Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
D ev sat on the terrace at the Velvet Bean, drinking his double caramel oat milk latte and scrolling through his phone. He kept checking the time and looking around. Bryan was meeting him here at 12:30, which was now only a few minutes away. That he’d been waiting for twenty minutes was his own fault for coming down early, but he was excited.
Bryan was ostensibly meeting him so he could take the guy out for lunch, but that wasn’t the real reason. Oh, he was taking Bryan out for lunch, that was true, after all, their date night plans for last Saturday had fallen through when Dylan had caught a stomach bug and gotten sick, but before they had lunch, he had something to show Bryan. A very big, very public something. And he couldn’t wait to see Bryan’s reaction.
He looked up from his phone again to see Bryan about halfway down the street and headed his way. Grinning, he jumped up and started wandering toward him. Bryan waved as soon as he saw Dev, and Dev waved back.
They hugged when they got to each other, and if it was a tiny bit longer than a simple hug between friends, Dev certainly wasn’t going to complain. He liked Bryan. A lot. In fact, he was pretty sure that while he wanted to be friends with Bryan, he wanted a whole lot more as well.
“Thanks so much for the invitation. I don’t think I’ve had a non-business meal out without kids in… well, maybe since I had the kids.” Bryan laughed.
“It’s a little easier when they’re both in school, isn’t it?”
“It is nice to have some time every day to get stuff done,” Bryan admitted.
“I kind of brought you here under false pretenses.”
Bryan tilted his head, frown putting lines in his forehead. Dev wanted to smooth them away.
“So we’re not doing lunch?”
“Oh, I’m still buying you lunch, but there’s something important I have to show you first.”
“Okay…” Bryan looked confused, and Dev didn’t blame him. He was being all mysterious, but only because he wanted it to be a surprise.
He turned Bryan around, the man letting himself be manipulated into place. Then, standing behind Bryan, he put his hands on either side of Bryan’s head and tilted it upward.
“What are yo— Oh my god!” The words came with a gasp, Bryan’s jaw falling open. “Wow. That’s… wow.”
“Do you like it?” Dev looked up to admire the it in question. A huge billboard had pride of place where two of the busier streets in the city met and on it were the words Beware of this man; he is a thief and will steal your money , alongside a picture of Grant’s face. An unflattering picture at that.
“I don’t know what to think. I mean, yes. I like it. That’s… bigger than life.” Bry sounded rather awed, whether at the billboard itself or the fact that Dev had followed through on the idea wasn’t clear.
“I thought everyone should know.”
“You aren’t going to get in trouble for it, are you?”
“I don’t care.” And he didn’t, but he had checked with his lawyer first. “But if he wants to claim it’s libel or slander, he’ll have to take me to court and that would open up a whole can of worms for him, given that he did steal. From me, from you, from husband number three. I’m hoping the new fiancé will see it and won’t become husband number four.”
“He’s going to plotz when he sees it. If he sees it.”
“There are two others up in the city; he’s going to see it. And I wouldn’t be upset if the shock of it led to a heart attack and death.” Apparently, he was supposed to forgive and forget—for his own peace of mind. This seemed to be doing the job for him just fine. And he’d wanted to do it for Bry.
Bry turned around and grinned at him. “You’re crazy.”
“You love it,” he countered.
Nodding, Bry looked back at the billboard. “I really do. You should tell him you’ll have them taken down if he pays you back the money he stole from you.”
“I might be willing to do that. If he pays me back with interest.”
That made Bryan chuckle, his gaze still on the billboard.
“So, are you hungry, or do you want to stay here a little longer and admire it?”
“Tempting as lingering is, let’s go eat. All I had for breakfast was a piece of toast and some coffee, and that was a long time ago.”
“Okay.” He took one last look at his handiwork and hooked his hand around Bryan’s arm. “How does Lion in the Afternoon sound?”
“Oh, that’s too much,” Bryan protested when he mentioned the rather pricey restaurant.
