Dustin
The sound of the sander drowned out everything, which is how he missed the phone call. When Dustin finally took a break, he tried to brush off as much of the sawdust as possible, then removed his safety glasses before he checked his phone. He swore under his breath and called back, hoping he wasn’t getting dumped before they even had a date, because that was just the kind of luck he’d been having in the romance department lately.
“Hello?”
“Jack? It’s Dustin. Sorry I missed your call. I’m out in the workshop. I’m guessing your cousin changed his mind?” Blind dates were bad enough, but getting dumped before meeting kind of sucked ass.
“What? No, that’s not why I was calling. Jesus—paranoid much?”
Not usually, but lately he’d been feeling off his dating game. He kept that to himself, though. “No. Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
“Well, you better get in a better mood. I really talked you up to Conner and he’s looking forward to tonight.”
Dustin sighed. “Sorry. I’ll be fine by tonight. Just stressed out.” Because I want to be working on my plane instead of working for a living right now. “So what’s going on?”
“I found something in the back room from the other night. A card fell behind the buffet. Has your name on it and doesn’t look like it’s been opened.”
“Oh, thanks. I can swing by to get it later today.”
“No need. I was thinking I could send it with Conner, if that works?”
“Sounds good. I’m meeting him at Fisher’s at seven P.M.”
They chatted for a few minutes before hanging up. Dustin’s gaze fell on the desk covered with a tan tarp. He’d finished the desk earlier in the week and had wanted to get it stained before he headed to the airport, but he was itching to go. He’d spent nearly every evening out there since the day the Cessna had arrived, but he had that date today, so instead, he would head out for the afternoon.
He texted Raf to see if he wanted to go with him. His friend been coming out most evenings and they were having a blast working on the Cessna together. Raf had jumped in without hesitation as Dustin’s co-pilot on the project and had quickly become hooked. Raf was nearly as excited about the plane as Dustin was.
Rafael: Yeah. I get off at 1 today. Early release. Their last day of school.
Dustin: Awesome. See you around 2?
Rafael: I’ll run home and change. Maybe 2:30?
Dustin: See you then. I’ll bring the root beer.
Raf sent back a smiling emoji and Dustin laughed. Raf loved his root beer. On Monday, Dustin had taken a small fridge to the hangar so they could keep snacks and drinks on hand, and Raf always pouted when there wasn’t any root beer. It was kind of cute.
And that messed with Dustin’s head. He wasn’t blind; Raf was hot. And there was something charming about a man who wanted to help kids. He was like a geeky, cute guy with a heart of gold. He also had no idea how sexy he was—which only made his appeal that much stronger. They were friends, though, and had never crossed that line. Unless you counted the night they’d slept in each other’s arms. But ever since that night Dustin had arrived to find Raf in a towel, odd thoughts kept popping up. What it would be like to kiss him. How Raf would look completely naked, on his knees, Dustin’s cock in his mouth. And that surprised the hell out of Dustin. Shit, he’d even dreamed about the man the night before—one of the most vivid sex dreams he’d ever had. Raf in control, taking him from behind, making Dustin beg for it.
It was hotter than any porn he’d ever watched and he couldn’t help but wonder what Raf was like in bed. Because he could totally believe that under that “shy teacher” persona lurked a man who liked to be in control. Maybe even liked it a little rough and dirty sometimes. And, oh, what those thoughts did to Dustin. For the first time since they’d met, he looked at Raf differently.
It wasn’t just the attraction, though. They’d always been close. Raf was the one person Dustin knew he could count on for anything. Middle of the night or noon, didn’t matter, Raf would drop anything to help him. The love Dustin felt for his best friend was genuine. Looking back, he could honestly say he’d never really cared for another friend like he did Raf and that only made him wonder more about what was going on with suddenly seeing him in a different light.
Which is why he needed that damn date tonight. He needed to get laid. Surely that would help him get over whatever the hell this was. And by the sound of it, Conner wasn’t looking for anything serious. He was in town for a few days and would be heading back to Boston Sunday night. Jack had thought they might hit it off and had set the whole thing up. Dustin was hoping for a bit of fun—something to push away the images in his mind of Raf fucking him over his sofa. Or his bed. Or the kitchen table. Shit. He needed to stop thinking of him like that.
Soon, he jumped into the shower and adjusted the water until he found the right temperature, letting the pulsing jet punch at his tight muscles. Once he’d bought the house, he’d switched to a showerhead with multiple-pressure levels.
