B01HLCU8FG EBOK

by Mathew Ortiz

  Could he? Nah… maybe?

  “I’ve been unhappy with my current dessert providers for some time now and am shopping around for something new. I want a higher quality product for my places, especially Whisperer’s Green. I’m looking for a change. I’d like you to set up an example of your work. I want upscale British inspired desserts and pastries for my new place. Impress me, Mr. Myer and we can talk contracts.”

  “I can do that. How about you give me a week and I’ll put together a presentation?”

  Did my voice just squeak? Keep your cool Boonie-boy.

  My knees shook and I had to keep from hyperventilating. If I got this account, I could buy another oven and hire more staff and maybe, just maybe, take a weekend off once in a while.

  “Wonderful.” He fished out his wallet and handed me his card. “Call or text me when you’re ready. And again… thank you from me and most importantly for my husband.” He swallowed thickly.

  “I’m honored and I understand. I have two brothers of my own.” I extended my hand and he took it, covering my hand with his other.

  “Good day.” He let me go and departed through the small hall. I let out the breath I’d been holding and my shoulders slumped in relief. My brain cells fired like mad as I contemplated what I would bring to the presentation. If I landed this, it would be my biggest account to date. I padded over to my station and plopped down on a stool. Gripping my legs I leaned forward and drew in a few long, cleansing breaths. Movement to my right caught my eye and Ria and Ellebeth tentatively came up to my side.

  “Did he just ask you for a presentation?” Ellebeth whispered in awe.

  “Yes.” I gulped down more air.

  “For all his restaurants?” Ria’s words trembled on her lips.

  “Yes.”

  “If we got it, it would be—” Her words shook.

  “Monumental!” Ellebeth exclaimed and instantly clapped her hands over her mouth.

  “Yes…” I stood and shook off my heebie-jeebies. “Yes it would.”

  I looked over at the two of them and Ria screamed in sheer exuberant joy! Next thing I knew all three of us were holding hands and jumping and dancing and screaming like a gaggle of teenage girls.

  God, I’m so gay.

  Why? Because I screamed the loudest!

  Chapter 7

  Robbie

  The Dubonny Club sat on the edges of the northwest corner of the loop. It had a great old school British vibe and the drinks and food were off the hook. I had arrived early and secured our reservation before settling into the vestibule to wait on Boone. I fidgeted and fussed over my clothes, smoothing out my shirt and adjusting my tie several times. When was the last time I was this nervous on a date? First date actually. Boone and I hadn’t truly gone out. Sure we had sucked some major face at Inferno and my dining on his scrumptious ass at the D’Argento wedding had been wild and intense but we’d never had a true date.

  I squared my shoulders and vowed to make the evening special for him. I couldn’t get Boone Myer out of my mind. He defied all the tick boxes of guys I usually went for. Boone exuded ‘gayness’ and he looked like a wild man with his beard and tattoos. Not my normal cup of tea, yet he made me laugh, made me feel desired and damn it kept me guessing every moment. I never knew what would pop out of his mouth. No, Boone Myer didn’t do the expected and I enjoyed his irreverence.

  I checked the cuff of my shirt again for the umpteenth time and my right foot beat a rhythm on the floor. Well, I may be a wreck but at least I looked good. The indigo button-up shirt gifted to me by Oscar brought the blue out in my eyes and I had paired it with charcoal slacks and a blue, yellow and pink tie. My Maddens twinkled ebony in the light and I flexed my toes, feeling confined. Well, nice shoes weren’t always comfortable. Checking my phone, I tried to calm my jitters. He was late. I tapped my screen, about to call him, when the door opened and Boone walked in.

  He looked sensational.

  His dark brown hair was artfully arranged to look messy and sexy all at once. His beard, trimmed and fluffed, shone in the light. Boone wore a dark red long-sleeved sweater and a black turtleneck. His skin glowed, complimented by the deep red fabric and it made his eyes so dark and lush. His long legs, clad in black slacks, seemed to go on for days and damn, he wore black boots. Sex on a stick. He saw me and smiled.

  Cue hard-on!

