22. Jude
CHAPTER 22
Jude
“I’m I too late?”
Tian laughs happily down the phone. “No, no, they’re not here yet. Are you far away?”
I’d called him as soon as I’d emerged from the Underground, guessing he’d be the most likely of the three to pick up. My manager at work had taken pity on us and sped through the fastest handover ever so we could all get on our way for New Year’s Eve. I’d nipped into the twenty-four-hour gym near the hospital for a record-breaking shower and then made my way into central.
“I should be there in a few minutes,” I say, jogging down a side street that’s still busy because this is London and it’s New Year’s Eve. But Evan’s office is pretty close, located between Bank and Liverpool Street. “I’ll see you soon. Did everything go okay?”
“It’s brilliant,” Tian gushes. “You wait until you see it.”
“Okay. I’ll be there before you know it!”
I hang up and pocket my phone, dodging around a group of people all wearing star-shaped party boppers who are singing loudly as they stumble down the street. I chuckle and shake my head. There are still a few hours to go until midnight. I hope they make it.
I’m tempted to break into an actual sprint, but that would ruin the shower I just had. So I take a breath and slow down a touch. Tian said I was doing all right for time, and I’d rather not stink when I arrive.
Instead, I take the few minutes I have by myself to marvel at what a week it’s been. We eventually left Evan’s house on Boxing Day, but only so we could go to both our homes to pick up more clothes and fetch Bow. Our neighbour, Mrs Havisham, took her in on Christmas Day, but we didn’t want to leave her any longer.
Besides, Evan was delighted to have her at his place, along with the rest of us.
Seeing as the three of them were off work for the festive break, we decided why not all spend some quality time together before January fourth? I mean, what happened was I bitched a lot every time I had to go in for a shift, but other than that…it’s been magic.
Like, I knew we had chemistry with Evan, and I was determined that everyone saw that so we could move forward. But the way the four of us have slipped into a routine is kind of unreal. Considering how frightened he was of commitment and getting hurt again, Evan hasn’t had any issues at all in making us feel individually special as well as adapting to group sexy times with gusto.
Which is a good job, because there has been a lot of those. A lot.
But there’s also been jigsaw puzzles, and baking, and long walks with Bow, and snuggles watching movies. It feels like we’ve been in our very own snow globe.
I expected at least one of them to have a wobble and stress about how this was going to work when we all got back to ‘real life’ after the holidays. However, it seems that they’re all on my wavelength that it’s going so well now and we’ll just see what happens when our regular routines kick back in.
I suppose it helps that I’ve the one who’s had to keep working. But I’m also the one that knows everything and is a genius…so…
The fact is that Tian, Sai and I already have a few bits and bobs in drawers in the spare room where Evan said he might put in a TV for gaming. Evan’s started buying the kind of wine we drink, and the sugary cereal Tian likes. He’s even got food pouches and bags of treats for Bow.
The house in Russell Square has gone from cold and lifeless to a real home in a matter of weeks. Evan was right. He has so much love to give, he just needed us to come along and show him the way.
But he knows that he hasn’t been a saint and hurt some people along the way. He’s told us about how he’s meeting up with his niece, Freddie, and her wife in January to reconnect. It was adorable how cute he got when he asked us if it would be okay for him to tell them that the four of us are a thing.
I know it’s all new and exciting right now and we want to do everything together as a polycule. However, it’s easy for me to see how we’ll all be able to spend time with each other exploring our different interests. Evan has so many different sides that come out depending on who he’s around. I’ve only seen glimpses of it with Tian and Sai, but I’ve heard a lot more from them. Even with just me and him, though, I can see that sometimes he wants to fuss and Daddy me, but he’s starting to enjoy my brattiness, I can tell. I bet I can get him and Sai to Dom me soon enough.
The thought almost makes me hard walking down the bloody street, so I pull my scarf off and let a blast of cold air hit some of my skin to try and help me cool down. I am one lucky little shit. It’s as if I have a sex buffet waiting for me whenever I walk through the front door now. It doesn’t have to be Christmas. I can have naughty or nice any time I like.
It’s glorious.
Tonight isn’t about sex, though. At least not yet. Maybe in the morning to start off the new year right. Anyway! Tonight is about something arguably more important.
Family.
Because it’s not just who you’re related to. Families can take on so many different shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, Evan knows there’s some other people he’s been letting down. But hopefully, that’s all about to change.
This is the first time I’m visiting Evan’s workplace. Not that I would have had any reason to until now, but it’s interesting to see the accounting firm that once belonged to his father is tucked away in one of those streets where every building looks like it could have been erected in a different decade.
