“Okay, okay, so be honest,” Archie said through a peal of laughter. “How many of the songs last night did you actually recognize?”
Graham let out a good-humored groan as he cut another bite from his breakfast burrito. “Like, maybe six.”
Archie shook his head in disbelief, his eyes wide with wonder. “Amazing.”
“Oh, shut up,” Graham laughed. “I grew up in the nineties, we should honestly be proud I recognized any of them at all. I mean, Jesus, half the time I couldn't tell it was even a real song, it just sounded like…”
“If you say noise, I swear,” Archie cut in.
Graham threw up his hands in defeat. “My sentiments remain.”
He took an aggressive bite of his food while Archie suppressed another fit of laughter. Their food had arrived, and they were working through their second batch of mimosas. Theirconversation grew more animated with each drink.
“Well, either way, I think you made Trey's whole night when Missy Elliott came on,” Archie observed.
“Hey. I'm old, I'm not uncultured,” Graham defended, pointing at Archie with his fork. “That’s our music right there.”
“Yours?” Archie laughed.
“Yeah, us geriatric millennials, cuz that’s what we’re called now apparently.” He let out an exasperated breath. “And to be fair, I think I made Trey's night just by being there.”
Archie considered this while he chewed a huge bite of his migas. “True,” he said through a full mouth. “I think he had a crush on you.”
“I'm honored.”
“Eh, don't be,” Archie smirked. “He has a crush on everyone.”
Graham gasped in mock offense. “Gee, thanks!”
Archie tried to backpedal. “I didn't mean it as an insult! I just mean…well, you met the guy, he doesn't exactly keep his thoughts or feelings to himself.”
“That he does not!” Graham laughed, remembering how Trey had literally dragged him onto the dance floor. “He’s a lot of fun, though. Seems like a really nice guy.”
“Trey? Oh yeah, he's great. A little melodramatic sometimes, but that keeps things interesting.”
“I can see that.” Graham laughed.
A question had worked its way into Graham’s mind since he’d first seen Trey and Archie interacting the previous night. At first Graham had brushed it off, convincing himself it was none of his business, but the more he drank the more curiosity began to get the better of it.
“So is Trey…” Graham began. “Are you and he…? I mean, is he your…?”
“Oh,” Archie nodded, a knowing smile crossing his face. “No. Trey is just a friend.”
“Ah,” Graham nodded. He reached for his mimosa, trying to ignore the warmth that had crept to the back of his neck. He'd meant to ask a different question, to find out what he'd been wondering all night and all morning. He tried to find the words to ask what he really wanted to know when Archie cut him off.
“Why?” Archie smirked. “Are you interested in him?”
Graham nearly choked on his drink, the carbonation burning his nostrils. Archie laughed gleefully at his fumble.
“No, I’m not,” Graham declared through spurts of coughing.
“If you say so…” Archie grinned mischievously.
“I’m not!” Graham repeated. “You two just seemed…familiar. So I was curious.”
“Well.” Archie’s head bobbed back and forth, as if weighing the risk of his words. “We have hooked up a few times. Here and there.”
“Oh,” Graham nodded. He laughed nervously. “I see.”
“Yeah,” Archie reached for his mimosa but didn't drink it. “It's just casual, though. He's got a boyfriend, and they're pretty serious. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Not that us hooking up was…I mean, they're open so it was all above board. It wasn't like a secret or anything.” His brow furrowed. “What I mean to say is Trey and I are not an item.”
“Hey, no judgment, I was just curious,” Graham assured him. “I mean, you’re both attractive guys, who could blame you?”
“You think we’re attractive, huh?” Archie threw him a devilish smile.
Graham held his gaze, returning his grin. “What if I do?”
Archie opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out except for a childish giggle. Graham found it adorable.
“But hey, I’m old.” Graham shrugged. “I think everyone under thirty is attractive by default.”
They both laughed.
Graham finished off his glass of mimosa and then divided the rest of their carafe between them. By now they’d finished eating and were settling into a satisfied, post-meal stupor.
“You know you’re not, though,” Archie said finally.
Graham looked up, a little confused.
