Page 101 of Love at First Rep

A giggle escaped Garrett before he turned to grab his keys and jacket before meeting Rafe on the porch and locking the door behind him. When he turned to face Rafe, Garrett brought his hands to Rafe’s cheeks, holding him steady as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“You are the most adorable man who ever lived.”

Garrett ended his statement with a quick kiss to Rafe’s lips. When he pulled back, he grabbed Rafe’s hand and pulled him toward the car, Rafe unable to wipe the grin from his face. But then again, why should he?

So far, so good.

After a short drive, Rafe pulled into the Wendy’s drive-thru, and Garrett tilted his head in confusion.

“Is this how you seduce all the boys?” he asked from the passenger seat.

Rafe snorted. “Of course not, mi dulzura. This is just for you.”

Garrett chuckled as Rafe ordered them dinner. Two burgers, fries and two chocolate Frosties. Perfect.

After getting their food, Rafe headed to the next part of their date, both of them enjoying the companionable silence. The last couple weeks had been nonstop chaos, and it was nice to just be together.

“Uhh, where are we going?” Garrett asked, breaking the silence when Rafe turned off the highway that led to Philly to instead take the exit for Camden.

Camden may not have been known as a popular date spot, but Rafe knew exactly what he was doing. His only response was a chuckle as he continued driving, heading straight for the Delaware River.

Rafe arrived at an empty lot that overlooked the river, the bright lights of Philly and the nearby Ben Franklin Bridge making for a hell of a scenic overlook.

Once they parked, Rafe grabbed the food and opened his door.

“Come on,” he said, and Garrett followed.

Rafe met Garrett at the front of the car. “Hold this,” he said as he held out the food for Garrett, who took it without question. Rafe hurried to the backseat, returning with two pillows and a thick blanket.

He lay the blanket over the hood of the car and placed the two pillows against the windshield. Then he took the food from Garrett and settled it in the middle of the blanket before he climbed onto the hood and settled against the pillow, patting the spot next to him for Garrett to join him.

Garrett smiled brighter than all the lights on the river, and he quickly joined Rafe on the car.

“Do you remember the last time we did this?” Rafe asked once Garrett settled next to him and they unwrapped their burgers.

“I’d almost forgotten until you pulled out the blanket and pillows,” he answered with a laugh. “We came here the night before we were deployed, right?”

“That’s right.” Rafe grinned at his boyfriend, their lives coming full circle right before their eyes. “Best meal I ever had.”

Garrett reached out to Rafe to pull him forward, planting a soft kiss on his mouth. Rafe whimpered when Garrett pulled back, drawing another grin from his man.

“You’re way more of a romantic than I would have guessed.”

Rafe paused in the middle of lifting his burger to take a bite, the aroma making his mouth water. “Is that a good or bad thing?”

“It’s an amazing thing.”

They shared a fond glance and ate in silence for a bit as they gazed out at the river.

“We should go out on the water this summer. Maybe rent a boat or something,” Garrett suggested.

“That’s a great idea. I miss going down the shore. Remember that time a seagull stole a hot dog right out of your hand when you were about to take a bite?”

“Yes, I do.” He held his food closer to his chest and looked to the sky, as if he was waiting for a gull to dive on him any second. “Damn seagulls.”

They’d gone to the beach together a few times before their last deployment. Since then, Rafe had seen beaches in South America, Europe and even Japan, but none of them were nearly as good as sitting on a sandy South Jersey beach next to Garrett. Hopefully, they’d be able to enjoy some of the summer together at the shore.

As they ate, Rafe thought about everything they’d been through, and everything Garrett went through without him.