CHAPTER 34 #3
“Exactly. So just show up as you, and I’ll be sure to have Hutton introduce you to his wife, Scarlett. You can hang with her. She’s cool.”
“You’d do that?” I ask, leaning in closer and lightly pressing my lips across his.
He sighs and nods as his arm loops around me, his hand landing on my backside. “Yeah, beautiful, I’d do pretty much anything to make sure you’re taken care of.”
“Oh yeah?” I smirk. “Would you…become friends with Big Hermy and sit and let him come close to you?”
“How would that take care of you?” he asks.
“It would take care of my heart. My best guy…being friends with my other newly best guy.”
“Not sure you can have two best guys.”
“If you think for a second that I’ll be giving up Big Hermy, then you are sorely mistaken. Never going to happen, so I think it’d be best if you come to grips with it now and understand that he will always be one of my best guys whether you like it or not.”
“And if I don’t like it?”
“Then it looks like me and that flamingo will be walking off into the sunset, hand in feathers.”
His brows rise. “Wow, just going to ditch me like that?”
“Don’t mess with my one true love.”
His lips twist to the side. “I know this is going to sound really fucking ridiculous, but do you know how jealous that makes me feel?”
A laugh overtakes me that I can’t seem to pull back because it is ridiculous, but I can also see it being so true.
“Do you really want to laugh at me?” he asks. “I have no problem throwing that chair of yours.”
I cling to it, gripping the armrests. “Don’t you dare.”
“Don’t tempt me.” He gives me a pointed look, and I chuckle some more.
“I didn’t know you liked tofu,” I say as I fill my fork with more mango rice and a slice of tofu.
“I don’t,” he says, his body shivering after taking a bite.
“Wait, you don’t?”
He shakes his head.
“Then why are you eating it?”
“Because I wasn’t about to eat a huge slab of meat in front of you when I could choose something that would make you less uncomfortable.”
I set my fork down in awe as I turn toward him.
We are now out in the bay, far away from the city, so we can only hear the subtle sound of the waves lapping around us.
The sun is setting, and it’s one of the most beautiful nights I’ve ever experienced here in San Francisco, with the orange and pink hues hugging the sky.
“Graydon, you can eat meat in front of me. You have before.”
“I wasn’t dating you then.”
“I understand that, but you can still eat meat in front of me. Don’t torture yourself with something you don’t like just because I don’t eat meat.”
“What am I going to do, gnaw at a dead carcass in front of you?” He shakes his head. “Doesn’t feel right.”
I place my hand on his forearm. “Well, you don’t gnaw on dead carcasses, first of all, and second of all, that’s really considerate, Graydon. Seriously. But please, I’ll feel guilty if you stop eating meat just because of me. This is a personal choice, not something I push upon others.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
He lets out a sigh and leans back in his chair. “Thank fuck, because the texture of this tofu will live with me forever.”
I chuckle. “Really? I think it’s delicious.”
He shakes his head. “Like curdled cheese.”
“Oh my God, it so isn’t.”
“It is,” he counters just as Sam walks up to our table.
“How is everything?”
Before Graydon can answer, I step in and say, “Do you happen to have any sort of real meat on board for Graydon? He tried to be sweet and eat the tofu for me, but he’s not feeling it.”
Sam smiles. “Of course. We have a few filets. Shall we cook one up for you?”
Graydon glances at me, and I nod. “Yeah, that would be great.”
“How would you like it cooked?”
“Medium,” he answers.
“Right away.”
Sam takes off, and Graydon drapes his arm over my chair. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yeah, well, you didn’t have to plan this entire night, and you did, so it’s the least I can do.” I lean over and kiss his cheek. “By the way, thank you for this. The best date I’ve ever been on, and not just because of the scenery, but because of the person I’m on the date with.”
His brow cutely rises. “You flirting with me, beautiful?”
“I am. Is it charming you?”
He smirks. “I think it is.”
“From the way your lips are tilting up—a very unusual thing for you—I would say it is.”
“Seems like you’re the only one who knows how to make me smile.”
“That can’t be true. What about OC and Bennett? Don’t you joke around with them?”