“You’re not old. You talk about being old, but you’re not even forty yet. That’s nothing.” He took a swig of his drink and pushed his plate away. “And for what it’s worth I hope I still look half as good as you at your age.”
Graham threw him a suspicious look.
“I mean it! I don’t know if you’re aware but you’re…kind of a certified hottie.”
Graham just laughed. “Thanks, but I think that’s just the mimosa talking.”
Archie rolled his eyes. “No, the mimosa is why I’m saying it out loud. Thinking you’re hot has been…”
Their eyes met as Archie abruptly stopped talking. He looked nervous, his eyes round. Graham tried not to smile.
“Well,” Archie continued. “It’s not just the mimosa, is my point.”
“In that case,” Graham spoke, his tone measured. “I don’t just think that because you’re under thirty.”
Archie looked at him, his dark eyes sparkling. He didn’t say anything, but a satisfied smile adorned his face. He reached for his glass and drained the last sip of his mimosa.
“Well then,” he finally spoke. It was a simple response, but it pulsed with meaning. With possibility.
After they finished their meal and paid the bill – courtesy of Archie, again – the two of them tumbled out of the restaurant and onto the sidewalk. Graham was still not used to anyone buying him drinks or meals or anything. When he and Julie were dating, Graham had done the respectable thing and paid for all of their outings; to do otherwise would’ve been unthinkable at the time. Now, however, he was beginning to find a certain thrill at the idea of being treated to a nice meal on someone else’s dime. It felt special, indulgent, maybe even a little reckless, a sign that all his old rules and expectations no longer applied.
They stood aimlessly in front of the restaurant, each prolonging their goodbye.
“So, what time do you go into the bar?” Graham asked.
“Not until 5:30,” Archie said assuredly. “So I still get most of my Saturday.”
Graham checked his watch. It was nearly one o’clock, leaving several hours until Archie’s obligation.
“Noice,” Graham said sloppily. He was definitely buzzed from his mimosas. He’d never said noice in his life.
Archie looked at him and laughed, a kind of boyish giggle that betrayed his own state of intoxication.
“I don’t know why I said that,” Graham laughed. “But clearly I should not try to drive home yet.”
“Neither should I,” Archie agreed. He placed his hands on his hips and arched his back, twisting a little in a lazy stretch. Graham noticed the hem of his shirt raised, revealing the smooth stretch of his stomach. “This street has a lot of shops and stuff, if you want to walk it off for a bit.”
Graham’s eyes returned to Archie’s face, and he smiled.
“Lead the way.”
They wandered up and down the block, which was populated with several boutiques, bookstores, cafes, a plant shop, and even an artisanal chocolatier. Archie made them visit the plant store and showed a surprising amount of knowledge as he combed through shelves of exotic looking house plants and succulents; they browsed a stationery and arts supply shop where excitedly Graham bought a new journal; they popped into a men’s boutique where Archie eagerly raided the sales rack, trying on several new shirts and asking for Graham’s opinion. (Graham freely allowed himself to marvel at Archie’s sculpted arms and shoulders as he slipped in and out his denim overshirt, revealing the simple, white tank top underneath.)
Finally, Graham dragged them into the bookstore, Archie trailing a few paces behind him. He loved bookstores. Something about their colorful yet orderly displays put him at ease, like stepping into a space between worlds, floating through the cosmos and gazing down on all the clusters of galaxies, knowing each possessed its own vibrant reality, inviting him to drop in and visit for a while if he so chose.
They perused the tables of new releases, wove up and down the small aisles, and stopped at the history section for Graham to scan the titles. He’d taken to reading excessively after the divorce – after he’d run out of tv shows to binge. It had been well over a decade since he’d indulged his love of history, and it had been nice to revisit it, like running unexpectedly into an old friend.
Graham picked up a thick book and began to read the back cover. As he scanned the synopsis, he felt Archie shuffle up against him, leaning into the back of his arm as he read over Graham’s shoulder. Graham could feel his head just inches away from his own and could feel warm breath on his neck. It felt good. He let himself lean into Archie, increasing the contact between them.
“Well that looks fun,” he heard Archie say. His voice was soft, but at such proximity Graham could hear him loud and clear.
