Chapter 19
T HE NEXT FEW days passed in much the same way the first couple had.
The two of them had settled into a relaxed routine, Daniel thought as he stood out on the deck, drinking his coffee.
Morning runs along the beach, days spent lounging on Brantley’s deck while he graded exams and Daniel worked on his tan.
Then the nights would roll around, and with them, the intimacy neither of them was questioning.
Brantley was showering after their run, and today, they’d decided that it would be a good idea to leave the house— probably .
Daniel figured that it might do them good to get out and around other people, because as it was, he was having a hard time wanting to see anyone else while he was there, and that scared the fuck out of him.
He didn’t want to become attached. That wasn’t part of the plan.
So being around others was a good way to distract him from the lure that was Brantley Hayes.
He drained his coffee cup and headed inside to take a shower, but then his phone rang.
Spotting it where he’d left it the other night on the side table, he picked it up and frowned at his office number.
All of his calls should’ve been routed to his voicemail or dispersed amongst whomever was available while he was out.
For fuck’s sake, he hadn’t had a vacation in years—they really couldn’t do without him for two weeks?
He barked into the phone, “Hello.”
“Ahh. Daniel? Mr. Finley?”
Moira. His assistant…
Okay, well, she knew not to call him unless it was something crucial. So he wandered toward the sliding door as he answered, “Hey, Moira. Sorry about that. How are you?”
“Oh, no problem. But funny you should ask. I’m very well. And you’re going to be too in a minute…”
He relaxed at her jovial mood and chuckled. “Is that right? So long as you’re not calling to tell me bad news, I’m sure I will be. I’m not fired for finally using up my vacation time, am I?”
She laughed, and he could picture her smiling at him.
“Ahh, no. Actually…”
He heard some rustling and got the impression she was moving somewhere private. Then she came back on the line.
“It’s just the opposite.”
That got his attention. The opposite? No…no way. Not while he was on vacation.
“Mr. Leighton had a conference call earlier this morning with the New York office, and when he came out, a memo was circulated that in a couple of weeks, they would be announcing their new partner and that it was somebody in house . Did you not check your email? I thought for sure you would be calling this morning.”
No, he hadn’t checked it. He’d been too preoccupied with Brantley to even think about work. In fact, he’d totally forgotten about it, which seemed unbelievable now that he was standing there with a racing heart, anxious to know if he was the person his boss was talking about.
“One second. I’m going to check it.”
Fuck, fuck. He brought his phone down from his ear and scrolled through his emails. There, at the top of his inbox, were two from Leighton & Associates. One from Moira and one from Todd Leighton, his boss.
His hand shook as he stared at Todd’s and took in a deep inhale. This letter had the power to change his life. He’d been working his ass off to be offered a position as partner. With one click of this email, he would know whether it had all been worth it or if he would be looking elsewhere.
God, he hoped not. The only other law firm he’d even consider would be Mitchell & Madison, and somehow he didn’t see Logan Mitchell signing off on hiring him.
Ordering himself to stop being such a fucking pussy, he hit open and scanned the message on his phone. As the words computed and he read them once, twice, and a third time, his mouth fell open and then he clamped it shut.
Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.
They’d offered him the job. They’d offered him partnership at Leighton & Associates.
He vaguely heard Moira saying his name through the phone, so he brought it up to his ear. “Hi… Yeah, ahh, Moira. Sorry. Yes, I received a correspondence from Todd Leighton this morning.”
“And?” she demanded in a high-pitched whisper.
“ And… you better get ready for that nice corner office in there.”
She squealed so loudly that he had to pull the phone away from his ear.
“Oh my gosh! Congratulations!” she said as he tried to wrap his mind around what he’d just read.
“Thank you,” he managed.
“Wow… That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” he repeated, not really able to believe that this was happening.
“Well, I’d love to chat more, but I have to go. I have plenty of work my slave-driver boss left me. I’m sorry, that one of the partners left for me.”
He laughed, enjoying the sound of that, and then said his goodbyes. As he lowered the phone from his ear, he tapped it against his leg and couldn’t help the ridiculous smile from stretching across his face.
He’d done it. He’d motherfucking done it.
Tossing the phone on the couch, he made his way down the hall to the bathroom. Brantley was stepping out of the shower stall, and Daniel shook his head.