  As he strode over to me I caught a whiff of decadent cologne.

  And tingling nipples!

  “’M so sorry I’m late. Work got in the way and—”

  “It’s okay.” I reached out and took his hand. “You look… incredible.” My gaze roved over him again and I grinned as his cheeks pinked under my scrutiny.

  “Thanks.” He swallowed hard. “Lookin’ pretty hot yourself, golden-rod.”

  “Flattery will get you everywhere.” My lips quirked and I gestured for him to follow me.

  “I sure hope so.” He chuckled and we entered the main part of the club.

  The Dubonny Club harkened to the old days of society and glamor. Black and white marble checked floors gleamed like gems under our feet. The booths, all in black leather, circled the dance floor and sat several feet higher. The massive crystal chandelier sparkled and sprinkled the room and dance floor with dots of shimmering color. Couples, gay and straight, danced old school in spirals, looking like a choreographed musical. Our hostess led us to our booth and I motioned for Boone to slide in first, my motives purely carnal. As he bent to slide in I got a close up view of his tight butt and my stomach fluttered again. Regaining some of my composure, I scooted in beside him until we were only inches apart and facing the dance floor.

  “This place is beautiful.” His eyes were round as saucers. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

  “You’re welcome. I love this place. It reminds me of The Great Muppet Caper.”

  “I thought the name sounded familiar!” he exclaimed, turning to look at me and I laughed. “I am a total Muppet fan!”

  “Me too. My favorite is Fozzie Bear.”

  “Gonzo the Great here,” he boasted and I laughed harder.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “The weirdo, huh?”

  He sat back, gazing out at the dancers again. “Yup, I could relate to him. I’m the weirdo of my brothers.”

  Hmm… this was getting interesting.

  “Why is that?”

  “Gonzo never apologized for being different. In fact he reveled in it.” The waitress halted his explanation and took our drink orders. Me, a scotch on the rocks. Him, a Moscow mule. She left and Boone resumed his story. “You have to realize as a member of multiples, defining your individuality can be hard… very hard” He moved so we were facing.

  “How so?”

  “Avery’s the first born and our natural leader. He’s calm, centered, stable, our rock. Avery plays by the rules and enforces them amongst our crazy triad. One look from him still shuts my motor mouth and Cotton’s lip. Cotton’s our wild child. He rebelled the most. He drank too much, cussed too much and dove into whatever he did with a zeal even I can’t match. Me, I color outside the box. I push the envelope and have always been the bravest or perhaps the most foolish of the three of us and I was the first one to come out.”

  “Really? Are you all gay?” I thanked our waitress as she set down our drinks. Lifting it to my lips, I sipped the amber liquid and the smooth burn slid along my taste buds.

  “Avery’s bi. He was married before.”

  “I thought he was with Martin?”

  “He is. Daisy, his wife, died in a car accident years ago.”

  “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” My mouth went dry and I fumbled with my napkin, embarrassed.

  Boone’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Daisy was a wonderful woman and Peg, Avery and Daisy’s son, has her kooky attitude and his dad’s sensitive nature.”

  “And Cotton’s gay?” I steered the conversation to another subject and Boone sighed, obviously relieved.

  “
As all get out. He’s an ass man or so he says.” Boone rolled his eyes as he spoke and I grinned.

  Our waitress came back and we halted our conversation long enough to order food. The music drifted around the room, mellow and romantic and dang if I wasn’t staring at him like a moony-eyed boy. I felt so comfortable with him, so at ease. I didn’t have to play the role of power professional. Boone didn’t care about that. He talked about everything but his or my job. I learned that Avery and Martin planned on getting married soon. With the SCOTUS ruling, it meant they didn’t have to go to another state to get married. Also, Avery’s son Peg lived with them full time and Martin’s daughter Poppy lived at their house every other weekend. Cotton worked as an editor for a publishing house and restored motorcycles in his spare time.

  In turn I told him about my father, Eli, and his partner Oscar. How it felt to have a new step-parent that was only a few years older than me. I told him how much I like Oscar and how happy he made my dad. I touched on the Gaither clan, but only on the surface. I could write a book on them and their shenanigans. I stopped yapping when the server came with our food.

