Place Setting

by Claudia Mayrant

  “As far as Penny is concerned, this place is a big white elephant, and when I told her what you were looking for, she jumped at the chance to give you a free trial on the chance that someone would see it dressed up and be interested in buying it.”

  Gray slumped against his seat and let his head fall back against the headrest. “God, that is way too tempting.”

  “Yeah?” Cam breathed, because Gray sitting like that and talking about being tempted was a lot to handle.

  The dome light finally turned off, plunging them into the dark, but Gray didn’t seem bothered.

  “It’s far too early to tell if this could work out as anything, you know. I just saw it for the first time, and this isn’t what I had pictured, but this, I just have a feeling this could be it. The wedding will tell, I guess. Cameron, you’re a fucking miracle worker. I could practically kiss you.”

  Cameron’s heart pounded. “You could do that,” he whispered.

  Gray turned toward him, eyes wide, like he was just realizing what he’d said. It felt like he looked at Cameron forever before saying anything. “I’d like to.” Gray leaned toward Cameron.

  “I’d like that too.” Cameron mirrored the motion, leaning toward Gray until soft, warm lips were against his. Gray made a soft sound; maybe it was a question, maybe not, but Cameron answered by parting his lips, inviting Gray to deepen the kiss.

  Gray was a fantastic kisser, and Cameron liked the way Gray slid his fingers into his hair. Cameron let himself fall into it, opening up for Gray the best he could within the confines of the front seat of a sedan. He squirmed to find a more comfortable position, stretched out his hand to steady himself, aiming for the console but finding the solid warmth of Gray’s thigh instead.

  Gray broke the kiss just enough to hum a satisfied mmmm against Cameron’s mouth before kissing him again, one hand still in Cam’s hair and the other on his shoulder, squeezing lightly, encouraging. Cameron responded in kind, slipping his fingertips just barely under the hem of Gray’s shorts. Gray’s skin was hot in the best way, and the car felt steamy. If Cameron opened his eyes, he was pretty sure he’d see the windows were fogged up, but he didn’t want to open them in case this was a really good dream.

  “Pinch me,” he muttered anyway, and at that, Gray did break the kiss.

  “Saucy request for the first date.” He chuckled and kissed Cameron again. “But I’m flexible.”

  Cameron hoped he meant that literally as well as figuratively or they’d both have cricks in the necks later, what with their positions. He kissed Gray back, leaning forward until he was nearly in the passenger seat with Gray, but Gray reacted with enthusiasm, mouth and hands and those little sounds that made Cameron tingle all over. Some places more than others. He was getting hot and bothered like a teenager, only now there were no guardians or teachers who would come to interrupt. His back might regret it in the morning, but he could do this all night, kiss Gray in his car. It was magical, like he was seeing lights behind his eyelids.

  Lights.

  Flashing lights.

  Shit.

  Gray groaned, pulling away to collapse back into his seat, smoothing his shirt and shorts. “What—” he started.

  But then a voice called out, “Hey there, you folks need some assistance?” The voice was familiar, which was both a blessing and a curse.

  Cameron lowered his window. “Yeah, I mean, uh, no. Andy, we’re fine.”

  “Cameron? Cameron Dunlop?” Deputy Andy Shuster sauntered up to the car, aiming his flashlight inside.

  “Ow,” Cameron said as he and Gray raised their arms to cover their eyes in unison.

  “Aw man, sorry.” Andy lowered the light. “Cameron, what’re you doing out here so late? I was afraid I’d come across someone those Leightons mighta gotten ahold of.”

  “God no, Andy, I just came out to show G—Mr. Callahan here a property.”

  “Oh, hi! Are you Jessica’s brother? We’re real happy for her. Looking forward to that wedding.”

  “And now you have a sneak preview,” Gray said smoothly, as if he just hadn’t had his tongue halfway down Cameron’s throat. “I think we’re having the reception here.”

  That sparked a cheerful discussion of wedding planning, and as Andy was also engaged, he was completely distracted from the fact that Cameron and Gray had just been parking, and the resulting conversation totally eliminated the hopeful but potentially embarrassing growing hard-on in Cam’s pants.

