RR-CDA (13 page)

Cole slipped into the bar a few minutes before seven. He’d been distracted most of the day, ever since Owen had made the suggestion that they go out to bowl a bit tonight. Not that he was a bowler, but something about the idea of seeing Owen pitch balls down a lane appealed. Probably had something to do with being able to watch his ass.

The bar was busy given the time of night. Over half the tables were occupied and were covered with appetizers and mugs of beer. A good night for the bar meant a busy night for Owen. The seats around the bar were also full, but a few of the people didn’t look as though they were staying long. Rather than taking up a table, Cole hovered around, waiting for an opportunity to swoop in and steal a spot.

Owen was currently chatting with a man who looked as though he’d walked straight out of a men’s magazine. His suit was expensive looking, as was the cell phone in his hand. The man’s gaze was locked onto Owen’s, a laser-sharp intensity that anyone could see. Despite their one night of awesome sex, Cole really couldn’t lay any claims to Owen’s time or affections. But the sight of another man showing an interest in Owen didn’t sit right with him.

Dear God, he might be jealous.

Eventually the man paid for his drinks and left the bar, but not before casting a glance back at Owen. Not wanting to take the chance that someone would steal the spot, Cole moved in quickly. If he happened to block the other dude’s line of sight to Owen, well, that wasn’t really his fault.

“Cole!” Owen grinned. The lines around his eyes looked more pronounced, and he had some dark circles forming. “I’m glad you made it.”

“It’s pretty busy in here tonight.” As much as he wanted the opportunity to spend time with Owen, he didn’t want to add more pressure. “Do you want to put this off?”

Owen opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately interrupted by a customer. Then a second and a third. Cole was many things, but selfish wasn’t one. He waited until he caught Owen’s eye and motioned that he was going to leave.

He got halfway to the door before Owen caught up with him. “Where are you going?”

“It’s crazy in here, and it’s only seven. You can’t leave and go across town. Even for the wonderful sport of bowling.”

“But I want to.” Dear God, Owen was pouting again. It always seemed so out of character for this confident man, and yet it transformed Owen’s face into something boyishly irresistible.

Shit, he really needed to resist.

“I’ll take a rain check.” There were always leftovers and holiday movies back at his place. “Give me a call once the bar is closed, and we can chat.”

“No.” There was something else going on with Owen, Cole could tell by the look on his face. “I have an idea. Follow me.”

Owen led him through to the back of the bar, past the staff room where they’d had their breakfast. Owen said something to Jane before leading him to a staircase by a side door.

“My place is just up here. Jane is going to cover for me for a bit, and I’m going to fulfill my offer of bowling.”

The stairs creaked as they went. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was excited to see Owen’s place. “How the hell are we going to bowl in your apartment?”

Owen looked down at him and grinned. “I have a Wii.”

“Shit.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun. I have an unlimited supply of beer and everything.”

Well, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about gross bowling shoes.

He didn’t know what to expect when he followed Owen through the door. Unlike his condo with its long, narrow entranceway, Owen’s place was a completely open loft. Exposed beams lined the ceiling, giving the room an organic feel. Two walls were brick; one of those held three large windows. In the daytime, the place would be flooded with sunlight.

“Does this look out onto the street?”

Owen beelined to the fridge. “Yeah. I have to keep the blinds closed most of the time at night. I don’t think people want to see my naked ass walking around here.”

Somehow Cole doubted that. “It’s a great space. I’m jealous.”

“Dad ended up buying the building a decade ago after years of renting. I laid claim to here once the previous tenants finally moved out. It can be loud, but seeing as I work downstairs most nights, I don’t have to worry about it.” Owen handed him a beer and nodded toward the giant television on the wall. “Lots of room for my toys.”

“We’re watching the next Leafs game here.” Maybe Wii bowling wouldn’t be so bad after all. “Okay, let’s do this before I change my mind.”

It didn’t take long for him to realize that Owen had a competitive streak. For every spare or strike Owen would land, there would be laughter and taunting. Thankfully, Cole had a younger sister who was exactly the same. He knew how to give as good as he got.

Making sure to line his next shot up perfectly, he had a chance to get a spare. Owen was tossing paper or something at him, trying to throw him off. “That’s not going to work.”

“Sure it will. Don’t miss, Cole. Careful! Sure you want to put your foot there? I’d suggest shifting over a bit.”

“I have a younger sister. There’s nothing you can do to me that hasn’t been done before.” Focusing on his Wii character, he took one, two, three steps and released his virtual ball. “Yes!”

“No!” Owen collapsed against the pillow on his couch. “You bastard.”

“And I believe I win this round.” Cole’s face ached, he’d been grinning so much. Downing the rest of his beer, he checked the time. “Do you need to get back?”

“Probably.” Owen didn’t move. “What are you up to for the rest of the night?”

“Not much. I have some chores to do around the condo. I’ll probably check out some of the Christmas specials that are on. I have to admit that I’ve enjoyed my time off, even when I’m not slumming it with you.”

“You don’t have to leave.” Owen looked surprised that he’d spoken. He pushed himself up and stared at Cole. “I mean, I won’t have to work until close. Mike will shut down the kitchen soon and then come out and help behind the bar. I really only need to be there for another hour, hour and a half at most. If you want to hang out here and watch TV and wait, you’re more than welcome to.”

That was the most tempting offer he’d had in a long time. This didn’t have to be about sex or a relationship. They were friends, who happened to have a great time together and wanted to keep hanging out. It was his school days all over again.

Plus, he really didn’t want to be alone.

