Chapter -11- #2
“You’re into groveling?” Braylon flexes an eyebrow.
“Are you kink-shaming me?”
“I’m asking if you’ll help me with another project. For teens . You’re the one being inappropriate.”
He’s close to apologizing, until Braylon’s lips twitch like he’s losing a battle with a laugh. Denz snorts out, “You asshole.”
“Is that a yes?”
“It’s a maybe .” Denz bravely rolls to his back again. “Approval pending.”
He lets the silence stretch between them like the low-hanging clouds outside. “Is this another attempt to impress your boss? For the promotion?”
“Something like that.”
“You still haven’t told me much about it.”
“It’s all, er…” There’s the nervousness Denz was expecting earlier. Braylon clears his throat. “What did you say? Pending .”
Denz crosses his ankles. Outside of the introduction to the mayor and providing general help with the spring break day party, he’s been too preoccupied with his own responsibilities to truly assist Braylon.
He can do more. Needs to do more. He’d still be outside Kingfisher he thinks he might drown. Maybe he already did, eight months ago.
A year ago, when he caught this shy, goofy, buzz-cut boy at that party.
Maybe this is all Denz wanted from today: a smoky kitchen, a stupid Marvel movie playing in the background, Bray wearing his sweatshirt, kissing the words “I love you” into soft lips until they’re swollen.
“One more thing,” Bray says. “You’re never allowed near the stove again.”