“What?” Brantley asked, smiling at the stupid grin Daniel was still sporting.
“I’m just happy, and I want you to get back in that shower with me.”
One of Brantley’s eyebrows rose. “Oh?”
Daniel stripped out of his shirt and his shorts.
Then he stepped forward, urging Brantley back into the stall, and nodded.
“Yes, oh . I want to shower with you,” he said, and then planted a kiss on Brantley’s wet lips.
“Then I think you should call up Jordan and I’ll call up Derek.
You said we need to get out of the house and…
what was it? See other people? So let’s see them.
I feel like going dancing. And I feel like doing it with you. ”
Brantley placed a hand on his chest and scrunched his face up. “I don’t know, Finn…”
“I do,” Daniel said as he turned the water on and kissed him again. “You, me, music, and dancing. It’ll be just like old times.”
As the water fell down over them, Brantley craned his head to the side and sighed. “Well, how can I resist that?”
“You can’t,” Daniel said, trailing his lips up along his neck.
“What’s gotten into you?” Brantley asked as he pulled back a little.
Daniel smiled and wanted to tell him, but something at the last second held him back. He wasn’t sure how Brantley would react to his news. Would he be happy for him or upset? He wasn’t sure, and he was annoyed at himself for even worrying about what Brantley would think.
They weren’t a couple. He was only supposed to be there for two weeks, and there he was, worried about Brantley’s opinion.
Hell, if anything, he should be thrilled.
Brantley, after all, had been one of the major influences in getting him to where he was.
In the end, though, Daniel decided to wait and tell him at a different time, when it had been confirmed over the phone with Todd and had all settled in a little more.
When he wasn’t still reeling over the information himself.
“Nothing. I just think it would be fun.”
“I don’t know… Jordan might not be comfortable clubbing with two of his ex-students.”
“Really? I thought you said that didn’t bother him.”
“Because you know Professor Devaney. Let’s just say Jordan is an animal of different spots.”
“Huh. Well, what if we don’t tell him? You invite Jordan to meet up with you and I’ll invite Derek.”
“That will not end pretty.”
Daniel captured Brantley’s lips again and sipped the water that had gathered there. “I don’t care if it’s pretty. As long as the night ends with me back here in your house, preferably inside you, it can be as messy as you like.”
Brantley wound his arms around Daniel’s neck and nodded. “Okay. I can get on board with that way of thinking, Mr. Finley.”
“Good. Now, let me get you dirty again so you have a reason to be in here with me getting clean.”
LATER ON, THEY agreed to met up with their friends separately so there was no way for them to get out of the night Daniel seemed dead set on having.
Brantley wasn’t sure what had gotten into him earlier, but Daniel had been close to bouncing off the walls— the bathroom walls— until he’d calmed the guy down.
He’d been practically vibrating with his excitement, and Brantley was curious what had sparked it.
However, he didn’t feel they were at a place where it was any of his business unless Daniel wanted to tell him, so he’d brushed it aside.
Whatever it was, it had to be good, because Daniel had been particularly worked up on their go-around in the shower. And if he wanted to go dancing to work off the rest of this adrenaline, then who the hell was Brantley to deny him?
Getting Jordan to go, knowing Daniel and Derek would be there… Well, that would be a different story.
As he stepped inside the small café, he spotted Jordan immediately. He was already seated out on the terrace, under one of the umbrellas, sipping his usual mimosa.
“Morning, Brantley,” Elizabeth, their regular hostess, greeted him.
“Good morning, Elizabeth. I see he’s already here.”
“Sure is. He ordered for you, by the way. Said you needed an extra-hearty breakfast this morning because you’ve been doing a new workout routine.”
Brantley was going to kill him. That thought was further solidified when Elizabeth gave him a quick once-over and winked.
“You look great. What kind of exercise have you been doing?”
He thought about the shower activity he’d partaken in that morning and managed to say, “Just some extra cardio.”
She nodded. “Well, whatever it is, it’s working. You look fantastic. I’d definitely keep it up.”
He barely stopped himself from shaking his head at the first thought that entered his mind, and then he smiled and pointed in Jordan’s direction. “Well, I better get over to him before he wonders where I am.”
“No problem. Your food will be out shortly.”
“Thanks, Elizabeth.”