on the other end.
“You know why.”
“I want you,” Ryan said.
Even if Ryan didn’t know exactly what he wanted, hearing the words still filled Dar with excitement. “You want me if it’s easy.”
“Come home with me,” Ryan insisted. “You’ll see. We can make it work.”
“Who will you say I am, Ryan? Your bodyguard? What happens the first time we go out together, assuming we’ll go out together?”
“It’s none of their business.”
“I agree, but you keep telling me that the media makes it their business. Will you deny me?” Dar pressed.
“I miss you. Will you at least meet me for lunch?”
Dar let the question hang for a minute. He wanted to see Ryan, too. Ryan might be the man of his dreams, the one that got away, but it didn’t have to end angrily. “Where?”
“At my place. We can have a picnic outside. Talk.”
“Just talk?”
“Whatever you want. I just want to see you,” Ryan urged.
“Okay. Lunch tomorrow. We’ll talk.”
“Thank you.”
* * * “You look good,” Ryan said as Dar took his seat.
He did. He looked refreshed, if a little mellow. Ryan couldn’t say the same. He’d hardly slept a wink and it was showing on the set. Then to the other extreme, once Dar took his call again and agreed to lunch, Ryan hadn’t been able to sleep because he’d been planning the menu—and their conversation.
“Thanks. You look good, too.”
Ryan sat across from him. He’d planned the meal carefully, choosing simple ingredients he knew he could prepare. Chicken salad and store bought crescent rolls, courtesy of his assistant, were hard to mess up.
“I want to see where things go with us,” Ryan began.
Dar picked up his fork and poked the salad. He speared a cube of chicken and ate it. After he’d swallowed, he looked at Ryan. “What does that mean?”
“I still have commitments. I’m still a public persona. Those things don’t change no matter who’s pulling the strings. But I want to try.”
“Long distance? Phone calls and occasional visits? Booty calls?” Dar threw out a bunch of options. “Pick one, because it’s not clear to me what you want .”
“All of that. Or, you could move in with me.”
“I have a life here.”
“And I have a life there . Dar, you asked me what my intentions
were. I’m making the effort. Can you at least meet me halfway?” “Where’s that? Colorado?” Dar quipped.
Ryan laughed. He hadn’t laughed in days and it felt great. Dar
smiled, too.
“Tell me how to make it work so that you’re happy and I’ll do
everything in my power to see that it happens.”
“Really? Red carpet events as a couple? Thanksgiving dinner
with my parents?” Dar wondered.
Ryan reached across the small table and took Dar’s hand in his.
“I don’t have all the answers, but I’m willing to try.”
The breeze picked up. Leaves rustled against the bushes.
Branches creaked and snapped. Two squirrels chased each other
around a tree, then switched pursuits to tumble in the grass. Ryan
looked over to watch, drawing his hand away from Dar’s “Even now you’re worried that there’s someone taking pictures
out there, aren’t you?”
“Give me some credit. I’m just enjoying the beginning of
autumn,” Ryan said defensively. He did have to admit that it had
been at the back of his mind though. Sudden noises and shutter
snaps of the paparazzi had trained him well.
Ryan put down his fork, and leaned forward. “I don’t know
how you became so important to me so fast. I stopped trying to
explain it to myself, or make sense of it. You just are. The prospect
of that ending, God, it hurts.” Ryan touched his chest. “It actually
hurts.”
Dar smiled sadly. “I know. I feel it, too.”
“It can’t end.”
Dar pushed his plate away. “I don’t want it to end either.” “Then it doesn’t have to,” Ryan insisted. Hope renewed in him. “Can we take this inside? I want to kiss you, and I want your
full attention when I do it,” Dar said.
Ryan leapt to his
“You know why.”
“I want you,” Ryan said.
Even if Ryan didn’t know exactly what he wanted, hearing the words still filled Dar with excitement. “You want me if it’s easy.”
“Come home with me,” Ryan insisted. “You’ll see. We can make it work.”
“Who will you say I am, Ryan? Your bodyguard? What happens the first time we go out together, assuming we’ll go out together?”
“It’s none of their business.”
“I agree, but you keep telling me that the media makes it their business. Will you deny me?” Dar pressed.
“I miss you. Will you at least meet me for lunch?”
Dar let the question hang for a minute. He wanted to see Ryan, too. Ryan might be the man of his dreams, the one that got away, but it didn’t have to end angrily. “Where?”
“At my place. We can have a picnic outside. Talk.”
“Just talk?”
“Whatever you want. I just want to see you,” Ryan urged.
“Okay. Lunch tomorrow. We’ll talk.”
“Thank you.”
* * * “You look good,” Ryan said as Dar took his seat.
He did. He looked refreshed, if a little mellow. Ryan couldn’t say the same. He’d hardly slept a wink and it was showing on the set. Then to the other extreme, once Dar took his call again and agreed to lunch, Ryan hadn’t been able to sleep because he’d been planning the menu—and their conversation.
“Thanks. You look good, too.”
Ryan sat across from him. He’d planned the meal carefully, choosing simple ingredients he knew he could prepare. Chicken salad and store bought crescent rolls, courtesy of his assistant, were hard to mess up.
“I want to see where things go with us,” Ryan began.
Dar picked up his fork and poked the salad. He speared a cube of chicken and ate it. After he’d swallowed, he looked at Ryan. “What does that mean?”
“I still have commitments. I’m still a public persona. Those things don’t change no matter who’s pulling the strings. But I want to try.”
“Long distance? Phone calls and occasional visits? Booty calls?” Dar threw out a bunch of options. “Pick one, because it’s not clear to me what you want .”
“All of that. Or, you could move in with me.”
“I have a life here.”
“And I have a life there . Dar, you asked me what my intentions
were. I’m making the effort. Can you at least meet me halfway?” “Where’s that? Colorado?” Dar quipped.
Ryan laughed. He hadn’t laughed in days and it felt great. Dar
smiled, too.
“Tell me how to make it work so that you’re happy and I’ll do
everything in my power to see that it happens.”
“Really? Red carpet events as a couple? Thanksgiving dinner
with my parents?” Dar wondered.
Ryan reached across the small table and took Dar’s hand in his.
“I don’t have all the answers, but I’m willing to try.”
The breeze picked up. Leaves rustled against the bushes.
Branches creaked and snapped. Two squirrels chased each other
around a tree, then switched pursuits to tumble in the grass. Ryan
looked over to watch, drawing his hand away from Dar’s “Even now you’re worried that there’s someone taking pictures
out there, aren’t you?”
“Give me some credit. I’m just enjoying the beginning of
autumn,” Ryan said defensively. He did have to admit that it had
been at the back of his mind though. Sudden noises and shutter
snaps of the paparazzi had trained him well.
Ryan put down his fork, and leaned forward. “I don’t know
how you became so important to me so fast. I stopped trying to
explain it to myself, or make sense of it. You just are. The prospect
of that ending, God, it hurts.” Ryan touched his chest. “It actually
hurts.”
Dar smiled sadly. “I know. I feel it, too.”
“It can’t end.”
Dar pushed his plate away. “I don’t want it to end either.” “Then it doesn’t have to,” Ryan insisted. Hope renewed in him. “Can we take this inside? I want to kiss you, and I want your
full attention when I do it,” Dar said.
Ryan leapt to his
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