“HELLO, MR. JONES,” Tom said.
“Hey. Gray not with you?”
Tom chuckled. “He’s at home, making sure that everything he has planned for this evening is perfect. I do believe he’s driving my wife to distraction with his fussing.”
Caiden laughed as he followed Tom to the car. “I can imagine.”
“It sounds weird, hearing you call him ‘Mr. Gray,’” Caiden said, nodding his thanks as Tom opened the rear passenger door for him.
“I suppose it would,” Tom said. He closed the door as Caiden fastened his seatbelt and then got into the front of the car. “Now, I’ve been told to take extra care with you, so you’ll forgive me for driving with what might seem to be undue caution.”
Caiden burst out laughing again. “I’m not made of glass!”
“I wouldn’t have thought so, but Mr. Gray was quite insistent.” Tom started the car’s engine and began to drive.
They travelled down Tiddy Widdy Beach Road to Ardrossan, then through the town to the long stretch of tarmac that followed the line of the red rock bluffs that overlooked the ocean and went towards the grain silos that sat on the promontory. Caiden wound down the window a little and breathed deep, smelling sun, salt and sand, and he grinned to himself as the selkie within him gave a little wriggle of pleasure. It wasn’t a long drive to Gray’s home beyond the silos and soon Tom was driving up the curved driveway and then he stopped out the front of the main entrance.
Caiden unfastened his seatbelt and opened the car door and climbed out. He was amused and more than a little gratified to see Gray rush out of the front door of his house and down the shallow steps from the return verandah to greet Caiden with a wide smile and outstretched arms.
“Hey,” Caiden said, hugging Gray hard. “How’re you?”
“I’m good. Very good. I’m so glad you’re here. Are you hungry? Thank you, Tom, that’ll be all for today,” Gray said, his words coming out in a rush.
Caiden laughed. “Easy there, tiger.”
Gray wrinkled his nose, and then he laughed as well. “I’m a little excited to see you.”
“I got that impression.” Caiden let go of Gray and then took his hand in his own. “I’m happy to see you too. And yes, I am a bit hungry.”
“Oh good. Olive has made the most amazing dinner for us.”
“Then we should go and show our appreciation by eating it,” Caiden said.
Gray nodded and gently tugged Caiden’s hand, and Caiden followed him along amiably. The house was cool, and Caiden looked around with interest as Gray led him straight into the dining room where a large oak table had been set.
“Wow,” Caiden said, stopping on the threshold. “This is amazing, Gray. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”
“It’s partly in the way of an apology,” Gray said.
“For what?” Caiden looked around, taking in the lit candles in the candelabra in the centre of the table, the polished white plates with their gold rims, and the crystal goblets and fine silverware. White napkins were folded neatly, and there was a bottle of white wine, from the Barossa Valley, Caiden noted, reading the label, which bore the Kies Estate design.
“For causing you so much worry when I left,” Gray said.
“It’s okay,” Caiden said. He moved to Gray and cupped his face in his hands. “Really, it is. You explained it, and it made complete sense. I should have had more faith in you in the first place and not gone off half-cocked.”
“Half what?”
“Half-cocked, like when you cock a rifle and don’t do it properly, and you have no idea what I mean, huh?”
“Sort of. Such weapons as rifles and pistols and revolvers are museum pieces to me.”
Caiden laughed. “You sy’lph must think we Earthlings are very bloody backwards.”
“Only in the best way,” Gray said. “People on Earth are far more willing to listen and work towards a better future than my own people on our homeworld ever were. Of course, that doesn’t make missing our home planet any less, but it does give a little hope that this place will not go the same way.”
“Well, we can talk about that later. Why don’t we eat now?” Caiden suggested.
“All right.” Gray gestured, adding, “Please, sit down. Olive insisted on serving,” as Caiden made his way around the table to take a seat. “She said she didn’t want me ruining her cooking by not being able to dish it up properly because I have fumble fingers.”
Caiden laughed and laughed. It felt wonderful to do so, to be overtaken with mirth and laugh as often as he was. “She’s a love, isn’t she?”
“If you mean that she’s a lovely lady, then yes.”
“Yeah, that’s what I mean.” Caiden sat down. “So what are we starting with?”
