Cade
CADE
Tugging at his shirt collar, looked nervously around the crowd of well-dressed people. The party had been going for nearly twenty minutes, and he still hadn’t caught sight of Elias. It wasn’t like the man was hard to miss, he towered over everyone. wasn’t exactly short, standing over six feet, but Elias was inhumanly tall. Even in the thickest crowds, his best friend stood out like a sore thumb.
And he was late .
Trying to ignore his frustration and nerves, grabbed a flute of sparkling wine as it passed by on a tray held aloft by a well-dressed waiter. Honestly, just once, he’d love to go to a party held by the people his mother knew that didn’t require an entire ensemble that cost more than his monthly bills. Even as a boy, he hated being dressed up and paraded before the rich and snotty people his mother adored so damned much. It didn’t matter that he’d been doing it his whole life, he hated the feel of the suit collar around his neck.
“Like a frigging noose,” he grumbled.
Even worse, he could see Christine circling back around to speak to him. He’d hoped to avoid her for as long as possible, but she’d snagged him before he’d gotten more than a few feet through the door. The deep blue dress she’d chosen was adorned with flecks of glistening silver material. thought it was supposed to give the illusion of the night sky. She was, thankfully, without the power boots he’d mentioned to Elias. Still, her shoe straps wrapped tight around her ankle, and her heels clicked loudly on the tile floor of the high-rise restaurant she’d reserved for the party.
Thankfully, he’d been saved from having to talk too much with her. As the hostess, Christine was expected to flit around and greet everyone who showed up. She had to make nice, hold a bright smile, and give everyone just a dose of attention to make them feel welcome. That meant she’d only been able to greet him, bat her long eyelashes, and fiddle with a carefully loosened strand of hair from her elegant bun before moving on to the next person. wasn’t so foolish as to believe that was it, however, she would make her way around to him again.
A familiar voice rumbled from behind him. “Please tell me you aren’t already drunk.”
whipped around, letting out a relieved gust of air. “Jesus, Elias, there you are.”
How the man had come through the door without spotting him was unknown. He was wearing the suit had insisted on buying him, telling him that if he was going to drag Elias to functions for moral support, the least he could do was use part of his monthly allowance from his parents to pay for it. The dress shirt wasn’t one had bought, though. The light blue contrasted nicely with the man’s deeply tanned skin, bringing out his bright blue eyes.
“Well, don’t you dress up nicely?” asked, meaning it.
Elias smirked. “Yeah, this monkey looks good in a suit.”
“Now all we need is to slap you with one of those little...organs, I think they’re called. Then we can stand on the street corner, and you can dance for change,” teased.
“As great an idea as that sounds, I think I’ll stick to risking my life fighting fires instead, thanks though,” Elias said, taking the flute of wine from .
“Hey! Get your own,” told him, letting go of the glass easily.
“Maybe you should get us both another one,” Elias offered as he tossed the contents back. “Hm, not bad. Won’t lie, you rich people know how to find the good stuff.”
“For all the money they spend on it, it better be good.”
“True.”
“And could you not shove me in the same category?”
Elias winked. “So, I shouldn’t bring up the monthly allowance?”
scowled. “No, you shouldn’t.”
The allowance had been one of his father’s rare victories over his mother. Pamela would have been happy letting leave behind learning the family business, going to college, and learning how to be a perfect next in line for the Masters’ fortune. David Masters, however, had overridden his wife, refusing to let any son of his live, as he’d put it, ‘like a pauper.’ So, had been given a monthly allowance, more than he would ever make as a firefighter, but with a few caveats. Pamela wasn’t one to take something lying down. She’d managed to wiggle in a few requirements, which included his weekly meetings with her and going to any function she deemed necessary.
She’d yet to enforce more requirements, but had a feeling he would see interference in his personal life in the near future. At twenty-seven, he’d yet to outgrow his ‘phase,’ and he could sense his mother’s growing restlessness. Even his father had hoped would lose interest in his lifestyle by the time he’d reached his mid-twenties. He was at least more subtle about his disapproval. figured it was only a matter of time before his mother decided a more direct approach was necessary to get what she wanted.
dreaded the day.
Elias frowned at him. “You okay?”
blinked. “Oh, uh, yeah, sure, got lost in thought for a minute there.”
