This is the revised version of Attraction

I drew lazy circles on Tom's chest, feeling absolutely sated. With my head on his shoulder and my thigh across his hip, I wondered if I had enough strength to do much else. Sunlight poured in from the window as if to remind us that we couldn't spend the rest of the day in the hotel bed.

"What's on the schedule for today?" I asked, not at all happy about the prospect to do anything at all unless it included Tom's naked skin against mine. Okay, so maybe I was a bit insatiable, but who could blame me when Tom pushed all my buttons in the most pleasurable way imaginable.

"Dante has rehearsal in two hours, then I imagine we'll get something to eat before the concert."

"Is it the same everywhere you go? Doesn't it get boring?" I wasn't sure how I would deal with a life on tour, going from place to place every other day. I had a feeling it would stress me out. Exploring was fun, but I liked doing stuff on my terms.

"It's more or less the same, but there's never a dull moment when you have Dante around. He's too unpredictable for that to happen."

"But you seem to like him?"

Tom slid his fingers down my spine. "It's very difficult not to like him even if he's a pain sometimes."

I couldn't help but smile. There was a lot of love in those words, and I had a feeling Tom was proud of Dante. Almost like a father would be. It was sweet, and it also revealed that Tom was more than capable of feeling deeply even if he sometimes had the air of not caring much about anything. It was as if one more layer peeled away in front of me. Then there was his family. He cared about them too, or at least his brother and grandparents.

I cuddled even closer even if it was next to impossible. "I like him too. There's something about him that sort of pulls you in, I think."

"Don't think you're the first to say that, but he's not very quick to let people inside. He seems to like you too, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"You mean it was up to Dante? But Chris said he didn't know I was coming."

"Regardless of what Lara might say sometimes, Dante is in charge. Dante was definitely in on the decision to welcome you here, but he decided to let it be a surprise for Chris."

I thought of Chris' reaction when I showed up at breakfast. Chris was a nice guy. Just as there was something about Dante that made you intrigued, Chris had this genuinely nice aura surrounding him that put people at ease.

Tom's warm hand slowed on the small of my back. "I think we better shower and get ready."

"Probably a good idea, although I'm not entirely convinced I want to get up at all."

Lips touched my forehead. "Thought I'd worn you out for at least a few hours."

"Never."

Chuckles made Tom's chest rise and fall beneath me. "Come on. We can't stay here all day. Wouldn't want Lara to barge in here."

The image of Lara opening the door, rolling her eyes when she saw us, made me sit up straight. "You're right. I wouldn't be able to look her in the eye."

Tom snorted. "You're not fooling anyone. You wouldn't be embarrassed at all. Most likely you'd laugh it off."

"Maybe."

*****

The Meyerhoff Symphony Hall wasn't all that impressive from the outside, although I liked the sinuous architecture. However, as we entered the main hall with all its chairs and balconies, I couldn't stop staring. There was this modern feel to it that I really liked, and it didn't seem bogged down by decorations like a lot of opera houses were.

Musicians loitered on and around the stage, tuning their instruments or talking with each other. The door closed behind us, giving off a sound that called for their attention. A few of them glanced our way and appeared to silence. The reaction spread like a wave, and for a while I wondered why we stood in such spotlight.

Dante sauntered down the stairs, and that's when I realized who they'd been focused on. That was the moment it really hit me just how special Dante was.

I leaned into Tom, tilting my head to reach his ear. "Do people usually react like this?"

"It happens."

Lara eyed us curiously, and I got the feeling that she was trying to figure out what was going on between me and Tom. We hadn't been overly touchy while in company of the others, mainly because we'd not had many chances. We'd fetched the car together, but since the front seat was Lara's, I'd sat in the back when the others joined us.

Chris appeared restless, shifting his weight while we waited. It struck me that I had no idea why we waited.

"So what happens now?" I asked.

Chris reacted immediately, nodding toward the exit. "Let's get out of here for a bit. I want to check out the city."

"Did you tell Dante?" Lara asked, glancing between Chris and Dante's retreating silhouette.

"Yes, I told him we'd be back in a few hours. It's not like needs me around when they're practicing." Chris appeared impatient. I had a feeling he'd seen the interior of enough concert halls during this tour and previous ones.

Tom and I exchanged a bit of silent communication. There was a smile, a nod and a squeeze. He obviously thought it was a good idea. I wouldn't have minded staying, but in all fairness, I'd seen more of Tom than Chris recently. Friends need attention too.

Chris chewed his lip, and I decided to act before he changed his mind. "Okay, let's go. I've never been to Baltimore."

Chris' face lit up instantly. "Awesome. We can check out some night clubs for later."

Lara cleared her throat, but Chris didn't have time to pay her any mind as I pulled him out of the hall. If he and Dante wanted to go out clubbing, Tom and I would join them. No big deal.

Warmth greeted us outside, and I instantly craved something cold. I tucked my arm under Chris' and steered him down the street. "You know, we should get started if we want to party tonight."

