Wednesday Briefs: In Pieces #19 (6.3)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Salvation's host and investor/angel, Cameron, has returned, but Ryan senses something amiss he can't put his finger on. He chalks it up to not knowing the group, other than Ben. Cameron takes the group to dinner, to make a special occasion out of Ryan's first night, and boy, does he know how to show them a good time! See what's happening in this week's chapter of In Pieces. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they're up to. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

In Pieces #19 (6.3)

When Cameron said they were going somewhere nice for dinner, the man wasn’t kidding.  While Ryan wasn’t an expert on trendy places to eat by any means, he certainly knew who Chef Emeril Lagasse was, and to end up in his restaurant on his first night in New Orleans was beyond spectacular. On their arrival, the maître d showed them to a private room where Cameron immediately ordered appetizers for the table— buttery clams stuffed with crab and spicy chorizo, smoky mushrooms filled with harm, angel hair pasta and pecorino cheese, as well as crisp calamari, sticky duck wings, and barbecued shrimp on small rosemary biscuits.

When their server came, Cameron took the liberty of ordering for everyone—Ryan was getting the impression that the man was used to getting his own way— wagyu beef, served with cheesy oniony potatoes, broccoli ala plancha, and housemade Worcestershire. Of course there were drinks to accompany all the delicious food. That Cameron left to their individual discretion and taste. Ryan decided to try a Moscow Mule, made with vodka and lime juice and ginger beer, and found it to be quite good. Ben had gotten a Tchoup Collins which contained gin, citrus juice, wine, and was garnished with charred pineapple. They took turns sipping from each other’s drinks, which Cameron seemed to find amusing, but Ryan didn’t care. He felt too good to let anything bother him. It was good to see Ben smile and laugh, relax a little. Maybe they both got a little tipsy and giggled a little more than grown men should, but they didn’t give a shit. Deacon and Keanu sampled some of the microbrews the restaurant had to offer, and Cameron joined them in their quest to taste them all. Even the twins seemed more relaxed than they had that afternoon. Aiden told a couple of funny stories, which earned a smile from Abby. All in all, it was a great evening.

Afterward, they drove back to Cameron’s place and sat out on the veranda, enjoying a final nightcap. The moon was a thin sliver, barely visible in the night sky. Paper lanterns dotted the verandah, offering a muted light. They sat in a companionable silence, broken only by chirrups and whirrs, and occasional throaty bellows that Ryan assumed belonged to some sort of frog.

“Will you be dressing up for the party?” Ryan asked, curious to know how this would differ from a concert. Assuming it did.

“Absolutely.” Ben said beside Ryan, their chairs pressed as close together as they could get. Ryan stole occasional glances at Ben, admiring his profile, even in the semi-darkness. “The birthday boy’s gonna get the full Salvation treatment. Right, guys?”

Mumbled agreements were given in reply to Ben’s question. Ryan didn’t think he heard Abby’s more feminine voice among the others. When he looked for her, he saw, to his surprise, that she and Aiden were nowhere to be found. Probably gone to bed.

That thought reminded him of the sleeping arrangements, and a nervous shiver of anticipation crept along his spine. He tried not to read too much into the fact that he and Ben would be sharing a room. As Ben had pointed out, it was the only logical choice under the circumstances. Still, Ryan couldn’t help but think of long languid nights full of soft kisses and dreams of what could be.

He knew, without asking, that Ben was thinking of those nights too. Every few minutes, Ryan was aware of Ben’s touch. Whether it was the brush of his leg against Ryan’s, or the soft caress of his fingers along Ryan’s arm. When Ben leaned over and nuzzled Ryan’s cheek, Ryan could smell Ben’s desire, and he felt himself grow hard with the same yearning, so long denied.

Ben’s lips whispered across Ryan’s cheek before he pulled back, to Ryan’s disappointment. But then he stood, and Ryan understood what he was doing.

“It’s getting late,” Ben said. “Full day of rehearsals tomorrow. Lighting check too. Let’s all get some sleep, yes?”

“You don’t need to tell us twice,” Keanu said. “Wanna take a quick shower, Deacon?”

Without warning, Keanu stood and straddled Deacon’s lap, then reached down and tilted his chin up so their eyes met. Even in the dim light, Ryan couldn’t miss the mischievous smile Keanu wore. Deacon didn’t seem at all dismayed, but Ryan couldn’t imagine him getting angry, he was so laid back. He was probably used to all of Keanu’s antics by now, bad and good.

“Quick isn’t in your vocabulary, now is it?” Deacon responded.

Ryan heard Ben snort a laugh.

“Okay then, a long shower,” Keanu conceded. He rose from Deacon’s lap, drawing his partner along with him. Only then did Ryan notice Cameron was no longer with them. Wow, he was particularly unobservant tonight, wasn’t he? Probably due to Ben being so close and utterly desirable.

“’Night, gentlemen,” Ben said in amusement.

“Later gators,” Keanu responded, giving them a thumbs up, which Deacon mirrored. The two men disappeared into the house. Now there was just Ben and Ryan.

“I’m sure you’re tired,” Ben said in a voice that suggested the exact opposite. Ryan’s heartbeat sped up as Ben reached for his hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it softly.

“I guess we should go to bed too,” Ryan agreed. Why was his voice so shaky? He cleared his throat.

Ben cupped Ryan’s face between his hands and drew him closer, closer, until their lips met softly in the middle, and neither one moved or breathed for a long time.

Taking a quick breath, Ryan re-sealed their lips, winding his arms around Ben, pressing their bodies close. He breathed in Ben, a heady aroma which only made him want Ben more.

Suddenly the door behind them slammed and they were startled apart. Ryan could feel Ben’s frustration. He reached for Ben’s hand and found it clenched.

Turning toward the newcomer, Ryan saw it was Abby…and she was crying.

to be continued

Now to see what the other Briefers have been doing!