“It’s my treat, so how much it costs shouldn’t matter. And promise me you won’t just pick the cheapest thing on the menu to save my money. I am fully recovered from the Grant devastation, and I want to treat us both to something special.” Just like he’d wanted to do the billboard for Bry, he wanted to treat the man to a delectable lunch.
“Well, if you put it like that—I wonder if they have lobster…” Bryan teased.
“I bet they do, and if that’s what you want, you should have it.” Thanks to Grant, he knew exactly what it was like to be counting pennies and looking at every purchase in a ‘do I really need this’ way. Luckily, he hadn’t been in that place for long, and now he could give Bry a lunch where he totally didn’t need to think about the price of the meal he was eating and what he should have spent the money on instead.
“This is really generous of you,” Bryan said as they went into the restaurant. “Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure.” And he meant it. He liked spending his money on people and not just stuff. And he liked Bry, so spending money on him seemed like a no-brainer.
The maitre ‘d saw them to a table for two, and Bryan looked around as they sat. “Am I dressed up enough for the place?”
“You’re fine, honey. I don’t stand on ceremony. Especially for lunch,” he added, giving Bry a wink.
That earned him a soft chuckle, and Bry finally relaxed.
A young waiter appeared at the table, bringing a basket of rolls with a bowl of caramelized butter, and two menus. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’ll have a spicy bloody mary, please.” He loved them, and they made a great one here.
“I think I’d like a mojito.” Bry gave him a little grin and when the waiter left, he leaned forward to murmur, “It feels naughty, having a cocktail in the middle of the day.”
“That’s why we’re doing it.”
Bry laughed again, and Dev decided he’d like to hear Bry doing that a lot. It was a great sound.
Bry looked at his menu. “Oh, they have scallops ceviche. I keep seeing it on Food Network shows, and I’ve always wanted to try it.”
“Oh, you should totally get it. I am craving the fried brussels sprouts. They’re stunning.” He’d had them once on a whim, and they were his absolute favorite. There was something about the crunch, the pomegranate seeds, the whole deal, that he loved.
“Oh that sounds interesting. Are you adverse to sharing appetizers?” Bryan gave him a hopeful look.
“Not at all.” He was a sharer, after all. “I’m happy to eat together.”
A sharer and a bit of a dork, obviously. But he did want to share specifically with Bry, so hopefully his dorkiness wasn’t off-putting.
“Awesome. Then I’ll have the scallops ceviche and the lobster roll.” Bry’s eyes flashed to meet his gaze. “If that’s okay?”
“Sounds good to me. I’m going to have the brussels and the fried haddock. I have a craving.” He didn’t eat fried food often when he was on his own, but it did happen.
“This is fun.” Bry grabbed a bun and cut it open before spreading butter over it.
“It is. Thank you for coming. I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”
“I have too,” Bryan admitted. “And your surprise out in the street? Oh my god, that was worth the price of admission. I’ve always said I never want to see him again, but I have to admit, I’d love to see his face when he first sees that billboard.”
“I can just imagine it.” He grinned, afraid the expression was wicked.
Bry grinned right back at him, though, so even if it was wicked, that was okay. “Yeah, I can too.”
Dev imagined he’d start getting phone calls, so he’d turned off his phone. He wasn’t letting anything ruin his lunch, especially a pissed-off, thieving ex.
Their waiter came back with their drinks, making Bryan grin again as his mojito was put in front of him.
“Are you guys ready to order?”
He nodded and looked to Bry to go first.
“I’d like the scallops ceviche and the lobster roll, please.”
“Side for the lobster roll?”
“I think I’ll go with the house salad.”
“Dressing?”
“Is there a balsamic?”
“Yes, we have two. A raspberry balsamic and a white balsamic with garlic.”
“The second one sounds yummy—I’ll have that, thanks.” Bry actually licked his lips, and Dev was fascinated by the way that left his lower lip shining in the light.
“Excellent, and for you, sir?” The waiter turned to Dev.
“You know me—brussels and fish fry, with fries and slaw.”