Now, images of Raf ran through his mind…naked, dripping with water, the towel falling…He closed his eyes and tried to turn off his thoughts. Funny, but his dick didn’t get the message and stayed at half-mast until he took things in hand, so to speak. Colors exploded behind his eyelids as his orgasm skittered through him, and he could focus on only the image of Raf’s brown eyes looking down at him.
Fuck, he hoped Conner was looking to get laid, too.
* * * *
He was up on a stepstool, elbow deep in the engine, attempting to change out one of the engine-to-engine mount bolts, when Raf arrived.
“Hey, should you be doing that alone?”
Dustin turned to find Raf right behind him, hands on hips, frowning.
“Um, yeah, Mr. Patino, I cleared it with the shop teacher,” he quipped and rolled his eyes.
His friend pursed his lips and his frown deepened. “I was just thinking of safety. I don’t know much about planes.” He huffed and the hint of a smile played at his mouth. “Okay. I guess I went a little teacher-man on you.”
“Grab a root beer from the fridge and you can help me with the sealant I need to redo on the front windshield.”
Raf grinned. “Thanks for picking up the root bear. You want one?”
“No, thanks.” Dustin gestured to the can of Pepsi he had on the toolbox.
“So is the windshield cracked somewhere? Is that what the sealant is for?”
Dustin shook his head. “No. See that felt strip?” He pointed to the chair near the toolbox. “I need to replace the old one around the edge and we install that with a sealant. Check out the page I have marked on that manual next to my drink. And can you turn the music back on?”
Raf hit the I Heart Radio app and brought up Dustin’s favorite playlist. Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood” filled the hangar and Raf began reviewing the manual.
“This looks really old.”
“It is. 1976, remember?”
“What did Mac from RV Aviation say? Didn’t he check it yesterday?”
“He’s working up a report for me—and estimates on costs for things I can’t do myself.” He stopped fiddling with the engine and wiped his brow with his forearm. It definitely got hot in the hangar. He noticed Raf still in his teacher clothes—a light blue button-down cotton top and gray slacks. “Hey, I thought you were running home to change?”
“Ran out of time and didn’t want to get here any later. Since it was the last day of school, a lot of the kids were hanging out saying their goodbyes for the summer. I let them sit in my room for a while.” He shook his head. “I’m excited for the summer break, but I’m going to miss them.”
Dustin climbed off the stepstool. “What about that girl? The one you mentioned who had cracked her tablet?”
Raf frowned. “I’m worried about her. Martha was a great help with the new tablet and the student was grateful. But she looked so sad today. And there was something in her eyes…I can’t tell if it was sadness that the school year was ending, or something else. Hell, school could be the only place where she gets a real meal, for all I know. I talked with Rita again, who’s concerned, saying the girl looked like she’d lost weight. I kind of thought the same thing. Rita planned to call the Department of Social Services before she left work, but who knows if that will pan out.”
Although Raf couldn’t give names due to privacy concerns, Dustin sure worried about the girl, too. Raf had had a hard childhood and Dustin assumed this girl reminded him of his past. He gently squeezed Raf’s shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes. “It sounds like everyone is doing the right things. You guys are keeping an eye on her, calling the authorities…it’s really all you can do, right?”
Raf shrugged. “But we can’t keep an eye on her over the summer. I tried to get her to open up again today, asking if she was getting a summer job, but she didn’t really talk. It’s almost like speaking to others is too difficult for her. I doubt she’s in therapy, but she needs to be. Needs to be taking some social skills classes, too.” He sighed and shook his head.
Dustin squeezed his shoulder again. “Not to sound stupid, but what are social skills classes?”
“They’re for kids that struggle with social situations, or understanding social cues.”
“Like they don’t ‘read the room’?”
“That’s a good way to say it. Some of them don’t recognize sarcasm. They may not understand someone is making fun of them, but most of them get that. For instance, you and I can tell when someone is frowning at us after we say something, which tells us they didn’t like what was said. But some kids don’t even recognize they’re being frowned at, or if they do, they don’t know why. But with Da—I mean, with this girl—she just seems to have a lot of anxiety and can’t speak around the other kids. She needs a friend. She’s wicked brilliant, but awkward. Seriously, straight As and college-level writing.”
“We’re all kind of awkward in high school, though. I certainly was.”
“Yes, you recently told me you were shy, which surprised me.”
“When I started college, I worked hard to be the man I wanted to be. You helped a lot by just being my friend. You gave me confidence…kind of like you shared it with me, if that makes sense?”
“Thanks, Dusty. But really it was probably the other way around. Once you came into my life, things changed for me. You kind of saved me from myself.”
Brown eyes met aquamarine and they stared quietly, their confessions sinking in. The air grew thick between them and neither looked away until “Sidekick” by Walk the Moon began to play, filling the hangar with a fun beat.