Gray sat as well and reached out to pick up the bottle of wine. He poured for both of them and set the bottle back onto the table. “Olive has made a wonderful four-course meal for us. The starter is salmon with a caramelized-ginger glaze. Then the soup course is chicken and lime soup with avocado and freshly baked bread. Main is raspberry grilled trout with roast pumpkin pieces with rosemary in a balsamic glaze and a simple green salad, and desert is strawberries stuffed with lavender-honey cream cheese.”
“Blimey,” Caiden said. He was impressed. “Good thing I’m really hungry then. That sounds like a lot of food and all fit for a king.”
“Which is good, because you’re the king of my world, Caiden,” Gray said.
It was quite possibly the corniest line that Caiden had ever heard, but coming from Gray, it didn’t sound corny or cheesy at all. Instead, he made a soft “aww” sound and reached out to take Gray’s hand and give his fingers a gentle squeeze.
“You’re very sweet, Gray,” Caiden said.
“I’m simply telling you the truth of how I feel.”
Olive bustled in then, serving the starter with efficiency, and Caiden thanked her. Once she’d left the dining room, Caiden turned back to Gray. “Can I ask you something?”
Gray had begun to eat, and he nodded. Caiden started to eat as well, humming around his mouthful.
“This food is incredible! Olive is amazing.”
“She’s a wonderful cook,” Gray agreed. “What was it you wanted to ask?”
Caiden ate another mouthful, savouring the flavours and thinking about how to frame his question. When he swallowed, he took a sip of his wine, then after swallowing that, he took a deep breath. “Why me?”
“Why you which?” Gray looked puzzled.
“Why or what is it that attracts you to me?”
Gray looked even more puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Well, okay, I’m not all that and a bag of chips, you know? I’m just a guy who happens to be half-mythica on his mum’s side. I live in a tiny beach town near a slightly larger beach town, and I work with fish all day, every day, which can get a bit smelly. I spend as much time as possible near the sea, and my friends are all brats who love their beer just as much as I do. I’m an orphan with a sister and an amazing aunt, and I’m pretty average looking—green eyes, okay, those aren’t common, I guess, but dark hair, freckles, even ones as faint as mine, medium build, those are common. I swear a lot, I get moody, and I don’t really have much faith in anything. So why me?”
Gray finished his food and sat back, toying with the stem of his wine glass. His expression was thoughtful. “I think that if I were to explain all the reasons, we would never leave this room. Who can explain why they’re attracted to anyone? You’re very handsome, Caiden. More so than anyone I’ve ever met, and before you say that all my people are beautiful, let me tell you that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and to me, humans and mythica are the most beautiful bipeds I’ve ever seen.”
“Bipeds?” Caiden asked, amused.
“I have seen some very beautiful leopards and elephants, Caiden,” Gray said seriously.
Caiden blinked. Then he laughed. “Okay, fair enough. It’s true that compared to wildlife, we don’t even come close in the beauty stakes.”
“Quite so. Neither do sy’lph, believe you me. The way you acted in the Bridging Lives office, when Spiro first was poisoned. You gave no thought to yourself. You acted quickly to help him and others around him. You endured an injury with very good grace and humour. You made new friends. You watch over your sister with an eagle eye and your Aunt just the same, you’re loyal to your friends and family, you love the sea and your job. You care about the people around you and the coast and the world, I think, and that just speaks so much to me about the kind of individual you are, the kind of man you are.”
“And what kind of man is that?”
“A kind man, a protective man, a man who cares for others. A strong man who is passionate about his world, and has a sense of humour, enjoys life, and doesn’t see his being half-human as a handicap, merely something that he is in terms of scientific definitions. A friendly and welcoming man who hopes to see the best in people, and if he doesn’t, rather than spend hours on self-recriminations, instead comes to grips with his discoveries and deals with them accordingly. And a handsome man, a man who is a wonderful kisser and an even more wonderful lover, and a man that I hope to be able to spend many more nights like tonight with for as long as he’ll have me.”
Caiden stared at Gray for several minutes, robbed of speech. He had no words and no idea what to say. Finally, as the silence between them began to feel awkward, Caiden got to his feet, moved to Gray and bent down to kiss him. He kissed Gray’s lips, then his nose, then his cheeks, and finally his forehead.
“No one has ever said anything even close to that wonderful about me before.”
“Then they haven’t seen you as you really are.”
