It took Jason a moment to figure out what he meant. “Sure.”
They left the garage, William calling after them. “Hey, you guys want to go on a double date sometime?”
“Again?” Tim called back. “Ow!”
After a moment Ben answered for them both. “Just tell us when!”
William spun around and grinned. “You
so
need them to adopt you!”
“Jason Wyman?” he replied, cocking his head. “Or Jason Bentley. Neither sounds right.”
“Not as good as Jason Townson, anyway.” William said with a wink.
Tim crossed his arms over his chest, staring across the restaurant at the other diners instead of the fork in front of his face. “Mushrooms are disgusting,” he said.
“You’ve never tried a portobello,” Ben said, jabbing the fork at him.
Jason and William exchanged amused looks. So far, this dinner had been like a private soap opera as Ben and Tim flirted or got into little arguments. Mostly they got along, but moments like these cracked Jason up.
“Portobello is still a mushroom,” Tim said, “and mushrooms are disgusting. This one is just bigger and slimier. Looking at it turns my stomach.”
“Then close your eyes,” Ben said. When Tim didn’t comply, he sighed. “If you love me, you’ll close your eyes.”
There was no getting out of that. Tim closed his eyes. He was obviously peeking though, so Ben made him cover his eyes with his hands. Their waiter, who was approaching the table, stopped, stared, and turned around again. Meanwhile, Ben had replaced the mushroom on his fork with a slice of fried goat cheese from his salad. He popped this into Tim’s mouth, and they all watched as he chewed thoughtfully and grimaced.
“Tastes just like any other mushroom,” he said.
Ben pulled Tim’s hands away, uncovering his eyes. “That wasn’t a mushroom!”
Tim smirked. “I know. It was goat cheese. You really thought I wouldn’t notice?”
“That was the plan,” Ben said. “Now try some portobello for real.”
Tim did what he was told, and even though it was obvious he didn’t enjoy the taste, he made sure to tell Ben otherwise.
William chuckled and shook his head. “How long have you guys been together?”
Ben and Tim glanced at each other as they mentally tallied it up.
“About two years,” Ben said.
“Two?” Tim looked incredulous. “More like thirteen!”
“Thirteen years since we met, but he asked how long we’ve been together.”
Tim frowned. “Two years? Is that all?”
“Quality over quantity,” Ben said. “We’ve made up for lost time since we got back together.”
As comforting as the words were intended to be, it was clear that Tim still felt unhappy.
“You never stopped loving each other,” Jason said. “When you were apart, you still felt the same way, right? So you could say you’ve been in love for thirteen years.”
“There you go,” Ben said.
“Not as cool as actually being together,” Tim said, “but I’ll take it. Besides, being apart was for the best.”
“What do you mean?” William asked.
“If we had stayed together,” Tim explained, “I’m not so sure I would have changed. At least not as much. I had to be on my own to become the person I needed to be.”
Ben nodded. “You hear about high school sweethearts getting back together, and I used to think it was just nostalgia or people trying to recapture their youth. Now I know that people sometimes meet when they’re young and see potential in each other, but then discover they aren’t ready yet.”
“That’s right,” Tim said. “People need time to get ripe. Like fruit. We’re a couple of ripe bananas.”
Ben laughed. “This probably sounds crazy to you both.”
“No, I get what you mean,” William said. “Sometimes you have to be on your own to become who you were meant to be. I feel that way too.”
Jason glanced over at him, wondering what he meant.
“So,” Tim said, “what movie are we seeing tonight?”
“Friday the 13
th
,” Jason said distractedly, before giving Tim his full attention. “It’s a remake, and if they’ve screwed up the franchise, I’ll be the next Jason to get creative with a machete.”
“Jason Takes Hollywood,” William said.
“Exactly. Wait, was that a
Jason Takes Manhattan
reference?”
William looked proud. “I’ve seen my share of horror movies.”
