Isaac smiled shyly but nodded.

  “There you go, boys,” Linda said, placing the two coffees on the counter. I also bought us a custard tart each to go. We grabbed them and headed out since it would take us about half an hour to get to Bryant Park, our next destination.

  “Thank you for breakfast,” Isaac said. “I should probably keep this part of the New York experience a secret since my best friend makes these for a living.” He lifted up the hand that was holding the custard tart.

  “Well, you wouldn’t want to be accused of treason or be the cause of a rift between Portugal and America, would you?”

  “I wouldn’t dare,” Isaac said with a chuckle.

  Chapter Five

  Isaac

  I couldn’t believe that Max spoke Portuguese. I’d traveled over three thousand miles, and here I was, exploring New York with someone that spoke my language. I smiled to myself as I sipped my coffee.

  “What are you smiling about?” Max asked.

  “Nothing,” I muttered into my cup. “Just how out of all the random things in the world, you happen to speak Portuguese. Where are we going, by the way?” We seemed to be walking in a straight line, which I had come to learn was quite the standard in Manhattan. Lisbon, my home city and the capital of Portugal, was so different with its web of streets and hills.

  “We’re going to Bryant Park. They have the best Christmas Winter Village in the city.” Max sounded excited. I smiled, trying to take in some of his enthusiasm. I thought maybe we might see a museum or visit the landmark buildings the city was known for, but it seemed I was getting Max’s Christmas tour.

  All of the bad things in my life had happened at Christmas. I'd come through the bad times but still couldn’t connect with this holiday. Of course, Max didn’t know that, so I was determined to have a good time.

  Not that I was a Scrooge or anything. I usually celebrated Christmas with my brother and his wife—we had dinner together and exchanged presents—but somehow, I was always the least joyful of the three. Of course, now with my niece Sofia joining our family, I wanted to put a lot more effort into it for her. Speaking of which.

  “Max, is Macy’s nearby? I saw a sign.”

  “Yeah, it’s not far. Why, do you want to go in?” he asked.

  “If it’s okay. I became an uncle last night, and I’d love to buy my niece a present from New York,” I said.

  Maybe I could make this a new Christmas tradition. I could buy her something Christmassy from every place I visit, and she could collect them.

  I was thinking about it when suddenly big, strong arms came around me, making me lose my breath in a whoosh.

  “Congratulations, Isaac! Why didn’t you say that earlier?” Max stepped back from the hug with a big smile on his face as though he was the one with the newborn niece. He grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of the big department store, but the moment our hands connected, I felt a jolt of electricity.

  It was so unexpected, I withdrew my hand and apologized immediately, cursing the static. Max looked at me, his face tensing but then going soft, his brown eyes slightly darker than earlier.

  “Which way is it?” I asked.

  “Um… this way, it’s not far.”

  I followed him a few yards, spotting Macy’s well before I saw the sign for 34th Street. Well, it was hard not to miss the gigantic building and the more prominent sign saying Macy’s. I really hoped I’d find a nice present for Sofia there.

  As we walked in, my senses were assaulted by the brightness of lights, colors, and even the smells. Behind a roast chestnut cart, a man dressed in a red and white striped suit and a straw hat was roasting chestnuts and offering samples to customers coming in. I didn’t care much for roasted chestnuts, but I did love the smell and all the memories it brought back to me.

  In Portugal, we celebrated Saint Martin’s day by roasting chestnuts in November, a tradition that carried on throughout the cold winter months.

  “This smell reminds me of people in my hometown getting together to make a bonfire and roast chestnuts on the street,” I said. “Doesn’t happen so much anymore since people started socializing online rather than in person, but you can still get roasted chestnuts on the street from independent vendors.”

  “You get them here, too. I love the smell but don’t really like the taste,” Max said.

  “Really? I’m the same,” I chuckled.

  We went straight to the jewelry department where I bought Sofia a beautiful child’s bracelet that was engraved with her name and date of birth, and then Max insisted on visiting the Christmas floors. Yes, floors, since there were two floors completely dedicated to Christmas decorations, trees, and everything anyone might need to make their Christmas season perfect.

  As soon as we got to the top of the escalator on the second floor, the first of the Christmas floors, I could see the display of decorated Christmas trees. They were of various sizes, some small, but others were easily taller than me, and the decorations were so intricate that I was certain they would cost more than I make in a month.

  “This level needs a warning for bright, flashing lights,” I said, turning to Max whose face was lit up as much as the Christmas trees. He seemed so happy, his eyes coming alive and his smile telling a thousand stories of Christmases past.

  “Look!” Max yelped. “They have a My First Christmas ornament. You should get that for your niece and put it on your tree this year.”

  “That’s actually a great idea.” I grabbed one of the ornaments and realized they were made of blown clear glass that reflected a spectrum of colors. This would be something that Sofia could keep forever. Her first keepsake from me.

  I took it to the cashier to pay. I was already in line when I realized that Max was gone. It wasn’t until I had paid and had the ornament carefully wrapped in a box that he appeared again holding a small bag.