“You’re incredible, you know that? You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met in my life.” Caiden sat back down. “I don’t have the words to do justice to you, not like you just did. I’m not a wordsmith. I just say it as I find it. And you are so fucking gorgeous that sometimes you just take my breath away. But more than that, you’re fantastic. Gorgeous, awesome, wonderful.”
“Thank you, Caiden,” Gray said.
“You’re very welcome, Gray,” Caiden replied.
They both laughed.
Olive entered the room then, and her eyes were a little glassy. She took away their plates and brought them bowls of soup, and then she hugged Gray tight. Startled at the action, Caiden’s eyebrows shot up, and Gray awkwardly hugged her back.
“What’s this then?” he asked her.
“I heard what you said to young Caiden here, sir, and it was beautiful. I think you two are very well suited to each other,” Olive said.
Caiden smiled, feeling his cheeks heat up and knew he was blushing. “Thanks, Olive.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Right,” she said, suddenly all business. She let go of Gray and nodded once. “Enjoy your soup, gentlemen.” Then she was gone, scurrying out of the dining room before either Caiden or Gray could say a word.
“Let’s eat before it gets cold,” Gray suggested.
Caiden nodded. “It smells amazing.”
After the soup was the main, and Caiden ate slowly, savouring every mouthful. He helped himself to seconds of the salad, and Gray poured more wine; Olive bringing in another bottle before Gray could ask her to.
“She has a sixth sense,” Caiden said.
“She does seem to be extremely attuned to when we require more food or drink,” Gray said.
“You know, I was pretty okay with how my life was going,” Caiden said, sitting back after he’d finished his food. “And then I met you and realised that really, I wasn’t that okay at all.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, no, don’t be. It’s just that I figured out when you were away that how I felt about you was totally new to me. I’ve never felt like this before for anyone. I love my family and friends, but that’s a different sort of love. And I hope you’re paying attention to this, because I don’t want to have to repeat myself later. I’m not good with emotion conversations.”
Gray chuckled. “You have my complete attention, I assure you.”
“Awesome. Okay, so I realised that I liked you rather a lot. In fact, more than like, and I knew then that shit, this is love. And love hurts and it’s awesome and it’s so many things and it can be really fucking scary, but it’s worth it. So after we’ve finished eating this incredible meal Olive’s made for us, we are going upstairs and having so much sex that we won’t be able to walk properly for days. And you better believe it that it’s all with love in my heart. Love for you.”
Gray leaned over and kissed Caiden gently. “I love you too.”
“You are way better at this than me.”
“Not really. But I have been doing some research, particularly while I was in Melbourne, working with Zara and her team, and I discovered that it’s best to say these things straight out so as to avoid any confusion.”
Caiden felt his lips twitch as he tried not to laugh. “Research, huh?”
“Yes. I read some novels, and then some magazines, and I examined some websites. I also watched a few movies and listened very carefully to the lyrics of some different kinds of music.”
Caiden laughed again. He couldn’t help it. “You’re so adorable.”
“You are too,” Gray said.
“So, one more course?”
“Yes.”
“And I’m bringing it in now.” Olive entered the room. “I’ll leave the washing up until morning, Gray. That way you two have the house to yourselves, and Tom and I will stay in our place until the morning.”
“Thank you, Olive, that’s very kind,” Gray said.
“You’re welcome.” Olive set down two glass dishes that held strawberries that had been stuffed with the lavender-honey cream cheese. “I hope you enjoyed your meal.”
“It was incredible,” Caiden said. “Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome.” She smiled at them and collected up the plates of their main course and left the dining room.
Gray picked up a strawberry and popped it in his mouth. “Mm,” he said as he chewed. He swallowed and nodded. “These are magnificent.”
“Then I better eat mine before you decide to help yourself from my bowl,” Caiden teased.
He dug into the fruit and was amazed at the flavours in the simple looking dish. Olive, it seemed, was a gourmet chef. Caiden slowly ate each strawberry, finally licking the last traces of juice and cream from his spoon, and then he reached for his wine glass.
“Shall we go upstairs?” Gray asked.
“Yes,” Caiden said. He drained the contents of his wine glass and set it down on the table and then stood. “Just let’s grab a bottle of water to take up with us as well. We might get thirsty.”
“An excellent suggestion,” Gray said. “I’ll do that. You go on upstairs. Do you remember where the bedroom is?”
“Yeah, I do,” Caiden said. “I’ll see you up there.”
“Most definitely,” Gray said.