Dinner Date

Andy Anson was in a fantastic mood. He had finally scored a date with Jen Allister, the hottest girl in the sophomore class. They’d only known each other passingly in first year, the bumble of being new to college sending them in separate directions, but the two had made fast friends when they found out that they were assigned lab partners in an intermediate chemistry class due to adjacent last names. There was just one problem: Jen was late.

He highly doubted that she would stand him up, but the thought did briefly cross his head. He checked his phone for the umpteenth time to see if she had any update, but there was still nothing. He couldn’t bear to triple text her, that would seem desperate. Still, he hoped she was okay and not in a car crash or something like that.

So here he was, sitting in a button up shirt and denim jeans, at a table, alone. He heard an “ahem” behind him as the waiter tried to get his attention. Andy turned his head and did a double take, seeing a confused jock standing behind the waiter.

Jeff Tyring was one of Andy’s better friends in the program: the two were from the same hometown. While not being close in public school, the presence of having a familiar face around quickly turned into a meaningful friendship. Andy had certainly told Jeff about his hot date, but he didn’t expect him to show up here!

And it didn’t look like it was to say “good luck”, either. Jeff was dressed up moreso than usual, though that didn’t take much. Jeff’s usual attire was a sleeveless shirt and jeans or shorts, depending on the weather. Tonight he was wearing a nice Henley and khakis, and a shocked expression seeing his good friend sitting down at the table.

“Monsieur, your date.” The waiter said to Andy as he pulled out a chair for Jeff to sit in. The two men stood, confused for a moment, before Jeff spoke up.

“This has to be a mistake, no? Or a prank?”

“Most certainly not, monsieur. We can double check the log, but I am certain that this is the correct reservation.” The waiter said. His aura was a bit pompous, and it was uncertain how much of it was real and how much was to appear fancy for work. Though, it was a family restaurant.

“Um, sure. Please check it though.” Jeff said, sitting down.

Andy waited until the waiter was out of earshot to speak. “Dude, what the fuck? Not cool to show up on my date with Jen!”

Jeff was genuinely perplexed. “Your date with Jen? I knew that was tonight bro, but you didn’t say it was here. I came here for a date with Tiff.”

“..which one is Tiff again?” Andy asked, trying to think, before he shook his head. “Actually, that doesn’t matter. How the hell did they get this mixed up? Jen hasn’t been responding to my messages all night.”

“I dunno man. I haven’t heard from Tiff either, but I’m a bit early.”

“You don’t think they like, set us up as a joke, right?” Andy asked, a bit cautiously. He didn’t want to entertain the idea that Jen could do something so cruel, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

“I don’t even think they know each other, bro.” Jeff replied, shrugging.

“I guess not.” Andy said, shutting the conversation down. His thoughts were racing over how weird this situation was, and the silence was awkward between the two men. After a couple of minutes of the two men being on their phones, waiting for messages from their dates, Jeff spoke to clear the air.

“You think he checked?”

“No,” Andy said with a laugh, “He seemed certain that this was right. No idea how. Maybe we were supposed to have tables next to each other.”

“Oooooor,” Jeff grinned, “Maybe he thinks we’d be a cute couple!”

Andy laughed, “Fuck off man. I ain’t gay, and if I was, I wouldn’t be seen with your ugly mug.”

“Cold!” Jeff laughed, “I’ll have you know girls are all over me.”

“Yeah, girls.” Andy said, emphasizing the word. “Gay guys aren’t into the same stuff.”

“How do you know?” asked Jeff, ribbing his friend, but Andy was having none of it, refusing to give in that easily.

“I got a gay uncle.” He lied, “Couple of classy guys. Nothing like you.” He winked.

“Guess the genes didn’t reach you, huh?”

“The classy ones, or the gay ones?”

The two men laughed, making the best out of an awkward situation.

“You never told me about your gay uncle.” Jeff said, bring the conversation back to casual banter.

“Never had any reason to, you’ve met my parents like what, twice?” Andy asked.

“I mean I guess but it’s something you’d think you’d bring up.”