Graydon lets out a long sigh. “Don’t get me started on those two fools.”
“Wait, what?”
“Don’t get me wrong, they’re nice, but Jesus Christ, I met them for some coffee, and OC purchased five muffins and stuck his tongue in the middle of each of them, lapping them up. It was vile to watch.”
“Ew, why would he do that?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Maybe I don’t.” I scoop up more rice. “Do you three get together often?”
“Not really.” His hand caresses my back as he waits for his meat. “Recently, we’ve sort of, I don’t know, gotten together and talked.”
“Why do you say that with such pain in your voice?”
“Because it is painful most of the time. I’m not a social kind of guy.”
“Really?” I say sarcastically. “Could have fooled me.”
He gently tugs my hair, making me laugh. “Smart-ass.”
“So what goes on in these painful conversations you have?”
“Why do you want to know?”
I shrug. “Just curious to know more about you.”
He slowly nods and draws circles over my bare shoulder. I love how affectionate he is. Never would have pegged him as such, but I do love it. “It’s usually OC leading the conversation, being ridiculous about something. Bennett will join in on occasion, getting caught up in OC’s antics.”
“And let me guess, you just sit there like a grump.”
“Pretty much.”
I chuckle, actually able to see that play out in my head.
“Although, they’re part of the reason we’re hanging out on this boat right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, hate to admit it, but they’ve been a sounding board in helping me sort out my feelings for you.”
I can’t help the smile that pulls at my lips as I slowly turn toward Graydon, because how freaking cute is that.
“They helped you with your feelings?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Why ‘unfortunately’?”
He links our fingers together and says, “Because OC turned it into this whole thing, gave us a group name, and now—”
“Wait, I’m sorry, a group name? Please, you have to tell me what it is.”
“No fucking way.” He shakes his head.
“Graydon, you can’t just mention that you have a group name and not tell me what it is.”
“Sure as hell can.”
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“Because it’s really fucking stupid.”
I laugh. “How stupid? Is it something like…Lads Helping Lads?”
“Although not the best, I would take that over what OC calls us.”
“Stop, I need to know.” He shakes his head, so I tug on his hand. “Please, Graydon, you can’t leave me hanging like this. I must know.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, I just need to. How about, if you tell me, I’ll spend the night at your place tonight?”
“Maple, there is an overnight bag in my truck right now that says you already planned on doing that.”
Dammit.
“Fine, if you don’t tell me, then I won’t spend the night.”
“Nice try, but I have the keys. Therefore, I will drive you wherever I damn well please.”
“Fine, then…if you tell me, I’ll be sure to put on the lingerie I packed.”
His interest piques. “You brought lingerie?”
“I did, and I’ve been nervous about putting it on, convincing myself that you won’t like it, but if you tell me, I’ll muster the courage to wear it for you.”
His brow turns down. “You never have to be self-conscious around me. I think you’re fucking stunning, Maple.”
“Thank you,” I say softly. “Do we have a deal?”
He twists his lips in irritation while also looking curious at the same time. “Fine, deal.”
“Yay. Okay, what do you call yourselves?”
He sighs heavily. “I need to preface this by saying I’ve been against the name from the very beginning.”
“I have no doubt in my mind that you have been.”
“Okay…OC calls us the Gladdy Daddies.”
“The Gladdy Daddies?” I roar and then let out a burst of laughter. “Oh my God, why?”
“Because, as he put it, we’re glad to be together, and we’re daddies—as in hot men.”
“Oh Jesus.” I laugh some more, my stomach and cheeks hurting from the humor roaring through me. “That is…amazing. So freaking good.” I wipe at my eyes and then chuckle again.
“You done?”
“Almost.” I let out a few more laughs and then take a sip of my drink. “Okay, sorry.” I laugh. “I’m done.”
“Are you?”
I laugh some more and shake my head. “Nope, that will sit with me for a while.” After I settle down, which takes a second, I bring my drink to my lips again, sip, and then set it on the table. “For the record, I planned on wearing the lingerie no matter what and can’t wait to show you.”
He purses his lips. “You’re evil.”