“What do you think?” John asked. He looked apprehensive, like he was afraid Zack would walk out on him if his recommendation was a flop. The urge to tease him was overwhelming, but Zack wasn’t quite that cruel.

He swallowed and said, “It’s delicious. I wasn’t sure at first, but it definitely got my attention.” He took another bite to prove he was enjoying it. John visibly relaxed and then dug into his own food.

As they ate, they chatted easily about a number of safe topics: the weather, their hobbies, and the sundry joys of living in a big, beautiful city like LA.

Zack was feeling pleasantly full when a thought occurred to him. “Oh shit, I can’t believe I forgot.”

“What?” John asked.

“There are some things I need to tell you.”

John looked at him askance.

“Nothing bad,” Zack amended. “It’s just the fake name wasn’t the only thing I told you that wasn’t true.”

“Let me guess,” John said. “You’re actually a spy for the KGB, and you once shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.”

Zack snickered. “Not quite. Um, let’s see. I do have a dog, but his name isn’t Spot. It’s Ziggy.”

Relief washed over John’s face. “Thank God. I wasn’t going to say anything, but that was a huge disappointment for me. I hate common names.”

“You realize your name is John, right?”

“That,” John said, “is precisely why I hate them.”

“Fair enough. What are your thoughts about Zack?”

“Zack is sexy. Totally the sort of name that a love interest should have. Though I rather liked your fake name as well.”

“Wesley?”

“Yeah, but I was more talking about Darkling.”

“Thanks. I certainly liked it.”

“Was it a reference to ‘Nightingale’?”

Zack blinked. “Huh?”

“‘Ode to a Nightingale’ by Keats. It’s a poem.”

“Oh, right,” Zack said. “I knew it was from a poem I read in college, but I couldn’t remember the title.”

“Well, it’s one of my favorites,” John said with a small smile. “The second you told me your name, I knew I had to get to know you.”

Zack blushed. John mercifully changed the subject, “Was there anything else?”

“I play guitar, but not in a band.”

“Ah, I remember that.” John bit his lip. “From the calluses conversation we had.”

Fuck, Zack thought. That had been the first time John called. Zack remembered it vividly, how he’d talked about running his rough finger over John’s hard cock.