1. The Ugly Bear


    Date: 7/29/2024, Categories: Gay Male, Author: byWhiteBeard50

    ... should see this; it's out of this world," and, "Woah, look at that 3D image. Amazing. The songs go on and on, until Karl calls it quits. "Children," Karls says with a lighter growl than usual, "it will all be here tomorrow. Euh... except you, Mat. He indicates himself, Steve and Mat. The three of us have surveying duty.
    
    I'm bringing all of you to Rosa's, courtesy of Jules, where we have a reservation for six. So, up, up. Let's go."
    
    *
    
    Rosa's place, six p.m., Old Montréal.
    
    Steve insisted on taking his pickup to get to Rosa's. To their amazement, as they step out of the office, snow is falling heavily. It wasn't in the forecast. The restaurant is only a fifteen-minute walk from the office, but Steve doesn't want to walk. They all jump aboard the freezing pickup and slowly make their way to Rosa's. Fortunately, Steve finds a parking spot around the corner. The snow is already five or six centimetres deep.
    
    Their table is already set, and Rosa welcomes them with her usual charming smile. Her attention immediately turns to Steve. Karl makes the introductions. Steve smiles and delicately shakes Rosa's hand. Chloé does the same and can't help noticing the strange look on her father's face. They sit at the table facing the fireplace, and a welcoming warmth envelops the little group. A few minutes later, they are joined by Jules and his husband, Max.
    
    Rosa's food is simple and entirely home-made. Mat and Chloé have tourtière with meat balls in a brown sauce with ...
    ... mashed potatoes; Karl is savouring his poached salmon with a vegetable salad; and Steve, the meat and potatoes man, relishes his steak and fries. Each of them finds their meal to be nothing short of perfection.
    
    Between mouthfuls, Chloé and Mat are discussing the new system and its features, which they will put to a rigorous test soon enough. Karl, Max, and Steve argue about hockey. Jules looks at the happy bunch having fun and feels proud of them. He wanted Elena to join the group, but she had something planned already.
    
    Rosa comes around regularly to make sure everything is okay, and she refills Steve's cup every chance she gets. Steve never takes his eye off her when she's around the table. They all notice, of course, but they continue their conversations as usual. Rosa is more discreet with a simple wink, which gets Steve's attention.
    
    After supper, around eight p.m., the little group is stunned, by what they discover when they step outside. There's at least fifteen centimetres of the cold, white stuff on the ground, and it's still falling as heavily as it was earlier.
    
    "Well guys," Mat says after looking up the weather report on his cell, "the weather forecast calls for at least forty to fifty more centimetres of snow during the night and more on the way for tomorrow."
    
    "Well, Steve and Mat," Karl tries to say without swallowing a few shovels full of that white stuff, "there will be no surveying tomorrow. I'll send a message to all the employees to stay ...
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