Zach’s heart pounded, like it wanted to reach out. He couldn’t leave until he’d made him smile.
“That is not getting to bed,” Brandy said, following Zach into the living room.
“Lights on. Dim though.” Zach plucked out a record and gloried in the crackling sound as it played.
Brandy leaned against the wall, arms folded. Eyes softer than before, at least. “What are you doing?”
Warmth zipped over him as he stepped up. He took Brandy’s hand and tugged him onto the balls of his feet. Eyes locked onto his, so blue this close. Breath tickled his nose, a reminder to keep moving. In the centre of the room, he locked his arms around Brandy’s neck. “Dance with me.”
Arms settled loose at Zach’s hips. “Why?”
“Channelling music makes me happy. I want you happy.”
Brandy flowed with him and the music, gentle sways, and there, the beginning of a smile.
“I’ve behaved badly, Brandy.”
“Have you?”
“Flaunting my crush around you when you don’t have one.” Brandy opened his mouth, and fairy dust flitted through Zach’s head. “It’s just . . . I like sharing how I feel with you. It’s like music; it makes me feel good.”
Hands shifted on his hips. “Then keep sharing.”
“But—”
“I like making you feel good.”
Zach swallowed. He drew one of Brandy’s hands from his hip and placed it on his chest. “Do you feel how it thumps?”
“Jack does that to you, huh?”
Zach shook his head. “You do that to me.” He slid closer, arms and elbows around his neck this time. “Being my friend.”
Face down in the soft cushions of Brandy’s couch, Zach inhaled the blissful aroma of hazelnut coffee.
He peeked through his eyelashes and a blur of colour sharpened into Brandy pottering around the kitchen in his flannel pyjamas. Zach groaned. He’d even buttoned up to the throat!
“Shouldn’t you have showered? Shouldn’t you be prancing about half wet in cute boxers by now?”
“Good morning to you too.”
“Seriously, though.”
“Thought you only saw me once, while hanging out your washing?”
“Oh. Well. I hang out a lot of washing?”
Brandy snorted.
Zach tried to scowl. Pssh, too much effort before caffeine. “Fine. My bedroom window has a direct line to your living room. All accidental glimpses. That might have lingered out of bemusement.”
“Bemusement, hmm?”
As Zach shifted, a blanket slid down his bare back. That hadn’t been there when he’d collapsed onto the sofa last night. Neither had his clothes been folded neatly over the back of a nearby armchair.
As he recalled, he’d flung things about as he’d danced.
“Do you have another pair of undies I can wear?”
“Barton cottage is literally twenty yards from here.”
“But it’s dewy out.”
“Your clothes are there.”
“But then I have to dress and then undress and then dress again. Also, I forgot to bring the washing in last night so everything’ll be damp.”
Brandy crossed the room and Zach sat up, wincing.
“Stay as you are, drink coffee. I have a dryer.”
Zach accepted a steaming mug from Brandy’s hand and breathed it in. “Are you for real? I love you.”
“So you’re fond of saying.”
“Ohh, while you’re out there, grab my fedora from my bedroom?”
Dressed, underwear still toasty from the dryer, it was time to show Brandy how much he appreciated all this. He dragged him to the front door and ordered his shoes on. “Gimme the keys to your chariot, we’re going on an adventure.”
Brandy’s eyes widened; he leaped for the car keys over which Zach’s hand hovered. “Best I drive.”
“Protective of your car?”
“More of my general body.”
“Hey, I’m not a bad driver. I’ll have you know I got my full license on the third try.”
Brandy gripped his keys harder and led the way to the car.
“I’ve barely ever had an accident. Unless you count the time I rolled a Honda, but that was the possum’s fault. Anyway, we both walked away without a scratch.”
“In you get. Buckle up.”
Brandy was still shaking his head when he started the engine.
Zach folded his arms and huffed. “For the record, I’m offended.”
“There, there.” Brandy landed a hand on his shoulder. “You can give me directions.”
Exactly twenty minutes later they pulled up outside Scout Little Penguins. “You could have told me where we were going. I would’ve had us here fifteen minutes ago.”
“I was in charge of directions.”
“Apparently I should have asked if you knew left from right, first.”
“I meant right as in that’s the correct way. English is to blame here.”
Brandy growled lightly. “Out of the car, Zachary.”
Zach laughed, stretching in the fresh air of the cliffs and sea, and shut his door. “Have I told you how much I dig you calling me by my full name?”
Brandy snapped his head toward him. Gosh, there was something extra about Brandy when he wasn’t wearing pyjamas. Eyes like the sky, glittering with morning mist, the crisp button up totally adding to it. Looking at him was like walking barefoot over frosted grass. Every sense woke up with a quick shiver.