Chuckling, the waiter nodded. “I did let the kitchen know the brussels sprout man was here so they could start prepping. I’ll be back soon with your appetizers.”
“So you’re very much a regular here then?” Bry asked once the waiter had left.
“Only for the sprouts. The entree is a special occasion.” He let himself wink over. “How are the boys? Are they still pleased with their zoo visit?”
“Between that and you guys coming over for supper, they’ve barely talking about anything else for over a week. I think you’ve made their year. The zoo people really made them feel special.”
“Oh, excellent. If I have the opportunity to invite them again, I’d love to. They’re good boys.”
“They really are. And your girls are great. Even though it didn’t work out last weekend, I’d be happy to have Marley sit for them any time.” Bryan took a sip of his Mojito and hummed.
“She’s been working so hard to be trusted. I’m very proud of her.”
“They’re both great girls. Your Juniper is a hoot.”
“Juni is a firecracker. She is going to take over the world.”
“Yeah, I believe that. I also believe Dylan and Micah will be her right-hand men. They adore her.”
“She likes them. She calls them her posse. She misses having close friends.”
“Her posse. That’s great.” Bryan laughed for a moment before sobering to ask, “What happened to her friends?”
“Well, we moved a couple of times, of course, and then her big sister became a teenager.” And that was hard. His two best friend girls had become… just sisters.
“Ah, of course on the moving. Do you think your girls will ever be close like they were again, once the teenage years are over?”
“Of course. They don’t hate each other or anything. There’s just a huge difference between ten and fourteen, you know?” Marley was a ‘teenager, Daddy’.
“Ah yeah. I guess I’ll get to that eventually. Six and four aren’t as far apart as ten and fourteen, but I’m guessing at ten and twelve it will be.”
“Or thirteen and fifteen?” No matter what, growing up was a challenge.
Bry nodded. “Or fifteen and seventeen.” Then he shuddered. “I don’t want to think of them that old. I want to wrap them in cotton wool and make sure they grow up really slowly. I know it’s not realistic, but it would be nice.”
“Wouldn’t it? Although, it’s fun to have them grow into themselves, too. They’re so much more interesting.”
“I know. I love each change even as I feel nostalgic for who they used to be.” Bry chuckled. “Sometimes I feel like there’s something wrong with me.”
Dev tilted his head. “Why?”
“Because I want them to grow up, but I also don’t. One day, I think they’re perfect just the way they are, and the next, I can’t wait for them to be older. I know I should just take each day as it is.” Bry shrugged. “I’m probably overthinking things.”
“That’s just being a parent, I think. Like when you think time is crawling, and the next second, you think time is speeding like a freight train.”
“Yes, that’s it exactly. And it’s not just me, eh?” Bry took another sip of his mojito and licked his lips again.
“Not even. I’m always on that train where I’m spinning.”
“I’m glad. Well, not that you’re on the train, but that I’m not on it alone. If that made sense.”
Their waiter returned with their aps before he could reply to that, placing the plates in front of them.
“Oh, look at this. It smells perfect.” Dev smiled at the server, nodded.
“It really does,” Bryan added. “I’m salivating.”
The waiter beamed at them. “Enjoy.”
“I’m so looking forward to trying this,” Bry told him, licking his lips yet again as he checked out his plate. Dev wasn’t upset that it kept drawing his attention to Bry’s mouth.
“Go for it.” It was worth the money the meal cost, to have that excitement in Bryan’s eyes.
Bry forked a thin slice of scallop and dragged it through the sauce, then he put it in his mouth. His eyes went wide, and he smiled. “Oh my god. It melted on my tongue!”
“Oh, wow.” He grinned over at Bry, not only pleased that Bry was enjoying his food, but curious about the melting on his tongue thing. “Can I try?”
“Of course.” Bry speared another piece and brought it to his lips. He could smell the acid immediately, the ceviche sauce strong and making him salivate.
He took the bite, and it tasted amazing, but what was even better?
Having Bry feed him the bite. It was far more intimate than he would have thought, and he liked that.