Elias’ frown didn’t ease. “Didn’t mean to hit a sore spot.”
“You didn’t.”
“Uh-huh.”
waved him off, not wanting to talk about it. Very few people in what he considered his real life knew much about his family. His name was unavoidable in the city since his parents had fingers in several pots. It had taken him almost two years working at the station to escape the reputation of being a spoiled rich kid trying to slum it. Elias was the only person outside his family who knew everything, and even then, didn’t want to discuss it.
It was enough to have Elias there with him. If there was anyone he would choose to have at his side at one of these boring and sometimes agonizing functions, it was his best friend. From the first conversation they’d had, had found Elias comfortable. It had taken some of the guys at the station a while to come around to Elias. They heard his deep voice, which spoke little and usually only in short sentences, and saw the reserved, serious expression on his face as aggressive.
Maybe had just wanted someone who was the calm to his frantic. The rock his emotional waves could crash upon. Or maybe he was just being poetic where there was no need. He and Elias just...clicked. In two years of friendship, they’d never done much more than bicker, and while they didn’t always agree, they knew how to get along on an instinctual level. If Elias was a woman, would have fallen head over heels for him.
Elias was the one who grabbed two flutes of sparkling wine from a passing tray. “So, seen Christine yet?”
“Yeah, she greeted me as soon as I came through the door.”
“Greeted or pounced?”
took one of the glasses with a grunt. “Bit of both, really.”
Elias reached out, chuckling as he rubbed the middle of ’s back consolingly. “Think you’ll manage to get out of here before she comes for round two?”
“Not a chance in hell,” said as he took a drink.
Elias’ hand drifted further down for a final pat before pulling away. “Well, you might not want to drink too much before she tries again. You might say something you’ll regret.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
’s mind was focused on the brief touch from Elias. Physical contact between them had always come easy, though had sensed it was strange for Elias initially. While the larger man never made a fuss if wrapped an arm around him, laid against him, or any other casual shows of physical affection, it took him over a year before he was comfortable enough to do it. Then, the affectionate gestures took another few months to stop feeling so forced and thought out. Elias’ touch on his back just now had come without a thought, and smirked into his glass as he realized how far his friend had come.
He also wasn’t going to stop drinking either.
Elias glanced at him. “Why are there no places to sit down?”
rolled his eyes. “Apparently, Christine thinks people will enjoy themselves more standing up. Probably thinks it’ll encourage people to talk to one another more.”
“Cue everyone standing around in huddles,” Elias noted.
Which was true. The Marshalls were standing with the Windoms, the oldest of the rich and mighty had to stick together. noticed the old bluebloods were keeping an eye on the young, up-and-coming entrepreneurs standing on the other side of the room. These were the men and women who came from backgrounds that weren’t all that different from Elias’. But through hard work, business acumen, and maybe a few dirty tricks along the way, they were now considered part of the high and mighty. However, that was strictly in financial terms. The likes of the Marshalls and Windoms, who owned practically half the city and had been there since the founding of Port Dale, would never see the new blood as equals.
“I never said it was a good idea,” muttered.
“Every time I come to one of these things, I remember you comparing it to high school. And the more I attend, the more I understand,” Elias said with a chuckle.
said nothing, glancing around for another flute of sparkling wine. Elias had the right of it. The wine really was that good. Didn’t hurt that the bubbly stuff was beginning to fill him with a warm fuzziness that made the environment feel less restrictive. Maybe with a few more drinks, he might even begin to enjoy himself. Wouldn't that be a strange turn of events?
Elias watched him with amusement. “What are the chances of you making a complete ass of yourself by the end of the night?”
thought about it, signaling to another server with a polite, raised finger. “Somewhere between definitely and certain.”
“Your mom really set you off the other day, didn’t she?”
The question was as blunt as it was accurate. Leave it to Elias to understand what was nagging at the back of ’s head. As he took another glass of sparkling wine, he smiled ruefully at Elias and turned his head away.
“Maybe we could talk about something other than my mother?” said as he downed almost the entire glass.
Elias looked up, features tightening. “Then maybe we should talk about the fact that Christine is heading this way?”
’s eyes darted left and right, widened, and he groaned. “Oh fuck.”