“What, you’re accusing me of lying?” Andy responded, fully bluffing.

“No, just surprised I didn’t know, is all.”

The men were interrupted by the waiter coming over and the sudden sound of the pouring of wine. The waiter didn’t speak to them at all, nor made eye contact. He simply stated the name of the wine after pouring before walking away without waiting for a response. The men let out an awkward “thank you!” as the waiter walked away, no doubt busy with his next table.

“I guess this is a date, then.” Jeff laughed.

“Well, it was a date regardless, if you want to be technical. I guess there are worse people to go on a date with..” Andy retorted.

“Sure, sure, you say that like you don’t value my company.”

For some reason, that stung a little bit to Andy. “Of course I do.” He quickly replied, defensively.

Jeff, noticing he had hit a sore spot, quickly apologized. “Yeah, of course bro. Sorry I said that.”

“It’s fine. I guess I feel a bit on edge about being stood up.” Andy said. He wasn’t sure if that was true, though. He did feel bad about it, but this weird coincidence of Jeff being here was.. awkward. At least, it felt like it should be awkward.

He looked up at his friend, who had started drinking his wine. Jeff was holding it like a buffoon and taking something more akin to gulps than to sips. “Charming.” Andy said.

“I know I am, pal.” Jeff laughed. His smile was nice, Andy noticed. Had he ever noticed that before? Was it a weird thing to notice? Jeff paused, setting his glass down. “You’re kinda, uh, staring.”

“Oh.” Andy said before pausing. “I mean, this is a date, right?”

“Totally. Our first. Isn’t that romantic? Hey, you’re the one who said you knew all about the gays, right?”

“What? I never said that!” Andy protested.

“Well, your uncl-”

“Yes, I know my uncle! Still, “the gays” are a bit outside of my realm!”

Andy was getting worked up and Jeff was having fun with it. Still, neither man wanted to cause a fuss in the restaurant regardless of this weird scenario that had sprung to life. Jeff decided to change the subject, “Who is this uncle, anyway?”

Andy wasn’t expecting to have to lie, but he was good enough at improv to quickly fire off some answers. “Uncle Andrew, my dad’s brother. He doesn’t live here anyway, he’s a news anchor over in Europe. I visited him once there, was a lot of fun.”

“Wait, your dad named you after his brother?” Jeff asked.

“Is that such a bad thing? He’s a great dude. You’ll get a kick out of this, actually,” Andy said, deciding to test just how far he could bullshit Jeff, “His husband’s name is Jeffrey. They decided to combine their last names though, so they’re not Anson’s like me. So we don’t have quite the same name.”

“Wow, what a coincidence. And here we are, on a date now..” Jeff said, pausing to grin and wink, “You sure you’re not making this up?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’d never!” Andy lied. “Ask me anything about them.”

“Who tops?” Jeff asked, trying to get a rile out of his friend.

“What the fuck dude? Ask me anything else about them.”

“Heh, was wondering what you’d say.” Jeff laughed.

“You’re an asshole. That’s my uncle – that’s just weird. Does your mom top your dad?” Andy retorted.

“Every night.”

“You’re an asshole and also weird.”

“There are worse things to be,” Jeff winked at Andy, who was not impressed. “Relax, bro! Just busting your balls. I guess I can ask real questions now. Uh, where in Europe?”

“France. It’s where they met, actually. I remember Uncle Andrew going off about how he did an exchange program in high school and met this weedy guy who he made friends with. The internet wasn’t as much of a thing then, but they wrote letters back and forth for years.”

“Aww, that’s sweet.” Jeff said, taking a moment to cough.

“You alright?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. My throat’s just a little dry.” He replied, taking another gulp of wine.

“Anyway, things evolved and they ended up becoming an item when Uncle Jeffery moved to the states for work and Uncle Andrew was the one to welcome him – they were practically inseparable.”

“You say it like you were there.” Jeff responded. His words sounded.. thick.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Andy asked.

“Yes? Why?”

