The Finest Thing

The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer

I

AIDAN Mason’s weekend started off in typical fashion. He got up, put on his bathrobe, and opened his front door to retrieve the morning paper that was lying on his stoop, and then went into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee from his automatic coffeemaker; thank goodness for that automatic timer he’d set the night before. He couldn’t think of anything better than a fresh-brewed cup of coffee to get his day started. As he sat at the kitchen table with his coffee, he flipped through the paper, stopping to read a few articles; more layoffs from giant corporations, the new president trying his best to change things for the better, and a few other random ones that caught his attention. After reading about the layoffs, Aidan was glad he was a pharmaceutical salesman, a job that was always in high demand and had plenty of perks; he did a lot of traveling and the money he made in commissions was enough to buy that new hybrid Mercedes he had sitting out in his driveway.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Today was a lazy day for him, and he didn’t have any set plans besides a shower, a shave, and then heading over to the gym to work out. After that he’d just play it by ear. He glanced at the calendar that hung on the refrigerator door, hardly believing it had been two years since Kyle had died. They’d been best friends since high school and hadn’t realized their friendship was turning into a romantic relationship until their junior year in college. Right before graduation they bought a house together in California because Kyle always said “There’s nothing like living in sunny California.” So that summer, only weeks after graduating, the two left the cold winters of Connecticut and ended up in the warm climate of San Diego. But after Kyle’s death, Aidan found he couldn’t continue to live in the house they shared because of all the memories, so he sold their home in the small city and bought a place on the beach. He was just about to go upstairs to jump in the shower when he heard the mail pushed through the mail slot and hit the floor. He walked over to the front door to retrieve the several pieces of junk mail, a copy of Men’s Health magazine, and the never-ending stream of bills that would come throughout the month. He threw all the mail onto the coffee table as he made his way back to the stairs, one envelope falling out from between the pages of the magazine. He picked it up, noticing that it was shaped like a large greeting card. “That’s odd,” he said aloud. It wasn’t his birthday and the holidays had been, thankfully, over for two months. He read the return address. “Peter Bergman and Elliott Gates.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer He went over to the antique desk he had in the office off the living room, picked up the letter opener, and slashed open the top of the envelope. He noticed the ornate burgundy lining on the inside, sat down on the chair behind the desk, and carefully pulled out the contents of the envelope. Inside was a card with gold writing that read “And the two shall become one,” and he quickly realized it was a wedding invitation. When he opened up the inside of the card, he read that he “and guest” were invited to go to Mystic, Connecticut, to watch Peter and Elliott get married. Wow, they didn’t waste any time, he thought. Gay marriage had just become legal in Connecticut that past November. He and the two men had met at a GLADD fund-raiser when he and Kyle were still living in Connecticut. The two couples had become instant friends and would often visit each other’s homes and go to barbecues together. The four of them even rented a vacation home in Maine one summer. He recalled it as one of the best times of his life. He missed them when he and Kyle moved to California, but they had gotten so busy with their new lives away from all the drama they left behind in Mystic that they never found the time to get together until Kyle’s funeral. He read the invitation, noting that the wedding was being held the first weekend of May at an inn in Mystic. He pulled out a small RSVP envelope, debating whether he would go, and placed it all on the desk, torn between wanting to go back and watch his friends tie the knot and not wanting to see his family. They hadn’t welcomed the

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer news that he was gay with open arms, nor were they thrilled that he and Kyle had grown from being best friends to lovers. He decided he’d think about this stuff later and went upstairs to take a shower.

LATER, he stood in his walk-in closet trying to decide what to wear and decided on a green track suit he’d recently bought from the sportswear store. He had taken up jogging with the hopes of running in a marathon but found that he never had the time to seriously train for it. He grabbed his duffel bag and drove over to the gym. After doing a short warm-up, he started jogging on the indoor track. It wasn’t long before he heard a voice from behind him. “Hey, Aidan, do you mind some company?” Martin Styles, one of the gym’s trainers who Aidan had recently become friends with, asked as he ran alongside him. “Martin,” he said between breaths. The two ran side-byside for a few more laps before they both decided to cool down, doing some stretching on the soft mats lying in the center of the track. “So how have you been?” Aidan asked as he grabbed his duffel bag from beside the bench and pulled out a bottle of water and took a sip.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Been good. My oldest son just told me his wife is expecting.” “Son of a gun,” he said, clapping Martin on the back. “So, you’re going to be a grandpa. Congratulations.” “Thanks, man. Carla’s so happy that she’s already talking about baby names, but that’s my wife for you.” Aidan felt himself get caught up in his friend’s euphoria. He and Kyle had never discussed having kids, since they each led such busy lives that there just wasn’t time for a baby, but it didn’t mean he never thought about it. “So, what’s going on with you?” Martin asked, drawing Aidan’s attention back from his musings. “Oh, I’ve been keeping busy. I just got back from a trip to Texas, but I’ll be working locally for a little while.” “Well, that will be a nice change of pace, waking up in your own bed, not living out of a suitcase.” “Yeah, it sure will. I also got a wedding invitation in the mail this morning,” he told him. “Oh yeah? Who from?” “My friends Peter and Elliott from back in Mystic.” “Wow. That’s great, man. I’d heard they legalized gay marriage in Connecticut. So are you planning on going?” They’d walked back to Martin’s office and were now standing in front of the closed door.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I don’t know,” Aidan admitted. “What do you mean, you don’t know?” Martin asked, opening up the office door. He turned on the lights and then walked behind the desk and sat down, indicating to Aidan to sit in the chair opposite the desk. “Don’t you want to go?” Aidan slowly sat down and took a deep breath before saying, “Of course I want to go. My friends are getting married, and I want to be there for them. It’s just… well, you know the history I have with my family. They weren’t happy with my ‘choice’ of lifestyle. I haven’t been back home in a couple of years.” He sighed. “I just don’t know if I want to deal with my family.” “So just go to the wedding and skip seeing your family,” Martin suggested. “Are you insane? I won’t be able to step foot in Mystic without everyone knowing about it. It’s a small town, Martin, one of those where everyone knows your business. Besides, I’ll have to face them eventually. I’m not going to hide like I’ve done something wrong. If anyone has a problem, it’s their issue, not mine.” “I hear you, bud. Family can be a real bitch. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. My family and I have always been close.” “Well, you haven’t had to tell them you’re gay and have them look at you like you have some communicable disease.” Aidan would never forget the day he came out to his family and each of their reactions. His mother started crying, and

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer his father was in complete denial, changing the subject as quickly as possible. When he went to his brother’s apartment for dinner, Jay laughed and said, “No, you’re not. I would have known.” When he finally brought Kyle to meet his family, it turned out to be a disaster. After telling them that Kyle was his partner, their reaction gave the two men no choice but to walk out. Kyle’s family, luckily, ended up being a lot more supportive and understanding, but after the way his own family treated his relationship with Kyle, Aidan felt he couldn’t stay in Connecticut any longer. Since they both always wanted to go out to the West Coast, they decided to make the move. “Look, Aidan, I can’t tell you what to do. It’s your decision to make, but I wouldn’t let my family stop me from seeing my friends get married. Maybe they’ve changed. Maybe you can make amends with them. Maybe they regret what happened.” “Then why has their only correspondence to me been one Christmas card from my mother two years ago? And even that didn’t say anything personal. They didn’t even call after I sent a letter to them telling them about what happened to Kyle. Sorry, but that hurt me more than their initial rejection of our relationship.” Martin didn’t know what to say, so he offered the only thing he could, “I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Thanks for lending me an ear. I’ll let you get back to work. I have some things I have to do. It was nice seeing you again.” They both got up and embraced in a friendly hug. “You’ll have to come over for dinner one night. Carla wants to see you too.” “Okay. I’ll let you know when.”

