“Thinking of getting married here?” Ben grinned at Dave as the waitress set their dinners in front of them.
“Sure.” Dave batted his lashes. “You’d look gorgeous in a wedding dress.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed. “Oh please. You’d be the one in the dress, and you know it.”
Dave snickered. “Like we don’t know who the alpha male of this relationship is gonna be.”
“Yeah, fairy-light boy. That would be me.”
Dave shook his head sadly. “Pretty, yet delusional.” Ben choked on his fish. “Sorry. You’d look much better in white tulle than I would.”
“Don’t bet on it.”
“I got you into that shirt, didn’t I?”
Ben tried desperately not to laugh. “That was a one-shot deal, and you know it.”
“Do I?”
Ben didn’t respond to that. If wearing this stupid shirt brought this kind of happiness to Dave’s face then he’d wear the fucking thing every day. “There’s no way in hell you’re getting me in a wedding dress.”
“Wanna bet?”
“That’s the second time you’ve said that.” Dave waved his fork at him. “Sure. I’ll bet on it.”
Ben grinned. “You’re on.”
Ben shook his head. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Dave picked up the paddle and waved it at him. Damn, this was the best dream ever. He knew it was still a dream because Ben was actually wearing the shirt. Real Life Ben would have torn it to shreds. Hell, Real Life Ben would still be in the Poconos, pushing papers and doing who knew what. Dream Ben was playing with him, smiling and having fun. Usually Dream Ben begged forgiveness for all of two seconds before they had hot sex. He couldn’t decide which dream he liked more, but he hoped they wound up at the same place: mind-blowing orgasms. “What’s the matter? Afraid of a little smack-down?”
“As if. I just can’t believe we’re using air hockey to figure out which one of us gets to wear a dress.” They’d returned to the Contemporary after dinner and headed straight for the hotel’s game room. Or rather, Ben had followed Dave to the game room, seemingly ready for whatever Dave had in mind.
A short burst of laughter from a woman by a pinball machine had Ben’s cheeks turning red. “I am out of here.”
Oh, that was way too much like Real Life Ben. Dave had to fix that fast. “Do you smell something?”
Ben paused. “What?”
“It smells like…” Dave sniffed.
“Like what?”
“Chicken.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed. “Did you just call me chicken?”
“If the cluck fits.”
Ben glared and picked up the paddle. “You’re on, pansy-boy. Get ready to wear tulle.”
A brief but intense time later Dave stared at the score in disbelief. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go. “I lost.”
“Yes, you did.” Ben’s arm draped around his shoulder and squeezed him close. “When you go shopping for your dress, make sure you pick one that shows off a lot of cleavage.”
The woman by the pinball machine laughed again.
“I’m not supposed to lose.”
Ben straightened up, the paddle dropping to the table with a clatter of plastic on plastic. “Dave?”
Dave gulped. Oh. Shit. His heart was pounding. The shot of fear and hope jolted his system, making him feel like he was going to throw up. “This isn’t a dream.”
Ben’s smile froze. “No. It’s not a dream.”
Dave felt like he might start hyperventilating. “You’re really here.”
Ben tugged Dave out of the arcade. “Breathe, baby.”
Baby? “You’re in the Poconos doing boring money shit. Not in my hotel’s game room acting like a mate.”
Ben winced. “No, baby. I’m here. Everything today has been real.”
Dave stared at the shirt straining across Ben’s shoulders. He’d been right. It fit the man like a glove. He rubbed his eyes, but the little dancing lights only intensified. “I need to get to my room.”
Ben’s hand rubbed down his back, attempting to soothe him. “Headache?”
“Not yet, but I’m getting an aura.”
Ben began hustling for the elevators like he knew what the hell that meant. Maybe he did; Dave didn’t have it in him to ask. Luckily they’d come back to the Contemporary for their impromptu air hockey game, so they weren’t far from Dave’s room. He needed his medicine, fast, or the rest of this vacation was going to go to hell.
“I’m here, Dave. What do you need?”
This was not happening. It couldn’t be. “Um. I need my medicine.” The elevator arrived and Dave stepped in, smiling wanly at the people already on board. The lights felt brighter than they had earlier. A slight headache began behind his eyes.
Shit. Not now. Please, not now.
Ben stayed close, rubbing his back, until the elevator arrived at Dave’s floor. “Let’s get your stuff, baby.”
Dave got out his keycard and slid it into the lock.
“Davey!”
Ben caught Charlie before she could land on him. For that alone he forgave Ben a lot. “He’s beginning to migraine.” Ben’s voice was soft and even, but Dave could hear the concern.
Charlie fell back. “Oh. What does he need?”
Dave pointed to the small black bag he had next to the television. “Imitrex.”
Ben pulled out the white box of medicine and read the instructions. “Here. Take your meds. We’re going to pack you up and take you to my room.”
“Why would you do that?” Charlie folded her arms and stood in front of the door, blocking their exit.
“Because if the medicine doesn’t stop the migraine I have a bedroom he can collapse in that’s separate from the living room. I can make it nice and dark for him.”
Dave left them to their pissing contest and headed into the bathroom. He winced at the light coming off the mirror, the headache intensifying. “Shit.” He filled one of the glasses with water and downed the pill, making sure to drink all the water. He then filled the glass again and downed that. “Done.”
Ben stuck his head in the bathroom and nodded. “Gather your stuff.” He shook his head. “Better yet, go lay on the bed and point. I’ll gather your stuff. Charlie can help me.”
“Mm-hmm.” Dave got around him and lay on the bed, one hand over his eyes. This was the first time he’d gotten one of his headaches since he’d been in the hospital. He prayed the new medicine Dr. Howard had prescribed worked. The last thing he wanted was a full-blown migraine right now.
“All set. Let’s go, baby.”
Dave lifted his arm. “Why are you being nice to me?”
Ben sighed. “C’mon. Let’s get you settled in for the night. I’ll order room service for breakfast, and if you still think you need me to explain it, I’ll do it then. Okay?”
Dave nodded carefully. His head was beginning to swim, but the headache seemed to be easing off. “Sure.”
“Take care, Davey.”
He accepted Charlie’s careful hug. “You too. You still coming to the Lodge in December?”
“Yup.” She kissed his cheek. “You take care of him. And just so you know, we have reservations for dinner in Italy Tuesday night.”
Ben nodded. “Maybe I’ll talk him into making it reservations for three.”
“Hmph. We’ll see.” Charlie held the door open. “Ben?”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t claim him until you’re sure the headache’s gone. You might make things worse.”