“It’s the biography about J. Robert Oppenheimer that they used for the movie. I’ve been meaning to read it since the film came out.”
“Oh. That is cool.”
Graham chuckled. “It’s not. I told you I’m a nerd.”
He felt Archie’s chest shake against him as he laughed.
“Should’ve believed you the first time, I guess.”
Graham turned, ready to launch into a sarcastic comeback, but seeing Archie’s face mere inches away from his own he stopped abruptly. He stared into Archie’s eyes, which stared directly back at him, unguarded. He drank in the details of Archie at close range: his eyes, his cheek bones, his lips. His heart started to race as he felt himself get caught in the pull of Archie’s gravity, his face inching slowly towards Archie’s, his eyes on Archie’s lips.
His trance was shattered by a loud thud echoing through the shop.
Graham flinched.
Archie jumped and took a step back.
Graham looked down at the thick book laying on the hardwood floor, looked up at his now empty hand. In his infatuation, he’d dropped the damn book.
He immediately began to blush, but Archie only laughed.
“Come on,” Archie said, reaching down and retrieving the book off the floor. “That’s enough books for you.”
After a few more stores, they decided to stop in at a coffee shop for a bit of caffeine, hoping it would help them cross the finish line to sobriety a little bit quicker. Graham insisted on paying for their iced lattes, which they took with them to the end of the block where they found a bench in a small park to sit down.
It was just after three, and the sun was warm on Graham’s skin. A cool breeze blew through his hair. He felt dizzy with contentment. Between the brunch, the alcohol, and the aimless wandering in and out of shops, it had been a full day, far more enjoyable than Graham could’ve hoped for out of his weekend stayover.
Honestly, it had been ages since he had spent a day doing so much purely for fun; he felt like he was twenty-three again, with no deadlines to make, no responsibilities to uphold, no expectations to fulfill. It was simply a day to wander and enjoy. It was incredibly refreshing, and he knew he had one person to thank for it.
The truth is, he’d had a wonderful time with Archie today. He’d had a wonderful time with Archie on every occasion he’d spent time with Archie, and as this occasion drew to an end he was eager to secure the next outing, the next meal, the next drink. And now, after they’d shown their cards during brunch – or at least dropped some heavy-handed hints about them – he realized Archie felt the same.
“So, this might be kind of a stupid question at this point,” Graham cleared his throat. “But am I right to assume that you’re…or, I guess, would you consider yourself…”
Archie looked at him patiently.
“What I mean to ask is…are you gay?” Graham choked out.
“I am.” Archie smiled and took a drink of his latte. “I mean, I guess, technically, I'd say I’m bisexual. I’ve slept with girls; I'm attracted to girls. But over the years I’ve realized I prefer guys. Especially in terms of dating or, like, a relationship, I just…I always picture myself with a guy.”
Graham nodded, his brow furrowed. “When did you first…or, I guess, have you always…pictured it like that?”
Archie thought for a moment, his eyes out of focus. “No. Definitely not always.” He paused. “I think I told you I played basketball up through high school. I was pretty good.” He flashed a cocky smile. “And it definitely kept me in good shape. So, I didn’t exactly struggle to get girls’ attention.” He was quiet for a second, reflecting. “I dated around a bit in high school, like most of the guys on the team. Some of that was probably pressure to fit in, but I do think I liked the girls. And, I mean…” he paused, laughed. “The sex was pretty good. Maybe I was just a horny teenager, but I was super into it at the time. So I don’t think those girlfriends were, I don’t know, not legitimate or anything.
“But I also always, like, noticed other guys, too, you know? Like, I was always really aware of the guys in the locker room. That was never just nothing to me like it seemed to be for everyone else; I always had to try really hard not to look. And when I did look, I liked what I saw. Does that make any sense?”
“Yeah,” Graham swallowed heavily. “Yeah, it does.”
“Yeah, so…I don’t know, after I graduated I got on some apps and started chatting with a few guys. Then started fooling around with a few guys. Then it just kinda stuck.”
Graham appreciated the honesty of Archie's answer. There was a fluidity, a humility about it that soothed something in Graham's heart, that gave Graham permission to be uncertain about himself.