  “I see you did some shopping, too,” I said, seeing a speck of red in his cheeks. Was Max blushing? His face was a spectrum of emotions I couldn’t quite read. He was avoiding looking at me, but I could see he was also excited about something.

  “Come on, let's get out of here,” he said. “The park isn’t far.”

  Max was right. It didn’t take us long to get to the park, and when he promised that Bryant Park’s Winter Village was the best in the City, he hadn’t lied. There were numerous glass kiosks selling food and gifts, a large Christmas tree, and even an ice rink. The air was cold and smelled of sugared almonds and roasted chestnuts.

  “I want to take you to do something, but how about you try one of the best hot dogs in the world first?” Max asked.

  “Lead the way.” I followed him as he stopped at a hot dog truck and got us one each and another coffee.

  We took our food to a row of seats facing the ice rink and ate as we watched both adults and children doing their best at gliding gracefully on the ice. Some were better than others, and all were one hundred percent better than me, I was sure of that since I’d only attempted ice skating a handful of times and never successfully.

  Ice rinks weren’t something we had in Portugal in abundance. Some shopping malls had a small rink around Christmas time, and everybody always tried their best, but I don’t remember seeing the same level of skill that I was observing in front of me. Besides, I was quite happy watching people and also very much attached to my limbs, thank you very much.

  I looked around, and on a seat near us, a father helped his two kids get their skates on. The little one, who couldn’t have been older than five-years-old, looked at me and smiled. His excitement was almost contagious.

  The dad noticed his son smiling and looked at us and smiled, too. I felt a tug in my heart as memories of the past and happier times flooded my mind.

  I turned back to Max. “Shall we have a look at the kiosks, or do you want to go somewhere?” I asked Max now that we had both finished our hot dogs.

  “We’re most definitely going somewhere.”

  “Where?”

  Max looked at the ice rink, then at me and grinned.

  “Fuck. No.”

  Chapter Six

  Max

  Isaac’s shocked face was adorable. His blue-green eyes were wide open, and he looked like he was ready to bolt at any moment.

  “Come on, it’ll be fun.” I bumped my shoulder against his playfully.

  “I’ve only done this a few times, Max, and I really, absolutely, most definitely want to take both of my arms and legs back home with me,” Isaac said while putting his hands in his pockets as though that would nail him to the spot.

  “I’ll keep you safe. I’ve been skating for years,” I reassured and grabbed his arm, pulling him up from the seat toward the skate rental counter.

  I got us our skates and helped Isaac into his, making sure they were tight enough that he wouldn’t hurt himself if he slipped. Not that I had any intention of allowing that to happen.

  As a teenager, I often used skating as an escape during this season. It made me feel like a normal kid to be surrounded by the other people, almost as though we were all here together by design rather than by chance. It was also one of the few places where it was still free to skate.

  “Are you ready?” I asked Isaac.

  “Not in a million years,” he protested, looking around at the other people on the ice.

  “Okay, so I’m going to go first, then you can follow me. Start by holding onto the barrier until you have your balance.”

  I stepped inside the rink, loving the feeling of the razor-sharp skates on the ice, turned around, and held a hand for Isaac who followed me as instructed. I asked if he was okay, and he nodded. So far so good. Now it was time for the fun part.

  “Isaac, we’re going further into the rink,” I said.

  “What? Nooo, no. I can stay here on the side. You go. I’ll watch you.”

  He was gripping the barrier so hard I could imagine that his knuckles were white inside the gloves.

  “Look at me, Isaac,” I said, placing a hand on his arm, which made him look up at me. “Hold my hands. Both my hands. Open your legs hip wide, bend your knees slightly, and let your chest be your center of gravity.”

  Isaac did as I said, keeping his eyes pinned to mine. I bent my legs and pushed the edges of the blades in the right motion to create momentum to go backward. Isaac followed me slowly by going forward as I pulled him toward me.

  He looked very unsure, glancing around at the other people as though he would inevitably crash into someone. He was holding on to my hands with such a tight grip that it was almost painful. We picked up a little speed around the rink, him going forward and me backward, and after a little while, I could finally feel him relax into the motion of the skates on the ice.

  “Oh my god, I’m skating! This is incredible.” Isaac looked so excited, his face a picture of child-like happiness and innocence.

  I remembered the first time I went skating. I’d fallen on my ass a few times but had had the best time. I could see the same reflected in Isaac’s expression, his eyes coming more alive, if that was even possible, his cheeks pink from the cold. I couldn’t help looking down at his lips, plump and slightly parted with his breath coming out in small clouds.

  I was so distracted looking at Isaac’s mouth wondering if I’d have my ass handed to me if I kissed him that I didn’t see the small child skating in our direction. One moment, my eyes were on Isaac, and the next, I was looking at the sky with Isaac on top of me. He was lighter than I expected, but I can’t deny his weight on me felt good. Really fucking good.

  “All you had to do was ask, you know?” I winked, wrapping my arms around him. “You okay?”

  Isaac looked at me, first in shock that we were no longer vertical, and then something passed through his eyes. Something that appeared a lot like lust. I knew I was attracted to Isaac almost from the moment I saw him, so maybe he felt the same way.