“Isn’t that the most amazing bite of food ever?” Bry asked, spearing another slice and putting it in his mouth. Bry closed his eyes and groaned. “I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything like this.”
Dev grinned, but nodded, digging into the sprouts. “It’s amazing.”
Bry ate a couple more slices. “How are your sprouts?”
“Exceptional. Want to try? They’re a little spicy.”
“I really do. And I can handle a little… spice.” Bry’s eyes were heated, the innuendo obviously intended.
His cheeks heated, and he grinned, forking up a bite. “Open up.”
If it wasn’t his imagination, Bryan’s cheeks had pinked as well, and he opened his mouth like a baby bird.
He had picked a perfect bite, feeding it to Bryan. He hoped the man liked it.
Bryan nodded as he chewed. “That’s amazing. I am not a fan of brussels sprouts, but that is really good.”
“Isn’t it? I’m going to find someone to make them for me once a week.”
“I bet I could figure out how to do it.” Bry stole another bite off his plate, examining it before putting it in his mouth.
“Do you think so? I can’t cook at all. I never even tried.”
“Have you always had money then? I mean, not even like a peanut butter and jam sandwich?”
“Me? God, no. I came from the definition of starving artist.” He’d weighed less than one hundred pounds when he’d met his first husband. “I mean, I ate a lot of cereal. Crackers. Whatever was on sale.”
Bry blinked at him. “Wow.” Then he tilted his head. “Would you like to learn?”
“Sure. I mean, I’m not opposed. I like learning things.”
“I’m not a chef or anything, but I can cook. And I know I can teach you how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, if nothing else.” Then Bryan chuckled. “Unless you’re allergic to peanuts, and then it’s probably not a good idea.”
“I’m not allergic to peanuts. And I can put peanut butter on crackers.”
“Well then, peanut butter sandwiches are only a half a step up from that. But seriously, I’ll figure out the brussels sprouts. What else would you like to know how to cook?”
“I haven’t the foggiest. Pizza, I guess? Or chicken parm. The girls love those.”
“Sounds great. I bet we have a blast, even if you wind up hating cooking.” Bry pulled his phone out. “You wanna do this during the day while the kids are in school, or on the weekend, what works for you?”
“What’s best for your schedule? I’m weirdly flexible.”
“Weirdly?” Bry grinned at him. “That’s an odd way to put it. And when the kids are in school would probably be best. We can concentrate on the cooking that way.”
“Sure. Sounds good. You tell me what you need, food-wise, and I’ll have it delivered.”
Bry chuckled. “You don’t want to go shopping together for the stuff? Planning a recipe, doing the shopping, and prepping are all part of cooking.”
“Sure. I mean, you tell me what you want, and I’m in.” That was nice, right? And he wasn’t the least bit adverse to spending more time with the delicious Bry.
“You want to meet on Thursday at the grocery store at ten? Does that work for you?” Bry asked.
“Sure. Totally. Can the boys come over for supper that night? I want us all to enjoy together.”
“That sounds great. We’ll do our cooking while they’re in school, and then I’ll bring them over after school. Thank you.” Bry picked up his mojito and held it out to cheers with him.
“Thank you.” He liked having an excuse to hang out with this handsome, interesting man.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Bry speared his last scallop and closed his eyes as he put it in his mouth. Then he groaned. “Damn, that is so good. I’m going to have to look up how to make this, too.”
“Yeah? That feels crazy complicated.” Possibly even dangerous.
“I know, right? I’m going to look it up, though. Worse that happens is I see the recipe and go, nope.”
“There you go.” He liked that. He loved when someone was brave, interested.
“No matter where I am.” Bry gave him a wink.
He laughed, tickled pink. “You know it.”
Their waiter arrived with their mains, and Bryan groaned, clearly pleased by what he saw.
“Given how good the scallops were, I bet this is delicious, too.” Bryan licked his lips. “I can smell the vinaigrette. How cool is that?”
He grinned as their waiter put his fish and chips in front of him. “Thank you for hanging out. I’m… you’re fascinating.”