  Eventually Andy bid them good night, but the mood was broken a bit. Cameron yawned, no longer distracted from being exhausted.

  “I forgot you worked all day.” Gray kissed his cheek, apologetic. “Selfish of me.”

  “Totally okay.” Cameron beamed. “I should be getting on, though, before Andy does have to come pull me out of a ditch when I fall asleep.”

  “Can’t let that happen. Call me in the morning?”

  “Count on it.”

  GRAY HAD intended to go straight to bed when he got back to the cottage, but he was too keyed up. He decided a shower—preferably a cool one—would help, but once there, it was far too easy to stand under the warm water and let his mind wander, and when his mind wandered, his hand wandered too, until he was gasping and shuddering and then sleepy, thoughts of Cameron in his head.

  He woke up to the sound of the doorbell and a thunk on the porch. The package was from Amazon, and inside was a note from Devante—From the crew at Barigoule. We know how you are without good coffee, and the people of South Carolina don’t need to be exposed to that. Best of luck and see you soon.

  He was still unboxing the new espresso machine that FedEx had just delivered when he heard footsteps coming up the porch steps.

  “In the kitchen,” he called out when he heard the screen door open.

  “What a surprise,” Jess replied as she came into the kitchen, Doug following a moment later. When she saw what Gray was doing, she laughed. “Now I know you’re settling in for a while, getting a coffee maker that cost more than your first car.”

  Doug’s eyebrows rose, but Gray couldn’t tell if he was surprised at the alleged expense of the new machine or appalled at the apparent price of the car.

  Gray swatted at Jess playfully with a dishtowel.

  “Hey now, no insults to the memory of Huey, who carted you around after school before his ignominious end.”

  “Your car was called Huey?” Doug asked as Jess started rooting around in the cabinets.

  “Tea?” Jess inquired. Gray pointed her to the right place, and while she filled the kettle, she explained for Doug. “It was a very old Impala that Gray called the ‘unforced error,’ but when Dad heard that he said if Gray was going to complain maybe he didn’t need a car. So Gray shortened it to U.E., but everyone heard ‘Huey.’”

  “I told Dad it was in honor of the singer of his favorite band,” Gray said. “I think he caught on, but I got a Huey Lewis and the News CD anyway for Christmas.”

  Doug chuckled. “I had my granddad’s station wagon, so I can relate.”

  “At least the wagon was big enough to—” Jess started, but Doug cut her off.

  “So, wow, that’s a nice coffee maker.” He grinned while Jess turned red.

  “I so did not need to know that,” Gray said truthfully. “Why don’t you two take your tea into the dining room and I’ll be there in a sec.”

  Gray really needed a minute alone to forget about his sister’s teenage sex life. He grabbed himself a bottle of water from the fridge and the plate of cheese straws he’d set in the pantry.

  He knew Jess had seen the setup when he heard the squeaky little eek she made when she was excited.

  He’d stuck Post-its on the table, roughly in the position of how he was planning the food tables around the barn, each with the name of a dish or a choice of several for the couple to choose between. In the middle of the table he’d printed out some photos Cameron had sent him of the barn, but they were facedown.

  “Turn the papers over,�
�� he said when he came in.

  “Gray, this is so cool!” Jess’s eyes lit up.

  “Where is this?” Doug picked up the first picture to get a closer look. Gray watched Jess watching him expectantly. Doug wasn’t Gray’s type at all, but he was nice-looking, auburn haired, and ruddy bearded, with round gold-rimmed glasses that gave him an old-fashioned look. He had an expressive face and almost always looked like he was about to discover something wonderful that life was presenting to him. It was a pretty great way to go through life. He and Jess were well matched.

  Gray explained about the barn and its features while they looked through the photos. Cam had done a great job at showing it off. He told them about how Dad was helping coordinate the rentals they’d need, like tables and chairs. The more they looked, the more they smiled.

  Finally Jess asked the question Gray was expecting. “Where did you find this place?”

