Friends with history – but do they have a future?

By the time they got off the shuttle, shouldered their bags and hurried into the hotel lobby, Patrick was pouring with sweat. The night was tropical, and his cotton shirt was way too warm. Stopping just inside the door to wipe his fringe out of his eyes, he felt it trickle down beneath his collar. Disgusting. He would have to take a shower first thing after they got their key.

He squinted at the reception desk, where Tom was already joking and bantering with the lady behind it. How he had the strength to after hours on a plane was a mystery, but that was Tom for you. Charm was default setting.

Patrick ambled up to him and leaned with one elbow on the counter.

“Sorry, we only have rooms with actual double beds,” the receptionist was saying. “And they’re not…” She faltered, her eyes flitting towards Patrick. “Um, very wide. They’re meant for married couples.”

“So?” Tom’s wrinkled brow made him look boyish.

“Well, I…” The receptionist opened and shut her mouth a few times. “I just mean that… if you’re very good friends it might be big enough, but–”

“Oh, never mind,” Tom interrupted. “Give us the key, please.” He turned to look at Patrick. “I mean, if you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind,” Patrick said quickly. Maybe too quickly.

But Tom didn’t bat an eye. He just turned a smile at the receptionist and shrugged. “Bed for a married couple it is.”

The receptionist looked both relieved and mystified – a fairly accurate reflection of Patrick’s feelings. But he couldn’t think about that now, about how he would be lying next to Tom the whole night, how their half-naked bodies would touch for every small movement…

“I’ll try not to snore,” he attempted to joke – anything to divert attention from his reddening face.

Tom chuckled. “I’ll settle for not being pushed to the floor.” He bent to pick up his bag.

Patrick tried on his best manly laugh. “Well, a man who can’t defend himself…” He let the sentence trail away, because he had no idea how to finish it. He was a bit of a messy sleeper, and it made for ample joking material, but if he accidentally touched Tom in the night, it would feel like a trespass. No amount of rationalization could take away the fact that he actually wanted to.

Or that once upon a time, he had.

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Can a diving trip to Turkey reveal what lurks beneath the surface?

Coming soon on Amazon.