AFTER putting all the groceries away, Aidan grabbed a cold beer out of the fridge and sat down to watch a basketball game he had been looking forward to seeing. During one of the commercial breaks, he couldn’t help but notice the wedding invitation sitting on the end table. He reached over, grabbed the pile of papers, and looked back and forth between the invitation and the RSVP card. There was a blank space for his name and a guest’s and two blank spaces that read “will be delighted to accept” and “regretfully cannot attend.” Just the idea of going back to Connecticut turned his stomach, so initially, he was going to check off the latter. Why would he want to put himself through that? But then he thought of all the good times he had with Peter and Elliott. He knew they wanted him there, and they had been so supportive after Kyle’s death, so he felt somewhat of an obligation to them. He decided that Martin was right; he couldn’t keep hiding from his past. He picked up a pen and checked off the

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer top box. He was going to go to the wedding and have a good time, his family be damned.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer

II

AIDAN’S company kept him busy. In the past few weeks he’d been to Dallas, Chicago, and New York, which didn’t bother him because he liked traveling, but living out of a suitcase so often was starting to grate on his nerves. He was happy to be back home at last. He dropped his bags on the floor the minute he walked in the door and trudged to the couch in the living room and fell down onto the plush cushions. “Ah,” he sighed as he leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep when he felt the vibration of his cell phone in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID, shocked that it was his mother calling. He was going to ignore the call, but then the thought that it might be an emergency prompted him to take the call. “Hi, Mom. Is something wrong?” he asked with dread. “Yes, something is wrong. Why did I have to find out from Peter’s mother that you’re coming home?”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer As soon as he’d gotten the invitation he knew it was only a matter of time before his mother would find out and call, but he wasn’t looking forward to it. “You know how things have been between me and the family. I thought you wrote me off. So why are you even bothering to call me now, Mom? The last time I heard from you was an impersonal Christmas card, two years ago.” He could hear the guilty pause over the dead airwaves. “I’m sorry, Aidan. I’ve wanted to call you so many times over the past few years. I just couldn’t find the right words.” “But you are suddenly finding them now?” he practically yelled. He took a deep breath to recompose himself and continued. “Mom, I’m only going back to Connecticut to see my friends get married. I’m glad that at least the state has seen fit to let gays get married, not that it matters to you. I know that if I ever get married you’d never come to my wedding. You, Dad, and Jay could just never stomach seeing me marry another guy, see me really be happy.” “I’ve only wanted you to be happy, Aidan, but you know how difficult your choice makes things.” “My choice? Being gay is not a choice, Mother,” he said formally. “It’s who I am. And I’m not going to forget how you treated me after you found out about Kyle. I loved him, just as much as you love Dad and Jay loves Amy. There is no difference. Love is love.” He could feel himself getting more and more upset as the phone conversation dragged on. “Look, Mom, I can’t talk about this right now.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Aidan, please. I’d really like to see you, and I know Jay would like to see you too.” “Oh, really? Well, then why haven’t I heard from him at all since I came out?” he asked bitterly, holding the phone in a death grip. “I’d really like to know why I didn’t hear from any of you even once when Kyle died. Was it because he was my gay lover, and you couldn’t accept that? I bet if he’d been a ‘her’, I’d have gotten all the support I needed.” “I’m so sorry. I wish we’d been there for you, Aidan. Really I do. It was a mistake, a big mistake. I know being sorry isn’t enough, but I just want you to know we love you.” “We? As in Dad too? Because I know how proud he is to have a gay son,” he added sarcastically. “There’s something I need to tell you,” she said hesitantly, pausing before she continued. “Your father and I split up.” That was a punch to the gut he wasn’t expecting. “You and Dad split up? When?” “A few months ago I found out he was cheating on me. There were a lot of unexplainable charges on the phone and credit card bills, and he tried to deny it, but with the evidence I had, he couldn’t. Then he tried to say he was sorry and wanted to make amends, but I had enough of him lying through his teeth. I told him to pack his bags and go.” Aidan didn’t say a word for a minute, trying to give himself time to absorb this new development. He knew his

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer parents’ marriage wasn’t ideal; far from it. There had been plenty of arguments when he was growing up, but he never thought they’d ever get a divorce. Despite everything, he loved his mother and couldn’t help but feel bad for her. “I’m sorry to hear that, Mom.” “No, you’re not, but thank you anyway. I’m better off without him. Aidan,” she said, changing subjects, “I hope when you’re here that you might stop by and see me and your brother. I know you probably don’t want to after the way we’ve treated you, but please, just promise me you’ll think about it?” “Sure, Mom. I’ll think about it,” he said, not making a commitment. “Thanks for calling. Bye.” “Bye, Aidan.” He heard the phone disconnect on her end and slowly shut his phone. He knew that going to the wedding could present some interesting challenges, but he hadn’t expected this latest situation with his family. Truth be told, he did want to see Jay, since they had been close while growing up. They had been more than just brothers; they had been friends. When Aidan came out to his family and things had gotten ugly between him and his parents, Jay got caught up in the middle. Instead of picking sides, he shut down and just left without saying a word. Going home again was going to be an interesting trip in more ways than one. He just couldn’t wait for it to be over so he could come back to San Diego, which felt more like home to him than Mystic had since he came out.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer

A

FEW weeks later, Aidan’s bags were packed, and his flight

was confirmed online. He sat by the window drinking a cup of coffee while he waited for Martin to pick him up to take him to the airport, thinking about how nervous he felt going back home and remembering the last time he’d been there. A knock on the door brought him out of his musings. “Ready to go?” Martin asked as he stood in the doorway. “Yeah, as ready as I’ll ever be.” “Is this all you’re taking?” Martin questioned, commenting on the fact he had only had one small suitcase. “Yeah. With all the traveling I do, I’ve gotten packing down to a science, so everything I need is in here.” He grabbed the handle and wheeled the case behind him out to Martin’s car. “Are you nervous?” Martin asked him as he made his way through the traffic. “A little. I forgot to tell you that my mom called me.” “Really? What did she say?” “She told me that she and my father split up. They’re getting a divorce.” “No kidding! I’m sorry, man. That’s hard.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Not as hard as you think. My parents were never very loving toward each other. I remember all the fights they had while my brother and I were growing up. I didn’t tell my mom this, but I’m actually glad they split up. Now maybe my mother and I can clear the air.” “What about Jay?” “I don’t know. I think that’s the thing I’m most nervous about. The last time we saw each other was when I came out, and he just turned his back and walked away.” “Maybe you should talk to him and see if you can mend fences.” “Or burn bridges,” he commented. “I guess you’ll find out when you get there.” Martin pulled into an empty spot in front of the terminal. “Have a safe trip, and make sure you call to let me know how everything turns out.” They hugged. “Or if you just need a friend to talk to.” “Thanks, man. I’ll be in touch.” Aidan walked into the terminal and to the check-in counter, having a feeling this trip was going to be a turning point in his life.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer

III

THE flight across the country was pretty uneventful; a little turbulence over Chicago, but other than that, it was smooth sailing. To Aidan, it felt like it took an eternity to get off the crowded plane. He followed the signs to baggage claim and arrived at the carousels, finding, to his surprise, Peter and Elliott waiting to greet him. “Aidan!” Elliott wrapped him into a bear hug. “I am so glad you came.” “Well, I couldn’t let you two mopes get married without being there to see it.” He hugged Peter and then watched the parade of luggage inching its way on the conveyor belt, finding his easily since it was the only red bag in a sea of black. “Not that I’m not glad to see the two of you, but don’t you have something called a wedding to keep you busy?” “Two words: wedding planner. We thought about doing this ourselves but then thought, why drive ourselves nuts? It’s so the thing these days,” Elliott explained to him as they walked to the car rental kiosk just outside baggage claim.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Okay, well, since you both have so much time on your hands, how about I go back to the inn and meet you later for dinner?” Aidan suggested as he entered his information into the self-check-in computer of the car rental company. As soon as his information was accepted, he walked up to the counter to retrieve his keys and was pointed in the direction of a red sedan parked in the lot. “Sounds good to me,” Peter told him, and he and Elliott followed Aidan to his rental car and said their goodbyes.

ONCE he was checked in at the inn, he couldn’t think of anything he wanted more than a shower. He came out dressed in one of the inn’s plush bathrobes. He was one of those people who loved to test the bed. He bounced on it, and, just like a kid, fell back onto the bed. His fun was interrupted when the phone rang. “Hello?” “Hey, Aidan, want to come out and play with us?” Elliott playfully asked. “Sure. How about I meet you at the restaurant in about fifteen minutes?” He opened up his suitcase and was looking through his clothes, trying to decide what to wear. “All right. We’ll see you in a bit.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Aidan went through his clothes and picked out a nice pair of black dress pants and a casual green sweater and then made his way to the restaurant. “Aidan! Over here!” Peter waved him over to the table where he and Elliot were seated. “Are you all settled in?” he asked. “Yeah. I still can’t believe I’m home again. This place hasn’t changed much,” Aidan commented. When the waiter brought the three men menus, they all decided on ordering from the specials menu and ordered a wide variety of meat and fish selections. “So where are you having the ceremony?” Aidan asked between bites of his steak. “There is a terrace right off the mansion where there will be a tent. That’s where we’ll be tying the knot,” Peter explained. “And then we’re having pictures taken outside, weather permitting, of course. We want you in the pictures, Aidan,” Elliott told him. “But isn’t that for family?” “You are family. Don’t you know that by now?” Elliott patted him on the arm. “Thanks, guys. I sure needed to hear that.” Peter and Elliott looked at each other. “So you haven’t spoken to your family yet?” Peter asked him.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I spoke to my mother. She called me after she found out I was coming out here. She wasn’t very happy to have to hear it from your mother, Peter.” “Well, you know my mother. She can’t keep a secret to save her life. And besides, we’re in Mystic, Aidan. Small-town gossips and all. You can’t sneeze without someone on the other side of town saying ‘bless you’.” The three men laughed, all of them knowing how true this was. “You’re right about that. I guess that’s one of the things I miss about being here. Out in San Diego people are so busy, they don’t get to know one another.” “You ever think of moving back here?” Elliott asked. “Are you kidding? Give up that gorgeous weather, the beaches, and the surfing?” “Surfing!?” Peter and Elliott shouted out together. “Since when do you surf?” Peter asked incredulously. “Well.” Aidan laughed nervously, “I was planning to take it up when I have the time.” “Have the time. You know that’s starting to be like your mantra. Whenever we’ve asked you to visit us to go sailing, you always say you’re too busy. When we were out there on vacation you had to interrupt your time off because you had an ‘important’ business situation you had to take care of. Aidan, life is too short. You have to live a little, let your hair down,” Peter reminded him.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I let my hair down. I mean, sometimes. I’ve gone fishing.” “When was that?” Peter prodded. “Kyle loved to fish, so we used to go down to the pier all the time. We even went on a chartered boat a couple of times.” “With Kyle. Sorry to say this, hon, but Kyle has been gone a long time now. I think it’s time to get out and mingle. Find yourself a new friend.” Elliott tried to be delicate about it, knowing how much Aidan was still sensitive about the subject of Kyle. “It hasn’t been that long. I still miss him so much.” “I know, Aidan, but I’m sure Kyle doesn’t want you to mourn him forever. He’d want you to go on with your life.” “What would you know about it?” Aidan asked angrily, his bitterness at the situation momentarily getting the better of him. “I’m sorry, hon. I didn’t mean to upset you. We only want you to be happy. And we want you to know that we’re here for you,” Elliott tried to soothe him. “I know, guys. I’m sorry. I guess even after all this time, I still can’t believe he’s gone. I know I should move on. Or try to, at least.” He put his fork down on his empty plate and picked up the white napkin that had been lying on his lap to wipe his mouth. “I’m going to use the men’s room. I’ll be right back,” he said, excusing himself from the table.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer When he came back there was a plate of chocolate mousse pie at his spot at the table. “What is this?” “I ordered your favorite dessert, unless you don’t like chocolate anymore.” Peter half-heartedly tried to take the plate away from Aidan. “Don’t you dare.” He grabbed a fork and dug in. “Thanks, guys.”

