect a college student to afford anything, and drove Ben back to his parents’ car. They stood beside the vehicle, making small talk as they both wondered how the goodbye would work.

“This is no place for a first kiss,” Jace said, gesturing to the grey landscape of the parking lot. “You could come home with me, meet the cat.”

“Not on the first date,” Ben smiled.

“Nothing has to happen,” Jace said easily.

“Trust me,” Ben grinned, “if I get you somewhere private, something will happen.”

“Well, well! I guess that means I get to see you again?”

“How about Thursday?” Ben offered. Sooner would have been fine, but he felt it best to play a little hard to get.

“It’s a deal,” Jace agreed. “Look, I’m kissing you tonight, but I refuse to do it here. Just follow me in your car for a minute and I promise I’ll let you go home afterwards.”

“Okay.”

Jace led him out of the parking garage and two blocks down the road before pulling over at a park. It wasn’t the sort with trees and charming pathways; rather it was flat and cleared for different sporting events.

“Are you sure about this?” Ben asked as he exited the car.

“No,” Jace responded looking around. “I’m improvising. Over there.”

Jace took him by the hand and led him across the grass to a baseball diamond. Ben thought they were heading for the bleachers, but Jace led him instead to one of the bases.

“First base?” Ben asked. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I assure you,” Jace said dramatically, pulling Ben close, “I’m quite serious.”

Jace kissed him, his warm body chasing away the winter chill as it pressed up against him. His lips were soft but commanding, and Ben’s body responded instantly, catching fire and wanting more.

“Second base is just over there,” Ben suggested.

“Not on the first date,” Jace said with a smile, gently detaching himself and walking Ben back to his car. Ben watched him in the rearview mirror as he pulled away, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to wait three days to see him again.

* * * * *

Jace’s answering machine dutifully took Ben’s call the next afternoon. Afterwards Ben loitered around his parents’ house, waiting for the phone to ring. Why had he played so hard to get? He was only in town a few weeks. He didn’t have time to be coy with Jace.

In the evening Ben left to have dinner with Allison, leaving her number with his parents and asking them to give it to Jace if he called. Ben found his best friend in surprisingly high spirits. He suspected she still had a great amount of sorrow beneath the surface, but was proud of her for putting on a brave face. He filled her in on the date’s details while enjoying Allison’s homemade lasagna.

The phone rang shortly after eleven. Allison answered it, smiled broadly, and handed the receiver to Ben.