“So, all that to say, I think I just found myself at a place where I was also open to possibilities.” Archie shrugged and looked at Graham.
“Thanks,” Graham said.
Archie raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
“For telling me that. For today. For inviting me last night. I don’t know, for the past two weeks, I guess. For being a friend.”
Archie smiled, a mixture of flattery and confusion on his face, he looked like he was about to say something when Graham heard himself continue.
“Can I take you to dinner tomorrow?”
“Dinner?” Archie asked, looking a bit stunned.
“Yeah,” Graham confirmed. “I know it’s your one evening off and…I’d like to spend it with you. If you’d want to, that is.”
Archie held his gaze for a long beat. “I’d love to.”
Graham’s heart did a full three-sixty in his chest, and he indulged the smile that covered his face.
“Awesome. It’s a date.”
Archie’s face lit up, and Graham knew then and there that he wanted to be the cause of that light again and again. For a moment, his stomach dropped, like that feeling on the first hill of a rollercoaster, but it quickly subsided and a fresh wave of adrenaline took its place.
He and Archie stared at each other. Words felt insufficient compared to the energy that passed between them, the unspoken connection that solidified as a final layer of caution and propriety melted away. They basked in that contented silence until Archie finally checked his watch and groaned.
“I gotta go. I need to get ready for work.”
“Hope it goes well tonight,” Graham offered.
“Thanks, I’m sure it’ll be a good one.”
They stood and looked at each other expectantly.
“Well,” Archie spoke. “I’m that way.”
He gestured over his shoulder in the direction opposite of Graham’s car.
“I’m over there,” Graham nodded to his right.
“Guess I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Archie smiled.
“Yeah. Can’t wait,” Graham agreed as they reluctantly parted ways. He started to walk forward but his legs felt heavy with indecision. He froze. A surge of anger coursed through him, his pulse roared in his ears, his body finally shouting loud enough to overpower the constant noise in his head, and this time he listened.
“Archie,” Graham called out, turning on his heels.
Archie turned back, his brow furrowed.
Without hesitating, Graham grabbed him by the arm and pulled his body towards him. Their torsos collided first, followed closely by their mouths. All feeling in Graham’s body dissolved except for those three points of contact with Archie – his firm bicep in Graham’s hand, his warm torso against Graham’s chest, and his soft lips entangled with Graham’s own.
Their mouths moved together in effortless synchronization, in a dizzy, feverish rhythm, like two celestial bodies careening through space, dancing around one another in electromagnetic spirals until, finally, collapsing beneath the strength of their own orbit in a fiery explosion of color and heat.
Graham felt Archie’s hand in his hair, pulling him even closer, his tongue exploring Graham’s mouth with wet, hot curiosity. Graham opened his lips and met Archie’s tongue with his own, savoring the warm, sweet taste. His lips were soft and smooth, a delicate exterior concealing the strength within. Graham was dizzy with adrenaline, with arousal, with all of it, and eventually he broke away, gasping for air.
They pressed their foreheads together, both heaving deep breaths, succumbing to a wave of laughter as the tension broke like glass around them. Archie’s hand moved from Graham’s head and rested on his shoulder as their breathing slowed.
“Christ, I’ve been wanting to do that,” Graham said breathlessly.
“I’ve been hoping you would,” Archie gasped.
“Sorry,” Graham laughed. “I’m a little slow at this.”
Archie pulled back and looked Graham in the eye. His expression was warmth, like the first rays of morning sun. “Hey. I’m not in a hurry.”
Graham smiled and laughed. He released Archie’s bicep and brought his hand up to cup Archie’s chin, his thumb tracing lightly along his cheek. Gently, he leaned in for another kiss, this one slower and more patient, more concerned with savoring the moment than riding waves of passion. It was like time stopped around them and everything faded away – the warmth of the sun, the cool breeze, the sound of the street – and for that brief and endless moment, Graham’s only reality was the feeling of Archie’s lips.
When they did break apart, they stared at each other, neither sure how to best move forward.
“Go get ready for work,” Graham finally said, his voice deep and hoarse.
Archie nodded faintly, smiled breathlessly.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he finally said.
“See ya then.”
