Micah announced.
Dune nodded. "There. You see? Accomplishments. Micah will get his degree and become an even more marketable commodity. The rest of your department will find other jobs in other companies doing the same thing, and that's fine, that's them. But you could be so much more, Jamie--I really believe that. You have so much more potential than just designing video game boxes."
"I did a lot more than designing video game boxes," Jamie said.
"That's just a for-instance. You've never stopped painting, have you?"
"No," Jamie muttered, "but--"
"So you ought to do what makes you happy."
Jamie sighed, gave a pleading look to Micah. "What would make me happy right now is to stop talking about this, please. I've got money to live on until I find a new job, and I'll have more if I sell the house, and I really don't want to make up my mind about this today." Under the table Micah's foot lightly touched his, and he smiled at him with relief.
"Just promise me you're not going to wallow," said Dune.
"I'm not going to wallow." He kept his gaze fixed on Micah's, making an entirely different kind of promise. Micah smiled slowly and his foot rubbed Jamie's.
Dune didn't miss this, and sighed. "Right. I'm going to get some of these to go--Ben's right, they're really good."
Ben, Jamie thought, glancing once more at him. He was helping another customer buy a loaf of sourdough bread, his smile easy and freely given. Jamie thought, He doesn't remember me.
"I want some too, I think," he said, standing, and followed Dune to the counter.
"And what," said Ben when it was their turn, "could I possibly do for you?"
"Half a dozen muffins," Dune said. "How about one each?"
"Easy." He packed a bag of muffins quickly and gave it to Dune, and smiled again at Jamie. "And you?"
"Just two, I think--the apple cinnamon looks good, and one chocolate-chocolate chip." He leaned his hip against the counter and added, "I like this place. It's a family business, yeah?"
"Yup." He was much slower getting Jamie's order together than he had been Dune's. "Over a hundred and fifty years. You can tell by the established date on the door."
Jamie smiled and gave him a five to pay for the muffins. "I'll pay closer attention to doors from now on."
"They're very helpful creatures, doors." He gave Jamie his change. "You're set, then. Come again anytime."
"I will," he said, turning to leave, and nearly ran into Micah. The boy was pouting again, his face stormy as he looked at Ben, and he left the bakery a few steps ahead of Jamie and without a word.
"See you soon, Ben," Dune called and joined Jamie and Micah on the sidewalk. "Nice place, don't you think?"
"I don't like that guy," Micah said.
"Oh? Why not?" Dune took out one of the muffins and bit into it as they walked to Jamie's car.
"He's--smug."
"If I were that gorgeous, I'd be smug too."
"You are that gorgeous," Jamie said, nudging him with his elbow, and when Micah's face threatened to become downright thunderous he put an arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. "And so are you, wee Micah."
Micah's nostrils flared and he looked urgently at Dune. "Jamie!"
"Your attempts at being territorial gave it away," Dune said. "In the future, it's best to do more than stand close to someone and look annoyed if you want people to know they're coming on to your boyfriend."
"We're not boyfriends," Micah muttered.
Jamie said nothing, getting his keys out of his pocket, and wondered exactly what they were. He remembered vaguely saying something about love the night before...but Micah knew him well enough by now to know not to take anything he said while drunk seriously. Didn't he?
"Hold his hand, put your arm around him, that sort of thing. Much more effective than threatening looks. The first step to admitting you're dating someone is to admit you're dating them."
"You're weird, Dune."
"So I've heard." He climbed into the back seat and Jamie gave Micah the keys.
"Drive us? My head still
Dune nodded. "There. You see? Accomplishments. Micah will get his degree and become an even more marketable commodity. The rest of your department will find other jobs in other companies doing the same thing, and that's fine, that's them. But you could be so much more, Jamie--I really believe that. You have so much more potential than just designing video game boxes."
"I did a lot more than designing video game boxes," Jamie said.
"That's just a for-instance. You've never stopped painting, have you?"
"No," Jamie muttered, "but--"
"So you ought to do what makes you happy."
Jamie sighed, gave a pleading look to Micah. "What would make me happy right now is to stop talking about this, please. I've got money to live on until I find a new job, and I'll have more if I sell the house, and I really don't want to make up my mind about this today." Under the table Micah's foot lightly touched his, and he smiled at him with relief.
"Just promise me you're not going to wallow," said Dune.
"I'm not going to wallow." He kept his gaze fixed on Micah's, making an entirely different kind of promise. Micah smiled slowly and his foot rubbed Jamie's.
Dune didn't miss this, and sighed. "Right. I'm going to get some of these to go--Ben's right, they're really good."
Ben, Jamie thought, glancing once more at him. He was helping another customer buy a loaf of sourdough bread, his smile easy and freely given. Jamie thought, He doesn't remember me.
"I want some too, I think," he said, standing, and followed Dune to the counter.
"And what," said Ben when it was their turn, "could I possibly do for you?"
"Half a dozen muffins," Dune said. "How about one each?"
"Easy." He packed a bag of muffins quickly and gave it to Dune, and smiled again at Jamie. "And you?"
"Just two, I think--the apple cinnamon looks good, and one chocolate-chocolate chip." He leaned his hip against the counter and added, "I like this place. It's a family business, yeah?"
"Yup." He was much slower getting Jamie's order together than he had been Dune's. "Over a hundred and fifty years. You can tell by the established date on the door."
Jamie smiled and gave him a five to pay for the muffins. "I'll pay closer attention to doors from now on."
"They're very helpful creatures, doors." He gave Jamie his change. "You're set, then. Come again anytime."
"I will," he said, turning to leave, and nearly ran into Micah. The boy was pouting again, his face stormy as he looked at Ben, and he left the bakery a few steps ahead of Jamie and without a word.
"See you soon, Ben," Dune called and joined Jamie and Micah on the sidewalk. "Nice place, don't you think?"
"I don't like that guy," Micah said.
"Oh? Why not?" Dune took out one of the muffins and bit into it as they walked to Jamie's car.
"He's--smug."
"If I were that gorgeous, I'd be smug too."
"You are that gorgeous," Jamie said, nudging him with his elbow, and when Micah's face threatened to become downright thunderous he put an arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. "And so are you, wee Micah."
Micah's nostrils flared and he looked urgently at Dune. "Jamie!"
"Your attempts at being territorial gave it away," Dune said. "In the future, it's best to do more than stand close to someone and look annoyed if you want people to know they're coming on to your boyfriend."
"We're not boyfriends," Micah muttered.
Jamie said nothing, getting his keys out of his pocket, and wondered exactly what they were. He remembered vaguely saying something about love the night before...but Micah knew him well enough by now to know not to take anything he said while drunk seriously. Didn't he?
"Hold his hand, put your arm around him, that sort of thing. Much more effective than threatening looks. The first step to admitting you're dating someone is to admit you're dating them."
"You're weird, Dune."
"So I've heard." He climbed into the back seat and Jamie gave Micah the keys.
"Drive us? My head still
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