“Me? Fascinating?” Bryan shook his head. “You’re the interesting one. I’m just an accountant.”
“I’m allowed to find you fascinating, man.” He winked to prove there was no heat to his words.
Bry laughed, cheeks holding a delightful blush. “You are, you are. I just don’t feel like I am, I guess. You are, though. A bona fide artist. That’s super fascinating.”
“It’s a talent, sure, but so is having a way with numbers.”
“I guess.” Bry grinned. “That’s not a terrible thing, thinking each other is fascinating, is it?”
“No. No, in fact, it’s lovely.” He dared to reach out, touch Bryan’s wrist.
Bryan turned his hand so they were touching palm to palm. He smiled at Dev, the look warm.
Well, okay.
That was… welcome.
And it meant he wasn’t alone in the attraction he felt for Bry that really had nothing to do with their shared ex, and everything to do with who they each were.
Some dishes clanked in the background, and Bry blinked and looked down at his plate. “I guess we should eat, eh? I would hate to waste all this yummy lobster.”
He chuckled at himself. “Right? Time to indulge. No one likes cold fish and chips.”
“Ew. No, that doesn’t sound appetizing at all.” Bry chuckled and grabbed his sandwich and took a big bite.
The food was exceptional, but he didn’t really taste it. The company was better, more interesting, sexy.
“Did you want a bite?” Bry offered. “It’s amazing.”
“Oh, this is plenty, and it’s lovely. Crunchy and perfectly cooked.”
“Okay. The lobster is stunning.” Bryan went back to eating, making lovely noises as he enjoyed his food.
“So… I don’t suppose you’d like to get together again… maybe before Thursday?” Even if it was only a couple days away.
Bry’s smile slowly bloomed across his face, eyes lighting up. “I’d like that. I’d like it a lot. What have you got in mind?”
“I have a media room. Movies and popcorn with the kids? I can’t guarantee Mar will participate, but Juni will.”
Bryan nodded. “That sounds perfect. Tomorrow evening?”
“I love it. Do your guys like the Despicable Me movies?”
“Oh god, yes.” Bry laughed softly. “Micah is a minion.”
“Cool. We’ll watch one of those, then.” He had them all for the big screen in the living room.
“It sounds like fun. Did you want me to bring something, or will your ordering finger get a workout?” Bry asked before stuffing the last of his lobster roll into his mouth.
“Hush, you. I was thinking pizza and movie snacks.”
Bry chuckled. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. I haven’t had a good pizza in a while. Hell, maybe years.”
“Really? That’s a shame.” And it was ridiculous. “What kind do you like?”
“I always liked a pepperoni and mushroom one. If I was going really ritzy, I like one with barbeque sauce instead of marinara with chicken and onions.”
“Oh, that’s cool. I’m a sausage and onion guy myself.”
“That sounds good, too. I have to admit, when I think of a pizza, the part I think of the most fondly is the crust, so it’s less important what the toppings are.”
“What about the boys? Cheese?”
“Maybe pepperoni? And I do think they’d like the barbeque sauce and chicken one.” Bryan shrugged. “I say go for a cheese, but they could like whatever else we get?”
“Sure. Sounds perfect to me. I’ll get a sampler of flavors.”
“That feels so decadent. I remember lots of pizza from my college years. Lots of cheap pizza with just a couple of toppings. And cold pizza in the morning? Breakfast of champions. And college students.” Bry laughed again, the sound happy, the look good on Bry’s face.
“And starving artists, trust me. We love our pizzas.”
“Noted. I’m actually looking forward to making pizza with you on Thursday. Picking out the ingredients, making the dough.”
“There you go. Would you rather have subs or something tomorrow?”
“I’m totally easy, Dev. It’s your dinner, you can order anything you want. I’m not the least bit picky and the boys are good eaters.”
“How about I let the girls choose? They can plan it out.” That might be exciting.
“I bet they’ll love that!” Bryan took the last sip of his mojito, licking his lips as he set his glass back down, bringing Dev’s attention back to them again.
