Rest and Be Thankful

Rob was right, the living room was much more welcoming with the wood stove glowing cheerfully in the corner.Rob must have turned off the main light while Cam was showering, and the room was now glowing softly.There are a few pairs of small lights on in the opposite corner of the living room, and the open furnace door reveals a warm yellow flame core.

Cam put the bottle and glasses on a long low coffee table and sat stiffly on the sofa.

It's been a while since the moment that happened in the kitchen, and he still feels a little stunned.Rob's touch still lingers, the invisible weight on his shoulders, and he finds himself reaching up to touch the point on his shoulder where they briefly met, as if it would make the unreal feel real.

It was really strange at the time.And what was it that got him to confide in his worries about the business?

Perhaps it was the understanding sympathy in those bright silver eyes.

I know what that feels like, Cam...

But sympathy wasn't the only emotion Cam read about.No, there was something else in Rob's brief touch.Attraction flickered in his eyes.The flash of light in his eyes seemed to faintly reflect the tortuous and urgent desire in Cam's heart at that moment.

So what if they were in love with each other?Isn't that what Cam was looking for tonight?Well, he'd have been looking for one of the hot and unknown sweaty bodies on the Gomorrah floor, but what's wrong with looking here?In the cottage closest to home.By the lake where he spent all his childhood summers.

At this moment, the door was slowly opened, and Cam turned around, startled like a guilty conscience.Rob came in, holding a flat, wide bowl in each hand.

"Here," he said, handing one of them to Cam. "I hope you're hungry."

The aroma of lemongrass and coriander rises from the smooth and rich gravy, rich and full-bodied, and Cam takes a deep breath happily. "It smells amazing."

Rob looked happy. "Let's eat. I'll play some music." He pulled out the iPhone from his pocket, and after swiping the screen a few times, a burst of folk tunes came from the speaker fixed on the wall that Cam hadn't noticed.He didn't know the title of the song, but he liked it very much, although it reminded him of the kind of serious beard, the kind who would come to him to rent a canoe, and because he was afraid of covering his hand-knitted sweater, he would force him The kind of guy who won't wear a life jacket.

It's not that he has a problem with beards, Cam thought aimlessly, glancing at Rob's stubbled face.He liked the look, the contrast between the dark beard and the pale complexion, soft and strong.

Rob was so busy sitting down that he didn't notice Cam's sideways glance.He sank into a corner of the big sofa, stretched his long legs, put his feet on the coffee table, and buried himself in his curry.

Cam also turned his attention back to the food, snorting contentedly after taking the first bite, before announcing, "Whoa, that's spicy."

Rob smiled at him. "It's too spicy?"

"No, it's super delicious - very fresh taste."

"I make my own curry paste. It doesn't taste the same with canned paste. It's never tasted so fresh."

Cam raised the bowl to his mouth, took a sip of the gravy, and let out a small moan of pleasure. "Amazing. You should be making these goodies in cafes too."

Rob laughed. "Huh, I'm not sure my regulars will take that. And the coffee shop is doing okay, I mean financially, so I'm not going to develop anything new."

"No?"

"No — that's the income, not something I want to spend my time on. I want to be a cafe owner who does art, not a small cafe owner who likes to paint."

They ate their food while talking lightheartedly, and the two drank until the end of Rob's album.After the song ended, Rob picked up the phone again. After a while, another song was played. Although the style had not changed, it was softer than before.

"You like ballads?" Cam asked.Alcohol had made him less restrained, and now he was in the same posture as Rob—slumped on the sofa opposite Rob, his long legs stretched out, his bare feet resting on the coffee table.Move the left foot a little further to the side and he can touch Rob's socked foot.He wanted to do it so badly, it was stupidly tempting, but he didn't know how a man would react.

"Yeah, I love it," Rob said. "Don't you like it?" He looks curious, like he really wants to know the answer, and his interest leaves something inside Cam like a sunlit land, yearning for more.

This feeling woke him up.When others pay more attention to him, he reacts so badly. How sad and lonely is he?As if in self-defense, he shrugged behind his nonchalant mask and said vaguely, "It's okay."

Rob listened and put on a funny frown and grin, as if both confused and amused. "Just okay? What don't you like about it?"