  “Well—” Gray started, but she jumped in again before he could say.

  “This is so awesome! Whoever he is, I hope you give him a kiss!”

  Gray felt his cheeks heat. In good little sister fashion, Jess noticed immediately.

  “Gray! I feel like we are missing a key fact or two. Spill.”

  Gray gave them the version of meeting Cameron that left out the making out in the car until they’d been interrupted by the police.

  “I think I remember him from school, and I’ve seen him around town, I think,” Jess reflected. “But I’ve never talked with him. That seems a shame since he’s going to be your plus-one.”

  Gray opened his mouth to say he hadn’t technically asked, but Jess gave him a look. Doug shrugged and smiled at Gray. He wasn’t going to get in the way of his fiancée being nosy.

  “I’m sure you’ll get the chance soon enough.”

  Jess looked at Doug. “Hey, babe, didn’t you say something about going down to the Dip for pub trivia tonight?”

  “I did.” Doug nodded.

  Gray could see where this was going and that Doug was clearly on Jess’s side. That was a good sign for their relationship but a bad sign for Gray ducking the invitation. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to come or for them to meet Cam, but he was half-afraid if he texted him, he’d already have plans, and that wasn’t something Gray wanted to know.

  “And four is much better than two or three,” Jess added. She gave Gray a sweetly steely smile.

  He could do this with nagging or without, and he really did want to see Cameron again.

  “I’ll text him,” Gray relented. “But before that, we’re going to talk about the food.”

  CAMERON WAS having a quiet afternoon of reconciling the accounts when he got Gray’s text.

  How do you feel about pub trivia? it said.

  Summer Corners was small enough that Cam was familiar with most of what passed for nightlife in town, and that included trivia at Frenchie’s Dip, the bar down by the paper mill.

  I can pull my own weight with cheesy TV, sports, and geography, he replied.

  After a few minutes Gray sent back, What town was Friday Night Lights set in?

  Cam smiled. Easy one. Dillon, TX

  You’re Hired. The Dip @ 8? Jess & Doug want to meet u

  Oh, that was something. Gray wanted Cameron to meet his family. Cam grinned at his phone.

  C u there

  He must have been grinning like an idiot, because when he set his phone down, Penny spoke up.

  “So now that what was happening on your phone has apparently come to a happy conclusion, can we talk for a minute?”

  He knew Penny wasn’t actually calling him out, seeing as her monitor was currently displaying a half-completed crossword puzzle.

  “I can make some time,” Cameron joked, setting his phone facedown on his desk, like that would keep distracting thoughts completely at bay. It would help, though. He swiveled his chair to look at her. “What’s up?”

  “The other day when I mentioned the retreat I’ll be teaching at,” she started, and he’d almost forgotten they were going to have this talk.

  “Yeah, that’s awesome. They’re lucky to have you.”

  Penny beamed. “Thanks, and this business is lucky to have you.” She emphasized the last word meaningfully.

  “Thanks, I like it here.” He said it with more confidence than he might have done a week or few ago. He liked it here in Summer Corners. He enjoyed his work and his life, and he was going to be content here. The fact that Gray had shown up, well, it showed him that what he feared he’d never have was at least possible. And hopefully a great deal more than that.

  “I’m glad. This job suits you. The customers like you, and you have far more an affinity for it than I ever did. I’m here out of some sense of responsibility”—she waved her hand dismissively, as if she could wave away that feeling—“and because I didn’t think art could be a vocation and not just a hobby, but I’m thinking differently now.”

  Penny had been planning, and she hated business planning, so Cam knew she was serious about it. Her pitch was that she’d keep pursuing teaching and retreat gigs, with Cameron running the business. She’d switch to an hourly wage instead of her salary so there’d be money to hire Cameron some help, and if things went well, they’d start considering how Cameron could buy the Parrys out.

  “It might take a while,” she admitted.

  “I’ve got the time,” Cam replied, and for the first time it sounded truly like something to look forward to.