Andy shook his head. “Nevermind. You’re looking thinner to me, but maybe it’s the light.”

Jeff looked down, confused. “Do I? I don’t feel anything different.” The words rolled off his tongue, almost sounding overpronounced. It wasn’t consistent, though. The beginning of the sentence started normal, but ended in an oddly pronounced ‘dif-ee-ront’.

Andy looked at Jeff for a moment, trying to determine if the man was pulling his leg. He couldn’t tell at all. “Anyway. Uh, yeah, I mean I guess I wasn’t but everyone in the family knew. Uncle Jeffery was treated like family from the start.”

“That’s sweet.” Jeff said, a heartwarming smile on his face. “I’ve always liked your family, they’re really nice.”

“You’ve only met them a few times, right?” Andy asked. As soon as he said it though, he realized that didn’t sound quite right.

“You’re kidding, right?” Jeff responded. “I’d say I’m pretty close to them, even.”

“I uh.. guess that’s a good thing.” Andy responded.

“Still. I didn’t know Dave had a gay brother.”

“You’re on a first name basis with my dad now?”

“Huh?” Jeff asked, looking at Andy, confused.

“Nevermind,” Andy responded, dropping the subject. “The waiter is back.”

And there he was, the haughty Frenchman arriving at the table again. “Monsieurs.” He said, awaiting their order.

“Um, hey. Can I get a chicken parm?” Andy asked, as the waiter took notes on a pad he had taken with him. Jeff ordered a big burger platter, to which the waiter turned up his nose a bit at as he wrote the order down before leaving.

“I never thought that Jen would’ve picked a place like this for a date.” Andy said.

“Jen?” Jeff replied, pausing for a moment before it clicked. “Oh, yeah. I mean, it’s just a little above your standard fare, right?”

“I mean, maybe not for a date, but I’d be happy to go to McDonald’s for a quick snack.”

“How American of you.” Jeff laughed, the sound coming out nasally.

“Guilty as charged.” Andy replied. “My uncle is pretty similar – he loves travelling but he always says there’s nothing like food from home. Of course, his husband says the same thing about his homeland. I think Uncle Andrew likes French food, but he always complains about the portions.”

“The portions aren’t a problem.” Jeff snapped back, a little defensively.

“Yeah, you sound like Uncle Jeffrey there.” Andy laughed, “I think they have different attitudes towards food overall.”

“Food is an experience,” Jeff said, making hand gestures at the table. “It’s a cultural thing to share with people and savor, and enjoy.”

“I didn’t know you were this passionate about food.” Andy replied.

“I didn’t either, really,” Jeff replied, “But it just feels right, you know? A little.. je ne sais quois.”

“I don’t think that’s what that means.” Andy laughed, and Jeff frowned.

“Well, I know more French than you do.” Jeff said, his accent growing thick as he got defensive, “It’s something I’ve known for years, you can’t possibly say that you know more than I do, non?”

“I meant the phra-” Andy said, but decided this wasn’t a fight worth having. He should’ve known better than to pick a fight with Jeff about his native language, though something was telling him that Jeff didn’t know French at all. Clearly though, from his accent and peppering in of phrases in the other language, he knew it just fine. “Uh, never mind, actually.”  

“Hmm.” Jeff responded. There was tension in the air that was wanted by neither man. Jeff was feeling somewhat off as well. He looked at Andy, wondering if he felt it too. Did Andy look that big before? “And what is your opinion on food, then?” He said, trying to bring the conversation back without making it weird.

“I dunno, I like to eat a lot.” Andy replied. “Food is basically a building block for energy, and I try to count my macros and keep a high protein count..” Andy started rambling on, the words coming out automatically. But as he said them, he could remember his typical large meals of eggs and white chicken, as a food tracking app installed on his phone.

The other change was more physical, and Jeff stared as Andy talked about his diet in more detail than he’d ever cared to know. It was like Andy was sitting straighter in his chair, as his body slinked upwards as he grew. And he grew. Both taller, but his presence was becoming impossible to not notice as his arms and shoulders grew muscular, moreso than most men. Jeff stared as a pair of big pecs suddenly popped out of his chest, straining against his buttoned shirt and revealing some skin.