Owen’s cell phone rang, interrupting before Cole could answer. Owen frowned as he checked the call display. “Sorry, one second. Hey.” He moved away from Cole as he spoke.

Maybe it was the bar calling up, telling him that they needed him back. Owen lowered his voice as he spoke, but Cole couldn’t help overhearing some of what he said.

“I know. I talked to him yesterday, and he seemed better. No. No. I just can’t right now. Okay. I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye.”

“Everything all right?”

“Fine.” It was clear from the look on Owen’s face that everything was
not
fine. “Anyway, you’re more than welcome to stay.”

Seeing that look on Owen’s face, he wanted to do something to help. He didn’t even know what the issue was, but he hated knowing that Owen was hurting. It was the same way he’d always wanted to look after Steven, to make sure that he was okay.

God, was he really ready to start something like this again? Owen wasn’t like Steven, not at all, and yet the old urges were there all the same—to shelter, to protect. Emotionally, he knew he wasn’t in a place to be doing this. Owen was too much of a temptation in so many ways.

Maybe I should get some space . . .

He smiled, but it felt strained. “I think I’ll head home to get some laundry done. We can get together again soon. Or we could always wait until after Christmas. Maybe skating or go see a movie?”

Owen’s phone buzzed, and he looked down at a message. “I’m not a big fan of skating.”

It was weird, but that was one thing Steven had never done, which Cole had loved. When they were talking, Steven never split his attention. In that moment, Cole had always been the most important thing in the world.

I miss that about Steven.

Damn it.

He cleared his throat. “Okay, well I’ll let you go.”

Owen leaned in as he came close, and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I’m sorry. I’ll call you soon.”

Walking down the stairs, his heart sank a tiny bit with each step he took. He was really just friends with Owen. They didn’t owe one another anything. Things would work out. And he could learn to ignore that weight that settled on top of his heart until eventually it went away.

Cole managed to get through the rest of his week without any problems. The day after his bowling event with Owen, he drove over to Steven’s apartment and left his box of stuff with the superintendent. If nothing else, he wouldn’t have to look at those reminders any longer.

By the time Saturday rolled around, he knew things were going to be okay. Christmas was only five days away now, which meant everywhere he went in Toronto, the city was decorated and looking beautiful. They had talked about going skating, and ever since then he hadn’t been able to get it out of his mind. Cole wasn’t going to call Owen to go with him, but the thought of being outside and getting some fresh air was appealing. He’d gotten his skates sharpened last night and was set to force himself out into the world today.

Hell, he might even be social.

The outdoor rink at Eglinton Park was packed with families and couples. It wasn’t too cold for a December day, which meant lots of people had come out. The scent of street food made his stomach growl. He didn’t normally go for that sort of thing, but why the hell not? It was Christmas, and he might as well treat himself. He’d grab a hot dog on his way home and hope he wouldn’t regret the decision later with a bad case of indigestion.

It had been years since he’d done any skating. He’d played hockey as a kid and in a recreation league for a bit in his early twenties, but then work and life got in the way. His skates still fit, though they felt odd being on his feet after so long. The first few pushes sent a familiar ache through his ankles and feet as they adjusted to being up on the blades. Within a few minutes though, he was gracefully following the crowd in their lazy loop like he’d never stopped skating.

The activity gave him the opportunity to let his mind wander over the events of the last few weeks. Everything had been racing, from the fall through of the trip to Banff, to the breakup and then whatever the hell it had been with Owen. All that complication was easy to forget with the repetitive one-two push of his blades on ice.

After a few minutes, he got the strange feeling that he was being watched. There were lots of people at the rink and it shouldn’t surprise him that he might catch someone’s eye. But this didn’t feel as though someone was taken with his looks or his slightly rusty skating technique. He looked around, trying to figure out who it might be.

Then someone came up beside him. He turned and was shocked to see Owen had fallen into step beside him.

“You.” Not the most intelligent thing to say and more than a little obvious. “What are you doing here?”

“I was looking out my apartment window when I saw you leave with your skates. I grabbed mine and followed you here.”

He should be upset that he’d been followed, that even after telling Owen he didn’t want to see him until after Christmas he’d been stalked regardless. He should be, but he wasn’t. “You know that’s a bit creepy.”

“Did I cross a line?” Owen’s pout was back and cute as ever. “I can leave if you want.”

He knew if he said the word, Owen would leave. There wouldn’t be any hard feelings either. On his way home the other night, Cole’s heart had grown heavy with the thought of not seeing Owen again. Now that he had him back, he didn’t want to scare him away. But he hadn’t lost his reservations, either.

“It’s a public park. I have no say in who comes here to skate.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, using his arms as a bit of a barrier. “I’m surprised to see you up this early. I assumed you worked until close most nights.”

“I did. Didn’t sleep well so I got up. Just a fluke that I happened to see you.”

“A happy accident, then.”

“Something like that.”

They took a few more turns around the rink before he could figure out what to say next. “Christmas is in a few days. How long are you closing the bar for?”

“Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Have you decided what you’re going to do yet?”

“My sister and her husband are going to my parents’. I’ll probably head over as well.”

“Sounds fun.” There was something odd in Owen’s voice. “I’ll spend the morning with my folks as well.”

It wasn’t any of Cole’s business to interfere with whatever was happening in Owen’s life. But the bartender looked as though he needed a distraction of his own. Considering what he’d done for Cole, the least Cole could do was offer a light distraction in return. He took Owen by the arm and tugged him over to the side of the rink.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m hungry, and my feet are sore. It’s been a long time since I’ve done this. I was thinking about grabbing a hot dog and a coffee. It would be nice to have some company.”