The Better Side of Me - Jerry Cole Page 0,35

Maybe he was seeing things that weren’t there? Maybe he should have just cancelled, or faked a phone call, or done any number of things to try and get out of this?!

Kirk then did something he never usually did, he stayed strong. Whether it was the gym giving him this new sense of self confidence, or Lance himself. Just being around the man, hearing him laugh at Kirk’s jokes, and riff with him like it was nothing, was enough to make Kirk feel six-feet tall with abs of steel. With Lance there, Kirk felt like he could do anything.

And so, he led Lance into the empty museum and toward the exhibit of artwork, artifacts and memorabilia from the time of Alexander the Great. It was a perfect spot too, tucked right at the back of the museum, in its own wing, hidden from view. It was almost like Kirk had booked out the space specifically, sectioning it off from prying eyes and interlopers. There was no chance of them being disturbed, which meant that the moment was for he and Lance alone.

“Alexander the Great...” Lance read the sign pointing them in the direction of the wing. “He was that famous chef, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Kirk shook his head and pointed for Lance to go ahead. “He came up with the Caesar Salad.”

“Well that just makes no sense at all,” Lance chucked as he ducked around the corner and into the wing. And then he stopped, stared and gaped at what he saw. “Wow...”

The room was the size of a small bedroom, with three large walls that curved around the space in a cylinder shape and formed a narrow opening where the entrance was. The wall itself was one large mosaic, depicting the Battle of Issues; it was based on a mosaic found in the ruins of Pompeii.

Mounted on the wall were a mass of vases, weapons, armor, and other tools that were all believed to have belonged to Alexander himself, or from someone close to him. There were also pieces of art and memorabilia from hundreds of years after Alexander had died, all dedicated to his memory. For any history buff, this was as close to Mecca as it came.

“They finished setting it up this morning.” Kirk stood back, by the door, watching as Lance slowly walked the room, looking over everything with intensity. “You’re the first person outside of the staff to see it.” Kirk leaned against the wall now, arms crossed as he continued to watch. Lance was focused on a vase that depicted Alexander’s father, Philip II discovering the mines that allowed for him to set himself up as king. “I just thought... I figured you might be interested.”

Lance was still looking at that vase. He reached out as if to touch it, but then quickly pulled his hand away and turned back to face Kirk. There was a small smirk on his lips, like a thought had just come to him. “Come here for a sec, will ya.”

Kirk pushed himself up and crossed the room. “Need a private lesson?” he joked.

Lance had his hand held out for Kirk and Kirk didn’t even think before taking it. It just seemed natural, like the most normal of things to do. But when their hands connected, Lance pulled Kirk in close, right into him so that their bodies were touching. And then, without a word or an indication of any sort, Lance kissed Kirk right on the lips.

On impulse alone, Kirk pulled his head back as if he’d been stung. “Wha...” he stammered before he could think.

“Don’t worry about it.” Lance kept that same confident, cocky smile as his right hand moved itself up to rest on the back of Kirk’s head. His fingers ruffled Kirk’s hair, which in turn had his body shaking. And the whole while, Lance looked deep into Kirk’s eyes; he ate him up, undressed him, devoured him with that hungry stare. “Shall we try this again?”

Kirk couldn’t speak. He could barely think! So instead of agreeing or saying something dumb that would only ruin the mood, he said nothing. Rather, he took control, leaned forward and kissed Lance full on the lips.

The kiss was softer than Kirk had imagined; Lance’s lips were already moist, and smooth like velvet. They parted Kirk’s own as they touched, and soon the two men’s tongues were lapping at one another’s as if playfully wresting. Lance would push his tongue into Kirk’s mouth, and then hurriedly retreat