I double check the number and am glad when I walk past the grim-looking postmodern sixties structure to a sturdy, dignified Victorian construction. As I glance at the coms panel by the front door, it looks like each floor hosts a different company, with the accounting firm at the top. That makes sense, given what I know Evan and Sai were planning.
Pressing the buzzer, I wait a few moments in the covered entranceway, grateful that the weather is quite mild this year. I’ve had a couple of miserable New Year’s in the pissing rain or howling wind. I don’t even want to watch the fireworks on telly when it’s like that as everyone in the crowd looks like they’d much rather be home in bed.
But not tonight. Not this year. Because Evan is rediscovering the power of a fresh start, and when the clock strikes midnight, he’s going to step into next year as the new man he’s already becoming.
“Hello?”
Tian’s voice is unsure through the intercom, and I chuckle. “It’s me, baby,” I tell him. Hopefully he’ll get the hang of using it before the evening is through. Or perhaps I’ll take over as the welcome committee.
“Oh! Come up!” he cries. The door buzzes, telling me I’m good to pull it open, and I hurry inside.
Surprisingly, given the age of the building, there’s an elevator. It can only probably fit four people at a push, but I’m thankful for it as I’m heading to the top floor. I’m also pleased that the heating has been cranked up. But that does mean that by the time I step out into the short corridor, I’ve already yanked my hat and gloves off and am in the process of stripping my coat when Evan opens the door to his workplace with a big grin for me.
“You made it,” he says, drawing me into a hug before taking all my extra crap. “Did you find the address okay? You look gorgeous. How was work?”
Before he can spiral, I grab his shirt lapels and pull him in for a kiss. He’s nervous, but I really don’t think he needs to be. “Of course I made it,” I say, still holding him close and nuzzling my nose against his. “I found it just fine, thank you, and work was blissfully not crazy. Now, where’s the prosecco?”
He laughs and kisses me in a more relaxed manner. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he says, brushing his thumb against my cheekbone. “Now I have all my miracles. I feel complete.”
My heart melts in my chest, wondering if I’ll ever get bored of his earnest affection. I very much doubt it. Especially when his favourite nickname for the three of us is his ‘Christmas miracles’. Like…wow. Get you a boyfriend who looks at you like Evan Zegler does.
I give him a tender hug. “Everything’s going to be fine, Daddy,” I say. It’s funny how natural it feels to call him that. I don’t do it all the time like Tian does, but I enjoy it in these kinds of sweet moments. “Show me what you guys have done.”
Evan scoffs and shakes his head as he leads me inside. “I feel bad I let Sai do this all for free. I should have paid him.”
I waggle my eyebrows at him. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to say thank you,” I say suggestively, making Evan laugh and blush. But dear god, they let Tian and I watch as they fucked the other night, and I don’t think I’m ever going to need porn again with all these hot as sin men in my bed.
“Anyway, uh, yes,” Evan says, rubbing the back of his neck. “This is where I work. That’s my office.” We’re walking through a general area with three desks set up. He points to a closed door with his name on it and frosted glass, then to another room with a glass wall partitioning it off. “That’s the client meeting room. I thought about doing this in there, but Sai had other ideas.”
I chuckle, having heard all about his other ideas. Sai’s love language is doing projects for people, like making Tian his playroom. So when Evan first floated the idea of hosting a New Year’s party for the first time in seven years, Sai jumped at the chance to ‘help’.
What that actually meant was take over, but Evan has been so bowled over by Sai’s enthusiasm, I know he hasn’t minded at all. In fact, I think he’s been deeply touched.
And I don’t just mean that other night. Lols.
The three of them have been here since this morning, setting everything up. It’s a shame it’s only going to be appreciated for one night, but so long as the guests of honour actually come, it’ll be worth it.
Knowing my husband, my expectations are reasonably high, but still. When Evan ushers me into the staff break room, my jaw drops.
Tian sent me some photos of what they had to work with when they arrived several hours ago. It’s a reasonably sized room with a few velvet green armchairs, old, mismatching side tables, and a little kitchen area with a microwave and kettle on the countertop.
Pretty sad and bleak, and Evan knew it.
Those things are all still here, but the armchairs and tables have been pushed to the sides to leave an open space in the middle. The kettle looks to have been hidden away in a cupboard, but the microwave is still in the same place. However, every inch of the kitchen is sparkling, and the carpet might still be threadbare, but it’s clearly been hoovered.
Then there are all the things that they’ve added.