Jason was so impressed that he forgot about William’s strange comment. At least until the subject came up again later that night. They were alone in the backyard, Ben and Tim giving them their privacy. Jason had fetched his guitar, stripped off his shirt, and settled down into a chair. William had adjusted a piece of lawn furniture so it was almost flat and was lying on his side, fist resting against his lips as he watched Jason play. Between songs, he moved away his hand and spoke.
“I’m excited about prom,” he said. “Are you?”
“Honestly?” Jason continued to strum the guitar lightly. “I’m a little nervous. I take it you’re out at school?”
“Yeah,” William said, propping himself up on an elbow. “Since forever.”
“And nobody gives you shit for it?”
“People have called me names…” William flexed an arm and grinned. “But for some reason, no one’s tried to pick a fight.”
“In that case I hope your muscles are still visible beneath your tuxedo.”
“Did you rent yours already?”
Jason nodded. “Ben wanted to buy me one, but I insisted I could handle it on my own.”
William rolled over onto his back and considered the stars. “This dance will be our grand finale. For now, at least.”
Jason stopped playing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“My enlistment in the Coast Guard,” William said.
“So? That’s still months away.” Jason swallowed. “Isn’t it? I figured it was like school. You get the summer off and…”
William sat up and swung his legs around. “I ship out to Cape May the week after I graduate.”
“I don’t even know where that is,” Jason said, feeling lost.
“New Jersey.”
“And how long will you be gone?”
William studied his face and must have seen the emotion there because he hesitated. “You’ve known about this since the beginning.”
“How long?” Jason said, his throat feeling tight.
“Four years.”
Jason set aside the guitar and stared. “You’ll come back though, right? You’ll have—I don’t know—shore leave or whatever.”
“I’ll be back for holidays and such, but this is a full-time commitment. I don’t get weekends off like a normal job. Joining the Coast Guard takes dedication.”
“Can’t it wait?” Jason asked. “At least until the end of summer?”
William shook his head. “I’m sorry. I enlisted last year so I wouldn’t have to wait. At the time I was eager to get away from here. Now it’s not so easy, especially since you came along. I know four years is a long time, Jason. Too long for me to expect you to wait.”
“I don’t care. I’ll wait.”
William smiled sadly. “I won’t let you.”
Jason clenched his jaw. “You don’t have a say in it!”
“I do. Becoming a rescue swimmer is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s going to take absolutely all of my willpower and attention and frankly…” William’s face twisted up. “After all that time with Kelly, of trying to make someone else happy instead of taking care of myself, I need a break. I can’t go to the Coast Guard and think about how sad you are, sitting here for years and years while waiting for me. What if you meet someone or just want to screw around? I can’t worry about any of that. Not if I’m going to do what I need to do.”
What Jason said next was selfish, and he knew it was, but he didn’t care. “So don’t join the Coast Guard. If it’s a choice between me and leaving, then stay here.”
William eyed him. “This is my dream we’re talking about. You know that, right?”
“Yeah.”
William chewed his lip, then nodded. “Okay. If you want me to give that up for you, I will. That’s how much I love you.”
“Good,” Jason said, but he already felt terrible and knew he’d never forgive himself. “I’ll remember that when you’re gone.” His voice cracked. “When it hurts the most, I’ll remember that you would have stayed for me.”
William hopped up, yanked Jason to his feet, and held him. “I’m sorry,” he said.
Jason shook his head. “Don’t be. You just become the best rescue swimmer they’ve ever had.”
“I’ll try,” William said. “I promise.”
“Four years!”
“I know. Of course, you could join too. Be my bunkmate.”
Jason pulled away and laughed bitterly. “I’ve never done well with authority, and I doubt I’d even pass the physical. I don’t think I’d make it.”
“We will though,” William said. “Just like Ben and Tim. All those years went by and they still found each other again. And if some hot guy sweeps you off your feet in the meantime, I’ll be happy, because I’ll know that you’re loved. But someday, even if we’re both in an old folks’ home and have lost our husbands, I bet we’ll find our way back to each other again.”
Jason put on a brave smile, even though he didn’t feel so certain. He knew that not all stories had happy endings and the chances of a guy like William staying single were slim to none. But Jason couldn’t force him to stay, and he couldn’t go with him, so there didn’t seem to be any other choice. “So what now?”