  “Thank you,” I said and she puttered away. As I picked up my fork, I saw him fiddle with his monitor again. “Something wrong?”

  “Nope, just dialing up my insulin to spread out a larger dose over the next few hours. Keeps my sugar from spiking,” he answered without looking at me. Satisfied, he dug into his food and we ate in companionable silence. I stole glances at him and was pleased to note he did the same.

  “Aren’t you goin’ to ask me about my diabetes?” he suddenly piped up, startling me.

  “Uhm, I can’t say I’m not curious but I figured if you wanted me to know, you’d tell me,” I replied honestly. “When Alex said something, you were kind of abrupt with him.”

  Boone sighed and set down his fork. “I don’t mean to be. When my brothers and I were fifteen, we all contracted a pathogenic enterovirus called Coxsackie B from a local lake we swam in. Within hours we had all the symptoms: headache, fever, sore throat, and diarrhea. So Mom trucked us to the ER, they treated us with antibiotics and we went home. All good, right?”

  “I gather there’s more,” I added and he nodded tightly.

  “Avery and Cotton got better. Me, I took a turn for the worse. I almost died.” He said it with such casual ease I was put off until I saw the fear in his gaze from the memories. “I pulled through but a side effect of the treatment killed my pancreas, makin’ me a diabetic.”

  “God, I’m sorr—”

  “Please don’t.” He held up his hands and his voice hardened. “I hate being felt sorry for. All my life people say they’re sorry and act like I’m dyin’. I ain’t dyin’. I have diabetes. It doesn’t define me. It’s only part of me.” I could tell this wound still stung so I changed tactics.

  “And yet you’re a baker?” I scratched my head and googled my eyes at him. Boone’s small smile lifted me up.

  “Don’t tell anyone but I can’t stand sugary foods. I’m more a savory type of guy. I taste as little of my confections as possible and dial up additional insulin as needed. Easy peasy.” And that was the end of the conversation.

  “How about you?” A bit of his pasta flew from his mouth as he spoke and he blushed hard. “Sorry. My momma would smack me for talkin’ with my mouth full.”

  I only chuckled. “No problem. I love my job. The chaos, the endless phone calls, the balancing multiple issues. I love it.”

  “I hear a ‘but’ in there.” Damn, Boone had heard it despite my best efforts.

  “I might be a bit driven.” I squinched my nose as I said it. “It cost me my first love.” Suddenly not hungry, I pushed my plate back.

  Boone perked up and leaned forward, setting his fork down. “Don’t stop there.”

  “Nosey, aren’t you?”

  “Part of my exuberant charm.” His gaze softened and his hand covered mine. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wanna.”

  “No, it’s okay.” I sipped my water, wetting my dry mouth. “I met Tim in high school. He was my first love. Hell, he was my first everything!”

  “You mean?”

  “Yup, everything and we were together for five years, all through my time at college. Going to school in Atlanta and him being in Tatesville strained our relationship but I thought we were solid. I couldn’t have been more wrong. As I found out later from mutual friends, while I was at college, Tim sat on any cock he could find. Trusting fool that I am, I believed all the excuses and lies, until I caught him.” I halted and sniffed. It still hurt after all this time. “And when I confronted him, he accused me of being more focused on my career than him. He broke my heart.”

  Boone squeezed my hand. “Haven’t you dated since then?”

  I shrugged. “I’ve been on a few.” Time to turn the tables. “What about you? No one special in your life?”

  He pulled back and I missed his touch immediately.

  “No one long term. I seem to suffer from the same problem you do. I’m very driven to succeed. I’ve been workin’ nonstop for years gettin’ to where I am and to be honest, I have horrible taste in men.”

  “Really?” I deadpanned, leaned on my elbow and squinted my eye at him.

  “Present company, hopefully, accepted.” He smiled wide and I leaned into him. Boone cast a quick look around and brought his lips to mine. Instant electricity course through me. He tasted of the wine he’d ordered, the salt of his steak dish and his natural heady flavor. Though brief, our kiss left me breathless.