“..Jeff?” Andy asked, noticing the other man wasn’t listening to him. Even his voice was different with his new size, much deeper and more masculine.

“Holy shit, you’re huge.” Jeff said, surprised to see his friend.

Andy laughed, a bit embarrassed, “Well, thanks. I don’t work out for nothing.” He paused, trying to think. That sounded wrong. “I uh, huh. Isn’t that your thing?”

“Um…” Jeff stammered. It was his thing, but as he tried to think about his workouts he couldn’t remember anything about weightlifting. “I feel like it’s supposed to be, but all I can think of is the treadmill – I’m not out of shape, but something feels wrong.”

Andy stared at Jeff, who seemed to be getting taller in his seat. “You’re like.. lanky. That isn’t the Jeff I remember. Aren’t you on a sports team at our school? Football? No, baseball.. Wait..”

Jeff squirmed in his seat. Andy’s growth hadn’t looked uncomfortable, but for Jeff it felt like his spine was being stretched. “I.. don’t think so? Could I even play like this? I’m tall but I’m hardly built. Not like you.”

“No, that isn’t right, I wasn’t..” Andy started, as he shook his head. “Something is happening to us, Jeff. We have to get somewhere private a-”

Andy wasn’t able to finish his sentence as the waiter nonchalantly arrived at the table with plates, setting them down. “Your entrées, monsieurs,” Followed by the topping up of some wine.

“Uh, thanks..” Andy said, awkwardly, as he examined his plate.

The waiter scoffed, prompting Jeff to pipe up with a “Merci beaucoup.” The waiter smiled and walked away.

“You were saying something, sorry?” Jeff said, “I can’t quite remember before the waiter arrived.”

“Yeah, I was uh.. I think I said something was wrong?” Andy said.

“Well, what is it?”

“Look at the portion size!” Andy exclaimed, as Jeff rolled his eyes. “This is the smallest bowl I’ve ever seen! I don’t even remember ordering the beef borge-inon or however it’s pronounced.”

“Bourginyon,” Jeff replied, suavely and smoothly, as he eyed the bowl. It was indeed on the small side, but Andy was exaggerating just a bit. Compared to France, the meal size provided at the restaurant was fairly large – a side effect of having to cater to American clientele. “Perhaps you just pronounced it wrong and were given this?”

Andy, for his part, was already trying some. “Well, it’s not bad at least.”

“Mmm,” Jeff replied at the half compliment. He decided to continue the conversation as they kept eating and having wine. “So, you said your uncle Andrew is a broadcaster,”

“Yeah, for an English news company in France. Kind of a weird setup but I guess there’s an audience.”

“English people are everywhere,” Jeff responded, naturally. “What does your uncle Jeffrey do?”

“Oh, uh,” Andy said, trying to think of something. “He’s a high-profile engineering consultant. Well, high profile in his area of expertise, anyway.”

“High-profile?”

“Yeah, always having to go to firms and offices and conferences, dressed up to the nines. I think he likes it.”

As Andy spoke those words, Jeff’s clothing began to shift dramatically. He was already dressed up moreso than usual today, but the shirt and pants started to turn the same color, the hues shifting to a subtle blue-gray. The folds in the material ironed out, becoming smooth and pristine looking, as pockets formed in his suit jacket. A white collar popped out around his neck from under the shirt and his sleeves extended, forming a second layer in the same color.

As the changes swept over his outfit, he felt a brief jump as his underwear grew shorter and started cupping his ass, his boxers shifting to a comfortable pair of silk briefs. His socks thinned out and stretched up his legs, the tops unravelling and reforming to a pair of garters holding up the sheer fabric. His sneakers, which Jeff had not bothered to wear a nice pair, extended outwards as his feet grew larger, as the material changed to a sharp brown leather, complete with leather laces tied up in loops.

“Yes, I’d imagine he does.” Jeff replied. “It really is nice to dress up. It makes me feel like a man.”

