camera up and it began to whirr. "Ready… and… cheese!"
Both Luke and Jasmine said the word in unison but Evan simply chuckled as the camera beeped several times.
"Good. Perfect." The man approached as he fiddled with the display. "I just need to know where to send it."
Evan handed the man a fifty dollar bill along with his hotel business card.
"Send the physical copies to the address here. I hope the extra will persuade you to be discrete. If the photos are to my liking, I may request your services again in the future."
The man stared at the bill with wide eyes as he nodded dumbly. "Yes, of course. Thank you." He glanced up. "I can send you digital versions as well if you'd like."
"That's not necessary. I don't have my phone with me."
"You can send one to me." Luke relayed his number as the man typed it into the back of his camera.
His phone dinged and he quickly swiped it on. Then he forwarded the text to Jasmine. "There. Now we all have a copy."
Luke paused as he stared at the image displayed on his screen. They all looked so happy, like they had been friends for years. Evan wore his usual half-smile but there was something else, like a twinkle in his eyes. At thumbnail size the details were vague, but Luke recognized that expression. He missed it.
By the time they made their way back, twilight had faded. The night closed in and the bright lamp lights formed golden pools on the sidewalk.
Luke wrapped his arm around Evan's waist. "Did you really leave your phone behind?"
"It's in the car."
"But you never go anywhere without it."
"I didn't want to be disturbed." A warm smile passed over his lips. "Some things are more important."
Jasmine had fallen behind a few steps and Luke motioned for her to join them. Her arm brushed against his and he reached out and caught it, pulling her closer. She giggled and fell in with their stride. Now it was his turn to play the dashing young prince with a lover on each arm. He'd never been one for fairy tales, but this one suited him just fine.
A stream of light fell across their path. Luke looked up at a small shop illuminated with bright neon signs. "Anyone up for yogurt?" he asked in a cheerful voice.
"I'm fine," Evan said as he glanced at Jasmine. "Do you want one?"
A sly smile passed over Jasmine's lips. "Strawberry, please."
Evan nodded then flashed Luke a knowing look. "Vanilla?"
"Oh, sure, but let me—"
With a wave of his hand, Evan turned and walked into the tiny shop.
Luke sighed again. Then he gave Jasmine a stern look. "What have you done with my boyfriend?"
Jasmine blinked. "I'm sorry?"
A laugh broke from his lips. "I've just never seen him like this. It's like you put a spell on h—"
Luke's pocket broke into a droning ring. That can't be good. His phone never rang unless it was Evan or…
He quickly glanced at the screen. "Damn it."
Jasmine's eyes narrowed with concern as he lifted the phone to his ear.
"This is Luke."
It was his work. They were several nurses down and the backups had either pulled a full shift already or couldn't be reached. And they were bringing in new patients from a huge multi-car accident.
"Okay," he said with a grim tone. There was no way around it. He owed his co-workers for covering for him last week. When he'd been working overtime during a staffing shortage, and they'd stepped up to let him go home. And the patients deserved the best care, not waiting for hours in an emergency room.
But why did it have to be this night, of all nights? Fuck. He knew he had to go in. "I'll be there in ten minutes."
"What is it?" Jasmine placed a hand on his arm.
"I've got to go." He glanced away. "I'm sorry for cutting the evening short."
"What did you just say?"
Evan stood at the door, the light from the shop silhouetting his tall, slender body. Cups of yogurt sat in his hands, the stem of a spoon sticking out from each.
"Evan—" He pulled his car keys out. "They're short staffed and getting slammed with check-ins. I've gotta
Both Luke and Jasmine said the word in unison but Evan simply chuckled as the camera beeped several times.
"Good. Perfect." The man approached as he fiddled with the display. "I just need to know where to send it."
Evan handed the man a fifty dollar bill along with his hotel business card.
"Send the physical copies to the address here. I hope the extra will persuade you to be discrete. If the photos are to my liking, I may request your services again in the future."
The man stared at the bill with wide eyes as he nodded dumbly. "Yes, of course. Thank you." He glanced up. "I can send you digital versions as well if you'd like."
"That's not necessary. I don't have my phone with me."
"You can send one to me." Luke relayed his number as the man typed it into the back of his camera.
His phone dinged and he quickly swiped it on. Then he forwarded the text to Jasmine. "There. Now we all have a copy."
Luke paused as he stared at the image displayed on his screen. They all looked so happy, like they had been friends for years. Evan wore his usual half-smile but there was something else, like a twinkle in his eyes. At thumbnail size the details were vague, but Luke recognized that expression. He missed it.
By the time they made their way back, twilight had faded. The night closed in and the bright lamp lights formed golden pools on the sidewalk.
Luke wrapped his arm around Evan's waist. "Did you really leave your phone behind?"
"It's in the car."
"But you never go anywhere without it."
"I didn't want to be disturbed." A warm smile passed over his lips. "Some things are more important."
Jasmine had fallen behind a few steps and Luke motioned for her to join them. Her arm brushed against his and he reached out and caught it, pulling her closer. She giggled and fell in with their stride. Now it was his turn to play the dashing young prince with a lover on each arm. He'd never been one for fairy tales, but this one suited him just fine.
A stream of light fell across their path. Luke looked up at a small shop illuminated with bright neon signs. "Anyone up for yogurt?" he asked in a cheerful voice.
"I'm fine," Evan said as he glanced at Jasmine. "Do you want one?"
A sly smile passed over Jasmine's lips. "Strawberry, please."
Evan nodded then flashed Luke a knowing look. "Vanilla?"
"Oh, sure, but let me—"
With a wave of his hand, Evan turned and walked into the tiny shop.
Luke sighed again. Then he gave Jasmine a stern look. "What have you done with my boyfriend?"
Jasmine blinked. "I'm sorry?"
A laugh broke from his lips. "I've just never seen him like this. It's like you put a spell on h—"
Luke's pocket broke into a droning ring. That can't be good. His phone never rang unless it was Evan or…
He quickly glanced at the screen. "Damn it."
Jasmine's eyes narrowed with concern as he lifted the phone to his ear.
"This is Luke."
It was his work. They were several nurses down and the backups had either pulled a full shift already or couldn't be reached. And they were bringing in new patients from a huge multi-car accident.
"Okay," he said with a grim tone. There was no way around it. He owed his co-workers for covering for him last week. When he'd been working overtime during a staffing shortage, and they'd stepped up to let him go home. And the patients deserved the best care, not waiting for hours in an emergency room.
But why did it have to be this night, of all nights? Fuck. He knew he had to go in. "I'll be there in ten minutes."
"What is it?" Jasmine placed a hand on his arm.
"I've got to go." He glanced away. "I'm sorry for cutting the evening short."
"What did you just say?"
Evan stood at the door, the light from the shop silhouetting his tall, slender body. Cups of yogurt sat in his hands, the stem of a spoon sticking out from each.
"Evan—" He pulled his car keys out. "They're short staffed and getting slammed with check-ins. I've gotta
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