AIDAN woke up bright and early the next morning and decided to take a ride out to the lake that he and Jay used to catch frogs and fish at when they were kids. It made him melancholy to think about how long ago it had been since their days as children and how badly their relationship had deteriorated. He was really hoping that he and his brother could patch things up. When his stomach started to growl, he decided to go into town to get some breakfast at the Pancake House, a local favorite. “Well, if it isn’t Aidan Mason, as I live and breathe,” Susie Holms said as she spotted him coming through the door. “What are you doing back in town?” She wrapped her arms around him in a welcoming hug. She and Aidan knew each other in high school, and she hadn’t seen him since he left for San Diego.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I’m here for my friends’ wedding. I didn’t know you worked here.” “I not only work here, but I own the place,” she said proudly. “Wow, how did that happen? Last time I remember, you had a mouth full of braces and were as shy as can be.” “I grew up, Aidan. I got my braces off and wanted to do something with my life, so I took some business classes at the community college, met the guy who I ended up marrying, and we decided to go into business together. I always loved the idea of owning my own restaurant, and this place became available, so….” She laughed and shook her head. “Here we are.” “Wow, that is wonderful, Susie.” “Come; let me find you a table, and we can talk more over breakfast.” Susie showed him to a nice booth by the window and then brought him a cup of coffee and a menu. “Wait, let me guess: eggs over easy and some sausage,” she said with a self-assured smile. “Am I right?” “No.” He laughed as he saw her smile drop. “Actually, I don’t like eggs. I love waffles though. How about an order of your Belgian waffles?” “Coming right up.” She got up from the table and disappeared behind the kitchen doors, reappearing a few minutes later with a coffee for herself, and she sat down opposite him.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Once she was comfortably seated, she didn’t waste any time expressing her curiosity. “Who’s getting married?” “My friends Peter and Elliott.” She choked on her coffee. “Two guys are getting married?” She picked up some napkins and wiped off her blouse. She didn’t know that Aidan was gay, since he had never told her, and they hadn’t seen each other since high school, so she also didn’t know anything about him and Kyle. “Yes, Susie, my two friends are guys, and they’re gay. You know, gay marriage is legal in our fine state.” It was conversations like this that made his life interesting. He was about to drop another bombshell on her and was a little nervous about her reaction. “And, by the way, I’m gay.” “What? Since when?” She was sitting on the edge of her seat staring him down. “Since I was about fourteen when I discovered that girls didn’t do anything for me and guys did. I was in the boys’ locker room after gym class when I started to take more notice of the other guys, and it wasn’t in a platonic way, if you know what I mean.” “Wow, I never would have guessed.” She sat back and took a sip of her coffee. One of the waitresses came along and put a plate of Belgian waffles in front of Aidan. “Think back for a minute. Do you ever remember seeing me with a girl? I didn’t go to the prom. Did you ever wonder

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer why?” He poured some maple syrup on his waffles and dug in. “Well, lots of kids didn’t go. Prom was boring. I remember I went to prom, but then me and Jimmy Turner, you remember him, the football player, ended up at Jack Metz’s party.” “I didn’t go because I never felt comfortable at those school socials. And the reason I didn’t feel comfortable is because I’m gay and I knew that wouldn’t go over well with our fellow students. So like a lot of gay teens, I kept my sexual preference a secret, at least until college. That was where I met Kyle. We became friends, pretty much right away, and after a while, we became so much more.” “How did your family take it?” she inquired. “I’d love to say they were shocked at first and then accepted who I am, but I can’t. They freaked. My dad could never accept who I am, my mom remained shocked, and my brother took off. He couldn’t deal with it at all. That’s the reason why Kyle and I left Mystic for sunny California.” Susie stayed quiet for several moments, drinking her coffee. She placed the mug down on the table and looked him square in the eye, as if she’d come to some kind of resolution. “It doesn’t matter, you know. That you’re gay, I mean. It just came as a shock, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. We were friends back in high school, and as far as I’m concerned, we’re friends now.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer He reached out and took her hand. “Thanks, Susie. That means a lot to me.” “Have you seen your folks since you got back?” she asked. “I spoke to my mom on the phone before I left California, but no, I haven’t spoken to either of them since I got here. And I’m not planning on tackling that confrontation until after the wedding. I want to relax and enjoy myself for as long as possible before I enter the lions’ den.” After that, he told her about his folks splitting up. “I wish I could help, but I just want you to know that if you need a shoulder to lean on, I’m here.” She offered the only thing she could, and that was her friendship. “Thanks a lot, Susie. I’ll keep that in mind.” After he finished breakfast and bid Susie goodbye, he decided to take a drive around town and then head back to the inn. The ceremony was the next day, and he couldn’t wait to attend his first gay wedding. He once had a fantasy that it would be he and Kyle who would one day tie the knot, but now that was something that would never come to pass. He wondered if maybe a person only got lucky at finding true love once in a lifetime. But he stopped himself, refusing to allow such sad thoughts. He was going to be happy for his friends and let his life unfold as it was meant to.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer

IV

WITH the wedding day’s arrival, Aidan didn’t know why, but he had butterflies in his stomach. He had to keep reminding himself that he wasn’t the one tying the knot later that day. The previous night he had been so excited that he laid out his suit so he’d be ready when it was time to leave. The ceremony wasn’t until one o’clock, so he had plenty of time to kill. After having breakfast in the inn’s restaurant, he was taking a walk around the grounds when his cell phone rang. He checked the caller ID, and seeing that it was his mother, he decided there was no way he was going to answer that call. He’d deal with her later; he wasn’t going to let anything destroy his fun that day. He was so preoccupied with his phone that he wasn’t watching where he was going, and before he knew it, he had collided with someone, the stranger ending up on the ground. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” he apologized, as he offered his hand to help him up. Getting his first good look at the man, he