I knew they were getting an Uber here from Evan’s place, and I’m very glad they didn’t attempt to navigate the Tube with all this. It’s a mixture of things Evan used to bring out for his parties, new decorations Sai insisted on, and a big grocery delivery that I know came directly here so they didn’t have to try and travel with all that as well, thank goodness.
My favourite feature is on the floor by the kitchen—the small vintage bathtub filled to the brim with ice and bottles of prosecco, beer, wine, a couple of spirits, and a few soft drink options. Around the rim, Sai has done a very convincing job of making it look frosted, with icicles hanging from the edges.
Every surface of the room is decorated. The backs of the armchairs, bookcases, the walls, ceiling, kitchen counter, everything. I see frosted pinecones, dried cranberries and orange slices, flameless white pillar candles, sprigs of holly, white baubles, and strings of red beads. It’s all interspersed with warm white fairy lights and long, fresh smelling pine tree boughs that connect it all together.
It makes it seem like the building is in the process of being reclaimed by a forest. I half expect woodland creatures to poke their heads out and give a tentative sniff. Also, the velvet green armchairs don’t seem so tired anymore as they fit the natural, vintage vibe of the décor.
Then there’s the table.
I know it’s just a basic function folding table that Evan pulled out of storage at his house. But with a purply-red velvet cover it now looks luxurious. At one end they’ve arranged the glassware and plates. The rest of the space is bursting with party food, displayed expertly in white ceramic dishes, glass jam jars, and wooden cake stands. There isn’t a scrap of cheap plastic in sight, and more of the natural decorations fill up the space in between the refreshments.
It looks like a medieval banquet. I know Evan wanted to cook, and we didn’t have time for that. But even though the party food is store bought, it still looks delicious.
That’s the moment I remember I’m starving.
“Can I sneak some nibbles, or do I have to wait?” I ask Evan excitedly.
Sai laughs as he comes through the other door with Tian and alongside a blast of cold air. “Of course you arrive and immediately need feeding.”
“Jude!” Tian cries, running over to hug me. “You look hot.”
I give him a kiss and affectionately brush his hair from his forehead. “So do you,” I say with a grin.
As I was coming from work, I just opted for a black singlet vest under an open shirt and jeans. This kind of outfit shows off my muscles and tats, which steal the show if I’m honest, so it’s best to keep the clothing plain.
Tian, on the other hand, is gorgeous in a sheer purple blouse and tight black trousers that show off his cute arse. Sai looks sophisticated in his red kurta tunic with gold braid trim. Evan has gone for a classic white shirt and navy slacks. He’s got just the right number of buttons undone at the top to show off the edge of his collarbone.
My men are so fucking handsome, I can’t even.
I open up my arms and draw them in for a big hug. “Happy new year,” I tell them.
“Not until midnight,” Sai points out.
“Shh,” Tian says with a giggle. “You know what he means. So—what do you think?”
“Of this place?” I spin around and tsk. “You could have made an effort.”
“Brat,” Sai says, digging a finger in my ribs.
“Okay! Okay!” I hold up my hands in defeat. “It’s stunning. I think they’re going to be blown away.”
“And check this out!” Tian grabs my hand and hauls me through the door he and Sai just emerged from. “Isn’t it cool?”
Despite being told that Evan’s office had a balcony they hadn’t opened up in years, I’m still gobsmacked by how amazing the view is. I can see the London Eye and so many other famous landmarks that you can take for granted when this is your home.
It’s quite long and narrow, but I reckon we’ll be able to get everyone standing out here when the clock strikes midnight to watch the official city fireworks display. The best part is that Sai has wound god knows how many fairy lights around the railings. Apparently, in the daylight, it’s all a little rusty and grubby. But currently in the dark you can’t see that at all. It just looks Instagramable.
“You absolutely need to fix this up for the summer,” I tell Evan as Tian and I head back inside. The weather might be mild, but it’s still nippy out there without a coat.
Evan gives me a small smile. “There are lots of things I need to fix,” he says with just a hint of sadness. “But I’m working on it.”
I stride over and grab his hands, looking him in the eye. “You are,” I agree. “And it’s not going to happen overnight, but you’ve already come so far. Please remember that.”
“Hear, hear,” Sai agrees as he and Tian come and join us for another hug.
Of course, that’s when the buzzer goes on the intercom.
Evan immediately stiffens, but Sai grips his shoulder. “You’ve got this,” he says firmly.
“We believe in you, Daddy Evan!” Tian cries.
I give his hands one last squeeze. “We’re right here with you. Now go answer that so I can finally start eating and drinking.”
