enough,” he said. “You do not say no when your mama asks you to do something like that.”
“Okay, what about fishing?” Ben asked. “Do you even like fishing?”
“I like fishing with Luke,” Tripp admitted. “It’s the only time he shuts up.” That made Ben laugh. “But I can only take so much bait and scales. I’m not passionate about it, not like Luke.” He looked down at his clasped hands and casually separated them. That was an old habit, holding his hands like that when he was nervous. He wasn’t sure what was making him nervous. “I don’t think I’ve ever been passionate about anything like that. What about you?”
“Me?” Ben asked. “Well, I suppose I am about my job sometimes. I really love what I do. I love computers, but this new job—setting up the education center and helping with the charitable foundation—it’s really exciting. The ideas are flying around, the people I work with are brilliant. I really feel like I’m on the ground floor of something that’s going to be amazing when we’re done. I have some ideas…but that’s work, right? This move to Mercury has thrown me a little, but I’m getting my feet under me again. I also like biking, and sports. But passionately? Not really.” He paused and then smiled at Tripp like he’d said too much. “You like your job, don’t you?” he asked. “And Mercury, and your family? Aren’t you passionate about them?”
“Yeah, sure,” Tripp said. “I actually love my job, even though I’ve been complaining about it lately. Like you, I’ve had to make some changes that are throwing me off. Sitting in an office isn’t my style. As for home and family, well, those are things you’re supposed to be passionate about. I meant something other than that. Something that’s just for me.”
“Like the Spartan Race?” Ben asked.
“Maybe,” Tripp said, not really feeling it. “Mostly I do that because I can, and because it’s fun. But I don’t travel around for them or anything like that.”
“You’re young,” Ben said dismissively. “You’ll find something you’re passionate about.”
“I guess that’s why I need the peace and quiet,” he said. “To think about it.” He was racking up things to think about tonight, that was for sure.
“It sounds to me like you do need a hideaway,” Ben said with a smile in his voice. “My apologies.” He tapped the tattoo on Tripp’s arm, and it felt like a tiny electric shock began at the point of contact and traveled up his arm and across his back. Tripp sucked in a breath and shivered. “Looks like you’re passionate about this place,” Ben said, unaware of how his simple little touch had affected Tripp.
“Well, I’m sharing it with you,” Tripp said, his voice a little unsteady. “It’s nice here. Out of the way. Seems like someone in your position would need that too.” Immediately Tripp became conscious of how alone they were there in the dark woods.
“No one expects me to take their cousin’s daughter to her best friend’s wedding,” Ben said. “Not unless they want me to be the gay best friend.”
“Duly noted,” Tripp said. “I’ll tell my mom so she knows it’s an option.”
“You’ve got a mean streak.” Ben shifted beside him. “But unlike you, I know how to say no.” He looked around. “It is pretty here. The whole ride was beautiful.” He leaned his elbows on his knees. “I rode through some of the farming areas out near Carmel Valley in California, and it was pretty. But not like this. It didn’t seem so country, you know? You always had the sense of cities nearby, of activity. Here, the peacefulness just seeps in.”
“See,” Tripp said, satisfied. “You get it.” He reached down and grabbed the water bottle he’d set on the ground near his feet and took a drink. “I heard what you were saying to Carver last weekend, about Mercury.”
“Oh, hey,” Ben said awkwardly. “I didn’t mean anything bad by it. Just that
“Okay, what about fishing?” Ben asked. “Do you even like fishing?”
“I like fishing with Luke,” Tripp admitted. “It’s the only time he shuts up.” That made Ben laugh. “But I can only take so much bait and scales. I’m not passionate about it, not like Luke.” He looked down at his clasped hands and casually separated them. That was an old habit, holding his hands like that when he was nervous. He wasn’t sure what was making him nervous. “I don’t think I’ve ever been passionate about anything like that. What about you?”
“Me?” Ben asked. “Well, I suppose I am about my job sometimes. I really love what I do. I love computers, but this new job—setting up the education center and helping with the charitable foundation—it’s really exciting. The ideas are flying around, the people I work with are brilliant. I really feel like I’m on the ground floor of something that’s going to be amazing when we’re done. I have some ideas…but that’s work, right? This move to Mercury has thrown me a little, but I’m getting my feet under me again. I also like biking, and sports. But passionately? Not really.” He paused and then smiled at Tripp like he’d said too much. “You like your job, don’t you?” he asked. “And Mercury, and your family? Aren’t you passionate about them?”
“Yeah, sure,” Tripp said. “I actually love my job, even though I’ve been complaining about it lately. Like you, I’ve had to make some changes that are throwing me off. Sitting in an office isn’t my style. As for home and family, well, those are things you’re supposed to be passionate about. I meant something other than that. Something that’s just for me.”
“Like the Spartan Race?” Ben asked.
“Maybe,” Tripp said, not really feeling it. “Mostly I do that because I can, and because it’s fun. But I don’t travel around for them or anything like that.”
“You’re young,” Ben said dismissively. “You’ll find something you’re passionate about.”
“I guess that’s why I need the peace and quiet,” he said. “To think about it.” He was racking up things to think about tonight, that was for sure.
“It sounds to me like you do need a hideaway,” Ben said with a smile in his voice. “My apologies.” He tapped the tattoo on Tripp’s arm, and it felt like a tiny electric shock began at the point of contact and traveled up his arm and across his back. Tripp sucked in a breath and shivered. “Looks like you’re passionate about this place,” Ben said, unaware of how his simple little touch had affected Tripp.
“Well, I’m sharing it with you,” Tripp said, his voice a little unsteady. “It’s nice here. Out of the way. Seems like someone in your position would need that too.” Immediately Tripp became conscious of how alone they were there in the dark woods.
“No one expects me to take their cousin’s daughter to her best friend’s wedding,” Ben said. “Not unless they want me to be the gay best friend.”
“Duly noted,” Tripp said. “I’ll tell my mom so she knows it’s an option.”
“You’ve got a mean streak.” Ben shifted beside him. “But unlike you, I know how to say no.” He looked around. “It is pretty here. The whole ride was beautiful.” He leaned his elbows on his knees. “I rode through some of the farming areas out near Carmel Valley in California, and it was pretty. But not like this. It didn’t seem so country, you know? You always had the sense of cities nearby, of activity. Here, the peacefulness just seeps in.”
“See,” Tripp said, satisfied. “You get it.” He reached down and grabbed the water bottle he’d set on the ground near his feet and took a drink. “I heard what you were saying to Carver last weekend, about Mercury.”
“Oh, hey,” Ben said awkwardly. “I didn’t mean anything bad by it. Just that
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