"What?"

"We need a beer."

"Already?" He seemed to contemplate the idea, frowning slightly. "Yeah, you're right. We definitely should. I've behaved like a good guy for more almost three weeks now."

"You haven't had a drink in three weeks?" Appalled, I increased our pace. This had to be remedied immediately.

Chris shook his head. "No, I mean, I've had drinks, or well, I don't know if glasses of complimentary champagne counts."

"Everything that's free counts, but you're right. You've been far too good. We better fix this right away."

We didn't have to walk long before we happened upon a cozy café that also sold beer. The girl behind the counter perked up as we entered, discarding her phone where we couldn't see it. She couldn't have been much over 21, maybe even younger, but I wasn't sure people in the US could sell alcohol when they weren't of age themselves.

"Hi guys, what can I get you?"

Chris studied the items behind the counter, licking his lips as if he'd rather have cheesecake than a beer. Not that I had anything against cheesecake, but I thought we were on a mission. "Chris, no sweets before dinner."

He glared at me viciously. "I can have whatever I want." The line only made him sound like a petulant teenager.

"I'm having a beer at least." I felt like relaxing for a bit before I began to question Chris about Dante and Lara.

"All right. And, what about you?" she asked Chris, who still stared at the cakes.

"Maybe I'll have..."

I cleared my throat, causing his shoulders to sag an inch.

"Fine, I'll have a beer too." He didn't sound all too reluctant.

The girl placed two bottles on the counter, and as an afterthought, she got us two napkins. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, do you know of any great gay clubs in the city?" I asked, hoping that she wouldn't throw us the evil eye.

She didn't even flinch. "Yeah, there's this club around the corner which is pretty big. Think it's one of the larger ones. I've never heard any bad stuff about them so I'm sure it's cool."

Chris took the bottles and gave one to me. "Thanks, sounds like a great place." He gave her a smile which she was too cool to return.

We stepped outside where they'd placed a couple of tables on a small patio. The chairs looked ready to fall apart, but they held as we sat.

I sipped the cold brew, trying my best to relax. I had a feeling we had a long day in front of us.

Chris mirrored the motion only to place the bottle on the table instead of drinking. "So, how's it going with Tom?"

I took my time before replying. In the past, I hadn't really talked about relationships at all. I liked to gossip about others, but my private stuff was just that—private. But, Chris had a right to know considering that he knew us both. He'd been there from the start, seeing right through me the moment I'd laid eyes on Tom.

"It's going okay."

Chris grinned. "Seems like it's going better than okay. You look happy together. I didn't expect that to happen so fast."

I tried to laugh to lighten the atmosphere. I wasn't sure why this conversation bothered me. I did want to tell Chris that everything was great, but what if it would change? It had only been a month after all. What if I'd wake up tomorrow and Tom didn't want me.

Chris nudged the bottle across the table, leaving a wet mark in its wake. "I think it's great, at least. Tom seems to be happy, and I can't really remember seeing him like that before."

"Really?" Oh, I replied far too fast on that one. Chris smug face told me he'd noticed and drawn some conclusions.

"Dude, Tom is into you. You'd be blind not to see it."

"Well, we're married." I couldn't meet his gaze, but my right hand still strayed to the ring on my finger.

"Yes you are, but we both know you didn't marry for love."

As true as it was, the statement still stung. Laughter was the cure-all of all awkward situations, though, and this was a perfect time to use it. Chris didn't need to know he'd hit a bad one. I raised my bottle to his. "True, but I've yet to meet someone who can resist me."

The laugh I got in response eased the tension in my shoulders. "You're so full of yourself." Chris clinked his bottle with mine and gulped down the alcohol.

"Unless I'm full of someone else."

Chris almost threw himself out of the chair while laughing.

I smiled and guzzled down more of the beer before it turned warm in the heat. Even if I wasn't ready to tell him a bunch of details, I'd show him tonight if we hit a club. I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off my husband even if I tried.

"But what's going on with Dante and Lara," I asked.

"Oh, that." His face fell. "It's been pretty shitty this week. I think she's pushed him a little bit too far, and I have a feeling he's started to compare her to his mother. Which, by the way, is totally unfair, but shit from the past can mess with you."

Didn't I know it. "Tom argued with her this morning."

"He did?"

"Yeah, I think she was close to tears. I never would have thought."

"Damn. I've never heard them argue, like ever. What did he say to her?"

"To let Dante make decisions. Sounded pretty reasonable to me, and I think she listened."

Chris almost smiled, still tense. "Tom is golden."

"He is." My stomach fluttered in the weirdest of ways.

"Man, I hope they talk. Lara and Dante, I mean. I'm not sure he'll hold up much longer." He took another swig of his beer, gazing into the distance.

It was hard to see Chris so worried. It gave me a bad feeling regardless of what Lara had promised after breakfast.

A/N  Not sure this is true anymore, or what do you say? @mzblue222 <3