Never Again – 43

 

"Joe," Cal said, suddenly looking very wary as they parked in one of the downtown lots near the Quarter.

"Umm?"

"You do know what we're doing, right?"

"Going out to dinner then maybe to a club. Why?" Then he understood. "If you don't want us to be so public, now's the time to say so."

"I want to. I really do. I just wanted to be certain you did and you got what it's going to mean."

Joseph laughed, leaning over to give him a quick kiss. "It means if anyone we know sees us, they're going to know we're more than just casual friends who work together. And…" he grinned, "since I'm your employee, you could be sued for sexual harassment."

"As if!" Cal grinned back at him. "I think you were the 'harasser', not that I protested too much. Well, now that that's cleared up, which restaurant? You never said." He glanced down at what he was wearing. "Please, nowhere fancy."

"This is the Quarter, Cal. We could go into most places in jeans if we wanted to. The tourists do it all the time. Besides which, you look just fine." He smiled when Cal still looked skeptical. "Tell you what, I was thinking of Muriel's but maybe we should try Pat O'Brien's instead. We can eat in the Courtyard and pretend it's our first time in the city."

"Deal," Cal said, laughing. "And I happen to like O'Brien's." He opened the door, looking at Joseph when he didn't move. "Well come on, rich boy, show me the town."

* * * *

"I am stuffed to the gills," Joseph said a good deal later, leaning back to rub his stomach.

"Since when do wolves have gills?' Cal joked, instantly glancing around afterward to see if anyone had heard him, looking contrite for saying that out loud.

Joseph smiled, telling him quietly, "It's okay. If anyone did hear, they'd think you meant the kind who preys on handsome men like you, not the real thing."

"Let's hope."

"Cal," Joseph said after leaning in so only he could hear, "no one knows shifters exist, so how else would someone take it?"

Smiling ruefully, Cal nodded in agreement. "Okay, what's next on the agenda?"

"We go work off all this good food at one of the clubs?"

"I'm not much of a dancer, Joe."

"Hmm, that could present a problem then, since the last time I danced, the waltz was all the rage."

"Seriously?"

"Very seriously, I'm afraid."

"Okay then." Cal finished the last of his beer, set the glass down then said, "How about we take a walk instead? Maybe down by the river."

"A romantic moonlight stroll. I like the idea."

After paying for their dinner, the two men set out. Bourbon Street was, as always at that time of night, crowded with tourists. After getting bumped once too often by intoxicated females who then smiled lasciviously at them, they veered onto the next street leading toward the river.

As they walked down Orleans, Cal tentatively took Joseph's hand. When Joseph didn't pull it away, he smiled with obvious relief.

"Come on now," Joseph said, chuckling softly, "did you really think I wouldn't want to hold hands with you?"

"Well, we are in public," Cal pointed out, even as he tightened his grip.

"So are they, and them, and them." Joseph nodded toward several other male couples walking ahead of them, one with their arms entwined around each other. "In this city, in this part of the city at least, you know no one really objects, except perhaps the occasional uptight tourist."