“Well, you’re no kid, but hardly a man.” Andy retorted, getting a laugh out of Jeff. “You look good though.”

“Merci.” Jeff replied.

“I guess my uncles both like to dress up though. If they were here I’m sure they’d be both dressed impeccably, like on a d..date..” Andy said, stammering over the last word. “This isn’t supposed to be a date, right?” He asked, though he sounded like he didn’t believe it.

“Well, why else would we be here?” Jeff asked. “Though, mon cheri, if you don’t want to put a name on it, you don’t have to.”

That didn’t feel very comforting to Andy. “I.. guess not.” Something still felt off, but he didn’t know what. Had he experienced this before? Déjà vu? Had he been here before? He looked around the room, trying to examine his surroundings, but everything seemed kind of blurry. He’d observe a table to see a group of guys having beers, but when he looked again it was a bunch of executives enjoying some wine. The wallpaper was changing colors. The waiters were in various states of dress. It was chaos.

“Are you okay, Andrew?” Jeff asked, as Andy whipped his head to turn to him.

“What did you call me?”

“Andy?”

Andy shook his head. “I’m uh.. fine. I’m fine.”

Jeff frowned. “If you need to go to the bathroom or something I can take you.”

“No no, don’t.. worry. It’s okay.” Andy said. It really was nice that Jeff was looking out for him. Even though something in the back of his head was saying that’s what he was supposed to do.

“If you insist.” Jeff replied. “Are you too hot? You can take off your suit jacket if you need to.”

His what? Andy looked down at his huge chest to see his light blue button up largely obscured by a thick gray suit jacket. His pants were the same color, (were his thighs always that big?) and he was wearing classy black dress shoes to complete the outfit.

He started feeling mental clarity again. “No, I think I’ll keep it on, thanks.” He said, tapping his foot quickly on the ground.

“Well, I have to admit you look good. Almost like you could anchor on TV or something.” Jeff replied.

Andy beamed hearing that compliment. “I was worried that I looked like a kid dressing up or something.”

“What kid is 250 pounds with pecs like those?” Jeff laughed, as Andy did a quick pec bounce for the man sitting across from him. Jeff’s cheeks lit up red as Andy felt a foot sit atop his.

Jeff was right. Andrew was no kid. As Andy acknowledged this, he started to grow older as features gained maturity. His chest and forearms started to show visible strands of hair, which got thicker as Jeff sat and watched, mesmerized. On Andrew’s face, a thick mustache suddenly sprouted under his large nose, which led to a chain reaction of hairs growing from his face all around his lips to the top of his neck, forming an incredibly dense beard. As age caught up to him, Andrew’s hairline started to recede, leaving a prominent widow’s peak.

He laughed, “Yeah, I dunno what I was thinking. How could anyone think me a kid? I’m a big bear of a man.”

Bear. Where did he know that term? It felt like it meant something to him. He looked at the man sitting across from him. Jeffrey was always more of an otter, anyway. But how did he know that?

Jeff nodded. “Yeah, you’re gorgeous.” He said, before turning beet red and covering his mouth. He removed his hands, “Not that I’m like, gay or anything bro..” he followed up with, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it.

“And here I was thinking I was with the otter of my dreams!” Andrew heartily laughed.

Jeff felt uncomfortable. Was he making the time with Andrew awkward? He would never want to do that. He had to be more mature here, he thought, as reality began to grant his wish. Jeff started to feel an itch in the center of his chest, which was getting worse by the second. He was trying to resist scratching it, but could hardly contain himself as he reached over his suit and poked it real quickly in an attempt to make it go away.

That was all it took for Jeff’s body to explode in a hairy mass, as dense hairs started covering every surface they could. His chest was a thick furry forest, spreading continually to his pubic area and down his legs. The hair reached around the back too, giving him a hairy back and a fuzzy butt. Thick armpit hairs made themselves known as the hairs made their way down his arms, completing Jeff’s appearance as a hirsute man.