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer noticed he was tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed, and very goodlooking. Suddenly, a warmth developed deep inside him that he hadn’t felt for a long time. “You can let go of my hand now,” the stranger said in a deep voice, the kind you weren’t soon to forget once you heard it. “Oh,” Aidan said, releasing the hand, feeling himself blush. The stranger smiled at him and then continued walking. Aidan couldn’t understand the disappointment he was feeling as he watched the stranger go. Mentally shaking off the encounter, he decided to just forget about this incident and concentrate on the wedding. He looked at his watch and noticed that it was almost noon, so he rushed back to his room to get ready. After a shower and a shave he put on his black suit and blue-striped tie. It was his favorite outfit, and everyone always complimented him when he wore it. He looked over himself in the mirror, making sure there wasn’t a hair out of place, and then made his way to the hall where the ceremony would be performed. The room was decorated with a lot of colorful flowers, with chairs set up on either side creating an aisle that ran up the middle of the room. A beautiful red runner that ran down the entire length of the aisle completed the wedding atmosphere. Guests were already filling up the room, and an usher came over to him, escorting him to his seat at the front.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Looking up at the altar, he saw Elliott’s older brother and younger sister standing to one side and Peter’s twin sister on the other. A short time later the music started playing—not the usual wedding march, but rather some soft chamber music that was the grooms’ favorite. As they walked down the aisle together, Aidan couldn’t help but smile as his friends made it to the altar and stood in front of the Lutheran pastor they had officiating the ceremony. The ceremony itself was pretty much like any other wedding ceremony. Peter and Elliott decided to say their own vows. They exchanged rings and kissed, and then the minister presented Misters Peter and Elliott Bergman-Gates. They decided to combine their names together, truly becoming one. Afterward, the wedding party went out to the garden for pictures. Aidan followed them out after the newlyweds insisted he be in them. After a little over an hour of being under the command of the photographer who was telling everyone where to stand, telling them to hold still and smile, and ordering them in uncomfortable poses for shots, Aidan quickly made his way to the reception tent where cocktail hour had already gotten under way. The first thing he did was grab a glass of champagne and a crab cake from a wandering waiter. Later, after visiting the bar for the second time, Aidan found himself at the table filled with a variety of appetizers. “Looks like we’re bumping into each other again.” He turned toward the sound of the voice next to him.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “You again?” Aidan looked right into the blue eyes of the stranger he had run into on his walk earlier. “Are you following me?” he joked. “I should be asking you that same question. I’m here for my cousin’s wedding.” “Your cousin?” “Yeah, Peter. Do you know him?” “I’m friends with both him and Elliott. I’ve known them for a long time.” “I’m Paul. You haven’t told me your name.” Paul smiled at him. “Aidan,” he held out his hand and Paul shook it. “Aidan Mason.” “Aidan. That’s an unusual name.” “It’s an Irish name; my parents are from there. They immigrated here during the late sixties.” “Irish, huh? I should have known with all those freckles on your face and the red hair.” Paul smiled at him again, causing Aidan’s stomach to do a couple of flips. “So why is it that this is the first time I’m meeting you?” Aidan asked him. “I was away at school at Oxford. I’m one of those Rhodes scholars. I liked England so much that I decided to settle

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer down there. I moved back to Connecticut four years ago to start my practice.” “Your practice?” Aidan inquired. “Hi, guys. I see you two have finally met,” Peter interrupted. “I was coming over to see how you were doing.” “Hey, honey, I was wondering where you got off to,” Elliott said, walking over and putting his arm around his new husband. “So you finally introduced them.” Peter slapped his spouse on the arm. “Shh,” he said, shaking his head. “Wait a minute. Were you trying to set us up?” Paul asked his cousin. “Please don’t get mad. We just thought since you’re single and Aidan’s single that maybe you two should meet.” “You thought you’d play matchmaker.” Embarrassed, he turned to Aidan. “I’m sorry, Aidan. I didn’t know that this wedding was going to be another excuse for my cousin to meddle.” “It’s okay. No harm done.” “Hey, from the looks of things it seems you two didn’t need our help after all.” Elliott waggled his eyebrows suggestively at them. “Come on, honey. They’re going to start serving the main course, and you know how much I love chicken Kiev.” Elliott

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer pulled his husband out of harm’s way and into the main room in the tent. “Well, this is just a little awkward,” Paul mumbled, trying to lighten the mood after Peter and Elliott’s matchmaker session. “No, it’s not. I think it’s great how your cousin is looking out for you. It’s more than my brother ever did for me.” “He didn’t treat you right?” Paul inquired. “Let’s not talk about him. How about we go into the main room and find our seats and enjoy ourselves? That’s what weddings are for, right?” Paul smiled and followed Aidan from the small side room where the cocktail hour had been into the main reception hall. There were several tables positioned around the room, surrounding the dance floor at the center. When they made it over to the table of seating arrangement cards, they each picked up the cards with their names, looking at their table assignments. “Don’t tell me: yours says number twelve, right?” Paul looked over at Aidan with an amused smile. Aidan laughed and showed him his place card, and indeed it had the number twelve written on it. “You don’t have to sit at the same table. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Don’t worry about it, Paul. I’d like to share a table with you.” Aidan didn’t know why, but he felt himself blushing after he’d said that, and the excited butterflies in his stomach were fluttering around again. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starved. Let’s go find our seats.” Paul led the way and Aidan couldn’t help checking out his rear. He was so distracted by doing that he ended up bumping into Paul’s back when he stopped at their table. “Boy, you sure like to get up close and personal with me, don’t you?” Paul laughed. “Sorry. I guess I wasn’t prepared for the quick stop,” Aidan said, joining in the laughter. They sat down next to each other. A clinking coming from the table at the end of the room caught their attention. Elliott’s best man, his brother, was about to make a toast to the new couple. After the toast, the first course was immediately served. “So, you said you were going to start your practice. What kind of work do you do? Are you lawyer?” Aidan said between bites. “No, better. I’m a doctor. Orthopedic surgeon, to be exact.” “Wow. That must be very rewarding work.” “It has its ups and downs. So what do you do?” “I’m in pharmaceutical sales.” “Well, I’ll be. So it looks like we’re both in the medical industry.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer They continued to talk over dinner until it was time for the first dance. The newly wed couple got up on the dance floor and danced their first dance to the song “Nobody Does It Better.” As the song went on, the other guests, both gay and straight, started dancing. “Paul.” Aidan took a sip from his wineglass and continued. “Would you like to dance? I mean, you don’t have to, if you don’t want to. I know it’s a little awkward since we just met and all and—” Paul silenced him with a finger to Aidan’s lips. “I’d love to.” Paul smiled, and they wandered onto the dance floor and began a slow dance, each of them noticing the big smiles on Peter and Elliott’s faces. Aidan felt Paul’s arm tighten around him and Paul’s chin resting on his shoulder. He couldn’t help smiling; it had been a long time since he felt this good, and he didn’t want it to end. After Peter and Elliott fed each other chocolate wedding cake with white icing and enjoyed a few other wedding rituals, they said their goodbyes to their guests and headed to the honeymoon suite of the Gatehouse, a separate building from the mansion, set aside for privacy. After spending the night there, they would be flying out to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Aidan and Paul wandered out onto the patio and looked up at the stars. “Well, that was a wonderful wedding, something I wondered if I would ever live to see,” Aidan commented.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Yeah, at least some things are changing for the better,” Paul said through a yawn. “Oh sorry, I’m kind of beat. I was up early this morning. I’m going to go hit the hay.” “Okay,” Aidan said, feeling let down that his time with Paul had to end. “Hey, how about we meet at the restaurant for breakfast?” “Sure. Sounds like a great idea.” When they parted ways, Aidan watched Paul go talk to his sister before he walked slowly through the inn to the stairs and up to his room. He heard someone coming up the hall behind him and turned to see who it was. He saw him standing in front of the doorway to the room next to his. “Paul? Oh, don’t tell me. You’re staying at the inn too.” “Yeah. I don’t get a chance to get away from the office too often, so I decided to check in for a few days. Talk about the fates bringing us together.” “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Aidan said, opening up his door. “Yeah, see you tomorrow,” Paul agreed as he looked for his key. “Paul?” Aidan asked nervously. “Yes?” “You want to come in for a nightcap?” Aidan asked hopefully.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I thought you’d never ask.” Aidan opened the door and let Paul walk in ahead of him. He thought about putting up the do not disturb sign, but he didn’t want to get ahead of himself. It was only going to be for a nightcap, right?

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer

V

“NICE room,” Paul commented as he looked around. He walked over to the window and parted the curtains. “The view is gorgeous.” Paul turned to look at Aidan and was met by a pair of lips on his own. “I—I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. It’s just been so long since I’ve been with someone I—” Aidan was silenced when Paul’s lips locked onto his, and they fell back together onto the bed. Paul started unbuttoning Aidan’s shirt. “Am I moving too fast?” he asked anxiously. “No, I like the direction you’re going,” were the last words spoken for a long time. Their bodies moved around on the bed to accommodate the removal of each other’s clothing. A pile began to grow on the floor beside the bed until they were both lying naked on the sheets. It all began with more passionate kissing, their hands taking paths of discovery, learning the pleasure points of each other’s bodies. Aidan discovered Paul loved his nipples

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer to be played with, and Paul discovered that Aidan loved his ears and throat licked. Their bodies lined up like matching bookends, and their wet cocks slid side by side. Paul’s hand wrapped around both straining members and stroked up and down, eliciting a moan from Aidan. “Oh, yeah, yeah, right there. Just like that,” Aidan gasped, finding it hard to breathe. Moaning and groaning gave way to both men reaching the height of climax. Aidan wrapped his arms around Paul’s equally sweaty body as they cuddled together, enjoying the afterglow. “Were you? Did I?” Paul asked as he gazed nervously at Aidan. “Yeah,” Aidan said, smiling at the other man. “That was great.” Paul rested his head under Aidan’s chin, feeling him place a kiss on the top of his head. He sighed as he felt himself slowly falling asleep. Aidan lay a few more minutes, looking at the sleeping man in his arms. It had been too long since he’d been intimate with anyone. He wondered for a moment what this all meant, but found that he couldn’t keep his eyes open as he fell asleep too.