Dustin looked away first, laughing. “Well, I hope you’re right, Raf. I’ve got a date tonight and I’m hoping he’s ‘drawn to me.’”
Raf’s face paled.
“What?” Dustin scrunched his brow, nerves jangling.
“I didn’t know you had a date.” Raf’s voice sounded weirdly flat.
Dustin shuffled his feet as Raf scrutinized him. He felt open and vulnerable for some odd reason, and the need to explain rushed through him and had him nearly tripping over his words. “It’s a blind date. Jack set it up. His cousin Conner is in town. We’re meeting for dinner and seeing how it goes. It’s not a big deal.” But it kind of was. Because looking into Raf’s gorgeous brown eyes reminded him he needed to get laid and get this new infatuation out of his system.
Raf stayed silent, but his eyes stayed on his until Dustin couldn’t remain still. He finally backed away and pasted on a smile. “Grab that felt strip and let’s see if we can get the window sealed.”
His best friend nodded, and in just a few minutes, they entered the plane’s cabin, Raf in the passenger seat, Dustin in the pilot’s seat. Working together, they completed their task in a fairly short time, but as they chatted about the next repairs Dustin wanted to tackle, he realized he should’ve left the airport at least twenty minutes earlier.
When they left, Raf offered him a tight smile. Dustin noticed he didn’t wish him luck on his date.
* * * *
By the time he got home, Dustin had less than thirty minutes to get ready and over to Fisher’s Bar and Grill. Jack had sent him Conner’s number, so he texted he could be a few minutes late and rushed around the house like a chicken with his head cut off.
He arrived only two minutes late and saw a platinum blond guy waving at him, a big smile on his face. Definitely cute, but so not his type. And yeah, he knew that made him sound like a shallow asshole.
The guy stood up and gave him a hug-pat. Conner couldn’t have been taller than five-four. He wore his hair in a Justin Bieber style, which really shouldn’t have surprised Dustin, considering the guy also wore a purple Bieber T-shirt. Bright green eyes gazed at him, gliding down and up his body, and something about the way they looked at each other as they sat down made them both laugh.
“Not doing it for you, huh?” Dustin asked cheekily.
Conner raised his eyebrows and smirked. “I’m thinking the same thing about you. Twinks not your thing?”
Heat filled his cheeks. “I wouldn’t call you…I mean…”
“Hey, it’s the look I go for, so you’re not hurting my feelings.” Conner smiled.
Dustin chuckled. “You still want to grab dinner?”
“Why not? We can still make a night of it.”
A waitress with bright pink hair in a ponytail appeared with menus and asked what they wanted to drink. Each of them ordered a beer, and by the time she returned with their drinks, they were ready to order. Fisher’s mainly offered basic bar and grill food—burgers, nachos, chicken tenders—so Dustin ordered his favorite burger with blue cheese and bacon.
“So, Jack says you make furniture?”
“Desks, chairs, tables…I’ll design anything to order.”
“How’d you get into that?”
“I’ve always liked building things, but I never really thought of it as a career until I was in my senior year of college. I was majoring in business and wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do with it. Not even sure why I’d chosen the major, other than I had to declare one and I’d always been good with numbers. But I still made furniture as a hobby and someone saw a buffet table I’d built for my aunt. Long story short, they have a store near Branson and they started taking furniture on consignment. Now I also take orders.”
“Wow. So, did you finish college?”
“Yeah, I was already there, so why not get the degree? Plus I wasn’t sure if making furniture was the smartest move. At the time, I had no idea if it would pan out. I’m lucky it did.”
“That’s awesome. I’d love to have a passion like that. Well, one I can advertise, that is.” Conner waggled his eyebrows and shot him a cheesy grin.
Dustin laughed and leaned back in his chair as the waitress reappeared and set down their plates. His burger looked awesome, and when he took a bite of the seasoned fries, he nearly moaned out loud.
“You going to have an orgasm in public? Maybe we were too hasty about our first impressions.”
He gaped at Conner until he realized the guy was teasing. “Honestly, it makes me feel kind of shallow. Judging you by your looks. You seem like a great guy.”
“I did the same. If you’d been built like a football player and had a few scars, maybe a military cut, I’d have been all over you.”
“You like the big ones, huh?”
“In all areas.”
Dustin nearly choked on his burger and gulped some beer. “Shit. The things you say!”
Conner shrugged. “I can’t help it. I know what I like. Now if I could just find one that’s looking for me.”
“I hear you. I’ve been swinging and missing for months.” He cocked his head. “I meant what I said. You seem like a great guy. Funny. Cute. Sexy. What do you do for a living? Jack said you were here for a conference, right?”