He could remember himself in high school, being mocked by the other students for being so hairy, but when he was the first in his cohort to grow a beard, suddenly everyone was so jealous. That was only a few years ago though, right? And a beard? He didn’t have a beard. Jeff reached up to his face and touched it.

The hairs weren’t finished their spread, however. The dense hairs forming up his neck grew in shaved as stubble until his jawline, which started growing long beard hairs, the growth going upwards. Jeff could feel it, as Andrew looked on oblivious. The hairs were growing under his hands, and it was.. silky. Comfortable. It actually felt really nice. He brought his other hand up to run through his thickening beard as he straightened it out with his hands real quickly.

He reached behind his head for a moment before putting his hands down, but froze. Where there was previously hair, he felt the smooth feeling of scalp with no stubble.

“No..” Jeff said, in a panic, “I don’t.. want to be bald.” Jeff said, the last parts of his original self trying to hold on.

The hairs were quickly disappearing from his head as Jeff brought his hands over his scalp, trying to touch hands as they disappeared in his grip.

“Hon, you’ve been bald for years. And it looks good on you.” Andrew said, as Jeff looked at him, nearly with a tear in his eye.

“I mean, still – I have no hair!”

“You have lots of hair.”

“Head hair!” Jeff responded, sadly.

“I mean, sure, but you’re stunning without it. Why are you choosing now to be upset about it?” Andrew asked.

That was a good question. This wasn’t exactly a new thing, he told himself. What exactly had triggered this in the first place? He couldn’t think of it at all. Why was he being so emotional? The scared thoughts faded from his mind like fog as Jeffrey settled into his maturity, looking and acting his age in the mid-thirties.

“Well, have you seen the waiter?” Jeffrey asked. “He is, how do you say, un hunk.”

“I’m pretty sure that one isn’t French.” Andrew laughed, “He’s not bad looking.”

“His hair is very magnifique.” Jeffrey responded. “It makes me very jealous.”

“That’s okay, you look great, I think.” Andrew responded. He set his hand on the table, next to the empty bowl. “More than great, actually. You look perfect.”

Jeffrey smiled, leaning over the small table just a little as he cupped his lover’s hand with one hand, and reached up to stroke Andrew’s beard with the other. “And you look stunning, mon cheri. Je t’aime.”

Andrew smiled. “I love you too.”

As matching wedding bands appeared on their ring fingers, the two men broke their embrace for the waiter to come over and take their plates and refill their wine. “Merci, monsieurs. We appreciate your patronage here.” He said, smiling at the two men knowingly.

Andrew was a bit confused at the man’s smirking smile, but he smiled back. “Thanks. It’s nice to see somewhere like this when we’re visiting.”

“It is nice to see such fine patrons here. A lot of Americans, they do not understand the fine dining experience.” The waiter responded. “This place is special, you see?”

Andrew looked around the room, seeing the well-to-do clientele enjoying their drinks and fancy food. He didn’t really see it, but maybe his hubby could. This looked like every other French restaurant to him.

Jeff on the other hand warmly smiled and replied in his accent, “Yes, I do. It very much reminds me of my home in France.”

“You are from France?”

“The accent did not give it away?” Jeffrey laughed, eliciting a smile from the waiter, “Yes, my husband and I live there. We are visiting his family for a few weeks right now.”

“Ah, wonderful, it is always nice to see people from home. I hope you are enjoying your visit here.”

“Always good to see my brother and his family.” Andrew piped up, happy to contribute to the conversation. He tried to picture their family in his head, but something in his head seemed off. There was of course his brother David and his wife Melissa, and their kids. Their kids.. there were three, right? Jolene, Grant, and.. he couldn’t remember the name of the third. Or anything about him, for that matter.

He tuned back into reality to catch the waiter dismissing Jeffrey.

“Did you pay?” Andrew asked.

“Were you not paying attention? Yes I did.” Jeffrey responded.

“I’m lost in my thoughts, sorry. Jet lag, maybe.”

“I understand. I am very tired, actually.”

“We have to make an attempt to normalize things for our stay here,” Andrew said, before getting to his question. “Hey, you remember Dave’s kids, right?”