  “Max,” he hesitated. “I—” Isaac didn’t have a chance to say anything more before we were interrupted.

  “Are you okay there?” a female voice shouted at us from the edge of the rink. I looked up to see one of the safety team personnel checking on us. I waved to say we were okay and helped Isaac to his feet.

  “Are you guys okay?” a male voice much closer asked. “I’m so sorry. Brian here gets so excited when we come skating that he forgets there are other people around.” He looked down at the small boy who was now looking sheepishly down at his skates.

  “Hi, Brian,” I spoke to the boy, kneeling down to his level. “Can I tell you a secret?” He looked at me and nodded. “When I’m skating, I also forget about the other people because I’m having so much fun.” I winked at him, which earned me a smile.

  “I think it’s about time for us to leave the rink to the professionals, anyway.” I ruffled Brian’s hair and then reached out and held Isaac’s hand again. He’d taken his gloves off, so I could feel his warm fingers on mine.

  It was time to leave, so I turned around and pulled Isaac toward the edge of the rink.

  “Have a great Christmas!” I shouted back at Brian and his dad.

  We left the rink to exchange the skates for our shoes before heading out of the Winter Village toward one of the most iconic buildings in New York.

  “Thank you, Max.” Isaac said, touching my arm as I was tying my shoelaces.

  “What for?”

  “I’m having a great time,” he said. “Except for the fall, ice skating was incredible!”

  My chest filled with pride for myself for planning this activity, but also for Isaac and that he’d enjoyed doing something he was initially afraid to do.

  Isaac was slowly etching himself into that spot inside me that was normally unoccupied. Other than my best friend Joel, most guys I spent time with only wanted one thing. Isaac was different, and I could already feel that when he left tomorrow, a little part of me would go with him, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  At most, I had hoped spending time with Isaac would lead to some fun of the naked variety later, but the longer I spent with him, the more I was afraid of what that would do to me, and that I would want more.

  “I’m glad,” I replied. “I don’t get to be a tourist in my city often. This is fun for me, too, and now, time for the next stop on Max's Special Christmas Tour!” I flourished with my arms wide open.

  “I’m right behind you,” Isaac said with a wink.

  I raised a brow. Was he openly flirting? God, I fucking hoped so.

  Chapter Seven

  Isaac

  What the fuck was I doing? Had I almost kissed Max earlier? And why was I flirting with him now? For the love of Christmas trees, I didn’t even know if he was gay.

  I mean, he was really nice to me, and his eyes sometimes went that dark brown that looked like they could devour me whole. But what did I know? It had been such a long time since I’d been with someone that I wasn’t sure I could spot interest if it squeezed my butt and stroked my dick.

  We were walking past all the shops with Christmas display windows. Some had Christmas music blaring so loud we could hear it from the street.

  Max was saying something about pretzels. Street-bought pretzels were better than shop-bought pretzels? I didn’t know because my thoughts were going back and forth between the present and that moment earlier when I looked at Max’s eyes and thought I could see all the way into his soul. Why was he spending his day off with a stranger he knew nothing about?

  “We’re here.”

  I barely registered Max talking to me until he stopped.

  “What?” I looked up at Max who was staring back at me as though he couldn’t figure me out. Considering my thoughts had boarded a train to an unknown destination, I was struggling to figure myself out, as well.

  “This looks suspiciously like the Empire State Building,” I gasped, finally noticing where we’d stopped.

  Max laughed, and it was as though it came from a place deep in his chest. It sounded warm and whole, like the place you’d want to go to hide from the world.

  “Let’s have a look inside.” He winked, his smile making my legs turn to jelly.

  I followed Max toward the building in complete bewilderment. When we got inside, I looked around the large lobby. Could you be starstruck for a building? I think the answer was a resounding yes from me.

  “We have an Express ticket, so we can check out the gift shop first if you want.”

  “We what?” I exclaimed. “We’re going up?” I didn’t believe my eyebrows had ever been that high up on my forehead.

  Max was grinning at me, and I couldn’t help but reach to him for a quick hug.

  I only wanted to express my gratitude, but now I had my arms around him and felt stupidly self-conscious. Who just throws themselves at people like that? I removed myself from Max’s embrace and felt heat creep up my spine all the way to my neck as I started walking toward the gift shop.

  I didn’t dare look at him in case he realized my embarrassment, but a few seconds later, Max touched my shoulder, so I turned around to see him wearing a pair of novelty glasses with little Empire State Buildings on either side of the frame.

  He held up a tie that had a picture of the building on a rainy day. “I think you should buy this,” he said. “What do you think?”

  “Mmm, it’s not really my type.”

  “Oh, what is your type, Isaac?” He came closer to me, but I couldn’t see his eyes behind the glasses.

  You, Max, you are my type. That’s what I wanted to say, but instead, I grabbed a small snow globe from the shelf and showed it to Max. “I like this little one. I can take home my own mini Empire State Building.”

  We walked to the cashier and I paid for my snow globe while Max bought the silly glasses.

  Moments later, we joined the express line to the elevator. Max held his phone up to someone with a scanner, and within twenty minutes, we were on our way.

 

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