bloomed up her neck as she cupped her mouth and turned away.
"Here you go." Evan stepped up to them with three paper trays, precariously balanced in his hands.
Luke cocked an eyebrow as he took a teetering plate from him. "How did you get these so fast? I assumed we'd be here a while."
"I paid a little extra for expedited service." He winked and handed Jasmine a tray.
Luke shook his head but he grinned. He liked seeing Evan like this: involved in life, relaxed. Well, relaxed for him anyway, which meant he was still a little on edge. But it was a start.
They walked down the street a ways while Luke idly munched on his fries. Past street hawkers and a group of teenage girls gossiping loudly, they found an empty wooden bench facing the water.
There was enough room for all of them so Luke took a seat. Jasmine sat next to him, a wide smile on her face as she picked up a wedge of fish.
"I'd forgotten how good this was." She giggled. "I think I was in high school the last time I came down here."
Luke glanced up at Evan. "Are you going to sit?"
Evan shook his head as he examined a chunk of fried food. "I'm fine." He gave Luke a skeptical look before he took a bite. Then he blinked. "This is tasty. A little too greasy for me but—" He took another bite. "It is better than I expected. Is this…"
A grin played on Luke's face. He swallowed a mouthful. "Fresh caught. It's one of the only places around here that doesn't use frozen. I knew you'd appreciate the distinction."
"You were right," he said with warmth in his voice. "I should have tried this sooner."
He set the tray on the bench and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth. Then he strolled over to the railing and stood for a moment, his hands in his pockets.
Luke leaned back. "Are you going to finish your fries?"
Evan simply shook his head. "Sorry, no. I don't care for them."
With a shrug, Luke picked up Evan's plate and dumped the contents into his own tray.
Jasmine leaned close and whispered, "Who doesn't like fries?"
"He's picky." Luke wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "At least he liked the fish."
When she was done eating, Luke collected the plates and tossed them in a nearby trash can. Then the three of them continued their stroll down the boardwalk at a leisurely pace.
As they walked, the last of the sun cast a reddish-purple glow over the water. Golden-hued streetlamps clicked on and flashing neon shone like a beacon ahead of them.
By the time they reached the amusement park grounds, Luke knew it was time to turn back. None of them had any interest in carnival rides—least of all Evan. Truthfully, he was amazed that his partner had come this far, and he even seemed to be enjoying himself. Luke breathed in the temperate night air and turned to Jasmine.
"We should—"
A man with a camera jumped in front of them, blocking their path. "You two look great together. Mind if I take a picture? Five bucks for digital, Fifteen for prints with next day delivery."
The man flashed a quick look between Luke and Jasmine.
"Oh, we're not—I'm with—" Luke stuttered and glanced over at Evan for help.
His lover simply stepped aside with a gracious smile. "It's fine. Go ahead."
"Oh, no," Jasmine said with a grin as she reached out and tugged on Evan's arm. "If there's going to be pictures it should be you two."
The photographer raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Makes no difference to me."
Luke touched his chin. "Why can't we all be in the picture?"
Jasmine cocked her head as she gazed up at Evan, her hands still gripping the sleeve of his shirt. "Is that okay?"
Evan lowered his eyes but a subtle smile spread on his lips. "Sure."
There was some confusion as to who should stand where, but the photographer interjected. "I think he should be in the middle because of his height." He gestured at Evan. "Otherwise the picture will look lopsided."
Luke put his arm around Evan's waist and Jasmine pressed in on the other side.
"Okay." The man held the
"Here you go." Evan stepped up to them with three paper trays, precariously balanced in his hands.
Luke cocked an eyebrow as he took a teetering plate from him. "How did you get these so fast? I assumed we'd be here a while."
"I paid a little extra for expedited service." He winked and handed Jasmine a tray.
Luke shook his head but he grinned. He liked seeing Evan like this: involved in life, relaxed. Well, relaxed for him anyway, which meant he was still a little on edge. But it was a start.
They walked down the street a ways while Luke idly munched on his fries. Past street hawkers and a group of teenage girls gossiping loudly, they found an empty wooden bench facing the water.
There was enough room for all of them so Luke took a seat. Jasmine sat next to him, a wide smile on her face as she picked up a wedge of fish.
"I'd forgotten how good this was." She giggled. "I think I was in high school the last time I came down here."
Luke glanced up at Evan. "Are you going to sit?"
Evan shook his head as he examined a chunk of fried food. "I'm fine." He gave Luke a skeptical look before he took a bite. Then he blinked. "This is tasty. A little too greasy for me but—" He took another bite. "It is better than I expected. Is this…"
A grin played on Luke's face. He swallowed a mouthful. "Fresh caught. It's one of the only places around here that doesn't use frozen. I knew you'd appreciate the distinction."
"You were right," he said with warmth in his voice. "I should have tried this sooner."
He set the tray on the bench and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth. Then he strolled over to the railing and stood for a moment, his hands in his pockets.
Luke leaned back. "Are you going to finish your fries?"
Evan simply shook his head. "Sorry, no. I don't care for them."
With a shrug, Luke picked up Evan's plate and dumped the contents into his own tray.
Jasmine leaned close and whispered, "Who doesn't like fries?"
"He's picky." Luke wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "At least he liked the fish."
When she was done eating, Luke collected the plates and tossed them in a nearby trash can. Then the three of them continued their stroll down the boardwalk at a leisurely pace.
As they walked, the last of the sun cast a reddish-purple glow over the water. Golden-hued streetlamps clicked on and flashing neon shone like a beacon ahead of them.
By the time they reached the amusement park grounds, Luke knew it was time to turn back. None of them had any interest in carnival rides—least of all Evan. Truthfully, he was amazed that his partner had come this far, and he even seemed to be enjoying himself. Luke breathed in the temperate night air and turned to Jasmine.
"We should—"
A man with a camera jumped in front of them, blocking their path. "You two look great together. Mind if I take a picture? Five bucks for digital, Fifteen for prints with next day delivery."
The man flashed a quick look between Luke and Jasmine.
"Oh, we're not—I'm with—" Luke stuttered and glanced over at Evan for help.
His lover simply stepped aside with a gracious smile. "It's fine. Go ahead."
"Oh, no," Jasmine said with a grin as she reached out and tugged on Evan's arm. "If there's going to be pictures it should be you two."
The photographer raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Makes no difference to me."
Luke touched his chin. "Why can't we all be in the picture?"
Jasmine cocked her head as she gazed up at Evan, her hands still gripping the sleeve of his shirt. "Is that okay?"
Evan lowered his eyes but a subtle smile spread on his lips. "Sure."
There was some confusion as to who should stand where, but the photographer interjected. "I think he should be in the middle because of his height." He gestured at Evan. "Otherwise the picture will look lopsided."
Luke put his arm around Evan's waist and Jasmine pressed in on the other side.
"Okay." The man held the
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