THE next morning found both men sprawled together on the king-size bed. Aidan loved nothing better than waking up in

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer a nice warm bed. He burrowed his head into the plush pillow, drawing the thick plush comforter around him and rolled over. When his hand bumped into an equally warm body, he opened his eyes, and, seeing the other man, it dawned on him that he was not alone. The memories of the previous night’s sexual romp brought a smile to his face. It was nice to not wake up alone. Paul was still asleep so Aidan took the opportunity to watch him. The dark hair was straight and cut short, but not too short. There was still plenty to run his fingers through and grab a hold of. He had a mole on his left cheek and some more peppered on his throat. He was tall, probably around six-two, an inch taller than Aidan. He couldn’t resist reaching out and caressing Paul’s bare shoulder. Paul smiled at the touch. “Morning,” he said, leaning over and placing a soft kiss on Aidan’s lips. “Morning.” Aidan smiled back. “Did you sleep well?” Paul asked him. “Like a log. What do you want to do about breakfast? Get something at the restaurant or do room service?” Paul stretched and muttered, “Room service. I don’t want to leave this room.” He kissed Aidan again, running his hands through his curly auburn hair. After Aidan called for room service, they spent some time just cuddling as they waited for it to arrive.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I just want you to know that I don’t usually do this, go to bed with a guy I just met,” Paul explained. “Neither do I,” Aidan mumbled. Paul got out of bed when he heard a knock on the door, letting in the room-service waiter, who wheeled in a cart full of food and a pitcher of coffee. Paul looked toward the bed, only to find it empty. As he looked around the room for the other man, he noticed that Aidan had walked over to the window and was looking through the parted curtains. Aidan tuned around when he felt a hand on his shoulder and took the offered cup of coffee from Paul. “Thanks.” “You okay?” Paul asked him. “It’s just… it’s been a while, you know.” Aidan smiled and took a sip of coffee. “Come on; let’s eat before the food gets cold.” “You were in a relationship?” Paul asked as he dug into his eggs Benedict and hash browns. Aidan looked up from his plate of blueberry pancakes and bacon, put down his fork, and wiped his mouth. “Yes, I was in a serious relationship. Kyle and I met in college, and we became friends. Later on it became so much more than that. I thought we’d live here for the rest of our lives.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Why didn’t you?” Paul asked, honestly interested in Aidan’s story. He wanted to know as much about the man as he could. “Well, once I came out to my parents, things got real ugly, especially between me and my dad. Kyle saw how unhappy I was, and he always dreamed of moving to California, so he gave me that extra push I needed to leave Connecticut, and we ended up in San Diego. We were very happy. I found a great pharmaceutical company to work for, and Kyle freelanced as an accountant. We had a pretty good life until….” Aidan sighed as he got up from the small table they’d been eating breakfast at and walked back over to the window. “Until?” Paul quietly asked him, but when Aidan didn’t continue right away he offered, “I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Aidan didn’t know why he was telling Paul his life story. They’d only just met, but something about the other man made him feel like he had known him his whole life. “Until Kyle found out he had pancreatic cancer. He tried to be so strong. He was a fighter. He went through chemo and even tried some experimental treatment. He lived a lot longer than the doctors expected him to.” Aidan felt a lump in his throat as the memories played through his head like some sad movie. “He died two years ago.” He felt the tears running down his cheeks.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer He relaxed into Paul’s embrace when the other man put his arms around him and hugged him. “Oh, boy.” He drew away from the embrace, and, after grabbing a tissue from a nearby tissue box, wiped his tears and blew his nose. “It’s been a long time since I relived that memory with anyone.” “I didn’t mean to make you upset, Aidan. We don’t have to talk about it anymore if you don’t want to, but I’ve been told that I’m a good sounding board.” Realizing that Aidan felt uncomfortable about the conversation, Paul changed the subject. “Do you have plans for today? I thought I’d go into town and maybe go visit the aquarium.” “The aquarium? Rather touristy for a native, isn’t it?” Aidan asked. “Well, don’t laugh, but I’ve never been to the aquarium.” “What? How is that possible? I thought it was one of those mandatory school field trips they made us all go on.” “Well, it just so happened that I had the chicken pox when my class went, so I missed out. And I guess after that I just never thought about it. You know how they say that you don’t get to really see your hometown until someone from out of town comes visiting?” “Yes, but I’m not some out-of-town guest. I’m a native of Mystic, remember?” Aidan reminded him.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I know. I guess I’m grasping at straws? Oh, come, Aidan. I don’t want to go alone. So, will you please come with me?” Paul asked hopefully. Aidan felt a little reluctant to spend a full day with a man he had just met the night before, but on the other hand he did want to spend more time with Paul to get to know him better, so he tentatively answered, “Sure, why not?” “Good. I’ll go back to my room to shower and change. Then we can meet in the lobby in about an hour. Does that sound good?” “Sure, I’ll meet you there.”

AIDAN hadn’t been to the aquarium in ages. He felt relaxed with Paul and was enjoying spending time with him. They walked through the different rooms, almost all of which had tanks lining the walls on either side. As they stopped to look at the different aquatic life displayed in each tank, Paul pointed to a lionfish swimming in one of the tanks. “I would love to get one of those for my tank at home.” “You have fish?” Aidan asked him. “Yeah, a seventy-five gallon saltwater tank. It’s a lot of work, but I enjoy it. I find it very relaxing, especially after a hard day at work.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I’d always wanted to get myself a tank.” Aidan flashed back to a time when he had mentioned it to Kyle once, but the other man wasn’t too crazy about the idea, so Aidan hadn’t brought it up again. “You want to go see the sea lion show?” “Sure. Let’s go check on the times.” They followed the signs to the area where the show was held and found that they were in luck, as there was a show starting in ten minutes. They bought their tickets and took a seat. During the show, they laughed together at the antics the animals put on, and afterward they ended up at the ray touch pool, where they could interact with stingrays. When Aidan reached out and touched the skin on the stingray, Paul reached in at the same time and their hands met under the water. They looked at each other and smiled. “Feels real smooth and kind of cool to the touch,” Aidan mentioned. Paul didn’t know if he was talking about the stingray or his hand, which Aidan was still touching. “Yeah, feels real nice to me too.” They laughed and walked back out of the stingray room and continued on to the beluga whales, penguins, and, finally, saw some lobsters. “That gives me an idea. Are you hungry?” Aidan asked. “Yeah, I could go for some lunch. You want some of those lobsters?” Paul smiled at him.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Aidan laughed. “I love lobster, but I think the aquarium would have a problem with us eating their exhibit. I was thinking of going to that seafood place over on Main Street. Are you up for that?” “Sure. Let’s go.” They left the aquarium, and Aidan drove them to the seafood restaurant. As they dined on lobster tail and pasta, they talked more about their lines of work and their hobbies, finding out they both loved golf. “I belong to the Cherry Hill Country Club in New Haven. We should play together some time,” Paul said hopefully. “Yeah, I definitely have to come back to play golf.” Aidan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. As they continued to enjoy their lunch, Paul asked, “How long are you going to be in town?” “I have to be back at work in about a week.” “Oh.” Paul sighed. Aidan looked up at the sound. He hadn’t expected this trip to turn out to be more than an opportunity to see his friends get married and see his hometown again. Nothing more. But now he wasn’t so sure.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer

VI

THE sound of a cell phone ringing woke both men up. “Who is that at this hour?” Paul asked as he looked at the digital clock on the nightstand, which read seven a.m. Aidan grabbed his phone off the nightstand and looked at the caller ID. “It’s my mother. Damn. I forgot to call her.” He opened the flip phone. “Hi, Mom.” He paused as he listened to her. Paul could hear her voice from where he was lying in bed. “Sorry, Mom. I meant to call you. Yes, I know I told you I’d see you while I was here.” Aidan had a death grip on the phone. “Okay, yeah, I’ll come by around noon. Is Jay going to be there? All right, fine.” He hung up the phone. “Is everything okay?” Paul asked him. “Yeah,” Aidan said, slowly putting the phone on the table. “I guess I’m not looking forward to seeing my family again. I’m meeting her for lunch.” “I take it Jay is your brother?” “Yeah. I haven’t spoken to him since before I left for San Diego. He’ll be at my mom’s place. It’s the first time I’m

