slicing cake and serving cookies most of the night, but people had stopped eating and were dancing and talking now as they waited for the fireworks from the Wharf to begin. Ben walked around the roof, saying hello, but couldn't see Jamie anywhere.
"I'll be back," he said to Leo, grabbed a pair of beers out of the cooler and went down to Jamie's apartment. He rapped on the door. "Jamie? You in? You getting laid? Because if you're getting laid I'll go away, but if you're not--"
The door opened and Jamie stood in the doorway, giving him a dark, impatient look. "What do you want?"
Ben held up the beer bottles. After a moment Jamie sighed and stepped back to let him into the dark apartment. He gave one bottle to Jamie. "Why are the lights off?"
"Because I didn't turn them on." He opened the bottle and took a swig.
"Yeah," Ben muttered. He decided a direct approach was best.: "Missed you at the party."
"I didn't feel like a party."
"You felt like sitting in the dark." He eyed the empty bottles on the table. "And drinking alone."
"Yeah." The look he gave Ben was a challenge: I dare you to scold me.
Ben was more than up to it. "You know what they say about people who drink alone."
"No, Ben," he said tiredly, "what do they say?"
Ben blinked at him. "I actually don't know--I was hoping you did."
Jamie made an impatient noise and turned away, but put the beer bottle down on the counter. "So what did you want?"
"To see why you're not at the party. To drag you up myself if I have to." He eyed the bottles again. "It's more fun than getting drunk alone."
"Right."
Ben sighed. "No Micah tonight, huh?"
Jamie didn't respond for a moment or two. "He said he'd try to cut out of his family party early."
"It's going on nine."
"I know."
"It's too late to be early."
"I know," Jamie snapped.
"So quit waiting and come to the party. There's cake with blueberries and strawberries on top. And whipped cream." He stepped closer to Jamie, put his hands on his shoulders. "Cake. Delicious, berry-covered cake."
"You think you can give me some cake and some fireworks and make it all better."
He started rubbing Jamie's shoulders. "No. I know it won't. But again, it's better than drinking alone in the dark." He could feel Jamie's tension loosen under his touch, and he raised one hand to run it slow through Jamie's streaky blond hair. Jamie tilted back his head and exhaled, and then moved out from under Ben's hands and faced him, arms crossed over his chest.
"I almost think you'd rather we stayed here."
Ben smiled. "Almost." He leaned back against the counter. "But then we'll miss the fireworks. It's not the Fourth without fireworks."
"Something tells me that, with you, missing the fireworks isn't really an issue." He looked away. "Sorry. Perhaps I've had too much to drink."
"Then you definitely need some cake in you." He held out his hand. "And a burger. Watermelon. Roasted corn on the cob, Jamie."
"Oh, well, if there's roasted corn on the cob..." He smiled and put his hand in Ben's, and followed him up to the roof.
Ben and Jamie got plates of food and made themselves comfortable, leaning against the low wall that rimmed the roof. Music was still playing and people were dancing, but it felt quiet to Ben--quiet and peaceful. The moon was out, just a sliver of white in the deep dark blue sky, and there were few clouds. It was a beautiful night for fireworks.
"Bet you don't have anything like this in England," Ben said with a twinge of national pride.
Jamie smiled and swallowed his mouthful of hamburger. "We've got Bonfire Night."
"What's that?"
"'Remember, remember the fifth of November'?" Ben shook his head and Jamie said, "During the reign of James the First some Catholic men decided to blow up Parliament in hopes of ending Catholic persecution. It didn't work--they were discovered beforehand, tortured and put to death.
"So every year on the fifth of November we have bonfires and burn the ringleader in effigy and have fireworks and
"I'll be back," he said to Leo, grabbed a pair of beers out of the cooler and went down to Jamie's apartment. He rapped on the door. "Jamie? You in? You getting laid? Because if you're getting laid I'll go away, but if you're not--"
The door opened and Jamie stood in the doorway, giving him a dark, impatient look. "What do you want?"
Ben held up the beer bottles. After a moment Jamie sighed and stepped back to let him into the dark apartment. He gave one bottle to Jamie. "Why are the lights off?"
"Because I didn't turn them on." He opened the bottle and took a swig.
"Yeah," Ben muttered. He decided a direct approach was best.: "Missed you at the party."
"I didn't feel like a party."
"You felt like sitting in the dark." He eyed the empty bottles on the table. "And drinking alone."
"Yeah." The look he gave Ben was a challenge: I dare you to scold me.
Ben was more than up to it. "You know what they say about people who drink alone."
"No, Ben," he said tiredly, "what do they say?"
Ben blinked at him. "I actually don't know--I was hoping you did."
Jamie made an impatient noise and turned away, but put the beer bottle down on the counter. "So what did you want?"
"To see why you're not at the party. To drag you up myself if I have to." He eyed the bottles again. "It's more fun than getting drunk alone."
"Right."
Ben sighed. "No Micah tonight, huh?"
Jamie didn't respond for a moment or two. "He said he'd try to cut out of his family party early."
"It's going on nine."
"I know."
"It's too late to be early."
"I know," Jamie snapped.
"So quit waiting and come to the party. There's cake with blueberries and strawberries on top. And whipped cream." He stepped closer to Jamie, put his hands on his shoulders. "Cake. Delicious, berry-covered cake."
"You think you can give me some cake and some fireworks and make it all better."
He started rubbing Jamie's shoulders. "No. I know it won't. But again, it's better than drinking alone in the dark." He could feel Jamie's tension loosen under his touch, and he raised one hand to run it slow through Jamie's streaky blond hair. Jamie tilted back his head and exhaled, and then moved out from under Ben's hands and faced him, arms crossed over his chest.
"I almost think you'd rather we stayed here."
Ben smiled. "Almost." He leaned back against the counter. "But then we'll miss the fireworks. It's not the Fourth without fireworks."
"Something tells me that, with you, missing the fireworks isn't really an issue." He looked away. "Sorry. Perhaps I've had too much to drink."
"Then you definitely need some cake in you." He held out his hand. "And a burger. Watermelon. Roasted corn on the cob, Jamie."
"Oh, well, if there's roasted corn on the cob..." He smiled and put his hand in Ben's, and followed him up to the roof.
Ben and Jamie got plates of food and made themselves comfortable, leaning against the low wall that rimmed the roof. Music was still playing and people were dancing, but it felt quiet to Ben--quiet and peaceful. The moon was out, just a sliver of white in the deep dark blue sky, and there were few clouds. It was a beautiful night for fireworks.
"Bet you don't have anything like this in England," Ben said with a twinge of national pride.
Jamie smiled and swallowed his mouthful of hamburger. "We've got Bonfire Night."
"What's that?"
"'Remember, remember the fifth of November'?" Ben shook his head and Jamie said, "During the reign of James the First some Catholic men decided to blow up Parliament in hopes of ending Catholic persecution. It didn't work--they were discovered beforehand, tortured and put to death.
"So every year on the fifth of November we have bonfires and burn the ringleader in effigy and have fireworks and
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