“Judas,” both my Daddies growl in unison as a warning, but I just grin, knowing my work here is done.
Sai, Tian and I step back, letting Evan go first to the receiver where he greets whoever is downstairs, then out the front door into the short corridor.
As we wait, I nudge Tian, and he gets his phone out to start the party playlist we’ve been working on for the past couple of days. This is the main thing I’ve been able to contribute to this endeavour as I had to work through all the set-up, and I’m proud of how it turned out, with lots of favourite party tunes to help everyone relax and have fun.
To begin with, we have it on low volume through the Bluetooth speakers the guys brought from home. We can crank it up later for dancing. But right now I just don’t want there to be any awkward silence.
Soon, we hear voices. I’d guess some people took the lift and then the rest walked up the stairs. Hopefully, that means they’ll have worked up an appetite.
Despite all my bravado and everything I’ve said to Evan, I’m suddenly nervous. I really want this to go well for him.
“Yes, we all just sort of arrived at the same time,” someone is saying as Evan opens the door, ushering people inside. The man sounds quite cheerful, but my instinct tells me that he and whoever else he’s with absolutely planned on getting here as one group.
Safety in numbers and all that.
They’re probably wondering what the hell Evan is doing, and I can’t say I blame them after his behaviour over the past several years. But fingers crossed this little stunt pays off.
Robert—the man I met at Winter Wonderland—was apparently the speaker. He’s the first to enter the break room with his son, Timothy, by his side on his crutches. As the door swings inwards, I catch a glimpse of Evan’s anxious face, and I do my best to send him positive vibes through the air.
Robert’s jaw drops as he looks around the formerly very drab room where he’s no doubt eaten countless lunches. Timothy laughs and cranes his neck. “Bloody hell!”
“Language, hun,” a woman whispers as she follows them inside the room. By the way she’s touching their shoulders, I assume she’s Robert’s wife and Timothy’s mum. She’s curvy underneath a faux fur white coat, with cherry red glossy lips and wavy blonde hair styled with sparkly pins. She blinks at the room she’s found herself in. “Oh, bloody hell.”
I like her immediately.
Evan nips around them as four more people come in after him. From their body language, I’d guess they were two couples, and that seems to be the extent of the group. They all stare in shock at what my men have done in such a short space of time.
“Welcome, welcome,” Evan says, his hands clasped together, displaying his nerves. But his smile is authentic. “Thank you so much for coming. It means the world to me. Can we get you something to drink? Perhaps bubbly to start?” He nods and catches Timothy’s eye. “We’ve also got lots of juice and fizzy pop.”
“Yes, please!” Timothy says cheerfully, which is good, because everyone else seems to be rendered mute for the moment.
Luckily, Evan and Sai must have discussed this plan in advance, because whilst Tian and I set up the music, Sai had gone ahead and poured several glasses of prosecco and a few sparkling apple juices as well.
There’s something about holding a drink, though, that feels like wearing armour. I feel the tension ease in the room as people pile their coats on one of the armchairs and then stand in a huddle, plied with refreshments. It’s a little bit us vs them for now, but hopefully things will relax soon enough.
“Thank you, again, for indulging me by being here,” Evan says, holding his glass out.
Robert laughs nervously. “We were just going to stay in, so this is quite exciting.” The other adults nod in agreement.
Evan seems to need a second to remember what he was saying, and I just want to jump in and rescue him. But even I understand this is something really important he has to do by himself. We’re only here as support. So I send more of those good vibes through the air instead.
“Before I begin, some introductions,” Evan continues, only tripping a little on his words. “Guys, these are my coworkers. Robert, his wife Em, and their son, Timothy.” Evan then indicates a bearded man and a person with an undercut and tattoos who’s giving off a lot of gender, and I immediately want to make friends with them. “Jim and his partner, Hen. And finally, Oz, and his boyfriend, Fran.” There has to be at least a twenty-year age gap between the last couple, but the way Oz has his arm protectively around his man tells me that doesn’t matter.
Evan takes a deep breath, then looks at us. “Everyone, this is Sai, Jude and Tian, my…” he licks his lips before something resolute flashes over his face. “My boyfriends,” he finishes confidently.
Sai stiffens next to me as Tian gives a little gasp and my eyebrows shoot up my face. Well, fuck. We agreed he should just introduce us as his friends to keep things simple.
My whole body zings that Daddy Evan threw that plan out of the window and decided to publicly claim us all instead.
“What? All three of them?” Em splutters, her gaze raking over us.
“Yes,” Evan says with a nod. “It’s all quite new, but we’re very happy together.”
