Chapter 15 Locke #2
I pointed to the liquor store next door. “The bottle-o. It’s what we call them.”
“You Australians shorten everything, don’t you?”
“I’m getting used to saying full words now that I’m living here. ‘Servo’ still gets me every time, especially when I’m in a new part of town and need to ask where to find one. Thank God for navs, or I’d never find anything.”
“What are you asking to find? A servo? What’s that?” Kam asked.
“A service station. You know, a servo?”
Chris barked out a laugh and said, “Guessing a nav is navigation.”
“Exactly.” I grinned. “See? You’re getting the hang of it.”
“Doubtful.” Chris grinned, and I snorted out a laugh.
We walked inside. Chris and Kamirah were greeted like regulars.
They didn’t even bother ordering. Chris simply waved at the people at the counter, shrugged his jacket off and placed it on a chair in the corner, then sat down.
A few minutes later, the server delivered a platter filled with fish tacos, a pitcher of margaritas, and three plastic cocktail glasses.
“First things first, we should exchange numbers,” I said. Then I realized my mistake. They already had my personal number as V. If I gave them the same one, they’d immediately know it was me. The only other number I had was my business line.
Kam handed me her cell phone with a new contact named LL, and I entered my business number. “I’ll send you a text so you have my number, and I’ll attach Chris’s contact card to it.”
“Thank you,” I said. Then added, “So, how are you both? It’s been a while since we caught up.”
I watched out of the corner of my eye as Chris rolled up the sleeves on his button-down shirt, exposing those sexy forearms of his.
I took a bite of the soft taco, trying to distract myself from drooling, and the sweet taste of fresh, flaky fish combined with the spicy tang from the creamy sauce burst on my tongue.
I moaned and took another three tacos off the platter.
Kam laughed at my antics and responded, “Oh, you wouldn’t believe us if we told you. We’ve had so much going on.”
I swallowed hard, knowing at least part of what she was speaking about.
That was the only part of the secrecy and lies that I liked—the insider knowledge I had on them.
But it kind of ruined things for me too.
I didn’t want to rob us of that fun get-to-know-you part of a relationship…
. Not that I could call tonight the start of a relationship.
I desperately wanted it to be, but it was an impossibility.
“I can imagine, with Chris going back to playing,” I replied before I got carried away and lost in my thoughts. “Congrats on the starting lineup, mate. It’s incredible.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty happy to be back.”
We spoke about Chris’s training regime and getting back into travelling. It was hard on Kam with him away so much, and exhausting for Chris, but the way he lit up when he spoke about hockey was everything. He loved it.
They asked me about my filming schedule, and I told them about the movie I had lined up shooting in Vancouver over the summer. I hadn’t been there yet, so I was excited to go.
“The first time we went to Vancouver, we decided to go for a walk in Stanley Park,” Kamirah said.
“We went to the aquarium, the rose garden, and saw the giant redwoods. Then Chris tells me he wants to see the totem poles and drags me across the park. Nine miles. I don’t mind exercise, but we walked nine miles in, like, three hours.
My feet were killing me, and this one—” She pointed with a thumb over her shoulder at Chris.
“—wanted to keep going! ‘There’s a lookout and a beach,’ he said.
” She rolled her eyes, but the look of love that passed between them was unmistakable.
I grinned, yet the pang in my chest was real. I rubbed the sore spot just above my heart and wished, not for the first time, that I could experience those things with them too.
“The lookout wasn’t far from the totem poles,” Kam clarified, “but the beach was on the other side of the park.”
“Stanley Park isn’t small. It’s nearly a thousand acres,” Chris added, then pursed his lips with chagrin.
I looked at him blankly, then got out my phone and opened up my imperial-to-metric converter. One thousand acres to hectares… “Four hundred hectares. Damn, that’s big.”
“That’s what she said,” Kam murmured, and I barked out a laugh.
Chris flushed red, and my dick bucked in my jeans. I’d been half hard ever since he’d stripped in front of me. Seeing Kamirah had me shifting uncomfortably in my seat in the car, especially surrounded by their combined scent and the rich smell of the leather interior.
