Lark (First & Forever 5)

He tipped back the brim of his baseball cap as he looked up at me and asked, “Is that supposed to be a reward, somehow?”

“The one I’m thinking of has an excellent garden center.”

He perked up at the idea of getting to shop for flowers, and after we washed up I drove us to the store I’d been thinking of. I’d been there with Malone last summer because he’d wanted help bringing home some pavers for a patio he was building, and it was as good as I remembered it.

As soon as we set foot in the garden department, Lark’s eyes lit up. I knew right then that he’d caught what my dad liked to call the gardening bug. “Look at all this gorgeous stuff,” he gushed, as he walked down an aisle full of lush perennials.

“Just wait until springtime. The selection will be much bigger.” Not that it was bad at the moment. This was California, after all, so even in late January some things were blooming.

He went nuts for some pretty little violas, with their purple, white, and yellow colors and their cheerful little blooms. We bought all they had, along with a few bags of mulch, and went back home to finish the job.

By late afternoon, the garden was well on its way to a total transformation. Yolanda and JoJo joined us on the patio and raved at the progress we’d made. Then JoJo surprised us by turning to her fiancée and saying, “You know what? We’ve been spending all this time trying to figure out the perfect wedding venue, but what do you think about getting married back here? It just seems fitting somehow to get married in the home we love so much, and after the miracle Lark and Dylan worked here today, I can picture a gorgeous ceremony.”

Yolanda took JoJo’s hand and said, “Whatever makes you happy, angel, that’s what we’ll do.”

They kissed each other as Lark exclaimed, “This is going to be great! We’ll keep working on the yard to make it perfect for your big day, obviously. I’m picturing loads of twinkle lights, and a pretty wooden arch with flowers growing on it.” He turned to me and asked, “You can build something like that, can’t you, Dylan?”

“Definitely.”

He clapped his hands, then climbed onto my lap and kissed me before saying, “I can never thank you enough for all of this—the shelves, the garden, and now for creating a place for two of my favorite people to get married.”

“You don’t need to thank me. This has all been a lot of fun.”

“For me, too. I really didn’t think I was going to like digging in the dirt, but look how pretty it is already.” He gestured at the yard as he said that. It was definitely still a work in progress, but it was much better than it had been that morning.

“Let me take you out to dinner,” I said. “You deserve it, after all that hard work.”

He jumped off my lap and shook his head. “No way. I’m taking you out to dinner, as a way of saying thank you.” I started telling him he didn’t have to do that, but he pressed a finger to my lips and smiled at me. “No arguments. I’m going to run upstairs and take a quick shower. I’ll be right back.”

He darted into the house, and I turned to Yolanda and JoJo and asked, “So, when’s the wedding?”

“We’ve been leaning toward May but had been hung up on where to have it. Now that we have a location, we can make it official,” JoJo said, and they exchanged sweet smiles.

We discussed some ideas for the yard until Lark returned. His hair was damp, and he looked adorable in black skinny jeans, his glitter boots, and a cropped red sweater. I told him that as I got up from the patio table, and then I asked our companions if they’d like to join us for dinner.

“Another time,” Yolanda said, as she laced her fingers with JoJo’s. “We have plans tonight.” By the way they exchanged grins and kissed each other, it was easy to guess what those plans might involve.

We swung by my apartment so I could shower and change, since I’d trashed all the clothes I’d brought along for the weekend. Then Lark asked me to drive us to the Marina. One of the main streets in this upscale neighborhood was lined with a mix of shops, bars, and restaurants, some new and trendy, others long-time San Francisco institutions.

Lark had heard good things about a new Spanish restaurant, so that was our destination. He’d never had tapas before, which proved to be right up his alley. We ordered several small plates to share, and everything was delicious. But the best part of the meal was watching Lark savor not just the food but the entire experience.

I tried to talk him into letting me pick up the bill at the end of the meal, because we’d ordered half the menu and I knew it had added up. He insisted on paying though, and it seemed important to him so I didn’t argue.

We left the restaurant hand-in-hand, and once we were on the sidewalk, I took his face between my palms and kissed him. Then I said, “Thank you for dinner. Both the food and the company were absolutely wonderful.”

He smiled at me, and leaned in and kissed me again. I slid my hands around his bare midriff and nuzzled his hair as he kissed his way along my neck and jaw, and I asked, “Would you like to spend the night at my place?”

“I’d love to,” he said, between kisses, “but what about work?” We usually only spent one night together on my two days off, so I could rest up and transition back into work mode before my next shift.

“We can get up early, and I’ll drive you home before I head to the firehouse.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” He was doing these amazing things to the sensitive spot beneath my earlobe, and I closed my eyes and tipped my head to the side to give him better access. At the same time, I wrapped my arms around him and slid a hand under the hem of his short sweater, reveling in the feel of his soft skin.

This public display of affection really wasn’t like me, but I was just so happy and relaxed, and Lark felt so good in my arms that I let myself indulge for a few moments. Then I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was an older Black couple standing a few feet away, staring at us. I thought they were probably a pair of homophobes reacting to two men making out, but then I focused on their faces and my breath caught.