Em whistles and clicks her fingers. “I don’t doubt it. You get it, Mr Zegler.”
I can’t help but laugh and wink at her as she grins and elbows her husband’s side. He looks a bit shocked, but then he laughs and shakes his head my way. “I said it would take a miracle to get my boss to like Christmas again. Didn’t I, mate?”
I nod in agreement. “Three miracles, actually.”
“That’s why we’re all here, in fact,” Evan says, his tone serious. “Robert, Jim, Oz—I owe you an enormous apology. I’ve been a terrible boss to you all and an even worse friend. But now,” he smiles at us three, “I’ve been shown the error of my ways. These remarkable men helped me to stop living in the past by dragging me into the present, and I can finally be excited about the future again.”
“We know you’ve had a rough time of it, Evan,” Robert says quickly, his words filled with sympathy. He indicates the break room. “This party is wonderful. Thank you.”
Evan blinks. “Oh, this? This is just…no, no, no. This is just…I always used to love celebrating New Year’s, so I resurrected the tradition. This isn’t my apology. These are.”
He fishes three envelopes out of his back pocket and hands them to their respective owners. “What’s this, then?” Robert asks, his brow knitted as he and the others open them up and slide out slips of paper.
“Well, I wanted to write you cheques for your holiday bonuses,” Evan says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “But apparently a lot of banks don’t even accept them anymore. So those are simply decorative. However, that amount is already winging its way to you, ready for January second when trading starts again.”
When Em sees the number on her husband’s not-cheque, she gasps and covers her bright red lips with a manicured hand. “Mr Zegler!” she squeals, her eyes wide. “You can’t be serious?”
I don’t know what’s written on any of the slips of paper, but my chest fills with pride at my Daddy’s obvious generosity. All his employees have been left speechless.
Evan is shaking his head, though. “It was the least I could do,” he insists. “You all work so hard, going above and beyond. It’s about time I recognised that. You’ll also be receiving a ten percent pay increase at the start of the new financial year in April.”
Robert’s eyes have gone glassy as he looks between his wife and son, then to Evan. “That’s incredibly generous of you, Evan. I don’t know what to say.”
Jim and Oz both murmur in agreement, but Evan waves his hands. “You don’t have to say anything. Just eat, drink, be merry, and join me and my loved ones to usher in the new year.”
Loved ones. Ha. None of the three of us have directly said it to Evan yet and he hasn’t admitted it to us. But I know. We all know. This is love, baby, plain and simple. I’m sure it’ll slip out any day now, so I’m not worried.
As usual, I’m way ahead of the curve with regards to what’s actually going on around here.
Timothy breaks free from his parents and launches himself at Evan, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Thank you, Mr Zegler. You made my dad happy.” He peeks around Evan and grins at us. “And thank you Mr Zegler’s boyfriends for making Mr Zegler happy again!”
His heartfelt words make everybody laugh, breaking any lingering tension. “I say it’s party time!” I declare. “Cheers, everyone!”
“Cheers!” they shout back, raising their glasses before taking a drink. Tian turns up the music. Sai congratulates Evan then makes a point of talking with Timothy.
I look around, eager to get to know everyone. But first, I catch Evan’s eye, then dash over for a hug before anyone else can nab him.
“I’m so fucking proud of you,” I whisper so young ears don’t hear.
“I can’t believe I got through that speech,” he whispers back, shaking his head.
I laugh and boop his nose with my finger. “Not the speech, silly. Although that was good, yes. I mean everything else. Everything you’ve accomplished in only a few weeks. You’re like a completely different person.”
He smiles and kisses my cheek. “I kept thinking I was feeling like my old self again, but you’re right. I’m not going backwards. I’m going forwards. I’m making amends and rejoining the world with more life in me than ever.” He glances as Tian, who’s already chatting animatedly with Jim’s partner. “All I needed was a little push.”
“Or a push from a little!” I joke. Evan stops me from clowning with a kiss. “I mean it,” I say once he releases me. “Well done. Here’s to an amazing year.” I lift my glass and tap it against his.
Evan looks around the room and sighs in contentment. “I think it is going to be an amazing year.”
I lean in close to his ear. “With a ridiculous amount of hot sex.”
Evan almost chokes on his prosecco. “Bad boy,” he splutters.
I hum and pretend to think. “I’m pretty sure bad boys should get punished, Daddy.”
“Just wait until I get you home, you little slut,” he whispers in my ear, making me shiver.
Yeah. I’m pretty confident that this is going to be the best year ever, ever, ever.