Page 16 of Glow

Dan ordered the filet mignon while Quinn went for a sirloin. A salad, sautéed mushrooms, and a huge baked potato went with each meal. To Dan’s delight, everything was as good as Quinn promised. For a while, they focused on eating more than conversation.

“How was your day?” Dan enjoyed the strange sensation of feeling comfortable enough with a companion to not have first-date jitters.

“Pretty normal,” Quinn replied. “I worked on a presentation for the library on raccoons and another one on possums, part of my series trying to get people to recognize how important the underappreciated animals are, even if they aren’t sexy. It’s kind of like being an interspecies ambassador.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Dan said. “Are there any strange creatures that live in the Adirondacks?”

“How strange?” Quinn smirked.

“Some people might call them monsters…” Dan hated to apply that word to other cryptids.

“There’ve been plenty of Bigfoot sightings, if that’s the kind of thing you mean,” Quinn said. “People say that Champ is a sea monster who lives in Lake Champlain. New York and Vermont even gave Champ protected status.” Quinn paused to take a bite of his cherry pie. “There’s something called a ‘Numley’ in this area that doesn’t have any hair and takes things from campsites, and ‘stick men’ who throw rocks at hikers. Those are the ones I’ve heard of. Not to mention ghosts.”

“Do you believe in them?” Dan realized he was holding his breath waiting for an answer.

“The ghosts? Definitely,” Quinn replied. “I spend a lot of time in the woods by myself. There are places with a very creepy vibe that I avoid near dark. Sometimes there’s a story to go with it, most of the time there isn’t, but I know how it feels.” He sipped his coffee. “About Bigfoot and the others? It’s a really large, old forest, and tourists only access a small portion. Plenty of room for things to stay out of sight.”

“Do they scare you? The cryptids,” Dan clarified.

Quinn shook his head. “Why should they? If they were a danger, we’d know by now. I’ve found predator kills in the woods, but nothing we couldn’t explain with native wildlife. I imagine any unusual creatures would be like the human hermits that move here. They just want to be left alone.”

Dan felt dizzy with relief. “I like that approach. Makes sense to me.”

“Why? Please don’t say you’re one of those monster hunters,” Quinn said. “Park rangers hate those guys.”

“Not at all,” Dan quickly replied. “I’m a live-and-let-live kind of guy. But I like hearing stories about things that are unusual and maybe a little supernatural.”

“Fox Hollow has plenty of both,” Quinn assured him.

They fell quiet before Dan abruptly changed the subject. “Oh, I didn’t show you the house I rented.” Dan realized and got his phone, quickly accessing the photos he had taken. “Recently updated, lots of elbow room inside, and very quiet outside without being too far away.”

Quinn looked at the pictures and nodded. “I like it. Looks comfortable and private. I’ll be glad to help you hold a housewarming when you’re ready.”

Dan could think of several ways to heat things up, but they weren’t quite to that point yet.

Maybe soon. Once I get my act together. Fingers crossed.

“When are you going to go back for your stuff?” Quinn asked. “I can put in for time off to help if you need me to.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate that.” Dan was touched by Quinn’s concern. “But the new place is furnished, so I just need to grab my clothes and computer equipment. The stuff I want to keep I can have put in storage once the house sells. I was thinking of driving back tomorrow and being here the next day. I can’t get into the new place until Lisa gets it prepped.”

“It’ll be nice to have you here for good,” Quinn told him. “I still haven’t had you out to my place. I’m not a half-bad cook.”

“I’d like that,” Dan said. “Very much.”

They chatted about streaming shows and the weather on the drive back. Quinn pulled up in front of the hotel, and Dan felt sad that the evening was over.

Quinn leaned in and allowed Dan to close the distance, likely to ensure Dan was on board with the kiss. This time, they lingered, growing more heated. Quinn’s hand ran along Dan’s thigh, and Dan leaned into him, making it clear that he was open to the touch.

They broke apart, breathless, a few minutes later.

“I like you. A lot,” Quinn confessed. “And I know we haven’t known each other long, but I want you, and I want to see where this can go between us.”

“So do I.” Dan admitted to himself that Quinn had been what sealed the deal about moving to Fox Hollow. “We can take our time. Once I get settled, I’m here for good.”

“I’m counting on it,” Quinn said in a low rumble. “Call me when you get into Dover tomorrow, and let me know when you decide to head back. I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too,” Dan said, surprised at how quickly the connection between them had grown. “And I promise to call. I care about you.”