  “Whooeee, you can kiss the socks off a guy,” Boone crowed and we both laughed. “I like you, Robbie. Yah, yah I know what I said before but I like you and I think the feelin’ is mutual.”

  “It is.”

  “I’m not your type though.” Damn, he snagged me again.

  “I’m revising my ‘type’. I suddenly find furry, mouthy bakers very sexy,” I growled low and he leered at me.

  “And don’t forget smart, funny and an ass you can bounce a quarter off.” He snickered and I tugged his beard toward me, kissing him again. Yup, I was getting very fond of Boone Myer.

  *

  The rest of the evening flew by. Boone had me laughing out loud more than once. His insights and twisted sense of humor were refreshing and entertaining. Plus, more than once, his left hand drifted under the table and caressed my thigh, inching gradually upward to my already stone hard cock. Finally, after three hours, we decided to leave. Paying the check, despite his protests, we slowly sauntered out and Boone announced he had to go to the restroom. I waited patiently for him to return and went over my next move. Let’s see, back to my place, more wine, more kissing, some sucking and eating that delectable ass of his and maybe, just maybe I’d have those long legs of his wrapped around my neck.

  “Robbie?”

  I spun on my heel and smack dab into—

  “Peter!” Tongue-tied for a second, I regained my composure quickly.”What the hell are you doing here?”

  Peter shuffled his feet and I believe he was blushing. “I’m on a date.”

  “A date? With who?”

  Peter never came to places like this. He preferred the bar scene or Inferno. He inclined his head to my ten o’clock and I followed his gaze. I nearly swallowed my own tongue.

  Alvin!

  “You’re dating my boss?” I gasped and Peter frowned. “I didn’t even know you knew him!”

  “Keep your voice down!” he snapped. His gaze darted around us to make sure no one heard me. “I met him at one of your events. He asked me out and here we are. More importantly, why are you here?” And then it dawned on him. “You’re here with that hairy baker!”

  I set my jaw and tamped down my annoyance. “His name is Boone Myer and yes, I am.”

  “Well no wonder you brought him here.” Peter giggled.

  “What do you mean?” Perplexed, his giggling irked me.

  “Guys only come here when they don’t want to be seen with the guy
they’re dating.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “The Dubonny Club is for secret dates.”

  “That’s awful!” I barked and his face soured. “If you don’t want to be seen with Alvin, why go out with him?” I may not be besties with Alvin but he was a nice guy.

  Peter shrugged insolently. “He’s loaded and I work at Abercrombie and Fitch. You do the math. He takes me out, I let him fuck me and I get dinner and prezzies.”

  “Peter!” Appalled, I balked at him. And the worst part was, he didn’t even seem bothered.

  “Please. Why else would you bring your skanky baker here? You knew you wouldn’t be seen with him by anyone in our social circles. Saves any embarrassment.” Alvin must have spotted us because Peter waved at him. Fuming, I scowled at my friend. “Must dash. It’s dinner, dancing and fucking tonight. And hopefully a trip to the jewelry store.” Peter glided past me, stopped and tapped me on the nose. “You keep my secret and I’ll keep yours.” I swatted his hand away and he laughed as he left to join Alvin.

  That little slut!

  Peter had had more loads in him than a washing machine. I should warn Alvin about him.

  “So you brought me here to hide me from your friends.” I turned around at the sound of Boone’s voice. His expression was flat, emotionless. His eyes, however, told another story. Raw pain flickered in his gaze and he strode passed me out of the club. I hurried after him and caught up with him in the parking lot. I grabbed his arm to stop him and he angrily shook me off.

  “That’s not why I brought you here, Boone. I like the Dubonny Club,” I entreated and he stepped away from me.

  “Yeah, whatever.” He fished his keys out of his pocket. “I thought you were different, Robbie. I hoped you weren’t shallow and superficial like your friends. I’m such a dumbass. ‘Night.”

  “Boone, wait!” I ran in front of him, blocking his exit. “Let me explain.”