Show Time, page 5
Dan shook his head. “Was it so terrible for you?”
“What? No. I had fun.” It wasn’t terrible at all. The opposite of terrible and he wanted it to continue.
“Then it doesn’t matter, does it?” If Dan didn’t want to discuss it, Ben wouldn’t push. After all, he wasn’t his actual boyfriend. He kept walking. Soon he’d be on his way back to London, back to his small unit filled with Grandma’s plants and he would have his photos and his memories of this week to look at with fondness. Ben wanted to try and be brave enough to ask Dan if he wanted to continue being his boyfriend when they returned to London. The usual rush of anxiety sent a cold shiver across the back of his neck. Could he be brave enough? Or would Dan push him away because he wanted more than their initial deal?
They boarded the ferry and sat inside with their suitcases beside them. Dan was absorbed by his phone and Ben said nothing. The moment had passed. He wasn’t brave enough.
***
“When am I going to meet your boyfriend?” Grandma barely gave him enough time to walk in the door before she spoke. Ben shook his head.
“Invite him to dinner.”
“Maybe.”
“Why not? Was he an asshole?”
Ben closed his eyes. “No, Grandma. He was not an asshole.” His chest pounded like he’d been running. He needed to unpack his suitcase and get ready to go into Seraph’s tonight for his shift. He wanted to get in their early just in case Beth had made a mess of his systems while he’d been away. She wouldn’t have; it was her place more than his, but he’d made a lot of improvements over the last six months. Breathe; this feeling was just anxiety spiralling. Breathe.
“Then invite him to dinner.”
“I can’t do dinner. I work at night.” Ben stated the obvious.
“Lunch then. We need to have lunch to celebrate Rachel’s promotion. Bring him along.”
“Rachel got a promotion? Awesome.”
Grandma grinned. “Hell yeah.” She tilted her head. “Hey, you can’t distract me like that. I want to meet your man.”
Ben wished Dan was his man. “I’ll ask him.” Explaining the whole situation was too hard, too complicated, and he’d never be able to hide his feelings from Grandma. He needed some time to figure out what he wanted to do before he had to listen to her opinions on his life.
“Now?”
“Fine.” Ben pulled out his phone and sent Dan a message.
Ben: Would you like to have lunch?
Ben slid his phone back into his pocket and carried his suitcase to the laundry to begin unpacking. After a few minutes, it was obvious that Dan wasn’t going to answer. He finished this task, then went to have a shower in his ordinary shower with mediocre water pressure. After towelling himself dry, he checked his phone, because he couldn’t help it.
Dan: Sorry. Battery ran out. Lunch sounds great.
Relief flooded Ben’s veins with warmth and he knew he was screwed. It ought to be impossible to fall in love after only a week; especially when that week was spent on a holiday in an idyllic location. It wasn’t real life.
“Grandma, what day are we having lunch for Rachel?” he asked as he walked back to his room to get dressed for work.
“She says Sunday suits her best.”
“Cool.”
Ben: Sunday He almost added that it would be with his whole family, but he’d see Dan before then, so it would be better to explain in person. Yes, it wasn’t great that he wanted to avoid talking about it...
Dan: Ok. Will I see you at work?
Ben: Yes
“Dan said yes.” Ben closed his door before Grandma could continue on the conversation. She was wonderfully nosy and would want all the details. He’d use work as an excuse and get out of here as fast as he could. Once dressed, he hugged Grandma and reminded her to take her medication before he rushed off to Seraph’s.
“Ben. How was the holiday?” Beth welcomed him inside with a huge grin.
“Fun.”
“Awesome. Have you got any photos? And why didn’t you share any with the group?” Seraph’s had an online chat group for all the staff. He should’ve uploaded a few images.
“Um, we were busy. You can have a look on my laptop if you want.”
“Yes please.” Beth pulled out her phone, and shortly afterwards, Ben’s own phone dinged with a notification.
Beth: Ben has photos. Meet on stage.
He bit back a sigh and walked to his desk in the wings of the stage. As he plugged in his laptop and opened up the file folder, everyone started to gather around, crowding him. He wanted to ask them all to stand back but didn’t. If they were excited, he wasn’t going to be the one to stop them.
“Here you go.” He pulled up a few of the photos of the scenery and everyone gushed over them. There were several that he was proud of, especially this sunset one. He clicked to the next one, and gasped. Crap. He couldn’t close it fast enough but judging from the silence around him, they’d all seen it anyway.
“Very artistic.” Charlie’s barely held laughter added to the heat burning at his skin. He hadn’t meant for anyone to see that photo of Dan; mostly naked and backlit by the sunset as he stared over the ocean. It was beautiful. His favourite.
