“Devilishly so,” Beckett agreed with a sigh. “And so strong and sure of himself. He liked the look of me and invited me up to his rooms one night. The rest I will leave up to your imagination.”
“And I have quite a vivid imagination,” Noah said, laughing.
“Use all of it,” Becket laughed as well. “Because it was that good.”
Noah made a show of tilting his head to the side, making a face like he was imagining quite a bit, then cooing and moaning along to whatever was in his head.
Beckett laughed ridiculously, all while peeking around to make certain no one else was bothered by their antics. He liked Noah’s naughty streak. He wondered if there was more of it. He liked the free way the man expressed himself and the enthusiasm he seemed to have for his life, even if it wasn’t currently going the way he wanted it to go.
Finally, Noah appeared to reach the end of his imagined scene with a sound and expression that was clearly meant to mimic orgasm as politely as possible. He let out a sigh that was loud enough to draw attention from several people around them, all of whom frowned and shook their heads.
They were probably shaking their heads at Beckett as well, since he’d dissolved into giggles. Everyone in the restaurant probably saw him and Noah as two silly, uptown boys who had no business being such children in the Bowery.
“He said it was only the one night and just for fun,” Beckett said quietly as he came out of his giggle fit, “but I know it could be so much more. That night…that night was special.”
“It is ridiculously unfair that two such jolly chaps as us should be kept from our hearts’ desires,” Noah said.
He then thumped his fist on the table, making Beckett, and a few of the people at the other tables, jump.
“We will not stand for it,” Noah went on, his voice a little too loud. “We are young and handsome with excellent prospects. Do we not deserve love?”
“Of course, you do,” a middle-aged woman sitting at a table near them said with a kind, teasing look, as though she found two well-dressed men in their early twenties causing a scene to be a perfect accompaniment to her morning eggs.
“And should we not pursue the objects of our affections until they can see what sort of prizes we are?” Noah asked, raising his voice even more when he saw he had an audience.
A few of their fellow diners cheered.
Beckett lost his smile and debated whether he should stop Noah from getting too carried away or whether he should sink in on himself and hide from what he feared was about to happen.
“I have come all the way from England to recapture the love I once had,” Noah went on, lifting from his seat in a way that made Beckett think he might stand and rally the entire restaurant around him.
Beckett couldn’t help but laugh, amazed and astounded by his new friend, and equally afraid of what he might say next. The restaurant’s staff seemed just as alarmed.
“Then I say we go after what we want with dogged determination,” Noah said, slamming his fist on the table again. “There is no barrier to true love. It does not matter that our loves have given their hearts to others, or sworn to give them to no one at all. We are men of the heart, Beckett. We should stop at nothing until those tender organs of ours are satisfied.”
Beckett broke into another round of giggles, heating all over. He was fairly certain Noah was not referring to their hearts.
Beyond that, a man who appeared to be the manager of the restaurant had come out of the back and was heading toward them. Beckett didn’t hesitate to reach into his jacket for his wallet so that he could throw money on the table and drag Noah out before things got truly out of hand.
Of course, he was too late for that a moment later.
“We should stop at nothing to win back the love we so richly deserve,” Noah declared, now in possession of the full attention of everyone in their part of the restaurant. “There is no force on earth more powerful than love, and nothing on earth or in Manhattan should stand between us and the men we love.”
The bottom dropped out of Beckett’s stomach, but in spite of the danger Noah had just thrust them both into, he couldn’t stop laughing. Even though gasps and mutters surrounded them and the woman who had been so encouraging moments before now looked horrified.
Becket pulled a five-dollar bill from his wallet and threw it on the table, then leapt up and grabbed Noah’s arm. It was an exorbitant amount to pay for breakfast, but it might be enough to buy the owner’s silence.
“Come on,” he said, pulling Noah out of his chair. “It’s time we went somewhere else.”
Noah seemed to realize what he’d said, but instead of looking horrified or penitent, he laughed as well. “You colonials,” he scoffed, shaking his head as Beckett yanked him toward the door. “So backward in your ways of thinking.”
“Hardly,” Beckett said as they stumbled out to the street. “But I’d rather not test our progressiveness at the moment, thank you very much.”
They rushed down the street, then took the next turn and headed toward Bowery. Beckett had no idea where they were going or what he would do once they got there, but strangely, he wanted to stay with Noah, whatever they did.
“What now?” he asked as they approached the Grand Hotel.
“I’ve no idea,” Noah laughed. “I suppose I should find a place to live.”