from the cool nip in the air. They worked through the booths until they found the produce from the student-run farm. Cole went through their offerings until he had gathered up a mound of vegetables Dalton thought could feed a dozen people for a month. The pile of kale alone was intimidating. They carried the veggies to the checkout. It was manned by a guy who was so blond his eyebrows and lashes were almost white, but his ice blue eyes sparkled as he helped the couple in front of them. He wrote out their receipt while he chatted with them. They seemed to be regulars, from their conversation.
It didn’t take long for him to finish with them. Once they’d left, he grabbed Cole in an enthusiastic hug. “Hey Cole. How’re things today?”
Cole gingerly placed their haul of produce on the table and grinned. “Doing fanfuckingtastic, Nate. We’re just here to grab the good stuff before you run out.” Without a thought, Cole introduced Dalton. “This is my boyfriend, Dalton. Dalton, this is Nate. He’s an organic hort major and works at the student farm.”
There seemed to be hesitation and a slight cringe from Dalton. But he stepped up and held out his hand. “Hey, Nate. Nice to meet you. Cole raves about the food from the farm all the time. What we’ve had before was excellent.”
Nate’s smile never wavered as he shook Dalton’s hand. “Same here. You’re a brave guy to be with Cole and Tara. They’re a handful.”
Dalton blushed and glanced over at Cole.
Cole grinned. “Nate and I are old friends. He knew we were looking for someone.”
Dalton’s face turned redder than the ripest tomatoes Nate had on display and he began to rock back and forth. After a few moments, he glanced down the row of booths and muttered, “I need some soap. Looks like they have it down there.” He shot Cole a strained expression and raced down the sidewalk.
Nate grimaced. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to make trouble. It’s just that you’ve always been so open about it.” Nate shrugged. “Please let him know I didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable. I’m real happy for the three of you.”
Cole considered what had just happened while he stashed the produce in his backpack. “Don’t sweat it. It’s totally my fault. We haven’t really talked about some of the details.”
Nate nodded and handed Cole the last of his purchase. “Yeah, I get that. I’m sure you’ll get everything ironed out.”
“Oh yeah. We will.” Cole tossed the bag over his shoulder and headed down the booths in the direction Dalton had fled.
He found Dalton a few displays later looking at a vender with bouquets of fall flowers. He stood quietly at his side for several seconds. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Nate’s an old friend, the stuff about us just sorta rolled out.”
Dalton turned to Cole with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh, no problem. Totally fine. I just thought I saw someone I knew, but I was wrong. It’s all good.”
Cole hesitated for a moment. “I thought you said something about soap?”
Dalton froze for a second before continuing to walk. “Oh. No. Just thought I saw someone.”
The two of them worked their way from one stall to the next. The tension gradually lessened, but didn’t leave. They were shopping the goods in the last booth when Cole heard, “Dalton?”
They turned to find four guys, all in the prescribed hipster knit hats and skinny jeans. Cole thought the one talking looked a little more put together than the others, but this sure wasn’t his crowd.
“Hey! Zach!” Dalton said, obviously excited to see the dark haired guy. They grabbed hands and pulled each other into a bro-hug with their hands still between them.
“Long time no see, dude. What’re you doing here?” Zach said.
“Oh we were trying to grab a few things to eat, you know, just some green crap to have in case the rents show up,” Dalton said.
“Hey, I hear ya. Parents can be a pain. Hey these are some buds
It didn’t take long for him to finish with them. Once they’d left, he grabbed Cole in an enthusiastic hug. “Hey Cole. How’re things today?”
Cole gingerly placed their haul of produce on the table and grinned. “Doing fanfuckingtastic, Nate. We’re just here to grab the good stuff before you run out.” Without a thought, Cole introduced Dalton. “This is my boyfriend, Dalton. Dalton, this is Nate. He’s an organic hort major and works at the student farm.”
There seemed to be hesitation and a slight cringe from Dalton. But he stepped up and held out his hand. “Hey, Nate. Nice to meet you. Cole raves about the food from the farm all the time. What we’ve had before was excellent.”
Nate’s smile never wavered as he shook Dalton’s hand. “Same here. You’re a brave guy to be with Cole and Tara. They’re a handful.”
Dalton blushed and glanced over at Cole.
Cole grinned. “Nate and I are old friends. He knew we were looking for someone.”
Dalton’s face turned redder than the ripest tomatoes Nate had on display and he began to rock back and forth. After a few moments, he glanced down the row of booths and muttered, “I need some soap. Looks like they have it down there.” He shot Cole a strained expression and raced down the sidewalk.
Nate grimaced. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to make trouble. It’s just that you’ve always been so open about it.” Nate shrugged. “Please let him know I didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable. I’m real happy for the three of you.”
Cole considered what had just happened while he stashed the produce in his backpack. “Don’t sweat it. It’s totally my fault. We haven’t really talked about some of the details.”
Nate nodded and handed Cole the last of his purchase. “Yeah, I get that. I’m sure you’ll get everything ironed out.”
“Oh yeah. We will.” Cole tossed the bag over his shoulder and headed down the booths in the direction Dalton had fled.
He found Dalton a few displays later looking at a vender with bouquets of fall flowers. He stood quietly at his side for several seconds. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Nate’s an old friend, the stuff about us just sorta rolled out.”
Dalton turned to Cole with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh, no problem. Totally fine. I just thought I saw someone I knew, but I was wrong. It’s all good.”
Cole hesitated for a moment. “I thought you said something about soap?”
Dalton froze for a second before continuing to walk. “Oh. No. Just thought I saw someone.”
The two of them worked their way from one stall to the next. The tension gradually lessened, but didn’t leave. They were shopping the goods in the last booth when Cole heard, “Dalton?”
They turned to find four guys, all in the prescribed hipster knit hats and skinny jeans. Cole thought the one talking looked a little more put together than the others, but this sure wasn’t his crowd.
“Hey! Zach!” Dalton said, obviously excited to see the dark haired guy. They grabbed hands and pulled each other into a bro-hug with their hands still between them.
“Long time no see, dude. What’re you doing here?” Zach said.
“Oh we were trying to grab a few things to eat, you know, just some green crap to have in case the rents show up,” Dalton said.
“Hey, I hear ya. Parents can be a pain. Hey these are some buds
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