“Show us another one.”
“Of Dan.”
Just when Ben didn’t think he could get any more embarrassed, Dan spoke. “Why are you showing them photos of me?”
“I’m not. I’m showing them photos of my trip.”
“Our trip.”
“Yeah.”
“I heard Mykonos has a famous nudist beach. Did you go there?” Steph asked. Yes, but there was no way Ben was going to show his work colleagues the photos he’d taken there. Dan stretched out naked on the sand, or the one with Ben sitting in Dan’s lap and Dan staring up at the camera with sex-glazed eyes. No, those ones were too intimate.
“My favourite photo is this one.” Dan placed his phone on the table beside Ben’s laptop with a selfie of the two of them showing on screen. There could be no hiding from the way Ben stared at Dan in the photo, which meant there was only one thing Ben could do. He ignored everyone, and the way they were looking at both him and Dan, and he opened his very favourite photo. Dan leaning against the stone hotel in his suit on the morning of the wedding, staring at the camera—at Ben—as if he were the most wonderful thing in the world. The little half-smile that showed off his dimples and the way the light picked up the green and blue flecks in his brown eyes. It was a technically perfect image, and it was more than that. Dan’s yearning filled the frame.
“I had the best time.” Ben turned and stared at Dan when he said that.
“So did I. Thank you for being the best fake boyfriend ever.” Dan had to ruin the moment with that reminder, didn’t he? Ben blinked to cover the way his eyes filled with tears.
“Doesn’t look very fake to me.” Reiko’s whisper rang around the room. Ben swallowed. Now was the moment to be brave.
“It’s not fake.” Both he and Dan spoke together. Oh. Almost before he could process what had just happened, Dan was in his arms.
“Best real boyfriend ever.” He leaned in close and whispered. “If you’ll have me.”
“Yes.” Ben didn’t need to say more.
“Come on, let’s leave them to it.” Beth’s no-nonsense command filtered in and the shuffle of everyone’s shoes across the stage was enough for Ben to know that he was here, alone, with Dan.
“I want to make this real,” Ben said. Dan kissed him and all of Ben’s doubts fled. This was the beginning of something amazing.
Chapter 7
It was the best day of Dan’s life. He’d been so worried that Ben’s family would be like his own. Instead, he embraced their acceptance and let it surround him like a warm blanket. They wanted him and he knew he could love them as much as he loved Ben and it would never be pulled away.
“Look at you two kids. Anyone who makes my Ben smile like that is welcome in this family,” Ben’s mum, Henrietta, said. Dan let this newfound joy wash over him, and he realised that even with his best friends he’d never let himself love them so freely. They were his found family and he’d do anything for them. Of course. There was no question there. He’d stayed friends with Krishna when there was all this caution between them, because he’d needed someone to be his family. And Krishna, for all his judgement, understood. But he knew he’d always held something back because he couldn’t let himself get hurt again. He always grabbed at lust too hard but never at love. Love was temporary. People would ultimately refuse to want him if they knew everything. Ben’s family gave him the gift of permanence.
“Don’t start planning our wedding just yet.” Ben laughed. “We’ve only been together for a couple of weeks.”
“But you are thinking about a wedding already?” Rachel, Ben’s sister, cackled, leaving Dan stunned. Could it be that Ben really wanted him that much? And for this family to casually talk about a gay wedding as if were something to be celebrated. Wow. Dan wanted to spend the rest of his life with these people, accepted into Ben’s family. It gave him the freedom to love completely. He could give his whole self and his entire heart safely with Ben and his family. In safe hands forever.
“Don’t leave it too long. I’m getting old.” Ben’s Grandma joined in with the theme and Dan tried not to squirm with joy in his chair.
“I promise, Grandma. We’ll get married while you are still well enough to walk us up the aisle.” Ben sounded serious.
“Seriously?” Dan couldn’t breathe.
“I know it’s too soon, but yes, Dan. I want to marry you one day.”
Dan jumped up and kissed Ben, thoroughly, not caring that they were in a restaurant. The applause added a note of perfection to the moment. He wanted to jump into Ben’s lap and show him exactly how much he adored him, but instead, he pulled back from the kiss and rested his forehead against Ben’s.
“One day soon. Please.”
“Yes.”
Someone bumped him on the shoulder. “Okay, love birds. Either get a room or sit down and tell us more about this holiday you went on.”
Dan adored these people. “Ben, I love you, and I fucking love your family.”