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer seeing him since I moved. I guess he’s taking time off from work. He works at construction, same company as our dad works. Our father was foreman, and he’s semi-retired, so he took over for him.” Paul saw a look of sadness cross Aidan’s face. “You don’t get along with them?” “Things changed pretty quickly after I came out. It was one more reason that I moved to the West Coast.” “I know this might be a bit forward, but would you like me to go with you?” Aidan was very touched by Paul’s gesture. “Thanks, I appreciate it, but I have to do this on my own. Besides, I think it’s way too early to meet the folks, don’t you?” He leaned in and gave Paul a soft kiss on his lips. “I forgot to ask you when you have to return to your practice. Or where your practice is, exactly. So much to learn about you and—” “Not enough time?” Paul asked, finishing his sentence. “I took two weeks off, and my office is located in New Haven.” After talking for a couple more hours, getting to know each other, Paul left to visit some of his friends in town, and Aidan took that dreaded trip over to his mother’s house. He felt butterflies in his stomach as he drove up the familiar driveway. “Hey, Mom?” he yelled out, as he poked his head through the front door.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Aidan?” He heard her voice coming from the kitchen. Having been doing some cooking, she was wiping her hands on a dish towel as she came out to greet him. She walked over and embraced him. “Long time no see. Come on; take a seat.” She walked over to the living room and sat on the leather couch. “I’m glad you came over. So how was the wedding?” she inquired, not wasting any time asking him questions. “It was wonderful. I had a great time. Right about now the happy couple should be on a plane heading for Hawaii for their honeymoon.” “That’s nice, honey. I’m happy for your friends.” “Really?” He wasn’t sure how to respond to how nice she was being to him. “I know how hard it was for you to tell us you were gay. It was hard for all of us.” “Yeah, I’m sure it was real hard for you, Dad, and Jay. I didn’t expect you to be jumping up and down when I told you, but I was hoping you’d eventually accept me for who I am. I’m still your son; that didn’t change. When Jay brought his girlfriend over, you were all happy about it. Too bad Kyle didn’t get the same welcome. It was more like the cold shoulder. Do you know what it was like to get a slap in the face by your own family? Whatever happened to unconditional love?”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I wish I could answer that question for you.” A voice from the hallway drew their attention. Aidan got up off the couch. “Jay?” “Aidan.” His brother came over and wrapped his arms around Aidan. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I hurt you.” Aidan drew his brother into his arms and felt so stunned. He remembered feeling so hurt and disappointed, but he still loved Jay with all his heart. “Jay, it’s okay,” he said, trying to comfort him like they used to when they were kids. “No, it’s not. I turned my brother, my best friend, away because I was afraid. I just couldn’t face that you’re gay. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it over these past few years. It doesn’t matter to me. I want you back in my life again. I just hope you can forgive me.” Aidan felt the sting of tears in his own eyes. He hadn’t known what to expect when he saw Jay again, but it was not this. He sat back and watched his brother compose himself. “I think I need to know what happened, Jay. Why did you walk away? It hurt so much to think you hated me.” “I never hated you,” Jay said in a stricken tone. “I was confused. I didn’t know what to think. You know how Dad felt about gays, how he would practically give us a lecture on how all those fags are going to hell. I never dreamed my own brother was one.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Yeah, I’m a faggot, Jay. A filthy faggot, and that was why you ran off and never wanted to have anything to do with me again.” Aidan got up and walked over to the fireplace on the opposite wall. “No, Aidan, no. Hey, I’m not Dad,” he said, as he laid his hand on Aidan’s shoulder. “Oh, no? The two of you were always so close. I remember how he’d take you on camping trips and fishing and how he brought you into the construction business. Sometimes he’d throw me a bone and let me tag along, but it was you who was the ‘favorite’ son. If you hadn’t run out after I made my announcement, you would have had the ‘pleasure’ of hearing him say, ‘I knew there was a reason I didn’t like you. So you’re one of them sissy boys’. That’s what he called me—a sissy boy.” Aidan’s memories brought tears to his eyes, but he fought them back. “Is that what you’ve been calling me all these years? I bet you’ve been only too glad I moved to San Diego so you wouldn’t have to look at me and be ashamed of your queer brother.” “Aidan,” Jay whispered to him. “I know I messed things up with you, big time. Dad came to me after you came out to the family, and he said a lot of crap to me, but I wasn’t paying attention to him. I just never saw it coming. I was in shock. I didn’t know how to take it. I guess you can say I was a coward. I know we can go around and around about this. I’ve been on a huge guilt trip. When I heard you were coming back here I was hoping we could bury the hatchet. Can we be friends again?” Jay stuck out his hand for Aidan to shake.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Aidan looked at his brother and made a decision. He wanted him back in his life. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” He shook his brother’s hand. Jay smelled the aroma of lunch. “Hey, what is that smell, Ma?” Their mother brought two bowls of food and put them down on the dining room table. “It’s your favorite.” “Macaroni and cheese!” the two brothers yelled out in stereo. They looked at each other and started laughing. “Hey, I know my boys. Now come sit and eat, before it gets cold.” She sounded just like she did when they were kids. It didn’t take long for two grown men to be taken back to the days when they were little boys scarfing down their mother’s mac and cheese. They even got into a game of flinging macaroni at each other while their mom’s back was turned, trying to see if they could also get it into each other’s water glasses. “I won!” Aidan yelled out between bites. “You won? I got mine in before you,” Jay argued, laughing. They spent the rest of their lunch laughing together, like old times. After lunch the two brothers went out to sit on the porch. “So are we good, Aidan?”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Yeah, we’re good. If there is something I’ve learned over the years, it’s that life is too short to carry on a grudge. I want my brother back in my life again.” “I’m sorry about Kyle. I wish I had gotten to know him.” “I think you would have liked him,” Aidan said with regret that his brother and Kyle never got to know each other. “So, what have you been up to?” “Well, I’ve become a manager over at the construction company. I just got a big raise last month. And Amy and I just became parents.” Jay and his wife had been married for five years, but after trying for years, Amy had had difficulty getting pregnant. “You mean, I’m an uncle?” A big smile broke out on Aidan’s face. “Boy or girl?” “A girl: Anna Rose. We named her after Amy’s mom and our grandma Rose. You remember her?” “Vaguely. I was a pretty young when she died. I’m so happy for you both.” “You’ll have to come by and meet her before you leave.” “I will.” “When do you have to go back to California?” “This coming Saturday.” “That only gives us four days. We’ll have to arrange something. Give me your cell phone. I want to give you my

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer new number.” Jay took Aidan’s cell and punched in his phone number. “Who’s Paul?” Jay saw the display say “new text message from Paul.” “Just someone I met at the wedding.” “Someone you met? Anything serious?” “We’re just friends for now. Listen, I got to go. I’ll speak to you soon.” Aidan hugged his brother and then went inside to say goodbye to his mother. He was so happy on the drive back to the inn. Things had gone so smoothly with his mother and brother. He was on top of the world. While he was driving, his cell phone rang and he checked the caller ID. He smiled as he answered. “Hi, Paul.” “So, how did things go?” Paul asked. “Good. I had a great time. My brother and I made up, and guess what? I found out I’m an uncle.” “Congratulations. I’m going to be leaving my friend’s house soon. How about we meet up in town, and we can take a walk along the water and then maybe have dinner?” Aidan felt excited at the prospect of spending more time with Paul. “You bet. How about we meet at the town square at about four?” “Sure. See you then.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer

VII

AIDAN parked his car and fed change into one of the parking meters before walking over to the town square. When he saw Paul sitting on a bench waiting for him, he felt a warm feeling inside him and a smile broke out on his face. “Been waiting long?” he asked as he walked up to the other man. “No, not that long. I thought we’d take a walk up Main Street and look around. Find some place to eat whenever we feel like it.” “Just however the wind blows. I like how you think. Let’s go.” They started walking with no destination in mind, just enjoying each other’s company. At an antique store they had stopped at, Aidan showed Paul all the detailing on an old dresser he’d found in the corner of the shop. “They just don’t make furniture like they used to. Look at the craftsmanship on this piece.” “I agree. I’m not much into modern stuff, myself. Give me the old-fashioned stuff any day.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Next they stopped at an art gallery, which was showing an exhibit of nudes by an up-and-coming new artist that had their attention. “Do you think anyone could really get into that position?” Paul commented on one of the paintings. “I don’t know, but it might be interesting to find out,” Aidan said suggestively. “Tease.” Paul shook his head, and they continued to wander through the many exhibits in the gallery. When they’d seen enough of the exhibits, they finally left and continued their walk. “Well, well, look who we have here,” a voice said from behind them. Paul looked over at Aidan, confused, and saw the color drain from his face. “Dad?” Aidan reluctantly turned around, and saw his father standing outside the hardware store. “Don’t call me that. You gave up the right to call me that the minute you turned queer.” Paul watched in dismay as the older man spit on the ground at Aidan’s feet. “Who’s this, your new boyfriend?” “Dad, can you just stop it? I’ll just leave, okay? Come on, Paul.” They began walking away from Aidan’s father. “Yeah, go on and run like the coward you are. We don’t need your kind here, boy. Damn faggot, you worthless piece of trash. I only have one son, you hear?” Aidan’s father yelled

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer at the top of his lungs. “You’re going to hell. I hope you know that. That’s where your other boyfriend is right now. In hell!” “You shut the hell up, you damn bastard!” Paul yelled, and quicker than anyone could blink, he had shoved Aidan’s father up against the brick wall outside the store. “I’ve heard enough of your homophobic remarks. Just shut up!” Aidan tried to pull him off, but Paul shook his hand off. “I’ve heard from your kind before, you narrow-minded bigot. You’re too stupid to figure out that you’re throwing away your own son, and for what? Huh? For what? I’ll tell you something, mister, you’ll never meet a finer man than your son. Aidan has more integrity in his little finger than you have in your whole damn body. If you ask me, I think you’re the one who is going to go straight to hell.” He pushed him again. “And I hope you rot there.” Finally Paul let go and grabbed Aidan’s hand, and they both walked off. Aidan had his head down while Paul led him to sit down on a bench next to a small pond. Aidan rested his elbows on his knees and sighed. “I’m sorry you had to be part of that. I was hoping I wouldn’t bump into him. That we wouldn’t have. That’s all I am to him, one big disappointment.” “Don’t. Don’t,” Paul said gently as he rubbed Aidan’s back in an attempt to soothe him. “He’s not worth it. I have to admit, I’m not a violent person, but I came very close to hitting him.” “My hero.” Aidan laughed and then immediately returned to his somber mood. “You’re right. He’s not worth