“Or him. Or them—no, they,” Chris said.
I shot my gaze to him, and he held his hands up and added, “Your coming out was hard to miss, so I’m just being inclusive.”
I smiled, my cheeks heating until they were flaming hot. “Well, thank you. I appreciate being included.”
Chris chuckled at my embarrassment, and I decided to shift the conversation away from something that was making me blush like a freaking virgin. “I saw some pics on Insta from Warrior Pups, Kam.”
Chris barked out a laugh at my obvious segue and Kam giggled.
But when she smiled, it was that same grin I’d seen on Chris that spoke of passion and a genuine love for what she did. I’d followed the charity as soon as I found out she worked with them. They did so much good for veterans and pups alike that it was no wonder she’d become involved.
“We had a large donation that’s allowed us to do so much. It’s already lifechanging for so many people and dogs. I don’t think the donor realizes just how much of an impact he’s having.”
I smiled, my heart clenching painfully at the thought of them never knowing how much of an impact they’d had on my life too. I’d make that donation ten times over if it made Kamirah smile like she was right now.
“Are you any better at windsurfing yet?” I asked Chris, moving on again so I didn’t admit my feelings out loud.
He choked on a mouthful of the taco he’d just taken a bite of and glared playfully at me, then gave me the finger. Kam cackled and raised her glass in a toast. I clinked mine against it and grinned at her, my mood immediately lightening again.
The restaurant emptied, and our dishes were cleared away. We swapped our margaritas for sodas and kept talking. My cheeks and stomach hurt from laughing with them. I didn’t want the night to end, but when the servers began stacking chairs on tables, we took the hint and made our move.
I walked up to the counter to pay, but I got waved away. Chris had already beaten me to it, fixing up the check when he’d used the bathroom.
“You’re a pain in the arse, you know that? It was supposed to be my treat. A congratulations on your return to the starting line.”
He slipped his hands into his pockets and shrugged, then said, “You get it next time.”
“I will.” I smiled at them when Kamirah slipped her arm into Chris’s, and my cheeks heated.
I couldn’t believe that I was now shy in front of them.
But the idea of having another date like this—not that it could be called a date, but whatever—was thrilling.
I was excited about it, my belly flip-flopping and butterflies taking flight in my chest.
We walked back to their Mercedes, and I slid into the back seat. Darkness surrounded me, and I adjusted my cock, nearly groaning at the relief from the extra room.
The parking lot at the stadium was nearly empty, and Chris picked out my car as soon as I’d guided him into the right section of the lot. “Sweet ride,” he murmured, looking my silver Aston Martin Vantage over.
“I dreamed of owning one the very first time I saw a James Bond movie. It’s kind of my pride and joy,” I admitted. “Thank you for tonight. I really enjoyed it.”
“So did we,” Chris said.
He and Kamirah shared a look, and she met my gaze in the rearview mirror. “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”
“I’ve never celebrated it before.”
“Come join us for lunch. We’re helping out at one of the DV shelters I volunteer at. Chris is playing a game of pickup with the kids. You can be the ref if you like.”
I smiled so wide, my cheeks started hurting. My gut swooped, and butterflies took off in my chest again, my heart fluttering until I was practically levitating. “I’d love to.”
I hadn’t really had that feeling of being included since I’d moved to the States.
Sure, people wanted to get in my good graces and hang out with me, but I never knew whether they were there for the movie star or the bloke.
Chris and Kamirah knew who I was, but it didn’t seem to matter to them.
They were just as welcoming and nice as they were in Fiji.
I got out of the car and rested my hand on the driver’s door, leaning down to say goodbye. I didn’t want the night to end.
“So, Thanksgiving?” I asked.
“We’ll send you the details.”
“Looking forward to it.” I grinned, tapped the roof, and added, “Drive safely.”
“You too, man.”
I walked away, a spring in my step and a grin on my face. I couldn’t wait.