Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
“Who wants to live in that humid hell, anyway?” I blurted out.
Dylan coughed into his fist, failing to hide a laugh.
Blake sucked his teeth and forked up some potato salad. “I’m not gonna insult Teddy’s little friend in his own home.”
Oh…
Oh-ho, oh boy, wow. The Kidd was funny.
“This is going great.” Sophia smiled widely and took a swig of her lemonade, probably wishing it were something stronger. “Let’s change the topic. What’re you working with now, Blake?”
He cleared his throat. “I’m in between jobs at the moment. I have a three-month contract starting in September.”
“What do you do?” I asked.
“Mainly construction and roadwork these days,” he replied.
That explained the body.
I took the back seat for a while after that, curious to hear more about him. Sophia was in let’s-catch-up mode and asked all the right questions. No, he wasn’t seeing anyone—followed by a wry expression. No, he hadn’t seen David in a while either. Yes, he was definitely looking forward to football season. And he was gonna rent a car tomorrow so he could drive around a bit. He wanted to bring Teddy along.
“Damn, I needed this evening.” Dylan stifled a belch and reached for a new beer in the cooler.
Blake smirked. “Too much work, too little play?”
“Or no play at all. The man works around the clock.” I took a sip of my bourbon. Leaning forward, I peered in through the living room window. Teddy had fallen asleep on the couch, and Soph wasn’t far behind. Dylan had told her they could head home, but if she got comfortable, she was reluctant to move. So she’d encouraged Dylan to have a guys’ night with us on the porch while he still had the chance. Soon as that baby was born, there’d be no fun activities for some time.
“Yeah, but it’s worth it,” Dylan replied. “If I just get that promotion, we’ll be able to afford a house.”
Soph had mentioned that his boss liked him a lot.
Even so, I often felt the need to tell them both to chill a little. They had me too. If I wasn’t working, I could help out. Whether it was taking care of Teddy or, hell, cleaning the apartment.
“Excuse me. Once you’ve broken the fucking seal…” Dylan stood up and headed inside.
I grinned and refilled my glass.
One last drink. Then I had to let Mischa and Echo run around for a bit. My evening walk with them had been shorter today because of the dinner.
Lily was easier. She entertained herself until she passed out.
“This is a really nice place you got here,” Blake murmured, eyes fixed on the living room. “Way too small TV, though.”
I shrugged. “It’s mostly for Teddy. I’m not a big fan.”
That made him frown. “What about games? Do you go to a sports bar?”
I laughed through my nose. “Not a big fan of sports either.”
“I mean like football,” he pressed.
I cracked up. That was funny. It didn’t compute to him, did it? Whatsoever.
“That’s a sport, Blake,” I replied slowly. “I don’t watch football.”
He reeled back and nearly dropped his beer bottle. “What the fuck do they put in the water up here? First Dylan, now you.”
I shook my head, amused. He wasn’t even that drunk. He couldn’t be, after four beers. “We endure it at Thanksgiving for Sophia’s sake.”
“Endure it,” he scoffed. “I’ll be damned. Y’all clearly need Soph and me in your lives to lead you straight.”
Funny choice of words.
“We do other things,” I said casually. “While you two paint your faces and yell at the TV, you can find Dylan climbing a mountain or cliff diving from Point Douglas.”
He paused and rested his forearms on the table. In the darkness, with only a citronella candle on the table, his eyes took on a different glint that could so easily be misunderstood as interest.
“And where can I find you?”
Or it wasn’t a misunderstanding and I was right on the money.
There were just two ways to play this with Blake. Quick and hard or not at all. He was only here for a short visit. I might as well be a guy he picked up after spending ten minutes in a bar, barely any introductions needed.
I didn’t know if I wanted that. My days on Grindr were over.
I leaned back against the cushion, wanting at least a semblance of distance, and draped my arm along the top of the sofa.
Best course of action for me was to respond as if we were still discussing outdoor activities.
“In the water somewhere,” I said. “Ocean, waterfalls, lakes, rivers—you name it.”
It did not fucking help when he shifted his gaze slowly over my chest. Then he swallowed and looked away, finding his bottle interesting.
Luckily for me, Dylan returned a few seconds later and said it was time for them to call it a night.
“Already?” Blake blurted out. “I mean, yeah, I reckon Soph’s beat.”