William considered the question and exhaled. “Now we make the best of the time we have left.”
* * * * *
Prom wasn’t what Jason had expected. He thought it would be held at the school, maybe in the gymnasium, like in
Carrie
. A hotel ballroom had been booked instead, and yet that feeling of returning to high school remained. Had he not dropped out, Jason would have only been in his first year of college, but still, the vibe was much much… younger. Maybe he felt this way because he’d been on his own and working for the last few years, or maybe he was just being silly.
As the night wore on, the dance floor became a manic stage for drama. He overheard two breakups, saw more than one crying girl being comforted by friends, and had a lovely confrontation with drunk jocks who called him a faggot. Jason had swung—and missed—but before anyone could retaliate, William had stepped in front of him. After sizing him up, the jocks had wandered away to get wasted or laid or whatever mindless cattle did for entertainment. Not that Jason could judge. He would rather be in bed with William right now, or getting trashed so he could stop thinking about him leaving soon.
The last few weeks had been intense, Jason spending every moment he could with William. Any hour outside of work or school was spent together, and rarely did a night go by that they weren’t sleeping side by side. And tonight—which really did feel like the end because William had graduation and so much to prepare for before leaving—had been mostly frustrating when it was meant to be special.
Jason tried to focus on William as they danced. He was so handsome, cutting a perfect figure in his conservative tuxedo, like a version of James Bond that was more sweet than suave. Jason had done his best to find something that didn’t conform, renting a tux with tails and borrowing Tim’s metallic blue bow tie. And he’d let his hair remain shaggy and untamed. William had reached out, touching it more than once to the delight of the girls building up around them. The eyes of their audience shone more with every affectionate gesture. This helped ease Jason’s anger at the jocks. If only women ruled the world. He was certain it would be a better place.
Jason caught sight of a school chaperone shouting at the DJ and pointing to the dance floor as if Godzilla had been spotted there. The DJ nodded, ended the song early, and replaced it with a ballad. The rowdy vibe died down as people either sought a partner or fled the scene. The lights grew dimmer, artificial starlight spinning around the room, but Jason stopped paying attention to their surroundings. He let William take him in his arms. Or vice versa, since William rested his arms on Jason’s shoulders, just as so many girls around them were doing to their guys.
The next song was also a ballad, William pulling him closer, hugging Jason as they leisurely spun in place. Jason willed time to slow to a crawl, wanting this moment to last forever. William might have been wishing the same. When they kissed, a few girls around them squealed. William smiled against Jason’s lips before really giving them a show. The outside world was forgotten again during the third song. Then, perhaps because the vibe had become tense in another sort of way, another dance song started pumping through the speakers.
Jason stepped back, asking with his expression if William really wanted to keep dancing. After a shake of the head, Jason led him by the hand out of the ballroom. Tim had rented a limo, which was a nice gesture. Or a way of preventing the Bentley from being loaned out again. The biggest present was the house being all theirs tonight. Ben and Tim were at a bed and breakfast. Jason hadn’t thought to ask where, but the phone number was on the kitchen table.
He asked the limo driver to take them home and stared off into space. William fiddled with the mini-bar, making comments about the contents. Before long, he sighed and shook Jason as if he were asleep.
“You’re thinking about it again,” William said.
“Sorry.” This happened a lot recently. How could Jason not think of the future and how empty it would be without William? He tried to plan ahead, searching desperately for something to occupy his time, like a second job or school. “I researched becoming a veterinarian. Did I mention that already?”
“No,” William said. “Is there a special school for that?”
“Yeah, and you need four years of college to get into it.”
William shrugged as if this wasn’t a daunting task.
“Then another four years at
that
school to become a vet.”
Now William looked surprised. “Eight years of school to become a vet?”
“Yup.”
“Oh. Are you going to do it?”
Jason laughed. “I didn’t have the patience to finish high school. I’m not going to sign up for almost a decade of education.”
“Maybe you could be a veterinary assistant instead.”