[Featured in FreetheLGBT: Diverse Literature reading list and Humor: Young. Dumb. Full of Fun list]
Colin Mitchell, a photographer at a well-known store, Snapshot, is openly gay--mostly. His ideal experiences are sexcapades that are always subtle, n...
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Peter bit into the ice cream he scooped up. He liked the type of cold, spicy burn that followed it. "Would I be a good otter?"
"Huh?" Colin looked up from his laptop, where he was currently submitting edited photos.
"An otter... do you think I'm one? A good one." Over the past few days, the question had been ringing over and over in Peter's mind. He finally had the courage to bring it up.
However, it seemed like he wasn't making any sense when Colin's eyebrows turned down in confusion. "I don't know what you mean but I'm gonna go with no."
"Ugh, you know that thing with with gay guys naming each other after animals. Like bear, bunny, horse--that stuff. Am I an otter?"
The brown-haired guy had to cover his mouth with his palm in order not to burst out in laughter. He bit down on his tongue, heaving in a deep breath to suppress the loud 'Ha' that wanted to bubble up his throat.
"Where in blazes did you..." he started, words trailing off. Colin paused, rubbing his hand over the stubble that dotted his chin. "Wait. Tell you what, give me a kiss right here-" Colin placed a finger on his cheek. "-and I'll tell you whether you're an otter."
Peter shook his head, scooping a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. With unmelted slush still inside, he said, "Otters don't kiss."
A smug smile. "Who said?"
"I did."
The back of the laptop went down as Colin lay back, full attention turned to the Asian. "But you're not even sure you're an otter."
Peter pouted. "True... not yet at least."
"Well, otters like water. Do you like to swim?"
Another ice cream scoop. This time it was colder, and Peter had to blow on the chunk he had popped in his mouth, in spite of the doubt he held about its effectiveness. Clutching his head, he mumbled. "Not sure. I've never really swam."
Colin brought up a suggestion. "Pool tonight then?" The last time he had been to the apartment pool had been with Peter and his niece. It would be nice to relax in a pool after hours.
Peter's phone rang, making him set down the tub of ice cream in his hand and alert Colin to hold on.
"Hey, Peter." From the way his sister's voice came out light-hearted, in a sing-song manner, Peter knew Ivy was up to something.
"Let's not stretch this with unnecessary niceness. What's up?"
He could swear he heard Ivy breathe out a sigh of relief before she said, "I want to know if you're going to be free this afternoon... and maybe this evening."
"Uh yes. Where is this conversation headed though? Because it's getting to a level of suspicious-ness." Unknowingly, he narrowed his eyes, making them draw to slits. Colin saw the contorted look and snorted.
