A jealous Ben removes Ryan from Cameron's attentions and takes him out to breakfast. Alone at last! What will they do with this opportunity? Find out in this week's chapter of In Pieces. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
Breakfast was every bit as delicious as Ben had promised it
would be. The Cajun Hollandaise sauce was creamy and spicy, and had just the right amount of heat without
being overbearing. Ryan thought he could get used to eating like this all the
time. He loved Missouri, but there was something relaxing about Louisiana, and
at the same time invigorating. Some people might consider Missouri to be a
Southern state, but this was the true Deep South.
Of course, a lot of his feeling of contentment had to do
with Ben’s presence. There was no denying that. Just being back with Ben after
all those years felt like coming home, as though a great weight had been lifted
from his mind… and heart.
After they ate, Ben tried to take Ryan to a high end men’s
clothing store, but Ryan balked at that idea. He put his foot down adamantly,
despite Ben’s protestations that he could afford it. They ended up compromising
by going to a boutique on Girod Street, which resembled a home more than a
business. The staff was wonderfully friendly, and Ryan allowed Ben to buy him a
suit and some casual clothes, but he insisted Ben get something for himself,
which he did. Ryan hadn’t realized before how much fun shopping could be.
As they threw their bags into the back of Cameron’s car, Ben
announced, “There’s this beautiful spot I want to show you. It’s on the lake, but it’s on this side, so
no worries about the bridge. You’ll just love it, I know.”
“If you love it, I know I will too,” Ryan said, feeling
unexpectedly giddy. How could he even begin to doubt that Ben cared about him?
“Let’s go.”
They headed toward
the lake, stopping just long enough to stop by the Café du Monde to get two
cups of chicory coffee and fresh beignets. Fontainebleau State Park was close to the long
bridge across the lake, but not too close for comfort. Ben paid the small admission
fee at the gate as they drove in. They parked near the Visitor Center, but
didn’t go inside.
“When we come back to the car,” Ben promised. “They have
some cool exhibits. Let’s drink our coffee while it’s hot.”
They followed a long tree-lined sidewalk until they arrived
at the beach. Ryan noticed it wasn’t too crowded, especially for August. A few
families cavorted on the white sand, the children running in and out of the
water, screaming joyfully. A few couples were stretched out on large colorful
beach towels, hip to hip, soaking up rays. Too bad they hadn’t brought anything
like that. But then they were here on an impulse, nothing planned.
Ben must have been a mind reader. “We’ll have to make a day
of it sometime,” he said. “What do you think? Bring towels, an umbrella, sun
tan lotion. Something to eat, something drink… the whole nine yards.”
“I think that sounds wonderful,
Ben. This place is beautiful, absolutely beautiful.”
“Glad you like it.” Ben smiled
almost shyly.
Holding hands was out of the
question, not with what they carried, so Ryan had to content himself with
following Ben a little ways down the beach, to a more isolated spot. They made themselves comfortable on the warm
sand and gazed out at the lake.
Nearby a long pier jutted out
across the water. “Do people fish from there?” Ryan asked.
Ben shaded his eyes and squinted
toward the pier. “Not there, I don’t think,” he said. “I think they have areas
set aside just for fishing. Crabbing too.”
“Crabs. I forgot Louisiana has
crabs.” He polished off the delicious beignet and licked power sugar from his
fingers. “The closest I usually get to crab in St. Louis is when I order Crab
Rangoon from a Chinese restaurant. Or when Cassie took me to the casino once.
They had all-you-can-eat crab legs on the buffet.” He took another, longer sip
of the chicory. He thought it would be more bitter, but it wasn’t. He liked it.
Glancing toward Ben, he noticed a frown marring his forehead.
“Who’s Cassie?”
“My stepmother. Dad’s third wife.”
“Oh.” Ben visibly relaxed with a visible
sigh. “Did she make him happy?”
“Yeah, she did. They were really
good together. She’s a good person. I think you’d like her.” He deliberately
didn’t mention her age. Ben seemed upset enough about her without adding fuel
to the fire.
“I’m glad. D-dad was a good man,”
Ben said softly. “He deserved to find some happiness after…” He left the
sentence dangling, but Ryan knew what he meant. He also heard the slight
hesitation over the word dad, as if he was unsure whether he was allowed to
call him that after all that time. And considering the divorce.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. That
reminds me, I owe her a postcard. I promised I’d keep in touch. She’ll be thrilled when I tell her about you.”
Damn, he hadn’t meant to blurt that out, but somehow he had anyway. He found it
hard to dissemble around Ben.
But when Ben smiled at him like
that, a warmth formed in the pit of his stomach, and suddenly his faux pas
didn’t seem quite so bad any more.
“She knows about me?” He didn’t
say about us, but he might just as
well have.
“Yeah. She’s been listening to me
whine about you for years.” Ryan laughed, a little awkwardly. He hadn’t even
had to explain to her how he felt about Ben. Cassie was intuitive, and very
caring. “She helped me through some… rough patches. I didn’t think I could talk
to Dad. Well, because… I mean, you know.” Damn, had he put his foot in his
mouth? Should he at least ask about Eliza, or would that be hypocritical on his
part?
“Don’t ask… please…” and stilled
any possible questions with a kiss.
to be continued
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