“I think they will, and maybe Marley will join us.”
“She’s doing more and more with her friends instead of family, eh?” Bry’s gaze was warm, friendly.
“That’s the way it works, right? She’s starting to slowly disengage.” It was how it was supposed to work, putting everything into your kids so they could be independent.
Their waiter arrived before Bry had a chance to reply. “I hope everything was okay.”
“It was delicious, thank you.” Bry’s words encompassed both the waiter and Dev.
“That’s great. Do you guys want any dessert? There’s a salted caramel creme brulee today that is amazing.”
Dev didn’t miss the way Bry’s eyes lit up at the waiter’s words. “Did you want to try? I’m totally in.”
Bry beamed at him. “I’d love to. It sounds so good.”
“It is, I promise,” their waiter told them.
“Then bring it on. We’ll indulge.” He found he quite liked spoiling Bryan.
“I’ve had creme brulee before, but never a flavored one,” Bry told him when their waiter left. “And I admit it has been a while since I’ve been able to indulge in this kind of thing. This has been an awesome meal. Thank you so much.”
“Thank you for coming. I appreciate it, so much.” Bryan made him a little fluttery. Maybe more than a little. He hadn’t felt that in a long time; he hadn’t been sure he could after Grant, to be honest.
“And the sign. That is epic. I mean, seriously. Absolutely epic.” Bry laughed, all lit up.
“Thank you. I bet my phone is blowing up.”
“Are you going to reply to him if he’s texted?”
The waiter brought them their dessert, and it looked lovely.
Bry groaned, looking happy. “Oh, this looks great, as promised. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” The waiter left them with the desserts, the sugar all glossy.
“I will never speak to that bastard again. Ever.”
Bry nodded. “I can get behind that. I have him blocked. Not that I expect he’d ever call me. He disappeared entirely when all the money did.”
“Well, we’re going to ruin his fucking life. I’m going to hunt him like a dog.” And now he wanted it for Bry as much as for himself.
“Cheers to that.” Bry clinked spoons with him, then cracked the top of his creme brulee.
Dev focused back on the man in front of him, and their desserts. “I do love that sound.”
“I know, right?” Bry did it again, cracking more of his burned sugar top.
Dev cracked his own, grinning as the solid top splintered. Then he spooned up a little custard, a little sugar. It was so tasty.
Bry closed his eyes as he ate, and hummed a little. Damn, that was lovely.
The dessert was okay for sure, but… it wasn’t Bryan. The man ate the entire dessert like that, one spoonful after another until the entire bowl was empty.
He was about halfway done with his own, and he pushed it over with a smile. “Have at it.”
“Are you sure?” Despite the words, Bryan was already picking up his bowl and putting his spoon in before Dev had a chance to answer. “Mmmm. I should probably have samples of this from other places before I say this is the best creme brulee ever, you know?” Bryan laughed at himself.
“I bet that’s a thing.” A creme brulee flight or some such.
“We could make it a thing. I could research all the places that do creme brulee and we could go out one evening and hit all the ones in the same area.” Bryan shook his head. “Here I am, planning to monopolize another of your days.”
“If I’m not working, I’m pretty open.” When he was working, he was in it, all the way.
“Well, I’ll do some research, see if there are clusters of restaurants that serve creme brulee and compile a couple of lists, and if you aren’t sick of me after our cooking day, maybe we can start comparisons sometime after that,” Bryan suggested.
“Sure. Why not?” Maybe they could hire a cook to deal with it. Either way, it would mean more time with Bryan, and he was all for that.
“It sounds delicious and fun.” Bryan sat back, smiling. “This has been an amazing afternoon. Thanks.”
“It has been. I agree. I hope you’re looking forward to doing it again.” Because he was.
“Absolutely. I’m so glad we’re getting together with the kids for dinner on Wednesday. And then our cooking date on Thursday. Oh, if it’s okay to call it a date.”
“It’s perfectly fine, yes. It is. It’s a date.”
Bryan’s smile was part shyness, but all pleased. “Good.”
And it was.