“You realize I’m not going to be able to help you, right?”
“Probably not, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be moral support.”
“I’ll hold you tight while you cry, good buddy.”
gave an ugly snort into his empty glass. Despite being more expressive and energetic than Elias, would hardly call himself emotional. He was about as likely to break down in tears as Elias’ emotionally reserved ass was. The idea of the bigger man holding him close while was overwrought with emotion was strange enough to make snicker as Christine approached.
The clack of her heels preceded her, and forced a pleasant expression on his face as she neared them. Her eyes were wide with delight, and he didn’t miss the hungry way her gaze swept over him. For almost a year, she’d been trying to find a way into his bed and his life. had managed to avoid her, but the idea that she was getting friendly with his mother didn’t bode well.
“Nice to see you’re still here, ,” Christine said, stopping in front of him.
As if he had a choice. “Of course, Christine, you know how I love to pop my head up every now and then.”
“As you should. Pamela was very insistent that I include you tonight,” Christine said.
“Yeah, well, as I said, I love showing up and being social. The woman who raised me would know.”
He could feel Elias stepping back from them. didn’t blame him. Christine made no effort to acknowledge Elias’s existence, and his friend couldn’t save him either. At least when the night was all said and done, he could rely on Elias to be there when he needed someone to complain to.
Only then did her eyes dart over ’s shoulder toward Elias. For a moment, he thought she might speak to him and make it a three-way conversation. However, when he watched her gauge the distance between Elias and them, his heart sank.
“I would greatly enjoy seeing more of you,” Christine said lightly.
“Well, with my schedule, it’s difficult to make many social engagements,” hedged.
Christine’s dark eyes flashed in amusement. “True, true. I’ve heard several things that say just how exemplary a job you’ve been doing. It’s always impressed me how you’ve been willing to forgo all the trappings that come with the family name to...fight fires.”
smiled, not liking the sudden and pointed change in topic. “Well, not everyone aspires to inherit the family business. I admire what my family has done for themselves, but my home is at the station.”
She reached out, taking a glass from an approaching server. “As I said, it’s impressive.”
“It’s nice that you think so,” replied casually.
Why did she look like a spider going for the kill?
“And as I said, between that and...other factors, I would like to amend my previous offer so that you and I can spend more time together. After all, considering my work with the various stations throughout the city, I think we could see eye to eye on a great many things,” she explained, cocking her hip evocatively.
“Ah, you do, do you?” asked casually, finally sniffing out the underlying threat he’d always feared would appear.
“I do.”
scrambled to find a way to put her off. The last thing he wanted was to date her. Either their relationship would fail and he’d find himself at odds with the woman who dealt with the station’s budget and policy, or he’d be stuck with a woman who reminded him of his mother in too many ways for him to be comfortable. His only option was to find a viable excuse to continue avoiding her on an intimate and romantic level at all costs.
Christine raised a delicately trimmed brow. “And seeing how you find yourself unattached, I am still interested and invested.”
There! If he could use that. It wasn’t like he was actually seeing someone, but he could use that all the same, right? Hell, he could just throw out a name and call it that.
“I am seeing someone,” said in what he hoped was a believable tone of regret.
The girl, Julie, popped into his mind as Christine cocked her head.
“Really? Color me surprised. Your mother seems to believe you’re...unattached.”
“Well, she doesn’t have to know everything about me, right?”
“Curious. The invitation included a plus one, and yet you...didn’t? I would have thought you’d use these social engagements to show them off,” she continued with a faint curl of her lip.
Shit, she was right. If there was ever a way to guarantee Christine would leave him alone, lest she be seen as some man stealer in front of her peers, it was to bring his current girlfriend along. His mind raced, picking excuses and discarding them instantly. The invitation had come early, so it wasn’t like he could say this non-existent girlfriend didn’t have time to make plans. Sickness? Too easy. Family emergency? Even worse.
“I did!” heard himself blurt.
Christine blinked, expression blank. “You...did?”
Her eyes shifted over ’s shoulder again, and at that moment, he realized what she was thinking and where his panicked brain had leaped to. turned on one heel, grimacing once his back was to Christine, as he saw Elias staring down at him with a stony, unreadable expression.
“Isn’t that right?” asked, praying his friend would help him.