“No, I was there for almost two years.”

“Did you like it?”

“I loved it. Everything but the weather. The museums were amazing, the shopping—just the city itself. There was always something going on. Culture thrives there. It didn’t feel like a dead city, like Houston.”

“Yeah.” Tim nodded, remembering. “Austin must seem boring in comparison.”

“Not really. It’s taken me a little while, but it’s starting to feel like home.”

“You know,” Tim leaned toward him, “they say home is where the heart is.”

“They also say you can never go home again,” Ben pointed out.

“Touché!” Tim shrugged. “So what about guys? I guess you’ve probably dated a lot?”

Now it was Ben’s turn to shrug. Part of him wanted to keep Tim in the dark about his love life, to reinforce that Tim had forfeited his right to be a part of Ben’s life. Then again, bragging about Jace would be satisfying. Inspiration struck. Ben took the photo of him and Jace out of his pocket and handed it to Tim.

“His name is Jace. We’ve been together for over two years. Someday he’s going to take me to Paris.”

Tim took the photo and examined it wordlessly. He swallowed roughly. He was holding back tears! Ben instantly regretted his decision and cursed himself.

“I guess I deserve this.” Tim’s voice was trembling.

“I’m sorry,” Ben whispered, wanting to reach out and comfort him in ways that he no longer could.

“Don’t be,” Tim said, pulling himself together. “I missed my chance, right? A guy like you doesn’t stay single.”

“You either,” Ben smiled sympathetically.

Tim shook his head. “Nope. Not since you.”

“But you said-- The frat boys?”

“That was just sex,” Tim snorted. “All the guys I’ve been with were nothing more than a one-night stand or fuck buddies. None of them meant anything.”

In Ben’s darker moments, he had hoped that Tim would never find anyone else and would always regret leaving him. Now that he was face to face with that reality, Ben wished the opposite. They should be sitting here, both boasting about their boyfriends and exchanging stories of their romantic escapades. The idea of Tim being alone all these years was tragic. A bit unlikely, too!

“You can’t tell me that none of those guys fell for you,” Ben challenged. “If not a frat boy, then someone.”

Tim grinned, having fully recovered himself. “There were a few, yeah, but they weren’t--” He shot a glance at Ben and let the sentence hang before he stood and stretched. “I tracked you down tonight in the hopes of seducing you, but instead the evening was completely embarrassing.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“You aren’t the one who almost cried. I think I’m going to cash in my chips and call it a night. Hey, you still have my phone?”

“Yeah.” Ben stood to dig it out.

“Good. Here, trade me. You can have this one,” Tim handed him one that was nearly identical. “I bought it to stalk you tonight, but I obviously don’t need it anymore. It’s all paid up.”

“I can’t,” Ben protested.

“You can. Besides, I like the idea of being able to get a hold of you whenever I want.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.”

They walked back to Tim’s car in silence. Ben struggled for something to say. So much of his life revolved around Jace that making conversation without bringing him up was difficult and he didn’t want to upset Tim further. As they approached the car, the sugar daddy issue came to mind, but there were some things Ben would rather not know about.

“I’m happy for you, Benjamin,” Tim said. “I’m glad that someone recognized how special you are and held on tight.”

“Thanks,” Ben said awkwardly. “I’m sure there’s someone out there for you, too.”

“Oh, there is.” Tim winked.

Ben didn’t know quite what to make of this as Tim slipped into his car and was gone. He looked down at the new cell phone in his hand. What had he gotten himself into?

__________

Chapter 22

Ben didn’t know what Tim’s major was, but it wasn’t in subtlety. He didn’t hesitate to make use of the cell phone he’d given Ben. He called the next morning just to “test the phone” and to ask what classes Ben had. Then he called in the afternoon to invite him go-kart racing. Ben gave a flimsy excuse not to go. In the evening Tim called to inform him that he was picking him up anyway.

Ben gave in, despite Allison’s disapproval. On the go-kart track that night, an epic race of tiny proportions took place. Ben took the lead, the symbolism of being chased by Tim not at all lost on him. He half expected a go-kart version of an airplane, piloted by Jace naturally, to descend from the sky and attack. Like a miniature Red Baron, Jace would rain twin trails of bullets down the track until Tim’s car exploded into flames. Of course this never happened. Instead Tim announced that Ben had earned a round of beers on his tab for winning the race and chauffeured him off to a bar.

Ben carefully nursed two beers, determined not to do something stupid. As bemusing as it was being the center of Tim’s attention, he wasn’t about to ruin things with Jace. His heart knew to whom it belonged. Regardless, Ben was careful not to hurt Tim’s feelings by avoiding any conversation about Jace, and Tim never mentioned his sugar daddy.

Ben was dragged to lunch the next day and invited out to dinner, before Allison launched a defensive maneuver and made Ben promise to take her to the movies. Ben fulfilled his social obligations, but couldn’t help checking out the other cinema seats before the lights went down, almost expecting to see Tim lurking there.

Tim’s counterattack came the next morning. Ben had finished showering and just barely managed to get his Calvins on when a rapping on his window made him jump. He tried not to dwell on how long he’d had an audience. Instead he got dressed and went outside. Tim hustled him into the car, which was stocked with a dozen donuts and a couple of Cokes. By the time the sugar rush kicked in, they were well on their way to San Antonio.

“It’s Saturday!” Tim howled, rolling down the windows and sending Ben’s hair flying.

Tim didn’t share the same problem. His hair was much shorter these days, cropped close on the sides and spiky on top. It suited him, as did the dark sunglasses. Tim caught him staring and grinned when Ben didn’t look away.

Their secret destination turned out to be Six Flags Over Texas, a massive amusement park filled with rollercoasters and other potentially deadly rides. Ben had recently gone to Six Flags with Jace, but the park had been closed for maintenance, so they had spent the day shopping instead. And now he was about to carry on with that missed opportunity, except with Tim. The idea made Ben uncomfortable, but the uneasy sensation was lost on the first exhilarating ride.

Like all amusement parks, Six Flags had long lines, so they spent most of their time waiting. As they stood in line, talking and laughing, the years of distance between them dissolved as if they had awakened in their junior year of high school looking five years older.

By late afternoon, Ben could feel sunburn on his neck and his stomach grumbled with a serious hunger the park’s junk food couldn’t satisfy. All Ben had to do was mention his appetite, and Tim offered to take them to dinner. He had been paying for so much the last few days that Ben was starting to feel he had a sugar daddy of his own.

A display of stuffed animals caught Ben’s eye on the way out. One of them, a black stuffed cat, would have looked familiar had it been a different color.

“Samson!”

Tim looked confused.

“Jace’s cat,” Ben explained. “I totally forgot to feed him today. I haven’t been over there since yesterday morning.”

“We’ll swing by after we eat,” Tim offered.