Cam couldn't think of an answer, and finally said, "I think this music is a little...too serious."

"That's the earnestness I like," Rob replied. "I like enthusiasm. I like people who do what they love and don't worry about whether it's cool. I'm actually sick of being cool. Being cool leads to too many problems."

Cam laughed. "what does this mean?"

"It's just, the notion of 'cool' — it keeps kids from enjoying things they really enjoy. Especially art."

"Looks like you're not affected," Cam said, raising an eyebrow.

"True, but my mum was more of a free spirit - we moved a lot when we were kids, so at school I was either a new student trying to fit in or about to move away. That meant I was often with my mum and her Hang out with friends. Most of them were in the arts and music, so I hung out with a lot of creative adults when I was a kid." He looked slyly at Cam. "You can imagine how weird the other kids at school thought I was."

Cam listened, and his lips grinned. "Do you have a picture? I'd love to see it."

"A few," Rob admitted. "But I don't want anyone to see either of them—not tonight anyway."

"It sounds like childhood was not easy."

"It's really not easy. I never deny that I was angry a few times because of my mother's choice, but overall it's good. I can be with some amazing people, and I don't have to suffer from being cool." He Smiles at Cam. "I bet you're the cool kid."

Cam raised his eyebrows and said dryly, "I guess you mean I'm the kind of kid who has no imagination, no creativity at all."

"Nope," Rob said, laughing. "I'm just saying you look like the type to captain a football team or something."

"Football, actually," Cam admits, moving his lips. "But my best thing is swimming."

Rob looked up and down Cam's body, first at his broad shoulders, then at his slender figure lying on his back on the sofa.He didn't say anything, didn't meet Cam's eyes, but Cam felt a sudden, palpable tension between the two of them.He felt himself holding his breath, and suddenly all he could think about was Rob leaning forward and reaching for him.Rob didn't do this, but when he got up from the coffee table and reached for the empty bottle on the table, the picture he imagined was so realistic that the contrast almost surprised Cam.

"I'll get another bottle," he said, and before Cam could say anything, he disappeared into the kitchen.

Cam waited, listening.A drawer was opened and closed, and there was the clang of glass bottles on the kitchen counter.There was a "pop" sound when the cork was pried open. A minute later, Rob returned with a second bottle—this time French red wine.He poured some for Cam's glass before pouring himself, then sat back on the corner of the sofa, keeping a careful distance between them.

"So you were an accountant before you moved here?" Rob asked, taking a sip of his drink. "Why change the line?"

Cam sighed and leaned his head back, looking at the ceiling. "A year and a half ago, I was eliminated from optimization. A few weeks later, I broke up with my boyfriend. I didn't want to repeat the same mistakes, so I took some time to think about what I really want in life."

"Then what do you want?"

Cam grinned gruffly. "Clearly struggling to live on the poverty line in a village where everyone hates me."

After a short silence, Rob said softly, "I don't know how close you are to the poverty line, but definitely not everyone hates you."

Cam just let out another laugh of obvious disbelief. "How should I say, thank you for putting on a show, you're so nice, but we all know that I don't have many friends in Inver Beach." He paused, glanced at Rob, and shrugged again. "In the final analysis, I'm not the kind of person who is friendly. It's just that I don't have the strings to make friends."

"Come on, that's not true," Rob said. "We got on pretty well when you first came to Inver Beach. We were sort of friends—at least, we were working towards that. Before you stopped coming to the Stag, you used to hang out with the couple on Friday nights. A regular customer to talk to."

"So what, it was before we had a fight—and then everybody hated me."

"No, they didn't—"

"Yes, they did. I went to the Stag one more time after that and I was ignored."

Rob frowned. "Have you spoken to them?" he asked.Seeing that Cam didn't answer right away, he added, "I bet you didn't."

Cam thought about it.To be honest, he probably didn't really talk to anyone else.He remembered walking into the bar, ordering a drink, and sitting at the bar, his mood getting worse and worse, and the drink in front of him was also snubbed by him.But he can't remember who he tried to talk to, or who he turned down.Perhaps it's fair to say that he had a "stay away" vibe about him that night.