  The rest of the afternoon went quickly. He hadn’t said anything out loud, but Penny obviously had picked up on the texting and smiling because she winked and said, “Tell Grayson I said hi,” when she left.

  He missed a call while he was driving home, but when he checked his messages he was disappointed it wasn’t from Gray. He was more disappointed when he listened to Travis telling him he wasn’t going to be able to come down to the shack tomorrow for the weekend.

  “I kind of backed the truck into the retaining wall,” Travis said, and Cam could practically see him cringe.

  That sucked. But then Travis’s message continued, “But we’re coming down next weekend for Jess Callahan’s wedding—she and Laura were in Girl Scouts together or something. I don’t know, but it should be a good party. Anyway, call me.”

  That was a better surprise and one of those reminders that Summer Corners was small enough that if you didn’t know everyone personally, there was usually only a degree or two of separation. He chuckled when Travis mentioned the “good party” and looked forward to telling him how he’d gotten involved in finding the new venue. Hopefully they’d talk at the wedding, if not before—

  But Cam was maybe getting ahead of himself. He actually hadn’t been invited to the wedding, and he wasn’t sure if one night of making out in the car and a double date at the Dip made him plus-one material. He hoped it did.

  Maybe if Gray invited him, he’d have something good to tell Travis when Cam called him back.

  Cam spent probably a little too long deciding what to wear, considering he was going to pub trivia at the local tavern. He decided on navy shorts that he thought made his butt look good and the shrimp-and-grits tee he’d gotten from Adluh Mills.

  He figured he must have looked decent, because he noticed the long once-over Gray gave him when he walked into the bar.

  “Hey there.” Gray stood up and gave him a squeeze on the shoulder. “Glad you could make it,” he whispered, just for a moment leaning in close enough that Cameron could feel his breath on his ear.

  “Hi.” Cam waved, trying to remember they were in public and not somewhere he could just turn and kiss Gray.

  Jess and Doug greeted him warmly before they got down to the serious business of a team name.

  “I’m terrible at this,” Gray admitted.

  “Hmm,” Jess said. “What do we have in common?”

  Since the answer was obviously getting ready for their wedding, Doug chimed in with “Family Planning.”

  Jess groaned. �
��Another pharmacist pun. I’m signing up for a lifetime of this.”

  “I like it.” Cam chuckled.

  “Family planning is not really my area of expertise,” Gray said as he shot Jess a wicked look. Cam thought that remark was probably payback for something, but he laughed anyway.

  They actually turned out to be a pretty well-balanced team and at halftime were only trailing the Rickety Splits and Pulp Affliction (a group of retirees and paper mill employees respectively). It was also surprisingly relaxing after Cam got over the initial nerves of meeting some of Gray’s family. They had similar taste in beer (IPA, but not the kind that smells like pine trees), and both appreciated extra-crispy tater tots. Gray ordered his alongside a chili and slaw burger that made Jess tease him about letting Cameron see him gorge himself so early in a relationship.

  Cam tried not to cringe when she used the r word lest Gray take it badly. Instead he threw his arm around Cam’s shoulder and said, “He knows I’m a chef. If he doesn’t find Eau de Vidalia Onions sexy now, he will soon.”

  Cameron did blush then and looked down at his tots so he wouldn’t look like a complete goof making eyes at Gray. “I can probably handle that,” he murmured as Gray knocked his knee against Cam’s.

  Later, after they’d won the second-place prize of $10 off their tab and a slab of hot fudge cake that they’d demolished, Cam realized his mistake in not asking Gray to come pick him up. They were in separate cars, and somehow he didn’t think Summer Corners was quite ready for two men to have a protracted romantic good-night kiss in the town tavern’s parking lot. Worse, Gray had given Jess and Doug a ride, so the other couple was waiting, trying very hard to watch them say good night while pretending not to.

  Cam wasn’t quite ready to say good night, especially with a now-empty weekend looming.

  He found himself asking before he’d even thought it through.

  “So my buddy Travis was going to come down this weekend for a trip to our shack down on the river, but he had a little incident with his truck and their retaining wall.”