“Yeah. But it ended today. I’m staying a couple more days. It was the most boring thing I’ve ever attended. Sometimes I hate adulting. I work in IT for a medical company and we’re installing a completely new database. Trying to ensure it’s all HIPAA compliant and get the changes we require for our needs. So I was sent to learn more about it before we start the install. It’s going to be a freaking nightmare.”
Dustin visibly shuddered. “I’m good on my laptop and my QuickBooks software, but anything like that? God, no.”
Conversation continued to flow easily as they ate. After a short while, Conner changed the subject. “So you know my type. What’s yours?”
An image of Raf flashed in Dustin’s mind and he felt the blush crawl across his face.
Conner pointed a french fry at him. “Oh, my God! You already have your eye on someone.”
Dustin blanched, staring at his half-eaten dinner. “Not really. I mean…well, fuck, I don’t even know anymore.” He raked a hand through his hair.
“Let me guess—he doesn’t know you’re alive? What—he doesn’t have eyes? Because you’re seriously hot. You have that whole ‘carefree, I-know-I’m-sexy, fuck-you-into-the-mattress’ thing going on.”
“Jesus Christ, Conner!” He glanced around, hoping no one had heard him.
He grinned. “Oh, are you the one looking to be fucked into the mattress? Sorry. I don’t have much of a filter.”
Dustin chuckled, then drew a deep breath. Maybe talking about how he’d been feeling with someone impartial would help. He took another sip of beer and set down his glass. “No, he definitely knows I’m alive. He’s…he’s my best friend. Raf and I have been best friends for years.”
“Oh, God, is he straight? Please don’t tell me you’re that guy—the stereotypical guy that always falls for the straight boy.”
He shook his head. “In high school, maybe, but not now. No, he’s gay. And until I saw him in a fucking towel the other night, I’d really never thought of him like that. I mean, he’s sexy. He’s incredibly smart. And he has this heart…he cares so much for his students. And his friends.” He met Conner’s wide-eyed gaze and furrowed his brow. “What?”
“Dude…” Conner shook his head and his bangs swished across his forehead. “You should have seen your face when you were talking about him. You’ve got it bad. Which makes me wonder, why the hell did you agree to this date?”
Busted. Crap.
“I thought I could get him out of my mind. It was a sucky thing to do.”
“You set us up to fail. But I get it. I would’ve probably done the same thing. Have you told him how you feel?”
“Of course not. He doesn’t feel the same way. I’m sure of it. And besides that, maybe it’s just a phase. I mean, we’ve been friends for years—since our freshman year of college. If I lost him as a friend, I…I don’t know what I’d do.”
“The only way you’re going to find out is to tell him.”
Dustin thought about that as he continued eating. He knew Conner was right, but it couldn’t be as simple as that.
“Oh! I almost forgot. Jack asked me to give you this.” He handed Dustin a yellow envelope with his name written on the front.
He instantly recognized the writing. It was Raf’s. “Thanks. Jack told me he found it.”
“Aren’t you going to open it?”
Dustin wavered, unsure if he wanted to in front of Conner, but then thought he was just being silly. “Of course.” He slid out the card, smiling at the cartoon image of a plane. He opened it and his breath caught.
Dusty,
I’m so proud of you. I can’t wait to soar above the clouds with you. We’ll make a great team!
Love,
Raf
Dustin knew he was probably reading too much into the words, but Raf had given him many cards over the years and not once had he signed it “Love, Raf.” He set it to the side and tried not to overthink it.
He and Conner lingered over dinner, talking and laughing, and by the time they parted ways, Dustin knew he’d made a new friend. Conner seemed the kind of guy always ready for the next adventure. A lot like himself, really. Conner would be coming back in a few weeks for a family wedding, so they made plans to get together again.
The evening may not have played out like he’d wanted, but he still had a good time. Unfortunately, the second he slid into bed and closed his eyes, Raf’s face flashed in his mind and his dick reacted.
What the hell was wrong with him? They were friends. Best friends. Yet he still wrapped his fingers around his shaft, stroking lazily.
Something told him that Raf was probably commanding in the bedroom. He let his imagination wander as his cock throbbed. A strong, assertive man turned his crank. He could totally envision Raf ordering him to his knees. Shit, the idea of doing what Raf demanded made his body vibrate with desire.
In the end, he gave into the fantasy and let himself go to a place he’d never considered until recently. He came hard and fast, the vision of Raf pushing him over the edge.
Feeling slightly guilty, he drifted off to sleep, Raf still on his mind and the card propped up on his nightstand.