“I love you too. Now sit down or they’ll get worse.” Ben laughed and Dan sat down. He must be glowing because his whole body felt like it was on fire in the very best way. Lust was fine, but love and acceptance was incredible.
***
If you enjoyed this book, you’ll love my mm novel, CRAVING HIS SPOTLIGHT.
A celebrity client, an uptight CEO, one night to break the sexual tension and get it out of their systems. . .
Last time he was famous, Riley’s life spun out of control in a maelstrom of drink and bad decisions. So when an impulse upload of his catchy new song threatens his hard won peace, he needs help managing the lure of the spotlight. He just didn't expect the gorgeous CEO of the PR firm he hires to be the biggest temptation of all.
Vince knows he should say no to the man behind the song that defined his disastrous teen years. The last thing he needs is a recovering alcoholic as a client; he knows first hand how addiction can destroy lives. But one look at Riley and he would do anything to protect him, as a client, and much more.
Their chemistry could incinerate a city, making working together impossible. They make a deal to indulge just once, so they can concentrate. Once isn’t enough, but the paparazzi are closing in, ready to expose Riley’s hidden identity. How can a relationship with a client end well, when Vince’s professionalism and Riley’s private life are on the line?
***
The SERAPH’S BURLESQUE CLUB series consists of two gay novellas and three lesbian novels is set in a burlesque club in London. If you love to read about a found family with queer people who thrive, this series has that and more.
***
Want a bit more sexy romance and see how Dan and Ben are getting on? Grab two free short stories as an exclusive bonuses when you sign up for my newsletter.
Acknowledgements
I pay my respects to the Wangal people of the Eora Nation, who are the traditional owners of the land on which this book was written.
Thank you to Daniel de Lorne, Paul Barrett, Nick Lovett, Andrew Russell, Mary-Anne O’Connor, and Katie Lambert for sharing your memories of travels to the Greek Islands.
As always, thank you to everyone who has read this book and any of my other books.
Author Notes
Greek Orthodox weddings tend to avoid certain dates for religious reasons, including August 1-15, and August 29, so while this wedding happens in the most popular month for visiting Mykonos, it also happens in the second half of August.
All Books by Renée Dahlia
Thanks for reading SHOW TIME. I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews can help readers find books, and I am grateful for all honest reviews. Thank you for taking the time to let others know what you’ve read, and what you thought. If you write a review for SHOW TIME and email me (renee at reneedahlia dot com) with the link, I will send you a free copy of a book of your choice from my backlist.
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You’ve just read a book in my Seraph’s Burlesque Club Series.
Contemporary Series: Seraph’s Burlesque Club
Show Up (ff with bisexual heroine)
Show Off (ff with bisexual heroines)
Show Queen (ff)
Show Time (mm)
Show Dance (mm)
Contemporary Series: Kapow!
Out of Her League (fm with bisexual characters)
His Buxom Beauty (fm)
Craving His Spotlight (mm)
Her Pregnant Rival (ff)
Contemporary Series: Farrellton Foster Family
Betrayed (fm)
Forbidden (fm with bisexual characters)
Liability (ff)
Contemporary Series: Margaret River TV: Boxed Set
- Homage (fm with bisexual heroine)
- Uplift (ff with bisexual heroines)
Contemporary Series: Merindah Park
Merindah Park (fm)
Making Her Mark (fm with bisexual heroine)
Two Hearts Healing (fm)
Racetrack Royalty (fm)
Contemporary Series: Rainbow Cove
His Christmas Pearl (fm)
His Christmas Pride (mm)
Historical Series: Great War
Her Lady’s Melody (ff)
Her Lady’s Fortune (ff)
Her Lady’s Honor (ff)
His Lord’s Soldier (mm)
Historical Series: Bluestockings
Prequel: The Shipwrecked Earl’s Bride (fm with bisexual hero)
To Charm a Bluestocking (fm with bisexual hero)
In Pursuit of a Bluestocking (fm)
The Heart of a Bluestocking (fm)
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Also by Renee Dahlia
BeST
Count Me In
Strum Me Hard
Desiring The Dexingtons
Love Wasn't Built In A Day
Gamble Racing
Driven To Distraction (Coming Soon)
Great War
Her Lady's Melody
Her Lady's Fortune
His Lord's Soldier
Kapow
Out of Her League
Rekindled
His Buxom Beauty
Craving His Spotlight
Her Pregnant Rival
Seraph's Burlesque Club
Show Up
Show Off
Show Queen
Show Time
Standalone
The Shipwrecked Earl's Bride
Watch for more at Renee Dahlia’s site.
Renee Dahlia, Show Time