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer it. You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your relatives.” “Would you still like to have dinner with me? I know a great new bistro that isn’t far from here. They have a great, decadent seven-layer chocolate fudge cake. I think it has your name on it.” Paul bumped his shoulder gently against Aidan’s. “Well, when you put it that way, how can I resist?” Aidan smiled and let Paul lead the way to the restaurant, which was only a short walk from the pond. After a leisurely dinner and sharing that decadent dessert Paul spoke about, Aidan pushed his chair away from the table and let out a contented sigh. “Ah, now, that hit the spot.” “Nothing like chocolate to cure all ails.” Paul smiled at his happy companion. “Is that your official prescription, doctor?” “Yes, but it’s not something many doctors will admit to prescribing for their patients.” “Oh, and am I your patient now?” Aidan smiled suggestively. “I think I might be able to add you as a patient. Maybe I should take you back to the office and give you a thorough checkup.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Before they knew it, they were both back at Aidan’s room at the inn. “You’re lucky I had an empty time slot; I’m usually pretty booked up,” Paul said in his professional doctor voice. “Well, I have some pain in my neck and my back.” “You do realize I’m an orthopedist, not a chiropractor.” Aidan unbuttoned his shirt and slowly slid it down off his shoulders. “Of course, I could change specialties.” Paul sat down in a chair opposite the bed and watched the strip show, licking his lips when he saw Aidan remove his jeans to reveal the growing bulge in his underwear. “That looks pretty painful. I better take a closer look at it. Please sit on the bed.” Aidan sat on the edge of the mattress. “Are you going to use a stethoscope? I don’t like them; they’re always so cold.” “No, what I’m going to do is going to warm you up and make you feel good.” Paul grabbed the bottom of the sweater he was wearing and pulled it up over his head before he sat behind Aidan. “Yeah?” Aidan started to melt the minute he felt Paul’s warm fingers start to knead the tight muscles in his neck and shoulders. “Yeah,” Paul whispered into his ear. “I’m going to make it so good for you,” he said in a husky tone.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Aidan felt himself being gently pushed onto the bed so he was lying on his stomach. Paul went into the bathroom and retrieved some massage oils the inn had provided. He poured some oil into his hand and rubbed it all over Aidan’s neck and back, feeling all the tension in Aidan’s body from the confrontation with his father disappear like it had never happened. “Yeah, right there. Yeah,” Aidan sighed in contentment. Paul continued his massage down his back and slowly slid Aidan’s underwear off. His fingers dug into his buttocks, then down his thighs and finally to his feet. Sometime during the massage, Paul had removed all of his own clothes as well. He changed his route and started kissing his way up Aidan’s body. “Oh shit,” Aidan murmured when he felt Paul kiss his butt cheeks and then felt a tongue lick his balls. Paul reached between Aidan’s legs, wrapping his hand around Aidan’s cock, his tongue pushing into his tight hole. Paul reached over to the nightstand and pulled open the drawer, grabbing a condom and lube. He pulled Aidan onto his back and showed him what he had in his hands. “Okay?” he asked permission. “It’s been a long time.” “We don’t have to, if you’re not ready.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Aidan reached out and grabbed Paul by the shoulders and kissed him. “I am very ready.” He helped roll the condom onto Paul’s cock and applied the lube. Aidan rolled over onto his side and pulled his legs up, pushing his butt out, to show just how ready he was. Paul didn’t need to be asked twice. He slowly slid into Aidan’s pulsing canal and waited while he got used to his girth. Aidan reached back and grabbed Paul’s ass, pulling him in to slide deeper into his hole, letting Paul know that he was ready for more. Paul started thrusting in and out, his hand pumping Aidan’s cock as the other man fisted the sheets and bit down on the pillow. He pushed back against Paul’s thrusts, setting a fast rhythm until they hit a climatic crescendo that nearly made them pass out. After a time, Aidan felt Paul soften and slip out of him. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around him, bringing their sweaty bodies together in an ardent embrace.

THE next morning, after Aidan ordered breakfast from room service, they sat at the small table next to the large window. “So what are your plans for today?” Paul asked as he dug into his French toast.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I’m going to go visit my brother and his family. When I get back I have to start packing up my things. I leave the day after tomorrow.” Aidan noticed that Paul’s face dropped and he’d stopped eating his food and was pushing it around on the plate instead. “Hey,” he said as he reached out and grabbed Paul’s hand. “I’ll be back. You know, when I got that invitation, I thought about not coming. I thought I didn’t have a reason to. But then I met you, and I’m so happy I changed my mind.” “What are we doing, Aidan?” “What do you mean, what are we doing?” Aidan asked as felt his insides knot up. “I mean, what is this we’ve got going on between us? What does it all mean?” Paul paused and took a sip of his coffee before he continued. “Until you came along all I had was my work. I’ve been so wrapped up in it that I never gave being in a relationship much thought.” “Neither did I. For a long time there was only Kyle, but after he died, work became all I knew. I buried myself in it. I wasn’t looking to get into a new relationship, but I guess that saying is true: Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.”

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VIII

DURING his visit with his brother and his family, Aidan got to meet his niece and had a good talk with his brother. When they went outside on the porch, Jay said hopefully, “I don’t want us to ever go through anything like this again. I want us to be a family. It was my stupidity that kept us apart. I want us to try to be close again. Hey, maybe you’ll come back for the holidays.” “I want that too. I want to see that niece of mine as often as I can. Oh, and you and Amy too,” he said as if it were an afterthought. Jay lightly punched his arm. Aidan stayed for lunch and then made a promise they’d keep in touch before saying his goodbyes. When he returned to the inn to pack, he found Paul sitting at the table looking out the window at the distant view of the ocean. “Is this where you head west into the sunset and I never see you again?” Aidan could hear the despondent tone in his voice.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Hey, this isn’t goodbye, you know. I’m going to see you again.” “You say that now, but what happens when you go back to San Diego? Will I become just a distant memory, someone you met and had a nice time with, then forget about?” “I don’t know what it all means, Paul. But this week has meant more to me than I can ever say. I didn’t expect to find someone else. Kyle was my life. After he died I thought I’d never find anyone else that I care about.” He wrapped his arms around Paul. “I just need more time. Can you give me that?” Paul reached his hand up to grasp Aidan’s. “I just need to know that I wasn’t just some fuck buddy. I’ve been there, done that. I want something more.” Aidan kissed him passionately. “You’ve never been a fuck buddy. And I want something more too. I just need to take some time.” “I can understand that. Will you call me, or at least text message?” “Every day. I think you’ll get sick of me.” “That won’t happen.” They spent the rest of the day in bed enjoying their last day together.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer The next morning they got up bright and early, and after having their last breakfast together at the restaurant, they took their luggage and checked out of the inn. “Just be prepared for your phone to get a workout,” Aidan said in the parking lot. Both men stood in front of their cars, reluctant to leave each other. “I’m going to be such a pain you’re going to throw your cell phone out a window,” Paul joked. “Never.” Aidan heard an alarm on his cell phone go off. He’d set it to remind him when it was time to leave for the airport. “Well, I guess this is it.” Paul got his keys out and opened his trunk to put his bags inside. “Yeah, I guess it is.” Aidan opened his own car door and put the one bag he’d brought in the backseat. “I’m going to miss you,” Paul blurted out as he quickly opened the door, hoping to make a quick exit before he started to cry. Aidan pulled him back and kissed him. “Me too.” He watched as Paul got into his car and drove away, then got into his own car and drove to the airport. The last time he left Connecticut was to run away to something. Now he felt he was running away from something. When he got back to San Diego he felt like a stranger. The time he had spent back home made him think about all the things he’d given up when he moved away. At the time it

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer all made sense. He and Kyle couldn’t have a life back there. But with all the changes that had happened, losing Kyle being the biggest. Did he really have any reason to stay? After a week had gone by, he’d gone back to work, but what usually brought him satisfaction just felt so empty now. When his phone rang and he saw it was Martin, he picked it up. “Hey, stranger, I was wondering why I hadn’t heard from you. You’re back in town, aren’t you?” “Hey, Martin. Yeah, I’ve been here for a week.” “A week? How come I haven’t seen you at the gym? I know you probably got all flabby from eating all that food at the wedding.” Aidan laughed. “Well, I guess I could use a good workout.” But what he really needed was a friend to talk to. “How about I come over in about an hour?” “Sounds good.” When he got to the gym, Aidan went to the locker room, stowed his stuff away, and went out onto the track to warm up. “So how did things go in Connecticut?” Martin asked as he walked over to him and sat on a bench. “Great. The whole thing was amazing. I got to see my mom and brother, and we’ve patched things up. And I found

