Hide Your Heart

Dinner

  After finding something subtle to wear, minus a hat, Paul went in search of Tommy. He found him still dozing on the porch swing. He stood in the doorway for a few minutes, hoping he was making the right choice.

Finally clearing his throat, he called Tommy's name softly. "Hey, do you want to go out to dinner? I made reservations and they're holding a double layer chocolate cake for us."

"If I say no, I'll wind up going anyway. Sure, dinner sounds fine. Thanks." Tommy got up and stretched. "I'll go unpack first, okay?" 

"Alright. Reservations are for six."

"Okay."

Paul puttered around the house until four. He headed for the shower then. Tommy was already in the guest room one. He hurt all over but wasn't about to tell Paul, much less Gene and Eric. "Damn, this stinks." 

At five they were both in Paul's car heading to the restaurant. Paul sang along to the radio while his passenger mostly stared out the window. Lost in his own world, Tommy didn't hear Paul calling his name. "Huh? I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I just said we're here."

Getting out, they walked inside. "HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY PAUL!!!!" yelled Eric. 

"Oh my God. No." mumbled Paul. He shot Gene and Eric a glare. They were leaving thankfully.

At the table, Paul asked for a wine menu. "Thanks." 

The two of them looked over the wine menu and made their selection. The waitress took their order and left. "Nice place." said Tommy. "You sure do know how to pick places." 

"Comes from years of being on the road...and not knowing how to cook for a long time."

" I don't very well."

"Gene can but he almost burned down his kitchen once because he was shagging and forgot the skillet was on. Needless to say, he didn't get a second date."

"Eric set off every smoke alarm in Euclid when he attempted to cook pizza." laughed Tommy. "It was awful." "We wound up ordering take out."

After ordering their dinner, the two drank more wine and ate their appetizers. During dinner, Paul came out and asked about seeing the bruises and such.

"I expected this is why you asked me to dinner. I'm surprised you wined and dined me to ask me. The answer is no, this is not any of your business." 

"Yes it is but I'll drop the subject. I'm sorry."

The rest of dinner was silently awkward. Paul paid the check and they left. The ride home was silent.