“Jolene and Grant?”

“Yeah. Isn’t there a third?”

Jeffrey paused, mulling the question over. “I don’t think so. You don’t know your own nieces and nephews?”

“No, of course I do. I’m pretty close with my brother and his wife. I just.. guess I’m remembering wrong. Senior moment.”

“You’re 37.” Jeffrey replied.

“Yeah, I’m gay dead, obviously.”

“Un ours like you?” Jeffrey laughed, “Hardly. I bet you could get someone to call you daddy.”

Andrew smirked, and in a lower voice said, “If you ever invite someone over for a threesome and he calls me daddy I’m kicking the both of you out.”

Jeffrey laughed, “Let’s keep it family friendly, non?”

“Evasive, I see.” Andrew laughed. He was in good spirits now, and the wine was starting to take over, making him a bit slower and sleepier.

The two husbands enjoyed their wine as they chatted about their plans on what they wanted to do while visiting Andrew’s family in America and which places they wanted to see. Of course, the kids would probably want to visit a theme park – on their money, no doubt. Being a guncle could get expensive, but it was worth it for the kids.

Soon enough, the wine ran dry and since they’d paid, the refills ran out. It was time to call a ride share and arrive at Dave’s place. It was only a few minutes until one arrived, and the men had to leave. Their waiter bid them an “Adieu.” on the way out.

As the couple made their way to the door, Andrew paused by the door once he caught a glimpse of two ladies in beautiful dresses sitting over dinner. They were clearly a couple and enjoying their date night, warm expressions on their faces. Something seemed familiar in the big bear’s memories.

“Do we know them?” he asked, turning to his husband.

Jeffrey turned to look at the table and felt the same sensation. “I.. do not think so? I feel like we have seen them before, non? But I cannot say that I know them.”

One of the ladies had turned to face the two men, and was looking at them quizzically. Perhaps they were thinking the same thing, but it made Andrew uncomfortable to be caught staring at ladies at a restaurant. Even if he was gay, he didn’t want to give the wrong impression.

“Déjà vu, maybe..” Andrew muttered, leaving the restaurant, holding hands with the love of his life.

–

It was late, and the lights were off. For how exhausted they both were, Andrew and Jeffrey couldn’t seem to sleep for the life of them, and they didn’t know why. Everything had been perfect up to now, so this was strange.

“….”

“You seem bothered, dear.” Jeffrey said, as the two men laid in the guest bed under the covers.

“Yeah. I suppose I am. Though I don’t know why.” Andrew replied.

“Because you can’t sleep?”

“Well, yeah. But I can’t help but feel something is off about this whole thing.” Andrew said, looking up at the ceiling.

“Off?”

“Like.. we weren’t like this, or something. I dunno. It doesn’t make sense and I don’t know how to describe it.” Andrew said with a sigh.

“I think I know what you mean.” Jeffrey said, “But, let’s say you are right. Let’s say we changed, somehow. If we were completely different before this.”

“That’s kinda it,” Andrew said.

Jeffrey went straight to the point. “Even if we were different, would you ever want to give this up?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your body, your job, your family.. You know.. Moi..” Jeffrey responded.

Andrew smiled and rolled over, “Never in a million years would I give you up. I love you way too much for that.”

“I am glad you feel the same way that I do,” Jeffrey said. “So, let’s forget about this bad daydream and get some rest. Viens ici.”

Andrew smiled and slid forward into his husband’s embrace. It was a bit awkward of a cuddle position with Jeffrey being taller and Andrew being bigger, but the two men made it work and soon Andrew was nuzzled into Jeffrey’s fuzzy chest. He felt warm, and safe.

“I love you.” He whispered, as Jeffrey pulled his head down to give Andrew a kiss on the forehead.

“Je t’aime,” He responded in kind. “Now, let’s get some sleep. We have a long vacation ahead of us. No time to waste on worries.”

Andrew smiled as he repositioned himself a little bit before peacefully falling asleep next to his lover.