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer out that I have a baby niece, and I got to spend time with her. I’ll be going back to see her. I did have a run-in with my father. He still hates me and what I am, but I figure, screw him. I don’t need him in my life. I’ve done pretty well on my own.” Aidan just kept rattling on and on without taking a breather. “You met someone.” It wasn’t a question. Aidan was surprised that he figured it out. “How did you know?” “We’ve known each other long enough for me to clue into you. I was hoping you might. I mean, it was a wedding, for goodness sake. A perfect place to meet eligible men, and being a gay wedding, eligible gay men. So who is he?” Martin prompted. Aidan knew he couldn’t deny it, and why should he? He wanted to talk it over with Martin in the first place. That he figured it out without him having to say a word made it all the easier. “His name is Paul. He’s Peter’s cousin. He’s a great guy, easy to talk to, and loves to have fun.” “What does he do?” “He’s an orthopedic surgeon.” “A doctor, huh?” Martin smiled. “It’s always nice to have a doctor in the family. So what are you doing back here? Shouldn’t you be hanging out with Paul?”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Things were just happening too fast. I mean, Paul is great, but I didn’t want to move too fast. I wanted to figure out what it all means.” “What it all means? Well, let’s see: do you think about him all the time?” “Yeah.” “Miss him?” “Yeah.” “Wish he was here or you were there?” “Yeah, I do.” “Oh, I think you have it bad.” Martin smiled at him. “You’re not going to tell me I’m love struck?” “I’m afraid you are. I think there is only one thing you can do about it.” “What?” “You’re going to have to decide if he’s going to move out here or you are going to go back there.” “Don’t you think it’s a pretty rash decision?” Aidan asked him. “Why? Look, Kyle has been gone for a long time, and you deserve to find someone new. I bet Kyle wouldn’t want you to live your life by yourself forever. I know you weren’t

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer planning on finding someone when you went home, but you did. I think you should give this relationship a chance.” “I think I’m afraid, Martin. What if it doesn’t work out? What if what I had with Kyle is a one-shot thing?” “What if you find out that Paul is someone that makes you fall in love again? Isn’t it worth finding out?” Aidan didn’t answer. Instead he ended up going for a jog. Martin’s words struck a chord in his heart. What if Paul was the one? Could he just sit back and let the opportunity of finding love again slip through his fingers? He and Paul kept in touch just like they had promised each other. Their phones filled up quickly with text messages. The longer they stayed apart, the more Aidan yearned to be with him. Finally, one day, he couldn’t take coming back to an empty apartment any longer. He’d been doing some inquiring at his firm and found out an opening had become available in the New Haven office. He was about to put his condo up for sale when he heard that Martin’s apartment had been destroyed in a fire and he needed a new home. He offered to let him buy it from him. He’d made arrangements with Martin about moving in and was going to leave his furniture behind, just taking his clothes and some odds and ends. A call from Paul interrupted his thoughts. “Hey, you.” “Hi, Aidan. I just called to see how you were doing.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I’m doing good. I was just about to go out to get a bite to eat.” He didn’t want to tell Paul he’d made a decision, wanting instead to surprise him. “Oh, I don’t want to keep you. I mean, I know how important it is to keep a hungry man satisfied.” He paused. “I sure do miss you.” Aidan could hear the excitement in Paul’s voice. It took every ounce of will not to tell him he’d be seeing him soon. “I miss you too. Listen, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.” He flipped the phone closed before he lost his resolve and spilled the beans. About a week later Aidan was on a plane bound for Connecticut. Martin was moved into his condo. He’d left some of his things there and told Martin he’d let him know how things were going and when to send them on ahead. He couldn’t wait to surprise Paul.

PAUL was having one of those quiet days that didn’t come along too often. For once, his caseload was pretty light. “Doctor, I have a new patient to see you,” his nurse informed him. “I don’t remember anything about a new patient.” He usually knew when a patient was coming in, usually getting referrals from other doctors days in advance. “Okay, send him in.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Paul washed his hands and waited a few minutes for the nurse to prep the patient. Paul went to the exam room and looked for a folder that was usually placed in a slot on the door, but found nothing there. Maybe the nurse left it inside with the patient. He opened the door, noticing the exam bed was empty. “Hello?” he called out. Some movement from behind the privacy screen drew his attention. Paul figured the patient was probably changing into a gown, so he waited. “Are you ready?” he asked. “Can you turn around, please?” a very soft voice asked him. He was surprised to get this kind of response. So he indulged the patient and turned around. “Okay, you can come out now.” Paul was shocked when he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes. “What the…?” He turned around and was shocked to discover Aidan standing in front of him, dressed in a gown. “Aidan!” he said, astonished. “What— what are you doing here?!” Unable to contain themselves, they threw their arms around each other. “I decided to surprise you.” Aidan kissed him. “So are you surprised?” “I sure am. What are you doing out here?” he asked again. “The last time I spoke to you, you gave me the brushoff, said you were busy. I started thinking that maybe you had second thoughts about us.”

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “No way. I told you I needed time to think, to come to some decisions.” Aidan took a seat on the exam table, and Paul sat down in a chair. “And did you? Come to some decisions, I mean.” “I did,” Aidan said, nodding. “I decided that I can’t live without you. I put in for a transfer to the office here in New Haven, got on a plane, and got a room at a hotel. So here I am, if you’ll have me.” Aidan looked at him hopefully. “If I’ll have you?” Paul crossed the room in record time and snatched Aidan off the table. Both men wrapped themselves around each other after Paul walked over to the door and locked it. “What?” Aidan asked. “You came here for an exam, and I’m going to give you one.” “I was hoping you’d say that.” The exam started off with chaste kisses and quickly moved onto even more intimate touches. Aidan took off Paul’s white coat and undid his tie. Using the tie to draw him closer, he pulled him in for a kiss, their tongues dancing around each other. It didn’t take long for Aidan to get Paul naked. “I thought I was the one examining you,” Paul said breathlessly when Aidan took his cock in his hand and started sucking on it.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “I’m checking your credentials,” Aidan said between sucking and stroking the burgeoning cock. His efforts were quickly rewarded when a warm stream of cream filled his mouth. “Did I meet the criteria?” Paul whispered, barely able to catch his breath. “You sure have.” He handed Paul something, and he walked over to the table and bent over. Paul looked down and saw it was a tube of lube and a condom. He smiled as he prepared himself and walked over to Aidan. “Are you ready for your exam?” “Yes, Doctor.” “Now, you’re going to feel some discomfort, so I want you to push out as I stick my finger in.” Paul applied some lube to his index finger and pushed it into Aidan. “How does that feel?” “Good.” Aidan started to push back when he felt a second finger enter him. “Okay, now, I am going to put a rather large probe inside. Try not to tense up.” Paul’s cock eased its way up inside Aidan. “How is that?” “Oh, real good.” Aidan moved his hips back and met Paul’s thrusts. The sound of two bodies slapping together echoed in the room.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer Paul wrapped his hand around Aidan’s cock and stroked in time with the thrusts. “Yes, I’m almost there, almost there.” Aidan’s anal muscles squeezed Paul’s cock as he came. He felt Paul collapse on his back, their sweaty bodies melting together. They managed to get themselves put together again and presentable. “I’ve got some patients to see this afternoon, so how about I come by your hotel later?” “Sure, sweetheart. I’ll see you later.”

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EPILOGUE

FROM the time Aidan saw Paul again in the hotel room, things started to move along in their relationship. About two weeks later, he moved into Paul’s spacious house, which had four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large backyard with a hot tub. And that’s where they were sitting together, in the hot tub with their arms around each other looking up at the constellations in the night sky. “Look: there’s a shooting star. Quick, make a wish,” Aidan told him. They both sat silent for a moment. “So what did you wish for?” “I can’t tell you that,” Paul said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “But it’s already come true.” “Yeah; for me too. But there is still more to come.” “More?” Paul asked.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer “Yeah. I know this is silly, but I want that happily-everafter stuff that you hear about in fairy tales. I know that it’s all make-believe, that it can’t really come true.” “I don’t think it’s silly at all. I think happy endings can come true, but I can’t help but want that.” “Maybe you’re right. It sure came true for us.” Aidan couldn’t help thinking about what came at the end of a happy story. And they lived happily ever after. It sure rang true for them.

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LILY SAWYER is a native New Yorker residing in Virginia with two cats, a guinea pig and two goldfish. She has to credit her late mother for her interest in reading and writing. She used to take her to library and opened up to her the world of books. She took a writing class in an adult enrichment program and got hooked. She started off writing stories set in various fandoms she was interested in like Star Trek. After getting some encouragement from family members, she finally decided it was time to write her own original stories. Lily loves to garden and likes to go bike riding and long walks and is a romantic at heart. Visit her blog at http://trekfan.livejournal.com/.

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The Finest Thing ♥ Lily Sawyer

The Finest Thing ©Copyright Lily Sawyer, 2009 Published by Dreamspinner Press 4760 Preston Road Suite 244-149 Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Design by Catt Ford This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ Released in the United States of America June, 2009 eBook Edition eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-005-5

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