"Honestly, Cam," Rob said now, leaning forward on his elbows on his knees—"the people here don't hate you. They just don't think you're friendly—that you don't want to fit in."

Cam swallowed the sudden choking feeling in his throat after hearing the other party's understanding.He has been like this all his life.People thought he was indifferent because of his reservedness.Scott had previously complained about Cam's inability to show his love in public—he always acted like he was closeted, but in reality, Cam just didn't like being too public.It's not that he can't release himself, but only in private.

"If you try to talk to them," Rob went on softly, "you'll be amazed at how easy it is. Like your car. I bet you just ask Joe and he'll be happy to tow it for you tomorrow. "

Cam snorted. "He wouldn't think so if he knew I couldn't get a dime out of it."

"Swap him then," Rob said without concern. "You're an accountant, and I know Joe needs someone to do the accounts for him—he complained to me about the tax returns at the end of January, but he had no idea." He paused, then added thoughtfully, "Actually Several people in the neighborhood needed help with their accounts. Yvonne Marr used to help a lot of local businesses with their accounts, but in the spring her husband got a new job in Aberdeen and they left."

"You really think Joe might do that?"

"Yeah, I really think so," replied Rob. "And he's certainly not the only one. If your price is fair, I'll come to you too. I hate doing accounts, let alone filing taxes. I may report less expenses than I actually do. You can spend the rest of the month It's a side job. Most of the bosses here have second jobs."

"is it?"

"Yeah - look at me. I probably wouldn't be able to handle it if it was just art or if it was just the coffee shop. War too - she's at my place most of the time, but goes to the Stag every week A few shifts. Everyone does what needs to be done in order to live."

"I never thought it would be possible," Cam admits.It sounds really stupid to say that.

But Rob didn't smile. "Yeah, local business people need each other's support. The Stag doesn't serve food, so if anyone wants to host a party there, Kenny just call me or Warr and we'll serve food. If there's We also provide packed lunches for local B&Bs upon request. We always recommend a visit to the gift shop by the lake, the Kadrogen Brewery, or go paddling with Andy by the lake a boat—”

Just then, before he finished speaking, Rob stopped talking, and his smile faded to a dejected expression.It took Cam a moment to realize why.Only then did I fully understand.

"Ah," he said carefully. "But you didn't let them go to Cam McMorrow's 'Crow Valley Adventures. The accompanying feeling—the feeling of being excluded.After these ten months he was still an outsider in Inver Beach.

Rob looked a little uncomfortable. "Look, Cam, no one is free to ostracize you. It's just that no one thought to include you."

Cam was lying on his back on the sofa for a while, but now it doesn't feel right.He moved his body and sat up straight. "It's okay, I understand."

I'm okay.

"No, Cam, you don't understand—"

"I think I really get it," he interrupted firmly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hands. "I just started selling coffee and stuff just to make a little extra money—well, what I'm doing is forbidden here, right? I broke into your place and—"

"No, Cam! I don't give a damn what you're selling in the houseboat!" Rob yelled, throwing his hand up. "Listen, Var called the committee—like I said, she's gone too far, but It's just because of my loyalty to me. As for what happened after we quarreled, it's my responsibility if I don't want to apologize. It's because I don't want to—" He stopped talking.

"Don't want what?"

Rob looked away and said, "I don't know...maybe I don't want to get to know you better."

Cam stared at him, taken aback by this. "Why not?" he demanded, heartbroken.

"Because you—" Rob gestured helplessly at Cam.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Young," Rob murmured. "Sexy. I don't deserve it."

For a split second, Cam just stares at Rob in shock.Then laugh.He was laughing more out of surprise than anything else, but Rob blushed with embarrassment at the laugh, stood up in a panic, his cheeks burning, and wanted to hurry away.

"Rob, wait—" Cam grabbed his arm and pulled him back before he could walk away, and Rob lost his balance and fell backwards, "Ooooooh!"

Then Cam leaned over him, staring into his startled face, those wide, bright silver eyes with jet-black lashes.

"You're sexy," he said softly. "You sure are not unworthy of me."

"Really?" Rob breathed heavily.

"Yes," Cam replied, before leaning down and kissing him.